Oh dear, where did it go?

Well, I’m sure I posted my May TUSAL.  I can’t find the pictures anywhere though – I think my new laptop got hungry and ate them.  So, here’s take 2 (over a month late, now):

And since I’m late with the June posting, I’ll just chuck that onto this post:


Now that business is out of the way, I can offer some updates on what I’ve been up to.  Work was insanely busy the last couple of months – I did so many presentations!  I added everything up and at a guess I met over 3,700 students since this past October.  That’s a whole lot of young scientists!  I am so glad that the school year is over though – I can finally catch up with things like my garden and, most importantly, my stitching!

Since May I started a new piece and I seem to be flying through it:


This is ‘Witchy Washy’ by Raise the Roof Designs.  I’ve had this piece kitted up in my stash for years now and finally decided it was time to stitch it.  I’m stitching it on a piece of PTP DaVinci.  It’s really, really pretty.  I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

And then, because I’d had such a busy school year and because my in-laws (being the kind people that they are) gave me some money for my birthday in May, I decided I deserved a special treat.  It came in the mail this past Monday:


One of my favourite designers for canvaswork had sent me a box.  What was in the box, you ask?  Just this:



And this to go with it:


This is a special cyber-class being offered by Laura J. Perin.  I loved the piece on sight and when I found that I could buy a complete kit and I could get it in PURPLE…. Well, you see what happened.  The purples are all my favourite DMC purples – 550, 552, 333 and Caron Watercolours – Amethyst.  I finally sat down and started this last night – here’s what I got accomplished:

I have to admit that this part of the stitching has been a bit boring as it’s all been done in satin stich.  The interest level will pick up significantly now as I’m moving on to the outermost border (which does a ton of neat layering stitches) and then we’ll start working on a lot of the cool stuff that goes inside the four boxes.  For the first time I’m using some YLI Ribbon floss (it’s the purple bits and yellow bits) which I’m really enjoying.  It’s very, very pretty and easy to work with.

Well, I’m off to the post office to mail off the last of my expenses for this year and then I’ll probably curl up under a cat and stitch a bit.