Late August

We enjoyed a really nice day yesterday with relatives that we had either not seen for a long while and some we had never met (great nieces, a great nephew, once removed).  At the last family funeral, it was decided that we should have a family gathering during happy times and not wait for the sad moments to get together.  All the children had fun, the teens seemed to enjoy themselves and the adults were all relaxed and we enjoyed some good conversations as well as reminiscing about the past. 

One fun activity I did with the family I hadn't seen for awhile and the great nieces we had never met, was to pull out of my linen cupboard a variety of quilts that were samples from classes in the past.  I let each family member root through the pile and choose a quilt for themselves.  It was interesting to see who made an immediate choice and hugged their quilt closely while others had a really hard time making a decision - maybe I didn't have quilts in their favourite colours to offer them? 

I did manage to get a couple of quilts quilted this past week and also managed to get the binding onto one of them so watch for pictures in the next few days as I complete each project.

This is the quilt that I posted in my last blog but it is now quilted and bound and ready to donate to the preemie SCU at our local hospital.

Wow, has been awhile

Funny how life gets in the way and your regular routine gets disrupted?  I have done a little bit of sewing and have another of our redrafted BQ preemie quilt made though it is still a top and not yet layered or quilted.  One step at a time, right?

The last week has been a bonanza for blueberries and I seem to pick, pick and pick some more.  We had rain for three days and wow... they grew, ripened and the bushes were once more laden this morning. 

I have no idea why this picture is sideways?  But, you can turn your head to look? 

Sockeye salmon season is 'open' around here so my dh has been busy fishing and I am deciding between fillets and keeping some whole for canning? 

My only 'other' sewing has been altering some Sears catalogue curtains for our bedroom window.  After our fire, I decided I would wash our curtains myself rather than wait for them to be sent out for cleaning and then have a long delay with no curtains on the window - a nuisance on mornings when the sun is shining in your eyes at some 'ungodly' hour and you would much prefer to still be sleeping.  Unfortunately, the curtains were old and foam backed and I forgot to change my machine to cold wash and my warm water was a little too hot for the foam.... and we had some interesting curtains after that effort.  New curtains are hemmed and now hung, looking new and fresh.  For some things, you can't beat good, old fashioned catalogue shopping (am I showing my age?). 

Maybe now that life seems to getting back to 'normal' (whatever that is?) after fire, after eye surgery and after other comitments in the last few weeks, I really hope that I can make my sewing machine happy and have her purring away, getting projects completed that I had great plans for in June?

Quiet Wednesday

Today was a 'normal' day although my first eye I had surgery on is really bugging me and is annoying.  For some reason, I missed my eye appointment yesterday, had it on the calendar for today so need to wait until Friday morning to get it checked out. 
The opthamologist knows that it is sore, feels gritty and has me washing it with diluted baby shampoo? 
But, at least I got to go to my Wed Diva quilt group and I got inspired to come home and turn on my sewing machine.. yippeeee.
Our group is going to make some donation quilts using the BQ quilt pattern and one of our members did the math and downsized the blocks to make a size that is perfect for the preemies at the local hospital's NICU.  So, I got out some fabric, started cutting and sewing and my blocks are made ready for joining.  Still waiting for the final inspection for our insurance claim after our kitchen fire but am in no hurry to pay my deductible

I have a microwave!

I have a microwave - wow!  The major stuff is finished - whoopee!!  Tomorrow is housecleaning and carpet cleaning and we are DONE.  What a feeling.  I also managed to spray baste three quilts yesterday so am ready for my after eye surgery quilting.  Hopefully, with my house clean and everything done, I will be able to either put my feet up and read or turn on my sewing machine after Thursday, maybe do a little of both? 
Considering that this was a 'small' fire, can't imagine what a large fire would be like to deal with?  My heart goes out to those who have to endure that kind of restoration.

So here is my new microwave and stove.  I am also trying an experiment, dehydrating blueberries?  Not sure how long to dry them for or how this will work but thought it was a good idea for using them later in baking?

Four weeks later

My fire happened four weeks ago and we are almost finished with the cleaning, repairs, painting and replacement.  Electronics came home today but need to call them about my keyboard - some letters need to be pounded on to get them to work.  The painter put a coat of paint on the kitchen cupboards and walls around the stove and I will paint the rest with the leftover paint. 
We chose a stove and microwave today to be delivered on Friday.  All that we have to wait for is the microwave installation, the carpets to be cleaned and one final housecleaning.  Yippeee...
Maybe, just maybe, I will find time to get some quilting and piecing done?

Electronics return home

Well, our electronics left on Wednesday for a sleepover at the cleaning depot, but, they did not come home Thursday!  After a frantic call this morning, one television with HD box as well as my laptop and modem arrived back home and where they belong!

The carpenters came on Thursday morning and installed my new cabinet and a painter arrived later and put on the base coat, ready for the final painting.  The carpenters were nice enough to also put some finishing touches on the vacant space above my fridge where a cupboard was taken out to give us needed height when we replaced that appliance. 

Am still frustrated with appliance company and hope that there will be some results early next week.  I know the painting will be done when the painter has some time left in his day after his bigger jobs.  The drapes that were taken down for cleaning are another issue.  Wow... the cleaners want $1500 to clean my 40 year old drapes!!  hmmm.... not so sure that they are worth that.  

Carpet cleaning will be done after painting is finished and that will leave me with a cleaner for a day to get all the little bits cleaned up that I have found in my travels throughout the house (a lampshade needs some tlc) and then, we will be DONE!

In the meantime, without any tv or computer time, and with the extreme heat of the last few days, it has been a perfect opportunity to put my feet up and read!   To heck with the 'to-do' lists!!

And, not a stitch sewn in the last few days! 

A warm July evening

We finally have a warm summer evening and hotter temperatures predicted.  This is a good thing to be able to have windows open and air our this stinky paint smell from our home.
Kitchen cupboard has been removed and is being rebuilt.  Painters will need to come to paint the new cupboard which is nice as leftover paint is mine for touching up the scratches on the rest of the cupboards.

I am frustrated by still not having any new appliances and cooking with just one burner on my stove but, eventually, this too will just be a memory of the June kitchen fire.  Tomorrow all our electronics go for a sleepover and this will be stressful with no computer or televisions - they need to be professionally cleaned as soot damages the wiring which will eventually corrode. 

The good news is that I managed to get a bit of sewing/quilting done.  I have completed some pillowcases for Quilts of Valour.  Sometimes quilts get turned in without a case and I also have made a few quilts that needed a case.

Last year I participated in a swap with my online friends and we made 9 patches with black, white and one colour which were then cut and turned into Magic 9 blocks.  I made two quilts from the blocks and my buddy wanted this one so she quilted it and gave me the funky binding and I have stitched it on to complete a UFO.  Yippeee.  One more project crossed off the list of projects that needed to be completed.

My house is slowly returning to normal and am trying to declutter one closet, cupboard or drawer a day.  Today, I managed to go through my dining room sideboard and have a large box of forgotten items for donation.  If I put them in the box quickly and don't handle or fondle the object, I won't miss it, right?  My sewing room is next and am dreading some parts of that cleanup/cleanout.

It has almost been two weeks since my eye surgery and while my vision isn't as perfect as hoped for, it is a nice change to be able to see the time at night without putting my nose right on the clock.  Using the drops is a pain but a necessary part of the surgery.  Oh well, this too shall pass!