Sunday, June 24, 2018

Pat and I went out for breakfast this morning. It was cloudy and rain was predicted but, other than being cool, the day was fine. When we came home I started working on the first block of the Splendid Sampler 2 series. There were a lot of things I should have been working on but I decided to take a day and do what I wanted to do. Rather than using the blocks in this sampler for cards I’ll be keeping them for myself.

Pat flew to Victoria this afternoon and, after dropping him at the airport, I stopped at the hospital to visit one of our Tuesday quilters. She’s been in hospital for a week but I hadn’t heard about it until Friday. When we were talking she said she had 400 books loaded on her e-reader; she hardly needed the “real” book I took her but she said it would be a nice change to hold a book. She’ll be there awhile so I expect I’ll be visiting again. It was pouring rain by the time I left and the rain is expected to continue tomorrow. I’m not complaining though as we really need it (and it means I can’t be expected to go out weeding!).

When I came home I worked on the second Splendid Sampler 2 block. I still have some hand sewing to do on it but I’ll get that done tonight. I’ll be back to my “have to” list tomorrow but it was a nice change to do something for myself today.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

I enjoyed our trip to Parksville yesterday; many of the vendors at the show had been at Quilt Canada so I didn’t shop much. There were a couple of shops from Courtenay present and I made purchases as each of them. I got more fabric (which I needed) for this English paper piecing project and I got a jelly roll of neutrals that I’ll use for Splendid Sampler II. All at excellent prices I might add. I wrote down the names of some of the quilt patterns I liked; I forgot to take my camera so no photos. Although I didn’t vote, this one was my favourite (photo taken from the internet).

I did a bit of yard work before we headed down to the wharf to watch the sinking of one of the Hulks. The YOGN-82 is an ocean-going concrete barge (“YO” stands for yard oiler, “G” for gasoline and “N” for no power) that, after the end of the second world war, became part of the breakwater for the Catalyst Paper Mill. The mill no longer needs as many of the hulks and four of them will be sunk off Willingdon Beach and the hope is they will become an attraction for divers.

We were at the wharf in plenty of time to watch a few tugs move the hulk into position, and then shift it to and fro for the next hour or so. It was kind of like watching paint dry but, in case there was any drama, we wanted to stay till it was sunk. The noon ferry came and went, the Texada ferry came but still no excitement. We expected a two-minute warning before the explosives went off but all of sudden we saw the small explosions and then heard the bang. It only took about five minutes to sink completely; the only excitement was when it went underwater and we saw the water bubbling as the air came out of it.

I’ve spent the afternoon sorting through more of the pieces for the quilt I want to do the handwork on. I’m on my last set of matching and cutting so the end (of this particular process) is in sight. I don’t know why I thought I was almost finished the English paper piecing – I have a whole basket full of work and it isn’t all because I changed my mind about the placement and colours.

I’ll get back to it again and, if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to sit outside and stitch after supper.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

I’ve had a busy day. I spent the morning picking weeds; there was a nice breeze so it felt quite cool all the time I was out. In fact I had to put a rock in the bottom of my weed pail to keep it weighted to the ground (before it was full of weeds of course). Pat sprayed the patio, sidewalks and driveway with the vinegar treatment a few days ago and I was pulling out the dead (or dying) weeds. I managed to finish the bottom patio but there is still a lot to do. By the time I’m done pulling it will probably be time to do another spray; the beds aren’t getting done but everything looks better-kept with the obvious weeds out of the bricks.

After a quick shower and lunch I was off to my afternoon sewing group. We’re still working on the bag; let me rephrase that – I’m still working on the bag. Jessie is still away (and will be for another two weeks), and Gail was puttering, looking through catalogues and checking shops online. I’m still at least a couple of weeks away from being done. I’ve spent two weeks quilting all the bits and pieces and I have at least another week of that left. Gail says once the quilting is done it will go together quite quickly.

I barely had time to switch my potato salad from the Safeway container into a bowl before I was off to the Guild’s potluck supper – our year-end party. They are always a lot of fun and this was the “Show and Tell” for the placemat challenge. There were 23 placemats tonight and everyone said that was the best participation they had seen for a long time. I didn’t win any prizes but I got a small folding box for participating in the UFO Challenge – I finished four of my six projects but all I got was a participation prize! Not complaining as I could have come home with nothing.

I’m off again tomorrow morning on the first ferry. I was invited to join three other ladies on a road trip to the Parksville Quilt Show. I’m looking forward to seeing a show but I don’t plan to make any purchases – unless of course I see something really special!

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

There were a few drops of rain this morning and we briefly wondered if jackets were something we should think about before boarding the ferry. Pat checked the forecast and they hadn’t even predicted the small shower we did get so we left the house ready for the sun. And sun we got! We sat outside most of the way over to Comox. A humpback whale kept us company for a portion of the trip.

Peggy and Bill were waiting for us when we got off the ferry; they interrupted their camping so they could have lunch with us. We spent a couple of hours in their back yard – coffee, muffins and fresh strawberries from the garden – before heading for lunch. We had a spot on the deck of the restaurant that overlooked the ocean – a sighting of a seal and several boats. With an hour before ferry time we headed back to their yard – you couldn’t ask for a nicer place to sit with beautiful flowers, lots of shade, and a few water buffalo to keep us company.

We sat outside on the ferry part of the way back; we started out on the top deck but there wasn’t as much breeze as we wanted so we moved one deck lower. At one point, with the breeze, we were actually cool; I said that I wished I could somehow store the cool feeling and take it out again once we got to the house. I don’t know if it was the same whale or another one but we had another sighting on the way back.

The house has been closed up all day so it probably isn’t as warm as it would have been had we been here, but it doesn’t feel all the good. There is a breeze coming in though so hopefully it will cool down enough that we can get a good sleep. I hope the nap I had on the ferry doesn’t spoil my bedtime sleep.

I spent last evening sorting through my Farmer’s Daughter pieces and I think I’ll do the same tonight. I realized that this would be better use of my deck time than the cross stitching I have been doing. My goal is to have packages made up of each of the blocks so I can work on them one by one; I have a few bags where I need to do some extra English paper piecing before they can be attached.