A Lovely Day of Sewing

Yesterday was sunny and warm. The high got to 22.2C. 
This morning, the temperature 9C. Today it going to be sunny and warm with a high of 25C. The wind is shifting and we will have smoke from the fires here later today.  

Lifestyle

I was busy yesterday morning as I had to make myself a lunch, tidy up the kitchen, water the vegetable bed, and load the car. When I watered the vegetable bed, the cucumber bed had been dug in. Not where the seeds were but between the tomato cages. I am assuming a cat was having a little digging spree. 

I was in New Minas for the day. I left in good time and had to detour at the 2nd exit I came to. The detour took us into Windsor, down the Main Street, across the bridge, through Falmouth, and back on to the highway. It was bumper to bumper through town as the highway is busy. 

I had dinner with family last night. It was yellow Thai curry with rice. It was delicious and we had a lovely dinner. I left to being razzed I had to be home by 7 pm to water the garden like the Spousal Unit used to and they went out to do some work at the pool. 

Elliott wasn't happy being left for hours on end yesterday and he has let me know by giving me a bite when I went to pet him. 

Sewing

I spent the day at the quilt shop with the owner. She did paper work while I sewed in her long arm room. We chatted a lot about many things. The classroom had an embroidery class in it which we popped over several times to admire their work. I got 4 placemat tops sewn while I was there. 

I glued the strips together before sewing and loved the stability it gave me. I also used a press pen with a starch solution in it to get the seams to lie very flat. I am pleased with how they look. 

My job over the next two weeks is to get them pressed well and sandwiched together ready to quilt. I need to cut out the table runner, bowl cozies, pot holders, and mug rugs (which I will embroider). If there is any fabric left, I will make hot pads, if not, I will embroider mug rugs to put into a tub as inventory. 

I bought this fabric for a shirt for me. I need to start sewing a few clothes for myself. 

Knitting

No knitting last night as I had to cuddle Elliott and my hands were cramping due to squeezing the glue bottle. 

Thoughts

    We are not only under a provincial fire ban, we are under a travel ban in woods, parks, etc. Fires have been set by people since the fire ban went out. 

    I had thought the 2nd fire was in the northern part of the province but it is in the south west part. It is huge (10 000 hectares), out of control, and the equivalent to fires that went through western Canada. People are working around the clock getting animals to safety and getting some back to their owners. The exhibition grounds here have 50 horses stabled in them at this time. People have rallied to get feed, bedding, etc. which is wonderful. I saw horse trailers on the move when I was driving to and from New Minas Monday and yesterday. 

    The fire near Halifax is still out of control and a 2nd fire has started closer to Bedford. People have been evacuated from the area. We are still safe and a distance from the fire. But that could change in no time flat. I am going to put together what I need to take with me in the next two days just in case. 

    Since moving to Nova Scotia in 2017, I have experienced:

        The hottest summer on record

        The coldest day on record

        Two hurricanes both of which have had their names retired. 

        The worst fires provincially

        Rainfall so heavy it caused flooding in our area

        Covid

    I have experienced flooding, cold weather, and fires in the past but it was over many years. This has been in 5.5 years. 

Today

 I am at home today. I need to sort out the hose situation as family needs two of my hoses. I need to do some housework and unpack what I took to sew on yesterday. I should mix weed killer so I can spray a bit tomorrow. I do hope to knit tonight. I need to be busy today doing things here rather than racing around getting other things done. 

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

From Hot To Cold

Yesterday was sunny and cool. The wind blew from the north most of the day. The high got to 13.5C. This morning it is sunny, calm, and 2C. There was frost also. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 23C. There is to be wind later in the day and a risk of frost again tonight. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door early to plant the cucumber seeds and water the vegetable boxes. I got cold doing the job due to how cool it was. I was back inside as quick as I could to warm up. All the seeds are planted and the plants will go out in the next few days. 

I did a load of laundry, headed out to get groceries, and puttered around doing what I could. At 2 pm I went to New Minas to return the watering can, get a sprayer, and have the car serviced. That appointment was at 3:30 pm. The car went in early and was done 1.5 hours later. The check engine light told them an emissions canister needs replacing. That will be done some time late next week when the part comes in. 

The fire near Halifax was burning out of control yesterday but the wind was pushing it back on itself so it didn't grow a lot in size. There are fire departments from all over helping with this fire. The volunteer fire department in our community is down there. People have lost their homes to this fire and people will be displaced for many days. There is a fire ban throughout the whole province until June 25 due to dryness and wind. 

Sewing

I had a bit of time to work on the hat. I am happier with how it looks after taking off the bee fabric piece and arranging it differently. 

I am not sure what I would do to the trim piece the next time but shortening it an inch in length might be the way to go. It is too long in my opinion. 

I have thought about downsizing my doll collection. I would like to get Rebecca but won't until I decide which dolls I want to keep. I know who I reach for as models and who are my favourites. I know I won't sell the Gotz dolls. My goal is to have 8 dolls total. 

Knitting

I knit on and off yesterday when I had a bit of time between chores. I would knit a row, do something and come back later to knit another row. By mid evening I had the sleeves on waste yarn and the body knit into one piece. 

It is actually knitting up faster than I had thought it would. I count stitches on every row to make sure I don't have a mistake. 

Thoughts

    There have been around 180 fires in Nova Scotia so far this year. With the weather conditions the way they are, all have been started by people. With a no burning ban, hopefully there will be no more fires so the ones that are still burning can be put out. 

    There was some smoke in our area yesterday. It didn't come as far as our location but you could smell it occasionally. By 9 pm, the smoke was gone but I am sure it will be back again today. 

    My weight went down another 1.1 lbs since yesterday. I've lost a total of 33.1 lbs. I am active and eating properly. My glucose was in the 5's yesterday, dropping from 5.8 at breakfast to 5.3 at dinner. I walked 1.2 km with the phone in my hand but need to do more activity. That is in the books this week. Outside needs weed control and plants planted, inside needs cleaning. 

Today

I have to make my lunch and spend the day sewing at the quilt shop in New Minas. This is a trial session for me. Before I go, I need to water the vegetable boxes. I hope to knit tonight. The planters will be checked to see if they need to be watered as the next 2 days are going to be warm and I want to get the boxes really damp so the seeds don't dry out. 

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

Too Hot For Comfort

Yesterday's weather was brutal. Hot and windy. The high got to 29.8C which broke the previous record in 2020. The wind howled and was hot. This morning it is calm and cool at 9C. We are to have sunshine and a high of 13C. We have a risk of frost tonight. 

Lifestyle

It was difficult going outside to plant seeds with the heat and wind. I did get the beans and peas planted and the beds watered. After a short break I put out the tomato cages for the tomatoes and cucumbers. Then after dinner I was out to water once again. I am finding that I need to water twice a day as the boxes are dry due to the lack of rain. 

The heat and hot wind was hard on the plants I had put outside and they all had to come back in and be watered. They perked up in the coolness of the garage. I had to run outside and pick up the cowboy boot that blew off the front landing and put it and the Welcome cat sign into corners. The boot has some chips in it from landing hard on the stairs. I watched the neighbour's bbq move a bit on their driveway but it didn't take off on them like I thought it would. The wind was howling at that point. Late in the afternoon, I found a bungie cord and secured the umbrella so it wasn't flapping wildly in the wind. By 11 pm it was calm and quiet. 

I ran the a/c off and on during the day as the upstairs was getting too warm for comfort. I turned it off at bedtime and opened the bedroom window at 11 pm. I also set up the fan in the bedroom to help keep it cooler. The moving air was cool and I would have slept with it on if the room was overly warm. It wasn't which was nice. 

I was looking at Twitter and saw that there are two forest fires here in Nova Scotia. One is up towards the NS/NB border and in a remote area. They have a lot of equipment working on it though the heat and wind was keeping the crews from containing it. The second fire is west of Halifax. It was moving fast and people were being evacuated very quickly. Houses were burnt as the wind was making this fire move rapidly. There is a lot of equipment and crews working on this one as it is in a built up area. 

My weight is down .3 lb this week. After having 3 weeks of big losses, a small one is good. My glucose reading was high (5.9) yesterday morning and at dinner it was low (4.3). I haven't changed my eating habits so do not know why it was so high unless I was dehydrated.  I will continue to be focused on eating properly so I can get healthy once again. 

Sewing

As it was so hot outside, I spent the afternoon in the cool sewing room. I finished the jacket which wasn't a lot of work. I put the button holes in the dress. The top buttonhole had to be moved down as it wasn't stitching nicely where it belonged. 

I put Fray Check on the buttonholes and left them on the machine to dry. I need to cut them open and sew on the buttons. 

I worked on the hat and it almost defeated me. It would not do what I wanted it to do. I fiddled and diddled and got it to look like this. 

I need to take it apart now and move the bee fabric back further so the point of the long piece is in the part that covers the ear of the doll. I need to make sure it is lying correctly and tack it down so it looks like the one in the picture. 

I stopped working on it as I was frustrated. 

My last job for the day was to get the wristlet ready for cutting out on the Cricut. I watched the video and got it done. I was able to get the shoes on the canvas (work space) and all is ready to cut out. 

I finished up but need to save this so I can cut it out after I finish the dress and hat. 

Knitting

I cast on a sweater for the Gotz dolls. It has a neat pattern that you need to follow row by row. I am enjoying the process of doing a new pattern. 

It should look like this when done. 

I will see if I will do the crochet trim on the bottom. I only have one ball of the variegated yarn so will do the sleeves before the crocheting. I may even crochet the trim in the linen coloured yarn which I am going to use to knit the leggings that goes with the top. 

Today 

I will be busy today. I have to plant cucumber seeds and water the vegetable boxes. I want to get my placemats into a bag ready to sew tomorrow. I have to go to New Minas this afternoon to have the car serviced. I will return the watering can as it leaks and get a few groceries for lunch tomorrow. No sewing today but I hope to knit tonight after I water the vegetable boxes. 

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

Carrot Seeds Planted

 Yesterday was warm and sunny. The high got to 23.3C. This morning it is 9C and it is going to be hot and sunny. The high is to get to 28C.

Lifestyle

I had a crazy morning. I was out to the shed to get the hoses out and got them connected. I put the back and forth sprinkler on for 15 minutes but it only moistened the soil. Out came the hand sprayer and I soaked the boxes. 

I was out from just after 11 am to 4 pm with family. We went to watch grandson's team play soccer in the city. We took our lunches and ate at the pitch. A trip to the bathroom clocked in .71 km. I got red from the sun. Grandson (and 3 other players) didn't play for some unknown reason but the team did a great job. They played the other team so they became out of energy as they had no subs. (called tanking them). Grandson's team won the game 2 - 1. I enjoyed my time out with family. 

Once home, I had an IBS attack and had to rest. Once I was over it, I was out to plant carrot seeds and water that bed once again. The soil was quite warm and the seeds should sprout in a few days. 

Sewing

I spent some time before leaving for grandson's game in the sewing room. I hand sewed the inner band in place and got the embellishment sewn together and turned right side out. 

I am slowly getting ready to sew at a quilt shop on Tuesday. I need to get a bag and a container for all my stuff to go into. I need to figure out if I need to cut out more fabric or if sewing 4 placemats is enough for 1 day. I will be there for 6 hours. 

For the reader asking about The Great British Sewing Bee, I got a free vpn subscription at Filmon. Once you are logged in go to tv guide for BBC one to find the Great British Sewing Bee. Go to Wednesday May 31, find the show at 5 pm and hover over the right side of the listing and click on record. It will record for you. Go back to the home page and on the left hand side you will see a list with recordings. Click on it and once the show is recorded, you can watch it from a link at the bottom of the page. Once you watch it, you have to delete the show before you can record the next episode. Hope that helps you. 

Knitting

No knitting last night as I was tired. 

Thoughts

    It has been almost 2 weeks since my last covid vaccine. I feel better having it but I still worry about getting the virus. I don't wear a mask when outdoors but I do indoors. I have stayed at home alone long enough that I am going to do a few things starting with sewing on Tuesdays. I will probably wear a mask while inside the classroom as that is my rule.  My one biggest fear is travelling by plane or train. 

    I am looking forward to having everything planted as spring is going to be summer pretty soon. I want colour and fresh vegetables. It will be a lot of work but it will be something I will enjoy doing. Family is teasing me as I didn't water the garden at exactly 7 pm last night like the Spousal Unit did. We did have a good chuckle as he was so prompt at watering every night.

    My little tree in the front is dead. It is showing no signs of growth. I will have to get the lawn mowing crew to remove it when they do the hedge. I won't be putting in a new tree but having that area as lawn. 

    I have almost reached my weight goal for my appointment with the doctor in June. If my A1C is back in the normal range, I will buy a Fitbit. I am 4 lbs shy of loosing 50% of what I want to loose. I don't think that will happen in the next 4 weeks. Who knows though. 

Today

Right after breakfast I am going out to plant peas and beans and water those beds well. I also need to water the rose bush. I would like to haul planters to the garage to fill with dirt so I will be ready to start planting a bit on Tuesday before I head out to sew. I may even plant two pots outside the garage as I can bring them in tomorrow night as it will be 3C. I am going to do the balance sheet, sew, and hopefully knit tonight. A day at home. 

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

The Vest Is Finished

 Yesterday was one miserable day weather wise. It was cloudy, windy, it tried to rain, and the high go to 10C. This morning, it is sunny and 9C. There is a lot of dew everywhere. It is suppose to remain sunny with a high of 21C. 

Lifestyle

Other than take grandson to school, I stayed home yesterday. The kitchen was cleaned and the floor was swept and washed. It felt good having that room clean and tidy. 

The next area I cleaned up was Elliott's litter box. While doing it, I twisted my back and it went into spasms. I got the job done, the bag of litter out, and did some stretching. I folded laundry while letting my back rest. It ached most of the day and is still sore this morning. I will take an Aleve before I leave to watch grandson's soccer game. 

The company that mows the lawn were here and they did a great job once again. They are behind due to the cold damp weather so I paid them and they were off to the next place in hopes it wasn't going to rain. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room. I trimmed the rest of the 4th cardinal block and can start on the 5th. I then decided it was time to start on the cloche. 

I drew the 1/4" seam allowance on the circular crown which was needed. I didn't do the remaining pieces as the brim was starting to stretch out of shape and the straight piece was simple to do a 1/4" seam on. I did do a lot of basting so I wouldn't have to fight with pins and to get edges nice and sharp to press. It took me almost 3 hours to get the hat to hand sewing the inner brim. I still have 3 rows of hand basting in it.

The hat fits Kit well though it needs a good pressing so the side pieces are flat rather than sticking out some. 

It looks pretty drab right now as there is no bee fabric embellishment. I am certain that it will add a bit of interest to the hat. 

So far, I am pleased with this outfit. I still have button holes to make, buttons to sew on, the embellishment for the hat to make and it all needs a good pressing. Then onto the clutch and shoes. All this sewing used 1 meter of fabric. 

I did set up the Featherweight sewing machine and did the scant 1/4" seam on it. I am now getting everything ready to sew the placemats on Tuesday. I will pack everything Monday morning as I have to take the car in for servicing on Monday afternoon. 

Knitting

I finished the vest last night. I didn't take as long as I had expected. 

I am going to make myself one in September using this yarn and this colour. (Bernat Baby Softee in Denim Marl)

It is soft and easy to knit. I've used this yarn a lot in doll clothes. 

I can now cast on and knit a doll's sweater using fine yarn and small needles. I did enjoy knitting a large project and will do more larger projects in the future. 

Thoughts

    I need to get out the hoses and water the boxes so I can start planting seeds. We have one cool morning in the next 7 days. I will start planting the plants on Wednesday. I know I will have to cover them from the heat and wind which is easy to do. 

    I am really annoyed that my back is sore. It slows me down and I don't like the pain. I am stretching it out to help as I hate to take medication for it. At least I am not hobbling, just walking carefully with pain. 

    I am hoping to have everything planted by June 2. It means I will be outside in the evenings planting giving all the plants overnight to adjust to being transplanted. We get rain starting June 3 and the plants will love that. 

Today

I am out to watch grandson play soccer today. I have to finish packing my lunch and get ready to be at their house by 10:30 a.m. I may get the hoses out tonight so I can water the boxes using a sprinkler vs hand watering. Ten minutes will be enough to get them wet. I hope to set up the doll's sweater on the needles but that depends on how tired and sore I will be after sitting for a long time on a bench. I am not complaining too loudly as I enjoy watching grandson play soccer. 

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

Another Morning Out

Yesterday was cool with very little moisture. The high got to 13.5C. This morning it is cloudy and 6C. We are to have a bit of drizzle/mist with a high of 12C.

Lifestyle

I was out the door early yesterday as daughter-in-law and I were going to buy plants at a small greenhouse near Sackville. We had fun looking at all the plants and I got flowers, leeks, lettuce, jalapeños peppers, and a Thai basil. 

From the greenhouse we went to Sackville and did a bit of shopping. We were home in time for lunch. I had an enjoyable morning out.

After getting all the plants into the garage, I looked at my collection.

And this bunch also. 

I start planting seeds on Sunday morning and plants on Monday when it is a bit cooler. I will have to move plants in as it is going to be cool Monday night. I am worried about Wednesday as it is forecasted to be 30C. 

After lunch I fell asleep on the couch as I was tired. I hadn't slept well Wednesday night as I was cold. I did sleep well last night as I made sure I was warm when I went to bed. I didn't do much in the afternoon as I had no energy. 

I had great glucose readings yesterday -- mid to low 5's. My weight remained the same as yesterday so I am hoping that I'm over the little plateau I had. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday. I really need to get into the sewing room on a regular basis once again. 

I did watch episode 1 of the Great British Sewing Bee. This years group is quite talented and the person who went home wasn't the least talented person but the one who had time management issues. I am looking forward to watching all the episodes as any one of the sewers could win. 

I got Pixie Faire's freebie this morning. It is the straw hat pattern that I wanted to test and the pattern wouldn't open for me. I have most of the supplies for it. I also bought the course on making the hats as it was deeply discounted. I would like to make some Regency hats for the dolls. 

I watched a video by Fierce Kitten about selling your products at a farmer's market. This is one organized lady who knows exactly what to charge for her products. When I watch her videos, she inspires me to sell products. I need to have inventory which is hard for me. I will try to work on it. If I sell, I won't be buying all the stuff she bought as I will only do craft sales indoors in the winter. But, I can make and put into a tub items that I think are worthy of trying to sell. 

Knitting

I picked up the the remaining stitches on the 2nd armhole and knit the 7 rows of ribbing. I sectioned off the side seams and tied them together ready to sew together. 

I figure I have 2 evenings and it will be ready to steam and ship to daughter. I am ready to knit something small. 

Today

I need to do housework this morning. I am starting in the kitchen as it will be the easiest to do and then plot where I need to go next. I want to sew this afternoon and start sewing up the vest tonight. I am staying home today as I've been out most of this week and will be out tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday. 

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

A Lot Was Accomplished

 Yesterday was warm and sunny with a high of 18.5C. This morning it is cloudy and 8C. There is a difference between stations of whether we will get rain or not. The high is to get to 11C.

Lifestyle

I was busy yesterday. I got groceries and then went to the store's garden center where I got some plants. Once, home, I put away everything and was back out the door. 

My goal was to get a service check for the car (Monday May 29) as the engine light is on. I checked the gas cap and it didn't help. Yes, the engine light comes on if the gas cap is on put on correctly.

While in New Minas, I got a new watering can as it is one I like. Colour - acid green but who cares as I like the lovely rain shower effect it has when watering the plants. It was in the clearance area and was discounted. Bonus!

Next up was to get potting soil for the flower pots. I also bought this lovely begonia. 

I also got a deep pink Gerber daisy and some dusty miller. 

Next stop was to pick up my Singer Featherweight and register to sew on Tuesday all day. So far I am alone but I don't care. I will be sewing in a new setting. 

My last stop was to get buttons and a fabric eraser. Once home, I set up the front porch to see how the yellow flowers would look. 

I was under the stairs to get things out for the front landing. I need to add blue or pink and white flowers plus some greenery to the one pot. The yellow pot will be left as is. I need to check the batteries in the candles so they come on at night. 

I put the dark pink Gerber daisy on the back deck to see if I liked it. I do. 

After a light dinner (as I got the wrong order for lunch), I was, once again, out the door to watch grandson's school cadet core pass inspection. It was 2.5 hours long and a wonderful thing to watch. As the sun went down, the breeze got cold and I came home cold. I had on 2 coats and a blanket but we were all cold. When I got home, I brought in all the plants so they wouldn't get overly cold from the wind. 

I did no sewing or knitting yesterday as it was about the car, flowers, and grandson. I did watch the Great British Sewing Bee this morning and enjoyed it. There is some talent in this years group so it will be interesting to see what they create over the course of the show. 

My weight is down today and I wonder if it is over the bouncing or if today is the loss day and tomorrow is the gain day. We wait and see what happens. My glucose reading were a high 4 and a low 5 (missed the noon one as I forgot my kit) which is good for me. I also walked a total of 1.9 km shopping and walking between the parking lot and the far side of the soccer field last night. 

Today

I am out the door this morning to pick up daughter-in-law and we are going to a couple of greenhouses. If it doesn't rain, I will have to water the box I want to plant carrots in tomorrow. I am not sure what I will get done with sewing or knitting. Or will the flower boxes get potting soil. We wait and see.

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

We Were Busy

Yesterday was sunny and warm. The high got to 17.3C. This morning it is 1C, cloudy and windy. There was no frost in our area when I got up. It is suppose to be sunny with a high of 17C. Another nice day.

Lifestyle

I was out the door in good time but was 5 minutes late getting to New Minas to pick up daughter-in-law. I had to sit in a line up for about that long. Not sure why but it is year 4 of road construction in our area. It may have had to do with work on two overpasses that are being finished. 

Once in New Minas, we went to get daughter-in-law's new glasses. She has progressive lenses now and I empathized with her as she walked around the store shopping. That motion sickness feeling was all too familiar when I got mine. At least she didn't fall like I did. We got what we needed plus I got some plants and 2 big bags of potting soil.

We headed off to another store where daughter-in-law wanted chalk board canning lids. She is redoing her spices and was looking at the small jars for them. I gave her mine as I no longer use them. She sent me a picture of the lids.

We can buy them in one store here but you can get them off Amazon along with the markers. 

The last store we went to was the craft store. I got transfer paper, wooden hoops, and 2 balls of fine yarn that was on clearance. We were ready for lunch and we had omelettes which was within my lunch points. After lunch, I went home. Daughter-in-law had to wait for her car as they were finishing up what needed to be done.

Mid afternoon, daughter-in-law and grandson arrived to help me in the yard. Our neighbour across the road arrived to help which was fun. The pots I wanted are in the front of the garage and front entrance. The garden boxes were raked and the potting soil put in one of the veggie boxes which I will plant carrots. Grandson and I placed the pots around the shed and the ones that go on the deck are ready for me to fill with dirt. I need to go back and get more. It was a fun hour working together and we filled it with chatter and laughter. 

My weight has decided to bounce around a bit. I am calling it a plateau where my body is adjusting to the weight loss. It happened before when I was at this weight so I need to be patient, follow my eating, plan, and not get discouraged. My glucose readings are in the high 4's and low 5's meaning I am eating what I am suppose to be eating. I need to keep moving around and not sit too much like I do when I have one of my funks. 

Sewing

No time for sewing though I did watch day 2 of working in Cricut Design Space. I watched it before and after working in the yard. It was all about fonts and I need to review it and work on some tricks. The project was to put a family name onto a cotton flour sack tea towel. We don't use those kinds of tea towels so that was out. I will think of something that could go on a hoop which I may never make. It is playing with what was taught. 

Knitting

I took out all the stitches I picked up as I was short 4 stitches on one side. I carefully picked up the first side and called it a night. I am at the point where I want to get this project done and on to something else. 

Thoughts

    I had a great day with daughter-in-law yesterday. We are always there to help each other. Doing things with her is a lot of fun.

    Family is going to take the bbq and it will be gone as soon as they can make arrangements with our friends to help them. I am looking forward to using my table top bbq this summer. 

    Picture taken from the school this morning was the cherry on the cake. I love cardinals and the symbolism they represent. I want to think that it was the Spousal Unit telling daughter-in-law all be fine for her. Those two had a strong bond for each other. 

Today

I need to go shopping this morning as I am running out of some staple items. I also need to do laundry and get it folded. One of my outside jobs is to decorate the front porch for the summer. I need to get out items that are stored under the stairs. I would like to start on the doll's hat this afternoon and I would like to finish picking up the stitches on the vest and start the ribbing. 

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

Not Overly Productive

Yesterday was warmer with the wind dying down in the late afternoon. The high got to 13.5C. This morning we have a heavy frost and -1C. It is suppose to be sunny with a high of 18C today. There is a risk of frost again tonight. 

Lifestyle

I wasn't over productive yesterday. I did sweep the floors and I made French Onion Soup. I don't use oil or butter in it so it is very low in points. I did add crusty bread cubes and a slice of cheese before grilling it for lunch. 

I have a bowl of just the soup in the freezer for another lunch. 

I rubbed pork chops in a spice mix and put it into the fridge for several hours. I cooked it in the Instant Pot and put it in the fridge. I need to heat it up and shred the pork, make rice, and freeze it in meal size portions. 

I saw this picture on Instagram and loved it. Such a beautiful picture using 3 colours. I stared at it for quite a long time. 

I am pulling out of a funk and am starting to feel better mentally. This month has been draining mentally due to the number of memories it holds. I didn't realize I was in this funk until late last night when I started to perk up a bit before bedtime. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday. Instead I watched a video on Design Space which you use to make your projects to cut out on the Cricut. I did learn a few things and will be practicing them over the next few days. I did the project on design space but won't make it as I don't like the design. The acrylic disc is 3" and you can buy 36 of them with the chain and tassels on Amazon. I don't know if I would make 36 key rings unless they were for daughter to attach to her shirts as a free gift. I have to say the design was cute and there are a lot of cute designs on the internet that could be used.

Pause for a bit. I did make a key ring using what I learned and it has a lady bug on it. I changed the colour of the background and had a bit of fun with it. I still don't know if I will make it or not but I did learn a lot doing it this morning. 

I have to go back and watch another video so I can make the clutch for the doll's outfit into a pattern that can be cut out on the Cricut. That way I can cut out the shoes and clutch at the same time.

Knitting

When I felt the mental fog/funk lifting, I hauled out the vest and picked up half of the stitches on the 2nd armhole. 

Today

I have to meet daughter-in-law in New Minas as her car is being serviced which includes a wheel balance. I will escort her around to her appointments and we may just buy some plants for the yard and garden. After I drop her off, I will get a couple of items more and head for home. I have to watch video #2 on Design Space and I want to knit tonight. 

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

A Busy Day Ignoring the Wind

 Yesterday was quite the day. There were strong winds that was gusting up to 50 km/hr or more. It rained and it remained cloudy most of the day. The high got to 20.2C at 6 pm when the sun finally shone. This morning it is 9C with light clouds. It is suppose to be sunnier with a high of 15C. We are under a frost advisory for tonight. 

Lifestyle

With the wind blowing and making a lot of noise, my nerves were on edge. I had to go out and pick up a deck chair off the lawn. That was the only incident I had to deal with. To help ignore the weather, I did some genealogy and had some fun doing it. At least it took my mind off the wind. Daughter-in-law texted to see if all was okay which was nice. 

I looked into the garage to see if I could make a plan for the large tool chest. It is a mess on the top and I need to think about it. There is a lot to sort as it became a mess over time. It was something both of us are to blame for. I will look in the drawers but won't do much in them as son needs to do that. My plan is to start at one end and move to the other end. 

As I looked at the garage, I have decided that I want it to be minimalistic. I do store bins in it for garbage/compost/recycling but most of the other items can go. I would like to put down an outside area rug and have some chairs in there for the summer. I can roll up the rug and put it and the chairs away when I park the car inside for the winter. We will see if that happens. There is a lot to deal with in getting it ready for that. 

I lost 2.8 lbs this week for a total of 31.7 lbs. I have been tracking what I eat daily and watching my carb intake. Being active has also helped. I am almost ready to buy my Fitbit as my reward for meeting my first big goal. Not only do I have a weight loss goal but I want my A1C to be 5.7 or lower. 

Sewing

The jacket is almost finished. I put in the lining following this video. It worked out quite well though there is a bit of bulk at a couple of the seams. I will fiddle with them when I go to sew up the lining opening in the sleeve. I chose the sleeve seam as it is straight where as the side seam is curved. 

I rolled the edges, pinned them down and basted them prior to pressing. I am really getting into hand sewing as you don't have to deal with pins when sewing or pressing. I turned up the sleeves 3/4" and pressed them in place. I tried on the jacket and turned back the lapel on one side and did the other side to match. 

The jacket fits well on Kit. I had to pin on one of the bee buttons to see how it looked. 

I am liking it a lot. I will be finishing it up today with sewing the lining opening together and giving it a final press and sewing the button on.

I am going to admit that I don't often choose fabrics for the dolls that have insects or animals on them. This print spoke to me for some unknown reason. 

Next up is the hat. More drawing stitching lines on the pieces before I can sew a stitch. 

Knitting

I didn't knit again last night. I briefly looked at it and hope to do some on it soon. Maybe tonight. 

Today

This morning I am going to do a bit of housework, make French Onion soup and pulled pork. This afternoon, I want to sew and I hope to knit tonight. I won't be spraying weeds as the wind is blowing fairly good already. 

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

Cleaning The Garage Started

 Yesterday was a warm one for us. It got to 21.8C. There was a mix of sunshine and clouds and, as usual, wind. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 14C. We are to have rain today which will turn into showers later. The high is to get to 18C.

Lifestyle

I finished weeding the hedge yesterday morning. Next time will be on my hands and knees to pull weeds close to the trunks of these plants. I will probably plan 3 - 4 days to do that job. 

After a rest, I headed into the garage to start cleaning it. No real plan so I took the broom to the walls around the bench area. I swept part of the floor and made a plan about the bench. I started on it by setting up a table to put things on that son needs to look at. I grabbed a tray to clean out. Shoved in behind it was the pouch of tobacco the Spousal Unit had hid. His sad voice (in my head) said "My tobacco is missing. Someone must have stole it". I smelled the tobacco and put it on the table. No tears, just thoughts of how well he had hidden it. I pushed on and got the bench area cleaned up, washed down, and organized for now. I also did the cupboard where the sprays are kept. Next was to take a tub of my stuff and put it away. I now have a space for the shop vac. I finished sweeping the open area of the garage and called it at day. 

Sewing

I worked on the outer fabric of the jacket yesterday. I drew in the stitching lines, sewed the shoulder seams together and inserted the sleeves. I spent some time pinning some seams together to see if I can sew the lining to the outer garment where I will only have one side seam to hand stitch together. I may have that puzzle solved. 

I did look at the sleeve pattern and decided I need to get out the sloper and use it to make the puffy sleeves for a Victorian era jacket. I am still thinking on this one as I may make another alteration to the jacket front. 

Knitting

No knitting last night. I was too tired to think about picking up 118 stitches. 

Thoughts

    I thought it would be hard to clean up the garage but it wasn't. Most items will go to son or our neighbour as the Spousal Unit requested. There is a lot to go through and there are multiples. I know there are 3 pressure gauges. I will keep one. I am going through everything methodically as I want to find items that have been taken apart and put into a drawer. I want to get like items together. I do this best when I work alone. 

    My allergies are still bad but once it rains, I know I will have some relief. The wind is stirring up the pollen and the best place for me is inside. I know cleaning the garage isn't helping but it needs to be done before I allow other people in to help. It allows me to decide what I want to keep for my own use. 

    It has been 8 months since the Spousal Unit passed away and this date is still makes me feel emotional. I still miss him every day. 

    I found 5 or 6 small solar lights and will be sticking them into the corners of the vegetable boxes for fun. I bought them before the pandemic and never used them. They will be fun to look at after dark. 

Today

I want to do a bit of housework and laundry today and then tackle more of the garage. I would like to sew this afternoon and try to knit tonight. These plans could go out the window if I decide on something else. 

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

It's Pollen Season

 Yesterday was a lovely warm day with some wind. The high got to 18.6C. This morning it is 9C. We are to have a high of 21C with a mix of sun and clouds today. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to weed the hedge yesterday morning. It took me an hour to do the yard side using the Dutch hoe. I was sore when I got done but am happy with the results. I can do the other side in less time. When done, I took the strong weed killer out and sprayed the weeds at the end of the driveway. I need to make more and do the section between me and the neighbour. I am also thinking of buying a better sprayer to do the job. 

While spraying, a lady from the Crossing stopped to talk to me. I had met her a couple of years ago. We talked about genealogy which we both love to do. We are the keepers of our family trees. By the time I got inside I was really stiff and sore so I did some stretching and rested.

Just before lunch, the mowers arrived so I was out the door to talk to them and to let them know what I needed done around the boxes. The three men worked hard and the yard looks great. The owner of the company advised me to kill the weeds on the road side as the county will not do anything to help keep the weeds down. 

After lunch, I headed into town and retuned the 4 bags of bottles and then into get 3 roses for the one flower arrangement. When home I realized I was having a bad reaction to all the pollen in the air. The first bad one I've had in years. It was the end of my working day as I wasn't feeling all that great. Not sick but tired and heavy headed. I don't take medication as I don't have any and I try to live through it. 

I was out to get dinner (salad) and when I came home, I was so hungry that I ate. No glucose reading at dinner time, no shutting the garage door, no nothing; just ate my dinner. My neighbour came over after 9:30 pm and shut the garage door for me. I heard nothing. I figure I probably had a low glucose reading making me act the way I did. But that is no excuse for me to not check the garage before bedtime. 

Sewing

Late in the afternoon, I played with Design Space for the Cricut. I came across a video that intrigued me and I needed to try it out. I started with this picture of daughter's dogs which I had cropped. 

I spent a considerable amount of time removing the background when it was uploaded. I then moved it into the design space, made a 10" circle to represent a wooden embroidery hoop and added the picture. Names were added and this is what I ended up with. 

The circle represents the fabric and will disappear when I go to cut this out. The dogs will be printed onto transfer paper and ironed onto the fabric. Their names will be cut from iron on vinyl. A Christmas gift for son-in-law. 

I also did their cat and it will be for daughter. 

My eyes were sore when I got done and I took lots of breaks due to the fact they were still in allergy mode. I made lots of mistakes I had to undo. But, I am happy with the results. 

Knitting

With my eyes clearing up, I finished sewing the one side of the vest together. 

I figure 3 more nights and it will be done. It will need to be steamed blocked and shipped out to daughter. 

Today

I am going out today to finish weeding the hedge. I may head out to get the weed sprayer. I hope to sew and start to pick up the stitches on the vest armhole. 

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

An Evening Out For Spring Fling

 Yesterday was a lovely sunny day with a high of 11.3C. This morning the sun is shining and it was 4C. No frost which was nice. It is suppose to be sunny and windy with a high of 20C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did 3 loads of laundry that still needs to be folded. While it was being done, I put a few items into bags for the thrift shop. I also watered the tomatoes and pepper plants. I also went and got Elliott his cat food. It is getting expensive for his food. The price has gone up twice now. 

Late in the afternoon, I stopped to visit a neighbour. He hurt his back and is moving slowly. His wife had her second knee replacement done and is recovering slowly. I am giving him the extra tomato plants when they are ready to go out. 

From there I headed into town to hand in the Spousal Unit's passport. It wasn't fun finding a place to park and get into the mall where Service Canada is. At one location, the doors were locked. I found a side location that was unlocked. The lady at Service Canada was wonderful and that job is now taken care of. 

I was over to family's for dinner and we had a visit before heading over to grandson's school for "Spring Fling". This performance allows all the music classes from grade 6 to 10 to play 2 pieces, one person to play a piece on the piano (talented player), the Jazz band to play, and for several students to sing. The performance ended with a dance put on by the dance students. It was a wonderful evening out. 

My glucose reading ran in the mid to high 4's yesterday. I was starving all day long though I ate what I was suppose to. I lost another 1.3 lbs for a total of 30. 2 lbs. 

Sewing

I had a bit of time in the sewing room. I trimmed 50% of the threads off the back of the 4th cardinal square before turning my attention to the doll's jacket. 

The sleeves were gathered and carefully set into the jacket. I basted them in with 2 rows of basting. The gathering is at the top of the sleeve as per the instructions. 

I found sewing the sleeves in easy as I didn't have to worry about pins falling out when manipulating the sleeves through the machine. I clipped the curves, pressed the seams towards the body and was finished for the day. 

I have a video to rewatch as it shows how to attach the lining to the outer fabric so neatly. I will baste mine together to see if I can do it. If not, I will have to think of another game plan. At the moment, I am ready to start drawing the stitching lines onto the outer fabric and sewing it together. 

Knitting

None done last night as I was out. 

Today

I am heading out this morning to hoe under the hedge. I am hoping to get it all done this morning. I would like to take the 4 bags of bottles to the depot before lunch. This afternoon I want to sew and knit tonight. I would like to buy a nice salad for dinner as I am craving one. 

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