*gasp* Two posts in a month?

I know, don’t fall off your chair – it’s a second post in a month.  Amazing, isn’t it?  Things are finally starting to calm down a bit and I’m catching up on things like toilet scrubbing… And blogging….

 

I had thought that I would be completely finished with work for this school year – I had even gone so far as to scrub my equipment and run things like lab coats through the wash…..  Clearly that was a sign for the universe to rain on my parade…..I got a last booking for (get this) June 29th…..  Who’d a thunk it?  But on the up side, I’m going to a school that might take me 5 minutes to drive to if I hit all red lights, so it’s no hardship to go there.

 

But outside of this last workshop, I’ve gotten all my expenses submitted (yay!  Money!) and I went to the end-of-the-year party (a bit damp about the edges as it rained that day, but it was still fun!).  And for the first time since March, I’ve had time to sit around and do absolutely nothing.  I’ve done a fair bit of that lately.  Paige (my Kindle) and I have been curling up on various couches, beneath warm cats and enjoying some time together too.  I did rouse myself for long enough to plant some things in the garden (floral instead of vegetable this time).  Mostly I’ve been enjoying not needing to go somewhere or get something ready to go somewhere or go buy something to use to get ready to go somewhere….

 

Needle, fabric and fibre have been meeting up a wee bit too…..

 

Cirque des Cercles (from Ink Circles) has been out and played with.  I so love this piece and I enjoy every little stitch:

 

I’ve made it to the lower right-hand corner and can relax a little – it’s going to fit on the fabric.  Despite measuring, counting, checking and double-checking, until I know for sure that a piece will fit on my chosen fabric, I always harbour a little worry that I’ve messed up.  It’s always pleasant when I discover that everything is going to work out just the way I had hoped.

 

Here’s a little close-up of the areas I’m stitching now….

 

 

The blank area to the left is blank only because the chart for that section crosses over two pages….  Since I’m working with an overdyed, I want to stitch that section all at once, but it’s a pain to flip back and forth between two pages.  I’ll be photocopying those pages and sticking them together so I have one chart for that little oval.  I’m looking forward to working my way up the right side of this piece…. 

 

Halloween Rules has come out and been worked on a bit too:

 

(sorry for the wrinkles – I couldn’t be bothered to iron!)  I’m loving the colours in this piece.  It looks so much better IRL.

 

My purse project is nearing completion – so much so that I’ll probably sit and finish it off this weekend, if I get time to sit and stitch:

 

 

This is a close up of the square that is left to finish – just a little metallic in 3 more corners and it’ll be done!

 

  That’s both squares….  I’ll be finishing this as a biscornu.

 

I’ve also been spoiled by a good friend recently…..  I mentioned that I had a birthday last month and this past week had me meeting up with Heather from Reflections on the Pond…  We both had birthdays in May and we exchanged gifts.  I feel very lucky, because Heather showered me with the loveliest things:

 

First Heather sewed this beautiful Pyramid bag.  I love the colour and it’s just so neat.  I intended to try and sew one for myself, but now I don’t have to.  I did have to rescue it from the clutches of DS#2 though – he thought it would be great for storing Lego in.  I quickly made it clear that it was mine and he’d need to keep his paws off it.  I think I’ll put a knitting project in it – I really want to get back to some sock knitting – even if I am a rather pathetic knitter.

 

Then I discovered this charming pincushion:

 

(No, it’s not crooked – my camera and I are having ‘issues’)…  I’m totally in love with this.  It’s currently sitting on my cutting table, waiting for me to transfer my pins to it.  The colours are totally ‘me’ and I’m looking forward to using it.

 

And if that wasn’t enough (and holy cow was I feeling spoiled by this point), Heather also gave me all this:

 

Lizzie*Kate’s Abcs of aging artfully (something I’m not doing, but this piece offers some good advice on how I should do it!), some KnitPicks scissors (that I wanted to try out – and they’re purple!) and a lovely sachet full of fragrant lavender.

 

Aren’t I lucky?  I certainly think so.  Thanks again Heather!

 

I’m off to play with my new toys!