A Stupid Cutting Mistake

Yesterday was grey but not as dull. The sun did try to shine which helped. The wind was cold and blew hard at times and the high got to 2.6C. This morning it is -1C and it is suppose to get to 4C with sunshine, flurries, and snow tonight. 

Lifestyle

I did things in the kitchen yesterday morning. The chicken was cut up and what I don't eat was put into a pot of chicken broth and water and turned into soup stock. I took a bit at noon to make rice with and it was delicious. The meat I eat was portioned out and frozen and the soup was strained, meat off the bones, and put into containers and frozen. I cleaned up the kitchen and called it done. 

I was out to take fire paper to son's house at noon and the weather was bitter. The wind was cold and went right through you. My idea of a quick walk was gone when I got home and warmed up. I am not impressed to say the least. 

I had deli roast beef, baked potato, and beans for dinner. I put horseradish mustard on the roast beef and it was delicious. I will have this meal again next week and will buy more next month. Beef has become a treat as I don't cook it for just me. Buying it at the deli is expensive but worth it for a treat. 

Sewing

I spent a couple of hours in the sewing room cutting out Elliott's quilt. It is going to be a fun one as I love (and laugh) at the printed fabric. I fussy cut each of the printed blocks to capture each cat once or twice. 

The finished blocks will be 12" and I will be doing quilt as you go. The pattern is all over the internet but I am using the cutting sizes from a box of quilt cards I won in January at the new quilt shop. 

I laid out the pieces to see what the block will look like and it is going to be quite nice. The fabrics do help the print pop.

I spent a lot of time standing so I could cut accurately and my knee and hip was sore when I got done. I did practice standing squarely on both feet which helps in the long run but still hurts at the moment. 

I am now watching this video on how to sew the blocks together using a scant 1/4" seam. I will be following the instructions exactly as I want to have an accurately sized block. 

I have to buy more of the light "plain" fabric as I cut the squares 3/4" too small. I can use the squares in something else I want to make. It's a good thing I am getting my eyes checked on Thursday. One's and 7's are starting to look similar which was the cause of my cutting error.

Knitting

I knit on the doll's sweater last night and only had to unknit one row. It is coming along nicely and I am not worried about how long it is going to take me to finish it. 

I hope I have enough yarn to knit this sweater without the pattern as it is really cute. When done, I will have to weigh the remaining yarn to see if I have enough. 

Thoughts

    I have been watching too much TV lately and after today it will only be evenings only or to learn something which I will use in the next day or two. My brain is in overload and I'm not sleeping well because of it. I mull over comments made and, once again, I am realizing that I need to ignore comments about things that annoy me. I can control that and still watch learning videos. 

    I continue to realize that I am not a mass producer of projects and don't sell because of that. I like to make one or two of a project and move on. I also don't like to work for hours making one project over and over again. I am also a slow crafter who likes perfection. I am not business oriented and admire those who are. I do make items for sale but on my terms only. I thoroughly enjoy making gifts for others instead. 

    When resting the other day, I thought about how I like to learn. I am an independent learner who thrives on figuring it out by myself. I also like to change things up. I fear going to classes as I worry about being criticized for doing it my way or making changes to a project. Years of figuring it out on my own has given me lots of tricks but sometimes other don't appreciate you doing them in a class situation. Hence I stay at home and continue learning on my own. Not always ideal and quite isolating at times. 

Today

I am heading out to shop this morning and will watch the last video on a live series this afternoon. I will cut the squares again for Elliott's quilt before and after watching the video. I will knit tonight and watch mindless shows to relax. 

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