Busy With... What?

I wanted to figure out why I was so busy, but I couldn't find the time to do it. ― Todd Stocker

It's been a busy few weeks for me... and yet I don't even know what I've been up to because I don't have much to show for it. Work has been busy, life has been busy, and it's been raining like crazy, so we're all a bit tired. Just look how exhausted my Seymour is:

I made a trip out to an embroidery shop in Nanaimo to look for a few skeins of floss for my current project. It was surprisingly busy that day (apparently, I visited on the busiest day they've ever had). I didn't mind, because it gave me lots of time to wander around and explore:

And to play with this little blur who hangs out at the shop regularly:

Given the amount of embroidery floss I have, you'd think I embroidered all the time. I have a lot of floss left over that was given to me when I made bookmarks for someone's wedding a few years ago, and I also have a bunch from previous forays into embroidery. And as self-confessed fibre addict, there is no way I'd let this thread go:

I started working on my shoes about a week ago. This is my own pair which I am practicing on so that I can show them to my friend who would like her shoes embroidered for her wedding. I am trying to use lots of different stitch types so she can decide what she likes the best. These are little ferns with leaves made with granito stitches:

Then there are the classic Wagon Wheel Roses. Mine are super thick because I thought I'd try doubling the thread. I think they're a little too thick, but I kinda like how they pop out from the shoe:

I have also discovered that I really like using these leather thimbles. My fingers were getting so ragged and calloused that I wasn't sure I'd even be able to type anymore. These things are a godsend:

And I've also developed a preference for needles. I was going slowly insane from trying to thread my other needles when these arrived in the mail. They are SO MUCH BETTER - the holes are reinforced and don't bend or warp, so threading has been a breeze!

I finished the first shoe a couple of days ago. I'm pretty pleased with the result:

I was going to take a break before I tried working on the second shoe, and then I realized that "second sock syndrome" probably has an embroidery form, so I decided I'd better get working on it before I lost momentum. Besides, it's been good to develop the muscle memory and touch required to get faster at this sort of thing. I already have some ideas of other stuff I might embroider in the future...

... but I have so many other projects I want to finish before I do that! I've been looking for fabric to back some of the mini quilts I want to make. I stopped in at the thrift store the other day and got these cotton sheets for $1 each! You really can't beat that. I need to give them a wash and then I'll be cutting them to size... once I finish the shoes...

Meanwhile, we've been trying to get out between the rain showers for Seymour's walks. Things are certainly bursting into bloom around here:

I'm excited because I've got some flower seeds sprouting that I am hoping I can use for another planned project in the summer: ecoprinting! If I ever get to it, that is...

I'm off to make some dinner and then I will settle down to some stitching. Have a good week!