Temari Challenge week 2...going great!!:)

Thank you for following my Temari challenge progress this November :)

My progress after the 2nd week 

This type of embroidery pattern is known as 'Kiku' in Japanese meaning Chrysanthemum . It is made with layered Herrigbone embroidery stitch called as Uwagake Chidori  . Click on the links to see the pattern and stitching tutorial .

 

The beginning : Pins marked at a calculated distance between North pole and equator of the ball 

Embroidery in progress

Layered pattern formed as the embroidery rounds increase

On the centre/equator , also known as 'Obi' , I stitched solid square shapes with the same stitch . These solid shaped patterns are also commonly used in Temari balls

I have started using Kreinik metallic threads on my Ladybird fairy and I am enjoying working with it.

My first ever chilli grown at home :) I always had failed attempts due to flower drop problem

My spinach keeps growing big and giving steady harvest twice a week .

Hope you enjoyed seeing my Temari progress pics .

When I wrote my post today , I found a google notice about cookies notification as per EU laws . I don't even remember whether I disabled it years back while designing my blog . When I checked with my country domain , I did not see any notifications . Anyways , I have no energy to analyse it right away and make any changes but if anyone has come across it or know about any tutorial on what needs to be checked/done , then do share it .

Have a great day!
Preeti :)

Back on track !! :)

Hello !!!
Hope you all are doing great . I am glad to be back on the blogland after a break . I had a great and relaxing family vacation last month :) However, the joy later disappeared under the post vacation mountains of laundry and later Diwali festival cleaning .

Sharing some beautiful pics.....

Aster : highlight of my garden

Daisy 

Anshita made this artistic Rangoli on Diwali . It is made with a slightly coarse powder using pinch by pinch , a job which requires patience . She can now make without much of my help . It took her 2 hrs. to complete . Rangoli's are made just outside the main door as a gesture to welcome Goddess of wealth  'Lakshmi' to enter our homes during Diwali festival .

Hydrangea - growing first time

My favourite : Gerbera

I haven't shortlisted vacation photos yet . Don't worry , I will share only minimum pics :) Sometimes, I feel old digital-less life was better when it comes to taking and choosing photos although it is a great thing for creative people like us . But on vacation , we end up taking lot of pics and then it takes ages to sort them and file them . Few decades back , even if the printed photos turned out bad, we would still choose the best ones from the bad ones and feel satisfied . What do you think ? Do you often shortlist , print and file the digital photos ? I have lost many whenever my laptop crashed .

I will visit you very soon 

Have a great weekend !! 

Preeti

A little bit of everything

Thank you for your kind comments on my craft room !!:) I am glad you all liked my lovely little colorful place :)

I have been busy with an important task and Anshita's School reopened after summer vacation from 11th June . Life has been busy and we are all put back into disciplined mode :) I managed to do a little bit of everything . This is my first crochet headband/hairband . I saw those colorful ones on my blogger friend Rita's post and I made it the very same day .

Anshita decided what flower and color she wanted and I really had a hard time making the flower and she was not ready to settle down with anything simple . It took 10 min. to make the band but 1 hr to make the flower :)

She doesn't like the ones with buttons and this one was stretchy so she said she would use it .

You can view the free pattern from Rita's post or you can go to direct link here . The flower 'Ruffled Rose' is from the book '100 flowers to knit & crochet' by Lesley Stanfield .

I did some cross stitching too but no pics . Also made some special dishes . I made few more but those were repeated ones as shared earlier .

Khaman Dhokla : Steamed gramflour cake tempered with mild spices .

Vegetable cutlets : Mashed vegetables with spices, deep fried. 

After the high temperatures(44 C) in last month, the rains have brought in relief and it has come down to 24 C now :) When it rains, our front balcony gets flooded and then Anshita makes paper boats to sail . This time her boats weren't ready. It rained little and the water receded so quickly by the time she made a boat and took a picture . The boat felt too embarrassed to be photographed on that tiny little patch of water :)

I have started using these gardening trackers , a free printable from here . There are many more on this site . This pic was taken last week .

Yesterday Raj helped me  transplant the seedlings into pots . I am not sure how many will survive . I have some more other than these but the winds are blowing too hard on them and they have become leggy, so I did not take their pics.

 

Impatiens, Marigold , Gomphrena Mix, Gomphrena White 

Marigold Safari yellow

There were some queries about the knobs and handles in my craftroom. I purchased my handles from a local hardware store including the custom made beaded ones but the ceramic knobs were purchased online from here . I am not sure whether they deliver worldwide .

I will soon be back with some more stuff to show and less ramblings :)

Have a great week!!
Preeti

Back with blooms !!!!! :)

Almost after 3 weeks , I am back :)  I missed the blog land very much…did you miss me? ; ) Just yesterday, I saw my blog statistics sinking down to near 2 digit numbers . Well, that tells no one missed me …he....he…..just kidding :) Couple of blogger friends did ask me and were glad to know that I am alive ;)

I was away due to some personal reasons and also busy with the work in new flat . To break the silence on my blog , I have got few photos from my tiny balcony garden to share with you .

Zinnia : California Mix  

Zinnias have grown 3.5 feet tall :)

 

The first flower,  4 inches in diameter

This is light purple but the color isn't showing up in image

 Bright orange...this one is my favourite :)

 

 

Dahlia dwarf : the bud looks like small tomato

Hibiscus : These were not grown from seeds but going great

Zinnias again ......

 

 

 

This is my first gardening experience of growing from seeds . Anshita’s room opens into the balcony so the very first thing I decided was , that everything I use , will be organic. I am using neem oil for pestcontrol . For soil , I am using Cocopeat which is good for germination and water retention . Also, I have come to know that vermiculite is not good for health . So instead , I am planning to use cocohusk or something coir based .  It is easily available in India but not online .

I love my zinnias . I have opened my blog after these many days and I am waiting eagerly to read your posts too. Hope you liked my tiny garden images:)

Happy weekend !!
Preeti :)