Friday, August 21, 2020

Another rainy day here but I’ve managed to get at some sewing – and some knitting and some reading.

I was awake at four this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep so I read until about six and then managed to sleep until shortly after seven. I knit until it was time for me to come upstairs for a video chat and then I started work on my UFO project.

I know I’ve been avoiding it because I don’t like appliqué and these particular blocks are all about the appliqué. I had the pieces cut out but today I stitched the fabric for the block together and I’ve finished placing the appliqué (but not sewing) on six of the ten blocks. As usually happens, the actual process wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

I got another clue for my mystery quilt-along today and I may get at that tonight. And If I really want to stay up late I can continue putting together the next clue for my hex-along; the basting is done and I’ve started stitching the pieces together.

I have someone coming to the door in a few minutes so I’d better get a cheque written for them.

Thursday, August 20, 2020

It has been a rainy day and, if I’m honest, I would have really liked to just curl up with my book. But that isn’t what I did. I had a load of laundry finished before ten, and I was set to head out to the library and the Hall when my friend called. She is a gardener and I thought she might want some of the pots I cleared out yesterday. After she picked them up I was able to head out.

There wasn’t much mail at the Hall but when I was pulling into the parking lot I took the corner slowly as we have had, on occasion, either deer or a bear behind the Hall. There was nothing obvious but I did see something moving in the trees above the parking lot; it was a very cute deer. It had small antlers so I guess it was probably a year or two old. He watched me go into the Hall and was still watching when I left.

I had a book to drop off at the library and two books to pick up. From there I headed to the drive-through letter box and then stopped for a few groceries at our new Freshco store. Pat has shopped there a few times because he gets his prescriptions there but I don’t think I’ll go back again. There were quite a few people in the store but I wasn’t in during their “senior” time if they even have one. Being a new store I didn’t know where anything was so found I had to go up and down quite a few aisles before I could check out. It seemed for everything I wanted to pick up I had to follow the arrows down an aisle I didn’t want to go down just to go back up the aisle I needed. I noticed that not everyone was following the aisle markings.

This afternoon I sat in on a Zoom session with the BC Federation of Writers. Their presenter was an author that I really enjoy (June Hutton) and she and her partner have written a book about his early-onset Alzheimer’s. They described some of the signs they picked up on before they eventually got a diagnosis. The book isn’t out until October but it is one that both Pat and I want to read.

Immediately following the presentation I sent off my weekly report to Stacia and Deloise. We send photos of what we are working on and, occasionally, a photo of what we have actually completed. I cleaned out some of my e-mail and did some prep work for the Hall’s AGM on Sunday.

It was always my plan to send out the documentation for the meeting on Friday so members would have a chance to review it. I prepared everything that needed to go out, I sent out the list of participants to the person setting up the Zoom meeting, and I sent off the list of people who will be nominated to serve on the Board. And then I sent out the documentation.

I went downstairs feeling pleased with myself and looked forward to the evening. The TV is off limits just now but I’ve enjoyed listening to the radio. I was thinking it was a Randy Bachman night (Friday) when I realized it was only Thursday and I sent the information out a day early.

Knowing it is Thursday and not Friday, I feel like I’ve gained an entire day.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

It is much cooler today (with a few spits of rain every now and again) so I’m able to work comfortably in my sewing space. I did a bit of work outside this morning while the restoration folks were here working. I have what I call a “potting table” but it was pretty much buried in junk and empty plant pots. We thought we might use one of the cabinets from the basement to replace the table but I think we’ll try to sell it instead. I really don’t need a potting table and it would be nice to clean out that corner of the yard. I also got a bit of knitting done while I waited, so my morning wasn’t entirely wasted.

But this afternoon I was pleased to get back to some sewing. I have a hexi basted and pressed and I’ll get it attached to the “mother ship” when I wait tomorrow on the restoration work. I have the instructions for the next hexagon so I should get that drawn out and then I can also work on that while I wait.

The masks I made for Taylor were too small so I cut out more today; I only made up one of them and have it ready for the mail tomorrow. Before I make half-a-dozen I want to make sure they fit this time. I also have a bit more work done on the birthday gift.

I started this week’s clue in my stitch-along but there is still work left to do. Because it is much cooler I won’t have to sit under the fan at the end of the day and I’ll be able to work in the studio much later. There is no shortage of things I can be working on.

The Guild program was sent out to the committee today and I’m in charge of the Mystery Quilt this year. That came as no surprise but what I realized was that I’ll have to make the quilt ahead of time and possibly take some photos along the way. I hadn’t thought of that when I volunteered!

Back to it now!

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

It was another hot, uncomfortable night last night but today seems a bit cooler. When I went to bed last night I wanted to put the fan in a different location; as I was doing that I noticed that Pat’s clock was blinking. During the day yesterday while the work was happening in the basement some of the circuits were briefly disconnected. My clock, on the other side of the bed, seemed okay.

I had told the fellow who was working yesterday that the basement door would be open by eight. When I woke up shortly after seven (by my clock) I thought it seemed dark out but thought maybe we were going to get some rain. I opened the basement door and on my way back to bed (yes, I thought I needed more sleep) I noticed the kitchen clocks were saying it was 5:30. That explained the darkness and since I couldn’t get back to sleep I got up shortly after six.

It was definitely cooler this morning but when I checked the forecast there was rain predicted to tomorrow. So I thought I should tackle some of the weeds that Pat had sprayed while he was home. I was finished most of the back yard by eight. While I was having my breakfast the worker from downstairs said he was finished so I thought I should go out and get the weeds pulled from the patio bricks before the rain came. Two and a half hours later I was done – and I mean DONE!

My wrists were so sore that I knew cutting fabric wouldn’t be possible but I went up to the fabric shop and got some more elastic to make more masks. None were cut out though so they will have to wait until my wrists feel better.

Although I can’t cut fabric I can sew some seams. I have the initial stitching done on my stitch-along and I think I’ll change the thread on my machine and do some work on a birthday gift. I don’t know if I’ll be able to knit or work on hand stitching tonight but in case neither of those work out I’ve started a new book.