Here is my SAL update on the Cut Thru Garden Shed cross stitch kit. Designer credits are here. If you need a reminder of how it’ll all turn out in the end, you’ll find a photo in this post.
This is where I was up to last time.
I thought I might miss my own target of completing one square this time but I managed with a day to spare. Here’s the splodgy version. I wonder how many things you can make out this time.
Here it is with the back stitched detail.
I did think the green ball was a cabbage at first. Just one more square to the right to complete for next time and then I’ll be 75% done. The next row along the bottom shows a cross section of the shed floor and what lurks beneath.
The jobs around the garden have continued over the last three weeks. My experience with a “swarm” of cabbage white butterflies would’ve made a very comical silent movie I’m told. Silent, because by the time I’d finished the air was a little blue. No idea what the collective noun for butterflies is by the way.
Anyway, the Brussels sprouts were just about touching the top of the protective net. I thought it would be a good idea to put a strip of very lightweight horticultural fleece between the leaves and the net to stop the CWBs laying eggs on them. When I removed the net, literally for only a few minutes while I cut the fleece, the cabbage white butterflies descended on my brassicas! They appeared from all directions and refused to leave!! I shooed one away, two came back and so on… How did they know the net was off? Anyway, once the net was back on I did a quick check underneath and I’d managed to trap a butterfly inside with my precious sprouts! Nobody messes with my sprouts, so there followed a repeat performance of my Basil Fawlty impression. I only hope none of the butterflies had time to lay eggs. I’ll keep an eye out for pesky caterpillars.
I’m including a photo of my mini field of gold. I know there are amazing real fields of gold but I only had 15 seeds. They have all flowered but I couldn’t stand any further back because of a wall. Here’s some of the results which are successes in my eyes.
Thank you for all your suggestions in the comments last time, giving me loads of ideas for easy flowers to grow next year. I’ll definitely be giving them a try.
Please enjoy the latest SAL project updates from the rest of the group by clicking the links below. We live all over the world so you may need to allow for time differences. Posting takes place every third Sunday, local time. Our next updates will be posted on the 11th August 2019.
Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Clare, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon
About the SAL
This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL. If you’d like to finish a project you’ve left unfinished for a while, or start a new one with us, you can join us by sending me an email. The address is on the right of this page. I’ll send you a few simple rules to agree.
gingerninjacrafts
/ July 21, 2019Aw your sunflowers look fab, I’ve just got one out so far. Love seeing each patch of the shed being revealed, it’s such a fun design. I had to giggle imagining you as Basil Fawlty chasing those butterflies, I could have leant you a cat or 3, they love to chase butterflies too! x
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Oh no, I’m terrified of cats. They hate me LOL. I’ll just have to keep on with my impressions 😉
gingerninjacrafts
/ July 23, 2019Oh no! Your technique sounds fabulous without the added stress of cats! hehe x
claire93
/ July 21, 2019is it my imagination, or is that a toilet?
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Yes Claire, it’s your imagination LOL
claire93
/ July 22, 2019hmmmm I’ll have to wait for the bottom row then . . . because for the moment, that thing just below the cactusy plant looks like a loo to me.
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Would you put your apples on top of the loo?
claire93
/ July 23, 2019well no, which is why I thought it was strange!
Lindashee
/ July 21, 2019Wonderful progress ! I’m loving this cut through shed. Sorry to hear about the butterfly incident, I would get pretty annoyed with bugs destroying my hard work as well. First year I’ve been gardening and I’m looking at my flower’s each day waiting for a new blossom. Best of luck !
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019We’re both garden newbies 🙂 In the past we’ve just kept it tidy as we were always working. Now we have more time and it’s lovely to watch things grow.
Pyros & Patch
/ July 21, 2019Hi,Avis! Good progress! The small apples are very sweet!We also had the “white butterflies”.They are greedy for the cabbage from the garden.Have a good summer!
Carmela
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Yes, I think the butterflies can sniff out a cabbage from miles around! Well, they’re not getting any here haha.
kathyreeves
/ July 21, 2019I love your shed and the sunflowers! We have been sprinkling with diatomaceous earth to keep out slugs and caterpillars and so far so good I think. We are beginning to wonder if it is a deterrent for the cabbage moths laying their eggs too. Cabbage moths always give me pause…hope your Brussels sprouts give you a great crop!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019The net it working fine but the plants just keep growing LOL. Note to self….make the frame taller than 3 feet next time. They can look but not touch!
kathyreeves
/ July 22, 2019We noticed that we have some sort of wasp hanging out in our brassicas, eating the worms as they appear. Never seen that before, but I’m glad they are helping out!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019I Googled and found a very interesting article about this. Not for the squeamish so don’t read on if you are. The wasp stings the caterpillar to paralyse it, carries it off to the nest where the queen lays an egg in the caterpillar. Then the egg hatches and the young wasp eats its way out of the caterpillar. Ugh! That’s organic pest control.
kathyreeves
/ July 22, 2019Yikes! But better the wasp eats the caterpillar than the caterpillar eats our Brussels sprouts!!
teamwilsun
/ July 21, 2019Another glorious glimpse into the garden shed! I guessed a ball of twine, but somehow thought the pile of pots was a squirrel! Sorry to hear about your battle with the butterflies (a battalion of butterflies in your case?), but good luck with the sprouts!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019I like that collective noun, thanks 🙂 Well done on the twine and I could see a squirrel too.
Ginny @ Mytimestitching .com
/ July 21, 2019You are making great progress on the shed piece. I would have guessed the green ball a ball of yarn that just didn’t meet the cut for a pattern, LOL. So many things to look at in the shed. Love your little field of gold. So beautiful!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Thank you Ginny. Well done on guessing yarn. I bought this kit long before I became interested in the garden. It’ll have to be my virtual shed as I don’t have a real life one.
wybrow1966
/ July 21, 2019That is great progress – and just love your little field of gold!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Thank you. I’m getting there 🙂
marymargaretripley
/ July 21, 2019I love sunflowers. So cheery aren’t they? I can’t wait to see your bottom row start to take shape.
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019There’s all sorts under the soil!
Christina
/ July 21, 2019Wow Avis, you got a lot done! Your project is moving along nicely 🙂 Love the sunflowers, beautiful!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Thanks. It was a bit of a rush at the end but I was determined to finish my target square.
nwpaintedlady
/ July 21, 2019I am never disappointed looking at the new treasures in this shed. Your gorgeous sunflowers fit right into the left side of this picture ~ I always say I am going to plant some and never do….so I will love them through your photo 🙂
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Well, I planted one seed in each paper cup and allowed them to grow away from slugs and snails. When they got too big for the cups so I dropped them in the soil and they were big enough to withstand the munchers. They grow so fast! I was like a kid checking on them every day. Ill be planting lots more next year because they’re so easy.
Renee
/ July 21, 2019I love seeing your progress! Almost 3/4ths of the way done is exciting. I love your sunflowers. (The seeds I planted did not grow this year, but the seeds the birds dropped from last year’s flowers did.) I hope the butterflies failed to lay eggs on your sprouts! Thanks so much for hosting our SAL. 🙂
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Wow! The birds must be better gardeners than us LOL. No caterpillars on the sprouts yet so I think I got rid of the butterflies just in time.
Catherine
/ July 22, 2019Fantastic progress! I do enjoy seeing the shots before and after backstitching – what a difference it makes!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Thanks. I’m almost on the home straight…well, not really but I know that’s how it’ll feel when I get to the bottom row.
rutigt
/ July 22, 2019I thought it was a hot dog first, but now I see it´s a cake 🙂 Love the Sunflowers!
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Hot dogs in a shed LOL. Well, anything goes in this shed! You’re making me hungry 🙂
rutigt
/ July 22, 2019Well, there is a cake in the shed 🙂 That´s making me hungry 🙂
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019There doesn’t seem to be much work going on in this shed does there? I’m up for cake as well 🙂
witchylin
/ July 22, 2019The sunflowers are looking great.
Your cross stitch is coming along really well. It is an interesting picture with lots to find on it.
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019Hi Lin, I’ll definitely grow the same sunflowers again next year because they’re not too tall. I suppose I could save a few seeds if the birds don’t get to them first.
Carole
/ July 22, 2019It’s looking fab. I love all the little details.
I’d have paid money to see your fun with the flutter of butterflies. It sounds hilarious, (from a observes point of view, that is LOL)
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ July 22, 2019My OH seemed to think it was too. He was supposed to be helping!
Jocelyn Thurston
/ July 22, 2019Your project is getting to that nearly done stage.
We love Basil and rewatch sometimes and wish they had made more that 13 episodes. Love the sunny sunflowers. Even one is joyful. I pass a farm field of them all facing one way towards the sun and it is really magnificent.
craftycreeky
/ July 23, 2019Great progress and I love your field of gold 🙂
witchylin
/ July 23, 2019I thought the apples were sitting on top of a sack with the top rolled down. Never thought of a loo! I did manage to recognise the cake even before it was finished.
stitchingranny
/ July 28, 2019So sorry I missed this last update Avis. We have been on holiday and for some reason I had thought that we would be back in time for me to post. Lol I was a week out for some reason. You are making such quick progress on this cut through design and its such fun.
Sewing Beside the Sea
/ August 1, 2019Thank you. I’m feeling like I’m on the home straight now. I hope you had a great holiday 🙂