A Gift Bag Was Made

 Yesterday was cold for us. The sun did shine some and the high got to -7C. It dropped to -12C by 8 pm and is -9C this morning. We are to have snow today and tonight with a high of -4C.

Lifestyle

I did yoga yesterday and it was a good session with me doing a bit more than normal. I had some cracking going on which was good. I was sorer than normal yesterday due to the change in weather which is coming. 

I did do housework yesterday. The spare room got cleaned and mopped. It was very easy to do. It takes longer to clean up the kitty litter box area than it does to clean the room. Once that was done, I swept and mopped the hall floor. 

I had pain in my hip and knee last night due to the weather change. It is annoying when it happens. It also makes me retain fluid so my weight is up a bit this morning. I will be drinking lots of fluid to get it gone. 

I did go out for a bit to get something for dinner. I found Christmas morning blend of tea on sale for 55% off the regular price. I bought 2 boxes and have 36 tea bags to put into tea holders to sell. I may even drink some of it myself. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room making a gift bag. It was fun to get it done and use up part of one piece of the fabric I bought on Friday. I had to hunt for ribbon but found some that worked. 

I also hand sewed the opening on the back of the mug rugs. I now need to bag the mug rugs for sale and put the gift bag into the tub to use for Christmas gifts. 

I have a piece of the lining fabric left that is 16.25" long and about 7.5" wide. I am saving it to line a wine bottle gift bag which I can sell. I need to find fabrics to use for the outside of the bag. 

I did use up a piece of interfacing and have scraps left over from it. I can use some of them for the top part of gift bags but other pieces may have to go into the trash. I need to dig in the interfacing to see what I have left to use. The gift bag I made uses 52" or 1.3 meters of interfacing. 

I laid out row 2 of Elliott's cardinal quilt on the cutting table and it is ready for me to work on. I need to find a project to put on the embroidery machine so it can stitch out while I hand sew on the quilt. 

Knitting

I finished the heel flap on sock #1 and did 7 rows on sock #2. 

I love how the socks are growing and when I turn the heel I love how they become more 3-D. 

Thoughts

    I realized yesterday that my muscles are getting strong around my knee and hip. They are supporting the joints allowing me to do more. It is nice to know that it can help me be active and mobile. 

    The doctor made a comment that my weight is good for my age and being in the overweight BMI is fine. I did some research and found out that I can loose 10 lbs and be at the high end of my weight for a senior. The reason given is that you are less prone to disease when you are in that BMI range. I am now going to work towards loosing 10 lbs and be happy with what I have done. 

    

Today

I need to do yoga this morning and then the balance sheet. I want to clean the bathroom and do laundry. This afternoon I want to play with the Cricut and work on the journal. I hope to knit tonight but may be out shovelling snow with the outside lights on. It is to start snowing later this afternoon. 

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

Working On The Quilt

 Yesterday was cool and grey. The sun did shine late in the afternoon which was nice. The high got to -3.2C. This morning it is windy and -9C with a windchill of -17C. We are to have clouds, sun, flurries and a high of -7C.

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law and I went to New Minas yesterday morning. We had a great visit both ways and got our shopping done. I really enjoyed our time out together. We got home at noon which was perfect. 

I was out in the afternoon again to get a few items from the scrapbooking store. I met the owner who I met years ago. We had a good visit while I shopped. I am happy to support her store as her prices are comparable to other places I buy at. She has an amazing stock to look at and buy. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room. I got the 2 mug rugs done to hand stitching the back flap closed. I am pleased with how they turned out. 

I am still trying to figure out how to package them for sale. I don't want to add too much as they will become too expensive to sell. Maybe a candy cane and a couple of pieces of chocolate. 

I also worked on the small cardinal quilt. I cut down the backing and one edge I cut off too much and had to sew it back on. You can hardly see the mistake at all thanks to the pattern on the backing. 

I did do the second seam and row 3 is done. I am quite liking it. I may do the quilting on the bottom red rectangles and the center squares. 

I worked on the snowman cross stitch and got it finished. I am so happy he is done. I can fuse him to the interfacing. 

I did buy some winter paper and bits and pieces from the scrapbooking store. I will be using it for the first signature of the Charlie Brown journal plus a few other projects. I also got a snowflake stencil and will be using it on the journal. I will buy the one I really want later on. 

I also got the last piece of fabric for the sheep quilt. It was a hard decision but I chose a plain fabric in a blue grey. I also got 2 pieces of Christmas fabric to line gift bags. The left over pieces will become wine gift bags to sell. 

Knitting

I picked up the socks, watched the video to do the heel flap and got half of the first one done. 

I love the padding on the underside which I do until I finish the gusset. 

Thoughts

    I am still on a high from visiting the doctor. The results have pushed me to walk with the proper stride. I did it the whole time we were shopping and I wasn't too tired when done. I know I need to push myself to get the results I want. 

    I had a good afternoon in the sewing room. I was busy the whole time which made the time go by quickly. I am finding that my mind is happy thinking all the time about the next project. One thing I want to do is doll sewing. I am thinking of joining Sewing With Cinnamon for 6 months to see if I like it. 

    I am learning how to fit in all the crafts I like to do. It seems hodge podge but it is working for me. I am keeping all the areas tidy which is keeping my creative juices flowing. I am hoping that this will keep me busy for the next couple of months. 

    I will be phoning Weight Watchers on Monday to find out about a sale and switching over to going to meetings. I want to become a life member. I know I need to get a doctor's letter as I will not get to the "ideal" weight suggested by WW. According to research, I still need to loose 10 lbs to be at the top of my ideal weight for my age. I will be talking about that with them. 

Today

I am home all day. I need to do laundry, clean up the spare bedroom, and do yoga. I want to sew the gift bag and cut out 10 reindeer bodies and eyes. I need to glue on the eyes and set them aside until I get the cardstock for the antlers. As it is cold, I won't be outside at all today but inside staying warm. 

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

An Excellent Doctor's Visit

 Yesterday was a day of snow flurries and a bit of rain. It was dull and grey with a high of 1.5C. This morning it is clear and -7C. We are to have a mix of sun, clouds, and flurries with a high of -5C. We were under a snow warning for Sunday night and Monday but that has disappeared. 

Lifestyle

I puttered around until it was time to see the doctor. He was running late late which was funny at 9:30 a.m. He was pleased with my blood work results with my A1C being 5.5 and my kidney function improving by 4%. He put in my blood pressure (normal) and my weight. That is when he got excited as my medical problems are improving due to the weight loss. I am allowed to loose 5 lbs more and need to continue on the programs I am on. 

We talked about a referral to the surgeon for my knee and hip but I don't qualify. I now know what it takes to qualify. At this time, the plan is to keep working with physio, osteopathy, yoga, some walking, and diet. The doctor seems to think we can keep me from not having surgery for quite a while if I continue on with my program. 

Once home, I completed the balance sheet for 2023. What I thought and what happened in December blew me away. I didn't have to touch savings. I am thrilled. 2024 is set up and I will start on Sunday. 

I had a nap after lunch due to sleeping poorly for a couple of nights. It wasn't a long nap but it did refresh me. Late in the afternoon, I went over to see my neighbour to let her know how I am doing. We took the dog for a short walk and I was able to walk with a good gait and no sticks. I did my glucose at dinner and it was 4.2. A bit scary to think I was doing things with low glucose levels. I ate a good dinner to help bring it back up. 

Sewing

I watched the video on how to do the back of the quilt and went down before seeing the doctor to fix the part I missed. Row 1 is done and I can now do row 2 and 3. Then I will get them ready to hand sew the backing down. At least I know what to do when I start on my quilt. Thank goodness for Elliott's quilt to practice on. 

I didn't sew in the afternoon but decided to work on the Charlie Brown Christmas book. I redid the comic strip booklet and I am pleased with this version. I used liquid glue this time and put the book under weight while I worked on other parts. It kept it flatter. 

Instead of taping the front and back together with washi tape, I cut the front 1/2" longer and folded that under and glued the back to the flap. You can't see where I joined them. I repeated the process for the inside strip. The inside strip is down on each end of the booklet and folds up when closed. 

This booklet is smaller so it will fit into the main book. I am looking to see what I can put it into. I may use a glassine bag and decorate it with snowflake stickers. 

I was going to do reindeer candy holders but didn't have the supplies like I thought I did. At least I know what to buy for them as I have paper pieces attached to my shopping list. 

Last night, I counted cross stitched on the snowman and finished him. 

I am doing the white back stitch around him so I can fray the fabric. He was a labour of love and frustrated me to death. By the time I did the last row of light grey with the silver thread, I had figured out how to use it. Not perfect but it is done. 

I will interface him and put all three pieces onto card stock. Then I need to figure out how to put them into the book. I have a couple of ideas floating in my head for the snowman. 

Knitting

None done last night. I wanted to finish the snowman. 

Thoughts

    Financially I did well in 2023. Keeping the balance sheet, monitoring what I purchase, and using up what I have is key to living within my means. The biggest jump in costs is groceries which everyone is feeling. I am buying more on sale now which does help. Eating healthy is expensive. 

    I am pleased with my visit to the doctor. He is excited and the results I had made his day. He is happy that I am more mobile with less pain and is encouraging me to keep doing what I am doing. I am happy to do that as I feel so much better. 

    I am also realizing I am happy to be at home most days. I keep busy with housework, crafts, sewing, and knitting. I can visit with family and friends when I want to and can go shopping when I need to. I am not a social person and have always been able to entertain myself at home. 

Today

I need to go to New Minas to get some things so I can be home most of next week. I want to work on the quilt in the afternoon and knit tonight. 

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

Sewing Down The Stash

 The sun took quite a while to come out yesterday. But it did shine for a few hours which was nice. The high got to 1C. This morning it is -1C. We are to have flurries today with a high of 0C. 

Lifestyle

I was to physio by 8:30 am and had a very intense session. First was to work on the SI area which had tightened up some. Then on to stretching my leg. When I rolled from one position to the other, the SI joint cracked into place. Job done LOL. After having those movements done, it was onto the bike to ride with a higher resistance than before. I was puffing after 5 minutes but it felt good. Then it was to another machine that helps stretch the ham string and glutes. When done I had the current therapy put on my knee, SI joint and hip. 

The therapist told me that I am walking much better and my gait is improving. She is amazed at how far I've come in 4 months. The focus is to keep the muscles and tendons stretched, build strength, level the hips, and prepare for when I need surgery. 

Once home I rested with heat on the hip and knee. I was feeling a bit tired from the session but didn't have much pain. I am happy about that. I use to come home and be in a lot of pain and totally exhausted. 

I got the garbage out to the road late in the afternoon. It wasn't a big job but had to be done. I use my wagon to haul it down which makes the job easier to do. One of my best buys in 2023.

I had a glucose low at dinner time. It was 4.3 and I was not focusing well. I had dinner and ate a few high grain crackers to help. I was exhausted from that and went to bed early last night. I barely made it to 8:30 pm. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room. I cut out a gift bag and 2 mug rugs using the left over dark grey fabric from the paw stockings. I also used up a strip of cowboy print fabric. The front of the bag was embroidered using this design I bought a couple of years ago. 

I used a metallic thread and didn't have any issues with it. The design stitched out without any thread jumps which was nice. It looks great with the top print. 

The mug rugs have the print in the center and the grey on the outside. I will use the same red thread on them. I also hand sewed the opening shut on the mug rugs I made on Tuesday. They are ready to be bagged and put into the craft tub. 

When the gift bag was done, I was able to start on the cardinal quilt. I carefully sewed the rows together. By the time I was ready to go upstairs all three rows were done. 

Now it is time to watch the video and relearn how to do the backing. There are 6 seams to do next which means I will be hand sewing a lot of seams for the next few days. The embroidery machine will be busy while I am doing that. 

I am almost finished the body of the snowman. Then it will be the arms and done. It has been a struggle using a metallic thread though I did do better yesterday. Don't know why but I was happy I wasn't fighting with it. 

Knitting

None done last night as I was too tired. I would have made a mistake with my luck. 

Thoughts

    The weather is going to be colder for the next few days and then we get a day of snow. I am not looking forward to that but will do what I need to do. I know I will be shovelling snow for sure. I keep reminding myself it is winter and we are coming into our snowy weather.

    I am happy to be back into my schedule again. It is nice to be sewing in the afternoons and enjoying the project I am making. It is also nice to know I can do housework in the morning on the days I don't have appointments. I do need to take a bit of time to make a stew for the freezer. My freezer meals are disappearing quickly. Once they are gone, I will restock them. I need to buy groceries for the meals and take a couple of days to make them. 

    I am trying to work out a balance of sewing and crafting. It is hard as I tend to want to sew. Once I get into crafting I enjoy it a lot. I just need to say it is a crafting afternoon. 

Today

I am out to see the doctor this morning to get the results of my blood work and to get referred to the surgeon for my knee and hip. If it isn't too bad outside, I may got to New Minas for a few things and then home to do crafts this afternoon. If not, I will come home, do some upstairs things and then do crafts this afternoon. I hope to knit tonight. 

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

And The Sun Shone

 Yesterday started out cloudy and by noon the sun was shining brightly. The high got to 0.1C. This morning it is frosty and -3C. We are to sunshine and a high of 2C today. 

Lifestyle

I got yoga done in good time yesterday. I did all the exercises and pushed myself on a few. It felt good to hear a bit of cracking as my body aligned itself. 

I put the chicken carcass on early to cook and the house smelled so good. I got 3 good meals out of it. I had one last night and it was delicious. The other 2 are in the freezer for dinners on cold days. 

I cleaned the downstairs bathroom and it is done to washing the floor. It wasn't as dirty or dusty as I had thought it would be. I hauled the box with the Spousal Unit's favourite picture out of the room and dealt with it. I hung it on the wall where he wanted it to go. 

I may take it down and move the hanger up another 1.5". But, the job is done. The box was cut down and put into recycle for next week. The last moving box was emptied. 

I was out the door after that and got groceries and went to the store that sells scrap booking supplies. I wandered in there looking and pricing items. I talked to another lady who was in there buying and we had a good time. I didn't find the stencil I wanted but did pick up washi tape and some cut out items. I will go back to get a few other items over the next few months. 

I enjoyed the sunshine so much yesterday. The house was bright and enjoyable to be in. The clouds over my head lifted and I was in such a good mood all afternoon. It was just what I needed. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time in the sewing room. I got 2 mug rug holders sewn with only one small disaster that I was able to fix. I just need to hand stitch the backs together and they can be bagged and put into the craft fair tub. 

These cost nothing as they are made from left over fabric and batting from other projects and the red thread was bought years ago. I love these kinds of projects. 

I also worked on Elliott's cardinal quilt. It really talked to me yesterday. I laid out the blocks onto the backing/batting squares and stitched in the ditch around the center blocks. I used a light grey thread which I will use for quilting. 

I now need to watch the video on how to join and hand sew the backing together. This is the tricky part for me as I have only done it once before. But I am eager to do get started on it. 

I got out the fabrics I used to make daughter's cat and dogs stockings out of. I have enough of the plain to make 2 gift bags with embroidery on them. I will have to look in the stash for lining. There is lots of the print for the top part of the bags and maybe a reverse bag or two. These go in the box to put gifts to daughter into. I may even make her a couple of mug rugs to have out for Christmas. 

Knitting

I finished the leg on the 2nd sock. I did a push to get it done as I want these socks completed by mid month. 

Thoughts

    The sunshine was just what I needed. We have had so many dull grey days that I am fighting a good case of SAD. I have my light charged up ready to use. It felt so good being happy with the sun shining. 

    I had a great time looking in the scrapbooking supply store. She has items that I will need to do crafts and junk journals. The stencil I wanted wasn't there so I may have to order it in. I looked and looked and looked and had a wonderful visit with the other customer and the sales lady. 

    I am enjoying my plan for this year and hope to continue using it. With everything neat and tidy, I want to do things rather than go out. That is a great frame of mind to be in. 

Today

I am at physio this morning and once home, I will apply heat to my joints and do counted cross stitch. This afternoon I want to cut out the gift bags ready to embroider and start sewing the first row of the quilt together. I will knit on the socks tonight. I may even work on the junk journal if I have time. 

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

Playing With Crafts

 Yesterday was a dull cooler day. The high got to -2.5C. This morning it is -5C. We are to have sun, clouds, a chance of flurries and a high of 0C. 

Lifestyle

I got buns started yesterday and they turned out great for dinner. Light and airy with good texture and flavour. 

I wish my mood as was good as those buns. I was in a funk for some unknown reason and spent my time being negative to myself. I think part of it was the weather being so grey and depressing.

While the bun dough was rising, I did my yoga exercises. I did one big stretch and I got one big crack. My SI joint went back into place and I felt better. Less pain which was nice. 

Elliott and I were tired all day even though I slept well. I felt just like he did before I left for dinner at family's. 

Dinner at family's was delicious. We had roast chicken, stuffing, corn, potatoes, gravy, and buns. I have the carcass to make soup out of today. We had a good visit and I left early as we were all tired. 

Sewing/Crafting

I was in the sewing room for 90 minutes and finished cutting out the backing squares and all of the batting squares. I am now ready to begin Elliott's quilt. 

The scraps were set aside so I can take my time to cut them out ready to make bags and mug rugs. I am delighted that I have a use for the bigger scraps. I need to hunt up some batting for the mug rugs which means I need to look in a box of scraps we use for packing boxes. 

I also worked on a prototype of a booklet for the junk journal. It is too big but I did learn a lot. I followed this video. My book looks like this. 

The inside is not as nice as I had wanted it to be as the washi tape shows up. 

I learned lots and will be working on another one today which I hope fits in the book. I really worked at being creative using a paper doily and some wired ribbon that I took the wire out of. 

Knitting

I knit quite a bit last night and have 14 rows left before I start the heel flaps. 

I am pleased with how these are turning out even if they are a repeat of the last pair. 

Thoughts

    I was upset that I was in a foul mood to start of 2024. I worked my way through it and am feeling better today. I don't know exactly why they show up and why I spend a lot of time berating myself, but I do know how they started years ago. I am no longer working in that environment that started these feelings. I am feeling better today and will move forward. 

     I am ready to start tidying up and spot cleaning the upstairs again. It will be easier now I have the rooms the way I want them. I still have some items to put away from Christmas but they need to be laundered first. I am slowly getting out the winter items. 

    I have been watching videos about a person who has retreats for himself in the Northwest Territories. What has intrigued me is that he is from Newfoundland and he talks about food that he eats. It was fun to watch him eat soda crackers with Cheese Whiz on them. He talked about products that are made in Newfoundland by a company known as Purity. We can buy them here in Nova Scotia and I've seen them in stores in BC. Their little gingersnap cookies are to die for. It is fun to see him cook food that I have eaten over the years. 

Today

I am hoping to do laundry, clean the bathroom, do yoga, start the soup, and get out of the house to buy a few groceries. I would love to go to the scrapbooking store to snoop for a few things. I plan on getting Elliott's cardinal quilt started and mug rugs stitching out on the embroidery machine. I will knit tonight and do a bit of cross stitching. 

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

A Busy Day of Fun Projects

Yesterday was cloudy with the sun trying to peek through. The high got to 0.6C. This morning it is -4C. We are to have clouds, sunshine and a few flurries today. The high is to get to -3C. 

Lifestyle

I put yoga on hold yesterday morning as I was going to scrape the driveway. When I was ready to do that job, the driveway had nothing on it. I did yoga instead. I was sore from the weather system coming it (colder) but doing yoga does help. 

I got the laundry I did the other day folded and put away. I was going to do the bed linen but Elliott went to bed under the blankets and slept there for over 6 hours. He is never moved when he goes to bed as he becomes cranky and mean for the rest of the day. 

I have decided to set goals for this year in my daily journal where I make my to-do lists. I will be working on that over the next couple of days. I find that having the two together should keep me on track to being healthy, organized, and, hopefully, happy. 

Sewing/Crafting

In the morning, I spent a bit of time on the junk journal. I printed out the belly band and sheet music for one page. I coloured the belly band which I really enjoyed doing. 

I need to do a few more things to it but need to get a few more supplies. I have made a list of my ideas so I can finish up this page. 

I need to decide if I want to put red dot washi tape on the page to add some brightness. I also need to decide if I want to buy a snowflake stencil and do some stencilling or if I will use snowflake wrapping paper. I will make my final decisions after I buy a cutter and get the pages cut to the right size. 

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room. I wrangled the wide backing fabric on the ironing board and got it pressed. Then it went onto the floor to be folded and finally onto the cutting table to be cut. I cut the 9 squares for Elliott's cardinal quilt and 12 of the 24 squares for mine. 

I love this fabric as it has a rustic element and goes well with the front of the quilt. 

I have 2 strips of fabric left to cut into the remaining 12 squares. 

The scraps will be used to make mug rugs. I am hoping that I can make 4 of them. 

I bought the cardinal fabric before we moved to Nova Scotia and it needs to be used. 

A search in the stash found another piece of cardinal fabric bought at the same time plus the left over snowflake fabric I used in the cardinal quilts. They will be made into mug rugs also. I will also use the cardinal fabrics to make gift bags. It needs to be sewn up this year. Scraps of batting were found for the mug rugs and I am ready to cut and embroider them while I work on the quilts. 

A quick look at the quilting cottons has revealed that I have mainly Christmas fabrics and the fabrics daughter sent me to make piping. It looks like I will be busy sewing down those 2 piles. 

I also worked on the snowman and got quite a bit done. I am still not enjoying the silver thread but using 1 strand is much easier to deal with. 

I will be happy when this is done and in the junk journal. 

Knitting

I knit 12 rounds on the socks last night. I have 32 rounds left and then I can do the heel flaps. I am enjoying knitting these socks for grandson. 

Thoughts

    I have been thinking about my yearly goals. It has been hard coming up with them as I reach and exceeded my goals last year. I do have a few goals for January:

    *loose 1.4 lbs so I can say I lost 60 lbs in one year of weight loss. 

    *keep the upstairs tidied up and clean. It is easier to now that I have done the big jobs. I also want to keep the downstairs tidy by cleaning up every time I do a project. 

    *start walking at the arena a couple of times a week. I want to work on my gait as I need to improve it. 

    * enjoy sewing and doing crafts. Don't allow it to stress me out by setting unrealistic goals. 

    I have decided to continue not letting others influence me in what I should be doing or not doing. That is a long term goal. I need to work on what I want to do and how I will do it. 

Today

I am making buns for dinner tonight and will do yoga while the dough rises. I will finish cutting out the backing squares and start on the batting squares if I have time. I am out for dinner at family's tonight. I hope to knit when I get home. 

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