Christmas Joy Wall Hanging
52" X 17"
$30.00 - 25%= $22.50
St. Nick Wall Hanging 50" X 30"
$60.00 -25%= $45.00
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$30.00 -25%= $22.50
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PRE CHRISTMAS AND STOCK REDUCTION SALE
Many people are concerned about costs this year and I would like to offer you a chance to own a beautiful, hand crafted quilt that will bring warmth and pleasure to any home.
I am offering up to 25% off all in stock quilts, and wall hangings.
Sale starts Dec. 12 and runs until Dec. 30. All sales final. Purchaser pays shipping.
Photos of quilts, size, care instructions and costs will be uploaded to my blog and available for viewing before the 12th.
To order
contact me via email: arkangelcreations@gmail.
Payment accepted through PayPal or etransfer.
Special orders are still accepted but won't be done until after Christmas.
The weather outside if frightful but, inside it is delightful. We had a heavy rainfall overnight which changed to snow and fog as the day went on. I think we are supposed to end up with freezing rain.
Other than I can't get out for my walk, I don't care about the weather. I made my Christmas cakes this morning so that is another big chore finished. Next week, I get the tree and inside decorations done. I am waiting to see how Ally cat deals with the tree. It is on a desk (which won't stop her from levitating up) so perhaps she might not pay attention.
I am still sorting through all my left over blocks, strips and pieced half square triangles. I did one container at quilt group and still have two more to go. I think I am going to do a sampler with the blocks, probably more than one. I may also do a quilt as you go with the strips and pieced sections. I swear the fabric is multiplying. As fast as I get one bin sorted, it seems as though another one appears from somewhere. I wonder what would happen if I got rid of them all. Would they reappear when I wasn't looking? (Getting some hydro flickers so we may be losing that).
I am watching my outside decorations and I think they may end up on our neighbours property. The wind is really gusting. Our grandchildren and family had an earthquake this morning. They are in northern Alberta.
(Well, it turns out I am better at predicting that I wanted to be. Hydro only went out for a moment or two but the internet stayed out. We had a dreadful storm with white out conditions on the road. We are snowed in until the plow gets here) All is warm and cozy inside and I am finishing up my entries for the craft fair.
Blessings.
We had good weather for our drive to Parry Sound and hubbies medical appointment. It was a pleasant drive with the road conditions being good and a route that took us through a number of small communities. There are so many lakes in Ontario that you would almost have to plan a route that specifically avoided them to not go by at least one lovely vista. We enjoy looking at houses as well and it is amazing how many different designs there are in less than 200 kilometers. Many were obviously deserted but others were well cared for. I am not sure why, but I like a house that has a number of additions. I can visualize a growing family, perhaps the addition of elderly parents all initiating the need for more space. One of my brothers lives in a home like that although the previous owner was less than skillful in his work. When you are going from room to room, you often have to go up or down a step.
I did get a good bit of cleaning done on Wednesday-not everything but a really good start. Found a top I forgot I had.
It is above freezing today but damp. Little Heidi found a good place to stay warm.
Do you ever get times when doing nothing seems like a great idea? I have been having a hard time getting myself motivated lately and, of course, it is the busiest time of the year. I may just need to get back on my daily vitamin. In any case, I am going to make a good effort at getting some things done today.
Tomorrow, we have to drive a good distance for hubbies' appointment with the specialist so I know we will be beat when we get home, especially as I will have to get up earlier than usual.
Our two furry children are starting to get along a bit better although Heidi is still jealous. I have been teaching Ally a trick and she picked it up right away. I hold my hand sideways and say, "head" and she leans over and places her head against my hand. She might do it anyway as she loves being petted but I am going to believe she is learning words.
My neighbour is a very talented artisan. This gnome is about 18 inches tall, made with white velvet and faux fur. She also makes lots of smaller gnomes, but I think this fellow is magnificent. I can see him sitting under a tree in a upscale home.
I love gnomes and hedgehogs. I think the two go together, don't you?
Blessings,
When the phone rings before 5 o'clock in the morning, you know it isn't Publisher's Clearing House calling to say you are the big winner. My phone tells me who is calling so I knew right away that it was my son. First thought was that something happened to his wife as her health isn't good. Fortunately, it wasn't that serious but worrying all the same. He was involved in a traffic collision and the other vehicle went off the road and ended up on its roof. My son was fine but shook up.
There were a lot of collision during the morning as the conditions were bad, but my son isn't sure what caused his car to lose control. He is a professional driver (semi-truck) and has never even had a speeding ticket. He may never know what happened. His vehicle is still drivable, and he is going to work tomorrow but the other driver is in the hospital All day long, as I worried about my son, I was also aware that the family of the other driver was going through a worse situation.
With the lack of sleep and staying in touch with my family, I didn't get much done today. Tomorrow, I help pack shoe boxes with items for children in need. I am pretty much ready for the craft sale on Saturday.
Hope you are all staying well and safe,
Blessings,
We are still getting unseasonably warm weather. It will be nice if it is like this for tomorrow and our Remembrance Day service. Our cenotaph is at the top of a hill, near a river and the winds can get quite brisk in that area. I always feel bad for those in uniform with nothing to cover their ears as well as the cadets who stand guard. Our grandchildren are both cadets (and were recently promoted). We are proud of them knowing they are doing their bit to acknowledge the day.
Yesterday, I went to Orillia (1.5 hour from here) to visit with my sister. She was saying how much she has come to value family, and I agree with her. For many years, it was just my son and I here in Canada. Then my brother moved here, and my sisters started travelling from England. We, of course, all keep in touch via computer which helps but doesn't take the place of face to face.
Today, our little Ally is going to the vets for her first checkup. She seems very healthy but, of course, we can't see her liver, heart etc. She is a talkative little thing and very friendly. Heidi dog, on the other hand, gave me an awful scare last night. She had been lying on the floor and when she tried to get up, her legs wouldn't hold her. She gradually regained her mobility and today she is back to normal. I had taken her for a long walk up a hill the day before and I think it was too much. Flat ground walks and increase joint medication is now the regime.
Finishing the quilt that is on my frame is this week's goal. And then on to Christmas projects.
Blessings,
I have started getting up a bit earlier. Not a lot but enough that my housework (what I call 'invisible' work') is done by 10ish. I generally run out of steam around 4 so I now have a good stretch of time to quilt. Of course, grocery shopping, meetings and other time wasters cut into those blissful hours but, as long as I don't get stuck on the computer, I can still get a lot done.
It is a muggy day today. It is supposed to go up to 20c and, as it is 15 now, we might make it. I know many of you will disagree with me, but I am looking forward to seeing the snowfall-as long as it is after Wednesday. One of my sisters is here visiting from England and we are getting together for a catch up. She is looking for a home near her son and family so it will be wonderful to have her in Canada.
Heidi and Miss Ally seem to have agreed on a truce. Ally wanders around the house, Heidi watches her and then whichever one comes to me for a pet is quickly joined by the other. Ally is another reason why I am getting up earlier. Hubby feeds the dog, and the cat is my responsibility.
Did anyone try the block I uploaded for you. I hadn't watched the video previously and was amazed at all the different layouts. I am thinking of making a lap quilt with batik fabrics using this pattern.
Enjoy your weekend. Don't forget to put your clocks back tonight.
Blessings,
Another week almost over and I still have a list of things I planned to do at the beginning of the week. That is life, isn't it? To look on the positive side, (there always is one!), I finished the charity quilt, and it will be on its way to its new owner on the weekend. The Christmas wall hanging only needs the sleeve and I have made good headway on the quilt that is on the frame. It took me the longest time to try and decide what pattern to do before I just started quilting. The top really did tell me what it wanted so an ivy vine it is.
We had a wonderful day at quilt group on Monday. One of our members demoed a new scrappy block that she found on you tube. I am attaching the link as I think some (all?) of you might like to make it.
Our pet family is still trying to work out their differences. I haven't got Ally to the vet for her check over yet and that is the top of my list.
It is staying unusually warm here. It is supposed to go up to 20c by the weekend. I am going to have to dig out a couple of tee shirts to wear. I hope it changes back to normal soon as there needs to be a little snow on the ground to get people in the shopping mood. I have a craft show on the 19th, so I am being selfish, I suppose.
For those of you who live in year-round sunshine and warmth, what gets you in the Christmas spirit? I can never quite imagine how people in Australia for example can look forward to going to the beach on Christmas day.
Having said all that, I am quite adamant that I don't do anything Christmassy until after Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.
Blessings,
I have got a lot of quilting done this week plus the regular stuff. However, there is always a glitch somewhere. I wanted to get the binding done on two quilts and was doing well until I ran out of bobbin thread. When I installed the new one, the thread tangled when I started sewing. I took all the bobbin area apart, cleaned it and, made sure everything was threaded right. Tried again. Same result. Changed bobbins. Same result. Gave up and changed machines.
I can see what is going wrong but am not sure how to fix it. I have another machine of the same make so will trying to exchange the part where the bobbin sits and see if that makes a difference. For now, though, I am going to finish that binding.
Our new cat, Ally is still spending the majority of her day sleeping on the spare room bed. She hasn't warmed up to Heidi yet either much to my little dog disappointment. Heidi is beginning to slow down a lot as to be expected from a 14 year plus dog so, although it may be some time yet, I am trying to prepare myself for the inevitable. I really don't know how you do that, but I do know I have many good friends who will help.
Blessings,
The sun has been shining all day and the weather guru promised that we are going to have a few days of warmer than normal weather. I still have some outdoor work to do so warmer will be welcome as long as it isn't too hot. I spent most of yesterday afternoon working on one of the small shoulder bags. I made one, did it wrong, unpicked the stiches, did it wrong again, repeat unpicking. I will have another go at it now.
I have been trying to get more done in a day and the only way I am going to accomplish that is to lessen my computer time. I get a lot of news links and I am just deleting everything without even checking to see what they are. If I can manage to not play any games, I will gain a couple of hours a day.
Our ally cat is adjusting quite easily to her new home. She hasn't decided if she wants to be friends with the dog yet but at least they aren't fighting.
Are you going to any craft shows this year? Our art club has one in the November, and I am getting items ready for that. I may go to another but haven't decided yet. It is a lot of preparation without any guarantee you are even going to cover the table cost. I have to admit that I hate just sitting there all day. The art group one doesn't have tables. Our coordinator sets up the items, so it looks just like a regular store. There are tables but small and they will have a few similar items on it-pottery, stained glass. There is one person who collects the money and then a cheque is given to the seller at the close of the 2 day event. Easy peasy.
Blessings,
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Blessings,
We have a new family member. We have, for a long time, discussed the idea of getting a cat. I love kitty cat's and still miss our Tascha that left us when he was 18 years old. There were a lot of reasons why we shouldn't get one. We have a dog. Hubby is allergic. I didn't want cat hair on my quilts. Cleaning up kitty litter is not fun.
Then I saw this lovely ginger cat advertised as being available at a rescue. He was a senior (12) and as we are also, he wouldn't cost anything. We filled out the application, were approved and made an appointment to pick Tigger up.
When we got to the shelter and I went through all the do's and don'ts, I took the carrier back to see our new cat. Turned out Tigger was a long hair and not very friendly. He bit me and drew blood. After looking at a number of other cats, I found a little female who was a ginger with white paws and bib. She is now our kitty and learning to adjust to her new home. She is very friendly. Our dog loves her, Ally is a bit more reserved about her feelings but doesn't try to scratch or bite. She hardly sheds at all.
I am so looking forward to being able to cuddle with her and spoil her with lots of toys. She doesn't seem to know what to do with the one that I have given her, but I am sure that will change.
So, now in addition to seeing photos and stories about our Heidi, I will be adding Ally to the blog.
Blessings,
I have had a busy morning. I made two pumpkin pies, apple sauce (for the ham) cranberry sauce (for the turkey) and a large apple crisp. We are expecting 10 family members and friends tomorrow, so I wanted to get as much done ahead of time as possible. Hubby has peeled a large pot of potatoes and they are waiting to be cooked. Ham has also been cooked and sliced. We will reheat that Saturday. The oven isn't big enough for both the turkey and the ham.
We are hoping the weather will be nice but rain is predicted. I started going down the driveway with Heidi but didn't get far before we were hit with cold raindrops. We scurried back up the hill a lot faster than we went down.
I finished two more shoulder bags yesterday. They are addictive.
I hope all my Canadian readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for living in this wonderful country,
blessings,
We had a new lady join our quilt group on Monday. We don't usually admit more members as we have just over a dozen which is a nice number for interaction. However, we have been going through a period of deaths and illnesses, so we decided to add one or two women. The lady that joined on Monday fit in perfectly. It may sound cliquish, but we are such a close group that we are concerned about anyone joining that would change the dynamics. We really care about each other and often will visit in between meetings. We celebrate birthdays, commiserate with concerns and generally everyone is treated with respect and caring. We have only had one woman join who just didn't fit in and she left after a few meetings.
I believe it is rare to find a group of people who share the same passion while also truly being friends. Perhaps it is a quilting thing. I had a group in Edmonton who was also very close although not to the same extent that this one is.
I hope that whether you belong to a group of quilters, knitters, hikers or whatever, you know that these are people you can count on. It is something for which we can be truly thankful,
Blessings,
I have just got back from taking Heidi-and myself on a rare morning walk. The temperature is just above freezing but the sun is shining. The air is crisp but not cold. The trees are taking on their autumn colours. Just a beautiful day. After I finish this, I am sewing as I was up early enough to get all the housework out of the way.
While I am enjoying all that I have, I am also mindful of those who have lost everything in Canada's Maritimes and the eastern States. I can't imagine what it must be like to be living your life one day and to have everything wiped out on the next. Even those who didn't suffer any damage are impacted by power outages, blocked roads and no way to contact loved ones to see if they are alright.
We get nasty snowstorms which cause a lot of problems but not to the extent of a hurricane or tornado. Personally, I prefer snow to other natural disasters.
I know, quilters being who they are, that already there are groups putting together blankets of love to comfort those who are suffering. On behalf of all quilters, thank you for your generosity. If anyone knows of a group or individual who is doing this, I would be glad to share that information with others. It is too expensive for me to send goods, but I can contribute money to buy supplies. Perhaps there are others who can do the same.
Bless you all,
I think our area has got stuck under some sort of heavenly water tap. It has been raining on and off for days. However, it is hard to complain about something as minor as rain when there are people in the Maritimes and some of the nearby Island s that have lost everything because of hurricane Fiona. I do think some of the names they give to these storms make it hard to believe they are serious. I would seriously ignore all warnings about Hurricane Tiffany or Ralph. They just don't sound threatening.
Hubby and I have been stuck to the television watching our Blue Jays play. It takes up a lot of time that could be spent on other things, but we do love our Jays. I hardly dare hope that they will take the Championship this year but it might as well be them as someone else.
I am still working on making more of the little shoulder bags. I am doing one for myself with hedgehog fabric. I love hedgehogs. If they could play baseball, they would be the perfect animal!
Blessings,
Yesterday was spa day for Heidi. A friend and I booked with a lady to come to the friend's house and do our dogs. We hadn't used her before, but she had a lot of experience and we liked that she did house calls. Heidi had a lot of matting on her legs and tummy as she hates being combed. Actually, she is getting rather grumpy about everything these days except walks, car rides and treats. I wasn't sure how she was going to behave and warned the groomer she might need to use a muzzle.
The other dog, Tucker, is a labradooble and is a big ,goofy, friendly dog that things everyone wants to play. As Heidi was a small and elderly westiepoo, we had quite a contrast in customers for the groomer., Heather.
She was marvelous. Heidi grumbled but Heather was patient with her and took the time to be gentle as possible. It was nearly two and a half hours before she finished but our little one looked wonderful
Both my friend and I were very happy and will use this lady again.
I did get one nasty scare. Heidi needed to go out, so I took her to the back yard. I hadn't put on her leash as her collar had been removed and I knew she wouldn't run away. She did her business and started wandering a bit. I didn't notice the large circular hole right where she was until it was almost too late. Heidi, with her reduced vision walked right into it and I grabbed her just in time. I need to be more alert. She gets around our yard and home really well so I forget sometimes that she can't see properly.
Here is our little girl and her new look.
Blessings,
I didn't do as well at the fair as usual but my friend got all first prizes. I am so proud of her. The entries, vendors and crowd were down this year but as it was the first fair after COVID, it wasn't unexpected.
Today my quilting friends and I were invited to one of our group's home for a visit. It was a lovely day. She lives on the lake so we took our hand projects to the lakeside deck and relaxed. This lady is a wonderful hostess and served some finger foods to go with the lunches we brought. Everything was topped with a couple bottles of non alcohol wine which we drank in real glasses. We even had gifts to take home.
When I left in the morning there had been an announcement of the Queen's health and it was worded in such a way that I realized her death was imminent. It happened while I was out and each of us spent a bit of time reflecting on her reign and what the future might bring. I feel very unsettled right now but am going to try not to think about the future with Charles as King. Everything is just speculation at this point and, I believe the Queen had faith in her son's ability to rule so we will need to give him a chance.
By the way, if you are accessing this blog by Facebook, you can get it sent to your in box by clicking on the 'Follower' tab and fill in your information.
Blessings,
And, all of a sudden, I am in canning mood. I was going to wait until August was over but decided I had better get the crabapples done, then came the over abundance of tomatoes to be froze. I am going to turn those into catsup this year. The crabapple jelly didn't set as well as I would have liked but it will do.
I have all my fall fair entries ready. Usually, I am scurrying at the last minute. I will make the brownies and pick carrots tomorrow but everything else has the labels attached and ready to go.
The temperature has dropped to below 20c this week although there was some humidity earlier because of the heavy rainfall The change in temperature have caused to leaves to take on a tinge of colour and I expect they will begin changing quickly now. They seem slower this year as we often have a fair bit of orange along our driveway by now.
Blessings,
I am getting my entries ready for our fall fair. I am adding gluten free brownies and carrots to the list this year. I didn't have to make anything specifically for the day as I have a lot of quilts (surprise) table runners and so on that I have made over the past two years. The only thing that I have to make is the doll outfit.
My little dog wasn't feeling well for a couple of days but seems to be okay now. I saw the neatest idea on Connie Campbell's blog. She has an aging dog, Mr. Mickey, that isn't able to walk as far as she would like. She solved the problem with a stroller and harness. Now when Mr. Mickey gets tired, he can ride in style.
Heidi is still able to walk as far as I want but there are times I would like to take her to street festivals or other events where there is a lot of foot traffic. I don't think it is safe or thoughtful to expect a little dog to be able to navigate through a forest of legs. His/her own stroller would be perfect.
I am starting my first batch of apple jelly today. I am not sure if I am going to be able to do as much jam as I have in other years because of the unavailability of fruit. However, I still have some left from last year so we aren't going to starve.
Blessings,
Hubby and I went shopping yesterday. I planned on buying some apples as well as other fruits and vegetables. That plan changed when I saw the price of apples. I am used to them being around 4.00 to 6 dollars depending on the variety. The prices for these were four dollars higher. 10.99 for a bag of apples in a province that has as more apple trees than all the other fruit trees combined. I know the price of fuel has affected many things especially food but the other items I bought were still close to the price that they were a couple of years ago.
I left the apples and bought oranges and bananas instead. Fortunately, I still have a lot of frozen apples in the freezer.
I picked up a book this week by a local author. It was promoted as a romantic mystery. The romance part was written well but the mystery has remained a mystery. There seemed to be parts left out and situations that had no background or explanation. I can't decide whether to write and ask her for an explanation or to let it go. I know she will make a certain amount of sales as she is local but, unfortunately, I can't see her reaching a large audience.
What would you do? Let it go or as tactfully as possible ask her to explain some of the confusing areas? I am not sure how I would feel if I received an email basically telling me I need to improve a lot to be considered a good writer. Fortunately, I have a good editor who goes over everything I write with the proverbial fine tooth comb-not that doesn't stop the occasional typo to slip through.
Blessings,
I am getting my fair entries ready before the last minute for a change. Most things are done already except for the gluten free brownies and dressing a doll.
Do you enter anything in your local fall fair? I find it a fun way to take part in a community event and the prize money always comes in handy. As a quilter, I think anything that showcases the beauty and creativity that is involved in producing something both useful and decorative. I always hope that a young person will look at one of the entries and decide it is something they would like to learn.
We are going grocery shopping tomorrow. If I never had to do that ever again, I would be happy. I do buy some items on line but that doesn't work with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Our grandson did a lovely thing today. He videoed a message to his great grandmother (who is in long term care) letting her know that she was loved. He is a very caring young man. His sister doesn't find it as easy to express her feelings but she, too, is a caring soul.
I am thinking of making my own ketchup this year. I don't really like the bottled versions. It isn't hard and we always have lots of tomatoes. If it turns out, I will have something new to add to my fall canning list.
Blessings,
We had what my Dad used to call 'a gully washer' today. It had been spitting all day but when I started home from quilt group the rain fall got serious. There were times I could barely see and the puddles were deep enough that safety dictated slower speeds. As I passed a friend, and fellow quilter's, house, the rain lessened to a light shower, then as I turned onto our road, it started again. Our driveway had a few ruts where the gravel had been moved but nothing serious.
My youngest sister went to a quilt show in England and sent me a photo of the one that was judged Best of Show. I looked at another close up and the flowers etc. are appliqued. Beautiful work.
We had one of those noisy rainstorms early this afternoon. I was just going out for a walk with the dog when I noticed how black the sky was. The thunder started by the time we were half way down the driveway. We hustled back into the house and made it just before the rain fell in a deluge. It didn't last too long but the hydro flickered once and we lost the tv satellite for a bit.
I have started quilting my scrappy quilt and it is going alright. I also need to get at my entries for the fall fair. One of the other ladies in the quilt group is entering this year. I like to see lots of quilters submit their work because it brings attention and interest to our craft.
I have been spending a bit of time getting to know my new sewing machine. I haven't tried all the decorative stitches yet. It is fun having a new toy. I may get at the Dresden plate quilt that I have been planning to make using men's ties. I can use the fancy stitches on the adjoining pieces.
Blessings,
It almost feels like fall today as the temperature has dropped to 17c. So much nicer for doing outdoor work. Hubby had to remove some tree branch's that were blocking the trail through the bush and I was volunteered to help. It was a case of two old crocks working together: Hubby with his very painful leg and me that gets nauseous if I bend down (inner ear problem). There weren't a lot of trees so we got it done in less than half and hour. I think I can count that as my exercise for the day. Well, maybe not.
We had a lovely visit with a couple of long time friends yesterday. They live in southern Ontario so, mainly, we keep in touch on line but try to get together once a year. It is always nice when the guys like each other as well as their partner's friend. This couple are lovely, gentle, caring people and, of course, she is a quilter so what more could you want in a friend.
We had left our little dog on her own so we had to get back sooner than I would have liked but now that Heidi is going into her 15th year, we don't like to leave her too long.
Did I mention that I got another sewing machine? It is a gently used Janome QC 6260. I had an older model of this one a while ago and really liked it. There wasn't a manual and I have forgotten how to activate the decorative stitches so will go on line to get one. This one replaces the Janome that couldn't be fixed and I think I had better not get anymore for a while. Hubby is wonderfully understanding but there are limits.
Enjoy your day. There is always something good happening if you look for it.
Blessings,
Have you ever had a banana explode? I bought a large bag of past date bananas for two dollars as I wanted to make my chocolate banana loaf. They were still in pretty good shape so I took four of the worst, pureed them and put them in a lidded container. I normally freeze my puree but, as I was making the loaf today I just put it in the fridge. Also, as the container was really full, I was afraid the frozen bananas would crack it. When I took the jar from the fridge this morning, I noticed some of the puree had started running down the sides which was odd. The lid took a bit of effort to remove and I hadn't really loosened it much when it shot off and bananas sprayed over me, the counter and the kitchen floor. Apparently, the puree had started to ferment. Who knew.
There was still plenty left and it tasted okay so I made my loaf. We are having company and I want to serve it to them. I hope we don't all get tipsy!
It has cooled down quite a lot here so it will be a good day to catch up on my work. My nephew and family are touristing in Niagara Falls but I am receiving lots of pictures and I will face chat tonight.
Blessings,
It has been quite a while since my last post. I have been very busy through the day and too tired to do much more than stare at the television until bedtime in the evening. My nephew, wife and family arrived at their BnB late on July 24 so we didn't see them until the next day. They had a 3 hour wait for their luggage and got bumped from the seats they had reserved and paid for. Flying is something you endure rather than enjoy now. I haven't been on a plane for around 10 years and have no plans to do so especially for long flights.
All that aside, we have been having a wonderful time. We got to meet my great nephew, who immediately charmed us and has continued to impress us with his little personality and vocabulary. How many 3 year old's knows how to say rotate and knows what it means?
We have done all the usual tourism things including Santa's Village which was expensive but worthwhile. My niece-in-law loves Christmas so I think she may have enjoyed it even more than her son. Of course there were line ups for everything but we were able to see and do everything on our list.
Tomorrow, we are off to see a street festival in a community near ours. Sunday, the family moves on to Niagara Falls and then back home. It is going to be very hard to have them leave but am thankful for the time we have had. I know that we will see them again, probably, in a couple of years.
I really have not done much else except some meals and basic housework. My scrappy top is on the frame but haven't done anything on it. Our weather has been nice; sunny not not overly warm. Great for picking the raspberries that have taken over the property.
Blessings,
I have been able to get more done today than in the past couple of weeks. Hubby has been getting a lot of pain in the shin which made walking difficult. I took over the care of the chickens and some of his indoor chores. I didn't have a lot of time left over to do much other than my usual wifely responsibilities (not those! I meant cleaning and cooking.). He went to the hospital and got a scan and an x-ray and are now awaiting the results.
I hired a neighbour to come and help me catch up with the bigger cleaning jobs and she did a fantastic job. We almost need to wear sunglasses in the bathroom. She will come back next week and finish up. It would be lovely to have her come on a regular basis but, unless I start selling more quilts, that won't happen.
I finished my magazine article early this month as my nephew and family are coming from England on Sunday. I also finished the scrappy top I was working on. I like it enough I want to do it again but set the blocks on point. I will post when it is quilted.
The photo is of a sweater a lady in our quilt group made. She knitted the sleeves etc. and then added to the quilted part. I think it looks fantastic and suggested she enter it in our local fall fair. A prize winner for sure.
I am a happy camper. I have finally got a program downloaded that will allow me to speak and have it printed as text right into my Word co. I just finished dictating a section of a chapter and it worked perfectly. I still have to learn to remember to say comma, new sentence etc. Something new to learn.
We had quite a rainstorm last night but the sun is shining now. We did need the rain as do the farmers around us. I have found a home for one of my quilts. We have wonderful neighbours (quite a few of them, actually) who are always there to help when we need it, looking after our dog and generally just making life easier for us. this particular family loves cats and I have a quilt that I did some time ago and decided to give it to them. I would much sooner give one away than have them molder away in a cupboard.
I can't find a photo right now but will share it when I do. I am sewing the label on tonight while watching TV and will give it to them tomorrow. Now I have room to make another quilt!
Blessing,
Another week over and tomorrow is the start of the weekend. Our Heritage Home (museum) is having its annual community event tomorrow with lots of activities for everyone. The big attraction is the firefighter's challenge. Individual firemen compete against each other doing tasks like climbing a ladder and rescuing a person, replacing equipment in the truck etc. It is a fun and interesting look into what they face when they get called to a fire.
A lot of our firefighters are volunteers which mean always being ready to go no matter if you are in the midst of a celebration, family event or meeting. You get a call, you go.
I have had a busy day. I did a bit of gardening; pulling weeds, moving some plants and setting out a few more lawn ornaments. I am going to be planting some thyme ground cover. I want it to take the place of our lawn as, once it gets established, hubby won't have to cut grass. I keep trying to plan for when we aren't able to do some of the usual chores. With a bit of planning, I am hoping we can stay in our home until we pass away. That may sound gruesome to some people but after seeing how elderly friends and relatives exist in care facilities, I am going to do everything possible to avoid the same fate.
I got some more work on my charity quilt and finished a chapter of my book. The weather has been really nice 18-21 C which makes it so much nicer to get things done.,
Have a great weekend,
Blessings,
I hope everyone had a good Canada/Independence Day. I don't expect the Canadian government of the time paid a lot of attention to the fact that our special day would be so close to the American one. It is interesting when they happen on the same weekend. Personally, I think it is rather nice as the two nations, although very different, always manage to get along when it is important-rather like families.
Hubby and I were invited to a neighbours for a Canada Day barbecue followed by a nice visit. We took Heidi do as she gets along well with their cat.
I thought I had the speech to text search solved but I haven't. None of the free programs worked well so decided to buy Dragon which is the number one recommended program. They had a set up for under 100 dollars. However, when I went to buy it, I found that it was no longer available. All the others are anywhere from over two hundred to 600 hundred plus. Too expensive for me.
If anyone has a program they use, I would love to have your recommendation. As I have said previously, I want to be able to dictate my book onto Microsoft Word. In the meantime, back to Google search.
Blessings,
Sometimes the best solution is the easiest. I have been looking at speech to text programs for a few weeks without much success. I want to be able to read my book (that is currently typed onto paper) into MS Word so I can edit and get ready for publication. I don't need anything fancy and I didn't want to have to pay hundreds of dollars. I tried numerous apps and nothing met my requirements. Then I saw one that was strictly for Microsoft and was already installed on the computer. I opened Word, clicked on the program? app? and away I went, It printed exactly what I said. Now I can get the book done before I loose all my faculties.
The weather has been cooler the past couple of days so I actually got some gardening done. I bought a few half priced annuals at our garden centre and will get them into the ground.
I think I may have ruined someone's day on Saturday. I had my credit card declined when I tried to make a purchase on line. I knew I wasn't overdrawn, my bill had been paid and I had entered the correct information (I double checked at least four times. Time to call customer service. Great. They have an hour wait time (why can't they take your number and call back?) I put the phone on loudspeaker and played computer games while keeping an ear open so I could hear the repeated messages. Three quarters of an hours passed and they disconnected me. I then tried their on line help but it wasn't any use.
The next day I decided to call the fraud/lost card number as I was reasonably sure that would get me a person, which it did. I got a very patient man who went over all the possible problems with me but none of them seemed to be the solution. It was then I finally realized I was contacting the wrong company. I thanked the man profusely, apologized equally profusely and then called the right people. I now, once again, can use my card. The problem: my mailing address is a post box number and I have a separate street address-country living.
I finished the quilt that was on my frame and it has gone to its owner. Not sure what I will start next.
Blessings,
I have been doing far more house work than anything else lately. I wanted to give both the main bedrooms a complete cleaning as they hadn't been done in a while. We have also been getting a lot of ants and I thought that maybe something was attracting them. Everything on the beds was washed, mattresses vacuumed and flipped. We put an insecticide around the floorboards after washing the walls. It took ages to get everything done-four days in fact. The headboard on the master bed is wood so it was taken out, swept and sprayed. It is still outside airing as is the rug. Today, we set up the air conditioner and installed a new (to us) washing machine. I hope I am done for a while. The rest of the house can wait for cooler temperatures.
The weather was a lovely 23c today which was considerable better than low 30's. I was even able to take the dog for a nice walk. This weekend, the Art Club is having a show and sale but I am not taking part as I have too many other things to get done. My to do list includes writing up a quilt pattern that I have sold to a magazine, finish 2 charity quilts, write my magazine article before the end of the month and finish a customer quilt. My poor book keeps getting shoved to the bottom of the pile but I did get a bit of work done on that this week. Retirement? What does that mean?
Blessings,
Despite the heat, I got quite a bit done today. I worked on the charity quilt that is on the frame and my scrappy. I also, finally, put the new thread holder together and got the spools on it. I know have to figure out where to put it. I thought about the top of a cupboard but then I wouldn't be able to reach the top most rows so, right now, it is on the ironing board.
I bought a new mattress cover for the master bed and took the opportunity to wash all the bedding including the quilts. I slid the bed away from the wall so I could sweep and was amazed at the dust. I probably could have made a couple of bunnies from it. When the floor was carpeted, the dust wasn't so obvious (which is rather gross). I will have to make sure I get the mop under the bed every time I change the sheets. Wouldn't it be nice to have a housekeeper to look after all those things?
There was a tornado warning south of us but I think it passed by. We are not in an area that gets hit although that isn't a guarantee. Barrie, which is just under two hours away, seems to be a favourite target.
As much as I dislike black flies, I will take them over a tornado.
Blessings,
I am now back to the pattern I am doing for a quilt magazine.
I did a bit of gardening today. The lilacs needed deadheading and I got one plant done. I also want to transplant my geraniums but that will have to wait as we are going grocery shopping tomorrow. Always something to do.
blessings,
I am just finishing the quilt that is on my frame. If I were to be asked what the most important skill to learn when quilting, my answer would be 'patience'. It is a common human trait to want to rush everything. We learn short cut tricks to making multiple half square triangles, if a ruler offers a quicker way to make a block, we buy it. I could understand this rush if we were doing something we hated but we love quilting. If not, we would be doing something else like that pile of dishes that is growing in the sink.
I was reminded of this when I had to stop and refill a bobbin for the long arm. I had changed the bobbin thread and couldn't remember how to reinstall it so I looked it up in the manual. I filled a couple of bobbins, put one in the holder and started to sew. I didn't get more than a couple of stitches when the machine jammed. I checked the bobbin and it was loose. Reinstalled and it was still loose and in fact it would turn on the shaft. Double checked with the manual to ensure the release thingy was in the correct direction. Then I checked to make sure the bobbin was in the holder correctly, which it was. I have a hard time seeing the bobbin area on my machine as I am tall so I moved it off the quilt and sat on a chair so I could see what I was doing. I put the bobbin and case back on the shaft but the result was the same. Then I took another look at the holder. It was from my domestic machine. Locate the correct one, install and start sewing.
I am glad I remained calm through out the process. There was one time in my life where I would have thrown something (probably the bobbin case) and then spent the rest of the day trying to find where it went. I am sure my husband appreciates the new me as well.
Blessings,
I am disappointed with the new ruler I bought. Perhaps if I had got a bigger one, it would have been more useful. I have written the company letting them know how I felt but haven't yet heard back.
The temperatures are cool here but the sun is shining. It was very windy this morning and I thought the clothes would dry on the line before I got out the next load. They didn't but they are certainly going to get a good airing.
I think I have mentioned before that hubby and I are fans of the Blue Jay baseball team. We watch every game that is broadcast. I recently learned a couple of rules that were new to me. If the ball bounces off the back wall, the batter automatically gets a two base run. I guess they could then go further if the throw to another player missed. I think baseball is one of the easiest game to follow. You don't really need to know anything about the game to understand the batter can run if a hit ball is fair, three strikes and you are out etc. I wish there was a limit to the number of fouls. Sometimes, the batter just keeps hitting them. It isn't intentional but it gets a bit annoying to have an inning drag on as ball after ball flies the wrong way.
Having said all that, there is a game this afternoon so I have to get my housework done early because we will be watching.
Anyone else a baseball fan?
blessings,
I am having a difficult week. I may have been exposed to COVID on Monday and am still in the wait and see stage. I do have a headache and feel nauseous but, by themselves, they aren't a symptom.
Then a very dear friend died. It was neither unexpected or sudden but still very difficult. I don't think I have fully grasped it yet. The gentleman was like an adopted father to me and was just a very special person.
I missed sending in my newspaper column because I lost track of the days after not sleeping properly for a couple of nights.
On the plus side, after we voted today, we picked up the mail and the ruler I ordered was in. I will do some practice work with that later on today when/if my head gets back to normal.
Sorry this is not a upbeat post. I will try to do better tomorrow and perhaps have some photos of my ruler samples. The instructions that came with it aren't very clear so I will have to look at the video
Blessings,
My first hedgehog is done. This is my practice one and I can see I need to be a bit more careful with the piecing of the strips. I also think a lighter fabric for the spines would work better although I do want them colourful. I really like the block and am looking forward to making them as well as putting them together for the quilt. I think I am going to add sashing between the blocks so the quilt will be a bit bigger.
Hubby thinks he looks like a fox. I just think Hector Hedgehog is really cute.
I finished getting my garden planted yesterday. The tomatoes were getting a bit leggy so I buried them as deep as possible. We had a nice rain last night and today so that should help them get established. I would urge everyone to plant as much of a garden as they can this year. Even a pot or two on a balcony will help the grocery bill. Everyone I talk to believes that not only will the food prices going to continue to rise but we will also have shortages. I have talked to my husband to buy extra chicken feed and store it for the winter. If things improve, we can still use the feed.
Blessings,
I have been working on my hedgehog quilt and really like how it is looking. However, despite how careful and organized I have been trying to be, I made a big mistake. The fabric I cut was for background, face of hedgehog, legs of hedgehog plus eyes, nose and spines. I even labeled most of the pieces with the sizes and, the last two fabrics, the section designation i.e. 's', 'r' etc.
All that done and it was time to piece. Everything was going fine and I got to the place where I was getting ready to add the legs and realized I had been using the background fabric for the faces. I can find something else for the background but don't you think that after I was being so careful that the quilting fairies would have been on my side.
Oh, well. Life.
Blessings
Aaand, I'm back. Last week was very difficult. A very dear older friend was taken to the hospital and we thought he was in his last days. Fortunately, he recovered but needs to go into long term care. His family is trying to get him into a facility in the Muskoka's so he will be closer to them. I plan on visiting him as well once he is settled. He is a dear soul and will be greatly missed when his time comes.
On Thursday, hubby and I went to Orillia to see his mother who is also in a care facility. I have mentioned before about how we feel about the level of care she receives. Another example happened while we were there. Mom has been having severe abdominal pains and, despite two scans, nothing was discovered. She was in great discomfort and didn't want to have anything to eat. Because she isn't able to wear her false teeth, all her food is pureed or liquid. Lunch consisted of chocolate milk and juice. As I said, she didn't want either even when hubby offered to hold the glass. I asked if a straw might help and a staff person gave her one. She immediately drank all her chocolate milk. Why wouldn't a straw be provided to a toothless senior! It isn't a major thing but did make a difference to whether she was going to get any nourishment or not.
I have spent most of today making hedgehog eyes. I am following the instructions exactly in making this quilt as I haven't done one like it before. (Usually, I look at the pictures and put the pieces together my way.) Fabric was all cut out and labelled and now I am following the directions step by step.. I am really looking forward to seeing how the quilt turns out.
Blessings,
I thought I
had a good idea this morning but it turned out to be otherwise. It has been to0 hot in the afternoon when I
usually go for my walk so I thought morning would be a better time. The temperature was certainly a lot better
but that was offset by hundreds of blackflies.
I hadn’t worn my net hat so had to drape my sweater over my head and
move as fast as I could. I will stay
indoors for the rest of the day.
My hubby
did the sweetest thing yesterday. I
haven’t been getting a good nights sleep for a while due to something that is
causing extreme itchiness. The location
moves around and there isn’t any visible cause but, hoo boy, does it itch. Nothing seems to help. Yesterday morning after our devotions, I fell
asleep on the couch for over an hour.
When I woke up, hubby brought me a cup of tea and one of the gluten free
blueberry muffins I had bought. It was
such a lovely, thoughtful gesture. I think I will keep him.
I am
assembling fabric for a hedgehog baby quilt.
As you no doubt know, I love hedgehogs and when I saw this pattern in a
quilt store, I bought it. (I always buy
patterns but rarely make them. Do you do
that?) I can’t wait to see how it turns
out. I am also working on a scrappy and
a charity quilt that is on the frame. I always seem to prefer doing a bunch of projects at the same time. I think I would get really bored if I stuck to doing one at a time. Of course, I would probably get more quilts to the finished stage but what fun is that?!
Blessings,
Another week sliding past. I don't understand how I can get up on Monday morning and, later, when I go to bed, it is Thursday!
I have been slowly getting the gardening done although I am not planting anything just yet. Hubby has the beds ready, tomato plants are indoors ready for the big move as our geraniums. We are supposed to get rain on the weekend so I might plant some of the hardier seeds tomorrow. I am growing carrots this year as well as beets, potatoes and two kind of beans. I want to be able to freeze as much as possible to use during the winter. As grocery prices rise and some things are hard to find, I think we all should try and do what we can to prepare. Fresh mushrooms were not available at the grocery store this week. I will buy extra now when they are on sale and freeze them.
I have started making a lap size scrappy quilt for a friend who is in a senior's residence. Speaking of which, I am so thankful for my sister-in-law who oversees her mother's care,. Mom is in a long term facility and it is a constant battle seeing that she gets fed and receives the medical care she needs. I am determined neither hubby or I will go into a care (care!!!) facility.
I think I mentioned that I had a lump removed from my face. I was in to see the surgeon for follow up on Tuesday and he told me the results were that the lump was benign. I figured it would be but it is always good to have things checked,
Blessings,
Happy May. Tis the season of warmer weather, spring flowers returning birds and a lot more work. Today, I raked the lawn, got the ornaments out, put up one of the hummingbird feeders and trimmed the dog. Still have a lot more to do but, as hubby says, I am pacing myself.
At quilt group on Monday, one of the ladies showed a top she is completing. Another lady liked it so much that she wanted to make it as well. So, I volunteered to find the pattern and instructions. Of course, I forgot the name of the block. I thought it was chicken something but, it turns out, that it is beans and corn. Betty did hers with a solid centre block and only two main colours which I think looks really nice.
I always think this block looks like the CBC (our national broadcaster) logo. Here is a photo of one of the blocks in Betty's quilt.
The sun is shining for the first time in a number of days and I am looking forward to getting outside for a walk. I also need to get the bug tent out and ready to put up before the flying irritants arrive.
I bought a book of patterns for charm (5") squares a while ago but as I had turned most of mine into 4 patch blocks, I needed to use something else. I found a layer cake (10") batik that would be perfect. I am looking forward to making something new. I still have a lot of UFO's but I need something fresh to keep me interested.
I found this picture and saved it to share with you. I hope it brings a smile to your day. I keep trying to use up the fabric that I have but, when I am not looking, it breeds and I have twice as much as I did before.
Blessings,
Hubby is outside finishing up our maple syrup and I had a list of things I was hoping to get done. One of them was finish my monthly magazine article. I had it all finished but a couple hundred words when my son phoned. Somehow during the conversation, I touched something on the keyboard and lost the article. Frustration doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. I could rewrite as I remembered the gist of what I said but that was going to use extra time. After a bit of fiddling around, I did recover everything but what I wrote today. I am going to leave that for a bit and get a quilt loaded on the frame.
We have a lovely day at the Burk's Falls village Quilter's yesterday. We are still being Covid careful so one member who had been in Toronto for a week only popped in for a moment to give something to one of the ladies and did so while fully masked. We have such a supportive group. Everyone is respectful of each other so it makes our time together extra special.
Blessings,
I had another lovely day yesterday celebrating the birthday of a friend. We went to a community about an hour north where a quilt shop had just opened. Fibre Chicks turned out to have a lot more products that I thought it might as well as offering classes and long arm quilting. I bought some fabric, thread and a really cute hedgehog pattern which will be great as a scrappy.
After that, we went to a restaurant that had been recommended and had a very satisfying lunch. As we were finishing that, it was time to give the gifts. Our birthday girl was pleased with our choices. We had spotted a recycle (send hand) store near the restaurant which raised money for animal shelters. As we are all animal lovers we walked to the store only to find it closed on Thursdays which was a bit annoying.
I was telling husband about the day and he decided we should take a trip there some day. We have been to the community before as they have a livestock auction and we have added some hens to our flock. However, we haven't been to the main street. Although it is a small community, it does have a lot of places worth exploring.
The sun is shining today and it is warm enough to go out with just a light jacket. Hubby is boiling maple sap and enjoying the fresh air. I am working on some small projects trying to catch up with doing some things like hemming a friends pants and finishing aprons for the Legion president.
Heidi dog and I went for a walk. The spring peepers are announcing their presence as are a number of owls. Sounds like spring is here.
Blessings,
We are drawing near to the end of April and still getting snow. Hubby says the moisture is good for the ground and I agree but would still like to see a bit of blue in the sky.
In addition to my other writing, I have been busy helping a friend who is a candidate in the upcoming election in Ontario. This is his first run so I have been giving what guidance I have garnered from my own experience and accumulated knowledge. I designed and made the trifold pamphlet to be given out. This is a really big step and, if elected, I hope he doesn't find it overwhelming. Political neophytes are always full of hope and vision but quickly learn that you are a kernel on a cob of corn. That aside, he will still be able to represent our area and make sure that our needs are mentioned.
I still haven't done my income tax or finished some small sewing projects but hope to get at them later today or tomorrow. Wednesday afternoon I have to get a skin cancer removed. Apparently, I might need a couple of stitches. I am going to ask if they can tighten up my jowls while sewing!
I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend. We had our meal with neighbour friends. We usually get together with them for all the major holidays especially now, with the price of gas, we don't drive to hubby's family.
Here is a recent photo I took of our Heidi dog. Still a cutie.
