Note To Spouse

The weather is so fine. The garden you built me is so beautiful and it calls to me, loudly. The cat needs to be sunned. The mint needs to be sniffed. Socks need to knitted in the cedar chairs you built me. The mulch you are having delivered  needs to be admired and spread. The park has not been inspected since yesterday, and my feet say it's time to go. Birds need the feeder filled and you know how demanding the ducks can be. When they say 'Quack!' I need to jump! Life is exhausting.

The usual day of domesticity (Monday) has come and passed and nothing approaching domestic has occurred.

I did swipe today. There was enough dirt in the kitchen to plant potatoes. Which reminds me, I need to pick up seed potatoes and grass seed today. But my heart is not in it. The swiping that is. At all.

Therefore, until the weather becomes more conducive to the cleaning and such, expect very little to none. Maybe November, if it snows early. But then again, I do like to read while the snow falls, in front of the fire. So, we'll talk.

Tisket, tasket - I grew a basket!

Remember the yarn? Well the next morning I see a cute little moth flutter by in the kitchen. Oops!

I promptly tossed the yarn in the freezer and then dipped each ball in a mixture of pickling vinegar and salt for about 30 minutes. Rinse, squeeze, unwind and hang up to dry. Hopefully that was enough. I still think it was quite a buy and love it all.

I made a basket today. The NS Basketry Guild had a class on a traditional NS withe basket using red osier dogwood. I used some dogwood and willow grown in the backyard. It was rather sturdy stuff and I had forgotten how much strength that takes. It was a wrestle. I haven't made a basket in a while and a lot of the people were new. Many of them spoke french and did so. It was interesting to be in the minority for a bit. Quite refreshing! The basket is interesting, but beefy. J says I may need to have another look at the rim. We'll see.

That is the actual colour of the willow and the dogwood.  Both were cut about a week ago. It might be a bit vivid in the pic, but it is fairly bright. It will fade with time.

I'm a bit sad. The corset class I signed up for has been cancelled, due to lack of interest. Not on my part! Where are you people? This would have been so good! I am stymied by your lack on enthusiasm. The girls are drooping in disappointment. Yep, it's the disappointment.

But I went to the Gaspereau Fibre Arts barn shop today for their annual yard sale. It was fantastic! There were lots of fresh lambs frolicking, 2 roosters fighting, 4 llamas spitting. And the yarn! I picked up a few things in the classroom and was just working my way through the store when I noticed the kitchen was also full of tables. The good stuff was back there! Someone was selling a rather amazing stash dirt cheap. There were lots of small bundles and large bundles of fab yarns. Look! All for about $35! Silks, alpaca, eyelashes - neat stuff.

No, I don't know what I'm doing with any of it. Since when is a plan mandatory? Suggestions are welcome. I am making myself finish the current sweater first. Such restraint and will power. Next year I will be organizing a van to make the trek. I'll let you all know and we can car pool. This year the MIL and DH went with me and I doubt they will be convinced again. They did enjoy lunch at Pete's Vineyard after. That place has the most amazing view in the valley, and the food is great. Don't forget the phone booth in the field where you can call anyone in the world for free.

I'm getting into too many projects again, and the garden is starting up! I've been picking dandelions and it is a heartless task. I get a field clean and it re-blossoms the next day.  And the one after that, and the one after.... Reminds me of Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football. The garden walls are progressing well. We are still in production mode but are waiting on connecting walls until the backhoe guy down the street removes a few rocks (the size of small cars) from the edge of the plot. Every neighbourhood needs a guy with a backhoe. Life is so much easier. I have quilts I want to make, fabric that wants to be worn, a basket workshop next weekend and I haven't plucked the willow fence for that yet. Work used to get in the way of all this. Hmmmm....

The walls are on the rise!

Now you can see how it will all go together. I replanted my garlic in the new bed, and although it was so rudely plucked, it looks quite happy now. Who wouldn't, in such a glorious setting? I'd tell you how DH moved those slabs into position, but like the pyramids, it defies description. It was truly impressive. I helped, wearing my construction crocs and trying not to be distracted by shiny things at inopportune moments.

Now I prefer to keep this blog for personal things, and post my sewing thoughts on the Atlantic Sewing Guild blog. However, you will probably see more sewing here (and cross posted there).

I went to a Pfaff retreat last week. It was several days of sewing bliss with owners of and people who work in Pfaff stores. You learn so much from people with that background. I made a point of wearing clothes I made (right down to the skivvies) and showing them off. Where have all the garment makers gone? I'm feeling a crusade coming on. My coworker also sews her own clothing - she makes me look like such a slacker! I think we need to promote the possibilities. We are an irresistible team!

I am beginning to think I may want a machine upgrade. There are certain features that may make the move happen. My current Pfaff is wonderful. I thought it would be the 'one'. It is. It really is wonderful. That IDT, those 9 mm stitches, the needle positions and needle up and down - all features I adore. However now I see other features I don't have. How do I decide where the line is. What features will drive me to trade up?

I tried out Start and Stop last week. No foot pedal needed! Look Ma, no feet! It's a foot cramp stopper if there ever was one, but only for long sequences like decorative stitches on an easily navigated route - or with the circular attachment (which I love!). This is a great feature I would love to have.

The new plug and play buttonhole is so much better than what I have now. I currently use my Featherweight with Singer buttonhole attachment for buttonholes. It is a foolproof wonder with a very nice stitch, but the new Pfaff attachment stitches forward for both sides of the buttonhole. So smooth. A buttonhole is truly important, and almost enough to make me waver.

I'm going to spend some time with different machines over the next few months and see what happens. What features draw the line for you?