Some Sewing and Some Clean Up

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds. The temperature dropped all day and at 3 pm it was -8C (windchill -14C). This morning it is partly cloudy and -9C (windchill -12). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 1C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I made a pot of chicken soup and had it in containers by noon. While I was waiting for it to make, I swept the floors, stairs and front landing. I tidied up a few things and was, in all honesty, bored. 

Later in the afternoon I made a pot of spaghetti sauce. I cleaned up the kitchen for the 2nd time and had supper. It was, in general a boring day with me tired. I wasn't at my best yesterday to say the least. 

Sewing

I pushed myself downstairs for an afternoon in the sewing room. I got started on the doll's red and white striped shirt. The white piece on the front gave me issues and I finally had to ditch the instructions and do it my way. The rest was easier to do. 

I have to now hand sew the white yoke and front pieces into place. I stopped there as I didn't want to do it. 

From there, I went to cutting out the squares for the second topper. They are all done and I stopped as I had to sew them together. I didn't want to do that either. 

I took the two tubs of embroidery stabilizer into the family room and sorted it out. I put the stabilizer I wanted into the longer tub and it fit. The rest I put labels on and 7 rolls went into the donation box. All of the stabilizer is good but I don't use it. Since moving here 8 years ago, I have bought 1 piece of stabilizer. I don't need to buy any more for a long time. 

I looked at the upholstery fabric and batting for the dining room chairs. I left them on the top shelf as I am not sure if I will upholster my dining room chairs or not. 

The tub of stabilizer and the stuffing is on the shelf with the patterns. The fabric for the aprons is in with the cottons. 

The bottom shelf is still empty and I swept the floor under the shelving unit. 

My next shelf is the garment fabric. I did look at it and cringed. There is still some emotional attachment to it. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and decided to do a small band of knitting in another colour. 

At the moment I am not sure if I will have enough yarn so I added the stripe so I can do the top in the lighter colour also. This hat will go into a box for the homeless. I am sure they will enjoy any hats I make. 

Thoughts

    I was tired yesterday. Some of it was from shovelling snow, some from holing up in the house due to the weather, and some from a few other things that have been happening. I am going to get out a bit more as I do find that helps me. I don't need to buy anything, I can look and enjoy myself. 

    I am hoping to make and buy  Christmas gifts over the year. I think I am ready to buy a few small items and make some things using up some of the stash in April and May. 

    I have done a bit of reading on the Acadians in our area. The numbers were larger than that of Grand Pre. They were supposedly poorer but they weren't destitute. After the expulsion of the Acadians, English settlers took the land for their own. Over time, the Acadian cemetery washed away into the Minas Basin. Some Acadians were held as prisoners at Fort Edward. There is no real history of the Acadians in our area though some did return. The history of our area evolves around Fort Edward, and everything that happened in the town after it was established. It is also known as the birthplace of hockey. 

Today

I am going to get a few small things done upstairs and then will work in the basement. I do want to sew and clean some. I am hoping to visit my friend if she is at home. I will knit tonight. 

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

One Table Topper Pieced

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 6C. This morning it is cloudy and -2C (windchill -7C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with the temperature dropping this afternoon to -4C. Just Mother Nature giving us a friendly reminder that winter is not over yet. 

Lifestyle

I was out to shovel snow by 8:30 am. There was just under 2" of heavy wet snow to remove from the driveway. The roll at the end of the driveway was good sized chunks of ice. I did it first while I was still fresh. Then I did the driveway. As I was finishing up, the plow came by and cleared our road. As I had done some of the road, I had very little put in my driveway. It wasn't fun to shovel as it was full of water. 

The white on the driveway is ice so I had to salt it and go back out later and scrape it off. By 3:30 pm my driveway was clean and dry. 

I had my usual pain as I am retraining my muscles again. When I came in from shovelling I wondered if I had over done it. After a rest I noticed that I had less pain in all areas. I tested the stairs and my knee was in great shape. I took shovelling snow as a win.

My afternoon was taken up with a meeting. When the ladies left it was late afternoon. 

Sewing

I had 2 short spells of sewing yesterday. One in the morning and one in the late afternoon. I spent the time working on the topper. It is done with me only having to pick one seam apart. I had sewn one block upside down and the seams couldn't nest. By 4:30 pm, it was done. 

I now need to cut more small blue and white blocks before I can start the 2nd topper. That will happen over time as I need to work on a doll's blouse. 

Knitting

I knit on the hat last night. I have 35 rounds done which equals 3". 

I keep hoping I have enough yarn to make this hat. The larger size is supposed to take 100 grams so I am hoping the smaller size will take the 76 grams of yarn I have. It is going to be close. 

Thoughts

    The price of gas went up yesterday. This will affect my budget and allow me to fill my car once a month maybe twice a month some months. I am glad that my car has the ability to kick into electric mode which helps on gas consumption. I know of some people who will be feeling it more than I do. If the price of gas/diesel remains high, it will raise the cost of groceries and other items we buy.

    A house behind me went up for sale 2 weeks ago and it has an offer on it already. I am waiting to see what it sold for as it will tell me how much my house is worth. At the moment, there is no inventory in our subdivision and it is a popular area to live. I am not ready to sell my house as I want to do some work on it. 

    BC does its last time change March 8 and then it remains on that time going forward. I am envious as I lived 10 years in northern BC and they didn't change their time. I loved it as I didn't have to adjust to in so many ways. Our biggest thing to remember was the time change in Alberta in the spring. I do hope Nova Scotia considers doing this as it has been lobbied for over the years. 

Today

I have to make a pot of chicken soup. While it is making, I will do a bit of tidying up around the upstairs. I want to tackle the top shelf of the fabric stash and sew on the doll's blouse. If I have a few minutes I will cut blocks for the 2nd topper. I will knit tonight. A relatively quiet day for me. 

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

A Table Topper Is Emerging

 Yesterday was clear and sunny with a high of 4C. This morning it is snowing and -1C (windchill -4C). Today is supposed to be cloudy with a high of 7C. 

Lifestyle

I was out for osteopathy yesterday morning. The soreness I have had is from tissues/muscles being sore. She worked on that and I could feel it in some spots. She then worked on my knee and, wow, did that hurt. She was breaking down scar tissue and letting the blood flow into it. The scar tissue will eventually turn soft allowing me to have less pain around my knee. I will now be having soreness as I retrain my muscles and tendons as I will be walking with a more flexible knee. This is going to take time which I know is part of the journey I have been on. 

Once done osteopathy, I drove to Bedford to shop. My one and only stop was Walmart to get items I couldn't get at the local grocery store. They had lots of fresh produce and I got what I needed plus a few other items which were cheaper. When done, I was ready to go home and apply heat to my sore spots. 

I applied heat twice yesterday. Once when I got home and one in the evening. I still have the one spot around my SI joint that is sore. It comes and goes and I think it is sore because I am walking up and down the stairs normally. It hates me when I go down the stairs. I did the stairs 4 or 5 times after I got home as I know it is good for me to do it. 

Sewing

Before I left for osteopathy, I spent 30 minutes in the sewing room. I folded the quilt top and put it away. I looked at the placemat pattern and thought about it for a bit. All the fabric is with the pattern so I can make it when I have a bit of extra time. At the moment, I think I can make 3 placemats. 

After sitting on the heat and feeling better, I decided to work on the toppers for my bedside tables. I cut the squares from the last two blocks to 2" and started to sew 9 patches. I was having fun with that as it was relaxing. I got blocks made. I cut out the plain blocks and laid out the first topper. 

Once it is sewn together, I will have to cut out 2" squares for the 2nd topper. What was once a UFO I didn't like has been made into something I will enjoy having in my bedroom. And the expensive fabric will be used up and not go into the donation bag. 

With the sewing machine threaded with white thread, I laid out the doll's blouse I am going to make this month. I will work on it next.  

I will allow myself to sew some blocks at the end of each sewing day.

My sewing room tidy up was to get both trash cans emptied and out into the garbage can. It made a huge difference to how the room looks when you enter it. No overflowing container under the cutting table. 

Knitting

I worked on the hat last night. I have 11 rounds done. I have memorized the pattern but do make stupid mistakes that I catch quickly. 

Thoughts

    I am happy that I am walking much better. I realize that I will have pain but I will have to push through it. Retraining muscles is hard as they fight you every inch of the way. I could give up but knowing how far I have come has made me fight back. 

    Our weather is crazy at the moment. Tomorrow is going to cool off and then it is going to warm up and fool. us all into thinking spring is arriving. I will take advantage of the warm afternoons and have the windows open to air out the house. I am going to be ready for the next cold spell. My winter clothes are not going away yet. 

    I didn't do anything but look at the fabric shelving unit yesterday. I wasn't lifting items off the top of it as I was sore and tired. I will do it Thursday. I have a game plan on how I will deal with the embroidery stabilizer and will put the tub(s) into the closet. 

Today

I have to shovel the driveway this morning and do a bit of cleaning. I am hosting a meeting after lunch. I don't know if I will get any sewing done today. I do know I will knit tonight. 

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

A Quilt Top Is Finished

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of -9C (windchill -15C). This morning it is clear and -17C (windchill -23C). Today is supposed to be sunny with wind and a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I hunted for things to do upstairs and found nothing. The place is clean so I went downstairs to the sewing room. I spent the day down there. 

I got the two tubs of patterns off the shelving unit and took them to the family room. I went through everything and was able to put a few patterns into a donation box. I kept a few garment patterns and my quilting patterns. I actually found 2 apron patterns I had forgot I owned. I did toss into recycling paper that I no longer need. Everything fit into one tub. 

My next job was to round up the doll patterns and organize them into page protectors and put them into their tub. It wasn't a hard job as most of the patterns were together on a shelf. 

I tossed one small ironing board as it is totally worn out. I got it 40+ years ago and used it until the last five years. 

I put the fabric from the bottom shelf onto the shelf with the patterns. It is slowly moving upwards with hopes it will be sewn sooner rather than later. The sleeve ironing board is on that shelf also as I do use it regularly. 

I am thinking how all of this will be stored as I do want the shelving unit out of the sewing room. 

Sewing

I got the last two 9 patches ripped apart and the squares are ready to be cut in to 2" squares. That job is now done and I can start sewing the squares together a block at a time. I hope to have two toppers for my bedside tables by the end of the month. 

I worked on the quilt yesterday and it was an interesting and somewhat frustrating sew. The pattern is rated as a beginner and it isn't. It has mistakes in it which would turn a beginner off quilting. 

I made rows 2 and 4 and was wondering why it was shorter than rows 1 and 5. I left them on the floor as I built the body of the quilt. I framed the panel which went together really easily. I then sewed the strips on each side which also went together really well. Success was felt at that time. 

I looked at rows 2 and 4 and had to make one block over again as I cut the pieces 1" short. My mistake when reading the pattern. I got them sewn on to the top and bottom of the quilt. 

I then looked at rows 1 and 5. I removed one block off it (which they called for) and cut down the long strip to its proper length (my fault) and it fit the quilt. I sewed it on and the quilt was finished. It was 5 pm. 

I am happy with how it looks and I know how I will sew the next one which is for daughter and a bit of a different size. I will frame the panel and then put the side pieces on before attempting the top and bottom rows. The only pieces I need to measure are the long strips. I will cut the smaller pieces according to the cutting instructions. It is a much easier way of sewing the quilt together. 

I have to put the quilt top away for the next week. I need to cut the binding for it. The scraps need to be folded and put away as I am going to make place mats from the remaining print. I found a pattern when cleaning up that I want to make. I will have to get fabric for it which I will do a bit later on. 

Knitting

I cast on the stitches for the hat and got 5 rounds knit. I had issues as I am still learning the pattern. By the time I got the last round finished, I was getting the rhythm of knitting the pattern.

Thoughts

    Our weather is going to warm up starting today. It is going to snow tonight. I will miss having the sun shining in the house all day but will not miss the cold temperatures. The snow should disappear. The warmth in the sun has already shrunk the piles of snow a lot. 

    I am pleased with how the purging on the shelving unit is coming along. I did keep some garment patterns as I do want to make sew a few items for me. My next shelf is the top one. I have a bit of a plan for it. I am hoping it won't take long but knowing me, it could take a bit of time to get it done the way I want it done. 

    My sore spots are getting better. I am sure I had a flare up and that tightened things up. I had several good cracks last night when stretching. My next thing to do is to start walking outside some most days. I need to strengthen the muscles around the joints. I have been walking inside and doing the stairs a lot more and it is helping. 

Today

I have osteopathy this morning and hope to get a few things in Lower Sackville before coming home. I need to a few things upstairs so doubt if I will get into the sewing room today. I will knit tonight. 

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

A Quilt Has Been Started

 Yesterday was cloudy and the temperature dropped to -4C at 5 pm. The temperature continued to drop and it snowed shortly after that. This morning it is partly cloudy and -15C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of -9C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did the balance sheet. I had a very low spending month in February. I was super careful only to buy what I needed and having so much snow fall kept me home. I paid my bills and then got everything ready and sent it to the accountant. I was happy to put it all away and go grocery shopping.

It wasn't too busy at the grocery store. There were lots of empty spaces in the fresh produce and meat departments of the store. There was no celery and there were only a few peppers. My next shop will be out of town to see what other stores are like. 

I was out to my friend's for dinner last night. Son and daughter-in-law were also there. My friend made a lovely dinner and we had it in the community room. We cleaned up the community room and visited back in her apartment. I got home after 9 pm. It was a lovely evening of laughter and great company. 

Sewing

What started out to be I'll do some cutting of the fabric for the quilt had me entertained all afternoon. I started out cutting the dandelion print to size. I then cut the dark fabric and framed the print. The pink toned down with the dark blue border. The blue in the print popped out. 

I finished cutting the fabric in no time flat. 

With time to spare, I read the pattern so I could start sewing. Instead of sewing out from the panel, you do sections. I sewed the pieces together for the top and bottom row.

I am now ready to assemble rows 2 and 4. I had to stop as it was time to go out for dinner. 

At the speed this quilt top is going together, I could have it done by tomorrow. It is an easy quilt to put together. Once done, I will take it up to be quilted mid month. I will have to choose a backing, batting, and quilting design for it. 

Knitting

Though I didn't knit last night, I am ready to cast on the hat. I got the needles ready and the pattern emailed to myself. I am ready to go. 

I did take a picture of the sweater on the doll. 

Thoughts

    We are to have it cold until tomorrow and then it will warm up again. We can have more snow and cold weather in March. It is our crazy weather month -- warm and wet and then cold and snowy in a matter of a couple of days. 

    I am paying close attention to how this quilt goes together so I can cut it out correctly for daughter's quilt. Her panel is bigger so I need to take that into account. It will be my challenge to figure it out how long to cut each piece.

    My friend had one good laugh at my 3 pieces of fabric on the bottom shelf of the shelving unit. We also talked about patterns. Like me, she has a lot of garment patterns that need to be let go of as both of us no longer sew garments. I am going to give her the orange fabric so she can use it for a class she is going to teach at the end of this month. 

Today

I have a bit of tidying up to do and then I will look at the patterns I have. Most of the day will be spent sewing on the quilt. I do have to make dinner tonight so need to be upstairs by 4 pm. I am going to start knitting on the hat tonight. 

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

Mug Rugs Completed

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 5C. This morning it is cloudy, foggy, and 2C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with flurries. The temperature is supposed to drop to -3C (windchill -10C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I decided to dry mop the floors to see how much dust there was under the furniture. Virtually nothing which was nice. I also dusted all the furniture. Not a lot of dust on them either. While doing this, I had to go and crack my SI/back as it was painful. I wondered if I had over extended while doing under the furniture. 

I also cleaned the bathroom and washed the floor in there. I did a load of laundry got it folded and put away. When I looked at the clock it was 10 am. I was finished cleaning upstairs so I rounded up garbage/recycling and took it out. I also charged the batteries for the Dyson vacuum cleaners. 

Sewing

I spent a lot of time in the sewing room. In the morning, I measured the fabric on the bottom shelf. I put 4.7 meters of fabric into the donation box. The orange fabric is gone. I also measured the three pieces of fabric left and there are 2 one meter pieces and one 2 meter piece. I put the heat and bond onto the top of the little drawer unit and took a picture of the bottom shelf. 

Next up was to take all the fusible fleece out of the drawer unit. I have a lot of it and will not be buying any for a long, long time. I also found a bag of cotton batting used for mug rugs and other items you put into the microwave. It is all put away neatly. The bottom drawer was emptied and all the interfacing put on the table. The small bits were tossed and the rest folded and put back into the drawer. That drawer is almost empty which is great. 

My last job before lunch was to take apart two more 9 patches. I got it done plus all the blocks are now cut to 2" square. 

After lunch, I sat and hand sewed the binding down on the remaining mug rugs. They are now done. 

The green ones look really nice also. 

They are pressed and put away. I will put tea and hot chocolate packets into them before I sell them. 

Knitting

I almost procrastinated on the doll's sweater but I set about to finish it. I got it done. 

I need to give it a steam with the iron so the front bands lie flat. I tossed it on to the pillow with the yarn and had to take a picture of how it landed. 

I now need to get ready for March's projects. All I have on the list is a pair of socks and a hat. 

Thoughts

    I am not sure if I over extended my SI joint or if I am having a small flare up. The tissue around my SI joint is tender and sore. Nothing else is bothering me. I am putting lots of heat on it at the moment and am walking around to see if that will help. 

    I have been monitoring what I have been eating and my scales are having me gain 1.1 lbs every couple of days. I even changed the batteries in it. They are very old (15+ years) so I think I need to buy a new set of scales. 

    Marianne, I was sorry to read that you lost your cat, Bobo. I hope that your new cat is giving you some happiness and that it will help you heal from your loss. Elliott has been gone almost a year and I still miss him. I am still okay that I did not get another cat as Elliott was to be our last cat.  

    With the bottom shelf of the fabric stash unit cleaned up, I am going to work on the next shelf up. It is time to deal with the patterns and I am setting a time line to have it done by March 8 - 9. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, pay some bills, and get groceries. When done that, I am going to finish picking apart the last 2 blocks and cut them to size. I also want to start cutting out the quilt. I am out for dinner tonight at my friends so will not be doing much knitting tonight. I may get the hat cast on and a few rows knit. 

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

Finding A Hidden UFO

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of -1 (windchill -6C). This morning it is clear and -8C (windchill -13C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 7C. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy day yesterday. I started out by putting the sheets into the washer and dryer. I then tore my bedroom apart and vacuumed and mopped the floor. It wasn't too bad except for under a chair that Rosie can't get under. I put the bedroom back together and made the bed later in the afternoon. 

While sections of the bedroom floors dry, I cleaned up the couch where I knit. It was getting messy as I wasn't putting things away properly. It looks much better. I also vacuumed the floor in front of the couch as I had put feathers from a pillow on the floor. The pillow needs to be replaced. 

My last job of the morning was to clean under the sink. I removed everything and washed it down. I then filled my spray bottles and tossed 2 containers into the recycling bin. I put everything back in neat and tidy. I am amazed that I have less under the sink than I have ever had. I have met my goal of using up old cleaning supplies before buying new. 

Sewing

I have decided it is time to really look at the fabric on the shelving unit. It has been a point of frustration and high emotions for me. I am building a plan on how to tackle it. My first job was to look at the bottom shelf. I thought it would be easy to deal with. Not so. The first item I touched was the foam interfacing and I tossed it. It was a bunch of scraps that were useless. I found the fusible webbing for a project (good) and a roll of paper that I will put into the donation box. The fabric sits as I need to buy fabric for projects. I did find my apron patterns (good). 

I found a small project that I worked on last year. I was using up the Morris fabric from my quilt for a doll's quilt. I hated it. I had stuffed it away and forgot it was there. A UFO that needs to be dealt with.

I sat for 45 minutes and started to rip it apart. I got 2 blocks completely done. I found the remaining fabric from the quilt. Not shown is the white fabric which I will use in another project. My goal is to use up the fabric I have shown below. 

My plan is to cut the squares down to 2" and make Irish chain toppers for the bedside tables. I will work on it when I have a few minutes here and there. It is one of my extra projects for March. I will have to buy backing fabric which is okay. 

I sewed the red binding on the 2nd mug rug, then made the green binding and bound the last 2 mug rugs. I took my hand sewing out to the family room and started to hand sew. The first mug rug is done and ready for a good pressing. 

I got half of the binding sewn down on the 2nd mug rug. 

I was happy with what I had gotten done in the sewing room yesterday. 

I am still thinking about the fabric on the bottom shelf. One piece has western boots on it. I may make placemats and potholders for daughter out of it. I will have to buy fabric for it but I am okay with that. It can be a birthday or Christmas gift for her. 

Knitting

I had a bit of time before dinner to sit and sew the shoulder seams on the doll's sweater. It was perfect timing as the room was bright with sunlight. After dinner I finished knitting the sweater. It is now ready to be sewn together. 

I now need to get my supplies ready for March. 

Thoughts

    I have decided to focus on the bathroom for the next couple of months. I want to do some upgrading in that room. My first job will be to paint the trim. Then I will upgrade the towel bar, etc. I have to look into getting a price for the counter top and taps. Then it will be towels, pictures, and maybe a curtain or blind on the window. I still need to pick a colour for that room besides grey, white, and blue. I may go with a soft green. 

    The snow is slowly disappearing with the sun and warmer temperatures. It is nice to see it go only to read we get more snow tomorrow. Winter is not done with us yet even though we are done with it. 

    My back was sore from using the vacuum cleaner and mop. I tried not to over extend but somehow it happened. I did have a fair amount of discomfort from it. I woke at midnight and when I did some stretching and rolling, I had a huge crack in my back. Something released. I did a few more stretches and had a few pops and a small crack. The pain was gone. Just some sore muscles this morning. 

    I am happy with how much I accomplished this month. The upstairs has been cleaned. I got door handles on 2 doors and the stoppers on 3 doors replaced. I have decluttered every room. I sewed all the projects I had planned. Knitting has been done and I have finished projects that were to be completed in March. I should be done all the projects planned for the first 3 months by the end of March. 

Today

My goal is to dry mop the floors and dust furniture. I want to wet mop the bathroom floor. I hope to take apart 2 more 9 patches from the doll's quilt and cut down some of the squares to 2". I also want to finish sewing the binding down on the mug rugs. I also need to wind yarn for socks so I can start them in March. I will sew the doll's sweater together and get the buttons on it. 

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