Monday, January 22, 2018

I had my journal written in my mind yesterday – I just failed to get it any further. I was busy at the end of the day doing some Guild business; I realized I needed to have a photo printed so headed out to Walmart. It was just past five and I was worried the photo department would be closed but they are open until six. Good thing as the power went out (just momentarily) when I was loading my photo so I had to wait for the machines to reboot (ten minutes) and for the cash register to come back online (another ten minutes). The photo was fine and I got it into the mail first thing this morning.

I was intending to brag yesterday about my use of lists. I’ve always been a list maker and I expect that won’t ever change. I have paper lists, I have lists on my computer, I have lists on whiteboards and I have a book in my purse for lists. I started listing all my project UFOs on a spreadsheet on my computer, but that was too depressing – so many projects, so little time. So I’ve refined my lists to something shorter and, occasionally, I visit the spreadsheet and am able to remove items that have been finished.

I currently use three small whiteboards (that I got for $1 at a quilting garage sale). One board keeps track of the Guild projects I’m trying desperately to keep up with this year. One board keeps track of cards and miscellaneous projects that need to be done in the short-term. The last board keeps track of my knitting and crochet projects.  These boards keep me focused on what I need to work on and are my best chances at finishes.

My quilting UFO lists haven’t been forgotten; I have two paper lists that I keep for them. The first is the UFO Challenge sheet that the Guild is running this year. I started with six items in September and I’ve completed two of them. Two others are waiting to be sandwiched and quilted, one is my current Tuesday project, and one is a chenille quilt from a one-day class I took ages ago.

I came across another UFO Challenge online that I’m working with. You list twelve projects and at the beginning of the month you are given a number (from one to twelve) and that is the UFO you work on for the month. Even if you don’t finish the project the idea is that you can make significant progress on it during that month. January’s number was 12 and I have finished that project – 40 Shades of Spring.

I’m off now to finish the hand stitching on a Guild challenge – at the end of the day I should be able to wipe one more thing off my whiteboard.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Pat got home last night and the performers (I assume) arrived on the afternoon ferry. But the show didn’t start until eight-thirty or nine and there was no way I could imagine myself heading out the door at that time – heading for my pjs at that time is more my style. So no concert for us last night.

I decided I needed to do some clean-up in my studio this morning. I sorted through a number of patterns and fabrics on my cutting table – all had been set aside for things I’m going to make in the near future but it was all scattered and unorganized. I sorted out my scrap bin and put the bits and pieces away in their proper bins, drawers and bags. I went through my sewing bags and moved the “need it every week” tools into a new bag I received at Christmas. It will be much neater carrying things that way than in the various bags they have been living in. By the time I shredded more bins of paper the floor needed to be vacuumed – I cheated and used my hand-held but that picked up the worst of things.

Then what? I got busy and put together the top of my Guild challenge. I only made one mistake but it was spotted early enough that I was able to correct it by taking apart only one seam. I had some of the Challenge fabric left and by piecing it with some of the other leftovers from the top I put together a backing. I pieced a couple of pieces of batting together; the whole thing is now ready to be spray-basted and quilted.

While the wind blows outside and rattles the windows in my studio I think I’ll relax with a bit of crocheting. My Thursday sewing partner has come up with a new pattern she wants us to try so I won’t get any further on my afghan for awhile if I don’t do it at home.

Friday, January 19, 2018

It’s another stormy day here – wind, rain, ferries cancelled. I don’t have an easy way to check on flights in and out of the airport. I haven’t heard any planes all day but they might be taking off and landing from the opposite direction; they usually fly right over the house. Pat is due to arrive home this evening; it might be a rough ride but wind doesn’t usually stop the flights.

I was out and about early this morning. I had to drop off some receipts at the Hall; I expected to do a bit of sweeping up but Friday’s renter had already taken care of it. So I was off very quickly on a few other errands – post office, Canadian Tire, Dollarama and Walmart. I haven’t found any puff paint for the slippers I made so they will go as they are. I may wear them just a bit this afternoon to see how slippery they actually are. I washed the floors today so they will stay clean but that won’t last long.

I finished Messy Bun hat for Taylor last night and sent it off to her today to check the size and the colour. She wanted teal but I think what I ended up with may be more green than she wanted. Lavender was her second choice and I have some of that for the next one. I started to make Twinkle Star baskets last night – the size of these little things break my heart.

I lost my race against time yesterday. My Two Hour Tote ended up taking me about four hours but the prize at the end of it was the same – I have a lovely new tote bag. I made one error but decided I could live with it and there was no way I wanted to start reverse stitching any of that burlap.

If the plane gets in tonight, and if the performers get across on the ferry, we may go out to one of the pubs tonight. A group that played at the Hall last year are back in town. It would be nice to go to a show where I don’t have to run a concession, accommodate any guests, do any cleaning or prepare a bank deposit!

Thursday, January 18, 2018

I spent most of the morning at my computer. I had some reconciling to do for the Cranberry Hall accounts and then I got as much done for the next meeting as possible. I paid a few of my own bills and sorted through my e-mail. I even took a look at Pat’s accounts but there wasn’t much I could do with them.

I took a short break to go out in the storm – for a free bed frame. Before we bought the new bed for Texada I wanted to get a new mattress for the bed in our spare room upstairs. But when I saw the price of the mattress I decided I’d just get a bed frame instead – the box spring and mattress currently sit on the floor. But then we bought the mattress and frame for the studio and all my plans went out the window. But today, because I was at my computer, I saw a post on Facebook for a free queen-sized bed frame. I was surprised I was the first one to respond; I went to the house to have a look but it wouldn’t fit in the car. Fortunately someone was just leaving to go back to work and he offered to drop it off. It is an Ikea frame so it may be tricky to put together, but it looks like it will be nice (at least from what I can tell with it laying on the floor). I’ll have to wait until Pat is home to start putting it together.

I received a kit from Deloise for Christmas for a Two Hour Tote. If my timing is right I should have just enough time to put it together before I need to get ready for the Guild demo tonight.