A Fall Table Runner Starting

 Yesterday was quite sunny with a high of 25C (humidex 27C). This morning it is clearing off from rain last night and 14C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 23C. 

Lifestyle

I made a list of things I needed to do yesterday and set about doing it. I started off with a few easy jobs: take out the garbage, fold the laundry, and launder the sheets. Then I set about fall cleaning. The closet was tackled first. Everything was moved and it was dusted, wiped down and the floor washed. 

While everything was out, I organized the winter basket and tossed a pair of worn out gloves. Next was the trolley that I have cleaning items on. I tossed 7 or 8 worn out cleaning rags and replaced them with new ones. I tidied up the mess and put it all away. Books were taken out of a basket and all but 2 were put into a pile to be taken to a little library in our area. 

I picked up all the recycling and put it out into the garage. My break was changing Rosie's filter and emptying her dust bin. I also filled her tank with water. 

I washed the door inside and out and then started washing walls in that area. I made sure they were spotless and then did the baseboards. I wiped the refrigerator down and then washed the floor. 

While the floor was drying, I took the books to the little library and once home I put everything back in its place and put the sheets into the dryer. 

In the afternoon, I watered all the plants and picked the cucumbers and tomatoes. The earwigs are eating the tomatoes so I am going to start picking them before they are ripe. I also made my bed and while dinner was warming up, I emptied the dishwasher and loaded it up again. After dinner, I did my usual clean up so the kitchen is clean in the morning. 

Sewing

I started the table runner. I pressed and cut the pieces for block #1. I carefully sewed the pieces together doing a lot of measuring after each row. I was successful. 

I used the herpa marker to mark the lines where I will the outline stitch so these pumpkins have some curves to them. 

I am deciding if I will embroider the now or after I sandwich the 3 layers together. 

Knitting

I knit 4 rows on the afghan border and had to stop when casting off. My hands started to cramp. 

Thoughts

    I am happy that I got the first area cleaned. I was surprised that I had a lot of items to go out to the trash or recycling from the closet. I am happy all the books are gone. I kept one to read as it is about the Acadians in a community near us (fictional based on truth). The author is from that community. It will go to the little library when I have read it. 

    I ate well and tracked all my food. I was hungry in the afternoon as lunch wasn't big. But I didn't snack. I was a bit short on fluids which was one reason my hands cramped. The other reason was handling the small bits of fabric when making block #1. 

    Daughter spent Saturday and yesterday at a class so she could get her Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL). She was nervous about doing it. Saturday was class and the room was overly warm and stuffy. The a/c hadn't been put on. Yesterday was the practical side of it plus the written and hands on test. She got 96% on the written test and 100% on the hands on test. She was tired when done and had been out of the house over 9 hours yesterday. She has to submit the paper work and wait for her certificate to be sent to her. 

    I slept poorly last night. Don't know why. I woke up around 1 am really hot. I had to get up and lower the temperature on the a/c. I know I will have a nap after lunch as I will be tired. I hate it when I sleep poorly as it slows me down during the day. 

Today

I have physio early this morning. Once home, I have to prep chicken for dinner and then start more fall cleaning. I have to do a load of laundry. I will nap after lunch and I hope I can start work on block #2. If I have the energy, I will finish casting off the afghan. I am going to push myself to get my to-do list done. 

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

More Embroidering Done

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with some wind. The high got to 22C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 12C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

Sandwiches were done in good time yesterday with extra people helping. I was home in good time and was sitting drinking water and making my plans when daughter-in-law invited me to come along with her to Bedford. 

We only went to Walmart as she needed to get the lenses replaced in a pair of glasses. We did some shopping and headed for home. The traffic was heavy as people were going down the valley to enjoy the lovely weather at wineries and other fun destinations. We got home at 11:30 am. 

Once home, I decided I should do the balance sheet. I got it done by noon without any problems. I do like it when I can get it done quickly and easily. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room having a bit of fun. My first job was to starch the fabric for the table runners. I did the pumpkins and background fabric. The pattern starts with those. 

Next up I decided to see what the maple leaf design looked like when it was double and played with on the software program. It took a while to stitch out but I did a few things while I waited. 

One thing I did was look up the sample I had done way back when. I have a binder that I have kept some designs in. I had done it on red faux suede. The stitching was done in gold with a hint of red where I have the cream. It brought back a lot of happy memories as I really enjoyed embroidering the design down the fronts of a vest. 

I cut down the single piece of embroidery to 4.5" square and sewed it to a piece of the fabric I want to use. 

This design could be 4 squares wide by 6 to 8 squares long. A smaller table runner as the embroidery is dense and takes time. I need to buy a spool of glide thread and two pieces of fabric. I had to stop as it was time to make dinner. 

Knitting

I cast off the afghan and then picked up the stitches along one side. I have 3 rows knit on it. 

The picture is horrible and you can barely see the border. I am planning on doing 6 or 8 rows down each side. 

Thoughts

    I had a better day food wise. I did not snack at all and ate well. I made salads using up the ripe tomatoes and cucumbers from the plants on the deck. I had portion control. Overall I felt better watching what I ate. 

    Grandson has let family know he and his girlfriend are moving from Spain to Alberta. We are not surprised as many questions have been asked by his girlfriend. It isn't going to be easy and they have to figure out what they need to do. We don't know when they arrive and we don't know when they will talk to us again. 

    It started out somewhat humid yesterday and the wind came up and move the humidity out of the area/province late in the afternoon. I opened the house up around 8 pm and the windows are still open at this time. The forecast still shows a humidex but it is not like it was. Will be have more of those ugly hot humid days? We can until late September. But they don't last as long unless there is a major storm coming. 

Today

I am going to start fall cleaning. The area I am working on is the closet and top landing. Walls, doors, trim, floors. I will be going through tubs to see what I can let go of. This afternoon I want to start cutting out and sewing block 1 of the table runner. Tonight I want to knit on the afghan. It is cooler and I want to get things done. 

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

Fabric Bought For A Table Runner

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with one tiny shower. The high got to 27C (humidex 34C). This morning it is cloudy and 19C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 23C (humidex 26C). 

Lifestyle

Prior to leaving for New Minas, I went down to the basement. It was overly warm down there. I checked the dehumidifier and it said the house humidity was 50%. I emptied the container even though it only 3/4 full. I turned on heat pump to dehumidify and hoped it would cool off. It worked as it was almost cold down there mid afternoon.

The trip to New Minas was warm and muggy. I got my bag from the quilt shop and did buy some fabric. I went to Walmart to buy groceries as it is cheaper than buying them locally. By the time I was done there, it was time to go home. I was tired and it felt ugly outside. 

Once home, I put the groceries away and crawled into bed. I hadn't slept well and the humidity is bothering me once again. I had a good nap and felt much better when I woke up almost an hour later. 

I was out to family's last night. Daughter-in-law and I took the containers of sandwich filling to the community hall to put in the fridge. We didn't stay long and went home for dinner. It was hot dogs and chips. After dinner we had to go back to the hall and do the cookie trays. Once back at their place we watched YouTube videos on British Indian cooking. I learned a few new things that I didn't know about curries. 

Sewing

I spent about an hour at the quilt shop buying the fabrics for the table runner. It was a lot of fun as several people hung around to help me. I chose mainly solids with two of the fabrics having subtle prints and the backing and binding being a soft print. 

I was going to go to Michaels to look at their fabric. I didn't as I was too tired and will save it for another trip. The only fabric I am interested in is their solids as it is a good brand name. The others will be of interest for doll clothes and some small craft projects. 

After my nap, I decided to play around with an embroidery design. I haven't stitched it out in about 15 years when I used it on a vest I did for a rodeo queen. I got out the colours I had put into the design and had a bit of fun on a piece of fabric. 

I am thinking of using this idea for another table runner. I need a different fabric for the embroidery plus more of the print. I may be back at the quilt shop on Tuesday for fabric and thread. Glide thread is wonderful to use in embroidery projects. 

Knitting

None done last night as I got home late. 

Thoughts

    The humid weather is not going away like we had hoped it would. It has stuck around and is keeping us all inside trying to stay cool. I popped my head outside this morning and it is humid even though we don't have a humidex reading. It must be close. I keep reminding myself cooler weather will arrive sometime in September. 

    I was going to start fall cleaning mid September but have decided to start doing some each day right now. If I can't get outside to do things, I can wash walls, etc. slowly over the next few weeks. Windows can wait until it cools down. It will keep me busy in the mornings. 

Today

I am out shortly to make sandwiches. Once home, I want to start fall cleaning. This afternoon I hope to prep the fabrics for the table runner. Tonight I hope to knit. 

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

    

A Day Of Tidying Up

 Yesterday started out sunny and then was a mix of sun and clouds. The high got to 25C (humidex 31C). This morning it is cloudy and 17C. Today is supposed to be clear then cloudy with a high of 26C (humidex 33C). We have rain coming during the night. 

Lifestyle

It was reset day for part of the house. I put away items that have been lying around for weeks and a few item that have been a lot longer than that. The kitchen was tidied up as it had some clutter that I moved to the dining room table. 

The dining room table was then cleaned off and the clutter was put away. I scrubbed the table good and have a couple of things to tidy up again this morning. 

I also did some tidying up in the living room area and then swept down the stairs and the front door landing. Everything looks much better than it did and I only have a couple of things to take out. 

I had to stop and deal with the corn on my bunion. It was making my toe really sore. I was able to remove another small seed from it and get rid of more dead skin. The pain left right away and I moved on with what I was doing. 

After lunch, I moved downstairs. I hauled everything that needed to be put away down there and got it in its right spots. I vacuumed the floors of all the threads that have accumulated from both machine and hand sewing. I even emptied the dehumidifier tank which was almost full. 

Sewing

I did spent some time in the sewing room. I sewed a button back on to a hand towel topper and put it away in the kitchen. The only sewing I did and it took about 3 minutes. 

I put away the left over fabric from the apron as there is enough to make the Gotz dolls a pair of jeans and a vest from it. I put away some other fabric I had left in the family room. It is for the dolls and was left out when I was doing the Acadian outfits. I had thought I would do one more outfit but decided against it.

I did look online at fabric ideas for the table runner. I know what I want and now need to look at my choices. I think this will be a study in plain fabrics in soft colours. It may not depending if I find a pattern I like better. At the moment I don't see anything but who knows. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night. 

Thoughts

    I got the first layer of cleaning done and will do more over the next while. Cleaning up items I had dropped really helped. I will slowly go around and clean more and more so I can finish up the fall cleaning on time. 

    I did some more work on the family tree late yesterday afternoon. I did find some more information on my great aunt's children. I'm still stuck on one as I can't find anything on her. She died when she was 4 months old. The archives here in Nova Scotia have nothing on her but the date of birth and death from a piece of paper I got from my aunt. That may be because they haven't digitized birth's and death's for that time. 

    I was wondering if Lake Ontario's name could be changed unilaterally and it can't. If a country wants to change the name, it can for that country only. Lake Ontario was named prior to the 1600's by the Huron people. The province of Ontario was named after the lake. I learned a little bit more about the history of how some place or body of water was named. I find it interesting. 

    I mailed the parcel on Wednesday afternoon and put the tracking number into the Canada post app. I know it has been processed in Halifax but nothing else has come up. It is supposed to be delivered on Monday and I am a bit worried. Hopefully there will be an update today to say it is in Saskatchewan. 

Today

I am going to New Minas this morning to pick up my bag and to look at fabrics. Then it will be grocery shopping and maybe to Michaels to look at their fabric. It just came in. Once home I will rest as I am tired though I may do the balance sheet. I am out for dinner tonight at family's. Once home I will be in bed early as I have to be up early tomorrow. I may knit if I have the energy. 

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

Finished, Done, Completed, Tired But Happy

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with one good shower early in the afternoon. The high got to 25C (humidex 30C). This morning it is foggy and it seems to have rained during the night. It is 14C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 28C (humidex 34C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was busy in a different kind of way. I did a few little chores in the morning and spent the rest of the morning sewing. At noon, I was out to have lunch with daughter-in-law as it was her 50th birthday. After lunch it was back downstairs to sew. 

Late in the afternoon, I was out to mail the parcel of sewing and I had a nice visit with the lady at the post office. Once I was done there, I went to get flowers for daughter-in-law and delivered them. Talked to son for a bit and then home. I was tired so dinner was ice cream. 

On my way to the post office, I was able to take a picture of the shrub at one house. I was so impressed with the huge blooms on it. 

A bit of google searching and I found out it is a "hardy hibiscus" or Lavatera. It is the first one I have seen here though people do grow regular hibiscus outdoors here. 

The humidex was gone by 9 pm and I opened up the house for the night. I even stood out on the deck for a few minutes enjoying the cooler air. 

When I went to bed it was clear and the moon was shining. I thought it was a full moon but it doesn't happen until tomorrow night. I could see it from bed and drifted off to sleep looking at it. 

Sewing

It was another sewing marathon yesterday. Placemat #3 was finished by 11:30 am and pressed it carefully. 

After lunch I finished the placemat #4 and celebrated. 

I was exhausted as I had pushed myself to get them done. I have sore muscles from all the hand sewing. But, I got it done. 

Now I have to spend an afternoon cleaning up the sewing and family rooms. 

Knitting

None done last night as I was tired and somewhat sore. 

Thoughts

    I am hoping I don't have to do another marathon sewing spree for a while. This one had pressure on it as I didn't know the deadline and it was sooner rather than later. The person I shipped it to will get it Monday or Tuesday. I am tracking it so daughter can let the person know when it arrives at their post office. 

    I made a list of everything I need to do over the next few days. It is extensive but most of it means resetting the house now so I can focus on doing fall cleaning later in September. I am hoping I can have enough done inside so I can spent some time next week pulling weeds. 

Today

I am focusing on resetting upstairs and doing 2 loads of laundry. This afternoon I will focus on cleaning up the sewing room from all the sewing I have done. Tonight I hope to knit on the afghan. 

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

Two Done, Two To Go

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a good rain late in the afternoon. The high got to 27C (humidex 33C). This morning it is cloudy and 17C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a small chance of showers this afternoon. The high is to get to 25C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I did a tiny bit of cleaning before heading to the basement to work on the placemats. I emerged for lunch and then about 4 pm. I headed out to get groceries. When I came out of the grocery store it had started to rain a bit. A lady and I talked and she said everyone she knows is tired of the humidity. And she said the rain was coming in from the east (Halifax). It was barely raining when I got home. I unloaded the groceries, put them away and checked the weather. We were under another thunderstorm watch. It was then I noticed it was raining. Shortly after that, it started to rain heavily. It lasted over an hour before it started to ease off. By 9 pm there was no humidex or thunderstorm watch. We didn't have any thunder so we missed that part of the storm. 

I did check my vegetables and watered them in the morning. I picked a cucumber and have another one ready to pick today or tomorrow. There are a lot of tiny cucumbers on the plants. 

They are short in length (variety) but are delicious to eat. 

Sewing

I spent the biggest part of the day sewing on the placemats. I made 2 lengths of binding and sewed it on the first placemat. I took everything out to the family room and hand sewed the binding down. That took me just over 2 hours from start to finish.

After lunch I repeated the process and got a second placemat finished. 

It took over 2 hours to finish so I know I need about 5 hours of sewing to finish the other 2. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and am ready to cast off. I am deciding if I will knit a border on each side of the blanket as I forgot to do that when I started to knit. It will be easy to pick up the stitches but will be a long row of knitting as this afghan is over 300 rows long. I have the time to work on it. 

Thoughts

    We were told we would have a 60% chance of showers late yesterday afternoon. What we got was a downpour. Everything is green and clean which is nice. It was nice to have the humidex gone but we will be having it back again sometime today and for a few more days afterwards. I just looked at last August and we had very little rain that month. Actually what I read said sunny and warm with a shower on the 30th. No rain the two weeks before that. 

    I was sad to read that Dolly Parton passed away yesterday. She was such a wonderful singer and a great philanthropist. She will be missed. 

Today

I am going to work on the third placemat this morning. I am having lunch with daughter-in-law as it is her birthday. This afternoon I want to work on the 4th placemat. Tonight I will decide if I will bind off the afghan and start picking up stitches for the border. Probably will do that. 

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

Ready to Bind The Placemats

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 28C (humidex 38C). This morning it is cloudy, foggy, and 18C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of showers. The high could get to 25C (humidex 32C).

Lifestyle

I was on the phone for over 40 minutes yesterday. I spent a while listening to music and then had the wrong department. They transferred me to the right department. The person I spoke to was wonderful. They explained everything to me and I got the information I needed. I didn't get that information via email which was frustrating for me. 

When done the call, I emptied the dishwasher and put in the dirty dishes. I did a clean up of the kitchen to make sure all surfaces were not dirty. I did that twice more during the day as I actually made meals. Next up laundry was folded and put away. 

At that point, I had to lie down on the couch and do my 3 minute stretch. I was really sore. As I laid down I felt something release inside me. Doing the exercise wasn't difficult due to that. Once it was done, I did another exercise to stretch the piriformis muscle. Wow did that ever start a bunch of muscles to hurting. I did it on both sides several times to help stretch the rebelling muscles. I knew they were going to be sore for quite a while. 

My last chore before lunch was to sweep the living room floor. It is time for me to clean the living room and give the floor a good mopping. It is on my to-do list for later this week. 

Sewing

I was downstairs in the sewing room all afternoon. It was a great session as I got the last two placemats quilted. I got both of them stitched in the ditch with a small amount of thread left. I then quilted the first placemat and changed threads a few times. 

The second one had more thread changes which took more time. More stops and starts, more thread to knot and bury. 

The next job was to stitch around the outside edge of all 4 place mats and then trim them square. This job I hate as the fabric is more of what I call discount quilting cotton. At this point I know I will be fighting and fight I did but the job got done. 

The binding is cut and ready for me to sew together. 

At this point I had to quit as I was tired and needed to get something to drink. I have another 2 long days of sewing to get these done and out the door. I found out they need to be shipped asap. This parcel will be going priority post. 

Knitting

I did pick up my knitting and finished the row I was on and started the border. It could be done tonight. I will have 3 full balls and one part ball of yarn left. A few hats can be made over time. 

Thoughts

    Marianne, we make a variety of sandwiches which include ham and cheese, chicken with cranberries, cucumber with dill pickle hummus, canned ham and tuna, finely chopped vegetables, cream cheese, and egg salad. Most have mayo based dressings in them. We do mainly celebration of life lunches. The one for the anniversary party was a first for us. We do some luncheons and dinners where we cook meat, potatoes, vegetables and have buns and pies. We limit catered dinners as we would be doing it a lot in the summer when we have less people available to help. 

    Yesterday's humidity was thick and heavy. I was outside in it for a few minutes twice. I couldn't believe how much very warm moisture was in the air and it made you feel uncomfortable very quickly. There was very little wind which doesn't help get rid of the humidity. It has to pack its bag and leave on its own. 

    I picked my first cucumber and had it with my own tomatoes for dinner last night. It was delicious. I have 2 more cucumbers almost ready to pick. There are a lot of tomatoes that are ready or almost ready to pick. I have decided to dump all the dirt from the pots this fall and put in new next spring. I have been feeding the plants a lot this year as the soil is 2 years old and needs to be replaced. 

    I had a good day yesterday. No foggy funk or my brain being negative. I kept moving forward all day wanting to get things done. I was tired last night but it was a happy tired. 

Today

I have to spend a lot of time working on the placemats as I want them out of here Thursday at the latest. Other things are on hold unless it is to get groceries. I am trying to get my meat and pantry items used up before I go shopping. 

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

Let My Brain Mull Through A Lot of Stuff

 Yesterday was wet and humid with a high of 25C (humidex 35C). This morning it is cloudy and 22C (humidex 31C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with some wind. The high is supposed to get to 24C (humidex 32C).

Lifestyle

I was at the community hall before 8 am to help make sandwiches. We had to make 8 loaves for a celebration of life which was being held at the hall and another 6 loaves for an anniversary party in another community. It was a lot of work and I got behind as two electric knives wouldn't work. I started out cutting sandwiches with a bread knife. One of the ladies went home and got her electric knife which was so nice of her. We were done in less than 2 hours. As I was cleaning up my work space, I turned and had a huge pain in my leg. First I thought it was my hip but it is a combination of muscles and my SI joint. I hobbled to help finish up which was very annoying for me. 

At home, I sat on the couch with heat on my sore spots. I let myself relax so the heat would get into the relaxed muscles. I got up and walked every so often to keep them from stiffening up. 

I went over to family's at 1 pm to help daughter deliver the sandwiches to the anniversary party. I hadn't been out to that area (Avondale) for over 4 years. We had a lovely drive out there with no rain. We found the hall and it is smaller than ours but very nice. We unloaded the food and helped them get it onto the tables. The people were so happy to have this as no one does sandwiches and sweet trays in this area. 

We left the hall and daughter-in-law wanted to go to the winery. We did a loop around and had one big laugh when we discovered it was 2 lots down from the hall. The winery is very interesting as it is in a restored historic church that was brought to the location via barge and road (42 km trip). Daughter-in-law tasted wine with the owner and I bought her a bottle of wine that was new to her. She bought the ones they love. We had a lovely time in the building and little has changed since I was there in November 2017. 

Once home, I sat with heat on my sore spots. I also let my body shut down and rest from the funk I have been having. The tv was on and I let some shows run. I played games on my iPad. Around 4:30 I noticed that I was moving out of the funk and was ready to make something for dinner. The first time in 3 days. I had subconsciously worked through everything and was ready to move forward. What my subconscious was working through was a lot more than I had realized. 

The rain we were supposed to get wasn't nearly as heavy as anticipated. We got about an inch of rain maybe slightly more. The humidity was worse than the rain. When we walked outside to do things it felt like you had a very warm wet towel around you. It was quite uncomfortable. The humidity hasn't passed yet and it was very oppressive when I went out onto the deck at 6:30 this morning. Hopefully the humidity will leave and we can enjoy "normal" weather again. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday as I wasn't in the mood to do it. 

Today

I have to do some paperwork and some cleaning. I also have to fold laundry and put it away. I want to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. It is an inside day for me. 

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

Two Placemats Quilted

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 24C (humidex 30C). This morning it is raining lightly and 20C. Today is supposed to be wet with some heavy rains falling during the day. The high is supposed to get to 22C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen. It was a heavy duty cleaning session. I scrubbed as many surfaces as I could and by the time I was ready to empty the garbage and recycling, I had to lie down and do my SI stretching exercises. It really helped doing them. Then it was up and emptying the garbage and recycling, vacuuming the floor and mopping it. It was dirty but not as bad as I had thought. When done, I sat on the couch with the heat on my SI joint. It deserved it as it didn't hurt after doing the exercises. 

I did do a load of laundry and it is in the dryer waiting for me to fold it (once again). It will get done today. 

I was out to get myself some dinner last night as I didn't have time to make it. There are a lot of hydrangea bushes in the 55+ community and they are turning from vanilla to pink. The pink will darken to raspberry. 

I was out to the community hall last night and helped family some. They set up the hall for a celebration of life that will be held this afternoon. We got everything ready as we have to make sandwiches for it and a smaller batch which we will deliver to another location. We were home in good time. 

Sewing

I worked on the placemats yesterday afternoon. The backing was cut for the 4 placemats and batting for 2. The remaining batting is ready to cut. I sandwiched the 2 placemats I wanted to quilt and set about quilting them. The first placemat was easy. I stitched around the block in navy and then used khaki thread on the main part. The rows are 2" apart. 

The second placemat took longer to quilt as I had to change the thread to blue to do the sky. But I am pleased with the results of it.

I have enough blue thread to do one more placemat and then will have to get another spool on Tuesday. I can cut out the binding and sew it on as I can use a different shade of navy for that. 

The bag is cute, Marianne. It is very different to most patterns I have looked at. If I have a zipper I may have to try it out using the fabric I won.

Knitting

I did knit on the afghan last night and ran out of yarn. 

I will attach another ball and knit that row plus the border and call the afghan done. It is long enough to wrap up in this winter. 

I am not sure what I will knit next. I am thinking about something for the dolls but may cast on a pair of socks. I can make heavy weight wool socks for daughter for Christmas. 

Thoughts

    Thought it is to rain until about midnight tonight, it seems as if we are in the area of highest rainfall amounts. It all depends on how the storms move and if they start to circle around and collide with each other. As this storm is bringing in warm moist air, it will take a couple of days before it will start to cool off at night. There will be updates later today on how things are going to look for tonight. 

    I finally figured out why I am struggling and feeling tired. It started just before the Spousal Unit's birthday in July and carried itself forward with me having some good days and some days I struggled. The worst day was August 22 which is the day we had to put him into the hospital. I know this "funk" will carry on until Sept 22 when he passed away. Why it has hit me hard after 4 years I don't know. I do know it is common for this to happen and I know it will pass. The biggest thing I am struggling with is wondering if I could have done more for him. I have let this run in my head and know family and I did the best we could for him and that we couldn't have done more. This will pass as it always does so I am working at being gentle with myself. 

Today

I am out shortly to help make 16 loaves of sandwiches. Once done I am not sure what I will do. Fold laundry for sure. Sew if I have the energy. Cook dinner at home. Knit tonight. It is a day of "wait and see". 

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

A Custom Apron Is Completed

 Yesterday was mainly sunny and humid. The high got to 26C (humidex 30C). This morning it is cloudy and 18C. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 25C (humidex 29C). We are to have rain starting tonight. We are under a weather statement for heavy rain. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning was another go at making brownies. I lined the pan with parchment paper which seemed to take forever. Getting it the right size was time consuming but I built a sling. Making the brownie was easy. I weighed all the ingredients out first and then made it. I baked it and when it cooled the thing came out of the pan easily. I will ice it tonight. 

I did clean up my baking dishes but need to do a big clean in the kitchen once again. It is on the to-do list for today. 

I did get all the laundry folded and put away. It felt good to get that job done just in time to do more laundry. 

My lawn was mowed at noon yesterday and it was long. I will be monitoring the growth more closely and texting sooner. It was okay this time as the lawn got over being stressed from the heat wave we had. Once it cools down I will be out there pulling weeds once again. 

Sewing

I had a 4.5 hour sewing marathon yesterday afternoon. I started off getting the dog square sewn down on the apron and then proceeded to read the instructions. I made a plan.

    I sewed 1/4" away from the top of the bottom band and up the geese on the apron. I also sewed 1/4" down each side of the apron. That allowed the apron front and lining to be attached. The thread is such a perfect match you really don't see it. 

    I hemmed the top of the apron so it was finished neatly. 

    I hemmed the first facing for the side of the apron. This is the casing for the strap to go through. I sewed it on and pressed it in place. I was happy with the results. 

    The second facing was hemmed and when I went to attach it, it was not the same size as the other one. They both had the same number on them. I quickly cut out a new facing and hemmed it. I attached it to the apron and pressed it in place. 

    The facings needed to be stitched down to form a casing. The one side was easy as I could sew it down using the matching thread. The other side needed me to change thread colour for the patch. 

    The tie was made, pressed and top stitched. I threaded it through the casings and called it done for the day. It was 5 pm. 

A close up of the dog patch I added to the apron. You can barely see the stitching line I had to do.

It looks crooked as I stood at an angle to take the picture. 

Next up is to finish the placemats. I did look at them and realize I have a lot of thread changes when quilting these. I am trying to figure out what I will do. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got 6 rows done. I am almost done the ball of yarn. 

Thoughts

    I was incredibly sore yesterday. I hobbled around all day. I checked the weather map and saw that there was rain along the Halifax side of the province (50 miles away). The barometric pressure had dropped and was starting to rise. I blamed it. When I looked at the weather at 5 pm, we were under a weather statement. My body was reacting to what ever is coming in. They say up to 4" of rain could fall with storms circling around and passing over each other. 

    I read this morning that the trade deal between Canada and the US didn't reach the finish line. I have read that the people of both countries want tariffs gone as we are, ultimately, the ones who are paying them. Unfortunately we are the ones affected with rising costs, job insecurity, and fear of what the future holds for us. 

    I did a quick assessment of the weeds in the lawn. I have a few mornings of work to do out there. I have to get out the shovel as the weeds did get cut down and will be harder to pull. I will then have to see if I can hoe the dead grass so the soil is exposed. And the last big job will be to weed the dreaded hedge. 

Today

I am going to clean up the kitchen and do a small load of laundry. I have to make dinner. I want to start quilting the placemats and will knit tonight. A quiet day at home. 

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

We Have An Apron In The Making

 Yesterday started out cloudy and ended up sunny. The high got to 27C (humidex 34C). This morning it is cloudy but clearing and 18C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high ion 28C (humidex 35C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I decided to make brownies. I weighed all the ingredients, sprayed the pan and baked them. I ended up with a first class very rich tasting flop. It would not come out of the pan and it seemed to be undercooked. I cleaned up the mess I had made and moved on. It consumed my morning and I had something worthy for the compost bin. 

I had to water the cucumber plants yesterday earlier than usual as they had wilted in the heat and humidity. They are fine and I will be watering them this morning so they don't wilt again. I do have cucumbers on these plants and the bees are busy getting pollen from the blooms. 

I did pick 2 more tomatoes and have a couple more that will be ready to pick today or tomorrow. 

Sewing

It was a busy day in the sewing room. I took a big breath, measured what I had to cut and started making a piece of fabric for the apron. I was measuring 6 times before I cut. I kept moving forward by sewing together the flying geese first, then attaching the side pieces to them. Finally the border and I took a picture of it. 

I was ready to cut the fabric at the top so it was even with the top of the flying geese. I then measured for the top part of the apron. I cut it out and sewed it on. I could breathe again and realized how tired I was from all the measuring and trying to figure out what I needed. 

I laid the pattern on the fabric and wanted to cry. The pattern has some issues I had to deal with. I figured it out after almost wearing out my tape measure. The pattern is not the same on both sides. All is good when I got that figured out. I cut out the apron very carefully and sewed the outer and lining parts together at the bottom and the sides. I turned it right side out and pressed it well. I was pleased with the results. 

I had a scrap left over from the bottom border so I pressed it to measure the same width as the flying geese. I laid it on at the top of the geese and it was a winner. 

 Daughter loved it so now I have to open the seam and sew the bottom of it to the top of the geese. The remaining part will be top stitched down. 

I was done as my brain had retired for the day. I now have to dig out the instructions so I can finish the apron. 

I did remind my brain to stop doing all this design work but it said nope as it is mulling around ideas for the table runner. It is travelling down a path that is sort of scaring me. 

Knitting

I was too tired to knit last night. 

Thoughts

    We are hoping for cooler weather sometime next week. At least cooler nights. I need to do more weeding but can't when it is warm and humid in the mornings. We will still have this humid air for another month but mornings will be cooler unless something drastic happens like a hurricane. 

    Daughter is in a good place right now with the paperwork she received. It is going to be interesting to see how this goes as she has to do nothing but wait for the court date. There are errors on his part which will go against him in court. 

Today

I am going to go buy a square to replace my blunder. Once home I will fold laundry. This afternoon, I will try to finish the apron so I can focus on finishing the placemats. I will try to knit tonight.  

I just saw a goldfinch land on the power line. I haven't seen many of them this summer. 

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

A Wonderful Tea Party

 Yesterday started out cloudy and ended up sunny. It was quite humid also. The high got to 26C (humidex 33C). This morning it is cloudy and 18C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of showers. The high is to get to 28C (humidex 36C).

Lifestyle

First and foremost, thank you for all the kind words on my bag winning. 

I did a couple of things before leaving for the tea party. I was tired due to the heat and humidity we are experiencing once again. The description of the humidity is akin to walking outside wrapped in a warm wet towel. 

The tea party was fun. I had a couple of belly laughs as one of the staff was looking for me prior to the party. She had a great laugh when she found out it was me. The other ladies didn't know me at all. We introduced ourselves and had a lovely time visiting. I have been invited to join a quilting guild but need more information on the group. 

The winning bags were all equally well done. I was told mine won as people were amazed at how I had combined design, muted colours, and custom details into one item. They had several inquiries if it was for sale. The other ladies used more vibrant colours which is typical here. They were all lovely and well thought out bags. My prize was a box of fat quarters in a beach theme.

They are outside my comfort zone and I may give them away to my friend. The other winners got a charm. We all knew the prizes were going to be small. It was more the fun of taking part in the contest vs the prizes.

Tea was lovely. The owner is from England so we had a British tea with cucumber sandwiches, scones, and other treats along with a lovely blend of tea. 

Everyone is wondering if I will be taking part in the next contest which is a table runner. I said I was thinking about it. We are all being secret about our designs which makes it a lot more fun. My design is forming and I am thinking muted colours. I have looked at fabrics in the store and ideas are running amuck in my head. But more on it when I get the apron made. 

I was out for dinner a family's last night and we had a lot of fun. It was more a wild dream of us moving to Uruguay to live. There are some things holding us back but it was certainly fun to think and talk about it. 

Thoughts

    Marianne, here is hoping you are able to start driving after your hip replacement last week. You are really amazing. Keep up the great work and soon you will be doing everything. 

    Daughter was assigned another lawyer in the firm. He specializes in family violence which he said is what she is experiencing. She has a list of 19 things to do and he has added a couple more that she has to do also. He also warned her that the judge will dismiss the case as it is low priority and set a new trial date 2 to 6 months down the road. It may not even get heard if the judges dismiss it again. He is also going to help her get mediation moving forward so they can complete the separation sooner rather than later. 

    The humidity is draining a lot of people's energy. Those who can handle it are outside doing things while the rest of us are struggling to get anything done. The people who bought our friend's house has been outside in it doing a lot of yard work. My next door neighbour mowed their lawn last night. I am envious at how they do it for a long time when I only last 5 minutes and am over heating. 

Today

I have to bake a brownie and then do some cleaning up. I am going to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. With today being very humid, I plan on staying inside most of the day. 

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

My Bag Won The Contest

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy with a high of 24C (humidex 32C). This morning it is cloudy and 20C (humidex 28C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a few showers and a high of 25C (humidex 32C). 

Lifestyle

My morning started out with a lot of dings on the phone. Daughter was texting in distress as she was served papers to have the protection order terminated. She couldn't think but gave me enough information so I could do the research. There were many issues with the paper work which was in her favour. With that in mind, she put together a plan. She executed the plan. At 5 pm, she told me she now has legal representation when she goes to court in early September. She is feeling much better.

As I had been setting up to do the balance sheet, I got busy doing it. All was going well until I had to break down the costs from my credit card. l could write a book on that. After a lot of struggling, I got up and went to pick up my prescriptions. I talked to the pharmacy student who is entering her first year in the doctoral program and is a lovely person. I also talked to my friend and had a couple of good laughs. It was what I needed. Once I got home, I figured out the credit card and then finished the balance sheet just before noon. No other issues came up. 

I did put away a few items that were cluttering one area and ate lunch. Later in the afternoon, I made dinner. It wasn't exactly my favourite meal but I'm trying to use up some meat from the freezer. Mixing mild Italian sausage, rice, and an Asian stir fry sauce is not recommended. I had a variety of clashing flavours to deal with. I ate it but won't be doing that again. I did laugh about it. 

Sewing

I did spent the afternoon in the sewing room. I made 16 flying geese for the apron knowing I will have some left over. I have set them aside for now.

I then took the container of scraps out to the garbage as it was over flowing. I also cleaned up the cutting table putting all the fabrics I didn't need away. I also put some scraps on a table as I need to mail them to a friend when I send her the purse. With the table clear, I laid out the apron fabric and pinned on the pattern pieces. I now have the lining and facings cut out. 

At this point I was feeling hot. The humidity was high outside and was coming into the house. I headed upstairs to cool off and drink a lot of fluids. 

I am now ready to cut the pieces for the outer part of the apron. I am going to start with the side piece and then sew the geese to it. Then I will do the other side piece and sew it on. Add the bottom and top pieces. Then I will lay out the pattern and cut the apron out. This is going to take me quite a while as I am going to be measuring several times before I cut the fabric. I am a bit nervous about this part. 

Knitting

I laid out the afghan and it isn't quite long enough. 

I did knit 5 rows last night (it might have been more). I plan on finishing this ball of yarn and then do the border and call it done. 

Thoughts

    We are having another mass of warm humid air from what is called a Bermuda High. Thursday will be the worst day for humidity and then Friday will be cooler. The next round of humidity starts on Saturday. I am hoping I can get outside to dig some more weeds out of the lawn on Friday. In the meantime, I will remain inside where I can stay cool. 

    I just watched a video on Facebook and found out my bag won first prize in the contest at the quilt shop in New Minas. I am still in shock and am stunned. I did it to learn techniques not to win and thought the bag that won 2nd place would win. I find out what I won today. I am expecting they will want me to take part in the next contest which is a fall table runner. 

Today

I have to do a few things this morning and then am off for the tea party at the quilt shop. I have to do a bit of shopping once it is done. I am not sure if I will get to sew or not this afternoon but I do hope to knit tonight. My big goal today is to stay cool. 

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