Today's Garden

My garden has loved all the rain we've been having. There are observable changes every day. When I first saw these coreopsis a bee was crawling all over one of the flowers, its rear legs covered in yellow pollen. I ran inside to get my phone to take a photo but it had flown off.

This is the first bloom of the random echinacea in one of my beds.

These dwarf sunflowers were grown from seed under the grow lights in my kitchen. It's the first to bloom. A little bee had already found it (at 7 o'clock on the centre). I also planted a couple of sunflowers that will grow to over 2.5m (8ft+). The seeds were a birthday gift to me last year.

My garden is a hodge-podge of perennials (mostly). The daisies were an end-of-season sale purchase last year probably from Canadian Tire. Behind them on the right is a bent-over blue bellflower (campanula carpatica), front left are cornflowers/bachelor buttons, black-eyed susans in front of the daisies, the sunflower, and viola foliage on the bottom right. I think the violas are done blooming for the season but I like the lush foliage. 

Scooter and Skip attached this bit of lattice to the fence a few years ago for our neighbour's clematis that likes to poke through the fence. This bloom is spectacular today.

Sharon's 3ft high shasta daisies are amazing right now. Bees are loving the pollen.

I took a couple of videos of the bee action on the daisies (click the 'play' triangle twice)

and the foxglove.

Staying Cool

It's another toasty day out there. Now that my A/C is working again, I stayed inside where it was nice and cool. It was a perfect day to wash all the bedding and hang it out; duvet cover, bottom sheet, mattress pad, pillowcases. I also am airing out my light summer duvet. I am fortunate my 'passive solar dryer' is just steps outside the door from my main floor laundry room.

Although everything was dried in a jiffy, I left everything out in the sun until later. The bed is going to smell so good tonight when I crawl into it.

I seem to be on a project bag-making jag. I unearthed a little mini charm pack from my stash that I had no recollection of buying. However, I had a zipper and coordinating fabric I could use for the back so I got busy with my gridded fusible interfacing. 

I saw a YouTube video about using charm squares and noted that sometimes the 2 1/2" is measured from the inside of the pinked (zigzag) edge and sometimes it is from the outside points. The gridded interfacing I am using has exact 2 1/2" squares so I had to trim off the pinked edges to make them fit well.

Again, I laid them out in checkerboard fashion. However I needed 49 squares for my 7 x 7 grid and the charm pack only had 42. Luckily I had some random blue squares left over from other projects and they fit in quite nicely. A couple were from the Yukata project and a couple of others from the Summer Eclipse Iceberg fabric . The quilted part is 7 x 6 squares and the 7th row is used for the part above the zipper on the front.

The backing fabric was some of the discounted 0.6m remnant I bought at Bolts and Bobbins a couple of weeks ago - Moda Canvas Ink. I also used it for the strip under the zipper. A fat quarter is also large enough for this project.

This time I quilted the checkerboard through the dark squares. I got to use my chalk marking tool again now that I have more chalk which I had obtained from Bolts and Bobbins. The gadget is that red thing on the left. You can see the white reservoir where the chalk goes. On the rounded end is a little wheel that deposits the chalk. This is a good alternative to using a white marking pen on the dark fabric as the chalk just brushes away once it has served its purpose. 

I do use my walking foot whenever I'm sewing over anything with batting. However today it wasn't advancing the fabric properly so I had to provide some assistance and push it through a bit.

This is the 6th project bag I've recently made that I'm planning to sell. I've been doing some comparison pricing on Etsy and have decided $40CAD is a fair price. Some of my stitching peeps will have first dibs before I take them to sell at our stitching retreat in the fall.

I like that I'm able to continue 'shopping from my stash' when creating these projects. I'm getting down to my last lengths of vinyl, though. I do miss having a Fabricland nearby as it was always so handy to run out and pick up sewing supplies as I've needed them. Now the closest one is in Pickering. Our local quilt shops don't carry the array of zipper colours and lengths that I like. Michaels only sells white, ecru, navy, and black zippers. My preferred length is 16" or longer as my project bags finish to about 14 1/2" wide.  Then the zipper is just trimmed down to the size after all is assembled.

I have 2 other quilted checkerboards in blue colourways that can be finished into bags fairly quickly. 

I'm also toying with making some zipper bags that could be used for knitting projects or cosmetics - like these I made ages ago.

I sure wish I had more of those fabrics.

I also made matching luggage tags.

I still have some of this fabric.

Japanese Fabric

My new central air-conditioning unit was finally installed today!! I've been without A/C for the past three days, during this big heat wave. It was 86ºF (30C) in my bedroom last night. Thank goodness it had cooled down outside so I had lots of windows open and several fans running. Unfortunately, because of the rain squalls yesterday the install was delayed and instead took place beginning later this morning so I didn't get to attend my guild's first Saturday of the month's stitching day. Turns out it was only 16C in the room where stitching took place and they froze.

Not wanting to move much in this heat, I did some stitching - a start on the Robin Pickens 'Seasonal Courier: Blackbird's Autumn. Wanting a break from that I did some sewing.

On my recent fabric order from Kallisti Quilts, I thought one of the fabrics would made a great backing for another project bag using the Yukata squares. The pattern is the traditional Seigaiha or ocean wave. I actually used the back of the fabric as the blue colour more closely matched the squares on the front.

and a fabric strip under the zipper.

I have no idea if the Japanese characters are upside down or right side up. 

I used the easier method of sewing it together, cutting the backing 1" wider on all sides then trimming it down to 3/4", then double folding it over to the front and sewing it in place. This method is way less labour-intensive than cutting and attaching a binding strip then hand-sewing it into place.

I really liked this line of fabric and wish I had purchased more.

Summer Seasonal Courier is Finished

I spent most of the day huddled inside with blinds closed and fans whirring after my air-conditioning unit ceased to function yesterday. I called our usual HVAC company and they sent a repairer within a couple of hours. He determined that the almost 30 year-old unit was 'toast' and could be repaired but considering its age,  a replacement made more sense. I got a call back within an hour that it could be done tomorrow and the very last available unit was earmarked for me. Hallelujah!

I did go to the grocery store and took my time, especially in the refrigerated areas. I’ve kept all the blinds drawn but the house got up to 29C (outside it got up to 37C on my deck).  I did have an offer to hang out at a friend’s house but I kinda wanted to relive some of the steamy days my family experienced when we lived in Mexico in the mid-60s. 

The classrooms in my school there only had ceiling fans. The only A/C unit was in the main office. At home, we didn't have central air conditioning either - only window units in our bedrooms. If I were a kid today, I’d have set up a sprinkler and run through it a few times. Instead I spent some time watering the garden and occasionally sprayed myself to keep cool.

Back inside I thought some quiet stitching would be in order and minimize physical activity. I only had a little bit to finish on the Robin Pickens piece so got that done and the piece pressed. Not sure how I'll fully finish it though.

I then kitted up the next one I want to do - Blackbird's Autumn, and put away the flosses from the Blue Jay piece. I didn't pick fabric for this one yet but it should probably be a bit darker so the Ecru stitches will show up better.

Yesterday, Poppy sent me a photo of Olivia after she received her little bear. She has named her 'Chloe'. Olivia certainly looked pleased. Poppy said Olivia took Chloe to bed with her that night.

For Canada Day yesterday I didn't do much. It was just too stinking hot. When I heard fireworks in the neighbourhood after dark I ventured outside to see if I could see anything but no luck. I do recall a few years ago a spectacular pyrotechnical display behind my across-the-street neighbour's place. 

Years ago - when Scooter was little - there used to always be fireworks for Victoria Day and Canada Day at nearby Pringle Park. The grass slopes down to the baseball field which almost created an amphitheatre for us spectators.  Folks would come from all over Whitby - there would be cars parked everywhere for blocks. It was an easy 5 minute walk for us. Sadly, they discontinued the fireworks there and now  probably do them at a park in south Whitby not far from the lake.

I was born and lived in Sarnia for most of my first 35 years, then moved to Durham Region for work. Summer is a wonderful time to be in Sarnia. The beaches at the bottom of every road running down to the lake are public as well as one of the best beaches of the Great Lakes - the beach at Canatara Park on Lake Huron near the mouth of the St. Clair River. (aerial photo is looking towards the east. The mouth of the St. Clair River and Bluewater Bridge are in the other direction).

Port Huron MI is across the river. The fireworks are taken out into the river on a barge and set off there for the benefit of folks on both sides of the river. I saw videos of last night's display and they were fabulous.

I've now opened all the upstairs windows now and have several fans going to blow the hot air out and get things cooled off a bit for my sleeping tonight. In spite of the fact that it was almost 28ºC in my bedroom last night, I slept really well with open windows and the ceiling fan over the bed on low.

I really look forward to getting the new A/C unit $$$$ tomorrow.

Another Hot Day

 It's another scorcher today so I'm staying in air-conditioned comfort. I finished 'reading' my audiobook, "Maddy More or Less" by Lisa Genova; a fairly detailed story of living with bipolar disorder.

While finishing the book, I did more stitching on the Summer Courier Blue Jay.

Yesterday                                                                       Today

Getting there.

Finally Framed

I finished the last bits of stitching on the Robin Pickens Winter Seasonal Courier project, pinned it to the foamcore, and popped it into the frame.

Today at stitching and after I got home, I did more work on the Summer one. It's on 40ct - one thread over 2 so a bit smaller than the one above. I may use the same frame but a fabric faux mat on this one. We'll see.

I really like the colours, although I should have used a darker yellow for the star on the bottom left.

When Poppy's granddaughter, Olivia, was visiting her recently, she saw Jim's Everett and really wanted him for herself. 

I mean, who could resist him?

She was really bummed out she couldn't have him so Poppy commissioned me to make one for her, but this time a girl. I made sure she had the same colour sweater as Everett when I knit her yesterday. They're not really fraternal twins because her 'fur' colour is a different yarn than what I used on Everett.

I kind of got carried away with her facial features and wasn't happy with her snout.

so today at stitching I performed some ursine rhinoplasty and gave her a more petite snout. It sets off here eyes better, don't you think?

When I delivered her, I got some brownies! The quality control manager deemed them to be delicious.

Here she is with her homies Daphne and Everett.

I can finally reveal the stealth project I was sewing a couple of weeks ago. While at the Ultimate Sewing Centre in Oshawa, I espied this lone charm pack. Of course, the poppies caught my eye.

This was the array of fabrics in the collection (except for the strip of butterflies):

I fashioned my usual checkerboard design but did it twice, so there's one on the inside AND back of the bag. I also made a thread bed (shown with pairs of snaps). Daphne and the stitch picker I made are tucked in there, too. I attached the binding to the front and folded it to the back, handstitching it in place.

I have several other sewing projects I'd like to do. Now to find the motivation to get started...

We're in a heat wave so I haven't been venturing outdoors much. Staying in air-conditioned comfort has been wonderful and a good excuse to do lots of crafting - not that I need an excuse...

24+ Hours of Fun

Poppy, Jen1, and I hit the road on Friday afternoon and headed up to Gravenhurst where we spent the night before the Muskoka Yarn and Fibre Festival.

I was very pleased to find us lodgings in an efficiency unit that could comfortably accommodate three people in three beds at the Pinedale Inn, on the shore of Gull Lake. 

The view from our balcony

For a Friday night in the cottaging season, it was very quiet. We chatted outside on the balcony until almost sundown. The temperature was perfect, the view stunning, and we reveled in the rustling sound of the poplar leaves in a nearby tree. One could almost feel one's blood pressure dropping and the stresses in our lives drifting away.

I took an array of bears to see if Jen1 was interested in having one come and live with her. She picked Lola.

We took a selfie with our little friends and had ChatGPT make it into a cartoon.

Jen1 with Lola, Geri with Thomas and Ernest, Poppy with Daphne

The next morning we had breakfast at Stacked in Bracebridge then headed to the Fairgrounds for the yarn fest.

We split up - each interested in different things - and determined a meet-up time. Jen1 had pre-ordered something she went to pick up. Several of the yarn merchants had models on display. We all were intrigued by the Mautinoa shawl designed by Malia Mae Joseph. The pattern is available on Ravelry. It would work very well with a couple of contrasting skeins of laceweight. I could see knitting wider bands and making it into a lap blanket.

I was intrigued by a Knitted Bliss Stitching kit which featured several specialty stitches to look like flowers and balls of yarn.

Other colourways were also available. The blue kit I purchased was complete with 2 needles, a threader, all the DMC flosses separated on a floss card, the printed fabric, and 6" hoop. I do plan to vary the flowers with other colours. There are instructional videos available for the various techniques required.

What first drew me to their booth was seeing a floral embroidery on a sweater on display.

Of course, I dragged Poppy over to their booth, too. The designer uses Sticky Fabri-Solvy and just washes the water-soluble interfacing away once the embroidery is completed. She also sells 'Stick and Stitch' packs with designs already printed onto the 'Solvy', ready to literally stick and stitch. My mind is now racing with ideas for this embroidery technique. 

Ernest had a few photo ops:

with a very cute, needle-felted Peter Rabbit.

with an intriguing book of fellow critters,

between a couple of felted sheep on display,

amid an assembled lot of needle-felted critters,

and with an emotional support chicken and a frog.

After the fibre fest we made a beeline for Thimbles & Things quilt shop near Orillia to see if there were any to-die-for fabrics or kits. Among our purchases, Poppy found a very cool panel of a poppy print that was ready to make into a tote bag. It was very cool that the ends were printed in two directions so it could just be folded and seamed without having to cut a front and back separately.

Jen1 found a pretty, floral printed panel and companion fabric that she though would make a nice table cloth. Close up, the flowers looked like they'd been appliquéd in place.

I picked up a couple of William Morris fat eighths.

Our final stop was Myrtle Station Wool which conveniently, was on our route home. We had a nice visit with Stephanie and ogled her lovely yarn.

Back at home, I pretty much baffed out after all the activity of the previous 24 hours. 

It was so good for the three of us to get away. 

I don't see enough of the two of them as they are still working and busy with family commitments so I really look forward to spending time with them. We got to indulge ourselves doing many of our favourite things: shopping, discussing crafts, eating at restaurants, staying in comfy lodgings, getting away from 'adulting' for a little while, and spending time together.

We really need to do things like this more.