Monday, August 20, 2018

If Sunday is my day to do cards then I guess I was working on left-overs today. I did a bit of desk work this morning (I might have made a few purchases) and then I finished up the card I started yesterday. I went out to the post office after lunch; I knew the envelopes I was mailing had the correct postage but I used up the last of my stamps so I wanted to get more so I could make use of the mail dropbox just up the street.

Pat was teaching today and on one of his breaks I mentioned I was going out if he needed anything. He added a few things to the list that he needed for cooking dinner, as well as a few things we needed for the fridge and the cupboards. I found a recipe that I wanted to try so I added a few ingredients to the list. But then we realized that if we shopped on Friday, Saturday or Sunday we could get back a $20 gift card on a $100 purchase. We seemed to have enough on the list that would qualify us for the card so we went back to what we absolutely needed and we’ll shop again on Friday.

I didn’t have much “getting ready” to do for the bee tomorrow. I’ll be working on my Farmer’s Daughter blocks. If I can get three blocks done in a week I can have the large blocks done by the time I go sewing with Stacia and Deloise. That’s a big if and there would still be some smaller blocks, setting triangles and corners to do before it can be put together. If the large blocks at least are done though I can get help arranging them, although they are so gaudy  bright I don’t think it will matter what order they are placed in.

I finished off another card top this afternoon and I’ll do a bit of tidying up before dinner.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

The smoke rolled in again last night and even with the doors and windows shut it smells like smoke in the house. I had a very slow start to the day because I couldn’t get my nose to stop running; I don’t know if the smoke was making my allergies worse or if it is the start of a cold. I’m hoping it was just allergies.

I’ve decided that Sundays will be my Splendid Sampler day and, if there is time, I’ll work on my cards. It has proven to be useful to have a Tuesday and a Thursday project so by having a day devoted to weekly blocks and cards I may be able to keep up. I was only one block behind in the Splendid Sampler 2 series so I planned to get a lot done today – maybe a block from Splendid Sampler (the original) and a couple of cards.

It took longer than I thought it would to do my one Splendid Sampler block; I couldn’t understand how the pattern was going to work out until the final piece was put in place. I was piecing together squares and rectangles, but they were somehow to end up as circles. There was hand stitching involved as well so that takes a bit of extra time. Mission accomplished though.

I had a book in at the Library so I walked up to pick it up. I was hoping to stop and have a London Fog tea when I was there but the little concession was closed. So while I cooled down from the first half of my walk I picked up a second book. When I got home I decided I should finish the book I was currently reading since I had two more in the line-up. It didn’t take long as my Kindle announced it would only be about half an hour of reading – just enough time to cool down from my walk home.

I’m back upstairs now and I’ll work on an original Splendid Sampler block and see if I can get a card started as well. If I’m successful it will mean I’ve done no tidying up!

Saturday, August 18, 2018

We were disappointed in the Street Party last night – a lot fewer vendors and musicians, no square dancers and fewer friends than we normally run into. We stopped for a “real” meal at one of the restaurants on Marine before heading out to the street. We got our blackberry shortcake (as good as ever) and I bought a couple of jars of jam from the booth run by the Church group where the quilters meet. One time up and then back down the street and we were ready to come home.

While I waited for the fireworks to start I put together the winter version of my 4-Seasons Tree; it went together very nicely.

I got sucked into shopping online this morning. I was looking particularly for the two fabrics I wanted to use for the sashing in my Farmer’s Wife Sampler. I didn’t find any but I did manage to put together the fabric I wanted for a pattern I bought at Quilt Canada. I had to get it from three different shops; I was having trouble finding a replacement fabric line that I liked so decided to place my orders. While I shopped I ran my mouse battery dry so while it charged I made the Spring version of my 4-Seasons Tree.

As it turns out I’m glad I couldn’t find the sashing fabric I was looking for. Now that I have all the blocks laid out I don’t think the colours I originally picked were right; I’m not sure yet what the right colours might be but at least I know what I don’t want!

When I turned my desk calendar over to the right day this morning the pattern was perfect to use as a card for one of my September recipients. I didn’t feel like making another tree this afternoon so I stitched up the block. It’s nice to be ahead, but there are still several birthdays coming up that I need to get busy on. I’ve got patterns chosen for the first three of them so I guess that’s a start.

For the rest of the afternoon I should get another block in my Farmer’s Daughter quilt at least started, but I’m enjoying my book so I might just sit and read.