Motivational Monday!

With being on holidays last week and today being a holiday from work, I almost forgot that it was Motivational Monday!  Until I saw Helen post on Facebook last night.  Yikes!  What did I do this past week?  Well I, was away so I guess I can be forgiven for not getting much done.  I did take some embroidery with me, but  - it just didn't happen.

And you saw a couple of days ago that I have the bindings made and quilts trimmed for those constructions quilts.

Yesterday I spent the entire day taking photos and doing stuff for the QUILTsocial blog posts which are due this week and will be posted in a couple of weeks.  I made extremely good progress on that and it's all about quilting so you must check in to see what those posts are all about.  Don't worry - I'll post a link when they are up.

Oh before I forget, I had a few errands to run yesterday and then realized that I was close to Best Buy so I popped in to see about my phone.  Hmmm - turns out there is NOTHING that you can do for the glare.  If the phone itself is NOT anti-glare, the glass coverings will not help as none of them are anti-glare. At least I know.  BUT I did learn something - I can turn up the BRIGHTNESS on the screen to do a few quick checks.  Drat - I never thought of that!  Now I know. I'm always learning something!

I did a bad thing at Best Buy - our printer has been on the fritz for a while and I'm OK with that as I'm trying to refrain from printing anything. If I want something printed, I forward to DH and he prints for me. But now no one can print anything so I splurged and bought a new printer. So cheap these days and then I got an ink subscription as well.  I haven't tried to hook up to the printer - I'm afraid to!  I envision issues before I even attempt that!

And I bought a radio!  Technically a boom box because it has a CD player in it. But I didn't have anything for my office and I like to have background noise now that I hope to spend more time here.  I could use my phone or iPod but I want something that I can leave on and go about and not worry about hooking up, charging or whatever.

While I was messing about with the sewing machine yesterday, I did squeak out a few things for this blog. That got me to thinking - why am I motivated?  For my blog of course. If I don't have anything to show you - well how good is that?  So my blog is a huge motivator for me. And even if no one were to read the blog, it's like a personal commitment. Weird!

When I was off to visit my parents, I went through my hand embroidery bag to find something to take with me. I came across this piece which was already stitched!  Block wasn't trimmed, but the embroidery was done. So I decided to put a border on it (thank goodness for having a giant Halloween stash - still!) and I found this nice black and white starry fabric.

Small wall hanging - top is done!

 Might as well have a look for backing while I'm at it. I was going to put something Halloween on the back but found this FQ instead.  It's been in the stash for a while. Look at the price!!!  And The Quilter's Cupboard has been closed for years!  But a FQ was the perfect size for the backing and it's now pressed and ready for quilting!

FQ - good for the backing of the Halloween wall hanging

I was on a roll so made the binding as well - so short!  The pattern was originally meant to be framed, but who wants that?  Now it's ready for quilting.

Binding and backing are done !!!

I needed a bunch of small projects for machine quilting for the QUILTsocial blog posts. Now, most of you know that I'm a long arm quilter, but I teach people how to quilt on a domestic. I haven't quilted on a domestic in a bit and you know what?  I actually had fun yesterday!  I did run into a slight SNAFU which wasn't my fault and not the fault of the sewing machine but it was good for a laugh.  You'll have to wait to hear that story.

Let's just say that once I got that problem solved, everything worked like a charm. There's nothing more satisfying that quilting on a machine that cooperates!!!

I quilted one small project for QUILTsocial blog (which you can't see now - but you will in a couple of weeks) and might as well make the binding as well.

Binding made for this project which is quilted!

I'm currently quilting another project and need to be finished it today. It's small so shouldn't be a big deal but takes time when you're trying to take photos at the same time.  I have a few more small projects prepped for quilting. I'm thinking I'm going to save them for the QUILTsocial blog - that will force me to get them done!


So there are four months left in the year. I've done ONE UFO so I'm a tad behind. I have made excellent progress on TWO more so that's a good sign.  I do have more days off coming to me and no plans for them, so I may just end up taking the time and get sewing!   I WILL get them done!  Just need to work those projects into a blog post for QUILTsocial so they have to get done!

And for next year when I choose my 12 UFO projects?  I won't be quite so ambitious. Like making and finishing FOUR quilts in one month!  I need to give my head a shake!  But the important thing here is that there has been little that I started this year that's become a UFO and that's HUGE!!!!

How is everyone else doing?   Hopefully, you're doing better than I am.  But I'll be making a big comeback!

Shoot - there was something else I was going to say and WHOOSH!  it's gone!   It'll have to wait until tomorrow.

On that note - I'm out of here!  Have a super day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!