Monday, January 30, 2017

I slept late this morning and started my day with some cross stitching. I haven’t caught up with my Facebook groups for a couple of weeks and I had a bit of back stitching I wanted to get done before I took photos. When I was posting to the groups I found another Canada 150 pattern that I want to make. It took me awhile to find a Canadian shop with the pattern in stock but I eventually found it in Winnipeg and it is on its way to me. It is actually called “Canvas Work” so it will be a new technique for me – always good to keep the brain cells working.

I have everything ready to go for the bee tomorrow – fabric cut for week 2 of Wild Goose Wednesday, binding picked for all my cards, and two more cards that I didn’t have time to get to last week. I cut out a few more squares for my Bingo quilt; if I get all that done I’ll be very surprised.

As part of my routine I sorted through a few more scraps. I am close to having one bin emptied and then I hope to rearrange some of my fabric – either my scraps or my yardage. A lot of pieces are too small for me to want to keep (unless it is a strip of 1.5″ I pass it along) but my friend Carola takes all the bits she can get. If I think the scraps are too small for Carola they go into a pillow case and eventually become a dog pillow for the SPCA.

I’ve done all that and there is still time left in the day to start filling in the forms for my quilt show entries. I also have to check on a few of the pieces to be sure they have a label and sleeve; if I’m keeping a piece for myself I don’t always add those.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

I was sitting and cross stitching this afternoon and my mind wandered back to Sunday afternoons at home. After the rush of Sunday School, lunch, and then back to Church, I remember the quiet of a Sunday afternoon. I don’t know how I spent those afternoons, maybe reading or doing homework, but my mind was relaxed and quiet. There were Sunday drives in the summer and often a drive over-West to look at the crops. I remember the smell of a roast cooking as we came in the door from church and, in summer, fruit salad and ice cream for supper.

Sunday evenings meant Bonanza, with Mum doing her embroidery in the chair beside the stereo. There were times when someone (and occasionally Dad) was getting their hair curled, but most likely it was Stacia and I with curlers in our hair.

For as long as I remember I’ve hated Sunday nights. I remember laying in bed on a Sunday night not wanting to start the new week. Whether there was school or work the next day I just didn’t want my time at home to be over. I realize now though that I no longer dread Sunday night – my weeks are filled with (mostly) things I love doing.

And speaking of things I love doing – I’m going to go back to my cross stitching.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

I was sitting upstairs this morning doing the last bit of quilting on my cards when it hit me. I had all the photos done yesterday but I had neglected to take a photo of my Blossoms quilt. I’ve planned since Day 1 to have that in the show and I nearly missed out. If the entry isn’t accompanied by a photo it isn’t really an entry and the entry forms need to be in by Thursday. I got the photo done today so again, I think, I’m ready to go.

This afternoon I did my two hour shift selling raffle tickets. We were at Quality Foods, in the exit area; I’ve sold tickets there before and I knew it would be cold but it was absolutely freezing today. We had blankets to cover our legs and I had two sweaters, a scarf and a headband keeping me warm; I thought my gloves were in my purse but they weren’t and my hands are still freezing.

We’re off tonight to a 65th birthday party. We go to Dan and Judy’s at least once a year for a gathering – lots of good food, lots of good company and lots of music. Pat has already warned me he plans to stay until the “bitter end” this time (which I have heard can be at 4 AM). I wonder if they will mind if I snooze on the couch?

Friday, January 27, 2017

I promised myself I’d get back to some cross stitching once my Celtic Crystal quilt top was finished. I did a bit last night and wanted to get more done today so I could add to my cross-Canada cross stitch challenge. I decided before I started that I would cut the batting and backing for the cards I have ready to go. And once I had everything cut it seemed to make sense to get them all spray-basted too.

There was still quite a bit of time for cross stitching before I had to head out for some errands and to sit at a table in the grocery store in an attempt to sell quilt show raffle tickets. I was a bit later leaving than I expected as Trevor came around to talk about the bathroom remodel. I had time for only a stop at the post office to mail a couple of things and time to drop off a payment at a storefront just next door to the grocery store.

I was later arriving than I wanted to be; I planned to be there by 1:45 but it was closer to 1:55 before I got to our table. The ladies doing the first shift were very talkative and eventually we got around to the fact that I was to be there tomorrow, not today. I remember saying that I was selling tickets in the afternoon of the same day we were invited to a 65th birthday party, and I knew the party wasn’t until tomorrow. But the calendar said today so off I went.

I was able to get the rest of my errands done and had time to do some quilting this afternoon. I used a new-to-me quilting stitch on my machine and I’m pleased with it. The rest of the cards will probably get an all-over stipple as that is what I’ll be doing on my next show project so the cards will be a warm up to that.

We’re off to a Tom Waits event tonight. The original plan was to have several local musicians play some Tom Waits tunes before they showed a concert (on DVD). Apparently Pat was the only one who signed up so he will do a couple of tunes before they start the video. It is at a new location in town – The Sugar Vault – which, from what I understand, offers drinks and desserts. I’m surprised I haven’t been before as it sounds like my kind of place!