Sunday, July 14, 2019

The Guild had their annual summer retreat (this was our second year but I know we’re going back again) on Friday and Saturday.

I made good progress on a couple of things – a Guild class project (9-Patch) now has new life as a Disappearing 9-Patch. It wasn’t magic, it took a lot of work and I’ll continue with it until I have a finished top. It isn’t one of my UFO Challenges, but no one but me really knows what my challenges are so I may sneak it in.

When I was in Saskatoon I purchased a set of patterns to make seven miniature quilts. I finished one of them at the Retreat. I used scraps but I’m determined that even when I’m using scraps I’m going to give them a more organized look. I used a single line of fabric and doing that certainly helps. I hope to get it quilted on my next trip to Texada and I’ll be more than ready for our first meeting in September.

We took our own lunch to the retreat on Friday and ordered pizza for supper on Friday night. Kathleen made her fabulous lemon cheese cake so we were well looked after. Saturday lunch was a pot luck – I took a Spinach Salad. There were two kinds of broccoli salad, two kinds of potato salad, a pea salad and ham. And we had fresh-baked blueberry pies thanks to one of our quilters. We teased Donna that because she brought blueberry pie to the bee a couple of weeks ago and now blueberry pies to the retreat, we’d expect it to be a regular “thing”. Saturday supper was left-overs and they were good!

Since we all knew yesterday was the last day for the retreat we were constantly reminding ourselves that it was Saturday, not Sunday. From the moment I got up this morning I had it in my mind that it was Saturday – after all, it was the start of two days at home (sounds like a weekend, right?). I sat and did some hand stitching this afternoon so I think I’m back on track again with my days.

Pat gave the weeds the vinegar treatment this afternoon so I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

I made a big pot of coffee this morning because I had a lot of computer work to do. I got most of the computer work done but only took time for one cup of coffee. I guess I’m ahead for tomorrow morning.

I worked until it was past time to be leaving for sewing and I didn’t have a project picked out – for the second week in a row. Fortunately I had the binding to stitch on two quilts and, since they were already in a bag, they were easy to pack up and take along. I finished stitching one of them and made a small start on the second. I promised the ladies that next week I’d bring an “actual” project.

I had a couple of errands to run on the way home – a bank deposit and some groceries. I’m taking part in the Guild’s summer retreat on Friday and Saturday and I need to take a Spinach Salad for the pot luck. I have a project in mind for the two days, but I’ll have to dig it out and get packed up at some point tonight.

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

I’ve had two very productive days; it seems like a long time since I’ve been able to say that.

Sewing, perhaps, wasn’t as productive as it could have been. I took a card to finish but it didn’t work out as planned. I traced the embroidery part of the card and had the two appliqué pieces ready to attach. When I pressed the two pieces in place my embroidery lines disappeared completely; I’d used a Frixion pen and heat does that to the marking lines. I was able to finish another card though so the time wasn’t wasted. I also made a little progress on a Christmas quilt but I’ve decided it isn’t the right project for a Tuesday. I need to glue pieces in place, press them to seal the glue, stitch, press the seam and then start over. Better done at home when I only need to turn my chair to get at the pressing station, not walk across the room.

Moreen and I went out for a nice walk at Inland Lake after sewing. We didn’t get all the way around but we were out for a couple of hours. I was feeling it a bit in my hip when I got home and when I got up this morning but it has eased now that I’ve been moving around.

I’ve spent most of the day cleaning the house – you know it must have been bad when I consider a morning of cleaning a good thing. I started in the laundry room and worked my way to the kitchen with stops in both bathroom and bedrooms, as well as up the stairs and into my sewing room. I have a meeting at the house this afternoon so it was good incentive to get it done.

I spent most of my afternoon doing some proof-reading but I’m expecting someone to come by for tickets soon so I’d best get downstairs so I hear him arrive. While I wait for him and the meeting folks I’ll start stitching some binding on one of my two quilts that need it.

Monday, July 8, 2019

I purposely came home from Texada yesterday so I could have a full day at home and finish tidying up my sewing area. The afternoon is almost gone and I haven’t tidied or straightened a thing; I guess the good news here is that I don’t think I’ve created any more mess than I had last night when I got home.

I woke up with a headache so took some medication and went back to bed for a bit. Still, I had lots of time to get things done. I worked on my computer almost all morning, with a break here and there to do a few loads of laundry.

There was no food in the fridge (well I had tortillas and some avocados) so I needed to get groceries. I had to drop something at the post office; it needed to be weighed to see if it would go as a letter or whether I had to package up a larger parcel in one of their Flat Rate boxes. Fortunately it could go as a letter.

Since I was out I drove to the Hall to check the mail. I normally do this on Tuesday after sewing but Moreen and I are planning a hike around Inland Lake tomorrow afternoon.

My last stop was at the grocery store. When I left the house I wore a new sweater that Elizabeth bought for me; I realized after I was outside that I probably didn’t need a sweater but it looked nice and the colour matched the strip around the base of my running shoe. When I was going through the check-out the clerk said she really liked my sweater; it matched her nail polish but I told her straight out that I wasn’t going to give it to her! Lest you think I’m getting too “sexy in my sweater” I’ll admit that when I got back in the car (still glowing from her compliment) I realized that I had forgotten to brush my hair before I left home!

I had a late lunch so I’ll have a late supper. In the meantime I’m going to see if I can take care of some of that tidying – after I pack up the things I need for sewing tomorrow.