A Morning of Fabric Shopping

 Yestereday's weather included sunshine, clouds, rain, thunder, lightening, and some wind. The high got to 25C (humidex 29C). This morning it is clear and 15C. Today is supposed to be similar to yesterday; sunshine, rain, etc. The high is supposed to get to 23C (humidex 26C).

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I was downstairs early to play with the flying geese on the apron. I sent daughter these ideas to choose from. 

I was then out to buy fabric. My first stop was the quilt shop closest to me. I got the navy blue fabric I wanted for the body of the apron. I really didn't look at the fabrics as I needed to get to the other quilt shop. 

At the second quilt shop, I stopped to talk to one of the ladies who is so nice. She told me my bag has been a hit. Two ladies from Ontario voted for it. Another lady voted for it and took a picture of the sea gull block. I am flattered that people like it but still don't think it will win. 

I found the first piece of fabric I wanted. I knew it was in stock. These are for the main part of the flying geese block.

The second fabric was elusive as I think I bought the last of it a while ago. I have 2 meters in my stash for a quilt. My second choice was this one. 

Once these were cut, I looked at a couple of pieces of fabric that caught my eye. I took pictures of them with the dog print but I am thinking of them for me. This one is Cotton Tale Diamond

I also loved this print which goes with the diamonds.

The other print was this one which has a full line to it. It is called Always At My Side and the lovely shade of blue is included in this one also.

I have to say my brain was churning with ideas not only for dog items but for my house. 

After that wonderful visit, I went to Dollarama to pick up some more treats for daughter's dogs and cat. Their Christmas shopping is done. I wanted to get home before it got too warm outside. 

Once home, I put the fabric into the washer and had lunch. I was going to work on the flying geese blocks but it turned dark and thunder was rumbling. I don't sew when it is dark as my room doesn't have the best lighting. 

I got up to check to see if the street light was on as it was so dark. It wasn't. I sat and listened to the thunder rumbling and saw a few flashes of lightening. A few big fat drops of rain started to fall and suddenly the sky opened up and it poured rain for almost 2 hours and then we had rain for at least another hour after that. There was a lot of thunder and we were under a thunderstorm warning. I did read there was flooding in town which is normal with these types of storms. 

I did knit last night and got 7 rows done. 

I woke at midnight to thunder and got up to close the windows and turn on the a/c. The thunder rolled in on another storm and it rained hard for a good hour. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly pulling out weeds every time I go outside. Yesterday I finished weeding the shrub at the front door and then along the front. I still have to go back along the front to get some weeds in the lawn. I also need to prune the shrub. I am picking away at it as every weed pulled is another weed gone. I will slowly get it done. 

    I tracked the storms yesterday and they are coming from the west and are not tropical storms. The temperature dropped 7C in less than an hour. There was no humidex reading after 1 pm. We have had a lot of rain over the last 2 days and I am assuming the water table is high. Everything is lush and green.

Today

I want to trim the hedge this morning. When done, I will do some cleaning in the house. I want to start sewing flying geese blocks this afternoon. I hope to knit tonight. 

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

More Designing, More Ideas

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 25C (humidex 28C). This morning it is clear and 14C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a chance of showers late this afternoon. The high is supposed to get to 25C (humidex 30C).

Lifestyle

It was osteopathy day and I was at Sackville for a 10 am appointment. I was perfectly aligned with equal weight on both feet -- a first for me. She found some tight muscles and worked on them. There was pain as expected as they needed to relax.  I am slowly improving which is nice.

Once done, I went into shop in Sackville. My first stop was Dollarama. I walked the aisles looking for items to tuck away for Christmas. I got daughter's dogs and cats some treats and her another towel and some cloths for washing dishes. A good start on Christmas shopping. 

My next, and last, stop was at the grocery store. I got a few groceries and left. It was time to go home. I was starting to feel the effects of osteopathy. 

At home, I had some watermelon and promptly fell asleep on the couch. I wasn't surprised as these treatments can do that to me. I am also still getting over the heat wave we had. 

I did take out the garbage last night and enjoyed the lovely weather. I pulled weeds around the bush by the front door and I need to trim it back. The deer haven't touched it this summer and it has grown a lot. 

I have tomatoes that are ripening and am looking forward to eating them. 

I have more baby cucumbers and am hoping they will grow quickly. 

Sewing

I did go downstairs to work on the apron. I cut out the bottom border print. I sprayed some starch on it and gave it a good pressing. 

The top seam allowance is 1/4" and the bottom is 5/8". 

I then turned my attention to the panel I had dug out and I am going to cut them pieces apart. The 4 outer ones will become placemats and the inner one will be put away for another project. 

Carol, I love your suggestion of running the flying geese vertically. I will be playing with that before I go fabric shopping this morning. Thank you for the suggestion. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night. 

Thoughts

    The sky was gorgeous yesterday. A beautiful blue with puffy white clouds floating around. There was no sign of the humidity haze which was lovely. Though it was quite warm outside, it didn't bother me at all. I enjoyed my time outside when shopping, watering the vegetables, and picking some weeds. 

    I had the windows opened all night and the house is cool and smells really nice. I opened the back door this morning so more cool air can come in. I love these kinds of mornings and have been grateful that we had quite a few of them this summer. 

    My next door neighbour has 2 bird baths in their backyard. I enjoy watching the red winged blackbirds bathing and drinking in them. She has done a lot of work in the backyard this summer as she was off work for a good 6 weeks. It is a lot of maintenance but she is keeping up with it. 

Today

I am going to get the fabrics for the apron and placemats this morning. Once home, I will launder the fabrics and cut out the placemats. If I have time, I will start making the flying geese. I hope to knit tonight. I have to water all the plants due to the heat we are supposed to have. 

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

More Design Work On The Apron

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with one heavy rainfall in the afternoon. The high got to 26C (humidex 33C). This morning it is clear and 17C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I started the morning out by putting the sheets into the laundry and then cut up the chicken breast for dinner. It had to marinate in a soya sauce mixture for the day. I then proceeded to clean the kitchen and do the dishes I had used. I also decided to make a bowl of jello with peaches in it. By that time, it was time to put the sheets into the dryer and finish cleaning up. The kitchen looked neat and tidy when I got done. 

My knees started to hurt shortly after lunch. I pushed through the pain but wondered why as I had done nothing out of the ordinary. Just after 4 pm, I knew. It started to rain; a light rain that turned into a down pour. You could hear it coming down inside the house. It was so heavy that water was running down the driveways onto the road and cars were going through deep channels of water. It lasted about 20 minutes and it was done. It certainly made me sore as the storm built up. I also stood in the window and watched the rain fall. 

Sewing

I did spend quite a while in the sewing room working on the apron. I made more flying geese and got them put together. I added an almost square piece to each end and pinned it in place. I kept moving it down as I felt it was too high. 

The dark pieces at each end will be the same colour as the apron body. This was done in scraps to help me figure out what I needed to do with the flying geese border. 

Daughter wanted a second border with the dogs on it. I dug out the fabric and showed her what it would look like. 

Now that we know it will go on to the apron, I will cut it out. I had used a piece of it for something last year and what is left of that piece is the perfect width for the apron. 

Next up was to figure out what fabrics to use for the apron body and the flying geese. For the flying geese, I wanted blue for the sky and threw this orange piece on for the geese. I also put on a piece of tan coloured fabric which we will not be using. We are not sure about the orange piece but it stays for now. 

Next came the body fabrics. The first choice was out the window so I put these two onto the table. 

The plaid is one choice and the print could be the geese though it is quite dull. I then put a piece of dark blue down for the apron body. It is the 2nd choice of which daughter now has to choose. 

With those choices on the table, I then thought about how to make the apron. It is unlined but I will have to line this one. I flipped ideas through my brain and finally decided on how to do it. Easy when you think about it. I will cut out and make the outer apron. The lining will be a plain apron. I will sew it together at the sides and bottom. The top can be done as per instructions and the facings will be added to the upper side sections so the tie can go through them. 

Next on the list is to get what fabric we need, wash it, spray starch it lightly, and then start cutting and sewing the apron. I am not worrying about the flying geese as I only have 10 to make. Better than the 50 to 100 I would have to make for a quilt. 

Knitting

I did knit on the afghan last night. I got 7 rows done and the colour is changing once again. 

Thoughts

    I have 4 or 5 tomatoes almost ripe and I will be picking them soon. They will be shared with family. There are a lot more tomatoes turning a pale green which means they are getting ready to turn red. If they all ripen, it will be a bumper crop for those 2 plants. 

    Our weather is going to cool off at nights which will be nice. I love having the windows open all night and not having to turn the a/c on until noon or a bit later. We can still have another round or 2 of the hot humid weather but it shouldn't last as long as this one did. 

Today

I am out for osteopathy this morning and then will decide if I will do a bit of shopping or not. It depends on how I feel after the treatment. I have to figure out what I want for dinner tonight and I would like to play with the apron some more this afternoon. I will knit tonight. 

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

Designing An Apron

 Yesterday was sunny and hot. The high got to 27C (humidex 33C). This morning it is partly cloudy and 16C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 27C (humidex 32C).

Lifestyle

I got up to do my chores earlier than normal. I folded the laundry and put it away first thing. I wanted the job done and out of the way. 

I decided to clean my bedroom as I haven't done it thoroughly for quite a while. I wiped all the furniture with a damp cloth and it had dust on it. I also wiped the floor where Rosie doesn't go. It was also dusty. The rest of the floor was clean so I left it for Rosie to do after lunch. I also did some other cleaning in the room that needed doing. I was happy to have a nice smelling room when I got done. 

My next job as to clean the kitchen. I did the counters and stove plus washed a few dishes. I left the appliances as I had to switch on the humidity control in the fridge. I had moisture on the edge of one door. I will do the appliances next as they have lots of finger prints on them. 

Later in the afternoon I emptied the dehumidifier. The tank was almost full due to the hot humid weather we had. I have been emptying it every other day due to the high humidity. 

I didn't sleep well last night. I am not sure why but it happened. I was up around 3 am to the bathroom and I opened the windows in the house. It was 18C outside. Time for the a/c to be off and the cool outside air to be inside. 

Sewing

After a battle with myself as I was tired, I went downstairs to find an apron pattern to sew. I found this one in my tiny collection of patterns. 

I traced the blue one onto tracing pellon as it is the easiest one to cut up and add a border to. 

As I was on a roll, I got out some scrap fabric and made flying geese. I used the method I learned last summer and took my time to make these. I do love my flying geese ruler which family gave me a couple of Christmas's ago. 

I carefully sewed them together and started to play. I grabbed some left over piping to help me. My first try was okay. 

Laying them on the pattern helps me visualize what I want to do. I could see what it was going to look like. I then took the flying geese and started them at the center front. 

This really helped me as I now know I have to add one more flying goose to the end plus a piece of the apron fabric. The main fabric will allow me to turn under the hem at the side. 

I will make two more sets of flying geese so I have 12 flying geese. Then I will work on where to place the strip of them on the apron. I am thinking about 2/3rds the way down the front. I may make a few smaller flying geese to put up at the top of the apron. I wait and see on that one. 

Knitting

I did sit and knit 7 rows on the afghan last night. I did enjoy working on it after a short break. 

Thoughts

    I did a quick survey of my lawn this morning. The cinch bug damage is unreal. A quick google states my lawn has had lots of nitrogen for growing which they love. My neighbour and I are the only ones who have well tended lawns and both of us have cinch bug damage. Everyone else doesn't. 

    I have 4 or 5 tomatoes to pick as they are almost ripe. The plants have lots of tomatoes on them and they are turning colour. The jalapeño peppers are growing but I lost some blooms during the heat wave. The cucumber plants have a lot of blooms but not a lot of little cucumbers can be seen. We wait and see about them. 

    The developer is working like crazy every day moving soil from between us and the highway. There is a never ending noise all day long and we have dump trucks parked on our road waiting to back in to be loaded. The developer is also developing an area down closer to the hospital and I was told he is doing all this because of grant money to build more homes. Though he sells the homes for a big price, there are a lot of homes for sale in his development as people are moving out. 

    It is so nice to have the house opened up this morning and cool air coming in. We really needed this coolness after the heat we had. Yesterday was as hot as the previous days but it wasn't muggy when you went outside. It wasn't soupy outside which was nice. 

Today

I am going to finish cleaning the kitchen and launder my sheets. I do have to water the all the plants today. I want to play with the apron pattern so I know where to cut the pattern apart to add the border. Tonight I will knit on the afghan. 

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

The Day Was A Bust

 Yesterday was another sunny humid day with a high of 27C (humidex 35C). This morning it is somewhat cloudy and 20C (humidex 27C, no heat warning). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 27C (humidex 33C). 

Lifestyle

First - I just heard and saw 5 Canada geese fly over us. Fall must be approaching as we only hear them in the spring and fall. 

Yesterday was a first class bust for me. I was virtually nonfunctional and moved at a snail's pace. I was able to do some research on something that interested me. I had thought about making cookies to sell. I worked on a bit of a plan in which I learned a lot of information. Then I did some googling about selling them in our area and it isn't going to happen. There are 4 places that sell homemade cookies. I put it to bed. I did learn a lot and can use some of that information when I do have to make cookies. 

After I ate lunch, I laid down for a nap. It turned into a 2 hour deep sleep. I did wake up feeling a bit better but not great. I was in no shape to do any sewing or knitting. It was a day of doing nothing but a few odd things I could find to do without having to think too much. 

I did sleep well last night and will be able to do more today but I will have to monitor myself so I don't nap or over do it. I know the heat we will have today will make me tired. 

Today

I want to clean the kitchen up as it needs some love. I have to fold the laundry also. I want to look at my apron patterns and choose one to make so daughter can donate it at a field trial. I hope to knit tonight. It is a day of getting back on track. 

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

An Interesting Night

 Yesterday was one of those days where it did everything but snow or hail (hailed west of us though). It was sunny, turned grey and dark, rained, had thunder, and then more rain. It was like living in a big pot of hot soup. The high got to 26C (humidex 34C). This morning it is cloudy and 21C (humidex 28C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with (maybe) some showers. The high is to get to 30C (humidex 36C).

Lifestyle

The heat and humidity got to me yesterday. Even though I got the house cold I was still feeling the effects of the weather. Part is not getting out and part is living in a house that has all the shade drawn. It is like living in a box. Anyways, I turned on the heat pump in the basement to dehumidifier and then emptied the portable dehumidifier as its tank was almost full. 

I did get a load of laundry washed and dried but not folded. 

I had a rest but didn't sleep. 

I was out at 3:30 pm to the community hall where I helped daughter-in-law work the bar. It was busy as everyone wanted to drink due to the heat and humidity and because we were forewarned they were drinkers. We worked steady for 90 minutes. I then helped get the plates of dinner out of the bar cooler which we had been playing Tetris with. I did a turn that hurt me something fierce while doing that. 

The bar cooler started to warm up and we put it to the amount of time the door was opened and the warm stock we put in. In actual fact, the cooler got turned off and daughter-in-law did a quick google search and turned it on. There was a lull almost 4 hours in so I left thinking it would be slower and that son would help. He was on duty to buy if stock went down. He went twice. I should have stayed and pushed through as it was busy and I didn't sleep but much until an hour after the bar closed. 

I woke about 90 minutes after going to bed to a power outage. Not sure why it went off but estimated time was 2:15 am. I go the portable generator into the bedroom so I could have a lamp and my cPap machine plugged in. The house was cold so I knew it wouldn't get warm for about 3 hours. It was raining soup outside. I checked the power outage map at 2 pm and it was clear here but we had no power. I reported it and a few minutes later the map showed it was still out and estimated time now 3 am. It came back on at 2:05 am. I was out of bed to make sure the a/c and fans were on and running. It was still raining. I did sleep after that but not enough for me. 

Sewing

I got the doll's dress finished. All I had to do was sew on the button and snaps and give it a good pressing. 

I held the top button down so I could fold the top of the opening back for a cuter more relaxed look. 

The back turned out good considering you were to put loop and hook tape on it. I put on snaps instead. I did a couple of hidden stitches to hold edges in place. 

I will be making the top part of the dress again when I find fabric for the capris and shorts. 

Knitting

None done last night. 

Thoughts

    My thoughts are going out to the people in the Okangan. The area of Summerland has a fierce wildfire. The community has been evacuated and many homes have been burned. The hospital in Penticton is operating under an orange code as they receive patients from Summerland and treat those people who need it. The province of BC is under a state of emergency as there are about 100 wild fires burning and thousands who have been evacuated. 

    Ashcroft, where daughter lives, has the worst air quality in all of BC. They have smoke coming in from all directions due to the wildfires. Every time I say it is raining she wishes they could have it, even if it feels like soup outside. They are very hot and dry there and have been for a long time. 

    The fog has rolled in adding to the list of weather conditions we are experiencing. I am starting to see the humour in this even if it is ugly to be outside. 

Today

It is survival day for me. I will be having a nap sometime today. My goal is to fold laundry and make sure I have something for dinner. I won't be touching any sewing or knitting projects as I know I will turn it into a disaster. 

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

Almost Done The Doll's Dress

 Yesterday was mainly sunny and hot. The high got to 32C (humidex 38C). This morning it is clear and 20C. Today it is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of rain this afternoon. The high is to get to 30C (humidex 36C).

Lifestyle

I had the house opened yesterday morning to air it out and enjoy the cool air. As the sun got higher, it got hot quickly. I shut the house up and closed all the blinds. You could actually feel how humid it was as it warmed up.

I decided to get groceries while it was "cool". It wasn't busy at the grocery store which was nice. I got everything I wanted and looked at a few things I didn't need. It was just snoop shopping. I did help one lady as she couldn't find what she wanted. She is on a low sodium diet like me so we chatted for a few minutes as we read labels. 

At home, I was greeted by the people who mow my lawn. The lawn was due for a mowing and weed eating. I paid them and we talked about the humidity coming in so early yesterday. 

I got all the groceries put away and sat down to have a large amount of water. I was getting dehydrated from being in the house and being outside in the heat. 

I did water the vegetables twice yesterday and the flowers once. I always water the rose bush and had to go in and get the scissors as there were some gorgeous blooms read to be picked. 

Sewing

I worked on the doll's dress yesterday. It was time to make the skirt. I read the instructions first and then proceeded to not fold the ruffle in half. Am I glad I didn't do it the way the instructions said. I did the serging, hemmed the bottom and sides and put in 3 rows of gathering thread. I'm glad I did the 3 rows of gathering thread as there was a lot of fabric to gather onto the bodice. I picked and played with the gathers and then hand basted it in place. 

Next up was the skirt. I followed the instructions and even did a double turned hemmed. I serged and then did 3 rows of gathering thread as there was more fabric to gather in the skirt. I will have to say I did a of grunting as I gathered the fabric to fit the bodice. I did it without breaking a thread. I fiddled with the gathers and then sewed it all together. I even serged the waist seam before I stopped for the day. My hands couldn't handle sewing snaps and buttons on. 

I am impressed with this pattern. It fits the doll well which is what I do want when sewing for them. The instructions are good with only one spot I got confused (operator problem) and one part where it said the "dot" was to be at the back edge of the bodice. There was no dot but a line where you folded the fabric back. 

I certainly will be buying another one of her patterns and will sew this pattern again. I want to do the top again with capris. 

Knitting

I knit 7 rows and ran out of thread while knitting the 8th row. I stopped for the night and will get a new ball out to knit again on Sunday night. 

Thoughts

    I am working through some guilt I am still dealing with since the Spousal Unit passed away. I have dealt with the guilt of him passing first and the guilt of me not being able to stop him from having Alzheimer's. The guilt I am dealing with now is from not visiting him at the hospital as we were following orders from the RCMP. I now know I should have visited him as there was no formal paperwork delivered to me or him. The hospital could do nothing about me visiting. They were struggling with this also as this was their first time dealing with this type of situation. If it happened today, I would be in to visit him and saying show me the paperwork. We learn as we go and I know I will work through this as I come to terms with it. 

    Though we have no humidex this morning, we have 100% humidity and no dew. I walked out onto the deck this morning knowing I will be outside only to water the plants. This heat is tropical air coming in from the Caribbean and could last a couple more days. 

    I found a 2nd cucumber yesterday. I am looking forward to having fresh cucumbers off the vine. The Early Girl tomatoes are starting to ripen and we will soon be eating them. The jalapeño peppers are growing but it will be a while before they will be ready. Though the plants got a slow start this year, they are doing much better than I had thought. 

Today

I have laundry to do and a bit of cleaning upstairs. I want to finish the doll's dress this afternoon. I am out to help in the bar at the community hall tonight so I won't be knitting. 

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