I’m making progress (since six this morning) but my piles don’t seem to be getting any smaller. I managed to move the bedding from upstairs to the downstairs bedroom (not yet put away in the linen closet) and I have all the boxes, bins and bags moved from downstairs up to my sewing room.
I spent all morning on the computer and it seemed for every item I crossed off my list I added three more. I still have a big job of Hall accounting ahead of me but I’ll leave that until tomorrow morning.
It’s early this year but just as gorgeous!
I’m blocking a scarf on the kitchen table but the sun I hoped would help dry it seems to have disappeared. There is another scarf that needs the ends tied in, a shawl that I need to get up on my site; I’ve started a crocheted scarf but I’m a bit concerned I’ll run out of yarn before it is finished. When I knit the first scarf with this yarn I thought the ball would never run out but it is a different matter with the pattern I’m using this time. There is one more scarf that I’d like to get done for the November sale, as well as three more cross stitch ornaments. I hope the selection of Christmas movies on Netflix this year is better than last year.
We lost one of our quilting ladies late last week. I’ll be attending her Celebration of Life this afternoon.
It’s been so long since I did a post that I wonder if I still remember how. I’ll give it a try and see how it goes.
I had a wonderful week on Texada. The quilting retreat (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) was awesome – we always have such a good time. Our group project was an easy one – a scissor fob – so it didn’t take up too much sewing time. My fob doesn’t fit the scissors that I use for sewing but I’m sure it will fit the ones I use for cross stitching. I was the first one out on the strip poker game (meaning I lost all my loonies) but I won one of the draws and came home with a bundle of batik fabrics. The food was excellent and we all agreed that it didn’t really matter what we ate – we didn’t have to prepare it or clean up afterwards.
I spent the rest of the week (until today) working my way through to finishes on many of the things I pieced over the weekend. I can’t show you any photos as the Texada Retreat is my start for my Christmas gifts. I still have a long way to go before I’m done but I’ve made a good start. My wood stove skills continue to improve and there was only one morning when I burnt quite a patch off one of my fingers trying to adjust the wood in the stove. With the stove going all day long my space is quite toasty.
Last night was our Texada House Concert. I said to Pat that I feel quite removed from the tour as the cafe where we hold the show takes care of almost everything. The performers didn’t even stay with us last night as we assumed they needed two beds and we only have one. Apparently they slept in an RV with just a queen bed so I guess we would have been okay. The next one isn’t until February so there is a long break.
I took the ferry “home” this morning as there was a work party scheduled at the Hall. The renovations are done and we wanted to give everything a good dusting, scrub down, and put all the dishes back into our new kitchen cupboards. There were a couple of small rooms on either side of the stage that we cleared out – there were boxes for the garbage, boxes for the thrift shop, boxes for recycle, boxes everywhere. The place looks fabulous and we’ll be showing it off to the people who gave us the grant in a week or so.
On my way to the Hall I stopped at one of the big craft fairs going on this weekend. I was picking up something specific from one of the vendors but had a quick look around the rest of the booths. It was so crowded you could barely get down the aisles. I stopped at a new-to-me vendor and picked up a Christmas gift. That’s another list I should make – December is full of birthdays as well as Christmas.
And now that I’m home there is so much needing to be done. The piles that I left before I went to Deloise’s quilt show are still piled up – what happened to the cleaning fairy? I brought boxes back from the Retreat and boxes home from the Hall. I have so much computer work that needs to be done that I had to make a list so I wouldn’t forget anything. I’m not convinced that even if I got everything done on my list that I still wouldn’t have forgotten something.
I was off the ferry for about five minutes on Monday night before heading out to the ARC Community Centre to scout out their kitchen facilities. Our Tuesday show was being held here and I had never been in the building so I wanted to see what the kitchen was like as I’d be doing concession for the show. On the way home I stopped at the grocery store for some cold drinks to serve at the show. As my gas light came on while I was driving I stopped for gas too.
Tuesday morning was a flurry of activity getting the house ready for four house guests – Connie Kaldor, her husband and their two sons. I made up the bed in the spare room upstairs before I left for Saskatoon; Pat took care of the bed downstairs. We’ve never had anyone stay upstairs on our futon (thanks Elizabeth!) and, as you know, my sewing room often spreads across the hall into the other bedroom. I shoved everything that was scattered in that room back across the hall to my sewing room and then shut the sewing room door. All was done in time for our guests arrival on the noon ferry.
They were very easy guests. They went out for lunch, had naps, went to sound check and then went out for supper. I set up the kitchen while they napped and I was back at the facility by six o’clock. The show was amazing, and I didn’t even mind that we didn’t sell a lot at the concession. Note to self: don’t try to sell cold drinks when there is a cooler of cold water sitting right beside the serving window! It was after eleven before Pat and I finished clearing the hall; we had prepared cheese and meat trays, fruit trays, crackers and dip trays, and bought wine so when we got home we joined our guests at the table and chatted until after midnight.
Wednesday morning I was up at 4:30 so I could listen to Dave’s radio show. Even though I was still operating on Saskatchewan time it was hard to get up so early. I’m glad I did though as I really enjoyed listening to the show. Dave and Will had great rapport and I even got a couple of shout-outs from Will.
Our guests left on the early ferry and I spent the rest of the day changing beds and doing laundry. I attempted to make some progress packing for the Texada Retreat but I didn’t have much success as I was too tired to think and make any decisions. I had a Hall meeting after lunch but, thankfully, I don’t have to resume my full responsibilities for another week. I was in bed by seven last night and feel much better and more “normal” today.
But it was a busy day today. I finished packing up fabric and patterns for the Texada Retreat and, while I was doing that, I put away a few things from my trip and things I had dragged across the hall to accommodate the bedroom. Most of what I put away were things that were on top of other things I needed. At one point I had a pile of things to take to Gail’s (I didn’t sew today but I stopped in to see the group), a pile of things for the Guild meeting tonight, a pile of things that are ready for our sale table later this month, and a pile of things to take to Texada.
I think my sewing stuff is all packed with the exception of my tools. Over the past year I’ve moved my tools from one bag to another but today I’ve decided they need to go back into the shoulder bag I originally purchased for tools. I’ll get them packed up before I head out to the Guild meeting tonight.
Moreen and I will be on the first ferry out tomorrow morning and I’m staying on Texada until a week Saturday. I need the quiet of the Island.
I’ve been away for so long I hardly know where to begin. But let’s start with my trip to Saskatoon.
I spent a day and a bit with Kathryn and crew – always fun to catch up with them even though I saw them just a short time ago. Kathryn and I made our usual trip to Michael’s – how is it that I came out with an armful and she didn’t purchase anything? From there we made our way to what is also becoming a “usual” for us – Sobey’s for groceries and Sobey’s for liquor (for the lake trip).
It is a very rare night when there are no activities on the Thomas’s calendar and I was lucky enough to hit one of them. We went out for dinner and Alex dressed up for the occasion in his new suit. Boy did he look good!
Next layover was at Deloise’s for her Guild’s quilt show. We attended the gala opening so had a chance for a sneak preview of all the beautiful quilts on display. Audrey and Jackie joined us so we were able to get in a lot of visiting. Between shopping and more quilt gazing the three of us worked a couple of shifts in the back office. On the last day of the show we attended Terry Rowland’s Trunk Show, did a bit of last-minute shopping and then headed out to Turtle Lake for a week of sewing.
As usual, Stacia took great care of us – wonderful meals and a great sewing set up. We worked on a couple of group projects before starting in on the piles of projects we had each packed. First up, for me, was my miniature quilt for the November meeting. As it turns out I’m going to miss that meeting but once it is quilted I’ll be way ahead for the February meeting.
Audrey mentioned to me that her microwave bowls were wearing out so since I was at the show I purchased everything I needed to make another set. And since I was making a set for her (that I sent home with Deloise) I made a set for myself. I’ll put them out for sale at the craft event Pat and I are attending; if they don’t sell I’ll have a set for Texada. I hadn’t packed my pattern for them but between the three of us we were able to wing it. I think they may be a bit small and if you find that too Audrey let me know and I’ll make you a set a bit larger.
I made starts on three different quilts. This was a project that I intended to make the last time we sewed together but I hadn’t read the pattern thoroughly and was missing some essential fabric. I’ve made a start (48 blocks done) but there is a long way to go (84 blocks when it is done). The printed fabric (called Farmer’s Daughter) and “Recipe Mix” were a gift from Deloise.
Next up were two projects I purchased at Quilt Canada 2018 in Vancouver (hard to believe we’ve already booked a hotel for Quilt Canada in Edmonton next year). I finished one row of That Fairy Tale Quilt – can you guess what fairy tale this represents?
After making the Farmer’s Wife Sampler and I’m a Farmer’s Daughter you’d think I was done with farming. But no, this is the top and bottom rows of a quilt called Farmhouse! There is a lot to go in the rows between but I really enjoyed putting this part together. The fabric here is also called Farmer’s Daughter.
I spent a couple more days at Kathryn’s before heading home. Kathryn and Dave were both out on the first night so the boys and I had tacos for supper (Kathryn had all the ingredients ready for us). On Sunday I was so happy to be able to catch one of Will’s hockey games. Will scored the first and final goals in a 5-5 tie. Did I mention that his first goal was a short-handed one?
It was a long travel day to get back home but it was nice to be home. I unpacked my suitcase and most of the contents shifted upstairs to my sewing room which was already a mess.
