30 November, 2014

Putting Together A Puzzle






I started this Thanksgiving Day

 - it's about to implode and take me with it - where I can't stop fitting puzzle pieces until I'm done.



The journaling had become one more thing to do and I had to take some blogging time off.

My work schedule is a bit better next week. I don't have to go in until 11am - I have all my mornings on a consistent schedule. Next week will be different.



Thanksgiving turned out way better than expected. Daughter is in Guatemala for the winter so I had to make do with the son. He was lavished with 10 dz chocolate chip cookies amongst other food items (when do you get over thinking that your child might starve if you don't provide goodies?)


I did manage to meet Pencil Girl at RCT Fabrics in Portland recently. She had a quarter beef for me to put in my freezer. We looked at fabrics, discussed projects, caught up on our busy lives, and then went to coffee.



We both bought this burn out knit, me in the lightest pink, she in the brown. This is the store example with the brown knit 'piping'.



The day job has included too much overtime since June (again) and now we are starting the Christmas rush.

We moved my Mom & Dad this summer - all 45 years accumulation from their 3500 sq ft house on the hill down to a  much smaller single level 1300 sq ft house. They not only changed their address but also their phone number. They are in their 80's and this was a Herculean task.


They insisted on moving the pool table from the basement for the use of the two grandkids who visit once a year from Minnesota. There was a moment when I told my dad, "You are crazy".
Very stressful but their old house sold in 7 weeks, they are ensconced in their new house and finding their way.
My sis, the MN whirlwind, came a few weeks ago and helped hang pictures, figure out furniture placement and help meet the neighbors.




I did manage some of the local christmas bazaars.
 

 Above: Paper cones swirled into an ornament.
Below: Magnets made of old maps, origami folded.


I didn't buy much - just looked and enjoyed.







I pinned this folded star trivet and planned on making two for Christmas presents.

 I managed to make one for my MN Sis so she could haul it back in her luggage - (saves me the shipping). So - one more to go.
 

Too busy to snap a photo but it is in similar red and aqua colors.




 

I have ideas on what I want to do with this Sashiko stitching.

 I made two of these! The first one was completed and lost over at my friend's house this summer. She has now found it and will send it to me.
I liked the design so much, I ordered another and it was much faster to stitch the second time around.


Going to camp out in my sewing room this afternoon. Got another pendleton pillow to sew.

6 comments:

  1. Bless you for helping your parents to downsize. I'm worried they will stub their toes on that dresser in their room.. :-) Love that folded hot pad.. gorgeous.
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  2. My dad made that dresser. We had it stuffed into the corner to the right, but no......

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  3. Wow, so much good news there Kathy--the sashiko was found! Now you can have matching pillows for the couch or bed. I really want to make that dragonfly one--maybe over Christmas while watching football with Dad (which we actually did on TG day, I haven't seen that much football in AGES, and then there was your comment on my blog about football).

    And yay for the house selling in 7 weeks, that is really fast. That is a big difference in square footage and I can only imagine what it was like to downsize that much stuff. Your parents look really good!

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  4. That jigsaw looks very addictive - and the cookies look yummy! I can imagine my kids doing the "moving mum and dad and 45 years of cr@p" post in the future! Ours is about 1200sq ft, but we could fill a much bigger house with all the stuff we have! Hope they have settled well

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  5. oh Kathy, you have been so busy! Downsizing is necessary but so hard to let go of things. The sashiko is so elegant and I am looking forward to settling even more and doing needlework again. Wishing you the best as you continue to help your parents, and get ready for the holidays.

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  6. I had to come back to this post to see your dragonfly sashiko. I'm going to start that one soon! I did two of the little coaster samplers today and two yesterday, with the instructions from your friend Janine, a youtube video and a sashiko book, so I feel I'm ready for the dragonfly! How did you stitch the dragonfly design? All vertical lines first, then all horizontal lines and then the dragonflies?

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