A Compromise On The Doll's Stash

 Yesterday was cloudy and warm with a high of 6C. This morning it is cloudy, damp, and 6C. Today it suppose to be cloudy with a high of 9C. We could experience showers during the day.

Lifestyle

I finished painting the second coat of paint on the long wall in my bedroom. From setting up to finishing clean up was 90 minutes. I was tired when I got done as I pushed myself while doing it. It looks the same as the last picture. I have one wall left to paint. 

This wall is shorter so it should be about 2 hours each time. I also am going to paint the window and the trim before I rehang the curtains. I am looking forward to having this room finished so I can start decorating it after Christmas. 

I fell asleep on the couch in the afternoon. I was really tired and couldn't keep my eyes open. I napped for about 15-20 minutes and then got up to do more things -- get dinner ready and do the recycling. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday but I tackled the bin of cotton fabric that I couldn't touch the day before. I went through each piece and made some decisions. I donated 14.7 meters. About 25% with a decision to get rid of fabric after I make something from it. The first piece is on the cutting table ready to make a simple skirt. 

While sorting through the fabric, I found a meter of red and white striped fabric I put aside for gift bags. It is perfect to go with some of the Christmas fabric I have. I kept the smaller piece to make something for the dolls. 

The fabric was put into the donation bin but I will sort it so some goes to the quilting group for their charity quilts. My next step is to clean the floor in the closet and put what is being kept back in there. Have I let go of enough? Probably not but there is much less in the closet than when I started. 

Knitting

I finished the doll's sweater to putting the buttons on. I have to get them out of the button bin. 

Next up is to read the pattern for the heavy socks and start knitting a pair of them. I am looking forward to making them. 

Thoughts

    I think I did well handling the doll's fabric. The compromise I made to keep 75% is to make something and put the left over fabric into the tub for the quilter's group. It is a start on letting go of the fabric. There is still the emotional attachment to the fabric but the idea of how I was going to use it is fading. For now, I am pleased with my decision. 

    I stood in the bedroom for a bit yesterday and realized how large the room looks when painted grey. It is also very light and bright in there. I have ideas on how I will decorate it in the new year using navy and white with a touch of another colour. It is the other colour that I am trying to decide on. At the moment, I am enjoying how less depressing it is to be in the room. 

    I have been thinking and writing about my thoughts and plans for 2025. It has been a long hard haul for me as I make decisions, change my mind, and think some more. To date, I have decided to do what gives me joy, pleasure, and meaning. It means getting rid of projects and plans that have never materialized. I need to focus on doing what I want and not let others influence me. My focus has changed from sewing/crafting down the stashes to doing projects I enjoy. This shift has lifted a lot of anxiety and stress from my life. 

Today

I have to wash the last wall in the bedroom and then vacuum the house. I also have laundry to do. This afternoon, I want to cut out a couple of doll outfits ready to sew. Tonight I will sew the buttons on the sweater and start knitting the heavy socks. 

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

The Quilt Is Finished

 Yesterday was wet with a high of 6C (at 11 pm). This morning it is raining and 6C. Today is suppose to be cloudy with drizzle and a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I spent painting the wall in the master bedroom. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I just kept at it until it was done 2.5 - 3 hours later. 

The bedroom is bright now with only 1 wall left to paint after I do the second coat on this wall. I hope to have it done by the end of week. 

After finishing painting and cleaning up, I went and put gas in the car. I am so glad I did as it was a mist falling. As I drove the car into the garage, it started to rain and continued on for several hours. 

We have no postal service as the workers striking yesterday morning. I read that there may not be a forced end to it and postal services could be disrupted except for specific mail for Christmas. I hauled up a bigger box and will probably ship presents to daughter via a private shipping company which delivers to her community. I will also have a couple of items sent to her from Amazon. We knew this could happen 6 months ago. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing the binding on the quilt and got it finished. 

I am pleased with this quilt as I accomplished my goal of precision and accuracy. I am glad that it turned out looking so nice when done. I know I will enjoy it this winter. 

I hauled the last tub out of the closet and into the family room. I decided to sort through it when I was 75% done the binding. I opened the tub and had a rush of emotions hit me. I could not sort the fabric. A lot of the emotions were sad ones. Fabrics I had bought and never sewn due to changed plans. Some were for outfits I would sell, others were for outfits I had hoped to make patterns for. I put the lid back on again and worked on the quilt. I wasn't ready to deal with the tub in a major way. 

Later on, I read a post by a person I have followed and admired prior to retiring. She is an amazing garment sewer and quilter. She is fighting a serious health issue now but is a strong person. Her post was an update and a surprise. She is giving her stash and patterns away and is looking for new sewers to have it. She is changing direction in her sewing. 

This left me pondering about the tub of doll fabric. How much can I let go of after reading that post. It may take me another day of thinking and pondering before I open the tub again. I need to be strong and let a lot of it go. 

Knitting

I knit on the doll's sweater last night and got one sleeve finished. I wove the end of the yarn in on the sleeves and called it a night. 

Next up is heavy socks. I am looking forward to knitting them. 

Thoughts

    The muscles in my thigh were sore yesterday from osteopathy. I think they may be bruised but they aren't as tight as they were. It didn't affect me going up and down the ladder while painting. What she did helped me a lot so I will take the soreness as a good sign. 

    I have been in deep thought for hours about the tub of doll's fabric. I am letting my emotional attachment be stronger than my desire to have less. I know that as I think about why I have those fabrics in my sewing room. Some of it is from what I thought I wanted to do. Some of it is really nice fabrics. One thought I came up with was to divide the fabrics into 2 piles. One pile would be what I would sew in the next year and the other would be a pile that I could use to find a fabric I may want to sew. Another thought was to box it all up and say goodbye to it. The last thought was to keep it all until I figure out what the dolls need for their wardrobes. Hopefully I will be have a solution in the next couple of days. 

    I have 2 projects left to sew prior to Christmas. One is a gift for a friend and the other is embroidery on a shirt for daughter. I am amazed I am that far along. I want to make daughter a tree skirt and it will happen if I have time but won't be shipped until spring. I want to take my time making it. I want to enjoy sewing projects rather than having to sew projects to get rid of the stash. 

Today

I am home all day painting the bedroom wall a second coat. I need to figure out what to do to embroider the shirt for daughter. I may even try to sort the doll's fabric a bit. Or at least handle it. I will knit tonight. 

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

Trying To Finish Projects

 Yesterday was cool and windy with a high of 2.6C. This morning it is raining and 1C. Today is suppose to be wet with a high of 8C. 

Lifestyle

As I had time prior to going to osteopathy, I decided to take out the garbage, a job I don't really care to do. But I did it. After that was done, I folded laundry and it was time to go. 

The drive to osteopathy was okay. The roads were good with dry snow blowing across it. The wind did push me a bit but not too bad. The drive home was the same. At home, we had a few spits of rain but no snow flurries. Just the way the storm was moving. 

Osteopathy was painful. She did some work on my back to bring my hip back into place (tipped forward slightly). Then she worked on my glutes and adductors. Painful. Then she worked between the two groups and that was even more painful. They were tight due to me being on the ladder painting. I had to apply heat to that area all evening as it was tender. The therapist is really pleased with my progress as I am further advanced than she thought I would be at this time. She thought it would take another year. 

I went to Canadian Tire to look at vacuum cleaners and am going to hold out to get the one I want on sale. I am thinking of buying daughter an iRobot Roomba cleaner for Christmas and having it shipped to her. She has expressed a desire for one earlier this year. 

Sewing

I worked on hand stitching the binding down on the quilt. I got 1/4 of it done yesterday afternoon. I hope to have it done by Sunday. 

I went through what was in the basket. One item was tossed into the trash. Two items were put into the donation bin. What was left was a piece of plaid, some linen, and two hunks of knit fabric for leggings for the dolls. The basket is empty!!

Knitting

I knit last night while I had heat on my sore muscles. The body of the sweater is done. 

This sweater will have long sleeves which will take me two nights max to finish. 

My next project will be heavy socks for daughter-in-law to wear with her slippers. I have the pattern, the yarn, and needles so I can start on them next. Something new for me to work on. 

Thoughts

    I thought the storm we are getting today was coming from the south but it isn't. It is coming in from the north east. The part that has snow will pass by in the next couple of hours and then it will be a bigger storm coming in with lots of rain. The upside -- it will be warmer today. 

    Yesterday's session at osteopathy had me walking much better than ever. It was a more normal gait than I've had for a very long time. I also noticed I am standing with my weight more evenly distributed on both feet. Most of my pain is in the muscles and tendons. Hopefully I will feel better after physio on Wednesday. I know I will revert to bad habits when I am tired but I am hoping that will disappear over time. 

    I am eagerly hoping to have the bedroom done painting by early next week. I want to put it away until after Christmas and focus on cleaning upstairs and getting ready for Christmas. I am almost done shopping but still have a couple of projects to make. I am getting into the Christmas mood which eluded me until the last couple of days. 

Today

I am going to paint the longest wall in my bedroom this morning. I have to gas the car up in the rain this afternoon. I want to hand stitch more binding down on the quilt this afternoon and then knit on the sweater tonight. It is going to be a busy day for me. 

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

    

Binding A Quilt

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with lots of north wind. The high got to 2C. This morning it is cloudy and 2C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with wind and a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I scrubbed the floors where I had painted and then washed the wall I am going to paint next. It was a full morning's work but it felt good to have it done so I can paint tomorrow. 

The wind has certainly been howling and I watched a piece of lattice roll down the side of my neighbour's front porch. It was still attached this morning and moving around in the wind. I haven't seen any other items blowing around but I am sure there is some in our area. 

I did 2 loads of laundry yesterday. I tried something different this time as my clothes are looking dingy. I used hot water for the towels and warm for my clothing. I added oxiclean to the wash cycle and vinegar to the rinse cycle. It certainly helped a lot. I also put them on to a longer wash cycle. It took a lot longer to do the 2 loads than normal but worth it. I won't do this regularly but every 3 - 4 weeks. 

Sewing

I got the binding sewn together for the Scandinavian Winter quilt and then sewn on to the quilt. It is now ready for me to hand sew it down. 

The backing is quite warm when you have it on your lap while sewing on the binding. That will be nice for this winter. 

I also sat and measured the donated fabrics. I have donated 13.5 meters and have set 2.25 meters aside to see if I want to use it for doll quilts or pyjamas. If I don't use it before the end of the year, it will be donated. 

The sewing room closet is looking much better. It is nice to know there is less in each tub. I also know if I don't use the items, they will be donated. I am allowing myself to let them go over time. 

Knitting

I knit on the doll's sweater last night. This is before I divided it so I can finish the body. 

And after I divided it. 

I said I hadn't knit this one since testing it. I was wrong. I had knit it in yellow to go with the Nova Scotia plaid skirt I had made. 

Thoughts

    The wind is starting to get on my nerves and is suppose to blow for a couple of more days. It is blowing in a rain storm which will arrive tomorrow. Hopefully it will stop blowing on Saturday. On the plus side, this wind didn't bring snow flurries like forecasted. 

    I am starting to enjoy decluttering the sewing room closet. The more I dig, the more I am ready to let go of. It is time for others to enjoy the "stuff" I won't use. I am also looking forward to tackling the rest of the room so it will be an organized and tidy space for me to create in. Right now, it feels like a storage room. I am beginning to fully understand that I don't need all of what I have in that room. I am starting to enjoy sewing what I want to vs sewing up the stash. This is what is driving me to do a big declutter of the sewing room. I want to repeat this feeling in the family room. 

    I have been working on my thoughts for 2025. I chose the word focus to help guide me. At first it was focus on sewing down the stash and using up the craft supplies. Now it is to focus on doing what I enjoy doing. It is more of letting go of what I don't enjoy doing. The second word I chose was calm. I want to have a calm environment to live and work in. I know letting go will bring calmness and it will allow me to focus more on what I want to do. I will have to say, working on my thoughts has really been a journey. 

Today

I have osteopathy this morning and will do a few small things before I have to leave. I want to go and look at vacuum cleaners and make a decision on which one I want. When I get home I need to pick up my prescriptions. I may get to hand sew on the quilt for an hour. I want to knit on the doll's sweater tonight. 

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

A Day Having Fun

 Yesterday's weather had it all but snow flurries. Wind, rain, sunshine, and clouds. The high got to 12C. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 1C. Today is suppose to be cloudy, windy, and maybe snow flurries. The high is suppose to be 1C. 

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law and I headed out to shop before her physio appointment. Our first stop was to our favourite dollar store. We usually wander it a couple of times before Christmas and love looking at the huge selection of items they have. We got a few items one of which is a solar powered tree that wiggles when charged. 

Our next stop was Walmart for gift cards. We also snooped through the Grinch clothing looking for something unique. We found it. 

I bought it for daughter-in-law for Christmas Eve. Now they all have a Grinch shirt to wear. 

After a quick lunch (which was delicious), daughter-in-law had her treatment and we headed home. Once I got my stuff put away, I headed out to get my prescriptions filled which I will pick up on Thursday. 

When I got home, I was exhausted to the point that my energy level was low. I sat and vegged wondering why. I realized that I had got hot twice during the day and it sapped my energy. My internal temperature was high. I drank a lot of water and cooled down in a cool house. By bedtime I was fine and slept well. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. It was a day I could have made huge mistakes. 

Thoughts

    I wore a hoodie I bought in Denmark. It is lighter than the one I bought for grandson but it is much warmer than the ones I buy here. I overheated wearing it in stores and the car. Outside it was perfect. 

    I am enjoying looking at Grinch stuff. There is something for everyone. Son started it 2 years ago by buying a shirt to wear on Dec. 24. He and a friend wore Grinch shirts last year. It has now grown to son, daughter-in-law, and grandson wearing them this year. Daughter-in-law bought napkins with Grinch on them and I will make bags with Grinch faces on them for gifts. We might just as well relax, embrace the Grinch, and have fun. Who knows what else will appear for us to have fun with. 

    Daughter-in-law and I planned the Christmas Eve get together with friends and most of Christmas Day meals. This year it will be kept simple so everyone enjoys the both days. We are even cutting way back on baking this year. And we are even bringing out paper plates for Christmas Eve. They can be composted. I am going to make sure that I am more involved as I am not sore this year. 

Today

I am going to prep my bedroom to paint on Friday. I will try to do some cleaning in the rest of the house and do a load of laundry. This afternoon I will be in the sewing room doing the binding for the quilt and then measuring fabrics to donate. Tonight I will knit. It is a stay at home day. 

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

A Large Hot Pad Made

 Yesterday was rainy with a high of 14C. This morning it is cloudy and 9C. Today is suppose to be mainly cloudy with a high of 12C. We may have snow flurries tonight. 

Lifestyle

I spent the morning painting the second coat on the wall in my bedroom. I tried a different sleeve on the roller. A lady suggested microfibre ones and I had something similar in the painting supplies. I was surprised at how much I liked it over the foam one I had been using. Her suggestion and why won me over. The suggestion of using a foam roller was good but I like the microfibre one better. I was done in a little over 2 hours. 

I will have to say that my hip is doing great when I paint. I think the muscles have relaxed more and are getting stronger.  I hope this continues as I am enjoying have less pain in my life. 

Sewing

With pink and white fabrics left over from the placemats, I made daughter a large hot pad for her sewing room. I didn't put 2 layers of batting in it so it is for sitting a sewing machine on or covering a dresser. 

The size is 13.5 x 19.5" and if you use two layers of batting or Insulbrite in it, you can put a 9' x 13" pan or two smaller ones on it. 

There is enough white fabric left (I used it for the backing) to make piping for daughter. The pink scraps are in the tub for the quilter's group. 

I did some more work purging. I got out the tub of Halloween prints to discover it had only 2 pieces in it. I put both into the donation tub as I no longer need them. I am getting more empty tubs. I need to measure the fabrics I am letting go of so I can record how much is leaving the sewing room. I did peek into a basket I have in the sewing room and it really needs to purged. 

While playing with fabric from yesterday I photographed this piece of lace. It is black with a silver thread running through it. I also had a pattern piece cut out of it at one end.

I sent this photo to daughter and I could hear her squeal with delight right across Canada. The piece cut out is a yoke which she has in her "scraps". This piece will be sent to her to use in a shirt. I don't know why she has the yoke piece and I have the fabric but they will be reunited in the next box. I am very happy about this as it will make a gorgeous shirt she can sell. 

Knitting

I cast on for another sweater for the dolls. I got 10 rows knit and 2 rows unknit as missed a step in the pattern. 

I am making it long sleeved and will pair it with a skirt. I haven't knit this pattern since testing it several years ago. Not sure why but I think I was testing a lot of knitting patterns when this one was tested. I do like it and it will be back on the list for the future. 

Thoughts

    I did spend a bit of time thinking about those who gave their lives during the two world wars. I appreciate those who sacrificed their lives to allow us to have peace. I appreciate those who returned to live their lives coping with severe mental and physical injuries. I appreciate those who are serving today and those who want to serve when they finish school. Thank you to all those people past and present for keeping us safe. 

    My plan for 2025 is progressing and will continue to progress as I declutter the sewing room. My vision of how I want the room to look is fairly clear in my mind. How much "stuff" I want is firming up. It is way less than I had thought when I started the process. There is still some emotional attachment to fabric but I keep asking if I will sew it up or move it around. The Halloween fabrics had emotional attachment but I realized they were bought prior to all of us moving to Nova Scotia. They are no longer needed for how we celebrate Halloween. Let someone else enjoy them. 

     Though the family room is still a mess as I sort through my sewing room stashes, I am starting to feel content with where I am at. I no longer stress about going to the basement to sew or declutter. I know it has to get worse before it gets better. I am feeling happy with my choices to have less and to only do what I want to do. I have crafts I tried and they weren't a fit for me. I have fabrics and notions I will never use and they are being let go of. There are no sewing or crafting police saying I have to keep all of this. I can let go of what I don't love and move forward to do what I love. I know this isn't for everyone but it is right for me. 

Today

I am heading out to Bedford with daughter-in-law this morning to shop for Christmas presents. We should be home in the early afternoon so I may measure the fabrics in the donation tub. Tonight I plan on knitting more on the sweater. 

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

Two Place Mats Completed, Two Tubs Sorted

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 9C. This morning it is cloudy and 6C. Today is supposed to be wet this morning and cloudy this afternoon with a high of 14C.

Lifestyle

I headed out to New Minas and got one Christmas gift which was on sale for 40% off. I then went to Home Depot and bought more paint plus a Christmas LED projector. While in the paint department, I met two ladies who live about an 8 minute drive from me. One of the ladies was buying paint for her cupboards and the other one was going to paint them for her. We had a lovely discussion on fixing up our homes at our age. 

Once done my shopping, I headed for home. I had a lovely drive both ways and enjoyed it very much. The fall colours are almost gone but there is still enough to make it look pretty. Soon it will be bare. 

Sewing

I went down fully prepared to put the binding on the second placemat only to find it was on. I pinned it in place and spent part of the afternoon hand sewing it down. 

When done, I spent some time organizing the beads more. I know I could let go of some but will do that the next time. At the moment, I may need them if I make another Renaissance outfit. I do know all the beads will go when I stop sewing doll clothes. 

The next tub I hauled out was the flannel for doll's pyjamas. I did a hard start on that. Some of the flannel is saying it could be backing for quilts so it sits until I decide if I will use it or donate it. What was put back into the tub will make pyjamas for the dolls. 

The last tub I played with was the largest and full of fabrics for fancy dresses, tulle, and winter coats. I sorted, I folded, and I know I kept more than necessary. But, what I kept along with the flannel fits in one smaller tub. The big tub is empty!!

I was mentally tired when I got that job done. I still have to put three pieces of Halloween fabric into the donate pile as we have decided that we have enough Halloween decorations. Then it will be sorting through the tub of cottons and a basket of miscellaneous fabrics. When done, I will have two medium sized tubs of fabric for the dolls and a small amount of fabric for doll quilts. 

My last little job was to figure out how to use up the last of the pink and white fabric daughter sent me. I will be making her an extra large hot pad. I have enough fabric for the hot pad and binding in pink and the backing in white. What is left over will go to the quilting group. I have the batting also so this is a happy project. 

Knitting

I knit on the doll's sweater until I ran out of yarn. 

I am going to set it aside and decide if I will buy another skein to knit me socks and finish the sweater or if I will not finish it. Decisions, decision. I will cast on another sweater and knit it next. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly getting Christmas presents bought. It has been hard this year as no one has said what they wanted. I am grasping at straws. I do have an order to place at Amazon but am still short on gifts. I have sat quietly thinking and will be doing two more shoppings and call it done. Gift cards will be added to the parcels going west. 

    I was surprised at how easy it was to let go of the doll's fabric. I am still thinking about the fabrics I set aside for backing on doll's quilts. One part of me says use it as I have it and the other part of me says to let it go. I wait and see for a few days. The rest of the fabric will be boxed ready to be donated or sold at the garage sale. Once done the fabrics, I will wash the closet floor and put the few tubs back in there. I will add the tub that I am putting the doll's quilts into. 

    I am still working on my thoughts and plans for 2025. It is hard as I know what I want to do but some of the plan keeps changing. I am struggling as I want my work spaces to be minimal, tidy, and calm to work in. I think part of my struggle is trying to figure things out while I am decluttering, cleaning, and trying to finish up projects for gifts. I will continue to work on it as I don't need to have it posted until mid December. 

    I am also struggling on how to balance sewing, knitting, crafting, and housework. I also want to find time to just relax and enjoy doing nothing or very little. I have always been busy and want to know that I can do nothing if I want to. It will come as I get closer to my goal. I know keeping busy is good for me mentally. I think what I am looking for is to be able to do things knowing that I can do them vs having to do them. I am also working through this as I get my thoughts in order. 

Today

I am going to paint the wall in my bedroom this morning. This afternoon I will work on the large hot pad and will knit tonight. It is a stay at home day as nothing is open here on Remembrance Day. 

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