Whatpsapp

If you're not familiar with this app on your smartphone, you should be. It allows a group to stay connected with each other. I now have two groups - one for my Monday sewing and we get to see what each other is working on. Not everyone is on the app - that's their loss because it's a lot of fun. The second is our virtual retreat group. I can't wait for the virtual retreat to start! I need to finish getting prepped. I have a week!

And NOW I have a third group. Our little family! When M saw that I now have Whatsapp, the next thing I knew, we have a group of three!!  Oh, what fun. Our own little FamJam!!!!

You know what this means? I need to learn to type with my thumbs and FAST just like those darn younger generations. Oh my goodness - I'll be practicing that in the privacy of my own home (not difficult to do these days) until I can get really good. Then I can text like that in public - whenever that is allowed to happen.

I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief this morning for two reasons. I've been suffering from a severe (I think) hamstring pull. For someone who can easily touch their toes, I could barely get to my knees without extreme pain. This is NOT good. It was too painful to even attempt stretching. Then I gave myself a shake and said: "if you don't try to stretch, it'll NEVER get better." So I've been delicately stretching and it feels much better this morning. I could touch my knees! And after a few minutes, I made it to my ankles. Yeah!!!!  Hopefully, a couple more days of easy stretching and I'll be able to reacquaint myself with my toes!

The second reason for that huge sigh of relief is that I finished a LARGE, intense project. I can't show you the final version this morning, but if you check out QUILTsocial today, you'll get a glimpse of the project. Check it out. It wasn't without its challenges and that's all I'm going to say for the moment. Plus this was something that I purchased recently from someone through Facebook. Normally that kind of thing would languish in the stash for years, but NO - it just needs to be trimmed and faced!!!  Yeah!!!!!!

Yesterday was a bit of a strange day. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone which was all good because I was gaining useful information. I also did some digging. I was looking for TWO patterns. One of the patterns was in the FIRST pattern box I pulled from the shelf. How lucky was that? While most of the patterns are sorted by style or type, 5 boxes have accumulated and have NOT sorted. So that should be done someday. I didn't have time yesterday, but I should have a sorting day one day.

Searching for a pattern

Someone wanted this pattern (for the iron caddy) and I also found the Teflon fabric so I can arrange for a porch drop off this week. Wait - what day of the week is it??? Thursday - well, in the next day or so.

I think it's a great idea to go through one's patterns from time to time to remind yourself what you have. OH - I saw so many that I still want to make and I also saw many that I had already made. The second pattern? I don't have it. I thought I did, but I think it was one of those that I saw, thought it was cute and never bought.

I decided to get back to those "to be quilted" tubs and complete that sorting task. Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that I found one quilt that was supposed to be in the community projects area so that was one less quilt to deal with on my list. The second piece of good news is that I found an entire tub of quilt tops that needs to be processed (backing and binding made) before they can be added to the "to be quilted" pile. All those tops are now sitting in an IKEA bag.

Quilt tops to be processed

As you can see, it's not overflowing so that's also good news. The other bit of good news is that everything is now organized. Yeah. It's all in tubs except for one bag. I've written the lists on paper and I need to get them on the computer and printed out and added to my book.

The "to be quilted" pile

Oh  - the bad news? I found another forty-nine quilts that need to be quilted. HEY - I said fifty - that was a pretty good guess. Actually, if I count the one that went to community projects, that would have been fifty!!!!! That makes a total of two hundred and twenty-nine, but we're not going there. There's a plan to get these done and it's going to happen. I know it will. The biggest thing is that I know what I have now and can deal with those numbers. The other bit of bad news is that I found about five more projects in Studio U that need to be quilted. Sigh.........


I snapped some photos on our afternoon walk. It was a glorious day!!!  The sun was out and the temperature is warming up! I LOVE it.  But what the heck is happening in our neighborhood? They are digging up little holes everywhere. It looks like a giant gopher has been having fun. I checked with one of our neighbors, who knows EVERYTHING and he said that the fiber optics cables are being upgraded in our area. What a HUGE mess.

A mechanical gopher had fun

The girls and I walked to the mall. I know - it's like a magnet and especially so since there's not much to do these days, but walk. OK - I'm a quilter - that's a total lie, but it sounds good. So we stood at the fence and watched them rip more of the second floor off.

MOM - can we go now???

 I won't bore you with all the pictures, but they have ripped about half of the entire building down and seem to be leaving the other half intact. That's very weird. The parking lot is quite empty! But that's a good thing - it's easy to take the dogs into the parking lot where normally I wouldn't as it's too crazy with cars and those girls? Well, they are not predictable.

The mall parking lot

When I was working on my big project, I got to play thread chicken and I won!!! Yeah - not like I was going to try and find more of that same color. I'd have easily substituted something. But no need for that.

Thread chicken and I won!!!

I was going to happily announce that all quilts that needed to be trimmed were trimmed, but I realized that the big project I just finished, now needs to be trimmed! Oh silly me!!!!

I got half a binding sewn on yesterday. It seems like I'm working like crazy and not getting much to show for it! Well, today, I might just try and clean up some of those worktables. While there are projects that need to be finished, there's also stuff on them that just needs to be put away!! It would be nice to see a bit of progress.

I have to share this photo with you. This is the center of Dana's Aviatrix Medallion quilt. We would be meeting tomorrow, but that isn't going to happen so I asked the students to send me their blocks. Dana sent this to me. WOW  - she didn't go for the easy star - she went for the real deal. Way to go Dana.  This "little lull" will hopefully allow everyone to be completely caught up! I love her block.

The center of Aviatrix Medallion

Speaking of which, I know that some of you have signed up for Summer Moon or Celebration quilt at The Hobby Horse and we were supposed to be meeting this weekend as well. I want to get us started, but I don't have access to the class lists. Sigh.........  So if you haven't already contacted me, please let me know if you signed up for that class and I'll try to get something out. I can't do a whole lot as I don't want those who I can't reach to feel left out.

Here are my tips for you today. Here's a good one about using up your broken rulers. 

And if you want to watch some videos of the Daytona Quilt Show, check out these short videos.

Don't forget to check out QUILTsocial. Some great tips for quilting in the embroidery hoop. God knows I've got loads of experience now.

Here's something else -- if you own one of these sample packs that Fabricland was selling for $1 a while back. Get one of them out. Get some scrap fabrics and try the same style of quilting on ALL the sample battings. Then serge the edges and wash them. That's a good way to learn how each different kind of batting will react in your quilt. I bought a LOT of them. Why? I've no idea - they were only $1.

Sample packs of batting

On that note, I'm out of here. We might go for an extra-long walk this morning to make up some steps. 15,000 in one day is NOT enough. I need 17,000 to keep on pace.

Have a super day!!!!  Get out there and DANCE!!! Or do something creative in your day!!! I don't know if you can see this link but watch this video. I want to live in their house.


Ciao!!!!