Monday, February 5, 2024

I have some things on the go that need to be done by a certain time. They aren’t necessarily a hard and fast deadline but there is some urgency to getting them done.

I just started my next book from the library and it is due back on the 16th. That means I need to read about 100 pages a day. I spent an hour reading after lunch and made it through 50 pages. If my calculations are right it will take me about 19 more hours to finish. It’s a good thing I’m enjoying the story so far and that we’ll be going to Texada next week.

I started a blackwork project that I’ll be using as a graduation gift. The pattern is from last year’s weekly stitch-along so I knew there were 52 sections. Before I started I calculated that if I did one pattern a week I could be done by the end of March. That would give plenty of time to allow for framing. What I didn’t add into my calculations was the time it will take for the borders. The particular setting I chose has two borders and they aren’t small or uncomplicated. Again, good thing we’re heading across to the studio.

If my calculations don’t work out I can always hope that I can renew my library book. And it wouldn’t be the first time a graduation gift was late – right Kathryn?

Friday, February 2, 2024

I like that every day when I get up I have choices about what I’ll do with the day ahead. I know that many don’t have this opportunity. Some days there are things I tell myself I “have” to do but only occasionally is it something that I really have to take care of.

I decided I wasn’t going to do cards this year; last year I sent quite a few e-cards and I thought I’d do more of them this year. My Splendid Sampler blocks are done and I was having trouble finding easily accessible six-inch patterns to use. Stacia suggested that I could find a pattern and use it for all the cards for the year; that seemed like a reasonable suggestion. When I was looking for mug rug patterns at Christmas I downloaded several patterns to keep in case I needed them again. So I’ve decided that I will use these mug rug patterns – the same pattern for each birthday in the month. That has inspired me and I have already picked out the patterns for every month this year.

Although the patterns will be the same I will still be able to choose fabrics that I can associate in some way (perhaps only in my mind) to the receiver. I had a productive morning and I have my February mug rugs almost complete. This idea may work out even better than I anticipated because number two in the process went a lot faster than number one.

Pat was at the library this morning and returned my 600+-page book but he brought home an almost 1000-page one in return. I’ve managed to renew two of the library books I have on the shelf and I’m almost half-done the remaining one. I only have two weeks for this newer book and I’m not sure I’ll be able to renew it because it is from the newer collection at the library. I’ll choose to do as Deloise has been doing – read for a half-hour after lunch each day.

We hope to go across to Texada sometime this month so I’ve been thinking of projects to take. I already have the Alias Grace blocks and my Stash Buster top in my bins but I want to get a start on Emma’s grad gift. I have the colours in mind now so I’ll dig out the fabric and threads when I finish here. I also have the second in the series I’m doing for Ray’s birthday so while I’m sorting threads I may as well pull the ones out that I need for his.

I’ll be sewing with Stacia and Deloise next week. I’ve looked at my pattern; I need 48 half-square triangles. I’ve just finished a stack of leader and enders (that I got from a fellow quilter) that will trim down to the right size but I’ll have to count and see if I have enough of those. From the look of the pattern they don’t need to match but these are quite unique so unless I have enough I won’t be able to use them.

Enough of my rambling. Time to get busy doing something!

Thursday, February 1, 2024

I’ve been back from my sewing retreat for a couple of days but I’m still not quite recovered. Even though I paced myself over the four days I was still exhausted at the end of it. I had plans to go for my usual afternoon coffee and stitching but after sorting out the recycling and clearing off the back deck I didn’t have any energy left.

The days of sewing were wonderful – good food, good friends and a project almost completed. I finished all but a few blocks on a new quilt top and took the morning on Wednesday to finish them off. They still need to be sewn together but having all the blocks done feels like a mini-finish.

I sewed all day Saturday (9 AM to about 5 PM). My understanding was that we would be ordering in some pizza but as the afternoon wound down it was apparent that small groups were ordering from various restaurants. I wasn’t that keen on eating so I came home.

Sunday I sewed all morning but came home after lunch. I didn’t sleep but I lay down for a bit. I thought I’d be good to stay longer after supper but I think I came home as soon as it was over. Monday I came home and napped in the afternoon and thought I’d be able to last longer into the evening but I was home again shortly after seven. By Tuesday I was already looking forward to a pyjama day and came home right after lunch.

I haven’t accomplished much since then – sewing those few blocks together and finishing my book. I have my chicken block out and I’ve started stitching it. I started a new book; the pile is down to three now with just one more to pick up at the library. Pat will be taking part in an on-line workshop all weekend so I hope to do more of the same.

Friday, January 26, 2024

I cleaned all morning yesterday. My focus was the kitchen but that extended into the living room and the hallway. I pulled out things from the wall and, on my hands and knees, got into the corners. The vacuum is hard on my back but so is sweeping; between the two I could barely move my wrists when I was done.

I went out to Gail’s in the afternoon and cut out the pieces for my third chicken block. I have everything whip stitched down on the bonus block but I think I have one piece upside down. I’ll take another look at it and decide if it is worth redoing.

Today I cleaned both upstairs bathrooms; down on my hands and knees again to do the floors. Surprisingly getting down was easier today than yesterday but the getting up was just as tough.

My final cleaning today has been in my sewing room. I hadn’t put away the fabric from my last few Alias Grace blocks so that is done. Since the floor downstairs was clean I arranged the blocks one more time to see how they will go together. I have two setting options now but I think the one I did today will be what I go with. There is still a lot of math to sort out before I’m ready to attach anything together.

I went through several bins to find the green and neutral fabrics I want to use for my weekend project. I call it a weekend project but we will actually be sewing all day Saturday, Sunday, Monday and until mid-afternoon on Tuesday. We have meals catered so it will be sew, sew, sew. In preparation I cleaned and oiled my machine so I’m ready to go.

I thought if I drove to sewing tomorrow morning (because I’ll have my machine, etc.) and home tomorrow night I’d be able to walk to and from the rest of the days until it was time to bring my machine home again. I had the radio on at lunch and they are forecasting another atmospheric river to start this afternoon (and it is raining as I write this) that will last until Wednesday. So I think I’ll opt to drive every day.

I’ll sit and read for the rest of the afternoon. My book is good but it is very thick – 600+ page and they aren’t large print.