Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Not long ago I purchased a new cross stitch pattern and I knew I was going to need to buy fabric for it. I thought it was going to require either linen or a very high count of aida but when I read the pattern it was asking for 14-count aida which is what I use most often. But I decided to challenge myself and go with a higher count. To get the colour I want I’m going to have to make a purchase from one of my online shops.

And while I was thinking of ordering fabric for that project I remembered another pattern I purchased a year or so ago that needed linen. Since I now know that aida cloth can be purchased in a very high count I thought I’d buy some of it for the project.

When I went looking for the pattern it wasn’t where I thought it should be. I looked in another spot that I thought it should be in but, again, no luck. Now I’m a bit concerned as to where I might have put it and at least two other patterns that were purchased around the same time.

In my search for the patterns I was able to almost empty a drawer in a dresser. Most of it was fabric that was purchased when the girls were still around – fabric for sewing clothes for them. They all (well almost all of them) went into a bag for the thrift store as I won’t be branching back into that type of sewing.

On the bright side I found a kit that will do nicely for my Christmas cards this year. It’s never too early to get started and I plan to take them over to Texada on Retreat weekend.

I’m going to attend the Texada Retreat vicariously. My friend Moreen usually stays at the studio with me. We decided yesterday that she would go to the Retreat and I’d stay at the studio and do my own thing. She’ll catch me up an anything I need to know when she comes back to sleep every night. I was a little nervous about distancing with a group of quilters that I seldom see; distancing is okay when you are at your own table sewing but group meals and games might be tricky. And I don’t want anything to get in the way of our planned trip to Calgary. Moreen will wear a mask in the studio and, truth be told, she’ll hardly even be there as she sews early until late.

I went out to get some backing fabrics today – one backing at each of the different shops. I had good chats with friends both places so it took longer than it should have. One of the backings is a flannel; I was going to get it in the laundry right away but I’ve lost the bag I use to put the fabric in so it doesn’t tangle too bad in the laundry. I know it isn’t really lost – I’ve just put it away somewhere and I don’t remember where!

I already planned to clean up my sewing space today but all of the losses really motivated me. I think I might have done more reorganizing than I have cleaning but it is all part of the process I guess. I’ve found my lost patterns, and kitted them up with the right threads. I resorted some of my quilting bins and consolidated a few things and was able to get a few projects out of plastic bags and into bins. I’ve even started a list for my 2022 UFO Challenge.

I still haven’t found the laundry bag but I’m not in a rush and I have at least a couple more days before the room has been completely “gone through”.