In and Out of the City To Beat The Heat

 Yesterday was sunny and quite warm. The high got to 27C (humidex 29C). This morning it is clear and 10C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 30C).

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning we were gone by just after 8 am to shop. We arrived at Costco at just before 9 am and were out the door ready to leave the parking lot at 9:20 am. It was a fast trip through the store as we didn't have much to buy -- 21 loaves of bread for sandwiches was the big purchase. 

From Costco we were heading to Walmart in another area. We stopped at Princess Auto. This is similar to Harbour Freight Tools. We went looking for something that was out of stock and came out with screwdrivers. They weren't on the list but I got a screwdriver that has the bits in the handle. A happy lady. 

We headed to Walmart which was a 10 minute drive. We did our shopping there and I got 4 bottles of sparkling water. We were home before 11:30 am. We were happy as we beat the heat. 

I did do 2 loads of laundry after I got home which needs to be folded this morning. I also fooled around with Rosie but will give her a good cleaning and redo her map. She did about 10 minutes of cleaning and then went to her dock. The next time she did a bit more before going back to the dock. 

Sewing

I made the binding for the quilt and got it sewn on. It was a wrestling match getting it on but I won. I did put up the extension table on the sewing cabinet which helped a lot. Once sewn on, I sat down in the family room and hand sewed about 1/4 of the binding down. 

The backing on this quilt is flannel and very easy to hand stitch the binding to. I did enjoy sitting and hand stitching the binding. 

Another picture, which both are horrid, as the quilt was not cooperating with me. 

I am hoping to have this quilt finished by Tuesday afternoon. 

The bag I made was for the contest. I have an idea forming to take part in the table runner contest. I found a pattern I like and will be looking at fabrics for it. 

Knitting

I did knit 8 more rows on the afghan last night. A few more nights of knitting and I will have finished ball #5. It is growing and getting heavy. 

Thoughts

    Daughter let me know her boss did not loose his house to the wildfire as he had thought. It was saved as was most of the town of Clinton. The fire has moved south and it put more people on either an evacuation alert or order. The hot and windy weather is allowing this fire to burn out of control and making it hard for the fighters to work on. 

    I was sore yesterday. I really did hurt a lot. I did the stretching exercise and it helped some. I also did another one on the bed and it helped a lot too. My SI joint is tight as I still have a bit of pain but not like it was. I have physio on Wednesday and she will fix the SI joint. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet first thing and then fold laundry. I have to do another load of laundry. Rosie needs her spa day and I have to make dinner tonight. I do want to sew more binding down on the quilt and knit tonight. 

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

Home Made Pizza

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 26C. This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be sunny and hot with a high of 29C (humidex 32C).

Lifestyle

I was out to make sandwiches yesterday morning. I did made the cucumber sandwiches and did the cookie trays. I didn't do a lot as there were too many people there. 

Once home, I had something to drink, got the bag and headed out to New Minas. My first stop was the quilt shop where I took in the bag. They hid it in a brown paper bag so no one would see it. It is labeled and hid in the storage room until the end of the month. They have had a good response to this little contest which is good. 

My next stop was Walmart to get a few things and then on to Canadian Tire to buy a plate to replace the one that is chipped. I was home by noon. 

I was out mid afternoon to family's and son and I sat outside visiting. While visiting we both got news that a small community called Clinton was evacuated due to wildfires. Clinton is about 50 km (30 miles) north of Ashcroft where we use to live and where daughter still lives. Her boss lives there and hauled out his horses to where daughter keeps hers and then went back to get other things. She said he lost his house. I did see a video of the fire just outside of Clinton. It is scary but the people did have a meeting to help them prepare and leave while on an evacuation alert. As far as they know, this fire and 2 others in the area were caused by lightening. They have had a lot of lightening lately. 

Dinner last night was homemade pizza. Son and daughter-in-law are still figuring out things and they have nearly got it right. They have a propane fired pizza oven that friends gave them 3 years ago. 

We do one pizza at a time and let the oven heat to 800F. Heat is turned off when the pizza goes in and it cooks until the temperature drops to 600F. Then fire on low and the pizza is turned to finish it. 

We each make our own. Mine was ham and pineapple and I have to say it was delicious. I have to say they are on the road to having perfect pizza. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday but did put the quilt binding out on the table to sew. 

I did look at fabric at the quilt shop and they brought in a line that I quite like. One piece in particular. I will be buying at least one piece, maybe 2 and doing a challenge on what to make out of it. This piece is so soft in colour whereas the rest are more royal blue. 

The quilt shop has a new contest for the fall. It is a table runner which can be pieced, appliquéd, or embroidered. The theme is fall or Halloween. I will look at the fabrics and see what I can make and donate to the auction. I will have to find one embroidery file figure out what to do for a design. I would love to do it on linen but I think the fabric has to be bought at the store. I do like the idea of the store having small item contests several times a year rather than something big once a year. It is a good strategy to pull in people to the store. 

Knitting

I did knit 4 rows last night on the afghan. The ball of yarn is going down quickly and soon I will be getting out a new ball to knit. 

Thoughts

    Yesterday was not humid at all. We sat outside until 7:30 pm and you could feel the coolness coming in. It was nice to sit outside rather than be inside all day because of the heat and humidity. 

    Carolyn, I am happy to hear your family went to Anne of Green Gables. The site has grown commercially over the years. I went in the 1990's when it was just the house and a gift shop. I loved the house. I was and still am a great fan of Anne of Green Gables. 

    I looked at my jalapeño pepper plants and they are loaded with small peppers. Son will get his fix of them this fall. They have taken off lately which is great as I thought they never bloom due to the colder weather we had earlier. 

Today

I am off to the city to shop with daughter-in-law. We want to get home early. This afternoon I will sew the binding pieces together with hopes of getting it on the quilt. Tonight I will knit on the afghan. I do have to water the plants as it is going to be quite warm today. 

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

The Market Tote Is Finished

 Yesterday we had sunshine, rain, and more sunshine. The high temperature was 22C (humidex 28C) at 10 am. This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 26C. 

Lifestyle

The weatherman got the weather correct but not the timing. It cleared off early and then just before 11 am it rained. Later it became cloudy and then the sun shone again around 5 pm. 

I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning and it was a cleaning and polishing. I was done in 45 minutes. That was it for me for the whole day. 

Sewing

I did do the finishing touches on the bag yesterday. I had to make a dangly thing out of beads which was defeating me. I had out everything crafty looking for the right things to go with the beads I had bought. I found some twine in the ribbon box. I unwound it and started to think what I needed for spacers between the beads. I ended up making a failure piece and from that I made one that worked for me. I did overhand knots between the beads and added a charm to the end. 

At this point the bag was done and dusted. 

I snapped a few more pictures so you can see the seagull up close. 

My next job was to clean the sewing room. I put away all the tubs I had hauled out. I swept the floor and made sure the cutting table was cleaned off. I was done sewing for the day. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on reindeer shaped candy holders. I had a date with the Cricut and cut out 25 reindeer and all the antlers for them. I glued the antlers on and put them on the old rocking chair in piles of 5. 

I have 20 more reindeer and 100 antlers left to cut and then it will be 300 eyes. I am almost done these for a friend. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night. 

Thoughts

    It was nice to have the humidity leave with the rain yesterday. The temperature dropped all day but the humidex wasn't gone until 10 pm. But it wasn't as bad as it had been the day before. Even the rain didn't make it feel like tropical soup outside. 

    I was sore yesterday but it was muscle sore. I still have one muscle that is sore but it isn't too bad today. It is probably acting up due to what I had done Wednesday night. I will take care of it for the next couple of days. 

    Rosie the Robot has been acting up lately. She has had issues with the map and gets going in circles. Yesterday I put her back in her dock via the app. I let her rest for a few minutes and then started her manually. She took off and cleaned the whole upstairs without a hitch. I wonder if rebooting her fixed her issues. 

    Carolyn, I am so glad your family enjoyed their holiday in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI. It is a lovely area to visit and it has so much history. If your family went across Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to PEI, they were in the area that my father's maternal line went to in the early 1800's. My father was born in Cape Tormentine of which there is a sign showing where to turn off to it when heading towards the bridge. Family lived in Port Elgin, Bayfield, and Little Shemogue. 

Today

I am out shortly to make sandwiches. Then I am off to New Minas to deliver the bag and do a bit of shopping. Once home I will decide if I will sew or do the reindeer. I hope to knit tonight. 

One Fish, Two Fish

 Yesterday was a mix of heavy rains and showers. The high got to 24C (humidex 32C). This morning it is cloudy and 20C (humidex 27C). Today is supposed to be a mix of showers and clouds. The high is to get to 24C (humidex 31C). 

Lifestyle

The rain hit with a vengeance and I stood and watched it run off the road into the ditch. The ditch was about 1/4 and running like a stream. We had several of those during the day with a lot of rain and showers. With the humidity it felt like tropical soup and you could say that you were breathing through a wet towel. 

I was out late in the morning to mail a parcel. I was lucky enough to go between the rain storms. I was gone for maybe 20 minutes max and it rained after I got home. I did pick up my mail and when I drove up the street to turn around I saw this doe pruning someone's hosta plants. 

The plants loved the rain and humidity. The cucumbers are standing up like they are ready to salute someone. The rest of the plants are looking happy also. I am hoping the lawn will show more green growth after this rain. 

I was out to the community hall at 5 pm. It was time to put everything away after having the floors refinished. The floors look amazing. They are birch and quite light. The hall looks brighter now. We put felt pads on a lot of the chairs so they won't scratch the floor. It wasn't a hard job to do. Then another member and I scrubbed tables using a drill and a brush. I ran the drill and got all the tables but 2 done. I think I did 23 tables and they are now clean as we could get them. Son, and 2 other men moved tables and chairs back to their right spots. Daughter-in-law cleaned the kitchen, the bathrooms were done by the person who does the cleaning, and the curtains were hung by daughter-in-law and another person. We left the hall tired but happy. I am suffering today but am glad I went and did my part. I can live on Tylenol for the next 24 hours. 

Sewing

I sewed in the morning and then in the afternoon. It was a marathon as I wanted to get the Market Tote done. I had figured out how to do the handles in my head and did a test. It worked so I made the handles. It wasn't hard. I cut the fabric 1" longer than required and made the tube. I cut the webbing the correct length. I measured 1/2" from each edge and marked it. I pulled the webbing through the tube and adjusted it so it was at the line. I folded it over and held it with clips. The other end was folded over and clipped. I repeated that for the other handle. I topped stitched 1/8" from each edge. Then I sewed the straps on according to the pattern. 

I decided to make stuffed fish for the bag and I used a pattern for it. Yes, I stitched around the fish and left an opening to stuff it. 

I ended up making 2 fish but am not sure if I like the bag with one fish or both. 

This fish is my favourite. Not too bold and allows the sea gull to be the focal point. 

Two fish which may be too much. 

The only thing left is to string some wooden beads on a ribbon and see if I like it on the hook. I am at the point where I want this bag done and gone. 

Thoughts

    I may have shared the cookie recipe a long time ago but here it is again. 

I cut the recipe in half to make 3 dozen cookies. I use 1/3 tsp of cinnamon when I do them. I also weigh the balls -- 20 grams. The recipe is old. My mother use to make these and they were a favourite when I was a child. They are still a favourite today. 

    The humidity got to me yesterday. I have an air exchange system in the house and it lets in lots of humid air. I didn't hear the dehumidifier running and ran to empty it. I had the upstair's heat pump on dehumidify and should have put on the basement one also. The basement was not comfortable to work in. I will put it on today. This humid air is supposed to move on after today and it will be sunny and hot this weekend. 

Today

I have a dentist appointment this morning and then will be working on the bag. I want to apply some heat to my sore muscles and rest them. It won't be a busy day for me. 

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

A Tote With No Handles = Almost Done

 Yesterday was warm, sunny, and somewhat windy. The high got to 27C (humidex 29C). This morning it is raining lightly and 19C. Today is supposed to be a mix of showers and rain. The high is to get to 22C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I made a batch of ginger cookies. They don't take long to make as I have the process down pat. 

By the time the last batch is out of the oven, I have the kitchen cleaned up and have one pan to clean. The cookies are in the freezer. I am now looking to make a batch of brownies. Recipe is found and I need to get the ingredients. 

Once the cookies were done, I was off to the grocery store to get a couple of things. I was home in good time. 

I watered all the vegetables and they are doing well. Two of the cucumber plants are small but are growing. The others are taking off and growing very quickly. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room working on the Market Tote. The pockets were sewn on very carefully and then the side seams done. Press, press, press to make sure all the seams laid flat. I then boxed the corners and we had a bag that still needed a lot of work. 

The next step was to cut out the lining and pocket. I made the pocket and sewed it on. I put it lower down than the directions said. I also sewed the pocket down the center so one half can hold a phone and the other half can hold keys etc. 

I sewed the lining the same way I sewed the bag. In put it into the main bag and decided to cut 3/8" off the top as it was too long. I did that and we have a nice looking lining inside the bag.

The next step was to fold down the top part, pin, measure, resin and sew the top part in place. I now have a bag with no handles. 

The fun part of making this tote was figuring out how to do certain things to make it unusual. I did enjoy that challenge. Doing a bag like this also had me fill 4 or 5 bobbins as it uses a lot of thread and had 4 different colours of thread in it -- white, blue, grey, and cream. 

I am still thinking about the handles. It is mainly about which direction to cut the fabric -- stripes vertical or cut across the fabric. Do I make my usual straps or do I make them with webbing inside them. A little experimentation is in the books. 

Knitting

I did knit again last night and got 8 rows done. I did notice the afghan is making me feel warm as I work on it. 

I will continue to work on it until it makes me feel too hot and then I will start something else and pick it up when the weather cools off. I am about half done at the moment. 

Thoughts

    I have had 2 nights where I have slept all night. I am feeling more relaxed and have way less stress on my plate. I have had less pain and have been more active which does help. The cool nights have been helping also. I hope this continues on as I am enjoying feeling more refreshed in the morning. 

    We are still under a rain warning but it seems to be down graded from when it was first put up. We can get up to 2" of rain and it is still supposed to last until sometime tomorrow. This rain is from a tropical storm. I am not complaining as we need all the rain we can get. 

    It was 3 years ago that we had the most intense thunderstorm system hit the province. In our area we had almost 1400 lightening strikes and 535 mm (21 inches) of rain fall in 6 hours. There was flash flooding and lives were lost. It is something that we remember as it was a night we will never forget. Though we still hate being awakened during the night with the emergency alert system blaring at least we will be warned if there is flash flooding and can stay away from the areas hit the hardest. 

Today

I am hoping to finish the bag today. I want to do a bit of housework if I have time. I am out tonight to help put the tables and chairs into their proper spots as the hall floor is finished. There will be no knitting tonight as I will be too tired when I get home to even think about it. 

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

More Progress On The Tote

 Yesterday was clear with a cool wind. The high got to 22C. This morning it is clear and 12C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 28C (humidex 31C). 

Lifestyle

As I had mentioned yesterday, I had tied up the tomato plant even more as the one branch has a load of tomatoes on it. I took a picture of it. 

The other plant has been staked but needs to be done more as it also has a load of tomatoes on it. 

Once I had dealt with the tomatoes, I started cleaning the bathroom. It was the big clean and I did a lot of washing, wiping, and mopping. I was in and out of the jet tub several times either cleaning it or dealing with the curtain. It wasn't as dirty as I had thought but it needed to be done so it was off the to-do list. 

I had just enough time before lunch to work on the curtain for the bathroom. I had bought a panel from Fabricville and it was way too long. I measured it to the proper length and took it downstairs to shorten. I measured the length about 6 times to make sure it was correct and even. I added the hem length and cut it. I removed the weights from the old curtain and used them. I got it done and hung up in about 45 minutes. 

Did I question myself on why I shorten ready made panels? I certainly did as they are a bugger to do. This one was not exactly the worst but it was difficult. Measuring while it is hung is important. Measuring it flat several times is also important.  

The bathroom is now clean and the curtain does help keep the sun from beating into the room. 

Sewing

I spent quite a while in the sewing room working on the Market Tote. I did get the second outer body done. It took way less time than I had expected. I just made sure that there was a lot contrast between the rows. I actually used less strips this time which surprised me. 

I sewed the bottom piece onto each part, gave the whole thing a good press. Then it was time to tackle the fusible fleece. The fusible fleece is held down 2" from the top. I made sure that was marked well and the 1/2" turn under was pressed down. I pressed the fusible fleece into place and then added a 1.5" strip of interfacing to the top. I did fiddle around with that a lot. When I checked the time, the afternoon was gone. 

I did take a few minutes to lay the pocket on the other piece to see how it looks. I am happy so far. 

Progress is being made slowly but I will get it done. 

Knitting

None done last night. The evening slipped away on me. 

Thoughts

    The solar light that was acting up has been fixed. I did it two days ago. When I opened it for the 2nd time, an earwig came out and I killed it. It had built a next in the battery compartment. I used a disinfectant wipe to clean the battery case and removed some rust from the contact points. It is now working really well. 

    I did fold the laundry yesterday morning and question myself as to why it takes me so long to do. I finished the job in 20 minutes. 

Today

I am going to make a batch of cookies for the freezer and then do some grocery shopping. I want to sew on the bag this afternoon and hope to knit tonight. 

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

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