Close to a finish

I can't believe how quickly time has passed since my last post! This has been a very busy spring for us. Last night was the first evening in a week that I had spent at home. I have managed to squeeze some stitching in here and there.  I had really hoped that I would have a finish by the time of this post. I'm oh so close! I'm finishing up the last motif on Spring Quakers. I'm pushing to get this one done before our stretcher and framer returns to our stitching group next week. I want to leave it with him before I head on vacation.  Here are pictures of the last three motifs I've finished in the design. I've also included a picture of the final motif. All that remains is to stitch the mirror image of what I've already stitched in the last motif. Then there are a couple of flower names remaining to be backstitched and that's it!

If you look closely you'll see all the cat hair sitting on top of the stitching. Whenever I'm completely finished stitching a design I have to go over it with my little brush to remove all the cat hair. There's no point in doing it until I'm completely done because I'm only going to end up with more of it on there. Clarisse doesn't sit on my stitching but I think I transfer all the fur from my clothing onto the piece. So consequently she's a part of all my stitches.

Most of the stitching on these motifs was done on the weekend as I patiently waited at the church for Bob while he rehearsed for a concert that took place Sunday evening. Sometimes I get more stitching accomplished while I'm there because there are no other distractions as there are at home. I've enjoyed working on Spring Quakers so much and have decided to go with another large stitch when it's completed. I recently found another Rosewood Manor design that I'm in love with which is a possibility. It's called Sixteen Birds and I found it online quite by accident. I've ordered a copy and it's on its way to me.

 Also here is an updated picture of Their Song. I look forward to working on this again soon but in the meantime I've got to get back to putting in some stitches on my Wedding Sampler.

This past Wednesday evening my former coworkers took Bob and I out to dinner to celebrate my retirement. We had a great meal at a Greek restaurant in Cornwall where we were joined by almost 30 others!
Included in the group were my former boss Mitchell and his wife, who are both now retired, our retired pathologist Dr. Macaulay and a former coworker who I hadn't seen for many years. Cathy had met me at the airport in Ottawa when I first arrived for my interview and she also took me all around Cornwall apartment hunting. I worked with her in Chemistry until she left us to work in Ottawa, closer to her family. I was so surprised to see her. As she put it, "I saw you into the lab and I'll see you out!". It was a fantastic get together and at the end of the evening they presented me with a set of Swarovski crystal earrings and matching bracelet. There was also a lovely table arrangement of flowers for me to take home. Another coworker Karen, who now only works casually in the lab, has ordered a Jim Shore piece for me. She knows I love Halloween and cats and so I will receive the Witch Cat whenever her order arrives.  I was overwhelmed! They are such a special group of people. We've had our ups and downs but they have been incredible to work with and I'm going to miss them.  I will continue to see them at upcoming lab events and there are several whom I'm close to that I will touch base with regularily. Please indulge me as I post several pictures from that evening. There are several who regularily read my blog and want to see the photos.

 

Now I have a question for the Canadian bloggers out there. I'm enjoying so much the posts of all the lovely patriotic stitches done recently by our American friends. There are very few Canadian patriotic stitches out there. I'm aware of one by Lizzie Kate as well as Sam Sarah Designs. Are there any others out there that I'm not aware of? Your help would be greatly appreciated. A big thank you to those who have taken the time to drop by my blog and leave your comments. I've enjoyed your visits and hope you continue to pop in on a regular basis.

Now I'm off to drop some mail at the post office. Not sure if it will get anywhere though with all these rotating strikes!