Catching Up

We have settled back into our usual rut, and there are things to catch up on.

The bottom row of stems and leaves are stitched on Ann Wheatley and I can now turn the scroll frame back upright and let the flowers blossom.  After feeling like I was standing on my head--and, yes, I know I wasn't, it just felt that way--I'm very happy to be right side up again.

Meanwhile, in the last couple of weeks, some lovely things have arrived.

If you don't have this book from Alison Cole, or if you're not familiar with her designs and her website (alisoncoleembroidery.com.au), you need to get the book and get familiar with her website. The book has all those things that you learn in classes but that you don't necessarily remember when you need to. The website is drool-worthy. I'm just sayin'.

I'm very happy about this section of the book

because this set of lovely threads and pearls also showed up recently.

I'm taking a cyberworkshop from Michele Roberts through ANG. It will start November 1. I get to play with shiny things.

And then there's this:

and this:

The South Central Region of EGA used their share of an incredibly generous bequest to cover the teaching fees for an amazing class . . . classes? . . .  from Barbara Jackson. It includes a stitching tray, a canvas insert for the tray, a scissors case, a needlebook, and a strawberry, each in a slightly different technique. You could pick and choose which parts you wanted, or you could want and get it all. As I am not a model of restraint when it comes to needlework, I got it all.

It has occurred to me that between all this and the things I brought back from Winterthur, I have at least a year's worth of stitching.

And now for this week's Miss Crankpants rant.

This beautiful set of projects appeared on my doorstep, courtesy of the US Postal Service, while we had a hold placed on delivery of our mail.  Luckily a friend had agreed to check our place and found the box on the doorstep.  That was the first event.

Now we have had a second event. According to the USPS tracking, a book I've been looking forward to for months was left on our front porch at 5:12 this afternoon. We were here at the time. Nothing was left on our doorstep. Dearly Beloved strolled up and down the street and interviewed every neighbor he could find to see if it had been misdelivered. It was not left with anyone on our block.

Amazon said to give them another day to see if it shows up, then they will take care of it.

Now, Dearly Beloved's birthday present, according again to USPS tracking, is supposed to arrive tomorrow. If things come in threes, I am very worried about whether or not it will appear.