A Lot Accomplished

 Yesterday started out sunny and then it got dark and cloudy in the afternoon. There were showers with a high of 21.3C. This morning it is clearing off and 9C. Today we are to have sun, clouds, showers, and a high of 18C. 

Lifestyle

I was on the move most of yesterday. After getting a hair cut, I was off to Wolfville to look for yarn for grandson's socks. I had to park and walk to the yarn shop which was good for me. I found what I wanted. It is a nice yarn and I will make another pair of socks with what is left. 

Next it was to New Minas where I bought a bit more fabric for the bag. I want to make sure I have enough fabric and will use the left over fabric for wine bottle bags. From there it was to the postoffice to mail a box to daughter. 

Once home, I had a short rest, starched the fabrics and hung them to dry. Then it was out the door to plant flowers. I got all the tubs done and need 6 more petunias to finish up. From there I planted all the pepper plants and can put 6 more in that box. Everything got watered by me and then the showers. It cooled off so the transplants had wonderful weather to get established. 

I noticed that the leeks are now established and starting to grow. That is exciting to see as they were so tiny when I put them out. Next up is to plant peas, beans and cucumber seeds. Almost done the garden. I was happy and tired from being on the go all day. My hip told me so though not in a bad way. It was tired. 

I knit last night on grandson's socks. I got the leg completed and the first 10 rows of the heel flap completed. The ball of yarn has 110 grams and I will knit half for each sock and then use the new yarn to finish the socks. I may just have enough yarn but I am not sure. 

Thoughts

    This time last year I had all the vegetable seeds planted but none of the plants out. I am ahead on plants out and will be fine with the seeds as I will have them planted them by Sunday. It was also dry this time last year with two big forest fires raging in the province. We are dry but there are no big forest fires at this time.

Today

I am hoping to clean some of the house and try to plant the peas. I want to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. My hip is tired and I need to pace myself today and rest it. 

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

Indoor - Outdoor Jobs Done

Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds and wind. The high got to 23.2C. This morning it clear and 9C. Today we are to have sun, clouds and showers with a high of 22C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I started out cleaning the garage. We decided not to take part in the garage sale this weekend. The advertising for it went out yesterday and it is also Apple Blossom weekend. I cleaned up items and then swept the floor. Daughter-in-law came and we reorganized the workbench and one cupboard so we could put the garage sale items into them. We moved items around, broke down boxes for recycling, and swept until the whole garage was the cleanest it's been in years. Even the saw horse parts are gone with the wood stacked neatly for son. I have lots of room to do things in the garage or to walk around if I park the car in there. 

After a rest, I went out and planted 4 more tomato plants. There were 2 Better Boys, 1 Early Girl, and 1 Beef master. Once they were in, I planted some Bok Choy seeds and a whole bin of carrots seeds. Later in the afternoon, I watered the bins as it was warm and windy. Next up is pepper plants, peas and bean seeds. Last is the cucumbers and the veggies will be done. I will be doing flowers also while planting veggies. 

Recycling is out and I put the candy tube out with it. It is PVC pipe that daughter-in-law painted black and put lime green stickies on. It is gone today so one of the kids on the block picked it up and took it home. Hope they have fun with it as it was a neat looking object. 

Sewing

I pressed the print fabric for the bag and cut out the 4 quilt squares for the front and back panel. I also cut out the small squares for the corners. I drew lines on the small blocks and carefully stitched them on, pressed them well and put light interfacing on them. I then faked quilted them using silver embroidery thread. 

They aren't perfect giving them an organic look. I got 3 done before I called it an afternoon. 

The fourth block looks like the top one. 

Next up is the 2 embroidered blocks. I am stressing over them a bit but will get them done. 

Knitting

I ripped back the peach hat and knit 8 more rows and then did the decreasing. It should fit daughter-in-law now. Next up is the purple one. I want them out of my way as they keep reminding me to finish them. 

The light socks will be for daughter as daughter-in-law found the yarn too scratchy against her skin. She will pick out her yarn when we go to the Rolling Yarn shop on June 23. 

Today

I am out for a hair cut early and then will head out to Wolfville to see if they have another skein of the Gros Moren yarn. Then on to New Minas for more of the grey fabric and to return a solar light that isn't working. I hope to work on the last block and starch the new fabric. If time, I will plant some flowers and the pepper plants before dinner. Tonight I will knit on the purple hat. 

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

A Day Of Rain and Wind

 Yesterday was one very wet day. We had a high of 18.5C and almost 1/2" rain fall. This morning it is cloudy and 14C. Today is to be a mix of sun and clouds and 23C (humidex 28C). 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to get groceries first thing and when they were put away, I was out to make a tent around the tomatoes. The wind was gusting up to 50+kph. I also laid down the deck furniture as it was walking around the deck. I also picked up a tub and empty pots from the yard and ditch. 

My neighbour asked if I would take her in to Bedford for her dentist appointment. She didn't want to drive her car after the accident. I said yes and we left at 11:30 am. The drive in was windy and very wet. The road had a lot of water on it so I had to drive carefully due to hydro-planing. We were able to get to one office to take in a broken mouth piece and then walked around the mall looking in an antique store and a craft store. It was fun. We lucked out that it was barely raining when we went to the car. Next was to her appointment about a 5 drive away. I sat in the waiting room while she was in for her appointment. It poured the whole time. We came right home and as we got closer to home, the rain eased off some. The rain stopped here about 6 pm. We are now wet and recovered from the dry spell. 

I have noticed that I am having less pain in my hip and knee. The SI joint cracked and has been seated for several days. I am walking better and more. I do get tired when I am on my feet for extended periods of time but that is needed to build up more strength. I still use heat on it at night which seems to help. 

Sewing

I did get the grey fabric pressed and I am figuring out the cutting using my information. It is going to be close and I will need more fabric if I choose to make a pocket in the lining. I wait and see. 

The brown scraps of fabric and the print were starched and hung to dry. They are ready to be pressed today. 

Knitting

I need to get the light sock to daughter-in-law to see if she can have the wool against her skin. I need to buy another skein of yarn for the Gros Moren socks. So I cast on a sweater for the dolls. 

The pattern is very simple and fun to knit. I love how the pattern is a border up the front and part of the raglan sleeves. 

I tested this pattern several years ago and I think this is the third time I have knit it. The plan is to have it paired up with a skirt in the Nova Scotia plaid. 

Today

I am going to clean up the garage this morning. This afternoon I am going to work on the bag with hopes of getting the snowball blocks completed and maybe a trial run of the embroidery blocks done. If it is dry enough outside later this afternoon, I will plant some vegetable seeds and remove the tent from the tomatoes. Tonight is knitting on the sweater. 

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

A Christmas In July Bag Begun

 Yesterday was sunnier than expected with a high of 18.3C. This morning it is trying to rain and 10C. Today is to be wet and 19C. 

Lifestyle

I got up and at it in good time yesterday morning. The first job was to do the balance sheet. My big expense last week was buying plants. I expected that to happen. Otherwise, I am on track for this month. 

Once done the balance sheet, I put on laundry and started to clean house. I did a bit of tidying up as I went and swept and mopped the floors. I got all the rooms but one done. I will do it and the stairs/landing another day. As I went along, I changed laundry and have 2 loads to fold. 

As I cleaned, I took out items to the garage and would spend 5 minutes putting yard sale items into tubs. Then I would go back to cleaning the house. I probably did 20 minutes in the garage and have a lot left to go. I stopped all cleaning at 11:30 am as my hip was tired and getting sore. I had been on my feet for well over 2 hours. But, I was happy with what I could get done with only one small break. 

The yard maintenance company was here to do weed control. The person and I walked the yard so he knew what I wanted. He is new and very good. I will do a bit of weed control around the vegetable boxes when I have a bit of extra time. He admired my lawn and was happy how good it was looking. 

I had to go out after dinner to help a friend. She was in a very minor accident but was shook up quite a bit. It was a case of a car coming along too fast, the person in front of her hitting the brakes hard to avoid an accident and her hitting that car before hers came to a stop. I made sure all 4 way flashers were on, everyone could rattle on about nothing to ease their nerves, and after the RCMP arrived, I took our friend's son home. He rattled on about the accident all the way home. He's okay, he just needed to talk. 

Elliott chose to relax last night and gave me a good laugh. 

Sewing

I spent part of the afternoon in the sewing room. I made piping. First was navy/white for daughter. I had cut it out last week ready to sew. There is 4 meters in that bundle. 

I love how it looks against white fabric. 

Next I cut and made the piping for the bag. I love how nicely it went together with the fabric starched. I did it all on the Viking Diamond as I didn't want to change threads on the Juki. 

I have 4 meters from a fat quarter of the fabric I bought. What is left over will probably go to daughter. 

I did starch the grey dotted fabric and hung it to dry. It is time to start prep the fabrics. I still have the print and browns to starch today. I also sat down and did some calculations on the how to cut all the fabric. After the print is starched and dried, I want to cut out and make the 4 snow ball blocks and the embroidered blocks. The making of the bag has begun. I can see I will be hand basting a lot to make sure everything fits well and nothing slips. Starching the fabric gives me more control over the fabric. I will also be interfacing it with two different types of interfacing for structure. The goal is to have it done by mid June. 

Knitting

I knit as far as I can go on the Gros Moren sock. When I head out to buy more plants I will stop at a yarn shop to see if I can get another skein there. I will have to start a doll's sweater next as I have no more sock size needles. 

Thoughts

    I have gone back to eating more carefully to loose a bit of weight. I have been watching the scales and when I hit a certain weight, I cut back to loose what I have gained. It is working out okay for me. I still don't eat a lot of sweets as I don't really care for them. I still have to watch sugar lows in the afternoon. 

    Cleaning up the garage is a bit of a pain. I am doing it alone so I can get it done the way I want. I may spend one morning out there to finish it up so I can park the car inside once again. I am thankful that I have 3 big tubs plus some boxes to put the items into. A big help for me as I organize the space the way I need it to be. 

    I am hoping that once this storm is gone to start weeding under the hedge. I am ready to start it; all the equipment I need is in a bucket and I bought a holder for the large leaf bags. Once the we have several sunny days, I will be doing my weed control in the ditch. I may even get my weed eater out and tackle some long grass that needs taming. 

Today

I need to go grocery shopping this morning and may tackle more of the garage when I get home. I should fold laundry sometime today and do a load of blankets. This afternoon I want to starch the print fabric for the bag, cut out the snowball corner squares and the embroidery squares. If I have time, I will work on the doll's hat. Tonight I will set up the yarn to start a doll's sweater. 

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

Keeping Busy

 The weather has cooled off. Saturday's high was 21.2C and yesterday was 16C. We had about 1/4" rain fall yesterday which was needed. This morning it is cloudy and 10C. Today is to be mainly cloudy with a high of 19C. 

Lifestyle

I have had a busy 2 days. Saturday I was into the city to watch grandson play soccer. Grandson's team had to work hard to get their 3 goals. They were successful at keeping the ball out of their net. Grandson played the whole game and did well. He is starting to get to the top of his game. He is where he should be for his age. 

I have done some cleaning on the house to get rid of the algae and am pleased with how it is working. I need to get an old brush out and do some scrubbing on the seal of the shed's big door. The mould will come right off when I wet it and take a brush to it. 

I also started to set up the deck. I have brought out the chairs, rug, table, flower boxes and umbrella. I had no problems lifting items as all my hard work has paid off. 

I now need to clean the table and get out the bbq and then set up the pond. 

Yesterday I went and bought flowers for the pots in the front of the house and some for the back. I wandered from garden center to garden center where I got the flowers, tomatoes, and peppers. I will need to get more flowers and will do that this week. 

My colour theme this year is yellow, purple, and white. I did buy red and white petunias for the deck as they were the Spousal Unit's favourite colours. I also got 2 more solar lights as one of my old ones is not working. I will toss it and some others as they are old. I am trying to get new ones when I need them. 

Sewing

As it was cold and miserable outside, I spent the whole afternoon in the sewing room. I finished the doll's dress. I did the hand sewing around the arm hole, sewed up the back, pressed it well and put hook and eye closures in the back. 

I still need to put a ribbon around the empire waist and decorate the hat. I have the flowers and netting for it. 

I also starched the red/black check fabric so it will be crisp to make piping. I will give it a good steaming prior to cutting it into bias strips. The bag will be started a bit at a time. 

Knitting

I knit a lot of rounds on the sock last night. I have 10 more rounds to go before I begin the heel flap. 

The yarn I am using has been produced here in Nova Scotia. It is one of 10 colour ranges to depict one national park in each province/territory in Canada. This one is Gros Moren which is in Newfoundland. This national park is a short drive from where my paternal grandfather was born. 

Today

I have to sweep floors and wash them this morning. I am also going to clean up the garage and put the yard sale items into bins for next year. I hope to make the piping this afternoon and knit tonight. I have a busy day today. 

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

Quilt Block #5 Completed

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 26.3C (humidex 31C). This morning it is sunny and 10C. Today is to be sunny with a high of 22C. 

Lifestyle

I started out the morning doing laundry. While it washed, I cleaned the kitchen. I am working on keeping it clean as the sugar ants are out and I don't want them in the house. I did my thorough cleaning job and put the laundry in the dryer when the done. 

While the laundry dried, I went to the tire store and ordered 2 new tires for the car. It was cheaper than I had saved up for. Hurrah for that. I will get them installed around June 1. 

Once home, I got out the Wet and Forget and sprayed the green growth and black mould that grows on the house. It is the same stuff that grows on headstones and this is what is used on them. It is environmentally safe. I got done what I had wanted to and you could see the growth coming off. I just left it but will do it again and wipe the areas down with some blue towels I have. I will also do the railing on the deck. 

While I was doing that, my friend showed up. Her dog had disappeared and she usually runs for my place. But not this time. We walked around calling the dog and she was in the ditch behind her place. She had chased a cat and then had fun snooping in the ditch. We were happy she was okay. Once they left, I then went and sprayed the sugar ant nests at the bottom of the deck stairs. 

I made the bed before lunch and then ate. After lunch, I went to check on Elliott and couldn't find him. He was beside while I ate. I looked in his sleeping spots and all were empty. I went down to the sewing room and there he was asleep under the blankets on the easy chair. He was there all afternoon. 

The lawns were mowed yesterday afternoon. The blades were raised due to the fact the lawn is showing signs of stress. The company who is doing the lawns is very careful as he loves how nice it looks all the time. 

I watered the three beds plus one more which I will plant carrots seeds in. I also watered three pots that will have flowers in them. I need to get ready to plant vegetables and flowers this week. 

Sewing

I did sew due to it being so hot outside. I got the side seams of the doll's dress and lining sewn up and the lining pinned to the sleeves. It is ready to hand sew.

Next on the list was to make block 5 of the Ultimate Beginners Quilt. I spent a lot of time cutting out the pieces and laying out the blocks. I sewed, ripped, and resewed two seams as I got them wrong. I watched the video on how to trim the 4 blocks which I did. I used the new ruler which really did a great job for accuracy. I sewed the 4 blocks together and prayed all the seams would line up. I was excited when they were. 

The quilt is coming along and I do like how it looks together. 

When looking at the blocks together, I wish I had used a dark green where I used the green snowflakes on the last block. I didn't as I would have had trees up against trees. It isn't bad but I would have liked a stronger contrast. 

Block #6 has been looked at. 

The colours will be dark in the center with light corners. I am looking forward to making this block as I can work on precision and accuracy. I am really enjoying this quilt. 

Knitting

I knit the leg on the sock and snuck in an extra pattern. It is ready to see if daughter-in-law likes the yarn or if these socks go to daughter. Either way, I love knitting this yarn. 

Thoughts

    We are in desperate need of a good rain. Everything is dry. Hopefully the rain will materialize as anticipated. Though we have been hot, we have only broke the high temp once. The highs are above average, the lows are close to average most mornings. 

     I am not behind on getting plants but with the weather so nice, I feel like I am. I am always cautious as we could have a frost at the beginning of June. I wonder about this year but I can get things inside fast if necessary and cover up plants if need be. I have had to do that before. 

    I had less pain in my hip and more mobility since having two sessions two days in a row. I am hoping that I am in an improvement period at this time. I am finding stairs easier to go up and down. That is wonderful. I am working on walking with a proper gait. Fingers crossed I am moving forward again on this journey and that my SI joint is seated properly for good. 

Today

I am going to clean some more in the house this morning. This afternoon I am out to watch grandson play soccer. I am looking forward to that. We will be home in time to make dinner and then I will water the plants and set up another pair of socks to knit. I may even try to move the big planters down to the front of the house in my wagon if I have time. 

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

Knit and Unknit

Yesterday was another lovely sunny day with a high of 26.6C (humidex 31C). This morning it was foggy and 14C. It is now clear and sunny. Today we are to have clouds, sunshine, and maybe a shower or two with a high of 27C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

I was out in good time to water the vegetables and they are doing well. Tomorrow I will remove the blankets that are shading the tomatoes as it is going to cool off. 

I was out to osteopathy and had a great session. The therapist did a lot of work on my left hip area moving things around. She is pleased with how well I am doing and hopes that I will walk with a proper gait. 

After the session I did a bit of shopping and came home. It was time to put heat on my hip and let it rest while things settled down. There was really no pain just tiredness in the targeted area. 

We had a thunderstorm last night. Several cracks of lightening and thunder. It also rained some. As a result, I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped to. I wasn't surprised about the storm as it has been the right mix of weather to have a thunder and lightning. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday. I did watch episode 1 of the Great British Sewing Bee. It was interesting as the challenges were updated challenges from season 1 which aired 10 years ago. Not one person finished the pattern challenge, the second challenge I didn't really watch but what was well done wasn't as creative as the judges wanted, and the made to measure was all over the board. Those who chose a high quality fabric (cotton) did the best but some were not well fitted or had issues.

What I did notice is that the sewing machines may not have been powerful enough for the first challenge -- a denim skirt as they had to make buttonholes. The second thing I noticed was comments made about using the top stitching thread. I wondered if the contestants put in a denim needle and did some samples to see how the machine would stitch, top stitch, and do button holes. 

I am now watching another video that is talking about the episode. A comment was made that people are there to brand themselves. Many of the previous contestants have branded themselves on the show and are doing well. I am interested in learning more as time goes on. 

Knitting

I knit on the sock last night and got the leg done. 

I looked at the pattern and found a mistake at pattern #10. I unknit back to the mistake and knit pattern #10 again. I will finish up the leg tonight. 

Today

I am hoping that I can do a few things outside after I do a bit of housework and laundry. I would like to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. I have to pick up grandson and take him home which I always enjoy. 

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

A Busy Day

 Yesterday was cloudy with a high of 26.9C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 12C. Today we are to have it sunny with a high of 28C with a humidex of 30C. 

Lifestyle

I was off to physio early yesterday morning. I am improving to the point of getting everything tweaked and relaxed. My SI was tight so we worked on that. I am getting more motion of range which is good. I will probably always walk with a limp but I am so much better than I was. My SI joint did crack into place early this morning which was great. 

Once home, I headed out to New Minas and was home by lunch time. I rested in the afternoon, visited with my friend, and let my relax from the physio session I had. 

I was out in the evening to watch the final inspection of grandson's school's cadet core. It is about a 2 hour ceremony where they parade, and each of the 15 platoons and 3 bands are inspected by an outside person. Then there are speeches, awards, and, this year, a picture taken by the drone. Grandson is a Warrant Officer and wears a uniform like this.

As he is in the band, he does not join this group for the ceremonies. The rest of the students wear red jackets. All wear Black Watch kilts. In total there are about 350 cadets in this core. 

There is 1 nurse and several first aid people monitoring the students making sure those who are experiencing heat exhaustion are taken off the field to rest and hydrate. 

Sewing

I was back to the quilt shop to get the fabric for the bag I will make and enter into the contest. I got 3 pieces of fabric, 2 which are of the fabric line to be used in the piece. I am glad that I went as a lot of the fabric had been purchased the previous day. 

The white fabric is actually grey with tiny dots on it. 

I will embroider a moose on it for each side of the bag. 

It will also be used for the corners of the snowball block and the lining of the bag. 

I was over to my friends to get two scraps of brown fabric for the antlers and face of the moose. I will use the red fabric for the scarf. I am ready to begin. My friend and I had a good laugh as I have very little brown fabric in my stash. When I buy brown fabric, I get enough for the project and give the scraps to my friend who loves brown for her wall hangings. 

I did add the lining to the other side of the doll's dress. It looks the same as the first side and is all basted into place ready for a good pressing. 

Knitting

None done as I was out to the final inspection at the school. 

Thoughts

    I am sore to day from sitting in a fold up chair. All types of those chairs make my muscles sore. The up side is I didn't have to stand for 2 hours. I will take Tylenol today knowing the muscles will relax and not hurt by this evening. 

    Today is suppose to be the warmest day. It is suppose to cool off some next week. It will be time for me to work on the hedge during the morning while it is cool. I want to get it done along with spraying weeds in the next two weeks. 

    The contest the quilt shop is having should be fun. The spin on the contest is the print is larger than expected and is directional. I chose a bag as I have more control over the print. I will probably use it as a gift bag this Christmas. I am not going to win a prize. I am doing this to support the store. 

Today

I am out for osteopathy mid morning so I would like to water the garden before I go. I have to get spray starch in Sackville, have some lunch and head home. I will probably rest as the osteopathy session will hit me this afternoon. I hope to knit tonight. 

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

New Socks Begun

 Yesterday was sunny and warm. The high got to 25.1C. This morning it is cloudy and 13C. Today is to be sunny with a high of 28C. We may get a shower tonight. 

Lifestyle

Housework went out the window as I went to New Minas with daughter-n-law. We had to stop at Wolfville where I said goodbye to our friends. They leave for Alberta on Sunday morning and will only be coming back to visit. I will miss them a lot. We went on to New Minas where we did some shopping, got some lunch and headed home. 

I watered the plants when it cooled off a bit and all are doing well. I need to haul out the sprinkler and water all the boxes so I can begin planting seeds. Everything is quite dry here and we could use a nice rain. 

Sewing

While in New Minas, we went to the fabric store and I bought the fabric for the borders and binding of the quilt I am working on. It was in the sale section and was almost gone. I think there about a meter left on the bolt. 

I have decided to support the store and take part in their Christmas in July contest. They are looking for projects that are not quilts so I will make a bag using two of the featured fabric and a tiny print/plain fabric. I will add embroidery and piping to it. I figured out how much fabric I need so will get it on Friday morning. 

I worked on the doll's dress and spent my time fixing the collar and doing the lining. I did a lot of hand basting. 

I hand basted the lining down to the sleeve as I want that seam to be hidden. I am ready to put the lining into the other side. 

The collars look much better since I fiddle with the one. 

Though the instructions look confusing for the lining, they are actually not too bad when I had the dress in hand and followed what was written. 

Knitting

I wound the skein of yarn into a ball and love how it looked. Lots of white showing so I can do a pattern. 

I started knitting the socks and have the cuff and half the leg on sock #1 knit. 

The back of the sock is just as nice looking as the front. 

I hope to get another skein of this yarn to make another pair of socks as I love it so much. 

Thoughts

    It was warm yesterday but no record was broken. We certainly are not use to this heat which came on quickly. The basement is cool all day long but I have to run the a/c upstairs a it gets very warm. I do open the windows at night. 

    I normally don't take part in contests as they are usually for quilters who make wonderful quilts. The contest at the quilt shop is not focusing on quilts but originality of the item and how you use the fabric in what you make. I am going to combine quilt blocks, embroidery, and piping to make mine. The only quilting will be cross hatching. Everything will be stabilized with interfacing. 

Today

I am out for physio at 8:30 am and then will go and get the fabric for the contest. My ideas are now firm in my head so I can begin by buying the fabric and do a few mock ups in scrap fabrics. I want to sew on the doll's dress this afternoon. I am out to grandson's school tonight as they are having their final inspection for the year. 

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

Grape Tomato Plants Bought

 Though yesterday started out cloudy, it turned out to be sunny with a high of 21.6C. This morning it is a bit cloudy and 9C. We are to have sunshine and a high of 24C. 

Lifestyle

I started out the morning getting ready to grocery shop. By the time I got out of the house, I had cleaned the spare bedroom (litter box area), swept the hall and cleaned the front hall. What started out as a small chore (clean up litter) turned into a house cleaning project. 

I did go and get groceries. The grocery store wasn't busy as I had thought. Though it was the Victoria Day weekend, most businesses were open. This isn't a big holiday in Nova Scotia. After getting groceries, I decided to look at the garden center. I was interested in what they had in stock. In the very back of center was the 50% off section. I found grape tomato plants that had a bit of frost damage. They were healthy and growing like crazy. I bought 3 of them. I planted them after I got the groceries put away. 

The sun came out and they needed to be in the shade so I put a towel on the top and down the front of the cages. 

In the late afternoon, the wind came up and they were in the sun once again. So I grabbed a blanket and made half a hut for them. And before bedtime, I grabbed the other blanket and made a full hut for them to be safe over night. (Okay, I'm crazy but we can still get frost). 

I will remove one blanket today so the plants can be protected from the sun and wind. This will be repeated until they are strong and can handle the heat and wind. 

Sewing

I spent time in the sewing room working on the doll's dress. I got the sleeves in and the lace collar hand basted on. 

The left collar needs to be replaced as it should dip down like the right side does. From a picture of Mary wearing the dress, the lace dips down the front even further than what I will be doing. 

The sleeves on Mary's dress has a band so I am going to turn up the sleeves on my doll's dress. 

The lining has been cut out and once the collar has been fixed, it is ready for me to sew up and put in. 

The dress looks funny at the moment but I am sure it will look okay once the side seams are sewn. 

The little seed beads on the front are annoying me so I am going to look for small black buttons to sew down the front. 

I watched this video on making a quick quilt. I had thought about buying 12 fat quarters but will be using these 4 fabrics and making 2 of each block. I can get more of the plain fabric which is not shown with the possibility of getting one or more of the print. I will check when I got to the shop.  

Knitting

I finished the socks last night. 

I love them and there may be enough yarn left over to make a short sleeved sweater for one of the Gotz dolls. I have the black yarn left but will keep it on hand just in case I need it for another project. 

I have to wind yarn to start another pair of socks and get started on them. I want them almost done when I go back to get more yarn in late June. I am on a mission to knit socks for Christmas presents. Three pairs to make. 

Thoughts

    Though I wasn't going to buy tomatoes yet, the fact that they were on sale and healthy made me get them. I will baby them along so they survive. I have an idea of how to keep them warm if we have a frost warning. This week I am more worried about the heat and wind than I am of frost.

    I was thinking how quiet it was for a long weekend. With most people working, there was very little traffic on the highway. I remember how crazy it was in BC as people left Friday to go to camping and then home on Monday. Most businesses were closed and those that were open had very few customers that day. In our little area, most people who were home worked in their yards. 

    My plans for yard work are on hold at the moment. It is going to be too warm to work outside until the weekend. Once we cool down, I will start working on the hedge. No need to have heat stroke if I can avoid it. 

Today

I am going to water plants due to the warmth, get out 2 chairs and the rug, and call outside work done. I want to do some housework and then sew this afternoon. I will wind the yarn and knit tonight. 

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

A Day Of Being Busy

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy with a high of 17.8C. This morning it is cloudy with fog and 9C. Today we are to be mainly cloudy this morning with the sun shining this afternoon. The high is to get to 22C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I tackled the balance sheet. I put in 3 entries and it wouldn't balance. Took them out and it balanced. I did that 3 times before it balanced. I finished the without any more problems, did my little bit of stats and put it away. 

I did two loads of laundry and had them folded and put away by noon. While the laundry was on, I started cleaning the bathroom. It was not too bad though there was the usual toilet paper fluff to deal with. The floor was washed and I was on to cleaning the kitchen.

I did a good job of the kitchen making sure I cleaned it well. The Keurig was descaled while I worked. I took my two bouquets of flowers from Mother's Day and put all the nice flowers into a clean vase and the dead ones went into the compost bin. I kept working around the kitchen until it was clean and then washed the floor. I was happy that the two rooms got a good cleaning. 

Late in the afternoon, I went out and watered the garlic. I watered the box for the leeks twice and then planted the little plants. There were 40 of them. Lots of leek and potato soup this winter. There is enough space left in the box to plant bok choy. I will plant more of it in other boxes also. I now have to keep the box watered and fertilized. I need to buy slow release fertilizer in the next day or two. 

Sewing

I spent some time in the sewing room and made block 4. I love how it turned out. 

I am loving how this quilt is taking on its own personality. 

Block 5 is the hour glass and it needs 4 pieces of fabric 7" square. 

I cut a fat quarter into bias strips to make piping. It is ready for me to sew the strips together and add the cording to it. I can do that one day on the 2nd sewing machine. 

My next project is to make a dress for the dolls inspired by Downton Abbey. I cut out the pattern and started to sew the dress together. A bit of a puzzle as I find the instructions confusing. Maybe the next version will be easier. 

I put a bit of ruffled lace down the front and need to sew some seed beads to represent tiny buttons. 

There is lace at the neckline and I have played with it. After pinning it on, I have since removed it and fussy cut the edge. I will see how it works and if it doesn't I will find other lace in the lace bin to use. There is no shortage of lace in that bin.

Once the little beads are sewn on to the front, I will do the sleeves and then cut out the lining. I am enjoying the project even if I find the instructions a bit confusing. 

Knitting

I knit the foot on the 2nd sock. 

I am ready to do the toes and they will be done. I didn't need the ball of black wool but will keep it for another project. I will be ready to start the next pair of socks this week. Hurrah. 

Thoughts

    I am glad I pushed myself to do things yesterday. I was feeling sore and somewhat depressed. Setting goals and getting them completed made me feel much better. I will continue to set goals daily and push my way through the pain and what ever it is I am dealing with. 

    I found out someone we knew and did the electrical for our house in Ashcroft passed away from cancer. He was such a nice person and I was sad to read about it. 

    I sold one more item from the garage sale yesterday. My friend bought the Japanese mesh works kit and I am hoping she will do some and add it to some of the wall hangings she does. I told her I will help her if she needs it. I would love to see her do lattice work with it and hand appliqué flowers or plants on to it for the background on one of her animals. 

    I am trying to make a plan to start cleaning under the hedge. It is going to be warm for the next few days so I will have to work in the mornings. I also want to set up the furniture on the deck so I can sit outside and enjoy it. I am thinking of eating lunch out there on nice days. 

Today

I need to grocery shop, clean a bit more of the house, haul out deck furniture, sew, and knit. I will see how much I get done. I am over planning as my hip is not sore this morning. I can eliminate things as the day progresses and do more another day. Even getting two items onto the deck is better than none. 

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

Yard Sale Success

 Yesterday started out cloudy and then was sunny. The high got to 19.9C. This morning it is cloudy and 9C. Today is to be cloudy, sunny, and damp with a high of 14C. 

Lifestyle

We started our day at 7:15 am and at 7:35 am we had the early birds at the yard sale. There were quite a few people who came to it and we did well. I would say we sold almost 80% of the items we had out. I made enough to pay for the next 4 lawn mowings and some cash to spend. 

Once we shut down, I had a good rest as I was tired from walking on the cement floor of the garage. I did do a few little things before going over to family's to treat them to dinner. They certainly have been a great help the last while. 

Sewing

None done though I do dream of getting back into the sewing room today. 

Knitting

I did knit on the socks last night and sock #1 is ready for me to do the toe decreases. 

I have set it aside to knit the foot on sock #2. 

Thoughts

    People across the road from us set up their yard sale. It was great as people had two places to go to in one area plus 4 other houses on the next street down from us. I will be opening my door again on June 1 when there is the big yard sale in the retirement community behind us. Several of us are scratching around to fill the tables for that sale. 

    We had a small container with three items in it. We did not know what they were and one person told us they were for leather work. Made sense as the Spousal Unit's family had work horses they used when farming. They would have fixed the harnesses on a regular basis. I have put them aside in hope to find someone who will appreciate them as I am sure they are very old. 

    Now that this yard sale is done, I am hoping to get the house cleaned and some yard work done. I do have 2 appointments this week for physio and osteopathy which will slow me down some. Next week, I will continue on with house and yard work plus get ready for the yard sale. 

Today

It is house work and laundry this morning. I hope to make piping this afternoon and knit tonight. It is a day at home for me. 

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