Friday, May 3, 2019

I’ve been baking and cooking since eight this morning and I’m finally done. I made a lemon bundt cake, a chocolate bundt cake, gingersnap cookies and rice krispie squares. After those were done and packed up for Texada I cooked up a batch of rhubarb; sadly not from my garden but it came from somebody’s.

While I waited for things to bake I did dishes (in preparation for the next batch), sorted the recycle, and cleaned out the plant pots on the deck. I think I’ll fill some of the empty pots with petunias and snapdragons but that will wait for another day. I also fixed a wind chime that had broken during one of our winter storms.

I had to go out for rice krispies and marshmallows so I stopped at the fabric shop on the way. I ordered a pattern for a class that I’m taking later this month and it had arrived. I had a “frequent customer” discount card so it only cost me $1.10. I should have left immediately but we got talking and I told Deb of another pattern I was doing and we decided on some fabric. It will be a reverse appliqué project and the background will be the Paris skyline. I did a reverse appliqué once before and didn’t like it (I think Kathryn picked it off the wall last summer) but maybe this time I’ll be better at it!

I’m off now to sit and relax – possibly nap before an early bedtime. I’ll head over to Texada tomorrow morning. I’m not sure how long I’ll stay but likely until Monday.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

My alarm went off at six but I persuaded myself to stay in bed until I woke again at seven. I had a lot to do today but I didn’t actually have to go anywhere so I thought I’d take advantage of that extra hour.

My first task for the day was to get outside and do some yard work. I cleaned up one side of the patio – it was overgrown with weeds sprouting out of the spaces between the bricks. While I was at it I cleaned out a couple of containers. Maybe tomorrow I’ll go out and get a couple of geraniums to stick in those pots. Our snap dragons are heading into their third year but I can see buds coming on them so I won’t disturb them.

My “D” bed (daisies and dahlias) needed some cleaning out and I got that done. The daisies overgrow everything and that is fine with me – they choke out the weeks. The dahlias show no sign of sprouting yet, but it is early.

I did a bit of easy weeding (mostly bindweed) in another section of the yard but I was getting tired and I still had to deal with the grass. I got our lawn (and I use the word loosely as the clover and other weeds are quite prevalent) cut and I hauled the mower out to the boulevard. There are some nice, tiny purple flowers growing out there; they are very close to the ground and most of them survived the mower. There are also a lot of California Poppies and Alyssum growing so cutting just the grass is a bit complicated.

By the time that was done I was done. This afternoon I got some work done for tomorrow. I’m doing some set-up for a Guild display in the morning and I needed to some printing. I’ve got cutting done for sewing tomorrow afternoon and I finished my reports for tomorrow night’s Guild meeting.

I should have been quilting but I decided to cut out the pieces from the project I worked on at retreat. It wasn’t all that difficult to cut but I’m still glad I didn’t attempt it with a crowd around.

Now, in order to avoid that quilting even longer, I think I’ll work on the minutes from our Board meeting.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Our Board meeting last night was lively and long. I took Moreen along as she thought she might join the Board and take over my secretarial duties. She was quiet on the way home and I assured her that there was no pressure to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. She talked to me today and said she was a little stressed after the meeting; she’ll still join the Board but she won’t take over a particular position. That’s okay as we always need someone to fill in or pick up the slack somewhere.

After a full weekend of sewing it was odd to be back at it again today. I almost got my HST quilt top put together. Fortunately before I added the last three rows someone noticed a block that was turned the wrong way. Barb says it will be easy to take out and repair a bit of the block; I’m not so sure but worst case I’ll have to take apart the row and the block and get it all back together the right way.

I had a couple of stops to make on my way home – the bank and the library. I was quick at both places. I had a Guild return to take back to Walmart but I decided to save that for another day.

I have to meet a renter at the Hall tonight but until then I’m going to work on some cards that are due very soon.

Monday, April 29, 2019

What a fun weekend; I’m happy to report that I was very productive too. I did some work on every project I took with me, except for cards (which really should have been the first thing I worked on).

We did two group projects – one a small bag (filled with personal care products) that we will donate to our women’s shelter. The other was a small thread catcher that I’ll carry with me as it folds flat. I enjoyed making the cosmetic bag but I won’t be making any more of the thread catchers.

I finished another clue in my Mystery Quilt. Just one clue left before it is ready for a pieced border.

I made a small donation top from a pattern I bought in Houston. It takes just one yard each of three fabrics so when I see something on sale I’ll know just how much to buy to make something useful.

I made a good start on my miniature for the month. This piece will be cut up and sewn back together; hopefully it will look something like the pattern. I missed the part that said each block was 1.75″ – oh my, that’s small.

I caught up on my Guild Block of the Month and I made a good start on the extra blocks I’m making for myself.

And last, but certainly not least, I finished all the blocks for my Half-Square Triangle quilt.