Tuesday 14 June 2011

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!

20 comments:

  1. I love the colours in SQ and the SB chart you ordered is lovely - i've not seen that one before.

    Enjoy your retirement :-)

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  2. You are sooooo close to finishing SQ and it is beautiful! The SB design is one of my Crazy 15 that I started, I just love that one and really hope I can get it completed this year! So glad your retirement dinner was so lovely and that those you worked with are such nice people. You must be very special to them as shown by all the lovely gifts they gave you!

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  3. Your retirement party sounds like it was a huge success! It's so nice that you were able to se people you haven't seen in years.

    I have some freebie Canada themed designs that I printed off last year around Canada Day. I'll look for them and email you the links if I can find them. Aside from the freebies, I haven't seen much available.

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  4. Hi Lynn, Lynne Nicoletti has a Canadian Flag with many motifs within the actual flags design. I stitched it up for my son one year and it was a quick stitch that turned out very nicely. Not cutesy though.
    Looks like you had a wonderful time with your colleagues and even more fun with your stitching. Way to go.
    So. are you headed back to the Muskoka District this summer? If so, enjoy .
    Be always in stitches
    Be always in stitches.

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  5. Happy retirement! Sounds like you had a wonderful evening with your friends. Their song is going to be beautiful. Can't wait to see Spring quaker finished.

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  6. Spring Quakers looks beautiful. Can't wait to see the entire piece.

    Congratulations on your retirement. What a nice group you worked with:)))

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  7. It seems like time flies between posts for me too! Congratulations on your retirement and good luck finishing the project before next week!

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  8. Lots of retirement celebrating going on with you! So glad you're having fun and maybe you'll settle into your stitching chair soon to make some good progress on those projects. :D

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  9. Your Spring Quaker is beautiful! You seem to have had a great group to work with. I am very blessed in that as well. Don't know when I will retire.

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  10. Oh Lynn, you are so busy - it's always nice :) can't wait to see your Quaker design finished, and Sixteen Birds Samplers seems very beautiful to me (I've never seen it before).

    Have a good time!
    Hugs,
    Tatyana

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  11. Oh, your retirement dinner sounds wonderful, Lynn. What a wonderful turnout and such lovely gifts you received! Those earring are so special :)

    Your Spring Quakers is gorgeous, cat hair and all :) Can't wait to see it all framed up. And Sixteen Birds looks like a beautiful piece to stitch--that's new to me, also. Hope your upcoming vacation is fun and relaxing!

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  12. Your spring quakers are lovely! I love the variety of colours in the medallions and flowers! As for the Canadian patriotic stitching, there isn't much but I think that if we could use an American pattern, we could just substitute the flag with a Canadian one?

    Take care!

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  13. Here is a cute pattern, but I think it's their only one. http://www.crosscanadastitching.com/store/shopexd.asp?id=5090&bc=no Here's another one that I found. It's small, but you could make it bigger! http://www.etsy.com/listing/72278122/canadian-maple-leaf-flag-cross-stitch Good luck finding some more. I use ask.com, and looked for Canadian Cross Stitch. I'm sure you could find some more!

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  14. Hi Lynn~ Thank you for the warm welcome! And Huge Congrats to you on your retirement!! I'm sure you are envisioning many more hours spent in your garden and stitching away the hours. Spring Quakers is looking lovely!

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  15. Your retirement dinner sounded fabulous! Spring Quakers is going to be lovely when it is finished. Great new project choices, I like them both too :)

    I have seen very few Canadian designs as well, San Man had some freebies from a few years ago. I am thinking of another Canadian designer too....Sue Coleman or something like that. I'll email you if I find it.

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  16. Spring Quakers looks great, as usual! I can't wait to see it finished. It sounds like you had a great time at your retirement dinner, how nice of your co-workers to all come out to celebrate!

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  17. Oh yes you are close to the finish..can't wait to see it.
    It looks like you are having a busy retirement...Such fun!
    Kathy might have some Canadiana charts. I think!
    I don't really have any just one small one in the cross stitch calandar.

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  18. I too can't wait for you to finish SQ. I'm so excited to see it framed. I'm loving the new chart you have chosen too.

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  19. Hi Lynn! I've just caught up on what you've been stitching over the past couple of months and it all looks great. I love your framed North Wind, it's a design I hope to stitch myself one day. I'm sorry I missed the boat to wish you a happy retirement, but it looks like you had a lovely evening celebrating it. Thank you for your kind comment on my blog, I will be back to more regular blogging/stitching soon with any luck! Take care and best wishes.

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  20. Meanwhile you certainly have finished Spring Quaker. It's beautiful design and I can't wait to see it completed.
    Nice progress on the BBD piece.
    What a great get-together this must have been with your former co-workers. Isn't it great to be retired? Enjoy your days!

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