Friday, August 17, 2018

Although I didn’t get to my 4-Seasons Tree (yet) I got one more block done on my Splendid Sampler. The block was released last week and, since I don’t usually do the Splendid Sampler block until Sunday, I’m considering myself up-to-date. Hopefully I will have time on Sunday to get this week’s block done and I can say I’m caught up with a clear conscience.

But today I finished the final two blocks for my Farmer’s Wife Sampler quilt. There is still a lot to do – figuring out what setting I’ll use, adding sashing and borders – but for now I’m going to enjoy the moment. I have it laid out on the floor upstairs and since I haven’t been using that room much since our company left I think I’ll leave it there for a few days. The blocks were placed more or less as they came out of the box so this certainly isn’t my final layout.

Tonight is the Blackberry Street Festival. There are a lot of activities planned with the Blackberry Festival but the only thing we never miss is the street festival. Lots of good desserts – the Townsite Heritage Society makes the best blackberry shortcake – and we’ll browse for our main course – usually from Little Hut Curry – and we have fireworks after dark (that we can see from the deck).

Thursday, August 16, 2018

I think I made up for my low-energy day yesterday. I had lots of energy today and I got a lot done.

But let me go back to last night. I dug out the bin of fabric I had set aside for my four-seasons tree; they are all batiks and, although I don’t particularly like sewing with them, you can’t beat them for beautiful colours. Sadly though the pattern for the tree wasn’t in the bin. I thought I could find it online but since I couldn’t remember the year of the block or even which Guild hosted Hands Across the Water when the block was chosen I wasn’t able to find it. I looked through a magazine folder of patterns and I looked through a basket of patterns; I found some interesting stuff but no tree pattern. I thought my next step would be to put out a call on Facebook or through the Guild membership but, since I manage the Guild’s blog site I thought I might be able to find it somewhere in those files.

I’ve been trying to archive and clean up some of the old pages and posts from the site over the last couple of years but, fortunately, the Hands Across the Water block still had an active link. I was wrong about the season chosen by your birth month, it was actually chosen by the first initial of your last name. Doesn’t matter to me as I’m going to make all four seasons. In spite of often complaining about having to keep the blog site updated I guess there are some benefits.

I spent all morning at the computer (again) mainly getting Pat’s accounting ready for his year-end later this month. In the breaks I had while he located documents I needed I was able to match the fabric colours for the trees with the right seasons. While I was getting things out and ready I also put together the fabric for last week’s Splendid Sampler block. All of those pieces are paper-pieced and I figure once I get started I may as well do the last two of my Farmer’s Wife blocks (paper-pieced) before I clean my machine and change my needle.

Today was a group sewing day. Since I was finished my Betsy Bag I was able to work on something else while Gail and Jessie finished their bags. I took along a bin of Bloom blocks – these are the ones I’m making with the strips I won at the Texada Retreat last November. If memory serves me I’m supposed to have at least a top finished for this year’s retreat. I have enough blocks done that I could finish up a top but I’ll make it a big bigger – I’ll make up all the blocks I already have cut and then see where I’m at. I’ll have lots of pieces of strips left (and more) for the border. I got two blocks done today; I thought I would be faster but I guess we’re still talking too much!

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

We were up and out early as Pat had his second eye surgery today. I had to have some routine lab work done so decided last night to skip my bedtime snack (which I don’t usually have) and breakfast and get that done while he was in the OR. I was finished before he was but of course I had to wait to drive him home. So breakfast (and coffee) was late today.

The smoke cleared a bit overnight (although it is closing in again) but it still seemed reasonably cool earlier in the day. I had some posters for an upcoming Hall event to get out so walked down Marine from one end to the other to put them up. It took over an hour and by the time I got home it was hot. Pat spent the day recuperating in the dark of the basement. I took care of a few chores and did a bit of sewing this afternoon.

I have a card almost ready for binding; I hope to get it on before supper so I can hand stitch it tonight. I’ve been doing the meals today; it was grilled cheese for lunch and hamburgers for supper!

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

I finished three more blocks today for my Farmer’s Wife Sampler. There are still two blocks left but I looked ahead in my book and I’ll soon have to decide about layout, sashing and backing. Most of the layouts shown have the blocks set on point and, as I learned with the last sampler I did, I don’t find that easy. I know I’ve saved a few photos of other quilts and layouts I’ve seen so I’ll dig through a few of them before making my final decision.

Just when I thought I was moving ahead though it was announced today that our first miniature meeting will be in September. I have a Christmas table runner that I should quilt and use as my project but the latest Splendid Sampler block has me thinking in another direction. Someone posted a photo of the block (basically the branches of a tree) and said she thought it would look nice done in the colours of the four seasons. That reminded me that a few years ago the block for Hands Across the Water was a tree and the colours you were to use were based on your birthday. January to March were certain colours, April to June were other colours, you get the drift. I thought at the time I’d like to make a piece for each of the seasons so now might be the perfect time to dig out the pattern; I think I might even have put aside some fabric for the piece.

But before I start anything (else) new I have to finish up a card and clean up my sewing space. Too many trips and quick ins-and-outs and even the floor space feels limited.