Monday, September 19, 2016

I started my day (again) at Cranberry Hall. One of the groups left a payment in our mailbox last evening and, since we don’t have a lock on the box from the inside, I wanted to get to it right away. I had two other deposits to make at the bank – I tried to go on Friday morning after picking up a rental payment but the bank didn’t open until ten and it was only half-nine. I had a deposit ready from the concert at Cran Hall on Saturday so it was worth getting it all deposited in one trip even though I hadn’t planned it that way.

My prep time seems to have taken up most of the day and I don’t think I’ll get to any cleaning. My Leader and Ender project is nearly out out time – our Community Quilt weekend is at the end of October and I usually try to start putting my project together that weekend. I have lots of nine-patches made but I needed to cut out the solid pieces that will go with them.

Although I’m not quite finished basting the prepped pieces for my Farmer’s Wife block I cut out 160 more fabric pieces and about 64 more templates. I’ve got them packaged up to take with me when we go to Portland. I have two blocks that I’d like to stitch together but, not surprisingly, there are no irons at the accommodation. I may decide to pack my own but basting all of the pieces I prepped this morning will probably take more time than I’ll have available.

I also packed up two cross-stitch projects to bring with me. I have just a bit of work to do on the main piece of my Advent Calendar and then I’ll move on to the back stitching. There aren’t many colours involved with the back stitching so I decided to take it along. One of the Facebook groups I belong to are starting a Stitch-A-Long (SAL) on Wednesday so I have my Hummel pattern, fabric and floss ready to go.

Ukulele Club is on tonight and I’ve done a bit of practicing this afternoon. For what is left of the day I’ll start working my way through my scrap pile. I do a bit once a week and gradually, every so slowly, I’m emptying one bin and filling up several smaller ones. Is that really progress?

Sunday, September 18, 2016

I worked on my Blossoms quilt today. I’m not sure I’m happy with it.

I like the offset blossom blocks because it hides the fact that some of the blossoms aren’t perfectly centred in the background. But that meant there is an extra patterned piece in the border that is next to an already patterned piece.

I’ll put a navy border around the whole thing and hopefully that will take your eye away from those doubled up spots.

And if that doesn’t work I’ll hope that once it’s quilted it won’t show so much.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

It was pouring rain this morning so I had no desire to attend the Fall Fair. The grounds are pretty shaded and the rain wouldn’t soak in very well so not only would it be wet coming down on you it would be messy sloshing through the grounds. It was an easy decision to stay home.

I was scheduled to do some Farmer’s Wife blocks today but after my all-day disaster last week I decided to skip it for today. It was an easy decision to cross stitch instead. Unless I get very busy on my project I’m going to miss my September goal and then finishing it before December 1st might also be in jeopardy.

Dylan’s football game was live streamed this morning so I watched the game. There was no announcer so I had to be very aware of what was going on, particularly when #22 was on the field. When the game was over and #22 took his helmet off for the hand shake imagine my surprise that it wasn’t Dylan! I went back and read Christy’s message and I should have been looking for #28.

I talked to Christy after the game and I decided I wasn’t going to admit that I was watching the wrong jersey. When I said something about them winning the game she said they hadn’t won – even though I clearly saw two touchdowns. Not only was I watching the wrong player, I didn’t even have the right team! Fortunately they will be broadcasting more of their games this season and I hope to get it right next time.

There were only a few folks signed up for the afternoon guitar workshop so Pat said he might not serve tea and coffee. That suited me just fine and I stayed home. I’ll go down for the evening concert and help take tickets and clean up afterwards. There have been a few calls today about getting tickets and I hope there is a good turn-out for the show.

Friday, September 16, 2016

All week I intended to start quilting one of my donation quilts; I was looking forward to trying some Sashiko quilting on some of the blocks. But this is going to be a busy weekend (Fall Fair, a workshop and concert, and the Terry Fox Run) so I decided I’d finish something that wouldn’t overlap too many days.

The Guild program was revealed last night; there are some interesting demos and a few classes that I might take. We have two challenges this year – a member challenge and a Canada 150 challenge. We’re doing another block of the month; although I didn’t want another sampler I decided to play along. The colours required are light, medium and dark throughout all the blocks so I’ll use my colour wheel to determine colours and, for many of the blocks, I’m sure there will be fabrics I can use from Diane’s box.

I didn’t intend to do the Canada 150 challenge. Even though there was a prize draw involved just for signing up there was no way I even wanted the fabric square in my sewing room. And if I made something with it there wasn’t even anyone I thought I could give it to. But as the program was revealed we heard that the blocks we make would be put together for a community quilt and I could live with that so brought the fabric home with me.

I’ve heard it said that if your fabric is ugly you just haven’t cut it small enough! I’m not sure I improved on the original piece but at least it is done.

That block was done before lunch so I moved right on to the block of the month. Although I suspect it will use very traditional blocks their theme and naming is quite cute.

It is only mid-afternoon but there is still lots of finishing to do. Because of the meeting last night there are Guild updates to take care of, there is business arising from the Cranberry Hall meeting a couple of days ago, and I think I’m ready to put together Pat’s year-end package for the accountant.

The ukulele and cross stitching always call to me at the end of the day; with luck I may get to one of them.