Starting A Small Wall Hanging

 Yesterday started out cloudy and ended up raining. The high got to 11C at 11 pm. This morning it is foggy/cloudy and 7C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 8C.

Lifestyle

I decided to start putting away the Christmas items and by noon I was done. As I put away items, I tossed two broken picks into the trash and put 3 items into the donation box. Everything else was carefully wrapped and put into one tub with a bit of room to spare. It is ready for me to take and put under the stairs. 

The two quilts are in the spare bedroom closet and the 3 blankets are ready to launder. A picture needs to be wrapped and put away in the closet also. 

I wanted to put the two LED projector lights away but didn't. There was enough wet slippery snow that I almost fell sinking into it. I will do it today as there is no snow due to the rain we had. I will box them and put them. under the stairs on top of the tub. 

I took out the winter placemats and have enough for a set of 4 and a set of 2 (placemats, potholders, and bowl cozies) that I am going to sell them at the bazaar. I will look for fabrics that I can make what I want for the living/dining rooms. I am looking for something that I can use for most of the year. 

Sewing

I just sewed. yesterday as I am thinking about what to clean next in the sewing room. I got out a kit I had put away into the Halloween fabric tub. I decided to make the wall hanging I had made for daughter-in-law years ago (before moving here). This will be for my neighbour's wife as she loves to decorate for Halloween. 

I had a rough start with it. When I put it onto the thumb drive for my embroidery machine, I didn't untick the box so each colour was separate. I had to reload it and start the first square again. I was busy cutting and pressing fabrics and batting for all three blocks. 

I also kept running back to the computer to read the instructions. By 3:30 pm I had two blocks done. 

They are not cut to size at the moment. I will do that when I finish the third block. I also have 3 ghosts to embroider on wash away stabilizer. Once they are done, I can put the wall hanging together. 

When done this project, the rest of the fabric will go into the donation bag, the beads and ribbons into a box for the thrift store and what ever else that needs to be put away, put away. I can say that I am enjoying this project even if I had a huge learning curve when I started. My next learning curve will be when I need to sew the blocks together. The instructions say to use a fancy stitch and the Spanish hemming foot. 

When this project is completed, I want to clean the table the machine is on and pull it out and clean up the floor space. This will be my first job in 2025. 

Knitting

I knit on the vest last night and am almost done it. I will take pictures once it is done. 

Thoughts

    It is hard to believe we had a white Christmas. The only snow remaining this morning is what was plowed/shovelled into big piles. I have a few very small patches of snow on the front lawn as do others. The warm weather and rain melted the snow very quickly. 

    I was sad to put away all the Christmas items yesterday. The pop of colour made the house very cozy and warm and I will miss it. I need to choose a colour to help have the house warm and cozy for the rest of the year. I am going to look at some flowers to add to the decor that will also brighten up the house. I know that painting the house grey is going to make the house feel lighter and brighter but I need some colour also. 

    I almost have the family room completed and will start cleaning it a bit each day starting in January. I will set the timer for 15 minutes and either wipe down surfaces or mop floors. It may take me a few days to finish but I know it will be well worth it when I am done. 

    I am still thinking about what I need to let go of in the sewing room. I did a bunch of rearranging in the summer that I still like. The closet and work space areas are both done and I like them. I am not happy with the sewing machine areas so need to work on that. Also I am not happy with the cutting table. I am realizing that I need to pick up after myself after I finish sewing each day. I have been doing that lately and it has really helped. I have put away tubs after using them and have noticed that I really want to do it. I am getting myself trained to keep this space clean and tidy. 

Today

I have to go out for groceries this morning and then will put the LED projector lights away. If I have time, I will vacuum the kitchen floor and mop it. This afternoon I want to work on the Halloween wall hanging and will knit tonight. New Years Eve will be quiet for me ( as per usual). 

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