Stressed

Yesterday was cooler with a high of 25.7C and a humidex of 32C. This morning it was 12C at 6 a.m. and very refreshing after a lot of warm humid nights. We are to see it get to 25C today.

Lifestyle

I was out shopping in the morning and then was getting ready to mow the lawn when family arrived. Grandson finished mowing the lawn for us. We talked about the soccer game grandson played the day before (son coaches) and they played strong but lost. Playing strong and as a team is very important. 

After lunch, the Spousal Unit and I went for ice cream and a drive. We needed to get out and go as we've spent way too much time at home and in the house. 

I gained 3.3 lbs this week and am owning it. Stress does that to me and I was an emotional eater. The ice cream was the tipping point and I'm now suffering from an IBS attack. Back on track this morning. 

We have both been stressed about the fires in BC. We know there is nothing we can do but read about the devastation and ask why there are so many fires still burning out of control. There are so many evacuation orders, places burnt to the ground, and people living with only what they could take with them. Our daughter is safe and our friends live in an area that is not seeing fire activity. The town I wrote about yesterday is still standing as of last night. We hope it will not suffer any fire damage. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as we were out for a drive. 

Knitting

The test pattern is done and I need to block it, take pictures and put it away for the little girl. 

Today

I have some housework and laundry to do, get Elliott food, and try to do some sewing. I hope to start a swatch to knit a new sock pattern and follow along with a lady who has posted on YouTube. 

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

 

Outside In The Heat Wave

Yesterday was another hot day. The high got to 30.4C with a humidex of 40C. This morning it is 20C. The heat warning has ended which is nice. We are to have sunshine and a high of 27C. 

Lifestyle

I spent a good hour cleaning the pantry yesterday morning. It really needed to be done as it was chaos in there. Out of date items were tossed, spice jars refilled and empty bags tossed, and items put into their right spots. I scrubbed the shelves and the floor and was happy to see it looking spotless. It is time to start cleaning the house once again. I let it go being tired from not sleeping well.

Once that job was completed, I headed out with the Spousal Unit to mow the lawn. I mowed for an hour and he raked up the big piles of clippings. It was break time so in we went and cooled off for 20 minutes. Back out to do more and most of the back lawn was mowed by noon. 

After lunch, we headed out again and mowed more lawns. We took turns with the person who raked standing in the shade when not needed. I did the last go and got about 1/3 of the front lawn done and quit. I had overheated in the heat and humidity. We both had water and headed inside for the remainder of the afternoon. We had done about 2 hours of mowing after lunch. 

We have been monitoring the fires in BC and the community near the mine daughter works at has the fire at the edge of the community. This is a Firesmart community which has a huge fire guard around it. It follows a strict plan and has for many years. As of this morning (it's midnight there at this writing) no structures have been lost. We have been sending information to friends who use to live there. The mine has been evacuated and we hope all remains safe. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday but I did fold fabric I had laundered. There is 3 pieces for piping and I'm sneaking a bit of one to make a doll's dress. 

I did look around the sewing room and it needs a good cleaning. I plan on continuing with the clean up once things settle down and I can focus on the house. 

Knitting

I continued knitting on the test pattern and I have it on a circular needle. I did that as when I did the last increase. I hope to have it done in the next couple of days. Once the pattern was corrected, the knit has gone smoothly but I won't be knitting this one again. 

Today

I have to do some shopping and then finish the lawn. I am not sure if I will get any sewing done. I will knit though. 

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

A Piping Making Sort of Day

 Yesterday was hot and humid. The high got to 30.5C with a humidex of 42C. We had a thunder storm late in the afternoon and warm rain fell. This morning the temperature was 20C with a humidex of 27C at 6 a.m. Hopefully the heat wave will be over with shortly. 

An hour before the highest temperature.

Lifestyle

We found it very muggy yesterday when outside. It was like being in a sauna. The day started with us tired and cranky but we did end it in a better mood though still tired. We slept poorly again last night but are not as cranky today. 

The Spousal Unit picked cherry tomatoes and some cucumbers yesterday morning. We kept half and gave half to family. It is nice to be able to eat fresh vegetables from the garden. I was out for a bit in the afternoon and the rose bushes have had a rest and are starting to bloom again. They seem to like the heat but they do need to rest part way through the summer. 

I am going to plant more impatiens next year. This year the white ones have done really well in the pots outside the door into the shed. 

Though beaten by the hail, the geraniums on the deck are also doing well and are very cheery looking.

There were 2 new cases of the virus reported yesterday and we have 26 active cases. Most of the cases are travel or close contact related. We are being super careful once again as we question if the province is entering the 4th wave. 

Sewing

I headed down to the sewing room with a huge lack of energy. I looked around and didn't want to clean up. I decided to make piping from a piece of fabric on the cutting table. An hour later, I had 4.2 meters of piping for daughter. 

The piping really pops with black.
 

There is enough fabric left to make a doll's dress. I did wash fabric and have 3 more pieces of pink to make piping while I have the Diamond sewing machine set up with pink thread and the piping foot. 

The light teal fabric was laundered so I can work on the cat fabric project once again. I am looking forward to working on it as I love the concept of having this for the house in the summer. 

Knitting

I did well with knitting and am 3 rows from the next increase row. No mistakes so far. I will be glad when this test is over. I would love to knit a pair of socks next for something different to knit. 

Today

I am going to clean the pantry this morning and get things organized in there. I will be moving items from the hoard to the pantry and making a shopping list. This afternoon I want to sew and I will knit tonight. I may have to help mow today as we have son's mower and the lawn needs mowing. 

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

Heat, Humidity, and Exhaustion

 I am late today as I've been busy.

Yesterday the high was 30C with a humidex of 40C. This morning it was 19C and at noon it was 27C with a humidex of 36C. It is hot outside and we could see 31C and a humidex of 41C. We have one more day of very hot weather. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday we were home for the day and I cleaned the kitchen. It wasn't hard to do but it needed to be done. I cleaned out some shelves while I was at it. I was tired as I've been sleeping poorly due to the heat and an overly warm bedroom.

The Spousal Unit weed whacked around the yard yesterday. We will be borrowing son's lawn mower tonight to do the yard tomorrow. Hopefully our lawn mower will be repaired before we need to mow again. 

We had a salad using tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden. It was delicious. 

Daughter texted last night at 8 p.m. 4 p.m. her time) that a community near the mine where she works was evacuated. The mine was shut down and employees sent home and the suppression crews the mine hired were there prepared to fight fire. Friends also lost 140 head of cattle as they were not allowed to go in and get them before a back burn was started. The crew lit the fire and let it go. That is criminal in our minds and we hope these friends take legal action. It is grim out there with fires burning out of control for weeks now.  The one that is close to to the mine and where friends live has been burning out of control since July 12 and is absolutely huge.

There were 7 cases of the virus reported yesterday. Three were from earlier in the year and are resolved. The other 4 were were either related to travel or close contact with another case. We have 24 active cases in the province now. 

Sewing

I took my tired self down to the sewing room and decided to finish the jacket. I really focused on what I was doing and did a lot of talking my way through the process. 

The collar was a bit of a bugger as it stretched and I had to trim it back to size. When I sewed the inner and outer collars together, I used the walking foot to control the stretching. I carefully pinned and did extra basting on the collar which was worth the effort. I hand sewed the collar for a clean seam finish.

At the front and at the ribbon, I added a snap to keep the jacket closed. I like the look of how I closed the jacket and wanted to keep it in that position when snapped shut. 

The back looks great and it fits a tiny bit big. Not baggy though. 

And with the tote.
 

Though I enjoyed sewing this tote, I'm glad it is completed. I have my plans in place for making it again next month is there is some quiet time. Now it's time to work on the Christmas gifts. I have fabric to launder. 

Knitting

I am doing okay on the test pattern and have completed the first increase row. No mistakes, no swearing loudly, and no new version coming in the mail. Let's hope we can knit in quietness now.

Today

It has been a busy morning and I hope to work in the sewing room this afternoon and knit tonight. Once this heat wave is over with, I want to clean house and do more outdoor things so we can get caught up. Right now, we fight the heat, humidity and exhaustion. 

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

Cleaning the Sewing Room

Yesterday was hot and the high got to 27.7C with a humidex of 34C. This morning it is cloudy and 22C with a humidex of 31C. The high is suppose to 30C with a humidex of 38C. A hot day for us.

Lifestyle

We headed out yesterday morning to get apples and blueberries. Apples must be at the end of their lives as there weren't many in the store. We then went to the blueberry farm and when we saw the berries we were delighted. They are big and juicy this year. 

We have 14 tubs for the winter and may go back for more as there are 7 more tubs in the cupboard. 

The lawn mower has been giving us a headache. It has been smoking and we've done everything in the manual. It goes into the shop for a tune up and a new blade. The lawn will be really long when we get to mow it. We will slug through it at a snail's pace. 

There were 3 new cases of the virus reported yesterday. All are related to travel. We are now wearing masks at outdoor venues unless we can social distance. It is a habit we are willing to continue doing for as long as possible.

Sewing

With the humidity and heat, I felt sick while outdoors so I didn't sew. I did do a few things in the sewing room where I cooled off.

The box for the sewing machine needs to be stored but the rest of the area is clean. I will put a small Ikea cube in that space for the binders, books, files, and a tub of extra items I keep on hand. I use the brown chair at the corner desk but pushed it out of the way when I was cleaning the surfaces. 

I quite like this area and how I am getting my ideas done. I like the simplicity and calm I am creating. I will put a picture up on the wall and some small items on top of the cube. Another small peg board will corral some items on the table. I am wanting to work in that area all ready. 

And beside the design area in the middle of the room is this mess. 

It has become a bit of a dumping ground and I need to get back to the projects on the table and put some of the items away. Some will go away when I tackle the closet which is next on the agenda. One of the first things will be gather up is all the embroidery thread and put it away. I haven't bought much embroidery thread in the past 4 years and I still have a lot to use up.

As I finished up the design area, I sat and reflected about testing patterns. I have learned a lot and have become an intermediate/advanced sewer. I love to sew patterns that sing to me and I have my favorite designers. But, I've realized that I have patterns I want to sew and I'm not getting them sewn. I pass by the patterns and fabric each month knowing I have to test a pattern before I can get to what I want to sew. 

Knitting

The revised pattern was sent and I cast on, did one row and made a mistake. Grrrrr. I will have to sit quietly and do the cast on again and the first two rows so the pattern is established. 

Today

We are home today and I am staying in the house as much as possible. I need to do some cleaning upstairs and then tackle the sewing room closet. I may knit tonight. We are both tired as we are not sleeping well. What gets done depends on our energy levels.

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

The Wow Factor

 Our weather has been moving towards hot once again. We are under a heat warning for the next few days. The high yesterday was 25C and the humidity felt lower but the humidity was 75% and a humidex of 33C. This morning it is 21C and a humidex of 27C. It is warm and muggy out there. The high today is suppose to be 29C with a humidex of 37C. 

Lifestyle

We have been busy. Monday was blood tests, talking to the doctor's office, voting for the provincial election and, then mid afternoon, a quick trip to get air filters for the lawn mower. 

Yesterday was quieter. We were home until after dinner. We went to watch grandson play soccer. They lost to the best team. I did fold 4 loads of laundry in the morning. 

There were 7 cases of the virus over three days reported on Monday and 1 case reported yesterday. We made the choice to wear masks when in busy outdoor areas. Last night it was busy at the soccer field when we arrived and we put on our masks to walk over to the field.

Sewing

I am almost finished the test pattern. Just the collar to do. 

It fits a bit big on the doll but other than the sleeves it is cute. I am debating if I will put a snap at the center front down by the peplum to hold the jacket in this position. 

I am glad I did the fussy cutting as it gives this jacket the wow factor. 

I do love how the fabrics are all working well together.

The testing group I belong to has decided to rotate people out to bring in new testers. Though the message is a bit vague to understand, a lot of testers are upset. There needs to be more clarification. After a bit of thought, I said they could rotate me out first. I'm not upset as it is time for me to go. I was refused to be rotated out so I'm going to be picky on what I test. 

I've decided to clean up the sewing room one area at at time and for 30-60 minutes a day. I've chosen the design area or the area where the desks are. I got one job done - getting the doll's patterns organized. The ones in the little file folder holder have been sorted through. Each designer has their own folder and each outfit is in a page protector. A few patterns are in a folder I called Other. I have a section for Historical, one for regular American Girl dolls, one for Gotz dolls and the Other section. I did throw out a few patterns that I drafted and are useless. I also threw out some patterns that I had printed off several copies of. 

The desk was tidied up and I did write down a few things I need. A smaller Ikea peg board and a few accessories, a picture enlarged and framed, and a small cube for the patterns, binders, and a few books. That way the desk will have very little on it when I want to work there and everything will be close at hand. 

In all, it was a good day in the sewing room. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night as we were out. The revised pattern is in so I need to look at it and start knitting. 

Today

We are heading out to get apples and blueberries this morning. I will have to freeze blueberries when we get home. This afternoon, I would like to do a bit more cleaning in the sewing room. Tonight I may knit if I'm not too tired. 

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

A Slow Weekend

 Saturday was warm with a high of 28.6C. When the wind blew, it was nice. Yesterday was cooler but muggy. It was 18C when we got up and the high got to 22C with a humidex of 28C. There was very little wind yesterday. This morning it was 15C when we got up. 

Lifestyle

We were to grandson's soccer game on Saturday. The boys played well together putting together some fabulous moves. Son is doing well coaching them and they are blooming under the praise he gives them. Grandson scored the last goal and he played well.

Yesterday we were busy. I scrubbed the bathroom and did 3 loads of laundry. The Spousal Unit pruned tomatoes. We both were tired from the humidity and I rested for an hour after lunch. I did go out and mow the front lawn before dinner. It really needed to be done. Now I can focus on weeding and weed whack that area.

I reached my first big goal in loosing weight. I lost 1.5 lbs for a total of 43 lbs. It has pushed me to monitor what I eat and to be careful. I've set my next big goal and hope I can get to it before my birthday. It isn't my goal weight as I'm not being unrealistic. 

Sewing

I haven't sewn for 2 days. I've either not had the time or have been tired. It has been hard to work on it but I will get back to it shortly.

Knitting

I set up the knitting and when I got it into the round, I made a mistake and ripped it back. I did it again and got the first round done correctly. I have one more row to focus on before I can relax a bit. I am finding that not rushing and counting out loud has really helped me get the first round done correctly. I've also never knit with stitches on 6 needles and that has been a big learning curve. 

Today

I have to phone for a doctor's appointment, have blood work done and vote. I may sew for a bit this afternoon and knit tonight. I need to fold laundry if I have some time.

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