Learning While I Sew

 Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds, and rain. The high got to 18C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 8C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 16C. 

Lifestyle

It was osteopathy first thing. The drive down was nice with nothing spectacular happening. I had a treatment that was different from the others. She focused on my right shoulder, ribcage, and hip/thigh as I was standing straight and was fully balanced. I just had a bunch of tight muscles that needed to be dealt with. 

When I left osteopathy, it was raining a bit. I went to get some groceries and when I parked you could see two police cars at the front of the store. A little boy made perfect siren noises which had several of us chuckling. As we walked inside, the police were escorting a man in handcuffs out to the car. The rest of my shopping was boring after that. I got what I needed and left for home. 

Once home I put away the groceries and had lunch. I promptly fell asleep on the couch for about 45 minutes. Though I was sore, my muscles had relaxed and it left me tired. It does happen occasionally after osteopathy. 

Sewing

I cut out the rest of the solid red squares and started to sew the blocks. I am going to say I was a bit frustrated with the half squares as they seemed to be a tiny bit wonky. I pushed through ripping seams apart to make sure everything was done well. I got the 4 leaf blocks done.  

When done, I went to look at how to make 8 half triangles at a time and found more information on half triangles. The pattern has you cut 1 7/8" squares and make 1.5" half-triangle squares. The information I found suggested you cut the squares to 2.5" and trim a bit more off them for more accurate squares. I didn't look at how to do 8 at a time as I want to try cutting larger squares to make the half triangles. 

I found another tote pattern like the one I wrote about yesterday. This one is lined which I like better. It has the front pocket of which you can do one on each side. She uses webbing for the straps but you can use fabric or you can cover the webbing with fabric. She also has separate videos on how to do a zipper inside, snap closure, and zipper at the top. Both of the bags are perfect and which one you make depends on if you want lined or unlined. If I make bags for donations I like them lined. 

Knitting

I knit 4 rows on the afghan last night. Not a lot but I got some done. 

I keep saying to myself that each 4 rows knit is another inch done. 

Thoughts

    The jalapeño peppers are starting to turn red. There are 6 that are red and I will take them to family on Friday. They have done well considering the cold spring and wet weather we have had. 

    I will have to spend a bit of time outside pulling weeds and put the flower pots back into the shed. I would like to empty all the pots this year and start next year with fresh soil. 

Today

I am going to start fall cleaning the kitchen starting in the cupboards. I want to cut out the pieces for the green leaves for the table runner. Tonight I am out to see if I want to join a quilting guild. 

Until the next time................................................................

A Maple Leaf Block Laid Out

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy with some wind. The high got to 17C. This morning it is minaly clear and 14C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with some showers. The high is to get to 18C. 

Lifestyle

I got the bathroom done. I scrubbed the shower and used a bleach product on the shower curtain and base of the shower to make sure no pink mould would grow. Then I tackled the toilet. When they were cleaned, I started to wipe down the walls. I used a mop as I can't get to a lot of the areas using a ladder. The walls weren't that dirty, mainly dusty. I did the floor last doing part on my hands and knees and part with the mop. It is now officially cleaned and I am happy to have that room done. 

I did get side tracked a bit. I want two cleaners and the toilet bowl cleaner in the bathroom. I had watched a video on shopping at Dollarama and the person said that the difference between a cleaner and a disinfectant is one has a DIN number (EPA in the US). I wanted one of each in the bathroom. I do have one of each in the bathroom now. I also know that finding the DIN number on the bottle is difficult to find as it is in such small printing. I am going to confess that I have a lot of cleaners under the kitchen sink once again. I have pledged to use them up and stream line them once again. 

My shoulder has been hurting since taking the afghan apart and winding the yarn into balls. I wondered if I had irritated it and some muscles were sore. I rotated it last night and it cracked really good. Pain is virtually gone. I am monitoring it to make sure I don't over do it when knitting. 

Sewing

The first job of the afternoon was to starch the remaining fabric so I can cut leaves and border pieces. My iron gummed up with the starch left on the ironing board. I had to clean it so it wouldn't mark the fabric. 

I started to make the leaves for the corner blocks of the table runner. I cut small squares and made half triangles. I sewed, trimmed, and pressed these little pieces to make sure they were perfect. I realized when I was almost done that I could make them 8 at a time using a 5.25" square of fabric. I also did the stem square. I did finish cutting out the pieces for one square and called it a day. 

I do have the half triangle squares and the stems for the other 3 blocks done in the red. I want to cut out the solid blocks and sew them all at once. The worst is done for this colour. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and did my shoulder hurt a lot. It was after I had done 8 rows that I stretched and rotated it. 

I do like the feel of the afghan using these needles. Dense enough to keep me warm but loose enough to feel soft. 

With 300 stitches and 10 balls of yarn to knit, I will be busy for a while. 

Thoughts

    I watched a video by Pin Cut Sew yesterday and she was making her version of the Trader Joe bag. I am thinking I will make a couple of these this winter and call. them "Breeder Survival Bags" and donate them to field trials. I can add some dog treats, poop bags, a few snacks and a bottle of wine. The pocket can be the focal point of the bag. 

    Daughter let me know last night that she had to go to emergency as she was in a lot of pain. She has a rotor cuff injury and is wearing a brace to help keep it still. I am sure the cause is from the dogs pulling on their leashes. She will get over it and people are going to help her at the next field trial. They will take the dogs out and bring them back in during the competition. On the up side of the weekend, Ruger now gets a name change as he has enough points to achieve his FTCH (field trial champion). The hard work she had done has paid off. 

Today

I am out for osteopathy this morning. I need to get a few groceries afterwards. Once home, I want to work on the maple leaf squares with hopes of having all 4 sewn together. Tonight I will knit on the afghan. The beginning of a busy week for me. 

Until the next time...................................................................

Starting the Afghan Again

 Yesterday was wet, windy and the high got to 14C. This morning it is cloudy and 11C. Today is supposed be cloudy with showers and a high of 17C.

Lifestyle

I started the morning out doing the balance sheet. No problems or issues with it and I was done in about 40 minutes. I put it away and then folded laundry. Not a hard job to do and I was glad to have it done. 

As I was sitting watching it rain and thinking of the heavy rainfall in Cape Breton, a car backed into the driveway. I put the laundry into the bedroom and headed out to talk to the people. They had come to buy the antique desk.

I thought the man was buying the desk but it was his son. The young man loves antiques and when he saw it on Facebook Marketplace, he wanted it to do his writing at. His dad called him an "old soul". At that moment, I knew the desk was going to a good home as it would be loved and used. We had used it over the years and loved it. 

Mid afternoon I went to Dartmouth with family. Daughter-in-law and I went to Costco and Walmart so she could get a few things. I got coffee, slippers, and Halloween candy. After that was done, we headed to have dinner. We went to The Naan Factory for Indian food. We had rice, 3 curries, and naan. It was delicious. Two of the curries were mild and the third one had a bite to it. All had chicken in them. The naan were the best I have eaten. 

After dinner, we walked down the strip mall to an Asian food store. It was different to the other asian food stores we go to. More spices than you could ever imagine. Daughter-in-law found a date paste she uses when cooking Thai food. We wandered the whole store looking at everything. From there we headed for home. October is going to be Thai food and after that they will look for other ethnic restaurants. It is going to be our once a month out for dinner. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday. I need to starch fabric and let it dry while I cut out and sew the 4 red maple leaf blocks. 

Knitting

I ripped out the 6 rows I had knit on the afghan, changed the needle size and cast on 300 stitches in the afternoon. I knit 6 rows last night and am ready to start on the pattern. I do like the feel of the knitting on the larger needles. 

Thoughts

    It rained a lot yesterday. The storm swirled back on to us which they forecasted. Most of the time, the rain came down heavy but it did ease at times. The wind blew a lot and was still blowing good at 10 pm. By then the rain had stopped. Everything is soaking wet which is great. 

    Daughter let me know that her dog, Ruger, won the field trial again yesterday. I will find out more today. 

Today

I am back to cleaning the bathroom this morning and hope to starch the rest of the table runner fabric. I want to cut and start sewing the red maple leaves. Tonight I will knit on the afghan. Today is a quiet day for me as most stores are closed on Labour Day Monday. 

Until the next time.......................................................................

Center of Table Runner Done

Yesterday was mainly rainy until late afternoon. The high got to 16C. This morning it is cloudy and 13C. Today is supposed to have rain and a high of 14C.

Lifestyle

The storm we had on Friday looped back and gave us more rain. It wasn't a heavy rain, just steady. Nova Scotia declared a state of emergency as 3 counties in Cape Breton had between 8 - 10" of rain. There was flooding, roads washed out, and no electricity. They got the worst of the storm both days and are still under a rainfall warning. 

I spent the morning doing more cleaning in the bathroom. The linen closet was first and I got rid of 4 items. More to go after I shop at Ikea later this month. I then cleaned the shelves and the floor. The linen closet and main doors were scrubbed clean. Next was the lights and mirrors. And finally I did the tub and the tiles around it. I was going to do the window but chickened out. I didn't want to stand on 8" of ledge to do it as it and the window ledge were wet and I was scared of slipping. I have the shower and toilet left to scrub and then I can do the walls. It isn't a dirty room but it collects dust from the toilet paper. A small room that seems to take forever to fall clean. 

Daughter-in-law let me know that the antique corner desk in the sewing room sold. I had to empty it as it leaves this morning. I am not sad to see it go as it wasn't being used. We got many years of use out of it and it is time for someone else to enjoy it. 

I haven't run the heat pump for 3 days and turned off the bedroom fans. The house was nice until yesterday when it started to feel really damp. A trip to the portable dehumidifier showed it was full and the humidity was 55%. I emptied the tank and will check it today as it had a lot of moisture to remove from the air. Without the heat pump on dehumidify, the portable one has a lot of extra moisture to remove. 

Sewing

I spent a couple of hours sewing on the table runner. There were less pieces to cut and sew but it still took a lot of time. Lining up the seams requires accuracy and it took me a couple of tries to get block 7 sewn accurately to block 6. Block 8 was easy as no seams matched. I ended up pressing all the seams connecting the blocks together open for less bulk. 

I measured it and it is exactly the right size. Now to starch more fabric so I can make the maple leaves. I have 12 of them to make in 3 colours. 

I did a lot of trimming when making the center part. It certainly helped put the blocks together. Making sure each part measured the correct finished size also helped when putting parts together. The only time I didn't measure I had to redo that piece. The hardest block was the block with the cat's tail. It had a lot of pieces in it and the black ones got me a bit confused at one point. It was the block where I didn't measure one piece and had to remake it. 

Knitting

I cast on 300 stitches using a different cast on method. I knit 2 rows and ripped it out. I didn't like how the cast on method looked. I cast on using the long tail method. I have knit 7 rows.

I am now considering ripping it out and starting again on larger needles as I may have to go from a 4.5 mm to a 5.5 mm needle. I will let it sit until tomorrow night. At the moment it feels too tight and stiff for an afghan. 

Thoughts

    It seems as if fall came quickly this year. No frost but cooler temperatures. It was the drastic change from hot and humid to cool and wet which arrived almost overnight. I am sure we will have some lovely warm days with lots of sunshine.

    Daughter was at a field trial yesterday and the middle dog, Ruger, won the whole thing. That wasn't a big surprise as he loves field work. He hates the "beauty pageant" part but he does do it. The puppy, Clark, was in the puppy class and did a decent job for his first time out. It was a learning curve for both her and him. Her hard work over the summer has paid off and she should be proud of herself. A year ago she wasn't even working the dogs. 

Today

I have to be home as the desk will be picked up mid morning. I will do a bit of cleaning in the bathroom. I would like to starch fabric after lunch. Family and I are going shopping later this afternoon and out for Indian food tonight. I don't think I will get a lot of extra things done today.

Until the next time.....................................................

Ready To Start The Afghan Again

 Yesterday started out with rain and ended up with sunshine. The high got to 22C (humidex 30C). This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 16C. Today is supposed to have periods of rain with a high of 16C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to make sandwiches yesterday morning. We had some good discussions on a lot of topics. One of the ladies had fallen on Monday and had a black eye and was really sore. My heart went out for her as she has some medical conditions that could be causing this. 

Once home, I sat down wondering why I was feeling so tired. My eyes were running and itchy. I was having an allergenic reaction to something environmental. Was it pollen? Shouldn't have been as it was raining or was it some perfume or cleaner I encountered at the hall. It lasted until last evening but I'm not quite over it yet. 

I did start cleaning the bathroom. I cleaned and scrubbed the vanity. I found old cold medications and tossed them. The top and sinks were scrubbed and each cupboard and the drawers were cleaned out well. I am happy with how it looks. 

After lunch I was out to take daughter-n-law's basket of containers home. They are what she makes the sandwich filling in. I had a short visit with son and then came home to do nothing but rest. 

Daughter-in-law brought me a bowl of soup that she had made after dinner and we had a good visit. She picked a couple of jalapeño peppers for their dinner tonight. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as my eyes were itchy and running from the allergies. I will have to say it was frustrating as I wanted to get the pumpkins done. 

Knitting

I started to unravel the afghan last evening. I had a bunch unravelled when daughter-in-law arrived. She unravelled 2 balls. By 9 pm I had the afghan unravelled and my should was telling me how it didn't like the job. 

I now have to put a long cord onto the needles I will use and see if my calculations of how many stitches I need are right. I can then cast on the stitches and start knitting again. 

Thoughts

    The rain storm we were to get wasn't nearly as bad as they had thought. It did rain but it came and went until mid afternoon when it cleared off. I am wondering where the rain is coming from for today and tomorrow. The wind is from the north and seems to be bringing in a new system with showers already this morning.  

    I had wondered if the place I get my car detailed had closed but found out it has moved to a new location. I will be going there next week to make an appointment to have it done later this month. I missed last year because of the water restrictions we had and then I was rushing around getting ready for our trip to Uruguay. 

    I am going to start pulling the tomatoes off the plants and empty the pots. I can do the flower pots after that. It is time to start preparing for the fall and winter. I will try to do a little bit each day after the Labour Day weekend. 

Today

I have to do a few small chores, mop the floors I have scrubbed, and continue on cleaning the bathroom. I want to sew the last 2 blocks of the table runner this afternoon and start knitting the afghan once again. 

Until the next time.............................................................

Block # 6 Was Difficult

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 20C (humidex 24C). This morning it is raining and 18C. Today is supposed to be wet with a high of 19C. 

Lifestyle

My job yesterday morning was to clean the hall. It isn't a big space. I took down the pictures and cleaned them. I removed the small table and cleaned the items on it. Then I started washing the walls. Up the ladder to do the top half of the walls. Down the ladder to do the bottom half. I moved around the space cleaning all the trim and 3 doors. When they were done, I got down on my hands and knees and washed the trim and the floor. The water was dirty but not filthy. I put the pictures back up on the wall and cleaned the table and put it back. I am pleased with the results. 

Just before lunch, I took the bread for sandwiches to the community hall and was home 10 minutes later. I did see another lavatera yesterday. This one was a young bush with two solid pink flowers on it. 

Sewing

I worked on block #6 yesterday and it was the hardest block yet. I made a few mistakes because it was hard to see the cutting lines on the cat. I had to remake one piece as it wasn't lining up properly. Pressing had to be redone so seams could nest. It took me 2 hours to make the block and I am proud of it. 

Blocks 7 and 8 are the same as blocks 1 and 2 so I am hoping they will only take a day to make. Then it will be on to making 12 maple leaves. I have to remind myself it is one step at a time as this table runner has a lot of pieces in it. 

Knitting

I did not do any unravelling of the afghan last night. 

Thoughts

    The storm that was to give us a lot of rain has not really materialized like they thought. The concern is more for Halifax and eastern Nova Scotia. We could still see an inch of rain but not the 2+" of rain they had predicted. The worst of the storm will be gone by tomorrow morning. 

    I am working on a lot of ideas on how to keep the house cleaner. I know Rosie does a horrible job of mopping the floors. When I clean, I do a big clean and then leave it until the next time. I know it is one reason clutter starts to accumulate and areas look dirty. As I work through each area/room I am trying to figure out how to keep each area tidy and clean. The hall is easy. Vacuum and mop every two days. The same for the landing. The challenge will come when I get into the bigger areas. At the moment, I am working on what I have cleaned and how I can fit it in to keep it clean and tidy. So far, no clutter has appeared and the spaces are clean. 

    I was tired yesterday as I came down from daughter's court day. She is still safe and he has to follow the protection order. She has gone away for a holiday so she can recharge her batteries. She still has a lot of stress ahead of her. 

Today

I am out this morning to make sandwiches at the community hall. Once home, I want to start cleaning the bathroom. I am hoping to make the last 2 pumpkin blocks this afternoon and I should start unravelling the afghan. 

Until the next time.......................................................

The Table Runner is Growing

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a surprise shower mixed in to the works. The high got to 23C (humidex 25C). This morning it was foggy when I got up but clearing off now. The temperature was 13C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 20C. Rain is coming tonight.

Lifestyle

I had a lovely drive to Bedford yesterday morning. The sky was a light blue with huge puffy clouds floating in it. Everything is green and lush with a few signs of fall starting to show. 

I decided to stop at Michaels to look at their fabric. This is what I saw. 

They are just starting to do the layout. I did some snoop shopping and bought some one-sided velcro which I do like. If I have to use velcro on doll clothes this is not as hard on their hair as the regular velcro. 

My next stop was Walmart. I did both my grocery shopping and that for the hall. I didn't do a lot of snoop shopping as I wanted to be home by noon. The person I had at the till was amazing. He was kind and very polite. I thanked him for his excellent service. 

I decided to do a bit of banking while in Bedford. When I entered the bank, the layout was not the usual layout in most banks. The tellers are at tables spread around the space. Same service, different layout. I was in and out quickly. It was time to go home. 

When I got home, I saw that my lawn was mowed and it looks great. I can't see the weeds so have to leave it until after the storm goes through and then pull the weeds that have survived the spraying. 

Inside, I put away my groceries and prepped the chicken for dinner. I sat down as I was sore and needed something to drink. I had a good morning. 

Sewing

My first job yesterday was to remake block 1. I cut the large piece and the small squares. I sewed the squares onto the corners and then proceeded to replace the old square. An easy job that took about 20 minutes to do. 

I then started to cut out block #5. I chose the light grey colour as I am mixing up the order of colours for the 2nd half of the centre part of the table runner. I was careful to cut only the pieces I needed for each small section. When sewing each section together I was careful to make sure the seams were pressed correctly so they would nest together. I had to repress a few seams. I actually enjoyed watching the cat come together when I sewed the final seam. 

The next block will finish the cat and I have to spend a lot of time cutting the small pieces and putting them together. The last two blocks will be easy; just pumpkins like block #1 and #2. Then it will be on to the leaves. 

Knitting

I ripped out the side borders and started to crochet a border. Not happy with it as it is rippling. I am considering this project as a semi flop caused by me and will start over again. I have lots of time on my hands so will work on it for the next few months. 

Thoughts

    We seem to be getting the storm from Ontario. It caused a lot of damage in Toronto and is moving happily over to see if it can drop the last of its moisture on us. They are predicting 24 hours of rain. 

    I was a bit stressed as yesterday was court day for daughter and her ex-spouse. Her lawyer let him ramble on and the judge had to remind him several times that he was off topic and what the protection order meant. The judge set a date for him and he has to follow it. Then it's on to the next part which I am not exactly certain about or its process. She is still under the protection order which is what is important. I realized the stress was more about "what's next" and not about trying to fix something outside of my control. 

    I was surprised to see children wearing backpacks walking up the street this morning. The bus arrived on time and school has started a day or 2 before Labour Day weekend. The fall routines have started and the street will be noisy in the mornings once again. It brings up memories of when I was teaching. Good memories. 

Today

I am going to wash the walls in my hall this morning and stop before noon so I can deliver bread to the community hall for sandwiches. After lunch I want to sew block 6 and possibly block 7. Tonight I will start ravelling the afghan so I can start again knitting it later this week. 

Until the next time.........................................................