An early birthday surprise!

As promised in my last post I now have some pictures of my new stash. I just loved both these ornie patterns when I saw them. Stone & Thread's Hoppity has such a lovely spring look and being a cat lover Val's Stuff Ho Ho Ho is right up my alley! Both will make great take along projects.

In addition, I picked up LHN Peace and Blessed are the Meek. Peace is one which I've admired on other stitcher's blogs. As for the Saltbox Scripture series, I originally thought I'd stitch all 4 on one piece but have since decided to do them individually. Finally there is All Things by Abbey Lane Designs. This pattern is based on a hymn which I've sung since I was a child. It has a lovely Quaker feel to it and I can hardly wait to get started on it! The floss is on order and I've only to find fabric for it now. I love working on charts like this where there are a number of motifs or squares to work. I never feel I'm getting bored and feel a sense of accomplishment when each little motif is stitched.

My craft room is becoming more of a reality. As soon as Bob is finished with his upcoming spring concerts we'll get started on cleaning up the room and preparing it for the carpet cleaners. Currently it's being used to store everything and anything! I started out using this room for my ironing and to store some seasonal things. However it didn't take long before it became the room that you throw things into when you're cleaning up the rest of the house! So consequently we have some work cut out for us to empty it. Once we're finished, the carpet cleaners will come in and do their thing. Then we can start moving in my craft supplies and glider rocker. I don't expect to do much stitching here but rather use the room for finishing projects and to store all my supplies. I still prefer to stitch in our family room where the gas stove resides to keep it toasty warm on winter nights. When the stove is not in use the room remains cool which is perfect for those hot, humid evenings.

I've been using my glider rocker as my stitching chair but I'm not really comfortable in it for long periods of time. Years ago I slipped on my mother's freshly waxed hardwood floor and landed on my tush, breaking my tailbone in the process. That area never completely heals and I have difficulty sitting for long periods of time without ample cushioning (besides my own, that is!). Church pews can be murder for me! Besides this, the chair sits rather low and now that I have a bum knee I'm having difficulty getting up without causing pain. I've mentioned in passing that I'd like to replace my stitching chair sometime but it was never a priority.

Last week my dear, sweet hubby announced that he'd like to get me a new chair for my upcoming birthday. He suggested I start looking around and trying some out. The chair had to be just the right height to make things easier for my knees, have lots of cushioning, and bigger arms. Sunday I found my chair! It's a lovely navy blue leather recliner by LazBoy and bonus... it was on sale 40% off!! It was a little more than the budget Bob had set but since the tax man owes me this year I'm contributing some to the purchase as well. We brought the chair home in the back of the wagon and it is installed in it's rightful place. I'd hoped to have a picture for you but Bob took off with the camera tonight so it will have to wait. Stitching updates will have to wait as well. The nice weather has been stealing some of my stitching time as I head outdoors in the evening for walks and catching up with the neighbours.

For now I'll leave you with a picture of some lovely swans I often see on my way to work. They reside on the pond of a farm I pass by and are in the process of getting their nest ready. As we approached for a picture, the male swam right towards us and fluffed up his wings, a protection measure I think.