Working on Projects

Yesterday did get to 6C and the sun tried to shine in the afternoon. Today it is cloudy and cool. It looks quite grey and dismal out there. 

Lifestyle

It was a very quiet day in our household. We had a quiet dinner and then had Face Time with grandson and family. They had birthday cake with candles on it and sang happy birthday. 
The Spousal Unit worked on his puzzle and is doing quite well with it. I put in one or two pieces while admiring it. 
We listened to the daily briefing and we have one confirmed case of community spread. That is the scary part. The message yesterday was about e-learning which will start next week. Grandson started yesterday through his school. 

Sewing

I worked on the Chatty Chicken digitizing lessons and got 2 lessons done. It was good to start at the beginning as I had forgotten a few things. I zoomed in to make sure all connecting points were in the right spot. A lot of work. I'm doing fill now so it will move faster. I'm only doing it on the PC as I don't have the energy to do it on the Mac. Those lessons are fine until doing the outline stitch. I still can't get it to work. 
Halloween sewing was on the agenda. I got a panel out and got it ready to sew the binding on it. 

It isn't perfect but it will only be hung for a couple of days once a year. 

Knitting

I finished the sweater last night. 

It needs to be blocked and a silver button sewn on. I quite like it. The next test pattern will be started today. Yarn and needles will be upstairs this afternoon. 

Today

I'm pushing myself to stay motivated. Today I hope to clean our bedroom and launder the bedding. I  want to bind the wall hanging, do a lesson on Chatty Chicken, and knit tonight. 
Until the next time..................................

Grateful

Yesterday was another warm day. 11C was the high. No windows opened as it was too windy. Today it was 1C at 6 a.m. and cloudy. Only suppose to get to 3C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I wrote (and trashed) a post on being grateful. My list changed several times during the day. 

• I am grateful we have such caring daughter-in-law. She is doing all our shopping as the virus is in our community. I text, she delivers. 
• I am grateful I live in a province where the premier has lots of guts. He ended the education part of social distancing and being where you shouldn't be. The first ticket for this was issued early yesterday afternoon. The person's vehicle was towed away. His message was strong and his actions great for the reckless few who think the way they do. 
• I am grateful for social media. I can keep in touch with those who live far away from us. 

Both the Spousal Unit and I are finding it hard as there certainly is a difference between wanting to self isolate and having to self isolate. We will get through this as will many others. We are not basking in self pity and trying to keep it positive. 

Sewing

I trashed the Christmas skirt I was making. The burlap/jute was fraying too much. I will start it again when I can get a wide jute colored fabric to use as an underlining. Instead I made 4+ meters of piping and prepped a box to send to daughter. 

 I will make more piping over the next month as I do have the supplies for it. I did the bag in the bottom left corner, the others are from earlier this month. 

• As I sat sewing, I was grateful for the stash I have, even if I have a love/hate relationship with it. 
• I'm grateful for the all the notions I have. 

I wonder how much will be left when we can finally get out to shop. 

Knitting

I worked on the sweater yesterday afternoon and evening. It is a cute pattern. 

• I'm grateful for the stash of yarn I have and the designers who need their patterns tested. 

Today

It is my birthday and we are not celebrating. We will do that later on. It is my day so I am going to redo the Chatty Chicken lessons this morning and sew this afternoon. Knitting tonight. Self isolating to help flatten the curve. 

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

Heart In The Home - A Big Thank You

After some dull grey days with snow flurries, we have sunshine and warm weather today. Hurrah!!

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I got a delivery of birthday flowers from daughter. They were left on the front step after the gentleman called to say he had them. The fun began. The Spousal Unit brought them in and laid them on the freshly disinfected counter. I wiped the plastic outer layer with disinfectant, removed it, wiped my hands and worked at getting the flowers out of the second layer. I put them into the waiting vase. Wrapping was disposed of, and everything I touched was disinfected again, including the counter. Half an hour later, I disinfected again. 

The rest of the morning was spent cleaning the bathroom. It was scrubbed and disinfected. By the time I was finished, my eyes were burning and running, my nose was running and my throat was sore from the fumes. I washed my hands and slathered them in hand cream. 
I also put up two strings of lights in our living room window. It is my way of thanking the essential services people. The lady across the street is a pharmacist and leaves for work most morning at just after 6 a.m. She is opening a pharmacy down the valley for 7 a.m. shopping for the seniors, etc. 

Sewing

I spent 90 minutes in the sewing room getting the last ruffle made for the tree skirt. I can start sewing them on any time now. 
The next test pattern has been uploaded but it's missing most of the pictures. Waiting for the designer to upload the latest version.
I've been blah about getting April's sewing list done. I will work on it tomorrow. I have a few ideas in my head but have to see if I have enough supplies to do them. 

Knitting

I've been knitting more in the afternoon as I watch the update for here. The test pattern is further along than this but hard to photograph as it is floppy pieces. 

Today

The kitchen will be attacked once again. I will do a bunch more wiping down of the cupboard doors and drawers and bleach the floor. This afternoon we will go for a drive with no stopping, and this evening it will be knitting and movie watching. 
Until the next time.................................

Fair Isle Knitting

Yesterday was quite sunny and the high was 5C. The clouds did come in and we are now waiting for the snow to fall, once again. 

Lifestyle

I made a huge pot of pea and ham soup yesterday. I did a crock pot version and it was very good. I also baked buns to go with it. We had a delicious dinner with left overs for tonight. 

I took the day off from cleaning the house as I was tired. I didn't sleep well the night before worrying about everything and everyone. I've had to think hard about my mental health and am going to continue on with what we are doing. If we do anymore, we will not be going out to shop. I will go out to shop but not a lot more. Friends and family are fine so that has taken a weight off my mind. The only other thing I'm going to do is look at the news only twice a day.  

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday. I just couldn't focus on the skirt and was second guessing myself. That equals mistake making. I've decided to work on it until I'm finished it. If there is time, I will do Halloween sewing and piping. I'm hoping to get a box sent to daughter April 1. 

Knitting

I did knit and unknit during the afternoon and evening. But, I did finish knitting the doll's sweater. 

I still have to graft the stitches under the arm and weave in all the yarn ends. It fits the doll beautifully. 

It is a really sweet sweater even if it is a lot of work. I am slow at fair isle knitting but I did enjoy doing this small project. I may tackle another one when there is a lull in pattern testing. 

Today

I have to disinfect the house as I'm trying to keep up on it. Once this is done, I will sew on the Christmas skirt and finish up the doll's sweater. 

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

Progress On Projects

The snow fell for most of the day. Some of the flakes were huge -- about 3-4" across. It is -3C this morning and clear. Suppose to be sunny today with more snow tomorrow. 

Lifestyle

I headed out and did our shopping at 7 a.m. I was in and out in 30 minutes. The store was extremely clean, social distancing was in place, and under 10 customers in the store when I left. 
While I was gone, the Spousal Unit shoveled the driveway. He was back out mid morning scraping another 2-3" of heavy wet snow. The person who ploughs our road cleaned the entrance to our driveway with the blade. The Spousal Unit thanked him with several hearty waves. By dinner time, the driveway was almost dry. 
I stayed in the house and cleaned all the flat surfaces and disinfected them. I did light switches, door knobs, and locks. I even disinfected the soles of my shoes. 

Sewing

I spent almost 3 hours in the sewing room working on the tree skirt. I pressed the bias tape on the inner circle and it turned out perfect. The bias tape is on. I then cut 2 10" strips of gingham fabric and sewed them together. They were finished with a rolled hem and gathered on the raw edge. I did a bit of testing to see how it will turn out. 

The small black lace will cover the raw gathered edge nicely. I am doing a lot of zig-zag stitching to hold it firmly onto the burlap. I'm working on this until it is done. If I have 2 days left at the end of the month, I will sew Halloween fabrics. 

Knitting

I knit a bit before dinner and a lot afterwards. The doll's sweater is coming along nicely. 

I have a couple more rows to knit before the yoke decreases begin. Almost done this project. The weaving in of the ends will take a bit of time. 

Today

I will be putting on a pot of pea soup soon, making buns, and cleaning up the mess. I want to work on the tree skirt this afternoon and knit tonight. It is an at home day today. 
Until the next time.....................................

Heavy Snow Is Falling

Today is a perfect day to self isolate. It started snowing at 3 a.m. and it is still snowing heavily. There was almost 2" on the ground at 9:30 a.m.

This picture was taken 2 hours ago and the Spousal Unit had shoveled the driveway 20 minutes prior to me getting home. They say it could turn to rain later today. I'm not holding my breath the way it is snowing at the moment. Big flakes and plenty of them. 

Lifestyle

I was out and at the grocery store just before 7 a.m. First person in and not many people shopping when I left. Probably due to the weather. I stocked up for 10 days. The coup today was Lysol wipes so I can keep the counters disinfected. Used only plastic bags and they are in the recycle bin. 
Two boys were out shortly after I got home, playing with their dogs. Both got their exercise and both are bored to death. We talked a bit from across the road. 

Sewing

I started daughter's tree skirt yesterday. Got the circle cut out of burlap (made me itchy) and remembered I had gingham bias tape in the stash. I am using it up for the areas that needed trim. 

The left over piece will become ties. If I can't get the circle to lie flat, I am going to thread elastic into it and tighten it up a bit. 
Next up will be the gingham ruffle. I have a plan in place on how to do it. 

1. Divide the circle into 4 sections.
2. Each section will have 120" of ruffle that is 8" wide.
3. Each ruffle will be rolled hemmed.
4. I will gather each section separately and zig zag it onto the edge. The raw edge of the ruffle will be covered with lace. 

I'm pretty sure this will work if I take my time, overlap the ends, and enjoy the process. I have lots of time to work on this. 

Knitting

I finished the fair isle last night I quite like the design.

Easy knitting here on in. 

Today

I will be disinfecting the counter tops, shoveling snow, sewing, and knitting. There isn't a lot to do today. 

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

Another Project Done

This morning it is cold and sunny. We woke to -12C temperatures. It is suppose to snow tomorrow which isn't what we wanted in March. It seems as if March came in like a lion and leaving like a lion. 

Lifestyle

Nova Scotia has declared a state of emergency and have new rules in place. Personal fines of $1k per day if you are gathering in groups and not self isolating, $7.5k and upwards if business are not following the rules. If you are coming in from another province you have to self isolate for 14 days unless you are deemed essential services. I'm sure this is happening because of non-compliance in the province. The number of cases up to yesterday was 21. 
Our street is pretty quiet. People are outside in their yards but aren't visiting much. Kids are still being self isolated. Those who need to go to work are going and I'm sure the rest are working from home. 
We are holding up well though it is hard on us. We did have a snarl at the puzzle table yesterday. I left so we both could calm down. We were fine after that. I'm sure we will be testy with each other again. 

Sewing

I spent time making the Portable Doll's Closet. The front part of mine is fabric as I was testing the pattern to see if it was worthy of the expense (I have the clear vinyl in the stash). It is. 

The bag closes with velcro and I will be using snaps. I don't like velcro near the clothes. The seams are enclosed so no raw edges can be seen; a very nice feature. 

And it hangs perfectly on a hanger which I like. 

I can see more of these being made. Some wider and longer for dresses. The size given is perfect for pants, t-shirt and shoes. 

Knitting

I'm knitting away on the fair isle part of the body of the sweater. I had to undo a row as I made a mistake. I read the pattern incorrectly. I'm hoping to finish the fair isle part by tomorrow night. After that it will be easier knitting with only one color. 

Today

I need to do some housework, then start on daughter's Christmas tree skirt (3 days of Christmas sewing coming up) and knit on the sweater. If it isn't windy, I'm going outside to pick up some garbage on the front lawn. 
Until the next time.......................................

Spring Wall Hanging Completed

Yesterday the temperature dropped all day and it was windy. Today it was -8C at 6 a.m. and there is still wind. We had lots of sunshine yesterday and the sun is shining again this morning. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was wash the floors and they are done. A bit dirty but not bad. I also did laundry and that was it. With the cooler temperatures, I'm not doing windows. I can do them when it warms up again. 

Sewing

I cleaned the sewing room yesterday morning. It is quite tidy now. I also washed the floor as I needed to get the escaping threads and tiny fibers captured. The floor was dirty and now looks amazing. I will probably do another deep clean soon. 
I used my sewing time to finish a wall hanging for daughter-in-law. I am really pleased with it. 

That was it for the day. 

Knitting

I finished the second sleeve and started the sweater body. I had issues getting it into the round the first go but I won on the second row. I will be focusing on it for the next few days as I have another pattern to knit after that. I know that once the design is knit, it will be fairly easy knitting after that. 

Today

I have the next lesson to work on as I digitize, sew the portable closet, knit on the doll sweater. We may go out for a short drive this morning and deliver the wall hanging. I can put it on the porch or we can visit for a few minutes. We are isolating from family unless we don't feel well. 
Until the next time..............................

Regency Era Dress Complete

Yesterday's rain stopped in the morning. It was grey but not too dull. The rain started again in the evening for a bit and then it was just cloudy. The temperature rose all day to 14C at 1 a.m. It is 8C at 6 a.m. and will cool off today. We will have it cold for the next couple of days. 

Lifestyle

With self isolation, I spent an hour yesterday morning setting up the Spousal's iPad so he can read books from the library's ebook selection. He has 3 to read and 1 on hold. I will be doing this for him on a regular basis as the library is closed and we are not going to the used book store we love.  We are doing our best to stay home except for grocery shopping. 
I did get the front entrance area cleaned up yesterday. The stairs to the basement need doing as the vacuum cleaner needed to be charged just as I got to it. 

Sewing

I spent a full 3 hours in the sewing room finishing the Bib Front Regency dress. It was tense until I got it together as the fabric wanted to fray like crazy. Once it was together, I relaxed some and got it done. 

I put snaps on the bib to keep it closed. Tiny ones that wanted to dance across the floor when they jumped off the fabric. I won in the end even if it took 2 tries. 
The skirt back is interesting. It has pleats and gathers and goes from the bodice front around to the other side. One of the pleats sits at the side seam perfectly. 

The back is simple but very effective. The cording that gathers the front skirt ties in the back. 

Kit and Peggy decided to model their outfits together. 

I took stock of notions yesterday and may have to order online a few things. Fabricville has announced they are closing their stores for 10 days which I agree with. 

Knitting

I knit on the second sweater last night. I am about half done it; the fair isle part is done and I'm knitting the sleeve in the light green color. I will be focusing on it more as another test pattern is coming our way soon. 

Today

I need to do more housework, laundry, and clean the sewing room up and prep for the next project. I am going to finish the spring wall hanging next. Knitting tonight. In all, another self-isolation day. 
Until the next time.......................................

A Drive In The Sunshine

Yesterday was sunny with a high of 7C. Today it is 7C and wet. We could see 12C today.

Lifestyle

After doing 90 minutes of housework, we went for a drive. We went out around an area we sort of know but took a route we didn't know. GPS keeps us on track. When we got closer to home, we took the long way adding another 20 minutes to our outing. We were gone for an hour with no stopping for bathroom or food. We ate lunch when we got home. I have to say it added a bit of interest to our day. 
My throat has recovered from the aftermath of the disinfecting spray. 

Sewing

I had a fairly good day in the sewing room. I got the digitizing done and am ready for the next lesson. I will post it today. 
I worked on the Regency dress and the cording took me an hour to turn. My original plan did not work so I had to rethink what I was doing. I finally got it to work using a snip in the fold, stitching heavy thread at the snip and threading it down the tube using the needle eye end first. After that, it was easy sewing. I finished the front to the hem. 

The back of the skirt is cut out and ready to sew. I am hoping to have it done today. I am going to sew snaps on to hold up the bib front. I'll do a button and buttonhole on the tabs that hold the under bodice closed. 

Knitting

I finished one sleeve of the test pattern and it is darn cute. 

I'm working on the ribbing for the second sleeve. 

Today

It is a home day and I will do more housework, sewing and knitting. 
Until the next time........................................

Busy With Sewing and Knitting

It was a sunny but cool day yesterday. Warm standing in the sunshine and cool in the shade. There was a cool wind also. Today is cool but the sun is going to shine for part of the day. 

Lifestyle

I was out early this morning (7 a.m.) to do some grocery shopping. We can hunker down for a good week now. We do plan on going for short drives to get out of the house. No stopping for anything. 
The grocery store I went to was spotlessly clean and they were cleaning all the time. They even did the shopping carts for people. There were 10 of us in the store at 7 and about 25 when I left. Everyone was shopping as quickly as they could and leaving. The cleaning/disinfecting solutions did affect my throat but I will live with that. It was constant spraying and wiping while I was in the store. 

Sewing

I worked on the Regency dress yesterday and got the skirt back and lining cut out, the bib front sewn, and thought of how I can turn the cording right side out without a bobby pin.
The bib turned out quite cute and I pinned it on the doll to see how it will look. I am going to use tiny snaps to hold it shut. 

I took pictures of the romper but the sun was still incorrect. One did turn out; the one of the ribbon bow on the front. 

Testers have used picot edged ribbon on the collar (really cute) and buttons down the front. Every one has been really cute. 
I worked on the chicken digitizing exercises and I had to redo the eye. One part was stitching the whole eye. I did follow the instructions but it didn't work. I learned a lesson. 

I'm now ready to do the lesson on the PC and hand it in. There is one more lesson, a challenge, and then we have to do our own project. I'm looking forward to that. 

Knitting

I finished the hat for the second test pattern. I had to put it onto double pointed needles to get it the way I wanted it. 

The three needle cast off made a cute edge on the top. The lambs are very sweet. 
I started one sleeve and am half done it. It just has flowers on it. The sweater will be the most work as it is has the most stitches. The pattern is the same as the hat. 

Today

Housework this morning, sewing this afternoon, and knitting tonight. Plans can change if we decide to go for a drive. 
Until the next time....................................

Two Test Patterns Done

The weather has been a little bit of everything. Sunshine, wind, clouds, snow flurries, and, last night, rain/snow combo. The temperature this morning is 1C and is suppose to sunny with a high of 4C. 
We had 12 hours of daylight yesterday. 

Lifestyle

We have been self isolating as everyone on our street has been. You look out and wonder if it isn't house arrest the street is so quiet. With 6 presumptive and 1 confirmed case in Nova Scotia everyone seems to have hunkered down to keep the curve flat. 
We have been puttering inside the house. The Spousal Unit is working on another puzzle and is doing quite well. He tries to go out and walk about the yard daily. I've been doing a bit of housework each day. Yesterday I cleaned the bedroom. I am finding it harder to stay motivated but am working on it. 

Sewing

I got the doll's romper (playsuit) done yesterday. No issues with the pattern at all. 

I had a piece of organza ribbon the color of the fabric and used it instead of the fabric tie. 
The back was a bit more challenging to finish. I ended up hand sewing the bottom of the button tab in place and it turned out perfect. 

The pictures are poor and I want to redo them this morning. 
Now, it is time to sew the Regency dress. I need to get it done also. 

Knitting

I finished the sweater I was knitting. The yarn is quite fine and lovely to knit. I'm not a huge fan of the style but it does fit the doll well. 

I also need to fiddle with the bows. They are too large. 
I can now focus on the other test pattern and get it going. It will take me at least 2 weeks to knit. 

Today

We are at home again. I'm putting together a shopping list as I can shop from 7-8 a.m. 6 days a week at one of our local grocery stores. I hope to get more housework done, work on the Regency dress and the knitting test pattern. 
Until the next time............................

Covid-19 is in Nova Scotia

Yesterday was a bit cool with some wind but the sun did shine. This morning it is -6C, we had a flurry during the night and it is to be cool today and -14C tonight. 

Lifestyle

It was announced late yesterday that Nova Scotia now has three presumptive cases of Covid-19. Confirmation will be today. All came through the airport, all are in isolation as are the limited number of people who came in contact with them. Were we surprised? No. We have an international airport and flights come in all the time. What was surprising was how long we remained Covid-19 free. 
We have had one of our smoke detectors chirping for quite a while. I have reset it and another one countless times. Daughter-in-law had it fixed yesterday as we had been reseting it with the battery in it and the procedure is to have it out, get rid of the remaining charge, put battery back in, test, hook up electrical, and test again. It is nice to have quiet again. 

Health

I went off gluten and felt great. I added a bit to my diet for 3 days. It is the culprit to my gut issues so am gluten free once again. It made a huge difference eliminating 95% of it from my diet. 

Sewing

I have put the Regency dress to one side as there is another pattern to test. Urgent said the same designer. 

I got the pattern cut out and worked on the collar. My test for the trim. 

The triple stitch would not show up. It was a choice between the two ribbons. 

Though the green showed up great on the test piece, the white won on the collar. I need to sew the second collar and start sewing the playsuit together. 

Knitting

I knit on the sweater last night and am 16 rows from finishing it. Then on to the other test pattern and focus on it. 

Today

After breakfast I am heading out for cat food and will see if the grocery store is not busy. If not, I'll shop. If it is, I'll got later tonight or very early tomorrow morning. I am not going to panic buy, but get a few things we need so we can stay home for 14 days. The most we will do is go for a drive so we can get out of the house. We will be doing a lot of social distancing by remaining at home.
Until the next time........................................

Self Isolation - More and More

Yesterday the weather was lovely. The temperature went up to 9.3C between 11 p.m. and midnight. This morning, it is 3C and it looks like it will be a nice day. 

Lifestyle

We headed out to shop yesterday and it was busy in the store. I was really surprised but I shouldn't have been. It was Friday and the start of Spring Break. We wiped down the cart, did our shopping, loaded up the car and headed home. We did notice that there was no toilet paper, it was posted there was no hand sanitizer, and we saw no Kraft Dinner. It was on sale. Other than that, not too bad in the store. 
Though there are no cases of Covid-19 in Nova Scotia, there is a lot of ramping up on how to keep yourself safe. We have been following the suggestions and are staying home more; something we've been doing for quite a while. There was a nasty cold and flu going around earlier and we didn't get it. Right now, we are going out when necessary and will be doing self isolation more and more. People could be traveling over spring break. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as I was tired. I did deliver the pillow to the library. It was greatly appreciated. 
I am waiting for a new pattern to be loaded so I can test it this weekend. It has put the Regency dress on hold for a few days. As with other items I need to make. There is still one more pattern to test and that designer has 2 more ready to be submitted for testing. It looks like there will be a lot of dolly sewing in the next couple of months. 

Knitting

I did pick up my knitting last night and got 4 or 6 rows done.  The knit rows are read as you knit due to decreases across the fronts and back. I can enjoy purling on the way back. I did get the first eyelets done where the ribbon goes through. I did look up this designer and have one of her patterns that I really didn't like. I may try it again when there is a drought on testing patterns to see if it is me or her. That helps me decide if I will test more of her patterns. I really comes down to fitting the doll and how well the patterns are written. 

Today

We are out for a bit today and then it's down to the sewing room to work. I will knit this evening as I would love to cast off the hat and cast on the sweater. It's time to get it started. 
Until the next time.................................

Hand Sewing While Embroidering

Yesterday was quite a nice day with the sun shining and a high of 4C. This morning it is sunny with a temperature of -2C. We will see rain this afternoon. 

Lifestyle

We were out for eye appointments yesterday. Both of us have healthy eyes. I am not showing any signs of cataracts but needed quite a change in my prescription. I got new frames as mine are 12 years old. The Spousal Unit will get new reading glasses which we buy at a big box store. Done for another year. 

Sewing

I spent some time before the eye appointment in the sewing room. I got the embroidery done. 

This took 3 hours of embroidery and while it was stitching out, I hand sewed binding down on the small table runner. 

The large runner has about half of the binding sewn down. 

Knitting

No knitting last night as my eyes were coming out of dilation, my vision was horrid, and my eye ached because of trying to focus on things. 

Today

We've been shopping for two weeks of groceries (schools are out now for break), are going to the library after lunch, and then may get some sewing done. 
Until the next time..................

Reading Pillow Completed

Yesterday was another grey day with no rain. The 6C at 6 a.m. slid down to -1C by 5 p.m. This morning it is -3C and it is suppose to be sunny with clouds and snow flurries. 

Lifestyle

On Tuesday I washed the tile floors with a product that I use on the counters and table. It left the floors sticky. Tuesday afternoon, I rinsed the floor with hot clear water. Some success in getting rid of the stickiness. Yesterday I washed them with hot clear water on my hands and knees. Success in getting rid of the stickiness but the water was black with dirt. That stuff removed all the dirt from the tile. 
I have been 48 hours gluten free. It has been hard as gluten is in a lot of food. We have been eating basic but are enjoying it very much. My joints are less painful and I have less gut issues. We will continue with the basic eating plan as I can substitute rice products in for me. I can't have gluten free pasta as I react to corn which is the main ingredient. 

Sewing

After 3 tries, the designer got the right dress pattern up. I have printed out the latest skirt pieces in preparation to cut them out. 
Chatty Chicken Lesson 8 is done and ready to be submitted. I like doing the lessons on the PC as it seems to go smoother but am also doing it on the Mac for the challenge. 

The learning curve is huge and I'm happy to be learning how to digitize. 
I finished the reading pillow and just love it. So spring-like with the colors I chose. That was the fun part of the pillow. 

I looked at the embroidery designs on sale this week and the one I wanted is on sale. I bought it and set about making the wall hanging. I had to decrease the size a bit to fit the hoop. 

The vines are done and it was 52 minutes of stitching. I got the binding hand sewn down and the buttons on my sock monkey wall hanging. I'm sure I can get the small runner binding done with the rest of the design as the leaves take 48 minutes to stitch out. 

Knitting

The sweater now has the sleeves added and I'm at the point where I need to have the sweater on a long cable needle or two shorter cable needles. I will be looking at what I have today.

Today

I have to sweep floors and get a load of laundry done. I hope to stitch out the leaves prior to going to the optometrist this afternoon. Not sure what will happen tonight as I have to have my eyes dilated. 
Until the next time...............................

Projects Galore

Yesterday was the grey day that was getting ready to rain last night. The high yesterday was 4C and this morning it is already 6C. We did have rain during the night. It is to be a wet or snowy day today.

Lifestyle

I've been busy cleaning house in the mornings. I washed the tile floors yesterday with a cleaner I haven't used before. It left the floors sticky. I had to rinse them and now have to wash them on my hands and knees. I'm happy with what I have done to  date. 
I started gluten free yesterday as I haven't done it before. There are gluten sensitivities in my family so we wait and see what happens. It is the hardest of all to do as there is so much gluten in foods. I just have to be careful. Rice is my friend. 

Sewing

The reading pillow fabric I bought on Monday has been laundered and I'm almost done the pillow. I had to rush out and get a zipper yesterday afternoon. When it is sewn in, I can sew the front and backs together and call it done. Then I need to get books for it. Pictures when it is done. 
I took a break from the doll pattern. The skirt pattern has been fixed - the designer used reduced sized pattern pieces. I am hoping I have enough fabric for the pieces I have to recut. The bodice is done and quite cute. 

There is a crossover bib piece attached to the skirt that hides the front tabs. The tabs hold the bodice together. 

Knitting

The sweater is almost done to the underarms. It looks big to me but I wait and see. The hat is ready to cast off and I need to put it on other needles to do that. I am moving along nicely.

Today

I want to finish the reading pillow and prep to do embroidery. I should do the skirt to the pattern to see if I can complete the pattern. Once these items are done, it's on to the Spousal Unit's shirt. 
Until the next time..................................

A Good Laugh At Myself

Yesterday was a nicer day with only one snow shower. It got to 3C which was nice. This morning it is -3C, no wind and we are to have sun/clouds and 6C. That will be nice. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I headed out to grocery shop. It was done in good time as there weren't many people shopping. I did buy us tulips to cheer us up. 

I put them into cool water with a penny in the vase. They are a bit droopy in the picture but this morning they are standing up straight. The copper in the penny is suppose to keep them looking nicer for longer. So far, so good. 

Sewing

A neighbor came over yesterday with a bag of old trims. Some are lovely and I can use them when making doll's dresses. We had a great discussion on selling crafts and the easiest way to do it. She is wanting to do this more than me. 
I did work on the doll's dress. When I first sewed the bodice I put it on doll and thought it looked great. 

I kept looking at the pattern pieces and thought they were marked incorrectly. I kept sewing away thinking about that. Yesterday, I looked at the pictures and had a good laugh at myself. I had put the bodice on backwards. 

The front flaps hold the bodice in place and a bib will be attached later. At this point, the bodice lining has been attached at the neckline and it needs a good pressing. Then onto the side seams. Once the bodice is done, it will be waiting for information on the skirt as someone stated there is a length difference between the front and back. 

Knitting

I worked on the sweater last night and am on row 19 of the body. It is slow knitting as the yarn is fine and the needles small. The back has a pattern beside the button band that is not showing up and I would omit it if I was making this pattern again. 

Today

I am thinking we might be going down the valley to get apples and I will stop to get fabric for 2 projects. I am behind on projects as the doll's dress is taking a lot of time and energy. I would love to get the bodice done today and start the next reading pillow. 

Progress Is Being Made

Yesterday's weather verged on ugly. High winds, light snow, and a high of -4C was what we got. This morning it is calm, -6C and clear. At 4 a.m. the moon was shining so bright I thought the neighbors had their porch lights on. We seem to be starting a warming trend, which will be nice. 

Lifestyle

With the kitchen starting to shine, I cleaned the pantry. Everything came out, shelves were scrubbed as was the floor, and all went back in organized. We need a few things but not a lot. With that done, I also cleaned under the sink. A couple of doors also got a good wiping as I missed them on day one of the kitchen clean up. 
The Spousal Unit organized the new puzzle and we got the edge done. It was a bit of a challenge but once we got the feel of it, it went together quite well. I also did the sign on the truck as all the pieces were easy to find. I'll help when necessary but now the puzzle is his project. 

Sewing

I got the second sleeve into the dress and the sleeve band on the first sleeve. The sleeves are quite unique. The cut out piece has a channel which you put cording through. I used crochet cotton which may be a bit heavy. 

The cording is gathered up tight and knotted. The bottom edge is gathered and put onto a sleeve band. 

You can barely see the little keyhole opening in the sleeve. I'm ready to work on the second sleeve. I was 2 hours doing this much. The bodice is a lot of work when using a fragile fabric. I am hoping once the bodice is done, the skirt will go together easier though it does have a bias strip at the waist. I'm worried about that. 
The pdf patterns for the dolls got a bit more organization. The dresses folder is more organized with Knit, Woven, and Gown folders. With these, I will add folders for AG and Gotz. I have been pulling patterns off the tetra drive to put into the proper categories on the computer. It will be messy for a while longer. 
I also did the next lesson on digitizing. I need to do the lesson on the PC and then submit. It is amazing how much I am learning. I'm looking for a drawing to do the challenge. 

Knitting

I knit on the sweater and unknit as I didn't do a buttonhole. It is now done and I'm knitting once again. I need to knit on the hat again. 

Today

I'm not sure if I will do any cleaning today but if I do it will be the dining area. I am going to sew and knit. If no housework, I will do a bit of shopping. 
Until the next time....................................

Regency Era Dress Begun

Yesterday was cool with a high of 3C. The sun did shine though. This morning it is -5C and the wind is blowing. They say periods of snow today with winds up to 80 km/hour. Lion weather if you ask me. 

Lifestyle

This coming week is going to be a good one. We have

• Time Change
• Full Moon
• Friday 13

Yesterday, I cleaned the fridge. It was a big job as I did expiry date and had to clean up the mess to recycle. But, it is done. The freezer needs to be defrosted and scrubbed which will be done when it has less in it. Overall, it was great to get this job off the to-do list. 

The Spousal Unit and I finished the puzzle. It was a hard one. We would put in 2-5 pieces a day and then remove 1-2 of them the next day. Even the last 20 pieces were hard to get in. I'm sure we tried them in every spot we could three times before we got the right combination. 

We barbecued last night. First time this year. It was cool but it was great to do it. We do miss barbecuing in the winter and look forward to many more meals done this way. 

Sewing

I cut out the lining for the Regency dress and began sewing the little pieces together. The rose fabric frays so it needs a gentle touch. I am using a 70/10 needle and the light weight setting on the sewing machine. The stitch length is 2.0. I did get the bodice and bodice lining sewn together with no problems. The sleeves were done and one was pinned in. I do love the sleeves and they are easier than they look. 

I did put it on Peggy to see how it looks. 

I quit at this point as I had been working for 90 minutes and I was getting tense. I was clenching my jaw. I walked out of the sewing room tired. 

I spent some time during the day sorting out pdf doll patterns on the computer. I have the historical patterns organized by era. As I find more, I put them into to the correct folder. I'm doing dresses now and am trying to get them organized in my mind.

Knitting

I picked up my knitting last night and got the 2nd sleeve done on one sweater. I cast on the body and am working on the 3rd row. The hat got ignored as I wasn't in the mood to deal with color changes. I will have to focus on it tonight. 

Today

A home day due to the weather. More house cleaning, sewing, and knitting. 

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