Another fine mess I've gotten myself into.

Well July was an interesting month. We had days of over 115 then days of high 90's with monsoons. Here in our area we got over three inches of rain in a week and a half. We haven't had that much in the last two years. Supposed to have a dry week of high temperatures and then by the weekend maybe more rain. 

Between the weather and the rise in Covid cases we've pretty much stayed home. Only been out to send some packages and grocery store. So that gave me time to do puzzles and watch TV. A couple of the puzzles I've finished. This one took me several days to finish. Each and every piece had at least four different colors on it. Fun though, only 500 pieces. 

This one only 150 pieces from the same box set turned out puzzling. 11 pieces were missing. The one lone piece I found under the table after I took the picture. But the corner ones never got in the package I guess. So some one  else probably got a whole bunch of extra pieces.

Like I mentioned I've been watching TV - sewing shows - which I shouldn't do. So I now have a new project. It is a piecing quilted wall hanging. But one like I've never tried before. Kind of on the idea of my ladies and covered bridge, but using a whole different method. 

The lady showing how to do it has a web site "How To Sew Art" Her show was making a quilt from a photograph. But she usually does portraits. Well I got the bright idea to use a landscape photo. Check her work out here 

This is the original it is actually a painting I bought. But liked the colors so...First I had to take a photo of the painting. 

Then I had to make a line drawing pattern of it. 

Then I had to scan it into a resizing program that I use for stained glass. The pattern was then on four pieces of paper - taped them together. 

Then over the pattern put a piece of fusible web and over that a piece of parchment paper. Redrew the lines on the parchment paper so they were clear. The parchment paper then becomes the pattern for the material. 

Started working on it this morning while it is still cool in the house. Cut the piece from the paper then put it on the material and cut it out. Put it where it belongs on the to be quilt. Usually one fuses the pattern to the material and then cuts it to size then put it on the printed quilt pattern. That is how I did the ladies and the covered bridge. Well this way is much harder. There is no support for the materiel when cutting it. So it is slow going. Especially when long thin pieces. 

The really different thing about this project will be all the sewing after all the pieces are fused to the backing. Almost every bit of the material will have stitching on it. Giving the finished product a really different look. 

The finished detail will be in the stitching. So right now I am wondering why I even started something like this. It looked fun...

Covid buying again

Went to WalMart yesterday morning and about 1/4 of the shelves in grocery store were empty. Lots of canned and packaged goods not available. A couple of things on my list weren't available, just empty shelves. And the rest of the store was a mess. They are remodeling and the aisles are being put closer together, no way two carts going opposite ways can pass. Also no one knows where anything is. This will go on till middle of August...Couldn't even go out the door without going back through an empty check stand (no lack of them) to main aisle to get to exit door. Glad we were there when it wasn't busy. 

Another cloudy and gray day, it had been raining around the area of WalMart. All of the power poles that went down the other day are back up and half of highway is open. But starting this afternoon we will be under flash flood watch. With lots of rain probable on later today and Monday.

Got my sewing machine back yesterday. Used it for just plain sewing this morning. Made Bill a cover for one of his tablets he uses with his drones. Used the embroidery attachment to make the label for the quilt. Things worked better then they have in a long time. 

They are bringing new homes into the community where we live now, three so far and 17 more on the way. Since two years ago the exact same home has gone up $100,000. What were once $149,000 are now from $249,000 to $299,900! These are 3 bedroom, 2 bath manufactured homes. And you do not own the land, it is rented! They have no garages, just driveways with an aluminum cover. Side and back yards are about five feet wide. WOW. Partly the price raise is due to lumber and transportation costs going up. 

If we'd have taken our trip today we would have been in southern Washington state. Right were a lot of the smoke is. So guess I'm glad we stayed home. It is warmer than usual there too. 

Opened the door when I got up at 5:30 and the heat and humidity hit me like a blast. No going outside today or for a couple of days to come. 

Another monsoon - more destructive.

 Another interesting day yesterday. More monsoon weather in our area. 

But before going into that - Bill always teases me when I write out our grocery list. I always use the word "oleo" when we need margarine. Have called it oleo since I was a little girl. My first real memory of it was squeezing the plastic bag to distribute the coloring. Does any one else remember this. 

Buying margarine that came with little capsules of food color. One broke the capsule and kneaded the soft plastic container to spread the coloring. 

Yesterday started out really nice. Blue sky with big puffy white clouds. Lots of humidity though. Around 50% and a high temperature of 105 - not a good combination. 

Come afternoon all heck broke loose. Wind picked way up - gusts over 60mph! And it poured. Sounded like bullets hitting the roof. 

Some of the aftermath of the storms. This is just a few blocks from where we live. About 12 poles just snapped and went down. Luckily it did not affect us - just a quick flicker of the lights here. But some of the homes in that area are still without power and the main street Boulder Highway is still closed going south.  

Lots of street flooding around us and no power for the traffic lights. Our area got a little over 3/4 of an inch of rain in less than an hour. Glad we didn't have to go anywhere. 

And we will be getting more of the same next week. At least the desert plants will be happy for a while. It is going up to 106 today with dew point of 64 and humidity at 53% - really ugly out. 

Went to other side of town to pick up my sewing machine. They did not get a drop of rain yesterday! Will play with the sewing machine tomorrow.