One Side of the Bag Body Done

 Yesterday was a sunny and windy day with a high of 22C (humidex 25C). This morning it is sunny and 14C. Today is supposed to be sunny with winds. The high is to get to 23C (humidex 25C).

Lifestyle

I was on the move all morning. One of the first things I had to do was tie up a branch on one of the tomato plants. It is so heavy with tomatoes I was afraid it break. I got a stick out for that and tied it up. I have since tied it up more as it needed it. 

I tied up the grape tomato plant which is growing tall and spindly. I won't be buying that variety again. The other tomato plant will get tied up also. I checked the pepper plants and we have tiny peppers forming. The cucumbers are growing and will need their supports out soon. 

I did tidying up in the house as it was a mess. Recycling was taken out. I put away some items and put out some new tea towels I bought. I love how the coffee bar area looks. 

I then settled down and did the balance sheet after printing out the bank statement. No issues doing it. I was mildly surprised to see that we are 55% of the way through the month. By that time is was noon and I hadn't folded the laundry or cleaned the bathroom. The morning had disappeared doing little jobs that needed doing. 

Sewing

I got the second pocket done. I took my time with the piping and got it on quite nicely. I did hand basting and slow sewing to accomplish that. 

The body fabric is a stripe fabric. I didn't like how it had white pieces between the stripes. But it was a fabric that was challenging me to do something different with it. 

My plan was to cut the fabric cut along the stripes and sew diagonally together. I had spent days mentally figuring out how to do this. I finally decided to see if tracing pellon would work. I cut the piece I needed slightly larger than the finished sized. I drew a line at 45 degrees so I had a starting line. I cut the first strip by hand using scissors. It was slow going. The first strip was laid right side up on the pellon. Then I cut a 2nd strip by hand and sewed it wrong sides together. It was pressed to the right side. I repeated the process using 5 strips of fabric. I was elated with the results. 

I thought the fabric had 2 different stripes but it was only one which the print was moved around so it didn't match. I was quite careful when laying out the strips so I had something that didn't have the design side by side. 

I was tired when I got done but very happy. I am ready to do the other half of the bag. It will take time but I now know what to do. The stress factor is gone. Once the outer bag is done, the lining will be easy to make. 

I found another bag pattern that I quite like. I am not sure when I will make it as I have made 3 bags this summer. I have a quilt to design that will be donated to an auction and I need to start thinking about it. 

Knitting

I did knit 8 rows last night. I was very happy to have it on my lap as I had opened the windows and an almost cold draft was blowing through the house. 

I have knit the top dark part since starting the new ball of yarn. 

Thoughts 

    I have put my decorating the kitchen to bed for a few days. I think I know what I want but need to think on it a bit more. I know the colours are blue and white with maybe a bit of sage green. I do know I like minimal as it is easy to keep clean. I know my thoughts are developing and I just need to figure out where I am going next with the look I want.

    The dump trucks are back working in the field behind the houses across the road from us. The deer will have moved on as they have lost the last of their habitat in this area. They haven't touched the rose bush since they pruned it for me. One wonders where they will find a new home. 

    I am going to do some crafting once this bag is done and before I start designing the quilt. I want to get a couple of projects finished and shipped to a friend. They have lingered on the craft table for long enough. 

Today

I do have to fold the laundry and clean the bathroom this morning. This afternoon I will sew on the bag with hopes of getting the outer bag sewn together. I will knit tonight. 

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

Off To Ikea We Went

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C. It started to rain around 8 pm and it is still raining this morning. The temperature is 18C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with showers. The high is supposed to get to 22C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

After a bunch of texts with daughter-in-law about her washer, I got up and checked mine. Her soap dispenser area was very dirty and mine was very clean. We figure hers is such as it's in a damp basement and mine is upstairs. 

I decided to finish cleaning the dining area. Started off with the windows. I scrubbed it all with a bleach cleaner and two grout brushes. I even did the seal at the bottom of the window as it was dirty. The glass was cleaned and I wiped the window ledges well. 

I next dusted the furniture and moved everything around as I vacuumed and mopped the floors including the hall. I will say that it wasn't filthy but more grungy. I got the area put back together and called it a morning. 

I did 2 loads of laundry and they are waiting for me to fold them. They were done and dry buy just after 1 pm. 

Daughter-in-law came and picked me up and we went to Dartmouth to visit Ikea. We had a lot of fun wandering around the market place. I bought some items I had on my wish list. I did get the containers and a tray for beside my stove. The bright blue object is a silicone trivet. I have since put it into the drawer beside the stove.

I also bought another set of towels and have one more set to buy and that will be done. I picked up two artificial plants and some where along the way, I lost them. I will get them the next time I go in. 

Our next stop was Walmart for groceries. I bought myself something to drink and some strawberries. We were on our way home after that and arrived home about 4 pm. I was tired but I really enjoyed my trip. 

I did not sew yesterday as I was out all afternoon. 

Knitting

I did knit 8 rows on the afghan last night. I did enjoy doing that while I watched TV. 

Thoughts

    I found out a bit more about the plate I researched. It was produced about 1890 and my uncle would have bought it about 1923. It is art deco. It has a piece of tape on the back with CS on it which I am assuming is my great aunt's initials. I am also assuming the plate was bought new and I do know he had 2 or 3 more of them which his friends had in their possession. I will be putting the plate away due to its age. 

    I realized yesterday that I have figured out my style. It is more Nordic home which is minimalism but not stark. I love the simple neutral and calming designs that have a nature or natural look to it. I love the open flow with the less is more approach to decorating. My grey walls and love of blue are perfect for this look. I can add a bit of yellow or soft sage green if I want to. My ideas are now flowing which is wonderful. I have moved items around a bit. 

    The storm last night came with lots of wind. One of my tomato plants was knocked over and my watering can is on the lawn. The wind was really blowing and rain was quite heavy when I got up at 3 am to close windows. We did need the rain and here is hoping it helps revive my lawn. 

Today

I have to fold laundry and clean the bathroom this morning. I want to sew this afternoon and will knit tonight. I am having a quiet day as I was awake a few times last night with the weather. 

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

One Pocket Completed

 Yesterday was sunny, windy, and warm. The high got to 20C (humidex 22C). This morning it is sunny and 11C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 28C) and rain overnight. 

Lifestyle

I was off to New Minas yesterday morning to get a few things. My first stop was Dollarama to get their small painter's canvas. While there I did some snoop shopping and found 2 more green bowls for daughter. She now has 4 of them. 

I did get a small organizer for a charging station in the kitchen. 

My next stop was Walmart and I got what I needed and left. It was getting busy in there. Third stop was the quilt shop to get the fabric I needed to finish the bag. The last stop was Canadian Tire to pick up 2 mugs for the coffee station. 

It was time to go home as it was getting too busy for my liking. 

Once home, I put away everything and sat while daughter texted me about her parcels. She loved how "matchy, matchy" it was. What was amazing is the dishes I sent her match the Ikea dishes I gave her 2 Christmas's ago. I did notice that there were a lot more of the dishes at Dollarama. Popular in Sackville but not in New Minas. 

I have been playing with items on the small server. I took out the one plate of my uncle's. It was given to me years ago by the people he was great friends with. A bit of research states it is Enoch Wedgewood's and the design is called Marjorie. The plate is about 100 years old and is in almost mint condition. 

I put it on a plate stand and added flowers to the server. Not sure if I like it or not. I'll keep playing. 

I got a phone call as I was going to make dinner. Son called and told me to come over for dinner. Off I went and we had something similar to lasagna but with shell pasta. It was delicious. After dinner we talked about travel and we looked at videos. One was on train tours in Switzerland. We also looked at a video about the border between North and South Korea which they went to many years ago and another one where they had gone in Gibraltar. I am thinking I may go to Switzerland for a week later on. Daughter-in-law will accompany me. 

Sewing

I spent 3 hours in the sewing room and got one pocket done. I did cut out the seagull pocket and the bottom piece. I interfaced the pocket pieces. One side got the interfacing I love and the lining side got a cheaper interfacing. Next I made piping. I spent a lot of time adding the piping to the top of the bag. It was a case stitching 1/4" down from the top of the pocket, pinning on the piping and hand basting it in place before sewing it. It worked like a charm for me. I did finish up the one pocket including the top stitching. 

I laid the bag fabric behind the pocket to see if I liked it. Not too bad. 

So far I have about 8 hours into this bag. Call me crazy. The other pocket won't take long as it has no quilt block on it. I will do the same steps as I did to attach the piping. 

Carol, I could frame quilt blocks for the kitchen or I could stretch fabric over printer's canvas using a fabric I like. I would only put it on the wall by the back door. I am thinking on this at the moment. 

Knitting

None last night as I was out last night. 

Thoughts

    I am starting to think I am getting too much stuff out in the kitchen. I am not use to it. I am working through my thoughts carefully and will fiddle around until I have what I want and what I feel will be easy to keep clean. I seem to be a bit more of a minimalist than I thought I was. 

    My neighbour got their cat house up so the cats can go outside from a downstairs window. They were out in it last night and seemed to be enjoying themselves with the toys and climbing items that are in it. 

    I looked for some artificial greenery for the container on the shelf. Dollarama had very little. It seems as if people buy there for weddings. I looked at Walmart and there was nothing there. I will continue to look when I head into the city in the next couple of weeks. 

    I have been enjoying our cool mornings. I open the house up and let it air out. Yesterday I didn't run the a/c at all and the house was perfect all day long. I did have 2 windows open slightly. 

Today

I am going to continue cleaning in the dining area and the small hall. I have a load of laundry to do. This afternoon I will sew and I hope to knit tonight. I need to fertilize the vegetables and water all the plants. 

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

A Block Is Made

 Yesterday started out sunny and then was cloudy with rain. The high got to 25C (humidity was 28% the lowest I've seen). This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 22C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning with emptying the dishwasher and tidying up the kitchen. It wasn't dirty but I was thinking about what I wanted to do in the room. 

My next job was to start cleaning the dining area. I stopped procrastinating about the minutes and typed them up. All that is put away and the table was cleaned. I also cleaned the server and another side table in the area. I then started to play with items to put on the shelves at the end of the cupboards. Round 1 of playing is done. 

I like the pieces I have up on the shelves but it needs something more. I want to buy some greenery for the pot and something else for each shelf. I may stagger the items also. I am on the look out for items when I shop. 

My tomatoes looked a bit droopy yesterday afternoon due to the wind. I gave all the vegetables a good drink of water. The wind was blowing and had dried the pots out more than I had thought. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday afternoon. It was a marathon of sewing tiny pieces. I did fix the piece that was going the wrong direction. I had to cut other pieces as I couldn't find them. I had to redo the feet but in the end I got a block. 

I spent a lot of time measuring what I needed for the sides, top, and bottom. I cut out the pocket pieces and got one bottom piece cut. I then cut out the pieces I needed for the block. It is sewn together but no picture was taken. I literally staggered out of the sewing room exhausted from all the math. 

I have to buy .5 meter of the blue fabric for another pocket piece and then I can proceed to do the pockets once I make the piping. Once that is done, the rest of the bag should go quickly. 

Knitting

None done last night. 

Thoughts

    Daughter is feeling much better with the protection order. She was tired yesterday and spent her spare time researching more about what can happen next. She needs to ask some questions which I am sure she will be doing. 

    The storm that blew in late yesterday afternoon was wonderful. The temperature dropped 8C in 2 hours. It wasn't a heavy downpour but more of a good rain. I am sure lawns will turn a bit greener with it. We have more rain coming tomorrow night and Sunday. And more showers next week. 

    It is busy on our street this morning. There are dump trucks taking away dirt. There is a road going into the property behind the houses across the road from me. We knew there would be a road there but we didn't think it would happen this soon. It is going to be noisy for an undetermined amount of time. 

    In the kitchen I am trying to add colour. It is so  plain without any colour or pictures. I am not doing artsy as I don't like "clutter". I think I am trying to soften it up a bit. I have some ideas in my head. At the moment I am focusing on the shelves. The one big thing I am trying to do is be able to be able to clean the kitchen easily. At the moment I can clean the kitchen quickly. 

Today

I am heading out the New Minas to get the fabric I need and to do some snoop shopping. I have a couple of things to look for. I want to sew on the Market Tote pockets this afternoon and I should pick up my knitting tonight. 

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

Many Tiny Pieces

 Yesterday started out cloudy, smoky, and muggy and ended up windy and sunny. The high got to 29C (humidex 31C). This morning it is sunny with a lovely breeze and 18C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of showers this morning. The high is to get to 26C (humidex 29C).

Lifestyle

I sat and looked at the smoky sky and realized that I had to go grocery shopping whether I wanted to or not. I did go and get the items I needed. I was very careful not to get trigger foods though I do know that eating healthy will have some fructose in it. I can avoid red meat for now but know I can have some later on. 

Once home, I put everything away. I portioned the chicken breasts and froze them. I found some salmon bits shopping so portioned them out and put them into the freezer also. I gave the counters a good cleaning and got all the garbage ready to go out later in the afternoon. 

As I worked in the kitchen, I thought about how to decorate it so it isn't so minimal. I sat down and did some thinking about what I want to buy for in there. I did some searching and need to take a trip to Ikea and a few other stores. I am going to make it a challenge for August. 

I noticed the wind came up and blew out most of the smoke. It was still muggy but not as bad as it had been. When I watered the plants it was quite warm but tolerable. I did read that we are creeping towards the moderate drought level. We really need rain. 

Sewing

I bought the seagull quilt block pattern and read through it carefully. A lot of tiny pieces needed to be cut. So I cut them out. All 21 pieces. I started to sew them and realized quite quickly I needed to cross reference each piece twice and have 2 small rulers out so I could measure the pieces. I started sewing and I was really careful when piecing. I actually glued the tiny pieces together at one corner so they wouldn't slip. I did step one and got a head and a beak. 

I see I have to recut one piece as the water is going the wrong way. Job #1 today. Grumble, grumble. This is what happens when you use directional fabric. 

I then worked on step 2. I got it done also. I also used glue to hold the tiny pieces in place. It is a good thing that I sewed that doll's skirt as I was in tiny pieces mode. 

At that point I stopped for the day. I had been cutting and sewing for over 3 hours. My brain was fried. I tidied up the sewing room and left. It was actually time to start cooking dinner. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night. I wasn't in the mood to handle the afghan after a muggy humid day. 

Thoughts

    I texted a lot to daughter yesterday. She had to leave work and head in to get a protection order to keep her ex off the property. It went well but she was rattled as he broke in to the garage and she had to call the police. I noticed that I relaxed a lot after she got the order. 

    I found another gout bump on my thumb. It is a bit tender so I will have to monitor it. I am going to have to get medication for this though I had hoped I wouldn't. The pain from the gout in my toe is almost gone. I didn't need this new bump. I also realize that I have had small attacks of gout for a very long time. I thought it was something else so I ignored it. 

    I am watching some little birds chase a crow. The crow is annoyed but is being persistent in remaining near the neighbour's garbage bags. As it is garbage collection day, the crows and ravens love to be on the streets finding any free pickings. 

Today

I am going to work in the dining area of my house. I need to get the clutter under control once again. I want to sew on the seagull block this afternoon and I hope to knit tonight. 

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

Two Projects Done

 Yesterday was cloudy and wet in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. The high got to 26C (humidex 33). This morning it is cloudy, muggy and 21C (humidex 28C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 27C (humidex 32C).

The sun was a red ball in the sky this morning. It read there is smoke high in the air from wildfires in Ontario.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I got the sheets from my bed in the washer. I then got my tools, WD40, and the ladder and worked on one of the closet doors where the washer and dryer is kept. It was hard to open. The closing mechanism at the top of the door was raised up so I fixed it and gave the mechanism a shot or 6 of WD40. It worked perfectly after that. I repeated the process on one of the doors to the closet in my bedroom. I still have one door left to do. 

My next job was to clean the outside of all the appliances and give the kitchen a bit of a wipe down. I then vacuumed the floor. Rosie the Robot is doing a good job of vacuuming. I then mopped the floor to remove all the grime. In actual fact Rosie is not the best mopper in the world but I am not replacing her yet. She does the job and I am not sure which one I want to buy for upstairs. Rosie would go downstairs. 

I watered the plants late in the afternoon and two of the pepper plants are in bloom. I was surprised at how fast the buds came out. The cucumbers are growing rapidly and the tomatoes have lots of fruit on them. 

Sewing

I finished the skirt yesterday and when I went to make the tie, I found a mistake. The pattern piece says to cut one on the fold where you need 2. I had to cut out the ties using the blouse pattern. I didn't have enough of the skirt fabric left. 

It is very labour intensive but the end result is really nice. I have put the pattern pieces away so I can make it again. 

I had enough time left to do a small challenge. I took the left over fabric from the purse and made 2 potholders for the kitchen. This was a lot of fun and in the end I really like them. 

I spent a lot of time cutting the fabric on the stripes so everything was even. It is printed slightly off grain. I am so glad I did this step as I like how it looks.

I don't have any more of the blue fabric so will buy some more of it or a darker shade of blue later this month. I want to make a few items for the kitchen out of this combination. I will make it into another challenge project. I have to say I enjoy these challenges a lot as it makes me think outside the box when using up the leftover fabric I have. 

Knitting

I knit 6 rows on the afghan last night. I have to take out a few stitches as I literally used up to the last 2" of the yarn. 

I measured it and it is roughly 34" long. I am ready to get out the next ball of yarn and see how long it will be when I finish it. 

Thoughts

    I am so glad that I am not babysitting a fridge this summer. The new fridge is wonderful and I expect the old one was dying long before I realized it. The only item I have to replace in the kitchen is the microwave and I am deciding if I want a hood vent over the stove and a microwave on the counter or if I will replace it with what I have. I would eliminate a microwave from the kitchen but I use it almost every day. 

    I was talking to my neighbour yesterday afternoon. They have a cat who wants to be outside all the time. They have a tracker on her so they can keep track of her. She loves the back yard and hasn't tried to escape from it yet. They have another indoor cat that has no desire to be outside. Though I miss Elliott, I am glad I didn't get another cat. 

    The dehumidifier wasn't running when I went downstairs to sew. I thought it was full but the house was at 35% humidity. I decided to empty the tank and it was almost full. I am sure it will be working overtime today as it is humid outside. 

    I woke last night to the house being hot. I had opened the windows to help cool it off during the night. I closed the windows and turned on the a/c. I had a cough and now realize it is from the smoke in the air. We need a good breeze right now to get rid of the smoke. It looks eerie out there. 

Today

I need to go grocery shopping this morning. Once home I will start cleaning the dining area. I need to water all the plants this morning. I want to start sewing the bag this afternoon. Tonight I hope to knit. It certainly is not an outside day for me.

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

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........................................................................