The disappearing garden

So - today is the day that the back garden gets a total facelift.  Sure enough, the gardener turned up at 8:20am and set to cutting everything back.  The idea is to tame the hedge, cut down some unwanted shrubs, take up my patios and relay properly with concrete - all in all a total overhaul which will then make it "she cave" ready.  The first problem happened within half an hour - we have a nest with baby birds in the hedge - I thought that this was the wrong time of year for that - so one part will have to be left for another month or so.  Otherwise the morning went smoothly and the first truck load of garden waste taken away.  As you can see from these before and after photos - the lack of greenery is already making a difference.
This afternoon he took most of the slabs away - although the truck's limit was reached so a second journey will be needed!







Meanwhile I set to finishing cutting for the blue project.








Then I made another tea towel bag before working on another Christmas present.  Truthfully I had another bad nights sleep ( I am averaging around 4 hours of sleep if I am lucky) and am struggling to cope with so little. 





That being said life goes on and it was the Textile Group this afternoon where the request was to give a Masterclass on needleturn applique!  Well - I tried my best.  They tried both the appliqué paper method, using the appliquick tools, and the needleturn - and declared their preference for the needle turn.




With the rain starting to look like it was settling in the for the rest of he day, we had a quick turn around up at the beach (the girls had had a day shut in due to the gardener being here so needed to stretch their legs) before getting ready for the evening.  Craftwise me thinks it's more hand sewing!

On a different note I seem to have won again on a facebook give away - afternoon tea for two at Springfields - an outlet shopping centre that I just happen to be going to with two friends soon!