Cleaning The Sewing Room Begun

 Yesterday was sunny and windy with a high of 2C. This morning it is cloudy and -2C. Today is supposed to be our crappy day with snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain. The high is get to 1C. 

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law arrived yesterday morning and is walking with the cane. I was so excited for her as this is progress. She can hobble some without the cane. Progress is being made due to her determination to get better. 

She took me to my eye appointment as I thought I had to have my eyes dilated. Due to the fact I take the time to keep my eyes open wide, the pictures are text book shots. No dilating for me. My prescription has changed quite a bit due to cataracts starting to form. I am now to wear sunglasses when I am outside to help slow down the progress. I will go back tomorrow to talk about options. 

Once home, I got busy. I cleaned the kitchen so it is clean and organized. It needed to be done and I pushed through it pain and all. It felt good both physically and mentally. Once it was done, I did the balance sheet for March. I had a bit of a struggle as I forgot to put one expense in. Once I got that figured out, all was good. Bills were paid and I put it away until Sunday. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday but I started to clean the sewing room. As I had to set up my sewing machines, I decided to start cleaning that area of the room. I wiped down the tables the embroidery machine sits on and got it organized. I pulled out the table and swept the floors and wiped the baseboards. I set up the machine. 

Next up I wiped the cube until the dolls are on. It was dusty and I had a few things to put away. 

The main sewing table was cleaned next. A bit more work as I sew there most of the time. I tidied up everything, wiped down the surfaces, and set up the Juki. I was happy to get that space cleaned up as it was starting to make me feel stressed out. 

Once that area was cleaned up, I started to put away items from the sewing retreat. Thread, scissors, kits, etc. were dealt with. Instead of putting them on a flat surface, I put them away. With that job done, I tackled the pressing center. 

I had bought a new ironing board cover and got it on. I need a new iron as mine decided to leak. I will get it next week. I wiped down the wall behind the ironing board and cleaned the baseboards. Then I decided to wipe the floor. It was disgusting due to me starching fabric and then fibres sticking to the starch. 

I was done for the day as I had been down on the floor a few times cleaning and getting cords into the right places. I did snap a few pictures of my mess as I didn't deal with any of it.

The old ironing board cover is on the floor where I tossed it.  

The plastics and paper I put in another spot. I will empty the trash can when I take the ironing board cover out. 

The cutting table is 100% better than it was when I went downstairs but it still needs work done to it. 

And I also need to deal with the chair. 

I am allowing myself until Sunday to get the room cleaned so am not being harsh on myself about the mess. I will work my way around the room and clean it up. I think I did well for one afternoon of cleaning. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night. I couldn't wind yarn for the next pair of socks. The cutting table is too messy. 

Thoughts

    Having being told I have the very beginning signs of cataracts has me thinking. I do have to take care of my eyes by wearing sunglasses when outside. It has me thinking about sewing and knitting. I will continue to do both for as long as I can knowing that I should use up my stash of fabrics and yarn before buying more. 

    I have started to think about my needs and wants as I feel we are going to see a global recession happen. I am slowly working through my thoughts on this. What will I give up and what can I continue to buy. How can I support a few local businesses so they can survive. I am working through this quietly on my own. In my mind first and then on paper.

    I have decided to clean up the family room next as I need to sort through my craft supplies once again. I need to do only those crafts I really enjoy and let everything else go. It is time to let go of those items I rarely look at so I can enjoy doing the crafts I enjoy. I also need to sort through what I have let go of and divide it into two lots -- garage sale and thrift store. 

Today

 I am home today so will be doing a load of laundry and doing some cleaning upstairs. This afternoon I want to clean more of the sewing room. If I can, I would like to wind yarn and start another pair of socks tonight. I do need to cook something for dinner tonight.

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

Day Two of Appointments Done

 Yesterday had rain in the morning and wind in the afternoon. The high was 13C at 9 am with the temperature dropping slowly all day. This morning it is windy, clear, and -3C (windchill -9C). Today is supposed to be sunny and 2C.

Lifestyle

I headed out to New Minas for my Covid vaccine. It was raining lightly at home and was like that until I was half way to my destination. I literally drove into heavy rain like you would when entering a car wash. I had to slow down and drive carefully due to the amount of water on the road. I did hydroplane once. When I got to New Minas, it was raining but the storm had passed. It was on its way to Windsor. 

I only had to wait for 5 minutes to get my vaccine. It was in the walk-in clinic attached to the drug store. I waited 5 minutes after getting the needle and then left. I was fine. 

My next stop was at Canadian Tire. It is a neat store that has car/truck parts, hunting supplies, and home goods. I walked to the back corner of the store to get an ironing board cover. I did wander a bit looking at irons as I need one. I also went looking to see if they had rechargeable light bulbs but they don't. It is a neat store to go into for items. I will be looking again as the summer items are going out on display. 

My last stop was for groceries at Walmart. I had my list and got a few other things I needed. My goal was to check the optometry department. The used to have buy 2 pairs of frames for about $100.00. That seems to be a thing of the past. 

I came home very tired. I was sore and starting to feel cranky. I put away everything and rested for the afternoon. My left hip was sore and I had pain. At midnight, I stretched it and had a loud crack. It is feeling better today but I am still stiff and a bit sore. It could be the snow storm we are to get tomorrow causing me to be sore. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. I did look for the ball of yarn but can't find it. I am going to put the sock onto a spare needle and start another pair. 

Thoughts

    My body is tired from all the pain I have been having. I have tried to be careful but think I am going to get busy and do some things to see if that will help it. I need to push myself once again and try to get areas more limber. 

    Our weather is being real crappy. We are to have snow/ice pellets tomorrow with warmer weather after that. Nights will still be cool. Spring is dragging its feet and everything looks depressing outside. Brown and dirty looking. It seems like spring is slow arriving in other parts of Canada also. 

Today

I am out for my eye exam today. I hope to be able to do a few things this morning while I wait for my eyes to recover from being dilated. I am thinking about housework and laundry. Once I am able to do other things, I will add them to the list. It is a wait and see day at what I can do. 

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

A Day of Rest

 Yesterday was cloudy but warmer with a high of 16C. This morning it is raining and 8C. Today we are under a rainfall warning until this afternoon and then it is to be cloudy and windy. The high is supposed to be 11C. 

Lifestyle

I was at physical therapy at 8 am yesterday and it was a session. My left SI joint was stiff and the therapist worked on that. I had pain in areas I didn't know could be painful. Next she worked on the adductor and she finally got it to stop being sore. She said if it didn't relax she was going to have to dry needle it. The last thing she showed me was an exercise to relax the piriformis muscle. Once she was done her work, I did my usual gym exercises and then had heat and the TENS machine. 

When I got home, I sat for a bit with heat on my hip and realized how tired I was. Part was from physio as it was a big session. Most was from getting the retreat. It is over and the adrenaline rush was gone leaving me with no energy. 

I did a few little things in the kitchen and looked for a ball of yarn that is missing. I cooked dinner and rested. Yes, that included a long nap after lunch. 

Sewing

I did work on my to do list and got it updated. I want to do some cleaning in the sewing room first and then will start with the doll's pillow and pillow case. I can put that away with the quilt knowing the project is complete. 

I am going to go through the doll's fabric and pull some blue fabrics out. I want to cut them into 2.5 x 5.5" rectangles and then sew them together to make the front and back of a bag. I hope I can find some neat fabric to make piping for it. I will try to do a tutorial page for it as it is a new idea for me. 

Knitting

I cannot find the 2nd ball of yarn for my socks. I will continue looking for it but will start another pair of socks while I look. If I can't find it, I will unknit my sock and make something for the dolls. At the moment I am annoyed with myself for not knowing where the yarn is. 

Thoughts

    I am improving with my walking. The reason my muscles get sore is that they want to go back to where I was months ago. They are sore as they have to work differently to what they are use to. Getting them to work normally is hard for them. I will continue to work on getting them to work normally even if it causes me pain and discomfort. 

    I am hoping that I can do minimal buying in April. I need to work on using what I have in my stashes. I need to think before I buy and be more organized in what I am going to make. I had my buying fun in March for the retreat and now need to return to using what I have in my stashes. 

Today

I have to go and get my Covid vaccine this morning and my one purchase, besides some groceries, is to get an ironing board cover. Once home, I need to do a few things and hope I can start cleaning the sewing room. It depends on how I react to the Covid vaccine. I would like to knit tonight if I am not too tired. 

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

The Retreat Is Done

 Yesterday was a lovely sunny day with a high of 4C. This morning it is cloudy and 0C. There is a layer of snow and ice on the deck at 6 am. Today is supposed to be damp with a high of 10C. We are under a rainfall warning from tonight until tomorrow night. 

Lifestyle

I arrived at the retreat a bit earlier yesterday morning. It was about half full which was nice. It allowed me to set up my Diamond sewing machine without a lot of people walking back and forth to the cutting and pressing stations which were behind me. 

My first project of the day was to make piping. I cut the bias strips, sewed them together, pressed, and then made daughter just over 3 meters of piping. No picture but I will get one for the record. The gentleman who was there was waiting for his lesson on how to make piping. I spent the next while helping him as he doesn't have the proper foot but we used his zipper foot with great success. His wife was thrilled that someone had spent time teaching him a new skill. He then worked on his quilt which the lady beside him had taught him a new skill. She walked him through each step. He was so excited to leave with 2 new skills under his belt. 

We had a good discussion about how to use sewing machine feet to our advantage. Not what a sales person wants to hear but they do agree that we need to figure out how to use them. I know my open toed quarter inch foot will sew at 1/4", 1/8" and 1/16th foot. My zipper foot not only put in zippers but can be used to narrow top stitching. I do agree that having a foot to help with stitch in the ditch is nice. People were amazed that I had to learn how to use presser feet to our advantage when teaching sewing on old machines that we could no longer get parts for. 

My main job of the day was to do embroidery on the shirt daughter sent me. I got all the flowers done but need a new embroidery foot for my machine. The old one broke as I was finishing the last stitches. 

I did finish the doll's quilt. I hand stitched the binding down while baby sitting my embroidery. I am happy with it but wish I had used a different fabric for the plain blue. There is too much blue. The dolls won't complain. 

I left the retreat at about 2:30 pm as I was done all my projects. I admired the coats and am hoping to start collecting fabrics for it as it will probably be offered in the fall. 

I will have to say that I enjoyed meeting people and having fun. I was tired mentally at the end of each day as I am not use to having people around me for hours and no where to go to have some down time. I will do it again in the fall if the dates work. 

Once home, I went and returned items to my friend and visited for a bit. Then it was off to family's for my birthday dinner. We had Moroccan stew, rice, and carrot cake. It was delicious. I was home early so I could decompress before going to bed. I truly needed that but appreciated having dinner and a visit with family. 

Today

I am out for physio early this morning and then home to have some very quiet time. I want to tidy up the sewing room before I set up my machines. I need to work on my to do list and do my balance sheet for March. I also need to tidy up my kitchen when cooking dinner. It is going to be a quiet day for me doing things I need to do. 

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

A Great Day Two

 Yesterday was cool and sunny with a high of 3C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 6C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 5C. We are to get snow or ice pellets tonight. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door by 8:30 am and at the retreat just before 9 am. Most of the people were there sewing with one lady starting at 7:30 am. She had sewn until 10 pm the night before. 

We started the morning off with a game. We had to fill squares with names if people did that -- had less than 3 UFOs, hand quilted, etc. There are only 3 of us who have less than 3 UFOs. Most others have many projects on the go. The 3 of us are a bit OCD and get agitated when we work on more than 2 different projects at a time. 

I finished up the doll's quilt and had some of the binding hand stitched down by noon. I will photograph it today as I will get it finished. I had a bit of down time at noon but not a lot. There were more people who stayed than on Friday. A few had brought lunch with them, others snacked on the pastries and cookies. 

After lunch I worked on the reusable bag. I sewed, pressed, and enjoyed making it. I had it done in good time. It was loved by a lot of ladies. 

One lady loved the piping on the handles as she had never seen that before. She was amazed that I made my own and miles of it for daughter. 

My last sew of the day was cutting strips of fabric on the bias for piping. The strips are sewn together ready to be made into piping today. 

I brought my Juki home and have the Diamond in the car. I also brought home things I didn't need. I want to be able to pack up easily today as it is the last day of the retreat. 

The retreat days have been set for the fall. It is the weekend of the craft bazaar I want to take part in. I have spent so much time getting prepping for this bazaar I don't want to miss it. I will take part in the spring retreat. 

Thoughts

    The lady who changed the tone of the building on Friday was in a much better mood yesterday. I talked to her a few times yesterday and we set the pressing station so it wasn't a safety hazard. She almost tripped on the iron cord and I had almost done that earlier. When asked what we were doing, I said we were correcting a safety issue. She smiled broadly at me. 

    I was asked what I couldn't do in sewing when I was working on the bag. I said laughingly, not having unfinished projects under foot. I then divulged that I had taught Home Ec at a high school and had to have a lot of ideas up my sleeve as I designed the program for that school. There are things I don't do. I don't like complicated quilt patterns that have a lot of small pieces. I don't free motion quilt as my brain isn't programmed for that. 

    I have enjoyed visiting with some of the ladies. We have shared ideas, products, and stories. Most of them I will see in the quilt store and any retreats I attend. One lady came from Scotland, another from BC, and a couple from Ontario. I am glad that I did this retreat and will do it again in the spring of 2025. 

    I have been worried about the owners of the quilt shop who are hosting this event. The lady has over extended her knee and is in a knee brace. She is waiting for a MRI and to see the sports doctor. Her husband has been on the go since Thursday when he set up the space for us. Both needed to be home resting and they need to set parameters of when you can arrive and when you leave. Having the space open from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm is not good as the owners and their staff are on their feet for too many hours. I know the ladies who are making coats want to get theirs to a point where they can finish them at home. But, we all need to think about those who are on their feet helping all day.

     I have 3 appointments this week and will be taking it easy in the afternoons. One of my goals is to tidy up the sewing room more and make my plans for April's projects. I am going to do what I can and rest when I need to. I need to settle down and get back to my old routine. 

Today

I am back to the retreat until 3 pm. I am making piping and doing some embroidery. I want to get a bunch of the embroidery done on the shirt sleeves. I am going to be ready to go at 3 pm as I am having my birthday dinner at family's. I will be home in good time as it is supposed to snow tonight. I need to rest as I have physio early tomorrow morning. 

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

Day One Of The Retreat Completed

 Yesterday's weather started out sunny and then turned to rain and then snow. The high got to 7C. This morning it is partly clear and -4C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

I went to the retreat yesterday. It was held in a building that looks like a barn. Very big and rustic inside. It was warm in there as they had the heat on. 

As I set up and I thought I was at the wrong retreat. There were 21 ladies making quilted jackets with an instructor. After a bit of looking, I realized that there were 5 of us doing our own thing. They had put two groups together as the venue is expensive and they need about 30 people attending. 

I got my stuff set up on an 8 foot table. The table beside me was empty which I thought was great. I got my sewing machine going, my little iron on and laid out the table runner. When I went to sew, my machine wasn't on. Nor was my iron or the retreat iron. The fun began as many others had the same issue. All the irons, and most people had irons, tripped the whole electrical system in the building. It was a good half hour of chaos with people waiting around for power. I was included. I put away my iron and waited. All was good again when it was only sewing machines and 2 irons being used. 

I got the table runner done faster than I had expected. It went together like a charm. Having it laid out on an empty table really helped me out. I had it done early in the afternoon and I had even visited people. It was bagged very quickly as the long arm quilter wanted it "now". She gets to choose the design and I want grey thread but feel it may have red thread for the quilting of the design. I will know in a couple of weeks as I gave her full control on this project. 

At noon, I stayed in the barn with a few other people and had my lunch. It was down time as I needed it. I wandered around and looked at the jackets being made. A lot of pieces in those. I did talk to the instructor for a few minutes. If it is offered I may take it though there is a lot of prep work. You have to cut out about 5 meters of fabrics into small rectangles for the project. 

I did visit with a young lady who was sitting off by herself making the jacket. We talked about starching fabric and we laughed as I had figured out how to do it from a video that we both watched and she was having some concerns. We got that sorted out. She also felt how starched vs non starched fabrics feel. I also visited with another lady who is making a quilt using the newest fabrics the quilting store brought in. It is going to be stunning. She had most of the center block done when I left. 

At noon, the last person arrived and set up her machine on the empty table. The tone of the building changed with her. She is a person who wants things to be perfect at the retreat. Her hobby is quilting and she is focused and on task 90% of the time. It seems like she has strict time lines. Her work is beautiful but she made people feel somewhat uncomfortable. I chose to ignore her most of the time. 

In the afternoon, I started on the doll's quilt. At 5 pm I was almost finished the first half of the quilting. I was panicking a bit as I had worked on two projects instead of one. I was over prepared. So I took some time to visit with others near me. I showed a gentleman how I made piping and will be giving him a piping ruler today. I will probably making a bit of piping tomorrow as I am thinking of taking my Diamond sewing machine. 

At 5 pm I cleaned up my spot, unplugged my machine, and put what I didn't need into a bag and brought it home. I was invited to join a group for dinner but declined. I needed to get home and apply heat to my sore body. The weather had made me ache like crazy. Also the old style brick floor was uneven and hard to walk on. A couple of others noticed that also. 

The drive home was crazy. Rain was falling when I left and it turned to snow as I got closer to home. The roads were bare and wet but we certainly did not need snow. It is the end of March. It snowed for a couple of hours but it didn't stick to the ground.

At home, I made dinner and sat with heat on my sore hips. I was exhausted from the pain. I went to bed early and cracked a couple of times while stretching. I can't wait for physio on Monday. 

Thoughts

    I took no pictures yesterday as my table runner was packed up shortly after it was done ready to go for long arm quilting. The doll's quilt was not ready to photograph. I don't do pictures of the retreat not knowing who wants to be in pictures and none of the coats were advanced enough to photograph. 

    I was surprised at how one person could change the tone of the retreat. She knew a few people who were there and you could see that people tread lightly with her. I am sure she is a nice person but you can tell she is a person who only makes quilts and is extremely focused on what she is making. She also commands perfection in everything. She was highly organized so I know she is out quilting at different venues most of the time. 

    I am the dark horse at this retreat. I was missed for a name tag and gift bag though I was counted for a space. They knew I was coming and I was greeted warmly. I am also the one in the group of people I visited who does projects to the end. They have lots of projects on the go and I like mine done one at a time. They don't mind UFO's and I dislike having them under foot. But, we did joke about me being OCD. It doesn't bother me as I know I am OCD/perfectionist.   

    One lady showed me her bear paw quilt block. It was gorgeous. She showed me the book that was her inspiration. It is Selena and the Bear Paw Quilt by Barbara Smucker. I was flooded with memories as I had this book when I taught school in Mennonite and Hutterite communities. We had done paper blocks and I remember how much fun it was. I left the book at my last school and wish I had brought it with me when I retired. 

Today

I have a few things to put away and a few other things to pick up. I want to prep to make piping if I have time. My goal today is to finish the doll's quilt and start the bag. I won't do any hand sewing until after the bag is done. I can sit quietly and hand sew at noon and in the afternoon. I will probably bring the Juki home and take up the Diamond tomorrow to make piping and to embroider on the shirt. It depends on where I am today with my projects. I will not be knitting tonight as I know I will be tired and sore. 

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

A Day Of Shopping

 Yesterday was a cool day with rain and a high of 4C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 0C. Today is supposed to have showers/flurries with a high of 5C. 

Lifestyle

I headed out to Dartmouth to pick up daughter-in-law as her car was in for detailing. The drive in was good; the roads were wet. The scenery was lovely as the trees were white with snow. When I got into Dartmouth, the traffic was heavy and I had a small panic attack. I also wasn't quite sure where I was going and was thankful for gps to get me there. Once I realized where I was, I was fine. 

We had a day of shopping for family and the community hall. Our first stop was at commercial store that sells to restaurants. I love looking at things in that store. High quality items. The last time I bought a paring knife that is the best one I have ever owned. We got what we needed for the community hall and was off to Halifax. 

The trip to Halifax was interesting. I know that route as you go over one of the bridges. No tolls now so it was easy peasy. We got the Wholesale Club which is a big warehouse that sells food in large quantities. We were buying supplies for the hall and for making sandwiches. We did a lot of walking and were tired when we got done. But, we got it all into the car and were off for lunch in Bayers Lake. 

Lunch was okay. I hadn't been to that restaurant chain in years and the menu had changed and the food was good. Not excellent. But we had the chance to rest our sore legs. Then it was off to Costco. 

Costco was very busy. We did the snack aisle and it was slow going. People were wandering everywhere and you had to wait to get by them. When we got the snacks, we headed to get my coffee and then to the next busy part -- food items. I had to be careful not to kill anyone as I followed daughter-in-law. I was putting the food items into the cart for her. We did well with me not running over anyone. We checked out and realized how exhausted we were. 

The drive home was good. Rain in Bayers Lake, dry in Sackville, a mix of snow/rain in Mount Uniacke and rain at home. We unloaded the items for the community hall and swept the floor. Then we unloaded family's items and I came home. 

After unloading my 3 items and putting them away, I loaded up the car for today. By the time I got that done, I felt like my SI joint was out so I sat and rested. If it was, it popped back in quietly as I was fine later on. Just very tired. 

I didn't do anything in the evening and was to bed in good time. I slept fairly well and am ready to go to the retreat after I take grandson to school. 

I hope that I can do a post tomorrow with pictures of what I made. I will be home by 5:30 and will have to make dinner after that. I know I won't be knitting tonight as I will be tired and will need down time. 

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