Canceled show, brownies and Project bags

Saturday my nephew's band had a show schedule for a place about 2 1/2 - 3 hours away. I made a batch of brownies as a treat. I knew I had to leave a bit earlier to get to my brother's house because the marathon was going on. I wanted to make sure that traffic didn't make me late since my neighborhood was surrounded with road closings. As it turned out I was just getting ready to leave and I got the phone call the gig had been cancelled due to rain.  The brownies were given to my neighbors instead.  Her mother has passed away and they were having a family dinner that evening so now they had dessert.

I then spent Saturday doing laundry, dishes, and working on project bags. I got the vinyl and interfacing all cut. My order for zippers was delivered. I bought enough to get the discounted price and free shipping.

Now that I had the zippers I needed, I set up the extra table and got all the bags and their parts laid out.

I got these six done.

These are ready to have the zipper panel trimmed to size.

I will continue to sew all the bags that need the navy thread. I will switch to the bags that need a different color thread and sew all those. I will be working on these all week. When I switch to another color I will give you some step by step pictures so you can see how I put these together.  They are not hard to make; just a bit fussy. 

I did work on the sampler a bit. Here is where I was the last time I posted and where I am now.

It rained here all day Saturday and Sunday. I had some thistle coming up in the center flower bed that I needed to pull before it went to seed. I got the unbrella and pulled a half a dozen in the rain. I also had to trim the zebra grass. It was so wet that the blades were splayed out and were bent into the the neighbor's driveway. I got it trimmed still using the unbrella, but I had to put the unbrella down to rake the trimmings so I got a little wet. Nothing like gardening in the rain! LOL!!!

Cutting interfacing and still stitching

I spent some time cutting interfacing for this weekend's projects - project bags and boxy pouches.

I started laying out all the pieces for these boxy pouches.

I still need to cut vinyl for most of the larger project bags. I had some vinyl already cut for the small bags for these. I will get four large and four small notion project bags out of this pile of pieces.

I did place an order for more zippers and they are schedule to arrive Saturday. I wanted some different colors and I needed more black ones too. I got a bit more done on the sampler. The large letters are going slow. They are done in an Algerian Eyelet stitch.

Here is where I was yesterday and where I am now.

Have a great weekend!

Sampler progress

I made some good progress on the sampler. I stitch in hand so I can get a lot stitched quick. So here is where I was yesterday and where I am now.  There are a few spots in that bottom zig zag that don't have a red cross stitch in them.  That is how original sampler is stitched. 

I think I will start working on sewing together the project bags and boxy pouches that I cut out a couple weeks ago. I need to clean up my fabric storage room too; it looks like it was ransacked! LOL!!

What's next?

Now that the t-shirt quilt is done and mailed last evening, I have to figure out what I'm going to work on next. I have plenty to do; I just need to figure out what I should tackle next. Meanwhile, I did start another cross stitch piece. This is a sampler reproduction that I have wanted to stitch because of the day on it. I also wanted to try out the new floss I bought. I cut a piece of 32 count Fox and Rabbit Saltbush and got to work yesterday.

I like the new floss very much! I used the color Raisin and the gray is DMC.

Details

Last evening was all about the details and GSD - getting sh*t done. I had forgotten to sew  on the labels I saved from the camo bibbs that I cut up to use in the t-shirt quilt. Done!

Got a label made, sewn on. and the quilt boxed up for shipment.

I needed a card so I started this a few days ago. I finished stitching it last night, trimmed it, zig zagged the edges and now it is ready to be mailed.

All of that pretty much took up the evening. I am glad I had made that big pot of meatballs on Sunday so I would have breakfast and lunch for a couple days because I had no time to cook last evening.

6th finish for 2024

Finally, the t-shirt is done. It ended up 63" x 94".

My order from Pirate and Robin for hand dyed floss arrived Saturday. I saw this brand on a floss tube and just thought I would try some out. It came in a cute envelope with a fun sticker. They also included a sticker inside for me to use.

The floss was wrapped beautifully!

I have a project that I will be using the reddish floss and the purple floss on soon.

Saturday I went to my friend's retirement party. They had snacks, a taco bar with beef, pork, and or seasoned hamburger along with all the fixings and cookies. I had the pulled pork and ended up with food poisoning. I at least only toss my cookies once then my stomach finally settled down. I still feel a bit out of sorts, but I think one more day and I will be back.

I needed a card to take to the party. All I needed to add to this was the Best Wishes, date and the skull and I had a card to give. She loved it.

The rest of the weekend I mowed a lot of grass, but didn't get it all done. It was so hot and humid it was hard to push that mower for any length of time. My neighbors were away on vacation, so I was mowing their yard as well as mine. I didn't get their backyard done, but he told me before they left if I didn't get the back mowed that was fine. I still have half of my backyard and one side yard to do.  It was raining this morning and rain is expected tomorrow, so who knows when I will be able to finish the mowing or more like start all over again.  LOL!!

No progress, progress and avoiding the clouds

Here is the t-shirt quilt still not finished.

After work I had a doctor's appointment and ran an errand. After I hauled in the groceries and sat down for what seemed like a minute, I had to go water the neighbor's pots and my plants. I did finish up stitching the Octopus's Garden except for my trademark skull which I finished this morning. It is over one with one thread. Now I just need to get it framed!

I only walked about 12 - 13 minutes this morning since I didn't get to work early enough to walk longer. I didn't go over to the next huge parking lot to walk like I usually do since the humidity was 88% and the fog had settled there. I wasn't going to walk thru all that moisture! I had to just make laps around our parking lot.

My plans for the weekend are to finish that t-shirt quilt, go to a retirement party - no not mine unfortunately LOL!! - and tear into fixing a pair of pants for my nephew. I plan on making cookies to take to the party and somewhere in between Friday and Sunday I have to mow. Have a great weekend!

I did what?!

I forgot to take a picture, but I did get the binding on a long side hand stitched and about 8" around the corner. I was just too tired to think last evening after I unloaded 84 cases of water at work. We got a pallet and the cases needed moved. Nobody was around; they were all out at the job site since it was a big day of pushing steel for the bridge. The last 25 cases was the toughest. I moved the ones that have are with the blue and green packaging.

Here is my progress on the Octopus's Garden. Again I will show where I was yesterday and where I am now.

Hand sewing has commenced!

I got one side stitched last evening. Of course I started on a short side!

I needed to check on my neighbor's plants to see if anything needed a drink. I had to drain out the water from some of her pots because they were sopping wet. I have been generous with the water!  LOL!!  Several of her pots do not have drainage holes. Look how pretty this pot is! The geraniums almost glow they are such a bright pink. The deer haven't touched them so I think I will get a few next year.

Here is the progress on Octopus's Garden. It looks like I am almost done, but there is a lot of stitching that goes in those blank spaces.

Binding is ready for hand stitching, one fish, two fish

I got the corners sewn, the quilt trimmed and the binding press last evening. Next is the hand stitching. Isn't that a good-looking mitered corner? LOL!!

I got a bit more done on Octopus's Garden. It took me two hours to stitch that big fish on the left! Here is where I was yesterday and where I am now.

Quilt status

The first step for binding the quilt is done. Tonight I will sew the miter corners, trim the excess, and press it. Maybe I will have time to get a few stitches in and maybe not. I do need to mow.

I cut fabric for project bags and a few boxy pouches. I matched up what zippers I had so now I know what colors I need to buy. I have them all stacked in this bin ready to go.

The deer were hanging out back on Saturday and Sunday. There is one momma and three fawns that were born this year. Only two are her's.

Here is the progress I made on Octopus's Garden. I probably spend more time working on it than I should have. LOL!! Here is where I was last Thursday when I posted and where I am now.