Thursday, February 1, 2024

I’ve been back from my sewing retreat for a couple of days but I’m still not quite recovered. Even though I paced myself over the four days I was still exhausted at the end of it. I had plans to go for my usual afternoon coffee and stitching but after sorting out the recycling and clearing off the back deck I didn’t have any energy left.

The days of sewing were wonderful – good food, good friends and a project almost completed. I finished all but a few blocks on a new quilt top and took the morning on Wednesday to finish them off. They still need to be sewn together but having all the blocks done feels like a mini-finish.

I sewed all day Saturday (9 AM to about 5 PM). My understanding was that we would be ordering in some pizza but as the afternoon wound down it was apparent that small groups were ordering from various restaurants. I wasn’t that keen on eating so I came home.

Sunday I sewed all morning but came home after lunch. I didn’t sleep but I lay down for a bit. I thought I’d be good to stay longer after supper but I think I came home as soon as it was over. Monday I came home and napped in the afternoon and thought I’d be able to last longer into the evening but I was home again shortly after seven. By Tuesday I was already looking forward to a pyjama day and came home right after lunch.

I haven’t accomplished much since then – sewing those few blocks together and finishing my book. I have my chicken block out and I’ve started stitching it. I started a new book; the pile is down to three now with just one more to pick up at the library. Pat will be taking part in an on-line workshop all weekend so I hope to do more of the same.

Friday, January 26, 2024

I cleaned all morning yesterday. My focus was the kitchen but that extended into the living room and the hallway. I pulled out things from the wall and, on my hands and knees, got into the corners. The vacuum is hard on my back but so is sweeping; between the two I could barely move my wrists when I was done.

I went out to Gail’s in the afternoon and cut out the pieces for my third chicken block. I have everything whip stitched down on the bonus block but I think I have one piece upside down. I’ll take another look at it and decide if it is worth redoing.

Today I cleaned both upstairs bathrooms; down on my hands and knees again to do the floors. Surprisingly getting down was easier today than yesterday but the getting up was just as tough.

My final cleaning today has been in my sewing room. I hadn’t put away the fabric from my last few Alias Grace blocks so that is done. Since the floor downstairs was clean I arranged the blocks one more time to see how they will go together. I have two setting options now but I think the one I did today will be what I go with. There is still a lot of math to sort out before I’m ready to attach anything together.

I went through several bins to find the green and neutral fabrics I want to use for my weekend project. I call it a weekend project but we will actually be sewing all day Saturday, Sunday, Monday and until mid-afternoon on Tuesday. We have meals catered so it will be sew, sew, sew. In preparation I cleaned and oiled my machine so I’m ready to go.

I thought if I drove to sewing tomorrow morning (because I’ll have my machine, etc.) and home tomorrow night I’d be able to walk to and from the rest of the days until it was time to bring my machine home again. I had the radio on at lunch and they are forecasting another atmospheric river to start this afternoon (and it is raining as I write this) that will last until Wednesday. So I think I’ll opt to drive every day.

I’ll sit and read for the rest of the afternoon. My book is good but it is very thick – 600+ page and they aren’t large print.

January 23, 2024

It’s been over a year since I had my hair cut. It’s a bit longer than the buzz cut I had last time!

Monday, January 22, 2024

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoons last week as I concentrated on reading. I made good progress on my pile of books – two finished and returned to the library but another one picked up today. It is thick and I was hoping it was a large print book but I don’t think it is. I have no recollection of why I wanted it but it is set in Ireland so that’s probably all it was.

I finished the Alias Grace block that was giving me so much trouble over the last few days. It is better, not perfect, but I can live with it. I finished another one in the series today. I didn’t have a pattern for it either but I had two pictures and a tutorial so it went well. Two more left in the series; one is easy to figure out from the picture and I have a pattern for the other one. This is my UFO project for the month and, given good luck, I might just get them done.

I’d like to start spending my afternoons hand stitching but that isn’t going to happen today. I had a few errands to take care of – post office, library, bank and groceries. I’m hoping my tablecloth will be finished before the Canucks finish for the season. This last round seems to be taking forever and then I’ll have to do the edging. I guess I have nothing better to do with my evenings while we watch TV. With what is left of the afternoon I’ll start cutting another block.