I try to win a game of Solitaire every day; I’ll try three times in a row and unless I win I move on to something more productive and try again the next time I need a break. This morning I won the first game I played so I needed something else to fill my time. I have a bin of shredding to do (thanks Christy) so I moved on to that task but the shredder had stopped working. I figured it was just full but even after I emptied it I still couldn’t make it work. From the bottom the shredder looked clear but I could see from the top that it was plugged. So I got out my letter opener and started digging (after unplugging it of course). It wasn’t until I got out my Swiss Army Knife that I was able to dig everything out and get it working.
Did you or your kids ever play with these? The original name was Perler Beads but mine came from the dollar store so were called Melty Beads. I dug them out when Dylan and Tayler were here but they weren’t interested. My intention was to add them to the thrift store bag but when I moved the box I scattered beads all over so I knew I needed to package them up a little better. When I looked at them today I thought I could do something with them; now I have three Hallowe’en images with magnets glued to the back. Any day I get to play with a glue gun is a good day. I don’t have enough beads left to donate so they’ll just go into the recycle bin.
I was finished half of the binding on my quilt before the Song Circle started and I have it finished now. I found another needle for my cross stitch and spent the rest of the time doing more outlining on the blocks. I think for the rest of the afternoon I’ll continue with that task.
We had a very poor turnout for the Song Circle this afternoon but after two days of rain the sun is shining and I expect many of our regulars were enjoying the day outside.
As per my post yesterday I’m trying something new for circulating my Journal. I’ve either heard from you that you want to get my posts via e-mail or you were on a previous list when I still had automated messaging. If you would prefer not to receive these postings by e-mail please let me know; no judgement if you decide not to. All posts will still be on my website.
I’ve spent another day quilting my Secret Santa project. The section of did today took much longer than I expected but it is finished now. I’ve trimmed the quilt and I think I’ll have time to cut the binding before supper. My goal is to have it ready for hand stitching during the Song Circle tomorrow afternoon.
Just when I thought I was finished with my cross stitch quilt blocks I decided to outline them with a backstitch. I lost my needle somewhere between the last stitch in my sampler and yesterday when I decided to do the outline. I’ve tried a couple of different needles since but haven’t found one I’m happy with. Fortunately this afternoon I remembered where I stashed all my needles; hopefully I can find one I like.
I had a notice from the library that they have another book ready for me. The book I’m reading now is an inter-library loan and can’t be renewed; I have it until the 29th. As this new book is also an inter-library loan I won’t pick it up until the last day so that I’ll have enough time to read it.
I finished another ball of yarn last night on my afghan; just four more to go. I hope it finishes big enough but at whatever size it finishes that it the size it will remain.
I’ve had quite a lag in my postings of late. When I wrote my previous posts I imagined myself writing a letter but now that the automated messaging isn’t working for me I don’t feel very motivated. However, after reading Dad’s Journal from 1947 I started to think that maybe, in 70+ years, someone might enjoy reading my musings.
We had a great trip and visit in Saskatoon. Lots of time spent with Kathryn and family and we enjoyed spending Alex’s 13th birthday with him. They had a new Monopoly Bid game that we played (and I lost badly at) and another game called Ticket to Ride (which I lost even worse). We went bowling; Pat and I think that the last time we bowled was probably eleven or twelve years ago. I was as bad at that as I was at the games.
We stayed with Deloise and Laurie so we had time for a good visit with them. Audrey, Jackie and Stacia came for lunch one day so we were all able to catch up on our news. We chat every week but we never seem to run out of things to talk about.
This morning I had my weekly chat with Stacia and Deloise. Again, we never run out of things to chat about and, surprisingly, not all of it involves our sewing projects.
It has been raining heavily all day today and I’ve started quilting on my September UFO project – Secret Santa. It is going well and, with luck, I’ll finish it tomorrow.
As usual, I will be crocheting tonight. I’m working on an afghan for a birthday gift that is coming up in November. Not my usual last-minute idea which is a good thing.
Pat has suggested that I could collect names and send my postings out as an e-mail to anyone who is interested. If that would work for you let me know and I’ll start a list. It wouldn’t be any extra work for me and I think I’d feel less like I was talking to the void.
We arrived home from Texada this morning and I’ve been busy, busy, busy. After everything was unpacked I had to make a quick trip to the library; my book was due yesterday. Normally I’d hit the book return before the library opened for the day but I had two more books to pick up so that wasn’t an option. I don’t think I’ll be charged a fine for being late but if I am I’m okay with it. When that was taken care of I picked up a few groceries since I was in the same strip mall.
It was a great week at the studio but next time I go I’m not going to take so much to do so I’ll be able to spend a bit more time relaxing. I feel like I need a nap this afternoon but I’m going to power through as I have a lot to do. I didn’t get everything done that I hope to while I was away but I made a good start.
My September cards are done and I have a few of them ready for the mail tomorrow. I tried a new method for the binding on some of them but I wasn’t impressed with the technique and I didn’t think it finished as well as the way I’ve been doing them. Practice might improve that but I’m going to stick with what I know works.
Sunshine
Laundry Basket Quilt
I managed to get one mystery quilt top put together and a good start on the second one. I had a few clues that needed to be done for the second mystery and they took much longer than I thought they would but I kept at it every day well past when I wanted to quit in hopes I could finish. When I showed Pat what I had done on the second mystery he noticed an error. In the whole jumble of colours and patterns I was amazed that I found a mistake and fixed it before Pat found this second one. I’ll get it taken out and put back correctly; I’m not sure when that will happen or when the quilt top will get done.
I started my Peppermint Purple project but found the lighting just didn’t work – and I’m not sure it will be any better now that I’m home. The thread colour against the fabric hardly shows. I was also stitching the pattern from my computer screen and paper works much better as I can mark what I’ve done and where I’m going next. To make it even more complicated it was a pattern that had to be tilted on its side to match the layout I was doing. I got anther clue for it today so I’ll give them both a try tonight while Pat has an online session.
I managed another cross stitched quilt block and started on the last one. Actually the one I stitched was the last one but I wanted to redo one of the patterns because I had it very off-centred and I didn’t think it would work for my plan. And I guess because I was tired in the evenings I made a big mistake and last night I had to take apart almost everything I had done.
Things are also heating up with the Hall and the Guild. The new Public Health Orders have put a spin on every event – some are cancelling due to the new restrictions and everyone else is wondering what we are doing. I’ve told them there is no choice – they have to follow the restrictions. I’m trying to get more of the Board members interested but they don’t seem to be very anxious about it all. I said to Pat that I seemed to be the only one who cared and he agreed. But I was able to come back with “That’s why I have to stay on the Board”!
There was a message on the phone when we were away from the woman running the Program Committee for the Guild. I thought she was calling about a meeting to plan the year but when we chatted this afternoon she asked me to run another mystery quilt for the year. I thought after two years no one would want another mystery but apparently in the survey they did everyone loved the way it was done last year and wanted another one. Since I revealed the designer last year I don’t think I can get away with using another one of her patterns. I have a plan though and I’ll see how it works out.
Now, I’d better get back to work. My upstairs unpacking isn’t done yet and all of the bedrooms need to be cleared before Christy arrives on Sunday.
