Bunnies, kitties and zombies?!

The lovely spring weather we've had here the past few days has really got me in the mood to stitch more. During my days off early in the week I managed to complete my PS Bunny. I've got the templates all cut out to make the egg but haven't found a suitable fabric in my stash for the backing. So I think I'll head out in an hour or so to visit our local fabric shop. Yes, my tiny little village has a fabric shop of all things! With any luck I'll find a gingham or similar fabric to complete the bunny. The other PS leaflet I ordered hasn't arrived yet so I'll have to delay the start of the next egg.

In the meantime I've actually pulled out my Easter Fairy. Can you believe it?! I didn't get very far though before I ran out of the Kreinik thread. Now that I have to order some it's unlikely that I'll have this one complete by Easter. So I'll work around the wings for now and see if I can give this girl some legs! A progress pic will follow shortly.

As I'm writing this Clarisse is being a royal PITA. We've had her on medication for the past 2 weeks because she developed an upper respiratory infection. The vet says that it's common in kittens and may be caused by a herpes virus. Although she may have been fine when she left the breeder, the stress of the move, leaving her mother and adapting to a new environment has probably let the virus take hold. It resulted in sneezing, runny eyes and attempts to cough up mucous. Over the past 2 weeks we've given her Clavamox which is identical to the Amoxil medecine that many of us have had to treat our children with, right down to the banana flavouring. No, she does not like it!!! As well we're giving her an enzyme supplement with her food that prevents the virus from replicating. Although it's a virus infection primarily, it has resulted in a baterial infection in the eyes.

Well let me tell you she must be feeling MUCH better. The sneezing has quit, the eyes have cleared up and she has become a wild banshee! Just look at her eyes in this picture...wild! I just kicked her out of the office here and shut the door so that I could get this posting done. In the past five minutes alone she's knocked over the hole puncher spilling its contents on the carpet, chewed Bob's music lying on the bed and her latest trick..... emptying the garbage pail and climbing inside. I think she's busier than any of my kids ever were!

Speaking of kids, my two youngest got together this past week to attend a play at Carleton University which was a parody of all zombie and horror flicks called Evil Dead : The Musical. It's right up their alley since all my boys are big fans of the horror genre. Chris said that the Ottawa production was a little more tame since there wasn't a splatter zone. A splatter zone? I questioned. Apparently at the Toronto production the first few rows are given plastic ponchos to wear during the performance because they end up splattered with fake blood! The play is being called the next Rocky Horror show and often fans show up dressed in costume.

However the only ones in Ottawa who dressed up for the production were... you guessed it!, my two sons and their group of friends. Chris has a friend who loves to do makeup and agreed to paint up the guys before the show. Here's the results. They got quite a few stares when they boarded the O Train in Ottawa to ride to the show.

That's Dan on the left and Chris on the right. I tell everyone that they take after their father, lol!! The boys all had a super time and are planning to do the same thing again in a few weeks at a concert put on by a punk group called Creepshow. Chris himself is a member of a punk band called Hands of the Few who play clubs in the Ottawa area. Okay, so it's nowhere near my type of music but I've got to give them credit for the hard work they've put into this. Chris has even taken on a second job in order to have extra money to devote to this. One of the members of the group studied in Toronto to learn sound recording engineering and they have recently recorded their second CD which is scheduled for release this coming summer followed by a 2 week tour of clubs in the Toronto area. They also hope to squeeze in a side trip to the Toronto Horror fest. This is Chris' idea of a summer vacation!! When they showed me a picture of the new T shirts they're having made for the release I asked if I could get one in a plus size. The boys all laughed and said they'd get me one somehow.

Last night I pulled out Cirque for a bit and finished off another circle (bottom right in the picture). Notice the pretty needle minder that I received as a Christmas gift. This weeks' mail brought the Kreinik and beads I need to complete my March ornie so it looks like I have plenty to keep me busy this weekend. I just let the banshee back into the room and she's washing my face as I'm trying to type. Gotta love her! Have a great weekend.

Spring fever

I think some of that spring fever is starting to hit me. Now that our snow has finally disappeared I managed to get out this week and remove all the Christmas lights from the shrubs in front of the house. The ground is a little too soggy yet for raking but that will come. This was followed by digging out all the spring decor from the basement. Not all of it is in place yet but I'm home the next two days so hopefully I'll have a chance to finish. Although we have had some lovely spring weather recently I haven't put the winter sweaters away just yet. When I left for work this morning there was a dusting of snow on the ground again and today's high wasn't much above zero.
I also found time to give my blog an Easter look. Think it's too much?

In keeping with the spring theme I put aside some of my other stitching and got started yesterday on a bunny ornament from the Prairie Schooler's Farm Fresh leaflet. I managed to get a fair amount done and plan on sticking with this project for the next few days. The light wasn't too bright when I took this pic so I'll post another later this week. The fabric is a pretty little 16 ct Aida Silkweaver Solo.I'm also waiting for the PS Just Hatched leaflet which I won in an ebay auction this week. I'd love to do up a few of these ornies which are finished using an egg shaped template. PS patterns are such an easy and relaxing stitch which is just what I needed. For some reason I just can't seem to get back to stitching on my Mirabilia Easter Fairy. I've totally lost interest in this one and I'm not sure why. It's a pretty pattern but my interest isn't piqued at all. Originally I thought the Stitch a Mirabila SAL would get me motivated but it just isn't happening. Which reminds me that I've been very neglectful in checking on the blog lately.
The increased pressures of work have resulted in fatigue which leaves me with very little motivation for either blogging or stitching when I get home at night. I've returned to reading for a bit and generally end up falling asleep shortly after picking up the book!



I've mentioned before that I often accompany my husband to his rehearsals and sit and stitch to pass the time while listening to the music. One of the violinists on the church's recital series, Mary Pat, would often join me while she took a break just to see what new piece I was stitching on. She mentioned that she used to cross stitch and Teresa Wentzler was one of her favourite designers however she had to give up stitching because of her poor eyesight. Recently she emailed me to tell me that she still had a few cross stitch supplies that she no longer needed and asked if I would be interested in having them. I expressed my interest so she dropped them off to Bob at the church with a note telling me to dispose of anything I didn't want. She had told me she still had some leftover DMC floss but imagine my surprise when I opened one large bag and found this!

Somehow this wasn't what I pictured when she said leftover floss! She doesn't have every colour but it's darn close. I was blown away! Besides the floss there was some Aida fabric, needles, hoops, beads, a couple of TW patterns and a fabric which I wasn't familiar with called Colored Linen Duck by Regency Mills in a 28ct peach and pink. Pretty pastels. Thank you so much Mary Pat for your generosity! She's refused to accept anything from me for all this so I think that instead I'll stitch up a pinkeep for her. I've found a freebie patten by Windy Willows called Amitié that will fit the bill. I found this site through a link on Laura's blog. She has links to several French blogs and it was on one of those that I learned of Windy Willows. Check it out, I love seeing what new blogs she's discovered.

Now I'm off to heat the kettle for a cuppa Chai tea, my favourite, and then settle in for some serious stitching. Have a great week everyone!

Springing forth

Spring is just around the corner. Don't believe me?....well lookee what I found in my front garden today! Amidst all the stones, frost and leftover leaves I spotted these. Yup, that's some of my tulips poking through! My tulips tend to come up fairly early because they are planted close to the house and there is an overhang which protects the area. I know it won't be long now though. I also spotted some geese returning to the area. Now the hunt for the robin is on!

So if spring is just around the corner why am I still stitching snowmen? I sense a new spring start if only to get me out of the doldrums which I've fallen into lately. Any suggestions?

I'd hoped to be a lot further along by now on my Secret Snowdrift but life keeps getting in the way and not a heck of a lot gets accomplished these days as far as stitching is concerned. I had a really lazy weekend following my 7 day stretch of work. On Saturday I decided to take a drive into the nearby village of Embrun where a friend told me that she thought there was a new stitching shop. So off I went to investigate and sure enough she was right! One Silver Needle just opened this past fall and are carrying supplies for cross stitch, knitting and quilting. With such a variety of crafts they don't have a lot of stock of any one thing but have assured me they can order anything I need. Plus they are still in the growing stages. Their website is fairly new and they are adding things all the time. I'm just thrilled that I have a local retailer who can supply me with the basics like my DMC and beads. In addition they have fabric squares for quilting that I can use in finishing.They're only 15 minutes from my place as opposed to an hour's drive to my previous LNS. Bonus!!

I had a small new start this past week. This is my ornie for the month which I found in the Nov. 2008 issue of TGOSM.
I didn't really look very close at the designer, I just liked the look of this one. As I was stitching it I was thinking that it reminded me of the Christmas Box ornments from Country Garden Stitchery, one of which I'd completed this past December. So when I finally got around to looking at the designer of this particular pattern, sure enough it was Cathie Richardson of Country Garden Stitchery. It's called Christmas Tree in Blue and I'm stitching with a lovely Gloriana silk named Holiday Blue. This if the first time I've stitched with a Gloriana silk and boy am I lovin' it! Beautiful floss!! I've got the beads and Kreinik for this one on order so I hope they come in early enough that I can finish this off in the next couple of weeks. I've woefully neglected my Mirabilia Easter Fairy and I want to get back to her.

While I'm writing this there is a little wild girl running around the room. No I'm not referring to either of my grandchildren but to the new baby here, Clarisse. I haven't quite figured out how to make her see that at this time of night she should be quieting down instead of gearing up! I snapped this pic just as she emerged from inside one of the pillows on the spare bed. Notice the wild look in her eyes! The sheet music scattered around her had been in a nice neat pile until she hit the scene. I'll have to get everthing back in order again before Bob finds the mess she made.

It's taken me most of the evening to get this posted. I seem to be moving in slow motion so I figure it's time to hit the sack now. They're calling for high winds here tomorrow so I'm counting on a strong tail wind to carry me in to work quickly. Does that mean I can sleep in longer?!

Rainy day stitching

It's been an absolutely miserable day here today with high winds and lots of rain. Now as the temperature is dropping, the fog is settling in. A perfect day for stitching. This was a day off for me since I have to work this weekend and with no other plans for the day I settled in for a day with Cirque des Cercles. The day has passed fairly quickly and I'm amazed at the progress I've made. You don't realize just how much you've accomplished until you compare before and after pics. When I looked at my last photo and then at today's I was really pleased at my progress. Mind you I did work on this briefly on a couple of other occasions but the bulk of the stitching was done today. I'm on the last page now and the finish line is in sight!

Here are the before and after pics.

Amazing what you can accomplish when you have a day of stitching without being disturbed!

Yesterday I tried to stitch several times but was always interrupted by a certain little kitty jumping onto my lap and grabbing at the floss. Today however my DH was home and kept her occupied this morning and this afternoon she was all tuckered out. She's been sleeping now for about 2 1/2 hrs. I'm starting to get some better pictures of her now that she's not as skittish. It's just like having kids around again!

During the past couple of weeks I've been fortunate enough to have received two different awards from fellow bloggers. Both are friendship awards.

The first is from Blueberry Heart who is a new blogging friend.

The second is from Suzanne whose blog I regularly visit.

As stated on Suzanne's blog:

'These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon's of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines.'

Thank you ladies! I'm very touched by both these awards. I've made so many new friends through the world of blogging and stitching. I can't imagine what it would be like without all of you now. Friendship is a true blessing. I know that both of these awards require that you pass them along to other blogs but I can't imagine just picking 6 or 8 friends and leaving the rest out! If you're reading this post now consider yourself tagged and award yourself. You are all very special as far as I'm concerned!!

I think that I will have very few days of stitching like this in the next few months. Our lab is due for accreditation in May and any spare time will be spent getting things in order. I'm in charge of point of care testing (POCT) which involves any bedside lab testing such as the use of glucose meters for monitoring blood sugar. This will be my first accreditation since I have taken charge in this area and there is a lot of unfinished work yet. I expect to be working several hours of overtime in the next few months because there is just not enough time during the general work day in which to get everything completed.

My stitching might suffer but then again it might not. Most of this work cannot be done from home and I'll be needing a stress outlet more than ever! Fatigue might be the only deterrent to stitching. So if you find I'm not posting or commenting as much you'll know why. It definitely won't be forever. Perhaps things will go much more smoothly than I anticipate after all, I do tend to panic, lol! There's always hope!

Snowmen and a Kitten

That's pretty much what I've been working with this week. I dug out my Trilogy Secret Snowdrift and put some stitches on it although I haven't got much to show for it. I was often distracted by the new little addition to our household.

Yes, we've got a new kitten! Her name is Clarisse and she's a blue lynxpoint mitted Ragdoll.

Finnigan was also a Ragdoll and I just fell in love with the breed. They're very social and often act like dogs. They come when called and love to play fetch. They're long haired but don't shed as much as Persians and Himalayans although my DH would beg to disagree! They have a lovely temperament and have certainly won a place in my heart. Bob has never been around a kitten this young (14 wks) and is desperately trying to teach her to stay off the furniture. He has a squirt bottle of water in hand and thinks he can squirt her when she gets on the couch but she's usually long gone by that time! I've had a terrible time getting her to sit still long enough for a picture. Even when's she's sleeping I can't get a pic because she's found a hole in the bottom of the box spring in the bed in the spare room and climbs in there to sleep. She probably feels safer there.

As I write this she's having a field day checking out the office here in the rec room. Up until now she hasn't been down here and boy oh boy, are there ever a lot of things she can get into!

Consequently every time I sit down to stitch I end up having to stop at some point and chase her away from something she shouldn't be doing. Either that or she's playing with my floss. I forgot how exhausting they can be. Just like kids! I keep telling Bob she needs a playmate but he's not going for it!!

As Clarisse gets older the colour on her face and tail and the stripes on her legs will deepen and the tabby markings on her face will get more pronounced the way that Finningan's did. It can take up to two years before they have developed their full colour.

So I apologize if I haven't had much to tell in the way of stitching. I'm off work now until Saturday so I'm hoping to get more done on Cirque and have another picture to post next time. I also have to choose an ornament to stitch for March.

I received an email yesterday from my LNS announcing their closure at the end of March. They've been in business for 16 yrs but due to the declining economy along with a lengthy bus strike in Ottawa and a very competitive internet market, can no longer make a go of it. This was the only cross stitch store in Ottawa and I will be very sorry to see them go. I had the pleasure of attending one of their stitching retreats in the fall of 2007 and made many new friends. From what they said they have been fighting an uphill battle for some time now as I'm sure several other businesses have as well. I've seen this happen before with independant book stores who were run out of business by the big chains. It leaves me with a very sad feeling for while we can find our supplies elsewhere, we will certainly no longer enjoy being greeted by familiar faces. Thank you to Knit One, Stitch Too (formerly The Cross Stitch Cupboard) for your many years of service and advice. I shall miss you.

A Valentine finish

Can you believe it? With everything that's been going on around here lately I actually managed to finish stitching my French Inspired Heart. As for the finishing, well that remains to be seen. I haven't found a fabric that I like for the finishing yet so more than likely it will not be seen on display until next Valentine's Day! Other than this small finish I really don't have much stitching progress to report. I'm still plugging away on Cirque, stitching the final page now. I really haven't had much time for stitching this past week because we had some good friends visiting since last Friday. They've returned home now after a fun-filled weekend. Good friends, good times and good food is always a great pick-me-up.

I did receive a package in the mail today with an order from Stitching Bits and Bobs. When I place an order with them I make sure it's not one I'm in a hurry for. After all they're not exactly known for prompt mailings. However the sale was a good one and I wasn't in any particular hurry for this bunch. I had almost forgotton about the order though and was pleasantly surprised when I picked up my mail today. I've seen so many lovely patterns on various blogs of which the designer was Homespun Elegance so I decided to add a few of these lovelies to my stash. As you can see they are all ornament patterns which at some point in time will be stitched and addded to my growing collection. I just loved the look

of Sandra Sullivan's designs especially her snowmen. I know that there are several others out there thay I may want to add to the collection in the future.

I received the nicest card last Friday from the vet who looked after Finnigan during his last bit of time with us. It was handwritten, not a form letter, telling me how compassionate I was to let him go in peace. I thought it was lovely especially since this was the first time I'd ever dealt with this vet and I've yet to hear from my regular one. Not a word ... in fact my regular vet never ever returned my call to her even though I left specific details of what was happening. I think in light of this that I may just use the new vet in Ottawa in the future even if it is a bit farther to drive. At least I know she cares.

Not much else to report this week. Although I continue to have very little time for posting and commenting, I continue to enjoy reading all of your posts. They make my day!

I hope you all enjoy Valentine's Day with someone special in your life. Sweet stitching!!

A new start and a new car

Thank you all so very much for your comments and the condolences left for us in regards to our dear pet's passing. Stitchers truly are an amazing group of people. Your heartfelt comments meant more to me than you will ever know. This is the first time in years that I have been without a cat. I've had cats for as long as I can remember and I know that I will have another, sooner rather than later. They are a big part of my life and for me they are my biggest stress outlet (next to cross stitching!). I honestly believe that had I not had cats I would not be the person that I am today. They comfort and soothe and give love unconditionally. Now that my sons have grown and left home and with Finnigan gone I find the house too lonely. My DH is gone most evenings with rehearsals and I'm left to my own devices. My intention is not to replace Finnigan per se because nothing ever will, but to bring in another kitty for company. I'll know when I'm ready.

My weekend was a very quiet one after all that happened. We cancelled our Super Bowl get together with the choir and rescheduled it for two weeks from now. I did very little stitching , just didn't feel like it. I do have a pic of my new Valentine start, most of which I'd stitched last week. It's a fairly quick stitch which I've been enjoying and hope to have it complete by the end of next week. I might have had it done by this weekend but we are expecting house guests and I'll be busy for a few days.

Also managed to get a pic finally of my new car. I had to wait until I'd had it washed to get rid of all the road salt which had accumulated already. That plus I needed a picture during daylight which can often be difficult since I leave home in the dark and quite often it's dark when I return. Anyways, here it is. It may look black but it is actually a dark blue-gray. It's a 2009 Mazda 3 and I do love it. I had snow tires put on right away with their own rims so the wheels don't look quite as good as when the regular wheels are on.

Gotta love that new car smell though!

Have a great week everyone.