February's Sewing Completed

 Yesterday was wonderfully sunny with a high of -1C (windchill -4C). This morning it is cloudy and -4C (windchill-7). Today the snow is to start falling this afternoon and the high will get to -2C (windchill -10C). The snow fall from this storm could be up to 25 cm. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did the balance sheet and I have not spent a lot of money in the past week. I got the numbers to balance and put it away quickly. 

I made cookies yesterday morning. These are to go with the sandwiches we make at the community hall. I have not made them as big as they requested so I made one that weighed 25 grams and another that weighed 30 grams. 

Daughter-in-law came over to see which one was the right size and to have her fix as she loves them. She weighed the cookie dough for me and I made the cookies. I was done by noon which included cleaning up the kitchen. I will make the next batch on Friday. 

I did fold the towels while cookies were baking but didn't get the other load done. I am behind on that and need to get it done quickly as I will need to do laundry soon. 

Sewing

I found an embroidery design I liked and finally got it printed. It was too big for the stomacher. I decreased the size and still too big. Third try was perfect. I chose the colours I wanted for the design and got everything ready to stitch out. 

I was a bit nervous about stitching out the design. My last attempt had issues. I changed the needle and decided to give it a try. It stitched out beautifully. It was well digitized which was a bonus as the design was free. I was excited when it was done. 

I cut out the backing and sewed the stomacher. I turned it and hand sewed the opening. The little dots on the sides are for the snaps which will be here in a week or so. 

I thought I would play with some lace on it but have decided to leave it plain for now. I can easily hand sew it on if I decide to go that route. 

Knitting

I looked for yarn online for the doll's sweater. Nothing in the deep purple I wanted. So I decided to knit using the yarn I had. I got the 2nd sleeve done. 

I will knit the body, sew it together and see if I like it. The tension is correct both in stitches and rows. If I don't like it, I will choose another yarn and redo it. 

Thoughts

    To the person in South Africa, we dress for the cold which can get to -20C. We have proper outdoor wear which is lighter than I wore in northern BC. I wore outdoor clothing rated for -50C. If we have no wind, I will shop in -10C. I do understand how you don't do much at 5C. When in Montevideo, we watched people bundle up in warm clothes at 16C. We were wearing a light hoodie and enjoying ourselves outdoors. The people enjoyed the 30-34C temperatures and we were overheating from it. 

    I am finished my February sewing and it feels good to have it done. I will spend some time cleaning the sewing room and laying out a quilt. It is time to work on it for a few days before I start working on March's projects. 

    I am almost prepared for the storm that will hit this afternoon. I need to get a few items from the grocery store just in case the power goes out. Everything is charged including the portable generator. I have blankets ready and will have a thermos of hot water boiled tonight and wrapped in towels. I can reboil it in the morning if I have power. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches at the hall first thing. I have to go get a few items at the grocery store to have if the power goes out. I want to vacuum my bedroom, make spaghetti sauce, and work on the scarf this afternoon. I will knit on the doll's sweater tonight. 

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

Zippered Bags Completed

 Yesterday was cloudy with flurries and windy with a high of -1C (windchill -8C). This morning it is clear, windy and -3C (windchill -8C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with flurries. The high is to get to -1C (windchill -10).

Lifestyle

I went to get groceries yesterday morning. It was cold outside with the wind. The grocery store wasn't really busy and many of the areas were bare of groceries. The staff were busy restocking. I had to ask for one item I needed and the person was wonderful and got it as quickly as he could. 

Once home, I put the groceries away and then had something to drink. I did work in my bedroom cleaning the furniture. I am still amazed at how well I purged that room last fall. I now need to vacuum and mop the floor. 

The wind blew almost all day. At one point I watched it blow snow around reducing visibility for those driving. It was and still is coming in from the north and bringing another winter storm. The barometric pressure rose slowly all day and the skies cleared off late yesterday afternoon. 

Sewing

I finished the two zippered bags. I did watch another video and this one was on how to sew up the side seams. As I had 1/2" seam allowances, I sewed them all 3/8". This helps the zipper tabs lie flat. I also used my zipper foot when I was sewing near the tabs. 

The bags are two different sizes. The height is the same but one is 1" shorter in length. 

I can see why people charge so much for these bags. The materials used in them aren't the expensive part. It is the making of them. Those 2 bags took a lot longer to make than I had thought. I did watch videos while sewing but even if I got the process memorized and did some bulk sewing, they still would take longer than bags that don't use zipper tabs. These bags look nicer but is it worth the extra time? For me yes but it seems not for those who sew as a business. 

I looked at embroidery files to see if I could find something for the stomacher on the doll's dress. I found one but gave up trying to print it. I have get that computer and the printer paired but I needed to go make dinner. 

Knitting

I took the doll's sleeve down and put it on the doll to see if it fits. It does but I am not sure if I am happy with it. I set it aside and didn't knit last night. Just thought if I wanted to proceed or is I want to look for yarn to do it again. I have a couple of days to think about it and then will hunt for yarn if that is my decision. 

Thoughts

    I was told that we are supposed to get 27 cm of snow starting tomorrow afternoon. I am not impressed. Nor are others. We are wanting spring to come but it certainly isn't going to arrive soon. It is going to warm up but I am sure we could see another storm in March. 

    Once the upstairs is cleaned, I want to spend a day doing some tidying up and then start in the basement. I will go to the thrift store once the storm is over and we are dug out. I may have one more box to take if I start in the storage room. 

    I was tired yesterday as I had slept somewhat poorly the night before. I pushed my way through the day without napping and slept well last night. I even slept in this morning. I do feel better today. I know I need to move more but the weather hasn't been nice enough for me to get outside other than to shovel snow. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet first thing. Then I am going to make cookies. While they are baking I will fold laundry and tidy up the dining room table. I am hoping to do some machine embroidery this afternoon and wind yarn for socks. I will start them tonight. 

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

Two Zippered Bags Started

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 2C. This morning it is cloudy and -9C (windchill -16C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with some flurries thrown in for good measure. The high is to get to -2C (windchill -8C). 

Lifestyle

The barometric pressure bounced some yesterday before it decided to drop. I was and am sore from that. My knees aren't as sore this morning but the area around my SI joint is tender. 

I opened the first closet in my bedroom and much to my surprise, it was clean and tidy. When I purged it last fall, I did an extra good job. I did look at the Christmas wrapping paper and I am happy I did not buy any more. I will use it up before I buy more. 

I then opened the closet where I keep my clothes. The same thing. I purged it well last fall and everything is in its place. The only thing I have that is extra is the duvets that were given to me as gifts. My job for the day was over before it started. 

I did some more research on the Acadian people and found they were excellent farmers. They were not poor. They were hard working people. A lot the extras they needed was imported from France or the Caribbean. I am certain the people had nice clothes that they wore when going out. I think that the rural women adapted the styles to suit their needs. 

I was out to the community hall to help daughter-in-law. We set up the bar, got cardboard ready to recycle, set up some tables for the people, and did a few other small jobs that needed to be done. I left at 8:30 pm and the event hadn't started. A few people had arrived but we hadn't sold anything from the bar. 

Sewing

I sewed yesterday afternoon. I decided to make both the bags at once as they were being made the same fabrics. I had to look at the video on how to do make them and I got to the point where I now need to look at another video to finish them.

I am pleased with how the zipper tabs turned out. Now to figure out the side seams. I am not sure of how wide they are as it seems to be a mystery in the last video. I will watch that part again to make sure I didn't miss it while watching and sewing at the same time. 

I am still thinking about the stomacher for the doll's dress. I may make 2 of them as they are simple to sew. One will be of the print fabric with the tab. The other will be of linen which I will embroider. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night as I was out until almost 9 pm. 

Thoughts

    I have decided to make a batch of cookies to go with the sandwiches we make at the community hall. I can freeze the extras so they can be used at another time. My plan is to start with a half batch and then do a full batch as this recipe makes a lot of cookies. 

    Winter is not over yet. It has been a long one as it started a month earlier than normal. We have a good amount of snow on the ground but the roads are in good shape. My driveway is clean and ice free. I am happy about that. The storm coming in Monday is going to be another big one with 6-12" of snow falling. I will do some shovelling and then get the rest of the driveway done by the person I hired.

    I am almost finished cleaning the upstairs. I have a few little things to tidy up around the house and finish cleaning my bedroom. Then it will be maintenance cleaning. I do have to do the basement again. I am puttering at that a bit here and there and it will become a focus when upstairs is done. 

Today

I am going to grocery shop this morning. Once that is done, I will get the items I need for cookies arranged so I can make them tomorrow. I would like to do a bit of cleaning in my bedroom. I hope to finish the zippered bags this afternoon and knit tonight. 

A Relaxing Day With Lots Accomplished

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with more sun in the afternoon. The high got to 1C. This morning it is clear and -10C (windchill -14C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 1C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I was out for a hair cut. Once home, it was time to get a few things done. I mopped the dining and living room floors, the small hall way, and down the stairs to the front landing and the landing. The front landing was the dirtiest as it is the area where we all come into the house. I also did some spot cleaning and tidying up. 

I also prepped and made dinner last night. It was a simple stir fry but I did do a few extra things I learned from watching Aron and Claire. It was very delicious and I have extra for dinner tonight. 

I did go down and looked at the Halloween items sitting on a chair. One item had come apart so I glued it back together. It is back under the stairs until a decision is made about the Halloween decorations. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time looking for fabric for an 1700's outfit. I found 3 pieces and decided on this piece. 

We are to make a stomacher using this pattern. 

Higher status Acadian women in Nova Scotia probably did wear sacque back dresses with decorated stomachers. The rural women could have worn the jacket length version and I would guess that they had the tab for the scarf. I am going to upgrade my version using either an appliqué or sew small beads to the center of the flowers. My story will be that this lady sewed the longer, more decorative version and used the left over beads on her stomacher. 

Satisfied with my research, I set about making 4.5 meters of piping. I really needed something easy to make and this fit the bill. I used a left over piece of fabric I have had for probably 5 years. 

I also cut out all the pieces for 2 zippered bags. All the pieces are interfaced and I can start sewing them. 

The paisley fabric is the outer fabric and the pale one is the lining. 

Knitting

I finished the 2nd sleeve. When I laid it beside the first one I had one good laugh. Sleeve #1 is short 10 rows on the cuff. 

Sleeve 1 did not want to be knit as it gave me a lot of problems. I will cast on another sleeve and knit it properly. Sleeve #1 will be trashed. 

I also finished knitting the scarf. I need to review how to sew the cast on edge to the live stitches to it forms a tube. Once I have looked at it, I will spend an afternoon doing that job. I will need good lighting for the job. 

Thoughts

    We are under another weather watch. We are to have 15-25 cm of snow plus NE winds starting Monday afternoon and ending Tuesday morning. We really don't need more snow as we have enough on the ground already. I will be calling my friendly snow plower to come with his truck to clean my driveway. 

    I had a very successful day in the sewing room. No stressful projects to complete so I could relax and do something relaxing. Even the research into Acadian women's clothing was interesting and I enjoyed it immensely. It is unfortunate that there isn't many examples of clothing from the mid 1600's but there are some written accounts that have given researchers some insight into what they could have worn. 

Today

I am going work in my bedroom this morning cleaning the closets. This afternoon I will start sewing the zippered bags. I have to work the bar at the community hall tonight so probably won't do much knitting. If I do, I will cast on the sleeve and do some knitting on it. 

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

Doll's Shirt Completed

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 3C. This morning it is cloudy and -2C (windchill -7C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 2C. The windchill could be -10C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning out writing the minutes for the community hall's AGM. I had to leave it several times and come back to it to make sure I was happy with the wording. It is done except for a short read before emailing it to daughter-in-law. 

I finished cleaning the closet in the spare bedroom. It has my grandmother's kitchen clock and a spare lamp shade on the shelf. I swept the floor and there was minimal fluff under the bed (thank you Rosie) and I mopped the room. The amount of dirt was from normal walking in that room. I also mopped the bathroom and kitchen floors. 

After lunch I went out and shovelled the driveway. We had just over an inch of wet snow and I got it cleaned off in about 15-20 minutes. The driveway dried off and it was perfect to walk down to take recycling to the curb. We did have a skiff of snow last night but nothing to worry about. 

Sewing

The doll's shirt is finished. I only had to pick out 2 buttonholes yesterday. I sewed on the buttons and called it done. 

The pattern has been put away with the other Edwardian patterns I have made for this wardrobe. 

I ordered snaps for the doll clothes and they are coming from England. They should be here by mid March. That is okay as I am not starting another doll's shirt until March. 

When looking at what I have left to sew this month, I seem to be ahead of the game. I have two zip bags to make plus a small item for Sewing With Cinnamon. I have put another piece of piping into the mix as I need a small relaxing project to work on next. 

Knitting

I went to get the last ball of yarn for the scarf and I couldn't find it in the bin. I had to stop and think and remembered I had put it into my knitting bag in the closet (too organized for my own good). I will get the scarf done this week. 

I cast on the 2nd sleeve for the doll's sweater and knit on it last night. I am ready to start the first cast off for under the arm. 

I am hoping to have it done today. Then on to the body of the sweater. 

I have to wind the yarn for the socks I hope to start this month. I have to finish the scarf first. 

Thoughts

    I really enjoyed shovelling snow yesterday after lunch. The sun was warm and I loved that. I shovelled and when I took short breaks, I stood outside enjoying the weather. I was the only person out shovelling which is normal when it snows this amount. But I don't care as I need the exercise. 

    I slept well last night. I was in bed early and I didn't wake up until 5 am. A first for me in a long time. I am hoping that I will have more of those good sleeps. 

Today

I have a hair cut this morning and once home, I want to vacuum and mop the dining/living area of the upstairs. I may start cleaning out one closet in my bedroom. This afternoon I will sew piping and get the bags ready to sew next. I may have to go get interfacing and thread. I will be knitting on the doll's sweater and the scarf. 

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

Learning To Do Eyelets

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 0C. This morning it is snowing lightly and -3C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to help make sandwiches at the hall. My job is to cut the sandwiches into 4 and put them on trays. It is a job I really enjoy. I love to make them look really nice and even. I don't hate making sandwiches as I enjoy the challenge of having them look tidy when they go to be cut. 

When I got home, I had a coffee and then headed out to grocery shop. I got what was on my list and 3 items I had forgot about. The store was busy and I was happy to get everything and get out. 

I decided to empty a tub of crafts and put it into another partly filled tub. The empty tub has the Christmas quilts and pillow in it and that job is now done. I have 2 old throws to deal with once I decide if I will buy a new throw or make a quilt in winter colours. If I make a quilt, I will have to buy all the fabrics for it. I am leaning towards navy blue, light blue, grey, white and maybe sage green. 

I did have a nap after lunch. I was so tired that I was almost in tears and was falling asleep on the couch. After hour's nap I felt much better and I did sleep better last night. 

I was out for dinner at family's and we had wonderful curries. I also helped daughter-in-law prepare for our local hall's AGM. We did an agenda and some financial work. We got it all done by 6:30 pm and was out to the meeting. It was an interesting meeting. Elections were held and daughter-in-law is the president and I am the secretary. 

YouTube went crazy on me last night. It kicked me off my channel and when I went to sign in on my laptop, it stated it was having issues. I left it be for a while and then it worked again. Not sure why it was acting up but looking at a TV screen saying that I needed to log in was weird. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday which was probably not the best thing to do. I played with the eyelets and put them into the stays I had made. I used my crop-o-dile to make the holes and some eyelets I wasn't sure about. The test one worked perfectly so I proceeded. They went in and are staying in even when pulling on the ribbon. They are not perfectly aligned but they aren't a big mess. It was a learning curve for me.  

I will get navy ribbon to replace the white. I didn't think it would pull as tight as it did. Hurrah for that. I need to keep practicing with the eyelets as we will be doing a project this month in historical clothing. 

Next I decided to do some buttonholes on a big scrap of fabric. I made three of the 5 button holes on the shirt and am taking out 2 of them to redo. The one I am keeping looks good.

I will be happy when this blouse is done as it has been quite the learning journey. 

Knitting

I did knit a bit last night on the scarf. Fifteen rows to be exact and I have to get the last ball of that yarn up from the basement. 

I should have it done by next week. 

Thoughts

    This morning's snow was not in the forecast. Flurries yes but it is snowing harder since I got up. The only good thing is that everything will look pristine rather than dirty. It looks like is isn't going to let up anytime soon though the weather map says it's to stop in the next hour or so. I really don't want to shovel a lot of wet snow. 

    I was lucky grocery shopping yesterday. Most everything was on sale. I am trying to use up what I bought in January and only buy what I need this month. I am also trying not to over buy as the grocery store is close to me. My hope is to grocery shop at Walmart next week which is a longer drive. I have a few things to get at other stores which are not in my community. 

Today

I am going to finish cleaning the spare bedroom and vacuum and mop that floor along with a few other floors. I will watch the snow amounts and shovel if I have to but closer to noon. This afternoon I want to finish the doll's blouse and prep to sew 2 zippered bags. I also have to make dinners this afternoon. I will knit on the doll's sweater and the scarf. It is a day at home for me. 

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

A Day Of Stress

 Yesterday was another sunny day with some clouds floating around. The high got to -1C (windchill -4C). This morning it is cloudy and -5C. Today is supposed to be another sunny day with a high of 1C. Flurries tonight. 

Lifestyle

I got the sheets into the washer and dryer yesterday and forgot about them until 5 pm when I had to rush around and make my bed. I was having a bit of a day to say the least. 

I went into the spare bedroom and looked at the Christmas items on the bed. I went back out and wrote storage tub on my shopping list. Down stairs I went and got out the Christmas tub and went through it. I put several items into the thrift store box as I really don't need them. As I handled the items, I went down memory lane which was filled with a lot of good memories. I kept a few items that I will use for winter decorations as I want to have some items out during the month of January. 

One of the items I kept was this small ceramic Christmas tree. I realized I had batteries for it so it is now ready for Christmas 2026.

I had bought 2 of them in January 2023 when they were discounted by 70%. One went to daughter and I kept one. I am thinking it will be kept out in January as it reminds me of the trees in winter. 

I took the quilts and pillow down but they didn't fit in the tub. I hauled them back up and put them back on the bed. I realized last night I can put some of the items I want to sell at a craft bazaar into a bag and use one of those tubs for the quilts. It is a job I can do today. 

I have not been sleeping well at night and having night panic/anxiety attacks. I know what is causing it and have been nervous, restless, and tense. I am hoping that daughter's situation will improve so I can relax once again. I will talk about it once things have been sorted out a bit more. 

I have been very careful with my eating habits but my weight is stalled at the moment. Part is how I am feeling emotionally. Part is my body not wanting to cooperate with the weight loss. It will come off when it is ready to. In the meantime, I will eat well and carefully. 

Sewing

 Yesterday's sewing was a lot of hand sewing. I sewed down the collar band which was the easiest part. Sewing snaps and button on the neck band was a bit stressful. The snap went on pretty good but the button wanted to move around. The next step was to hem the sleeve opening. That small space and the thickness of the fabric was hard to do. Putting on the snaps was a bear and adding buttons almost drove my patience out the door. I decided not to deal with any more snaps and hemmed the shirt by machine. 

I am deciding if I will do buttonholes or snaps on this shirt. The instructions say snaps but I think I can do buttonholes. 

I also decided to mark the eyelet holes for the stays I made last month. I have enough marks to drive you crazy. 

I want to get this project done so I can work on something else for the Acadian outfit. It may be a chemise with a bit of fancy stitching on it. I will know more when I read today's post on Sewing With Cinnamon. 

Knitting

If sewing was hard, knitting was also hard. I realized that I hadn't followed the instructions and had to unknit 9 or 10 rows and redo the cap of the sleeve. I made myself finish the first sleeve following the instructions carefully. 

Once it was done, I got 16 rows knit on the scarf. It is now 42" long. I will need to get the last ball of yarn out to finish it. 

I will have part of a ball left and will try to make a toque out of it. If there isn't enough, it will got into the bag which I will sell at the garage sale this spring. I am not having part balls of yarn left in the stash. 

Thoughts

    Going through the Christmas items made me realize that I still enjoy decorating for Christmas. I have 3 boxes for daughter-in-law that are antique Christmas items. She will get them when I no longer want to decorate. The rest are items I love and couldn't part with. 

    I haven't had any issues with my IBS attacks. I know that vitamins will cause gastrointestinal issues. But the stress I am having at the moment is starting to give me a flare up. I am hoping that everything will calm down quickly as I don't want to have IBS attacks again. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches at the hall this morning and then will go grocery shopping locally. I will work on emptying a tub so I can put my Christmas quilts and pillow into it. I should finish cleaning the spare bedroom if I have time. I would like to sew if I'm not too tired and knit tonight. It is a wait and see day for some projects. 

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