Still stitching

The green card sampler is almost done! I wanted to start the next one just for fun. I am glad to get three out of this piece of fabric which was left from another project. I got about 20 minutes in on the green one while I waited for my dentist appointment then I stitched a couple hours when I got home. Here is where I was on Wednesday morning and where I am now.

Card stitching progress

I needed to get some serious time in on the Xmas card stitching so it was a way last evening to just relax and stitch. I think I am finally recovered from my four day weekend. Here is where I was on Tuesday with the stitching and where I am now. I feel pretty good with the amount I got done.

Not moving too fast

I was tired when I got home from work. I managed to do a load of laundry and get something to eat. I did get a bit more stitching done on the little pieces for Xmas cards.

This morning I got myself together and pulled off the garage shelves the closeout binders and drawings for jobs that are lingering. It has been difficult getting the final information I need for these, but it seems that things are starting to improve. I had taken some of the binders when I moved from the home office to the bridge jobsite, but now I needed the rest of the binders. The boxes seemed extra heavy at 6:30 a.m. LOL!!! I am just glad all of this is now out of my garage!

The temperatures have dropped into the low 20's and we received a very light dusting of snow. Right now the forecast says 49 on Saturday which will feel like a heat wave!

Busy time off

I tried to get something accomplished every day while I was off. I was pretty tired at the end of every day so I guess I got some stuff done! Thursday I finished sewing together two pillows for my brother and SIL, made the inserts which I didn't stuff and got the box packed up for shipping. I straightened up and unwrapped the carpet squares in the garage so they could air out and tried out the new used sewing machine.

Fully finished two smalls and put one of them in the wooden bowl.

Friday I returned the sewing machine because it would not turn on. When I got home I worked for about 5 hours in the garage cleaning and straightening up. I gathered stuff to go to the resale shop and pitched a few things. Once inside I straightened up the fabric storage room a bit and pulled fabric for boxy pouches that a lady at work wants me to make her for Xmas presents. On Saturday I got all the fabric and interfacing cut, ironed on the interfacing, and pressed the handles for 21 pouches. Now I just need to get them made by December 6th.

I took two of the new scissor holders and decided I wanted to join them together. The finish was not real smooth so after sanding and varnishing them I was able to used these little metal mending brackets and joined them together.

Saturday I spent most of the day cleaning out a couple closets. The one in the guest room was a crazy mess of stuff. I got a pile of things for donation and now it looks better although it is still full.

I did pull out a pile of small quilted pieces I would like to turn into either pouches or tote bags. I just need to find some pointers on what would be the easiest way to accomplish that.

Sunday was spent finishing up the closets, stripping the beds in the guest room and remaking them, cleaning the yellow marigold seeds and packing them into containers,

laundry, making soup for lunches, watching some football, and I managed to squeeze out about an hour to work on the cross stitch for Xmas cards.

Today is going to be a long day. I sleep terrible last night; I just hurt all over! LOL!! All the lifting and moving boxes sure got to me.

Almost Thanksgiving!

Saturday I drove to a suburb of Cleveland and bought a backup sewing machine. It was a great price. I haven't gotten any time to sew with it at all.  My goal over Thanksgiving is to give it a workout.

I was off Monday and Tuesday unexpectedly to help out with caring for two 13 year old girls and all is good. I had picked them up on Sunday after I went looking at a house. Three days of shopping, cooking and feeding two kids is a lot of work! Their Xmas gifts are all bought thanks to their help and it gives me time to alter the cute stretch corduroy jeans we bought so they can wear them as soon as they open them. I will wash them too. Here is their loot.

They helped me wash the jars and lids and make taco seasoning to put in half pint and pint jars for little Xmas gifts. We made 22 very full half pints and six pint jars.

They also help clean the orange marigold seeds that my friend and I harvested. They put them in the spice containers that we emptied to make the taco seasoning and labeled them.

There are still a lot of the cleaned seeds and even more still that need sorted! This is just the orange ones! I still have some yellow ones and some variegated ones to clean and sort, but not nearly as many.  I also still have another dozen of the spice containers to put them in. 

I was able to schedule an appointment to get the maintenance done on my furnace since I was home. I'm glad that is done. We also went for a hike for an hour. We ended up on a path that joined two main trails and oh my what a hike it was down the hill on these steps!  This picture is not even at the top of the hill!

I didn't get much done around the house except clean off the beds so the girls could sleep in them.  I did get recipes and cross stitch charts sorted out I had printed off and got most of those put in their binders. I have made a list for the next four days so let's see what I can get done. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It's the little things

It was 62 when I got home so I decided to try again to coil up the hose. The gray hose was not a problem, but the black hose had a mind of its own! It was finally pliable enough I was able to get it wrangled! It's the little things that can make your day! LOL!! The hose is now in the garage for winter.

Yesterday there was a meeting with all the Project Coordinators at a restaurant that has sushi. I was so good! Toward the end of our meal the waiter brought us two boards with more sushi. Most of the PCs don't eat sushi and I was already full so I took some home for lunch today.

While I was at the home office, I picked up three dozen eggs from the marketing guy that raises chickens. Aren't they pretty?

I just recently dawned on me that Thanksgiving is next week. Yikes! That means Christmas is soon to follow! I had thought about making some Xmas cards so last evening I knew needed to get started. I stitched for a couple hours and got in a bit more time before work this morning. I would say I am halfway done with this first piece. I will put this in one of those frame cards like the one I did not too long ago as a get well card. I went thru my 32 count linen box and found quite a few scraps that will be the perfect size to make these small samplers.

I am going to try and not goof off this weekend. I started a list and I need to stick to it. Have a great weekend!

That's done

I finally got the I Spy pin basted.

I have been in a bit of a slump this week and haven't gotten much done. I need to pick up the pace!

A new scissor block, sweets, and deer

I didn't have enough space in the scissor block Uncle Frank had made for me a while ago, so I asked him to make me another one and a couple more for gifts. I needed one with a couple bigger holes for my sewing scissors and for the one pair of scissors my sister gave me for my birthday that had the beautiful wooden tip protector.

So now I have enough space to hold all my scissors

When my brother delivered the scissor blocks, he handed me a box of chocolates from my nephew for my birthday! This is the nephew that has the band. Yum! The birthday gifts just keep coming! LOL!!

When I got home from work two deer, Mom and one of the twins, greeted me.

Pin basting has begun!

The backing was pressed, batting cut, and then the layers assembled so  pin basting the I Spy quilt has begun. Yeah!!!

I received my package from the Fat Quarter Shop yesterday. Last week they had a flash sale on some 32 count cross stitch linen and I was able to snag a yard of Fox and Rabbit Hogbristle at 30% off! I also bought several different reds and replenished my black flosses with a Japanese brand called Cosmo.

I now have a nice collection of Fox and Rabbit linen. This ought to keep me busy stitching for a long time.

What a weekend - cleaning, yard work and a craft show

I spent most of Friday evening and Saturday until noon cleaning, doing laundry and straightening up for the company that was coming Saturday afternoon. I had made a trip to the grocery store for deli meat for sandwiches and made a lemon ricotta blueberry cake for dessert.

My company was a friend from work who wanted to come over to hang out and help me with some yard work. She is at the home office whereas I am out in the field so we don't see each other that often anymore. We pulled out all the dead marigolds and harvested a lot of seeds.

We sorted the seeds by color so I have orange, yellow, and variegated. We also dead headed the cone flowers and those when in another box. Sara got to use my hand-held battery hand tool for trimming and said she needed to get one of those. She also used a leaf blower for the first time

Sunday I went to a craft show with a friend. Her SIL had a booth so she wanted to go and support her. It wasn't a big show, but we found some good stuff and had a great time talking to all the vendors. This was all our bag on the lunch table.

I bought this cutting board and got to meet the 79 year old lady that make it.

I bought this neck warmer for my sister from my friend's SIL. I need to duplicate this!

Beeswax and some sweets

My friend's haul

Lunch. Ham and potato soup and pecan pie. Look at the size of that slice! All this for seven dollars!

Then look at these beautiful cookies.

I did get the backing washed, dried, and sewn together for the I Spy quilt. It is ready for me to press it. I had thought I would have been farther along, but I was tired. :)