The Skirt Is Almost Done

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 28C (humidex 30C). This morning it is cloudy with a bit of rain and 16C. Today could have some showers this morning, a mix of sun and clouds and a high of 28C (humidex 33C). 

Lifestyle

I started the morning off cleaning out the fridge and freezer. I got rid of a few things and sorted everything. The freezer was gone over quite hard and I got rid of a few things I won't be eating. I did keep a few things to eat once in a while. 

I prepped the chicken for dinner and got it marinating in the fridge for the day. After cleaning up that, I chopped peppers and onions and put them in the fridge. Prepping for dinner was done as all I had to make was the sauce prior to starting dinner. I cleaned the kitchen thoroughly after prepping as I am trying to keep it clean all the time now. 

The last job of the morning was to fold laundry and put it away. It took a bit of time as it was a larger load. I got it put away and was happy that job was done. 

Mid afternoon I took a break and watered all my plants. It was warm outside so I took it easy while doing the job. The plants are all doing well. The flowers have finally decided to bloom which is nice. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday and worked on the skirt. The hardest part was the belt loops. Folding 1.25" long pieces that are .25" wide down to 5/8" was a lot of work. I ended up using some glue to hold the ends in place. I have 3 of the 5 loops sewn on. The skirt is basically done except for the 2 loops in the front and the hem. 

The pockets have no decorative stitching on them. I did get the top stitching close to the edge which was a feat unto itself. 

I will make this skirt again but not right away. It has a lot of steps to it and takes a lot of time to make. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got 6 rows done. I enjoyed having my hands busy last night. 

Thoughts

    I followed the recommendations for what to eat to avoid another gout attack. I am back to eating chicken, turkey, and salmon. I had deviated to red meat as I was tired of the above. Now to find some more recipes for poultry and salmon. I looked into the fruit cups I eat on occasion and I am going to avoid them for a while. The juice can cause uric acid in the system. The other thing I did was drink more fluids to help eliminate uric acid from my system. 

    I did take Tylenol and rubbed Voltaren on my sore joint. It helped with the pain which subsided over the day. This morning most of the pain is gone and the swelling has gone down quite a bit. On the plus side, I wasn't tired yesterday. I actually had energy to do more things than I have had for about a week now. 

    I stepped out onto the patio this morning and was surprised by some big drops of rain landing on me. I took the shade off the cucumber plants as the transplanted one is doing well. I can cover it quickly if it needs to have some shade. I now need to get the plants fertilized. 

Today

I have laundry to do and will do more cleaning in the kitchen. I have to clean the outsides of the appliances and mop the floor. I also need to start tidying up and cleaning the dining area. I would love to finish the doll's skirt today and do a small project using some fabric from the scrap bin. I want to knit tonight. 

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

A Change of Plans

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 28C). This morning it is clear and 12C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 28C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I started the balance sheet and was about 2/3's of the way through when I got a call from daughter-in-law. I was to pick up son and help at the hall. All the chairs, tables, etc had to be put up on the stage and in one bathroom as the wood floors are going to be redone. We worked as a team and I even got the curtains off and put away. Daughter-in-law had done a lot of work before we arrived. We were done in good time and I headed home. 

At home, I finished the balance sheet, did my stats, and put it away. Only problem I had was not entering one number. I found it quickly and everything balanced. 

After lunch I wanted to rest but I had more things to do. I cleaned the kitchen. It was cluttered with stuff left on counters as I was away 2 days. I tackled the clutter first and then started cleaning. I did every surface and even did the dishes that I needed to do. I ended the session taking out the garbage and recycling. 

One of my big toes hurts like crazy and I figured out I probably have gout. I have to deal with it. I can't take the medications recommended as I have lower kidney function. I am going to be monitoring my diet by eliminating red meat which I have been eating way too much of since November. I am also going to eat cherries which I do love. What I thought was me bruising my toe is more than that. I will talk to the doctor when I see him in 3 weeks. Getting an appointment with him earlier will probably not happen as he is booked full months in advance. 

I looked out the window just now and saw a bit of red. It is a red winged blackbird in my neighbour's yard. There are quite a few at the pond in The Crossing. He and the starlings are feasting on grubs in the yard. The birds are very active starting around 5 am. They are chirping and flying around until it gets warm. 

I did not sew yesterday as I was tired and kept myself busy upstairs cleaning the mess I had made. I didn't knit last night as I was too tired. 

Thoughts

    On my way to pick up son, a cat sauntered across the road. I have never seen a cat with markings like it. The body was white with one small patch of black/orange hair. Its head and tail were black and orange. It seems to be a Turkish Van cat breed. 

    My Fitbit is working well and it now has all the features that my old one had. I like having it on as I use it as a watch more than anything else. I do look at my stats each morning as it helps me understand my health and what I need to do each day. 

Today

I am going to clean the fridge and freezer this morning. It is time to tackle them. I still have to fold the laundry which will be done also. And lastly, I will prep for my dinners for tonight and tomorrow night. This afternoon I want to sew on the doll's skirt and, if I am not too tired, I will try to knit tonight. My big goal of the day is to drink more fluid. I noticed I am not drinking enough. 

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

Progress On The Doll's Skirt

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 25C (humidex 27). This morning it is mainly clear and 13C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I went back to New Minas with daughter-in-law yesterday. Our first stop was Giant Tiger. I bought 2 tops and a smoked sausage. All were great deals. 

Next up we went to Home Depot to get weed killer. The store manager and another man went looking for it when we and another person could not find it. We waited quite a while before they let us know that the stock they said they had wasn't there or in the storage can. Customer service was great even though we left empty handed. 

Our last stop was grocery shopping at Walmart. I got a few more things and need to use them up before I buy anything more. Daughter-in-law did her weekly grocery shopping. 

We got home at noon and it was a wonderful time out with her. I was a bit tired but ate lunch and pushed on. 

The cucumber I transplanted is doing well. I have it under a shade so the sun won't burn it. I have one more to transplant. I did water them and the flowers yesterday. Everything is growing though all seems to be later this year due to the cold spring and the cool nights we are having. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing on the doll's skirt. Each pleat is stitched twice. I stitched as close to the edge as possible. I then spent time cutting out the facings using left over fabric from the blouse I have to make. I pressed the bottom edges up and hand basted them in place. I pressed the pockets which are tiny and painful to get right. They are pinned onto the back of the skirt and the back facing is pinned on. I am ready to do some hand basting and sewing. 

I keep the pattern pieces either pinned on to the fabric or near me when sewing Doll Joy patterns. It is like a puzzle and it helps keep me organized. Each piece has numbers at the corners which tells you which pieces go together. 

I am hoping to get this skirt done in the next 2 days as I need to start the bag for the contest. I will be working slowly on it so I do a really good job. 

Knitting

None done last night though my shoulder is now pain free. 

Thoughts

    My Fitbit arrived and I charged it up. I am wearing it and am happy to have it on once again. This Fitbit does not show sleep or readiness scores on the watch face but it does transfer it to the app. I am okay with that as I only look at those features on the app. The ones I do check show on the Fitbit. 

    I did have a poor night's sleep. I woke up suddenly just before 11 pm thinking about something and had to get up and look for it. I took a long time to go back to sleep. I will be monitoring myself today though I do not want to have a nap. I will push through so I sleep better tonight. 

    I have been out two days in a row and I see clutter showing up in my house. I have to spend this morning getting things back in order so I can just do resets each day. I find it amazing how fast clutter shows up if I don't deal with it on a daily basis. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet and then clean the kitchen. I need to fold and put away laundry and take out some recycling. Once that is done, I want to sew this afternoon. I hope to knit tonight if my shoulder is not sore. 

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

Doll Joy Skirt Started

 Yesterday was a day of showers until late afternoon when the clouds left and the sun shone. The high got to 23C at 7 pm last night. This morning it is foggy and 15C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a small chance of showers this afternoon. The high is supposed to get to 25C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

I spent way too much time trying to get my Fitbit to work as it would make a charging noise and then the screen would not turn on. It was syncing with my phone. I stopped, thought, and ordered a new one with extended warranty. 

It was late when I left for New Minas but I decided I wanted to go and have some time away from the house. My first stop was the quilt shop and I got what I needed there. 

My next stop was Walmart for groceries. I got a few things and left for Canadian Tire. The traffic was getting heavy so I knew I had to leave town as it would get worse. At Canadian Tire I got a new solar light and 3 cans of spray starch. I left town and was happy to be on the road. 

I stopped at the other quilt shop on the way home. I needed interfacing and they carry the two types I like. I also got a new brand to see how it works. 

As it wasn't raining out, I put the new solar light where the nonworking one was and put the non working on into the cucumber container. Last night the non working one had a faint light so I am going to work on it again to see if I can save it. While doing that, I transplanted one cucumber plant over to the container that only one cucumber plant in it. It seems to have survived the transplanting as it has perked up this morning. Time will tell if it makes it. I would like to transplant one more into the container tonight but will have to shade it tomorrow as it is going to be hot.

I was out to dinner at family's last night. We had a chicken dish with pasta and spinach. It is delicious and I got some for dinner tonight. We watched a video on chicken farming in the Philippines and the fellow who owns the operation attended Acadia University which is close to where I live. It was an interesting video. 

Sewing

At the quilt shop in New Minas, I bought the fabrics for the bag I will make for their contest. I have one fabric and needed 3 more. 

I have the striped one and got the two that look like water and sand and the small bit you can see that is pebbles. The pebble fabric will be piping. 

It is a contrast fabric between the stripe and the blue fabric. The sand fabric will be the lining. I just have to buy the sea gull quilt block and I can begin. 

I decided to work on the Doll Joy skirt yesterday afternoon. I brought up the pattern and read the first few instructions. It was all about pressing under the back waist band, front yoke and skirt hems. I skipped the pockets and will do them today. I wanted to do the pleats on the front of the skirt as I was into that. I did get them all pressed and am ready to start the stitching of them.

I have to dig in the scrap bin to find fabric to cut out the yoke and back waistband facings. I hope I have enough of the blue or the blouse fabric for it. This is a challenge project of using up scraps. 

Knitting

None done last night.

Thoughts

    I did enjoy my trip to New Minas yesterday. I have decided I should do one trip a week somewhere so I can get out of the house. I have some areas I will explore in the fall but want to go to do some shopping this summer. I have ideas brewing in my head. It is time to start snoop shopping for Christmas. I can look, I can buy, and I can enjoy some time outside of the house. 

    My new Fitbit will be here today. The old one is still syncing with the app and tells me the battery is at 30%. I bet it will work when the new one arrives. This is how my luck runs. 

Today

I am off shortly to New Minas (again) with daughter-in-law. We are doing stores I didn't go to yesterday and having some fun time together. Once home I will sew on the doll's skirt. I have been invited to go into the city tonight to watch soccer but am undecided. I do enjoy watching this team play as it is the group grandson played with. 

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

Edwardian Bicycle Hat Completed

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 30C (humidex 36C). This morning it is cloudy and 19C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with showers. The high is to get to 25C (humidex 32C). 

Lifestyle

I started the morning going outside and ended up pulling exactly 1 weed before getting the solar light and coming inside. It was getting humid outside early. 

I worked on the solar light and it seems to work inside but it won't work outside. I will be replacing it. No use working on it when I've tried everything to no avail. 

I put on a load of laundry and then cleaned the bathroom. It was time to do a deeper clean in that room. The laundry was put into the dryer and then forgotten about. I will have to fold it today. 

I fooled around with my Fitbit. After some time, it worked and then didn't. It worked again and I did a reset. It worked until midnight and now it is acting up again. The screen is freezing but it is synching and updating info on the app. It is crazy so I may have to phone and ask about it. 

Sewing

I finished the Edwardian bicycle hat. It took me a lot longer than expected because I did a lot of hand stitching. I found a button for the top and sewed it on. I am happy with the results. 

It fit the doll's head well. 

And a side view. 

The Edwardian wardrobe is now officially finished. It took me about 7 months to make which includes what I did in 2025. 

Knitting

None done last night but my shoulder is feeling better so I hope to try soon. 

Thoughts

    Yesterday had a muggy feeling to it all day. Every time I went out to do something it was not pleasant. Not the horrid humidity from the heat wave we had, but it was overly warm even with a breeze. There was a humidex reading from 10 am yesterday to 4 am this morning. It feels overly warm again this morning and we are expecting showers today. 

    I have been excited with the vegetables to date. I have lots of tomatoes and the jalapeño peppers are starting to have buds on them. The cucumbers are growing rapidly and I need to transplant two into another container. I will have to do it in the evening and then give them shade. They are not the easiest to transplant. 

    There has been a lot of bulldozer work going on behind the houses across the road from us. I know it is part of the development of the Crossing but we didn't think it would begin yet. They have only done a small amount of development for this stage. We will have to see what is happening over there. 

Today

I am deciding if I will go to New Minas this morning to shop. I am watching the weather. If I don't go, I will clean my bedroom and fold laundry. This afternoon I want to do some sewing of the skirt I cut out. I would really like to try knitting tonight. 

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

Market Tote Finished

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C (humidex 28C). This morning it is foggy and 16C. Today is supposed to be sunny and 30C (humidex 35C). 

Lifestyle

I went to Sackville yesterday morning. My first stop was at Canadian Tire to get 2 more solar lights, solar batteries and snoop shop. I bought a loaf pan and lids for some glass containers I have. I looked at flatware and saw some I really liked. I need a new set as mine are starting to show signs of old age. 

I then went to the Superstore to mail the two parcels to daughter. I did a bit of grocery shopping and found everything I needed with only a few problems. Bigger store and different layout. It was almost noon when I got out of there. 

I didn't go to any other stores and came home. As I was driving to our street I noticed the lawn mowers were there. I had a brief conversation with them and they mowed the lawn at 4.5" high. It is really dry and I am thinking of watering some of it to see if it is dry or needs to be reseeded. 

After I put everything away, I put out the two new solar lights. I brought in the one that is not working and changed the battery in it. It works but it won't charge in the sun. The rest came on last night but it refuses to. I will work on it again this morning. I may need a better cleaning that I gave it. 

I sat down for a few minutes and dozed off as I was feeling exhausted. Not sure why though I was awake for a long time during the night. It also could be allergies as I am having quite the time with them this summer. 

Sewing

I finished the Market Tote yesterday afternoon. I was so happy to have it done as my shoulder was sore from wrangling it. under the machine. 

I started the Edwardian bicycle hat and have the outer part of the brim done. 

I have to do the lining next which won't take as long as there is no top stitching. Then the brim and assemble. 

Knitting 

None done

Thoughts

    I did enjoy my time in Sackville yesterday and wish I had done a bit more snoop shopping in other stores. I am glad I left when I did as the traffic was getting busy and it isn't fun driving in Sackville when there is a lot of traffic. The main road through the town is the old highway and connects to the main highway in a couple of areas. 

    The humidity is up this morning and will be higher all day. It is going to be warm and the humidex will make it feel hot outside. I am monitoring it carefully as I don't want to be outside if it's hot and humid. 

Today

I would like to weed for a bit this morning and then fix the solar light. I hope to clean the bathroom also. I will sew on the doll's hat this afternoon. I also have to make dinner for tonight. I don't know if I will knit. It depends on my shoulder. 

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

Market Tote Almost Finished

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 28C (humidex 31C). This morning it is foggy and 11C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of rain. It is supposed to get to 23C (humidex 28C).

Lifestyle

I was out the door yesterday morning with my gardening tools to start weeding the hedge. I set the timer for 20 minutes and went at it. I got what I had hoped to. I picked up everything and put it into the garage. I put the weeds and some branches I had pruned into the compost bin. 

After a brief rest, I cleaned the kitchen. It was due for a bit of a deep clean and some items put away. It wasn't a hard job but one that needed doing. 

I played with my Fitbit quite a bit and got the screen to show up once for 5 seconds. It is still pulsating when I try to reset it so am going to leave it for a couple of days and see if it will reset then. If not, I will probably order another one. I really like the Fitbit and wish it wouldn't have these issues. Not all do it just some and I seem to have one of them. 

Sewing

I worked on the tote yesterday and just have one handle left to sew on. 

I love the blue for the lining. 

I am ready to get the fabric for the contest bag. I have learned a few things making this one. 

    I will not use soft and stable as I figured out it is making my shoulder hurt wrangling it on the sewing machine. I will use fusible fleece instead. 

    Continue to interface the outside pocket instead of using fusible fleece.

    I need to interface the handles or use a wider strip and make them like I do my other bags. 

    I will not be quilting the bag. It is fine without it. 

    I can add a quilt block to the pocket. 

    The inside pocket will go down further by 1/2 to 3/4". 

I am not making this bag to win but to work on my skills. Winning isn't important, refining skills is. 

Knitting 

None done until after I finish the bags. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised at how thick the fog was this morning. The deck was wet like it had rained. The plants are enjoying it along with the cool nights we have been having. They love the daytime temperatures we have had since the heat wave has broken. We do need some rain as everything is very dry. 

    The weeds in the hedge are easy to pull. I didn't have any issues getting them out. I will keep working on it over time as I can't do it daily. My goal is every other day weather and temperature permitting. I just have to get at it early in the morning. My only problem weeding is having allergy attacks. Yesterday I had a good one and it is still bothering me this morning. A good rain will help knock the pollen out of the air. 

    I have been eating well and drinking more fluids. I have lost 2.5 lbs in 3 days. Most is from fluid retention but some is weight loss from being careful about what I eat and doing more movement. 

Today

I am heading out to mail the two boxes of gifts to daughter. I need to pick up a few groceries and do some snoop shopping.  I plan on buying 2 more solar lights plus a package of batteries for one I have at home. Once home, I would like to finish sewing the bag and then start on the Edwardian bicycle hat. I may try knitting tonight. 

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