I should be inspired

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

When I looked at my reminders for today I saw that I still needed to clear out a drawer for my neutral fabrics. So I started off with that task. When I tired of doing that (before it was done) I walked up to the letter box and then went out to work in the yard.

I weeded the daisy bed today. There is a big hole where we took out the dogwood but I have no doubt that the daisies will fill in the space. I noticed that there are a lot of blue flowers that have blown in from somewhere. They are quite nice and don’t seem to be spreading too quickly so I left most of them. We have two dahlia’s coming up in that bed although they are a bit further behind than the ones in the pot. This was the last section of the yard that needed to be done so that when I sit on the patio (either upstairs or down) I can relax and not see the work that still needs to be done.

Pat checked on me after he came home from a meeting and we transplanted a hydrangea. The lavender was more or less taking it over so we thought it wouldn’t hurt it to move as it wasn’t doing well anyway. When I asked for a lesson on the weed whacker I found out what I was doing wrong but before I got too far along the brick wall Pat took over. He also pruned a few of the maples while he was out.

There is, of course, more work to be done. I have two spots left in beds that are more or less hidden behind taller plants and I want to get them cleared out. Also I have quite a job ahead of me to clear up the north side of the house.

I finished cleaning out a drawer in the dresser and have my neutral yardage nicely folded inside. That left me with an empty large bin so I moved my 3-yard quilt fabric from a smaller bin into the larger bin and then my flannel scraps into that smaller bin. I should have been inspired to keep shifting and adjusting but I just don’t feel like it. I’ve been spending the time this afternoon dealing with more of my scraps – a never-ending pursuit.

Button work

Monday, May 23, 2022

I really wanted to work in the yard today and persuaded Pat we should transplant our hanging baskets into pots. By the time I got my gardening shoes on and headed out the door it was spitting rain so Pat went out and got coffee and some breakfast and I started sewing on buttons.

It didn’t take long for the rain to pass and it has been a beautiful day – one of the best we’ve had this year I think. We got the two strawberry baskets potted on the deck as well as two more pansy baskets. One of our coleus wasn’t doing very well so we transplanted that and hope it takes this time. We have another pansy pot planted at the back door. Hopefully they will all do well.

While we were out we transplanted a dogwood bush. We have three of them in various spots in the yard but this particular one was fighting for nutrients from one of the maple trees. We’ve put it into one of our biggest pots; the maple tree we had in it for several years got some sort of a bug a couple of years ago and we weren’t able to save it. We lost another one as well but so far we haven’t planted anything else in that pot.

There was, of course, weeding that could have been done but I decided to cut the grass instead. Although, as I’ve said before, there are likely more weeds than grass in the yard once it is all cut to the same length it looks pretty good. I was going to give the weed whacker a try but I couldn’t even get it to start. I think it is out of string but I would have thought it would still start. I guess I need another lesson.

This afternoon I’ve been back at the buttons. I’ve got them all attached now – all 40 of them! I wasn’t sure I was going to be happy with the project but so far I’m pleased. I won’t be sewing with the Guild tomorrow but I hope to get it finished at home.

Happy Birthday Wendy

May 23, 2022

Road Trip (from the Splendid Sampler 2 series)

When I saw this block pattern I couldn’t imagine who I might make it for but Wendy and Bob are on the road as often as anyone else I know. Trips back and forth to see family in the Lower Mainland and Quesnel are frequent with trips to Victoria in between.

I don’t think they travel with a trailer but wouldn’t this be a nice home-away-from-home for a few nights of camping.

Buttons, buttons everywhere

Sunday, May 22, 2022

I finished my little gifts this morning and moved on to a card this afternoon. I’ll be working with buttons on this one so there is plenty of hand sewing to do. Don’t ask me how I ended up with so many buttons of one colour in my button drawer because I have no idea what I was planning to use them for. And what confuses me even further is that I purchased a second card full of the same colour.