definitions

"Further" Versus "Farther" The quick and dirty tip is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. It's easy to remember because “farther” has the word “far” in it, and “far” obviously relates to physical distance.

Taking Them a Step Further

Is it further or farther? I always forget. Either way, I did find time to work on a few of my current projects. All my life, I have been a workaholic, a Personality Type A. Whatever. I know that as long as I keep busy, I don't feel the little aches and pains in my body. And yes, there are some.

The 12 Days swap needs to be shipped by November 22. That's the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I try to get things out by that week anyway. More than likely, my ship date will be the week before. This is the body of the apron for Day 12. It needs the neck and waist ties, plus buttons on the pocket and neck for decoration. My partner wanted fabric that reads solid and these do. I've pinned the ties and will sew them on Wednesday when I get back from Disneyland. I have one flat box and hope it will fit in it.

Then I got the mug rugs cleaned up and put wonder clips on them for handsewing binding. There are 10 and honestly, I don't know how that happened. Some folks will get two. There is enough fabric left to make a holiday stocking for my godSon, so that is a new project. I am glad to use up the fabric. It is cute but needs a destination.

I found poly batting to stuff the Grinchmas Advent Calendar markers. They are double sided and just are the cutest! So they complete gifts for two families on my list. I think they need to be mailed off with instructions for how to use them as markers in the calendars. I am not sure if people understand marking off time to a big event. They make like them or not.

It does make me feel good to have brought these projects all that much closer to completion. I know it seems ridiculous to some folks to be thinking about end of the year holidays when Halloween hasn't even happened. However, its all about making what I make, and having it shipped on time. It really surprised me when I realized this is October. 

I do have to wait until the stores put out their holiday wrapping paper for the final step in giving what I made to people I love.

Grinch Mug Rugs

When I offered to make Grinchmas Mug Rugs, I thought was going to make 6 of them, and now have less names. I hope I made a list but can only account for 4 people. Maybe I was making two for some. I also contacted one of my godSons who had expressed great joy at the thought but hadn't asked for one. So I asked him and he was delighted.

Making these mug rugs is giving me a chance to use up scraps. Scraps of batting, scraps of fabric and scraps of the Grinchmas fabric. First, The sandwiches went together, then I did an echo machine quilting stitch, trimmed them and got them ready to bind.

The binding also let me use up scraps. I wasn't wildly creative here and just went with green stripe with red trees on it. Now, they just need threads clipped and binding rolled for hand stitching. They are perfect projects for down time.

I am working on the final gift for the 12 Days swap, which is an apron, and spent time wrapping the first 11 gifts. I did find a box big enough yet it is almost too big, so I plan to look for one just a smidge smaller. The apron will lay flat and not take up a lot of room. I have all the pieces for it cut.

Interesting that both projects use dark green with trees.

Thing is, I leave for a two-day trip to Disneyland in the afternoon. Gates open for the party at 3 pm, and the non-party people have to leave by 5 pm, which is a perfect time to come. They are driving out so parking is closer, and everything a little less crowded. I've also got a private room through AirB&B and plan to stay the night and then go into Downtown Disneyland on Tuesday, leaving for home around 2 pm to miss the traffic. I've been trying to take it easy today, but do plan to bake cutout cookies for 2 of my Grandkids.

The Square Foot Garden forms were set up, the stakes, weed barrier and container gardening soil set in. AND THEN, winter veggies have been planted. It is looking so nice, and I really love the Labyrinth. 

I do not expect to quilt nor will I be posting for a couple of days while I am gone. 

Grinch Envelope Pillows

Once again, stymied by written instructions, I went onto You Tube where I found many tutorials. Most were for square pillows and most gave measurements for any size. My forms are rectangular and I used directional print. I was confused, still or yet again, over written instructions. I cut according to the written directions and then couldn't get to the next step.

It wasn't hard once I watched everyone on You Tube. Every quilter has her own method and mine seems to combine bits from what I see. I must have watched everyone who posted a DIY. I got it. 

These pillows and envelope cases are going to my eldest Granddaughter for the holidays. I wanted to make cases so she could wash them if she so chose. One tut claimed that using 100% would not be as sturdy as outside chair fabric. Well, this is 100% cotton. Another suggested reinforcing the straight line seam with a zig-zag. That is what I did. Because there are two pillows, it made sense to play with the four pieces that would make up two backs to have them look as much as one piece as I could.

Once the seams were in, it was a matter of clipping corners and threads, turning it right sides out and pressing the seams. They both say MERRY GRINCHMAS on one side and have the print pattern on the other, so there are endless ways they can set them out. I'll send a care note with them so if they need to be washed, they should hold up to it in cold water. Done.

Then I put together fronts, backs, batting and binding for the Grinchmas Mug Rugs. Its a great way to use up scraps. They are ready at the machine to stitch them up. I have more than the 6 promised so will tuck the extras into exchanges on Swap Bot. 

Eleven of the 12 Days Swap are ready to wrap and I've found boxes where needed and have a shipping box to hold them all. I've started cutting the pieces to the apron. So the next couple of days will be easy breezy to get them all done.

More Holiday Projects Added

I am overjoyed that the last quilt of the year is in its new home and quite well received. There was a sense of satisfaction and a sigh of relief. 

And then. And then. And then I added more projects to my sidebar that included Grinch Advent Calendars, two Grinchmas Pillows and at least 6 Grinch Mug Rugs. Add to that list, Holiday Tablerunners, some little Mittens I will use for the Grands to tuck money into this year, an Apron for the 12 Days of Christmas Swap, plus a few more items that will get exchanged on Swap Bot.

Whew.

And oh yes, I went out and bought three trays of ground cover plants to tuck between the stepping stones outside, and two more round stones to lay in front of the pond. Lots and lots of work to go out there before it gets too cold for me to work easily.

So no pictures today. Oh wait. 

 Here's one of me that I printed off to take to my next appointment.  Thing is, I am ready for a new look. My hair has grown out a bit since the last cut, so I am looking for new options. Well, out into the garden I go!

Its All Mud

Got outside to sink the Jasmine and a couple of shade plants. Then I noticed the underground sprinkler heads were getting buried by mud, so dug them out. Its not pretty out there right now. Will be. Just not now.

The plan for the re-do is well designed and as things get put in, I realize there are spaces unaccounted for that should not lay bare because the neighborhood cats already think they have a new litter box. Plants will grow to 2-3 feet wide and in the meanwhile nothing else should be planted near them. Hmm. There is a rubber mulch product and the downside is the smell of rubber tires when it is hot. Now I am wondering if that will compromise the Jasmine scent.

My hands hurt last evening so I did not work on the binding project. What I DID do was to sort fabrics (yet again) and restacked my bins. I also measured batting scraps for future projects. I was what I could do. And of course my hands hurt from this morning's work outside. Hurt and are very dry from the mud, so I will be putting lotion on them and not touching fabric. I need to put a movie on and let the lotion sink in.

Whew!

Once the Labyrinth was laid, my next task was to set in some of the ground cover plants. Of course, I needed to clean up the small rock wall, so used the leaf blower, and then reset in the stepping stones near that arbor (need to order the new one). I dug up sod in front of the stones, then watered what I put in. This is a pic before starting the work. Its always bothered me that the previous owner didn't stake those trees and let them grow with the pressure of the Western winds, so they lean into the house. They were cut as good as possible with how they grow.

The work I did was around the top of the pic. Perspective is hard with this. I can stretch my arm out to the tree trunk as I pass. Blocks are 16" square. As the stones were overturned and rearranged, numerous Black Widow Spiders scampered around. Time for me to quit. I worked outside until almost noon:thirty, took a shower and had some lunch. 

I finished one of the Grinch Advent Calendars. The triangles make a great sleeve alternative that allows mini quilt to be hung. I am thinking I might include a ribbon that works to hang it over a doorknob or over an existing nail in a wall.

Obviously a lot of my time is taken up with the gardens because soon enough it will get too cold to be out there. My quilting projects are all holiday gifts that will go out in November. No one expects them, so if my time got out of my control and I could not finish them, then its ok.  I will keep working on them as my energy holds.