Sunday, February 13, 2022

One of the tasks on my list today was to sort through my sewing notions. I did this a month ago when it first came up and it really didn’t need to be done again. But I had added a note to myself about a couple of areas that could be decluttered under this banner. Today I tackled my cards.

I know I haven’t kept all of my greeting cards but I certainly kept a lot of them. And I had them in several different places – in a drawer, in a tin, in a card holder, on top of some bins, and who knows where else I’ll find them in the future. I wasn’t long into the sorting when the task/chore became a wonderful trip down memory lane. I had some beautiful handmade cards and I even found some birthday cards from Dad with notes inside. I’ve kept quite a few of them and added them to my treasure chest.

It wasn’t until after lunch that I started quilting. All the stabilizing was done and I was starting on the blocks today. I had a plan for one of the blocks but once it was executed I decided I needed to add and modify the plan. The first block had 20 ends to tie and bury but after my modifications and some backtracking on the second block I only had two. Now that’s reducing!

When I looked at the quilt I thought there were a lot of different areas that I needed to come up with a plan for. I made my plan for one of the sections and then realized if I did things a bit differently I could get several sections done at once with only two ends to knot and bury. I quilted the coloured portion around the centre and continued the lines through the neutral area which I thought would require a different plan – again reducing the number of ideas I needed to come up with.

I still need a plan for a couple of areas but I’m finished quilting for the day – my brain is overworked. I’ll get set up for my three-day quilting stint with Stacia and Deloise.

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Things were going very well and I was ticking off items on my task list for today – I worked on the Guild archives for half an hour; I worked on my own website for half an hour. Next up was to clean a drawer. I know I’m avoiding a couple of drawers in my sewing room but I had a drawer of lace and ribbon in the room across the hall. Most of the lace went into the donation bin but I kept a bit just in case. I had some Christmas ribbons so they went into the hockey-type bag I keep all my Christmas related paper in. The ribbon I wanted to keep went into a smaller drawer in a different chest of drawers. It didn’t take me long before I had it all sorted but there was still more than fifteen minutes left on the clock.

And that’s where the rabbit hole happened. I had been thinking about the sashiko project I’ll be working on in June and decided I’d see what weight of perle cotton I had – not the right one. So I looked at some online and then went to the web page of the shop I bought my particular panel from. She listed five different threads but they seemed expensive so I started looking up places where I could buy the perle cotton in the right size.

On second thought though I had no idea how much thread I would need so I ended up sending a message to the shop owner. I told her what I’d be working on and asked for her thread recommendation and the amount I’d need. I’m still waiting to hear back but I’ll order whatever thread she suggests in whatever amount she says.

I think this is the second time I’ve gone down this particular rabbit hole. I remember when I purchased this project at Quilt Canada I originally had a set of four very small coaster-type patterns. I think it was Deloise who persuaded me that I should give her the small packages and buy the panel that was on display on the wall – and it is big! If I ever get this done I have no clue what I’ll use it for but getting there is half the fun.

Friday, February 11, 2022

I planned to start quilting on my May quilt today and continue over the weekend. It took me all morning to get through my task list because several Hall items came up that needed to be dealt with and it was lunch before I started my cleaning tasks for the day. By the time they were done my first thought was “it’s too late to start quilting” but I chased that thought away and made a start.

There’s not much done but at least it is started – thank goodness I had the needle, thread and bobbin set and ready to go. I wasn’t far into outlining the blocks when I realized that I wouldn’t have enough thread to finish off anything more than the outlining. But as I was working I was thinking of patterns I could do in the “negative” spaces and the thread I was using would be the perfect colour – it wouldn’t show much. So I ordered the last four spools that amazon had; the colour was on my shopping list for the spree Stacia, Deloise and I plan to have in June but I didn’t want to wait that long. My expected delivery date is anywhere from Sunday to the middle of March so who knows when I might get it!

I’m off now to do some work at the Hall. We had some gravel delivered to fill in some ruts and apparently it needs to be packed down and/or smoothed out. How much help I will be is doubtful but I feel I should make an appearance.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

I had quite a few half-hour tasks on my list this morning and it took until almost noon for me to get them done. One of the tasks had me back to sorting fabric in my cabinet. I never would have thought I was a fan of orange but apparently I went through a phase at some point. I’ve also sorted out a section for backing fabrics.

Yesterday I put up three lots of yarn for sale – the same ones I put up earlier that didn’t sell. I’ve manage to get one lot sold and I spent some time looking at patterns I might make if the other two don’t go. After the woman picked up her bag this afternoon I brought her money upstairs to add to my tin but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I remember when I shifted around the items on my desk, table and cupboard I moved it but where to was beyond me. I looked everywhere – twice – and then found it in the most unlikely spot in the room.

And speaking of gone, I managed to get the books and two bags of clothing dropped off at the MMC thrift shop this morning. My hallway upstairs is still full of bags to go to one of the thrift shops; I’m pretty sure they will all be accepted at the Hospital Auxiliary shop.

I was making a card this afternoon and the pattern called for some rick-rack. I knew I had some but when I went to the drawer to get it there was none there. Then I recalled that I had cleaned out the drawer when I sent my beads to Taylor and that I had added the rick-rack to the donation pile. Fortunately I was able to find it easily, cut off what I needed, and then add it back into the bag.

I don’t like to second guess my donations and that’s why I get the bags out of the house as soon as possible.