Pyjamas Are Done

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 24C. This morning it is sunny and 11C. Today is supposed to be sunny this morning and rain this afternoon with a high of 23C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I cleaned 4 cupboards. A frying pan, a small worn out pot, a cookbook, and a tired bowl cozy got eliminated from the cupboards. The cupboards were scrubbed clean and everything put back in. There are two Christmas plates on the elimination list as I haven't used them in 7 years. I need to find someone who wants them before I put them into the garage sale. 

I pulled the stove out and cleaned behind it. I also scrubbed the floor. That set me to vacuuming half of the kitchen floor and scrubbing it on my hands and knees. The tiles were fairly clean but the grout was dirty. I used a scour daddy and scrubbed them clean. I rinsed the floor using Bona cleaner. That part of the floor looks cleaner. I was tired and sweating when I got that job done. 

I am going to get a new fridge. I need to cancel the part and then decide which store I will buy it from. It is running all the time and the fridge temperature is sitting at 50F. I am tired of moving food from the big fridge to the small one and having to buy food a couple of times a week. 

I was out for lunch at family's. We had hot dogs and left over fruit and vegetables from the bbq. We ate outside and had a lovely visit. I left early as son and grandson had to finish packing for their trip. 

Sewing

I spent most of the afternoon sewing. I hand sewed the binding down on the pyjama top and got the tiny snaps sewn on after watching the video. I am pleased with the end result. 

I also sat and hand sewed more of the lace down on the purple bag. I enjoyed sewing slowly and when I finished the piece I was relaxed. I have 3 part done now. 

The fourth part is pinned ready for me to hand sew the leaves down. I hope to do a bit a couple of days a week on it. 

I am going to focus on finishing the doll's quilt and making a small gift bag. That will have the last batch of items I cut out done. Then I will start cutting out the next batch to sew. 

Knitting

I did knit last night. I got half the leg knit on sock #2. 

I also picked up the stitches and knit 9 rounds on the sleeve of the doll's coat. 

I checked the sock yarn I have stashed away and have enough for 6 pairs of socks. We are going to New Brunswick in early July and I will allow myself to buy enough yarn for 1 or 2 pairs of socks. This means I have to knit almost every night for the rest of the year. 

Thoughts

    I am pleased with how much I have cleaned in the kitchen. I am doing more than I thought I could which is great. I am having very little pain in my joints as I climb the ladder and get up and down off the floor. The joints do get tired and I push on a bit but not so much that I will hurt the rest of the day. I am hoping to have the kitchen done by the end of next week. 

    I am struggling with my sewing goal of sewing what I want vs sewing down the stash. I have sewed a lot of items I wanted to make but I still focus on sewing down the stash. It is what I think about when I start to plan what I want to make each month. I struggle with wanting to sew up 50 to 100 meters in a year with most of the fabric coming from the stash. I buy fabric for projects and feel guilty about buying it. I then set a goal to sew it up by a certain date. I am working on trying to make things I want to make and using up the stash to make it. Some of it is enjoyable while other projects are sewn to use up the stash. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet first. Then I will clean the cupboards by the fridge. I want to sew on the doll's quilt today and knit tonight. I know family is coming over to visit. Son and grandson leave tomorrow. 

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

Progress On The Pyjama Top

 Yesterday started out cloudy, was sunny, and ended up cloudy and windy. The high got to 29C (humidex 32C). This morning it is sunshine with some clouds and 15C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 24C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

I spent some time outside watering all the plants. Everything is growing well and very healthy. Though not a lot of variety, I am hoping that we can enjoy what I chose to grow. I know we will have lots of onions for this winter. 

I fiddled with my fridge giving it a hard reset. The temperature is sitting at 50F and what I have in the fridge has ice packs around it to keep it cool. I have to decide if I will keep this fridge or buy a new one. 

I took a table over to family's for the bbq last night. I also delivered the devilled eggs for them to have. After lunch I went to the hall to help put handles on the kitchen cupboards. I am going to get a quote for the company to come and finish painting upstairs. I may try to paint the parts I can do but have them paint above the cupboards and maybe the cupboards. I can go over on Sunday to talk to them. 

The bbq was a great success. A lot of good food including some Greek desserts. The potato salad was devoured and got great reviews. I enjoyed the Caesar salad, some vegetables, fresh fruit and a piece of cake for dessert. After putting away items into the fridge and talking for a bit longer, I was home by 9 pm. 

I sat and talked to one of the boys whom I had met at son's birthday party. He is going to start a 4 year program to become a pharmacist (phd program). He is so excited and we had a great discussion on the topic. 

Sewing

After watching how to add the binding around the neck and finishing off the ends, I went down and worked on the pyjama top. I got the bias binding around the neck and looked at the amount of pins I had in it. I chose to hand baste it down. It went on beautifully. I worked on getting the bottom of the binding finished like she did and it is okay. I used fray check so one bit won't fray on me. 

It is now ready for me to hand stitch the binding in place. 

Daughter bought more panels and fabric for more quilts and aprons. I will be making flying geese for a couple of years as I work through the fabric she got. It will be interesting to see what I can come up with. I have several ideas in my head already. 

Knitting

None last night as I got home late. 

Thoughts

    I enjoyed the bbq last night. Family's back yard is wonderful to host these events. They did a great job of designing it for entertaining larger groups. It is also wonderful for having family dinners in the summer. They are also wonderful hosts. 

    I am out 3 days next week. I have physio on Wednesday and I may be discharged. I think I have progressed as far as I will go and may only need to go in if I have an issue. The other 2 days are making sandwiches, a meeting, and working a bar with daughter-in-law. There are days at home so I can do things on own. I do have to water the plants as we are going to have 2 hot days next week. 

Today

I am home all day. I have to do laundry and clean more kitchen cupboards. I want to try and finish the pyjama top this afternoon and knit tonight. I am looking forward to having a quiet day.

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

More Progress On The Pyjamas

 Yesterday was warm and sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 35C). This morning it is cloudy and 18C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 25C (humidex 31C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning saw me busy in the kitchen. I made a potato salad using 5 lbs of potatoes and 8 eggs. I also made 6 devilled eggs for family to have before the bbq tonight. I also froze shredded chicken and chicken broth and cleaned up the kitchen. 

As I went to put the potato salad into the fridge, I noticed it was warm and checked the temperature. It was 56F inside the fridge but the freezer was okay. I unloaded the fridge into the mini fridge, packed ice packs around the potato salad, quickly ate lunch, and took the salad over to family's fridge. This morning the fridge is 50F and I am worried. Do I have to order a new fridge? I have a couple of things to try this morning to see if I need to do that. This did not need to happen right now due to the fact we have a bbq tonight and son and grandson leave on Monday. 

I had a short visit with my friend yesterday after I got home from family's house. Her dog chased a cat and seems to have pulled a muscle in her back leg. I am hoping the dog is feeling better today. 

I took a walk around the vegetable boxes. The tomatoes I planted in 3 of them have blooms. The 5 volunteer tomatoes survived me moving them. The onions are growing quickly and the flowers are doing well. 

Sewing

I watched part 2 of making Luna Lapin's pyjamas. I got about half way through watching how the top was constructed. I decided to work on that part yesterday afternoon. I got it done and am ready to watch how to do the binding around the front and neck. 

The trim around the front and neck will show the cross over nicely. I am quite happy with how this is turning out. 

I have learned a few things when making these pyjamas. The bias binding needs to be about 1 1/8" wide if you want to machine stitch the piping in place. I enjoy hand sewing so am okay with the 1" wide binding. I have learned to use the zig zag stitch more proficiently on my machine. I know to go slow when using it. Width and length depend on the how big your seams are. 

Knitting

I knit like crazy last night and got 40 rounds done on sock #1. It is ready to start the heel flap after I knit the leg on sock #2. 

I didn't knit on the doll's coat last night. By the time I finished the sock, it was bed time. 

Thoughts

    I slept well last night. I woke up at 4:30 am and went to the bathroom, went back to bed and slept until it was time to get up. I really needed a good night's sleep after having two nights of poor sleeping. One thing I did do was put the fan on in my bedroom to help make it feel cooler. 

    Grandson got his driver's licence yesterday afternoon. Exciting for him as it was his goal to have it before he left for Uruguay. Scary as he is growing up way too fast and will soon be on his own. 

    It is the first day of summer today and it snuck up on me. I thought it was tomorrow. Though today is warm, the humidity will make it feel warmer than it really is. If there is a breeze, it will feel cooler. 

Today

I have to water the plants, fold laundry, and take a table over to family's for the bbq tonight. I would like to sew for a bit this afternoon before I head out for the bbq. I may get to knit for a bit tonight which will be a bonus. It is going to be a busy day today. 

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

Project Progress

 Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds, and a couple of small showers. The high got to 23C (humidex 27C). This morning it is cloudy and 18C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with a high of 25C (humidex 31C). 

Lifestyle

It was off to New Minas yesterday morning with daughter-in-law. We stopped at the car dealership as she needs one of the panels looked at. That happens on Wednesday. Then it was off to the pool place. The pool is great and needs its usual chemicals. The hot tub needs to be emptied, cleaned, and refilled. We will be doing that next week. 

Our last stop was at Walmart to get groceries. Once done, we headed home. I got home around 11 am and was exhausted. I put things away and sat down trying to figure out why I am tired. I wanted to nap but couldn't. 

I took grandson to his dental appointment. I left at 2:30 pm and due to road construction in the area, I was at their house 10 or so minutes later. Not bad considering it is a 3 minute drive. We spent some time trying to figure out how to get to the dentist and decided to scoot down the road a few houses and take the back road in. We got there early which was fine. He was done an hour later and we took the main way home and sat for a bit waiting for our turn to go at the road construction site. The good thing -- they had moved the flag person from beyond family's house to the back road we took. 

Sewing

I finished watching the video on how to make the pyjama bottoms. Some good information. I forced myself down to sew them. Once I got going, I was able to finish them before leaving to pick up grandson. 

I did follow some of the tricks the presenter said to do and they did help with the sewing. I am pleased with the end result. 

I was a bit worried about the size of the rabbit. When I measured her waist, it was the same size as the presenter's mouse (which is the same body). 

I am now ready to watch how to make the top. It has raglan sleeves and a cross over front. There is bias binding on the sleeves and around the outer edge of the top. A lot of work but I am looking forward to the challenge. 

Knitting

I knit 24 rounds on sock #1 last night. I am half done the leg. 

They are going to be interesting as I think the black is going to spiral around down to the heel flap. 

Once done the sock knitting, I knit on the doll's coat and finished the first sleeve. 

I will probably knit the 2nd sleeve from the opposite end of the ball so it will be light. I do not want a dark sleeve. 

Thoughts

    I did not sleep well again last night. I think the house is too warm and my brain is being over active. I am working on a balance of being busy and having quiet time each day. I also think part of my tiredness is from the air being full of pollen which I am allergic to. With a cool wet spring, the trees and flowers are prolific with blooms. 

    I had a lot of pain yesterday due to the barometric pressure falling. It is still falling today which means I could have more pain today. I am pushing through it as I know it will get better when the barometric pressure start to go up again. 

    I took action on the tiny black ants that love to visit homes in the summer. I have been keeping everything clean. I looked in the compost bag yesterday and it was full of those tiny ants. I took it out to the compost bin, grabbed the Ant Out spray and proceeded to spray the back door and deck where I know they are coming in. Hopefully they won't come in again but I will have to spray after it rains. 

Today

I will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen today as I have to make a large potato salad for dinner tomorrow night. I also have to make sure the kitchen is clean and tidy as I do have a bit of a mess. If I have time, I will be sewing this afternoon and I hope to knit tonight. I am hoping for a quiet day today. 

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

Finishing Projects From Early June

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 23C. This morning it is cloudy and 12C. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 24C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did the balance sheet. It started out poorly with me not being able to balance the sheet. It was out 1 cent which I fixed. The rest of the entries went well and I got it done in good time as I had to do 17 days worth of entries. 

With time to spare, I put on a load of laundry and put chicken into the Instant Pot to cook. I then started cleaning two cupboards in the kitchen. One holds baking stuff and it does get dirty. I scrubbed it well and did the top part. Not too bad. Next I did the cupboard above the stove and the top of it. I finished the morning by shredding the chicken and wiping down the counter tops. 

Mid afternoon daughter-in-law and grandson arrived. Grandson sold the bike he has had stored at my place for a couple of years. While he dealt with it, daughter-in-law and I looked at the tubs of vegetables on the deck. There is a tomato on one plant. The size of pin head but it's a tomato. The other plants have flowers on them. Everything else is growing well and I will have to fertilize them soon. 

Sewing

I had an enjoyable afternoon sewing. I cut and made the binding for the strawberry quilt. The backing is cut out and I can look for batting in the box of scraps. 

I had watched part of a video on how to make the pyjamas for the rabbit. I was ready to start the pyjamas for my rabbit. I printed all the pieces and cut them out. The top is from a scrap of the strawberry fabric and the pants were from the main piece. I also cut out 1" wide bias binding (should have been a bit wider). Using what I had learned from the video, I got the bias binding on the bottom of the legs. I even hand sewed them in place. 

I also got the projects I was working on out and made a mug rug. It was fun to make. 

I even got the binding hand sewn on it. 

I also pressed the interfacing onto the lining of a snack bag and laid it out on the ironing board ready to sew when I have time. 

Knitting

I cast on and knit the 15 rounds for the cuff on sock #2. 

I am ready to start the pattern which is knit 6, purl 2. Something different this time. 

I picked up the stitches and got 8 rounds knit on the sleeve of the doll's coat. 

I did watch a video on YouTube last night. Knitty Knatty, her husband, and dog are traveling Canada and it seems their first stop was Newfoundland. It was a wonderful video which included several stops at local wool shops. I thoroughly enjoyed the video and hope to visit Newfoundland in the near future. 

Thoughts

    Our weather is going to be muggy for a few days. Nights will be warm which means the a/c may have to be turned on. We will have a couple of cooler nights and then more warm nights. Summer is coming and so is our humid weather. 

    I am working on getting the items I started sewing earlier done. It was fun to dig them out and start working on them yesterday. My goal is to finish them before the end of the month. It will be a bonus if I can finish the little quilt and the pyjamas. The remaining strawberry fabric will be sewn in July. I also enjoyed doing regular sewing and then some hand sewing. 

    I haven't sprayed deer deterrent for quite a while now. No deer have been in the yard which has surprised me. I will be starting again as it is dry and the grass is growing slowly. The deer will be looking for food to eat and the plants will be tasty for them. I am hoping the onions (getting large) and the marigolds (blooming like crazy) will keep them at bay for a while longer. The front plants will be eaten first which means I need to start spraying them again. 

Today

I am out with daughter-in-law to New Minas this morning. I will get what I need to make a large potato salad for Friday. Once home, I will watch more of the video on making the pyjamas, and sew a bit. I have to take grandson to his dentist appointment this afternoon. Tonight I will knit on the socks and doll's coat. 

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

A Strawberry Quilt Top Completed

 Yesterday was sunny and warmer with a high of 23C. This morning it is clear and 9C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 23C. 

Lifestyle

I was outside for just over an hour to water the plants. That turned into weeding the 8 vegetable boxes and the side of the house. I did water everything well. I noticed there are 5 volunteer tomato plants in one box. If they produce that will be a bonus. A lot of the boxes have volunteer petunias growing which will add colour to the back yard. 

Once inside, I cleaned the kitchen counters and put things away. My one cupboard to clean turned into a bank of 4 drawers. I took things out, vacuumed and wiped each drawer inside and out. Things were put back in neatly with only a couple of items being removed. I use everything else. 

I sat and rested when that was done and folded laundry. It is all put away. Some items I had inside for growing cucumbers were washed and put into the garage for next year. In all, I had a very busy morning. 

I was sore yesterday and hobbled about a lot. I put it to weeding outside. My SI joint tightened up and I got to release last night when stretching in bed. It was a good crack. I do have sore muscles from it plus some is from outdoor work. I will keep moving to strengthen everything. 

Sewing

I had a great afternoon sewing. I worked on the doll's a quilt and got the top finished. It is 20" square. I made 12 flying geese and have put the ruler away for now. 

I sat the rabbit on the quilt and it is going to be a big quilt for her. She will be able to snuggle in it when it is cold. 

I will be cutting out pyjamas for the rabbit first before deciding on which fabric will be the backing. I do want to bind it in the red fabric. 

Knitting

I wound the blue yarn into two balls and set up the first sock and knit 15 rounds on the cuff. 

I also knit on the doll's coat. I tried it on the doll at the finished length. 

It was still too short so I knit a couple more rows before knitting the 6 rows of seed stitch at the bottom. 

Thoughts

    Though I accomplished at lot yesterday morning, I was happy to be moving more slowly and enjoying each job I did. I also sewed slowly yesterday and really enjoyed that. It allowed me to relax and think about what I was doing and what I want to do next. 

    I covered the plants on the deck last night as it was supposed to be 3C in low lying areas (usually us). It didn't happen which was nice. The plants are now uncovered enjoying the sunshine. The tomatoes have blooms on them which is the reason I covered them. 

Today

I am going to do the balance sheet, some laundry, and begin tidying up the dining area. If I have time, I will clean on kitchen cupboard. This afternoon I want to cut out the pyjamas for the rabbit so I can decide which fabric I will use for the backing of the quilt. Tonight I will knit on socks and the doll's coat. A quiet day for me. 

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

Progress On The Doll's Coat

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 20C. This morning it is clear and 9C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 23C.

Lifestyle

I had a short time to work on the family tree and got my 5th great grandfather's family done. It was difficult to find who most of the children married. I did dig deep into a couple of marriages only to find that those people weren't my family members. The surprise was that my 5th great grandfather was born in Nova Scotia where is 11 siblings were born in the US. 

I was picked up by daughter-in-law early so we could eat lunch at their house. Then it was off to the city to watch grandson and his soccer team play. It was a good game with one score in the first half. In the second half, grandson played and it was exciting. Grandson passed the ball perfectly and they scored a 2nd goal. More great playing and then 3 different team mates tried to score a third goal but didn't succeed. The game ended 2-0. It was grandson's last game with this team and a great way to end it. 

On our way out from the soccer pitch I got to razz grandson. He had one shin pad and sock on. It was a good laugh as he stopped to take it off. We went home and I was happy to be home. 

Knitting

I did knit on the doll's coat last night.  I was able to get 20 rows done. 

Thoughts

    We had perfect weather for the weekend. Not too warm and sunny. The mornings were cool which was nice to be out and about for activities. We couldn't have asked for anything better weather wise. 

    Life will get back to more normal now that graduation is over. I will start cleaning as I left it over the weekend. I need to weed the boxes and water everything. And I want to enjoy what I am doing without feeling rushed. I enjoy working at a steady pace vs rushing. I can rush for a few days and then need to go back to what I like best - steady progress. 

    It is hard to believe that grandson will be leaving in a week to play soccer in Uruguay. I will certainly miss him as I enjoy visiting with him whenever I want to. I do wish him the best as he begins his life after graduation. 

Today

I am home today and have a list of things to do this morning. This afternoon I want to work on the doll's quilt and will knit tonight. The list is really long as I am starting back into my routine. 

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