Thursday, October 4, 2018

I lost track of time this morning and was rushed for both my sewing date and my Guild meeting tonight. I had almost finished sorting through a magazine folder of quilty things yesterday so I decided to finish it off this morning while I had my coffee. Some of the things I was looking at seemed familiar so I started to see which of them I already had saved to my computer. I finally noticed the time at about 9:30 and by the time I had my shower and got breakfast it was past ten before I started on my “real” day.

I did some updates to the Guild’s web page (ones I should have done last month after the meeting) and got my reports written. It was almost noon when I finished that but then I realized I had a cheque I needed to write for the Hall, as well as a deposit to get ready. I’d promised to drop a couple of patterns off to someone between noon and one so I was racing out the door to get everything done before heading off to sewing.

I was working on a community quilt today – just sewing strips into rail fence blocks. I didn’t count how many I got done but when I was showing Gail and Jessie how they went together I realized I stitched them all backwards if I was going to follow the pattern as I had started it. I have a border between the centre (which is almost done) and the next section of blocks so I think I can use these “backwards” blocks in that spot so I haven’t ripped them apart. I haven’t touched the piece for several months but really, how hard is a rail fence? Apparently harder than I remembered!

I had time for supper before heading back out the door for the Guild meeting at six. Every month I buy two 50-50 tickets, but I’ve never won in the eight years I’ve been in the Guild. But tonight I came home with $24; perfect timing as the quilt shop has a sale on! I also came home with a gift from my Secret Pal – I have an idea or two as to who it might be based solely on the present I unwrapped when I got home. We have two members who I know celebrate Hallowe’en all month long and I may have seen this at one of our Show and Tell sessions last year.

I wonder if everyone else is getting such nice things – an orchid for my birthday and a lovely wall quilt for Hallowe’en. I may have to up my game!

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

It was good to be back at the bee yesterday; although I only missed one week it felt like much longer. I didn’t accomplish much, but it was fun to catch up with everyone. I was barely home from sewing before it was time for supper and then I rushed out the door for an All Candidates meeting. The place was packed so hopefully they will have a good turnout on election day. I’ll be away but I’m able to vote in the advanced polls the day before I leave.

I tried really hard to stay in bed this morning and managed to doze on and off until eight. Pat, of course, had been up for hours teaching. My computer backups didn’t work last night so I took a bit of time to sort out the problem and re-run them. Because I didn’t want to be using my machine while the back up was going on I did a bit of clean-up in my studio. I tried some cutting from my scrap basket but my wrist was really hurting so I stopped and moved into the room with my futon.

We had put the futon together on Monday but I needed to do some serious re-arranging in that room. And while I was rearranging it only made sense to do some sorting. All of the furniture is in the right spot now but there is a lot of stuff on the surfaces that I still need to deal with. While I sorted through some patterns I sat on the futon and it is lovely; I even found a pattern for some knitted throw pillows that I’ll make for it.

I was still working when Pat finished his class so, while we ate lunch, we sat downstairs and finished the last three episodes of How To Get Away with Murder. It felt very decadent to watch TV in the middle of the day and we were only caught twice – once with a phone call for me and once again when someone came to the house for tickets.

With what is left of my time before supper (and there isn’t much of it), I’m going to start getting my reports ready for tomorrow’s meetings.

Monday, October 1, 2018

We were happy with the concert on Texada on Saturday. There were over 20 people in attendance; the cafe gave the performer both lunch and supper and the sleeping arrangements worked fine. We put the air mattress on top of the couch mattress; our guest said it was comfortable and he’d had a similar arrangement for several months when he was travelling in New Zealand. We caught the 8:45 AM ferry back to Powell River on Sunday. Although it is only a 40 minute ferry ride you have to leave that early in order to make the noon ferry over to the Island.

I did a bit of clean up on Sunday but we were both quite tired. I quilted a few small pieces in the afternoon, I did a purple block for a new quilt I’ve started, and I got my Splendid Sampler pattern drawn out. It is an embroidered and appliqué block; since all my embroidery floss is on Texada I’ve decided from this point forward I’ll do only red or blue work.

It was another early start today – Pat has another week of teaching. I got my notes and reports together for the Board meeting tonight before heading out to do some errands. I started at the Hall, stopped for a few groceries and then drove completely past the bank on my way home. I attempted to go back but I turned onto a dead-end street so had to retrace my path until I got back to the bank. I finished the final blocks for my Bloom quilt this afternoon; I hope to get the top finished when I’m sewing with Stacia and Deloise.

After Pat finished teaching he helped me put my new futon together. I tried to do it myself but was stuck on the first step. I think it was easier than an Ikea project but the photos were small and there is no way I’d have figured it out on my own. I still have to do some rearranging before it will move to its final spot under the window – the bookcase and a chair have to be rearranged. It will work perfectly in the room, both as a sitting space and a sleeping area. Who wants to be the first to try it?

Saturday, September 28, 2018

It’s been a busy few days – that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!

Wednesday was a flurry of activity as I did my House Concert cleaning in 15 minute intervals as Pat had breaks in his class schedule. There was some running around to do and a showing at the Hall in the afternoon. At one point in the late afternoon I asked Pat if we were really smart or totally crazy. In anticipation of the arrival of my futon (thank you again Elizabeth and crew) I started moving furniture and bins and boxes around from one studio room to the other. Of course by the end of the day both rooms were in a mess but I think I have enough space cleared for the futon. In the meantime, Pat was busy moving his “office” from the living room to the basement. So, with the exception of the areas of the house required for the House Concert, everything else was a work in progress!

We got the living room set up Thursday morning and I did some fabric cutting so I’d be ready to sew in the afternoon; I missed Tuesday sewing so I wasn’t about to pass on my Thursday group. I had just enough fabric to add another row to my Bloom quilt. I got portions of four blocks put together in the afternoon. I had a specific note that said I needed two blocks with a burgundy centre; of course I did the first two blocks backwards so I set them aside and started making two blocks in the right colour combination. As a result I didn’t even get one block done completely. The blocks are quick to put together and I hope to finish them off on Sunday during my Block and Card Day.

Pat took our performer out for dinner and I finished getting ready for the show. I cleared off the counters, got the dishes, cups and glasses set out and the coffee and tea urns ready to go. I was congratulating myself on remembering everything when it dawned on me that I hadn’t put the water through the filter and in the fridge so it would be cold. I had time to fill all the jugs but I don’t think it was very well chilled; people were drinking it and not complaining though so I guess it was okay. Everyone seemed to arrive within a fifteen minute window so it was a bit chaotic until the show started.

We had a full house and more; we have 28 season ticket holders and it didn’t take long to sell the few seats that were left to make a sell-out. We added a couple more folks after we’d reached sell out but we hate to say no to anyone. I bought four folding chairs at a garage sale this summer and we bought four more on sale at Walmart Thursday morning so we were able to squeeze everyone in; we had been using our deck chairs in the living room and they took up a lot more room than these folding chairs. That being said, it was still a full house!

I was able to run one load through the dishwasher before bed last night and we got most of the living room back together before bed. The last load went through the dishwasher this morning. We’ll catch the noon ferry over to Texada and do the whole show again tonight. The good news is that the show will be at the local cafe so other than bedding and towels the clean-up in the studio will be minimal.