Putter, putter, putter

 

I finished my last two presentations for the week yesterday. It's so much fun to chat with the ladies from across the country. I get to hear what's happening, and it sounds like Winnipeg is going to shut down starting Monday - similar rules to what we have in the Ontario hot spots. 

I just won't go there as I'm so frustrated with the entire picture. We went out to dinner last night. We were so far apart from other people, plexiglass between the booths, people wearing masks and handwashing - that it's crazy to think that you could get anything, including the common cold under those conditions. And tell me why I need a flu shot when I'm not in contact with ANYONE???? I don't believe restaurants are the cause of the spread, yet they and their customers are being punished because some people cause problems. GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!  It's just fearmongering! 

We must learn to LIVE WITH this pandemic; that doesn't mean we need to HIDE in our houses. 

Now that I have that out of my system, I feel better. Not really, but it does help to voice the frustration. 

Anyway - after my presentations and this morning, I got a chance to putter in Studio B, and I feel like I accomplished a LOT, which is great. 

I'll start with a couple of pictures from my walk. I notice fewer people out walking these days now that the weather is cooler. Bundle up! One lady I pass walks this very short walkway beside her house, just outside the forest. I swear she is bundled up so well that she can barely see. But you know what? She's out there, and who cares if she walks up and down that walkway five times or fifty times - she is OUTSIDE, getting some fresh air and some exercise. 

I have the usual people that I see most days, and we say hi (from our 6-feet apart), and we continue on. I do NOT wear a mask when I walk. 

But I was intrigued by the squirrel nests. Now that the leaves are mostly gone, all the squirrel nests are exposed. You wonder how they keep the leaves from falling out. They must use squirrel spit to hold them together. And where do they put the nuts? And how many squirrels live in each nest? Some of them are very small and stick out on some small branches. 

A small squirrel nest

Others are condos in comparison. This one at least has some support and protection against the tree trunk. 

A squirrel condo

But let's just say that they are out in full force in the morning. The forest is like a squirrel convention, and Murphy goes nuts!!

I got more of the double wedding ring arcs trimmed. 

Trimming the double wedding ring arcs

The stack of those to be trimmed is going down, but it's taking a long time. I may finish today. That stack of trimmed ones is ones that I trimmed yesterday. As I finish for the day, I put them in a bag in the project box, so none go missing. 

What's still to be trimmed

I got the backing and the binding made for Aviatrix Medallion, so that quilt went into the "to be quilted" pile. 

Aviatrix Medallion goes to the "to be quilted" pile

A quick note about my UFO lists: I started them in 2017, and I've added 12 UFOs to a yearly list. These are NOT projects or kits that I want to start. These are UFOs that had been abandoned. I've finished all the projects on the 2017 list. YEAH!!! No rolling projects over for me! I keep adding because I WILL get caught up! Now that I've got the hang of focusing on them, I'm making huge leaps and bounds. 

Three projects remain on the 2018 list. One of them is my current monthly UFO homework. One more is in the retreat bag to be worked on, and I haven't touched one of them. That's OK - great progress is being made, and that's all that counts. 

For 2019, there are still eight on the list. One of them is almost done, and one more is in the current pile of stuff that I'm working on. The other six are waiting to be touched. 

And on the 2020 list, there are still 10 projects. One should be finished very soon, and I'll be picking from that list to get another project to work on. Keeping these lists and adding more projects is so these projects don't get forgotten! It's so easy to start something new and forget that all these UFOs exist. 

I don't think I'll run out of UFOs for a few more years. 😀😀😀The important thing is that NO UFOs are being added to the stack. I try to finish the project in the year I start. I don't start something if I don't have time to finish it. It's as simple as that!

And I'll be making a new list for 2021. I haven't picked anything yet, but I'll be scouring the shelves for something to add. I can't wait! If I didn't have those lists and the UFO club, I would NEVER have touched most of the UFOs that I got done. It's a motivator for me, to be sure. And I still have a spot or two in the second UFO club for 2021. 

I dug out the serger this morning and closed up a pet mat that was languishing on the cutting table. 

Serging a pet mat

I just have to tuck the thread ends in, and this is ready to be delivered. I'm not headed that way for a couple of weeks, so I hope to have one or two more to add to the pile. 

Finished pet mat

I searched through my bookcases the other day for a book that I didn't think I had, but I checked anyway. Nope - couldn't find the book - unless it's a UFO and I've forgotten that I started this quilt. Hmm - I should check the UFO piles. 

Anyway, I found these titles scattered throughout the bookcases, so they are now all together! Gosh - I have to laugh when I see those GREAT quilts from 1987. 

Great American Quilts

As I was cleaning up the cutting table, I found this pair of gardening gloves. Hmm - why are they on the cutting table? I could move them to the shed, but there's a wee problem with them. 

Gardening gloves

I think at one point, they got washed, and oh my - they are a tad too small!!!!

Child-sized gardening gloves

Anyone with a child who needs gardening gloves???

I've been cutting up my samples to put in my sample book. I had to tear away the stabilizer and then trim the samples. I could make stuff out of the samples, but why? I don't need to have extra stuff to carry around. I will make a few finished items, but I don't need a finished item for each technique. And if I do make a finished item, because it would be nice to see what you can do with each technique, I'll do that as time permits. Hmm - as I'm looking at this sample, this would be amazing to put on a sweater. Imagine a plain sweater with this design stitched randomly on it? See, now that I have the technique samples, it's easier to visualize how I would use it. I've got to find a plain sweater! 

My sample book

I still have more samples to clean up and trim to put in the book. I will need several books, and I need to start writing up the pages to go with each. I can't do everything at once. December is going to be my planning month, so it'll likely get done then. 

This is what the cutting table looks like now. It's still a mess, but a LOT of progress has been made, and that's a good thing. And as space permits, I've added more to it. This is the LAST of the current stuff to be dealt with. That's a GREAT feeling. 

The current situation on the cutting table

And I figure I'd better start dealing with all those half square triangles that I've been sewing as enders and leaders. The pile has gotten a wee bit out of control!

The stack of half-square triangles to press and trim

I pressed a few this morning, and it's something, along with the double wedding ring arcs that I can trim when I have a spare minute or two. 

Half-square triangles pressed and ready to trim

So it was a great day! I love having great days! I have two classes to teach today, not presentations but classes, and everything is prepped, so that's great. But the two of them will consume most of the day and then my walk. I know - you can all say it, but YES, I'm obsessed with getting in that double-digit KM every day. I'm OK with that. Besides some Halloween candy snuck into our house - I did NOT buy it, and now that I've eaten most of it, I have to get out to walk off the chocolate!

On that note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a great day, and stay safe!!

Ciao!