WOYWW #897 - Felling a tree from TPO BAN55 G1

Have just found out that Reigate and Banstead Planning have approved the felling of a TPO tree for the Shanly development. All without meaningful local awareness. 

To say I am seething is an understatement to say the least. 

So here's the tree in question, and it's original TPO from back in 1965. 

The Shanly development is taking place on the old allotments.

In all this madness with Shanly I have managed some more embroidery. 

I added some swirly leaves, then a panel from my wedding dress fabric (pink flowers) and the hay like grass having had no rain in months.

I've penned letters to my local ward councillors and the local press, just need the courage to send them now...

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #897 - Quietly Screaming!

Locked in air-con room quietly screaming. Loud music blaring to counteract the noise from the loft conversion nextdoor-but-one and the constant beep-beeping reversing alarms on the building site out the back.

Husband is fiddling with the internet so I need to activate stand alone speaker periodically.

On desk are the Solar Eclipse glasses for later bought them ages ago so really glad I remembered where I stored them!

I did Week 2 of Seek Gather Create.

Prompts:- Cut-outs, A Seed, Texture and Light Green.

I did another ATC. I think ATCs are all I can manage right now so I did an ATC for the JOTW August monthly challenge too.

Prompts:- Lemon motif, Lemon/Green/Blush&White, Texture, Patterned Paper and a Scripture.

My Scripture is, James 1:2, My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.

Not sure I am managing the Joy though!

Nearly forgot my embroidery, just doing something abstract. 

It's making me think of a split rock (geode or agate), or a shell. Not really thinking about the design other than the colour progression.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #896 - Knocked for Six AGAIN!

Yep 33 degrees on Monday has knocked me for six again. I think I am coping then Wham! 

Opened my window Tuesday evening for some fresh air and to give the air-con a break but had to get wet cloth to drape over my shoulders as waning again writing blog at desk.

I did the Nerium Oleander Shrub on my embroidery followed by some Jars of Clay backed by Solomon's Colonnade with Cyprus trees.
 

I did an ATC for week 1 of Seek Gather Create. I managed to find things to satisfy the 4 items from my stash: Coral, A Fish, An Edge, Dark Green.

I'm having a break from the scripture writing but did a page on "My hiding place" the Hebrew word beseter.

I've been picking a few watercolour sessions out of a Summer Creative Retreat.

Poppies and a landscape.

Milky Way and a Seashell.

Flowers and Colour Play Circles.

Just about holding it together - not.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #895 - Buildings Works.

Oh my life - quietly losing it here. Just to clarify about the buildings works and that it is not going away soon, in fact it has just been added to...

1) Nextdoor east of us sold part of their garden and a new single house is being built there on the corner. Started March 2026 expected to be finished by Christmas 2026.

2) Shanly started building 17 homes on the old allotments at the end of the cul-de-sac behind us. Started July 2026 and expected to finish 2028 (yes that vague).

3) Yesterday nextdoor but one west of us started their "Summer" loft extension.

The lorries tear down our road before negotiating the hairpin turn (site of single house being built) into the cul-de-sac behind us. You can just imagine the dust from a month without rain and them not having water on the Shanly site still.

We have spoken with and written to Shanly also written to the council planning breach department and I have spoken with the site manager of the ground works contractors. How much money they must have put into planning agreements and then they flout many of the conditions, it is beyond belief.

I did force myself to do a journal page but ended that with slicing my right index finger whilst cleaning my scissors!

I did add Helen's Echinacea's to my embroidery.

I'm now having a go at a plant which keeps catching my eye on my morning walks. I have used a piece of my dress fabric for this section. I looked on maps and the shrub (whatever it is) is draped over a wall so I guess I'll add that to the bottom. I need to have a go at a double line hand mending stitch too. So I guess this is somewhat a sampler for stitching as well.

So stay in my room, air-con, fan and music on. Don't look out of the windows or open doors or go for walks between 7.30am - 6pm. That should do it!!!

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #894 - Precious Little

As the title says, precious little crafting done this past week. 

Here's my desk where my "daily" scripture writing is even left wanting!

I did however, spurred on by some of you, add a further strip to my embroidery. 

The silver/grey plant was added after a friend's visit Friday and a photo she shared. 

The blue was supposed to be a Hydrangea but looks more like a pond in the distance LOL.

Still severely upset by the buildings works with all the dumper trucks, plumes of dust and insidious beep-beep reversing alarms. Plus elsewhere workers parking completely on the footway/pavement saying they didn't care.

Thankful for the cooler temperatures, though still in flimsy Summer dresses. I did manage going to church on Sunday which was the first time in 6 weeks. But all in all still struggling.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #893 - Dress & Embroidery

I bought and altered a Summer dress this week. Didn't really have anything cool enough for this continued heatwave.....

I outlined the process in my previous post. 

I was going to add in-seam pockets but I tried undoing the side seam on a piece I'd cut off and it proved a tad difficult. Flimsy material vs extra firm unusual stitching! 

Eeeek! Oh well....

My living line is now 1.8 metres long. I added a floral section and am nearly at the end of my second backing strip.

Shall I add more I wonder???

Not done much else. Sunday was a lovely day cool breeze and I actually managed to turn off the air-con and have the windows open for a while. Oh and it was quiet without all the buildings works and dumper trucks too. 

Unfortunately the heat is rising again so I'm back holed up in my room with the air-con on again. 

I did fashion a couple of cardboard pieces to fill the gaps my window leaves with the flue at the base. I still attach the navy cloth to the bottom of my blackout blind as that goes round the flue as well.

That's about all the paper crafting I have done this week  - LOL.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

New Dress - Altered!

Not bought any clothes in ages due to no fitting rooms 🙁 in supermarkets anymore.

However I managed to get a Summer dress in Asda this morning 👗. 

It was a bit big and as ever the length swamped me but I had it in mind to chop✂️ the bottom off anyways. 

I also took the sides in  as they gapped somewhat. 

Sorted, nice and cool and 100% cotton too whoop whoop. 😁

Lots and lots of fabric left over for sewing projects - might even add some pockets. 

But for now I'm wearing it in these hot times.

WOYWW #892 - Really Struggling - Heatwave #3

Oh my life really struggling here - if the heat wasn't enough, the road works have been extended for a further 3 weeks and are now out the front with 4 way lights causing chaos. I am so stressed about it all - it is making me ill. My autoimmune skin condition has flared up as a result and I feel horrid.

Earlier in the week I did manage some embroidery and ended up making a little vignette of last weeks walk by the River Mole geocaching. I have posted details on a previous post. including the photos I worked from.

I've since added the woodland round the tree trunk. 

Wasn't sure where to go next so just couched some odd yarns down and am filling in with some flowers and whatever takes my fancy using up odd threads from my bag. Honestly not really feeling like doing much as feel so horrid.

Well it looks like this current heatwave will be with us a few more days with a 4th "hot" on its heels. I so want to move to Scotland!

Happy WOYWW Everyone - hoping you all are coping better than me.

"Living Line" Embroidery

Following the last Making ZEN on-line sewing retreat I started what was presented as a "Living Line"... 

My piece is about ten centimeters wide and now one and a half metres long!

The premiss was to have something to add to now and again or even daily. The given exercise was to sew lines and dots...

I sort of started this way but soon morphed into my own thing.

I initially took inspiration from our garden  whilst sitting in the conservatory. 

Then from walks around the neighbourhood.

Most recently a geocaching trip along the River Mole.

This latter inspiration has turned into a sort of Vignette of the trip.

A glimpse of a bridge through the trees in a private garden.

Tumbling roses against a blue door.

The whoosh of a weir.

Shaded woodland with the river in the distance deep in the valley.

Dainty pink and white flowers lining a footpath between fields recently cut for hay.

It's like a "Stitched Diary" said Jan of last week's WOYWW post.

I wonder where it will go next....

WOYWW #891 - Pretty Fed Up

Gosh don't know what else to say really, glad of the slight heat respite but know another heatwave is forecast to begin on Monday. Not been up to much this past week as only just getting over the last heatwave.

I did manage to sit at my desk yesterday and stick some bits and bobs down for July's scripture writing page.

Here's June's page

The little pocket contains a tag where I have been writing one word a day from each of the scriptures.

Another bone of contention is we have road works for the electricity for a new housing development off the cul du sac out the back plus a new house being built in next doors garden, both causing loads of access and noise issues. Really had enough of everything to be honest.

I have done some more embroidery though. The straight lines (wall) was just how I've been feeling.

We did manage to get out to a geocache by the River Mole on Monday and the sight of a rambling rose against a blue door really struck me.........

.... so I have added that to my piece.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.