The best-laid plans - To do list - August 15, 2023

My new weekly to-do list appears to be a bi-weekly post! Not much got accomplished because my newly-part-time hours stretched into full-time plus, with a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction. When that happens, I shut down and get nothing done. Combine that with construction happening around me and very little sewing got done. 

I did get a little cross-stitching done (#3 on my list of August 1st), adding some colour with flowers, but not much more than that. My granddaughter didn't end up coming over, but I might have her tomorrow, so hopefully we can work on her project.

This week's to-do list is much like it was two weeks ago:

To do List for 8/15/2023

1.  Modified Rhododendron Trail (pattern by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville): Prep binding while waiting for quilt to come back from the long-arm quilter (which I got word they are on their way back
!).

2. On Ringo Lake (pattern by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville): Same as above

3. Country Garden Cross-Stitch: Get those darn flowers done!

On a more positive front, the trim work is done in my sewing/craft room (temporarily my office!) so I was able to put the furniture back in place. Now the purge begins.

I got the shelves mostly filled, I can find my sewing machine again and my "office" desk is clear (not so much my cutting desk.)

Now that the trim is done on the doorway, my son-in-law is working in my back room (used for fabric and craft supply storage, with a small kitchenette for coffee, etc.

For the first time in a long time, I now have a clear counter to work on. I've started purging the cabinets, which is easier because each cupboard is organized by type (one upper cabinet has cross-stitch supplies, one lower large cabinet has my scrapbooking kits, another has current quilting projects, etc.) Most of the upper cabinets are display, but a couple need to be cleared out and made "pretty" - I'm looking at you on the left filled with fabric!

Joining up with Quilt Schmit's linky party at To Do Tuesday #32 – Quilt Schmilt!

Terri in BC

To Do List August 1, 2023

 

To Do List for the Week of 8/1/2023

I'm going to try this again! I'm going to use a weekly to-do list to try and make some progress now that I have cut back my work hours (yay, moving towards retirement!)

My workspace is in a bit of a state. My son-in-law is doing all the trim work around the windows in my area, after we had new windows installed last year. He is also finishing the trim work around the doors that never got done a few years ago. So this week's focus is getting the room back in order once he is done (hopefully by the weekend

!)

So this week's projects will be things I can work on either by hand in a different room, or things I can do in small spurts when he is taking a break (and I'm not working!). So here goes.

To do List for 8/1/2023

1.  Modified Rhododendron Trail (pattern by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville): Prep binding while waiting for quilt to come back from the long-arm quilter.

2. On Ringo Lake (pattern by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville): Same as above

3. Country Garden Cross-Stitch: This project came to the surface in the last month, as my interest in cross-stitch revived.  I hope to complete all the greenery and flowers this week.

4. Easy Breezy (L&E pattern by Bonnie Hunter): This is a joint project that my 8-year-old granddaughter and I are working on together, for her. I need to cut neutral blocks for 30 more blocks so she can come over this coming long weekend and work on them. (More on that later!)

 She has made 34 blocks so far! She has chosen all the coloured fabrics herself, I cut a bunch of neutrals for her to choose from.

Bonus: Birdie Stitches (pattern by Corey Yoder): Embroider one block.

Birdie Stitches Block #2 – Coriander Quilts

I've only done this cheery little block so far (Corey's picture) back in 2011, so that means it's been sitting waiting for 12 years!!

In the meantime, I have been using the opportunity of shuffling everything to purge! Most stuff I donate, but I do try to sell a few things so I can recoup a little.

Here is the state of my room as it sat yesterday morning, going counter-clockwise:

(I took this picture before the announcement)

Everything is shoved every which way, and into my overflow room. 

Here is my current work-from-home station! 

I took these pictures so I can see the difference once everything is back the way I want it!

To-Do Tuesday - Week of Dec 29, 2020 to January 4, 2020

 Merry Christmas and very Happy (better) New Year! Let's all hope that we can put the dumpster fire of 2020 behind us, and that 2021 is the best it can be.

Depression raised its ugly head again, and although I was able to function somewhat normally for work and family relationships, my personal well-being took a hit. I was looking forward at the beginning of the year to have a dedicated crafting/sewing space again, but as much as I am happy with it, I was not motivated at all. I've had a quilt beside me to bind for months now, and have only managed to stitch 1 1/2 sides. 

Blogging has always helped me get motivated and accountable to myself, so here I go once again.

Here is this week's to-do list:

1. Box up, sort, purge and organize back room, in preparation for the installation of a mini-kitchen area. This has become a dumping area over the last nine months, and I can't use the excuse of no time anymore! (Keeping it real here!)

Fridge alcove and sink/counter area to the left.

Sink/counter area is now on the right - it won't be big but the sink will be big enough to clean paint brushes and the counter to make a coffee! The front area is only about 7 ft wide, enough for a small table perhaps.

This wall is opposite the counter area. It will mainly be overflow storage for projects and supplies. The garage door can be seen in the background.

2, Finish binding this damn quilt! It guilts me every day!

3. Use a past project UFO  to use as a Leader/Ender project for the week. I've picked On Ringo Lake, a mystery quilt from Bonnie Hunter. I am still on Step 2, and I'd like to complete it this week! 

It has been sitting like this for about a month now. It's not the best pic, it's a bit gloomy today, but you can see some finished units in the upper left hand corner of the board.

Bonus project: I bought a little footstool on Facebook Marketplace sometime ago (maybe a year?), and want to recover the top, make a new lining for the inside and the underside of the top and paint it for my sitting room. I love hand-sewing and embroidery, and it would be nice to keep my supplies handy. I would love to finish this project this week, but only if I get the decluttering done.

It is definitely home-made, but with some interesting details. I'll take of the old cover and pad the new top a little better, I suspect it only has layers of fabric as it isn't very soft as a footstool. I have a piece of fabric I created from selvedges that I think would make a great cover.

As much as that under-top pocket looks in good shape, it is a pretty loose weave and some of the stitching has let go. It's also grimy on the edges and a little musty, so I would like to replace it.

I'm joining the Tuesday To Do Linky Party over at Home Sewn by Us for the first time. I hope to keep it up this coming year as a motivation to move some of my UFOS along! 

The last few years, I have chosen a word to represent what I'd like to achieve for the year. Some past words have been Joy, Nurture, Focus. I'm considering what to use this year, using what I've learned this year. The impact of COVID-19 has changed so much this year, and I'm going to use my blog as a journal this coming year, with some reflections and changes I'm going to make moving forward.

As far as my family and I go, we have been fortunate not to suffer the effects of the disease itself, nor any of the economic suffering of others. We have been incredibly grateful for these blessings, and are doing our part following our government guidelines and wearing masks to protect others, so that maybe our community can reopen sooner rather than later. I hope you and yours remain safe. 

Until next time, 

Terri in BC

Scrap Room Progress

It's been a few months and the scrap room is coming along nicely! I'm now able to prime the walls (in progress) and this coming weekend, I'll be painting!  Here's a little tour, starting from the entry (most of these were taken before the drywall was taped and mudded):

Look, my grandson is helping me wash down the walls after sanding!

This is the main room about 19' x 12 - 225 sq. ft. of future fun! It is the old recreation room in my home, located in a daylight basement with a big window. We have also put in LED pot lights (on a dimmer!)

The second room comes off the main room forming an "L". We reconfigured the location of the hot water tank, and enclosed it in a room with the furnace, to create more usable space. This is what you see when you enter this room:

This room is about 12' x 8' at its widest point, with the alcove by the window about 4'x6' with the niche for a refrigerator by the window. Eventually, we'll put a corner sink and counters in for a coffee station. The floors are a nice thick vinyl planking, which adds warmth, ease of cleaning and are waterproof! I'm very fortunate to have a handy son-in-law, with the bonus of sharing the house with him, my daughter and grandson, so he doesn't mind doing the work.

And just for a bonus, this isn't the only area being worked on. My son-in-law has torn apart the main bath and is giving it an update as well. Good timing, as he is a teacher's aide and school has been closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

How are you coping with the news? Here in our corner of BC, Canada, we are being told to self-isolate as much as possible, as we are just north of the outbreak in Washington state, and east of Vancouver and area which is the second hot-spot in Canada. Since my son-in-law is off work, he is in charge of the grandkids (his son and my other two granddaughters, who live just down the street). His wife, my oldest daughter, is still working for the moment, but will her office will probably be closing by week's end. 

In stressful times, I need to sew and so my grandson and I are working on a science-related quilt for his new double bed. I have a couple of rows of beakers, flasks and test-tubes to add to the for the top of the quilt, then its ready to be sent off for quilting! I'll share more about it in another post.

My office is closed to the public, and we only have 5 staff in the building at its highest capacity, so I am still going in every day, and so far, my workload hasn't changed. I manage an office that administers private mortgage companies, sells investments and I'm a mortgage broker as well, so there are a lot of calls these days! I've told my boss that I plan on working from the office, even if everyone stays home, just because it will be quieter there than at home with the grandkids and my son-in-law working on the renos. My other daughter and her husband are also still working, one is in a small office like mine, and her husband is an aircraft mechanic, so he is pretty busy for the time being as the company he works for has some good contracts that shouldn't be affected by the outbreak (he works on planes that provide fire-fighting services in the summer). Whatever happens, we will take care of each other and our elderly neighbours, and we will get through this. I hope you and yours do as well.

Spring is coming - my garden has many early bloomers already, and the mountains sparkle with the fresh snows of spring, and brighten my day. I hope they brighten yours as well.

Take care and listen to the professionals to stay safe!

Terri in BC

Planning a new craft room in 2020

 2020 is going to be a big year for me, crafting-wise! I am expanding my craft/sewing space from 144 sq ft to 400 sq ft. sometime during the year (some renos have to be done first) and I have big plans!

Currently my little sewing (bed)room is in a state with the aftermath of Christmas. I just put out all the cardboard and recycling that accumulated during the season, and can at least see some floor space.

Here it is in all its glory...

I can now get to the sewing machine...

but not the closet...

nor my ironing board! 

But that is not all. Sewing and quilting is my favourite craft, but I have dabbled in a lot of other things. I've been a scrapbooker for 20 years, and ran it as a business for many years. That has slowed down as my career as a mortgage broker took off, but I still meet with some of my friends regularly. Right now, I don't have a lot of space for that, so some corners of my living/dining room have been used for storing the various bags and supplies needed for that.

The cabinet under the counter is full of scrapbooking supplies. 

This cabinet is full of photos, and I try to hide my bags behind my chair.

And behind my sofa is all my stock for sale. 

How did it get like this? Well, I used to have the whole 2000 sq. ft., 4-bedroom house to myself after my kids moved out, and I originally planned to downsize. My oldest daughter and son-in-law originally suggested a swap of their townhouse, but it had a lot of stairs which I didn't want. Then we decided that sharing this house could work, and we split the upstairs and downstairs (it's a split level entry with a fully developed lower level). I kept the upstairs with the living room and full kitchen but that left me with only a bedroom for all my crafts and sewing, and not much room to store everything.

Now we are going to swap because my son-in-law does the majority of the cooking, and I don't entertain much except for when I get together with friends to sew or scrapbook, and I would like the space downstairs.

My inspiration:

https://jennifermaker.com/craft-room-tour-organization-storage-projects/

I discovered JenniferMaker.com, and her craft room is virtually the same size as the main room in my new space. Her colours appeal to me and I have many of the IKEA pieces already! 

To-do list:

• Make a floor plan
• Start sorting/decluttering/destashing
• Drywall has to be finished in craft room/mini-kitchen area
• Buy cabinetry, sink and new fridge for mini-kitchen area
• Paint rooms (similar to above)
• Paint pieces of furniture mostly white or coordinating colours (my IKEA Expedit/Kallax units are a variety of finishes right now)
• Decide what new pieces need to be purchased.
• Make framed pegboard https://jennifermaker.com/large-framed-pegboard-organize-craft-room/
• Make paper tower https://jennifermaker.com/12x12-vertical-scrapbook-paper-storage-organizer-diy/
•  Make the central table (with enough room to seat 6, if possible)
• Design wall

Sewing Room Makeover - part one!

Now that I had to move my sewing room upstairs to the spare bedroom, I'm working on making it my "Happy Place" once again!  I even bought a sign for my room!

 

 

(bought at Target Canada closing sale for $2)

 

In my little corner of Canada, the last of the spring flowers are just about done and summer appears to have arrived already!

 

 

(Flowering Crabapple)

 

It is already 22C (72F) in my backyard, and it will get hotter over the next few days! Given that our average summer temperature here on the West Coast is normally around 23 - 25C, it bodes well for a hot summer.

 

The first thing I set up in my sewing room was my Ikea shelves and mason jars filled with buttons.

 

 

Here's the complete wall of shelves:

 

 

The shelf holds a mix of practicality and nostalgia. The tin on the third shelf came from my maternal grandmother's sewing collection, and held her buttons.  The tomato sugar and creamer set was my mom's, which she bought at a garage sale because it reminded her of  the ones her mother had. The little flower box on the right-hand end of the third shelf is one my kids brought me back from Cuba, and is carved from wood. 

 

Just for fun, I also have jars filled with my dog-ears and labeled by year! Sadly, 2014 is only about 1/2 as much, so I'll put them in a smaller jar.  2015 is practically non-existent, so I need to get cracking!

 

I love mason jars for storage because they are inexpensive (sometimes free!) and see-through - very important for me as I am "visual" when comes to being inspired. 

 

I plan on posting more pictures as I get each area just the way I want it!

 

Sunday Stash Report, Week #21 - Major changes coming

Another week without a finish, but progress was made on the Super Mario quilt. 

 At least I didn't add to the stash.

 

Added this Week: 0 metres

 Added Year to Date: 64.1 metres 

 

Destashed this Week: 0 metres

 Destashed year to Date: 22.55 metres

 Added for 2014: 41.55 metres

 

Total spent  YTD $294.20 = $4.59/metre

 

 

I did some string blocks for future quilts, I want to make Zuckerwatte by Bonnie Hunter.  This one will probably be gifted to Zoey - she loves purple and pink.

 

(and a blue one for fun)

 

I've also been making Boxy Stars, a free pattern from Bonnie as well.  These are perfect for using up those 2 1/2" strips that have been accumulating.

 

 

Then I tried a few using 2" strips!  I love little blocks and think these would be perfect for a baby quilt.

 

I put the larger ones beside them for comparison - they are so cute!!

 

In case you aren't familiar with Bonnie, check her out on the Quilt Show from the Quilt Show.  Today is the last day you can view it for free, if you don't have a paid subscription.  For details how to view it, click this link to Bonnie's website.  It is a great introduction to Bonnie and her method of using every bit of stash.

 

I have an even bigger project looming in the next year. My daughter and I have been talking, and we have decided to convert my home to an up-and-down duplex, and her family is going to move into the basement.  They want a place with a yard for a garden (currently they are living in a townhouse about a block away) but with house prices here on the West Coast of BC so high, it could never be in their budget.  I was talking about downsizing and eliminating yard work, but really hated the idea of sharing walls with a neighbour and leaving the wonderful area I live in.  It seemed to be a perfect solution to our needs to combine households.  Of course, now that means I have to condense 2000 sq feet of living into about 1200, and they have to condense 1600 into 1000.  Some renovations are required as well.

 

I'll be moving the contents of my sewing room, my scrapbooking room  (I'm also a Close to My Heart consultant) and my spare room into what is now the grandkids bedroom.  That's 520 sq feet that is going into a room of 144 sq feet (12x12). 

 

This weekend I started decluttering - the new quilt cave is almost empty and ready for paint.  I'm thinking a nice Caribbean blue for the walls.  I'm stuck with the pink carpet (mainly for noise reduction as my daughter and her husband's bedroom will be below, and it's a thick carpet with top-of-the-line underlay) but most of the time I probably won't see it anyway!   ;o)

 

 

Now what do I do with the kids toys?