Same as yesterday!

I feel the last couple of days are just repeats of each other - kind of like the movie Groundhog Day. Quilt a quilt, do some binding, do some sewing! Going to have to shake it up a bit! At least the things I work on every day are a bit different, but not much.

However, there's always a challenge that each day presents. The first one yesterday was getting my package shipped. I was going to do the paperwork and then just drop it off at the UPS office. I normally get them to do all the work.

Package to be shipped via UPS

So I logged on - YES - I have an account with UPS and thanks to a password saver, I was able to get logged in without having to reset the password. That in itself was a HUGE hurdle. I got the paperwork sorted out - how much does the package weigh, what's the size and all that. Then I was asked the question of drop off at the store or pick-up. Well surely pick-up costs more, but let's see. OH boy - no extra charge. After what I paid yesterday, I swear the UPS store charges me to do the paperwork.

I had to figure out how to generate the commercial invoice that needs to accompany the package. Got that done and the box sat on my step all afternoon. No porch pirates in my neighborhood - at last no one took my package. Not even UPS. The window was between noon and 5. So I brought it in and was going to call today to figure out what to do with it.

Then when I was reading my book after dinner, I saw the UPS truck drive up and I jumped up and tossed the package onto the front step. Phew - it's gone. Let's hope that it makes it there on time.

A few other bits of paperwork and I was good for that. Paperwork is SO time-consuming. But it has to be done. I've got more today. Yeah!!! 

At last, I made it to Studio B to get the next quilt loaded. While I'm babysitting, it was time to tackle a few more things on the table. I grabbed this piece of wood. Now, what the heck is that for? Oh - I know what it's for. I've been shuffling that piece of wood around for YEARS. I could have thrown it out, but then I decided to put it back where it belongs.

A piece of wood

You see, my Aunt Irene gave me (or sold me - I don't remember) a Singer sewing machine years ago. It was green and in a cabinet. One of those neat ones with the flip lid. The sewing machine tucked away when you weren't using it. The sewing machine had a wee accident during a move and it was toast (I bought a NEW Singer, but I wish I had of kept the old one). Here's the cabinet.

The sewing machine cabinet

 I screwed a wooden shelf into the cabinet so my machine at the time would sit inside the opening. It provided a nice flat surface. I used this set up for machine quilting for a long time.  You can see the screws holding the new shelf in place in the photo below. Well, that piece of wood fits inside the bottom of the cabinet. Its job was to protect the sewing machine - well it failed! But I managed to get the piece of wood inserted back into the cabinet. I feel better and that only took 20 years?

The bottom of the sewing machine cabinet

I found this great little hardshell case. It's quite small and what the heck to do with it? Hmm - I decided it would be good to put presser feet in when I travel. Some of them are delicate and shoving them into a suitcase in a plastic bag probably isn't the best. Now they'll be well protected so that got stored with the presser feet. It had only been hanging around for a couple of months.

Little hard case for storing delicate things

I did a bit more tidying but didn't clear as much as I would have liked. But that's OK. I'm almost to the point, where all the stuff that has to be put away is put away and I'd be happy to just leave the rest on the tables and get it done. Saturday evening is my time to get things organized for the next week. So even though there's a bit of stuff left in the weekly laundry basket, I may just add a thing or two. I'll see how focused I am.

The work tables

The stack of empty containers is getting larger. It's time to work on that and use some of them for storage. I'll figure it out.

Here's the next quilt for Quilts of Valour. This one came from the local organization so I don't have to put the binding on. Yeah!! It's trimmed and ready for delivery. There's ONE more to quilt to get my quota of five quilted this month. It's only the middle of the month!!! But I'm not delivering until the end. There's no rush.

Quilts of Valour quilt - done

I finished the binding on one of the others that I quilted the other day. So that makes two that are completely done with the binding and the third one is quilted and trimmed.

The binding is one the quilt

The binding was made for this quilt (the fourth one for Quilts of Valour) and I managed to get it sewn to the back of the quilt. I'm aiming to get it done today. And the next one is hanging off the long arm waiting to be loaded today.

The binding is partially on this quilt

Then it was up to Studio U to sew. Well, it doesn't quite work that way. But as far as the blog goes - that's what happened.

I love having my sewing machine in a cabinet. And I really do like that little one that I got from my aunt. But I now have this big one and it's great. There's loads of room in front of the needle to match up seams. I LOVE that.

Loads of room in front of the needle to match up seams

And there you have it - the SECOND Night Sky quilt is done!! You can bet that I did a happy dance when I took that photo. This has been on my 2017 Dirty Dozen (UFO) list. I haven't crossed it off yet. You'll see why in a minute.

Night Sky quilt top

The binding is made.

The binding for Night Sky

When I went to make the backing - I was short!!  That's my fault. I said that Ronda helped me measure the pieces. Well, I also measured some or put the leftovers from a previous backing away after I remeasured. I think that's what happened. I'm short a piece 16" by 39". I'm going to find the other quilt that I used this fabric for and see if I can do a bit of magic. Once that backing is made, I'll cross that off my list. And then I'll have only two projects left on that list. I guess I lied yesterday when I said there were only two - in fact there were three. I guess in my mind, I was thinking this one was done!!

Later today, I'll figure out which of the remaining two that I'm going to tackle next.

I was using that mini Block of the Month as my end/leader project, but it's pretty darn fiddly for that. As I was cleaning the worktables, I came across a previous ender/leader project and it got brought upstairs. I save everything. I know - it's sad. Anyway, I always join my borders with a diagonal seam and that leaves some pretty big triangles. I've been matching them up (size and color) to get half square triangles which will then get sewn into quarter square triangles or hourglass blocks. I've got a whole pile made.

Big triangles to sew together

There was only one half square triangle that I could sew. I need to make another border or two to get some potential matches for the triangles that are left. These will go back into the appropriate container until I have more border cutoffs.

In the meantime, I have this container full of sewn half square triangles. They need to be pressed and then matched up to sew the quarter square triangles. I probably have enough to make a quilt. I should get these done and get to work on the quilt. It's going to make a great scrap quilt.

Half square triangles to sew into quarter square triangles

I'm also sewing some of the smaller triangles that I cut off from bindings (so you can imagine how many I have) to make small half-square triangles for another scrap quilt. Oh yes- I have more than enough to start sewing that one together.

Keep the small triangles

NO - I do not want your small triangles. I have generated loads myself. But thanks!!!

Even though I'm not quite finished the backing for the Night Sky quilt, I dug out the next project from the laundry basket. It doesn't seem that I've made a dent in that laundry basket of projects. But at least all that remains are relatively small or don't require a lot of work, so I hope the rest will go a bit more quickly than the last couple that I worked on.

The laundry basket of projects

So here's the next project. I've decided to focus on the mini Block of the Month.

The mini Block of the Month

There are two blocks left to sew together. One of them is prepped and ready to sew.

The next block is cut and ready to sew

These blocks are small and fiddly but hopefully, it won't take too long to make the last two blocks - especially if I'm focused on them. Then cut the sashing and the borders - it shouldn't take too long!! Yeah!!! A simple project. I must remember that when packing that laundry basket. Get some variety into the mix when choosing projects!

While I was out walking with the girls - guess what we saw?? A dandelion!!!! Now I'm not one to get excited about dandelions, but does that mean that spring is near at hand? It feels like winter out there and on the afternoon walk, we had snow, sun, wind, and everything in between. But what a difference it makes to walk in the sunshine. Holy --- you can feel the heat instantly. So I plan my walks accordingly. I walk along the shaded part at the beginning and then bask in the sunshine on the way home.

My first dandelion!!!

And have you noticed how much lighter it is in the morning? I love it!!!!!

I know that tons of you are making masks for family, friends and to be donated. Some of them are adorable and people have gotten extremely creative with elastic, buttons, ties, etc. Some of the fabrics have been super cute, bright and cheery. I've seen people posting pictures wearing the masks and I can only hope that those masks get washed BEFORE they get donated.

But this mask is the BEST mask picture that I've seen. It's so adorable. This is Christine's little dog. Gosh - I'm not sure I even know his name. I do, but I don't remember it. Christine is my cousin and not sure if she made the mask, but who cares. It's just the cutest thing ever!!!!  Mr. Bear better not see this or he is going to be asking for one.

Who is that masked dog???

I have a link to share with you today. It's about how retail will never be the same again. Ten ways that retail will change after this pandemic is over. Have a read - it's pretty interesting and I think it's true.

On that note - I'm out of here. The guys are here to open the pond and the water tap froze again this winter and it's broke. GRRRRRR  --- two years in a row after years of no issues. What the heck????

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!!