Summer is coming

Even though I have lists and I have plans and even though I know a deadline looms months in advance, there's nothing like that deadline in your face to get you motivated. I'll show you what I mean in a second.

As part of my tidying up in Studio B, it meant getting EVERYTHING out of the way. As Elle mentioned, once it's on those work tables, it's technically out of my sight, but still visible so I can see what needs to be done. I'm not tripping over anything, I'm not swooshing stuff on the floor. But that meant a bit more work around the sewing machine stations.

I started with the Husqvarna Viking DESIGNER EPIC 2. I attached the embroidery arm because I have some embroidery to do. I got rid of anything off the table surface that I didn't need and this station is good to go.

The embroidery machine is ready to go

I've been piecing on the PFAFF creative icon lately and so it was time to get that station completely tidied up as well. Check and check! Both machines are ready to go.

The piecing station is ready

But what to do with the extra machines and the bits? Well, I cleared off that third table and put all the machines (2 sergers), the embroidery arm for the PFAFF, and the accessory box for the EPIC 2 on that table. I've since added my Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 which I take to dressmaking class. And I've got one more serger to add to the table once I do a bit of serging, hopefully, today.

Extra machines

All of that was sitting on the floor and it was time to get it in one place. That room is so fluid that things easily get moved around. However, as I mentioned, it's totally my space for a couple of weeks, so I need to maximize how it works for me.

Even the floor beneath the sewing station tables is clear.

Even under the tables is clear

There was one spot that still had a bit of stuff on the floor. I did move it off the floor and some of it is still residing on those small tables in the opposite corner of the studio. I'd rather have everything in a pile than on the floor and tripping over it. It doesn't matter if you think it's an awful mess, it makes me very happy to see it all in one place and that's where it stays until I can deal with it.

The last of the stuff on the floor

I just hope that I can get a lot of it dealt with, put away, finished or whatever needs to be done with it before I need those tables again! So far - so good.

Oh - so the accessories for the DESIGNER EPIC 2 come in a heavy-duty plastic pouch which is good, but I don't like it. So what to do with the accessories so they are easy to get to but out of the pouch?? 

That's why we buy souvenir tins and keep some of them. I have a small shelf with some containers that I'm keeping - just in case. There aren't many containers on the shelf and they are all in one place. I'm good with that.

Souvenir tin to store the accessories in

And isn't that a much better way to store the accessories than in that plastic pouch? Plus it'll remind me of my trip every time I open the tin.

The accessories fit nicely in the tin

What I love about all the organizing that I've done is that I knew exactly where that tin was and in a mere few seconds, I had chosen one from the few on the shelf. That's such a satisfying feeling. Oh yes - I'm making inroads to this mess. Slow, but that's OK.

So if nothing is on the floor in this area, where did I store that laundry basket?  The legs on the bottom of one of the sewing tables are like saw horses and there's a shelf. The shelf had stuff on it that had never been dealt with when I put things back after the renovation. So that got whisked off the shelf and the laundry basket fits PERFECTLY.

Perfect storage for the laundry basket

This basket will house all the supplies/books/blocks for the FIVE ongoing classes that I'm running this year. That will make my life simple and I MUST without fail put things back in the laundry basket when I'm done. Otherwise, I'll be spending hours looking for stuff and I won't be happy. So far - so good.

Of course, there's a similar leg on the other side of the table and I've put another laundry basket there. This basket is my packing for the upcoming retreat.

Oh - I'll show you the picture another day. It got slated for later this week. Yes - I'm going to try (once again) to confine myself to ONE laundry basket. OK - I'll tell you that isn't going to happen, but I'll settle for ONE laundry basket and a large bag. That's it! I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Now, where does summer come into all this? Well, as you know, I promised my Mom that I would make the fourth and final little mini quilt for their apartment. It's the summer one and technically, I have a couple of months before she would need to hang it. However, I'll be out there next week so there's a deadline if ever I had one!!

The mini wall hanging is paper pieced so when I was tidying up, I got out the little station that I use for paper piecing and everything is good to go.

Paper piecing station

 There's a small cutting mat and ironing board underneath all that stuff. The fabric was chosen for several of the blocks.

So on Sunday, I sat down to get some of the pieces together. I was on a roll. I had to make four flower pots and four stems. That was easy.

Four flower pots and four stem blocks

 However, when I went to sew the stem block to the flower pot, I realized that I had goofed. Instead of sewing brown to the top of the pot, I sewed the background. ACK!!!!!   The bottom one on the right is the correct way it is supposed to be made. So I persevered and got them all repaired. The paper is now removed from the blocks, they are trimmed and ready to be put into the quilt.

Ah - this is much better

Yesterday, I made two more blocks. The bird and a row of flying geese.

Two more blocks are sewin

That leaves three blocks left to sew. Two birdhouses and one sun. I've chosen all the fabrics that are needed and hopefully today, the remaining blocks can be pieced.

The fabrics for the remaining three blocks

It'll be good to get this quilt off my list. It should have been done sooner and it's been on the list for a long, long time. It doesn't matter  - what matters is that it's going to be done soon.

Kathi is the queen of collecting prints with animals on them. Last year, she did an amazing job at finding fabrics for the North Star quilt and she found fabrics for all the animals on that quilt except the owl. Well, she's back at it this year. She's participating in the Vintage Christmas sew-along. This past week, we did a block called Reindeer Hooves. Guess what? She had reindeer fabric.

Kathi's REindeer Hooves block!!

I love it!!! It's fun to get creative with your fabric and I absolutely love it when people go outside the box and use prints that are totally different from what's in the pattern. Otherwise, you have a quilt that is like thousands of others. This is a great way to personalize a quilt. Awesome job!!!!

A while back, we got a new alarm system for our house. And it has this control pad at the front door. The weather is shown on the control pad. Now how does it know the weather? It's obviously connected via the WiFi. I get that, but what does this message mean? Light Wintry Mix?? I had a chuckle when I saw that.

There's so much on the agenda today but I'll just pick one thing and focus on that. When that's done, I'll move to the next thing. There are NO distractions.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!