Monday, March 15, 2021

I was working on cards AGAIN! I have all but one quilted but there are a lot of ends to tie in before they are finished. The last one needs some appliqué work so that means changing thread colours many many times. I also had a finished card that needed to get into the mail today.

When I went out to mail my card I picked up another book from the library. The pile on my bedside table is so high that if one more book comes in I’m going to have to start a second pile. I appear to be on a Second World War kick; even the book I picked up from a friend last week is from that era.

I worked out in the yard for a bit this afternoon. I picked up the top layer of leaves from my piles; I’ll do a bit each day as the top layer dries. I finished all the pots in the sitting area at the back; I notice that the lilac has some leaf buds coming out. I worked my way down the garden path (so to speak) and weeded out the current and blueberry bushes. One of the blueberries has leaf buds but I’m worried about the current; the branches seemed very dry (maybe dead). I also noticed that our mock orange has some blossoms on it; once it is all out the scent fills that back sitting area.

Pat looked out the front door when I came inside and said it looked really good. Imagine how he’ll say when I he sees what I actually worked on!

Sunday, March 14, 2021

I finished the last of my card tops this morning and have everything ready (batting and backings) to start quilting them tomorrow. After that it was almost a necessity to clean up my cutting table – I had such a mess I was working in about a one-foot square space. And once that was tidied (not necessarily cleared) I did the vacuuming.

This afternoon was the Cranberry Hall Song Circle; Pat and I are co-hosts for it. It was a good session but there is actually work for me to do. I record the sessions and today I figured out how to spotlight each of the performers. I managed to get a pitch in for membership but I haven’t yet seen anyone take me up on the offer.

Later this afternoon we are going to watch one of Taylor’s competitions via Zoom. I think we’ll be able to get her on the big screen and I’m so looking forward to seeing her perform.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Up until right now I have thoroughly enjoyed my day. It’s been another day of cards and I have all but one completed – they were all fun and went together well.

The first card was an Sunbonnet Sue appliqué; I love Sunbonnet Sue so this was a fun one to start the day with. Next up was a hexi; because I already had some hexie’s prepared I changed up the pattern just a bit so I could use what I had. Then came a card with templates but on the first try I managed to get all of the pieces going in the right direction (I usually struggle with this when one piece has to be the reverse of another).

My last card was paper-pieced, something I don’t usually have a problem with. I was sure I had enough of the background fabric to make the card but on the last two sections I ran out. I added a different one in but it is so obvious that I’m not going to be able to use it and I think that means I need to pretty much start all over on some of the pieces. And to add to the problems, I had two sections done, pressed and trimmed but when I went to sew them together one of the pieces has completely disappeared. I’ve looked on the floor, under everything but I’ve had no luck so I may have to do that piece over as well.

I made it out to the yard today. I raked up a few leaves but they are pretty wet underneath; I’ve put them in piles but they need to dry out a bit before I bag them. I cleaned out a few pots at the back before stopping for the day; hopefully a short day in the yard will mean less aching tonight.

Now back to my search.

Friday, March 12, 2021

I was working on cards today; I have five cards due in April. My thought was that I’d get most of the tops done today, the remainder tomorrow and perhaps even get the quilting on them finished that day. I had all my patterns picked out so it shouldn’t have been too much to hope for.

The first card though took me all day. The pattern was a pixelation and called for a lot of one-inch squares. I’ve done some pixelated wall hangings and decided that rather than use all those squares and sew them together I’d cut strips where squares of the same colour joined together. There were a few half-square triangles involved too, all trimmed to one inch.

It was the math that did me in. I couldn’t figure out how long the strips were supposed to be. My rows were often too long or too short and sometimes it wasn’t as easy as just adding or trimming a piece at either end (due to the half-square triangles). Another problem was the block is to be six and-a-half inches but the pattern showed it as seven inches.

It has taken me all day to complete this one top. I haven’t looked at the patterns involved in the other cards but I’m hoping they are simpler. If not, I’ll be at this for days and days.