I got so MUCH DONE!!!!

 WOW --- we had such a riot at the Virtual Retreat. As usual, they kept me up later than I normally do, and after sewing all day, I was exhausted. I had to FORCE myself to stay awake to finish up the last of my project. But so much fun and so much more interesting to sew with others than to sew alone. Thanks to everyone who stopped in to sew or just to say hi!!!

Over and over, I heard the same thing, "I got SO MUCH done!" And that was the same for me - just wait for it. 

But here's the "bad" thing that happened. As we were getting ready to sign off, we checked the dates for the next Virtual Retreat, which are September 25 and 26. That's a LONG way off, so we decided that we could have a Virtual Retreat pretty much any day that we wanted! So we're going to have another one on Labor Day Weekend. It will be SUNDAY night (September 5) from 6 - 9 and MONDAY (all day from 10 - 8). 

YES -- this will overlap on my regular Monday sewing group, but a lot of Monday people come to the Virtual Retreat, and they can stay longer if they want. It's all becoming one big happy family!

I'm just going to say that I have the best sewing friends around!!! What fun!!! I can't wait to do it again. Well, I get to this morning as I sew with the Monday group. 

The other "bad" thing that happened yesterday was discussing what's coming up that I'm teaching. Everyone wants to know what I'm teaching. I'll be doing two bigger projects starting in January, and I'll share those with you in a few days, but I have other projects that people want to make!!! Oh boy!! So if there's something you'd like to learn and it's not on my schedule, let me know, and we'll add it to the mix!!!

And YES -- I got stuff done yesterday that I would NOT have gotten done without the distraction of the conversations. 

My scrap box was getting a tad full - it's time to do something about that. 

The overflowing scrap box

So I was able to fill three more pet mats. 

Three more pet mats - DONE

Yeah -- I'll be seeing my contact later this week, so those are going to her. Then it was time to buckle down and work on the remainder of my UFO commitment for this month. It's not due until September 19, but I'm working on it now. What???? 

The second half of my goal is to make EIGHTEEN maple leaf applique blocks. Complete - with all the stitching. The fusible product was in the container with the fabric. So I got out a pencil and started to trace. 

My traced maple leaf shapes

I cut them out from the fusible web with my crappy scissors, but I had to get the Goo Gone out at one point because those scissors were pretty gooey!!! It's all about the type of fusible you're using and this one, which is at least 7 years old, was pretty gooey. That's one thing I've found with fusible products - at least some of them. The longer they sit, the gooier they get. That happened with the Wonder Tape that I used on my T-shirt. 

Goopy scissors

Each of the leaves requires a stem, so those got traced as well. 

My stems for the leaves

Now the fusible that I used was a heavier product - but I want it used up! So I then had to cut a window out of the center of each leaf. 

The window is cut from the fusible shapes

And then I was ready to fuse the leaves to the wrong side of my fabric. 

Fusing the leaves to the wrong side of the fabric

At some point during the day, I cut the backgrounds for the blocks. One of the blocks is already completely finished, so I only need to do 17 blocks. Then I sat and cut out the leaves and the stems. I wasn't going to finish last night as I was getting tired, but my trusty companions kept me going until ALL the leaves were cut. 

All seventeen leaves are ready to fuse to the background

WOW!!!!!   Thanks to everyone who "helped" that happen. It's huge! And today, I'll fuse the leaves and stems to the backgrounds. I'm not sure whether I'll start the stitching - I'll see how it goes. I really need to work on that binding!

Let's just say that I had a bag of stuff prepped for the upcoming two-day in-person retreat, and I unpacked all that this morning and repacked it with something else. You'll need to wait to see what that's all about. Let's just say that I'm psyched to get to work!!!

Here's a clue about what I'm will take to the upcoming retreat. This is one of the cabinets beneath my cutting table. As I was searching for something, I knew the cubby for fusible products was a mess. 

Well, it's not a mess any longer. I emptied it. 

My cubby for the fusible web is empty

I dumped all the fusible on the cutting table. What a huge mess!!! 

My fusible products

I have a demo on fusible products coming up in the fall, so I snapped some pictures and tidied it up and that's all you get to know at this point!!!!

I went for a long walk yesterday even though it was hot out. I really didn't find it that hot, but that's me. I also remembered that I needed bananas for breakfast this morning, so I made a stop at the grocery store. Wait!!! Watermelons are only $3.99. I contemplated that purchase and then said, "yes - I want watermelon." So I lugged that darn thing home on foot. How much does a watermelon weigh? Yes - I know it's based on size. 

Let's just say that if you carry a watermelon around for a couple of KM (it was only 1 KM home from the grocery store), that you seriously think about how much weight you are carrying on your person. It wasn't hard to carry that home, but it wasn't comfortable. Image if we all lost the weight of one watermelon - we'd feel that much lighter on our feet!!!

This is always the way things work. I commented about my gimpy left leg, and since that comment, I've had NO ISSUES!! Perhaps I need to make a comment about the darn thing every day or so, and the gimpiness will stay away! As someone suggested, I should get it checked out. I have been to the chiropractor, and we've discussed it. And with some deep tissue massage, it really seems to be a lack of strength training and stretching based on my walking distances. But yes -- there is arthritis in the knee -- we all know that is a given. It's in my other knee, so it makes sense that it's in this one as well. 

OH -- when I was cleaning out the cubby with the fusible, look what I found. My little ironing guide. Now, why was it with the fusible and not the ironing stuff? I think I ended up purchasing a second one because I couldn't find this one. GRRRRRR!!

My pressing guide for hems

And I did some tidying yesterday. Now that I see the light at the end of the tunnel, this stuff will bother me. And that's a good thing. I decided to get rid of that tray that was almost empty in this cabinet. The tray is in the giveaway box. 

Economizing the space in the closed cabinet

This is the mess that is on the desk. 

The mess on the desk

I grabbed one of the boxes from the top of the pile, shoved the rest of the papers from the tray into it, and put it in the cupboard. YES -- my goal is to get everything into a home or be out the door, whichever is appropriate for the items. It's coming together. There's still a lot of work to be done, but it's coming together. 

More junky stuff is now hidden

I have a pile of stuff on the floor that needs to be dealt with - overflow from that little switcharoo. But not something I can't handle in an hour or two. I'm becoming a "trained" decluttering professional!  😂

Stuff to deal with - yes - even Murphy!

So the desk now looks like this. What I need to do is a day of sorting and filing. There is a LOT of stuff on that table that just needs to be put into the filing cabinet. OH yes -- this is going to happen!!!!

A slightly less messy desk

And someone else is going to have to do some sorting soon. Murphy - do you really need TWO boxes of toys? "YES, MOM - I do! Until you clean up all the stuff in this space, I can have two boxes!"

Murphy and her toy boxes

It's so hard to know which of the toys she plays with. Some of those will go, but I'm not ready to deal with it right now. But look where this bear ended up. I did NOT touch it. Murphy put it there!!! It looks sad that it can't go for a walk. It's by the front door!!!  And YES -- our winter boots are still in the hallway!!!

Can I go for a walk?

On my walk yesterday, I saw this sign on a lawn. Now that sounds a whole lot more exciting than the one I saw the other day. 

Well, I don't know which one is the better sign. All I know is that it doesn't take too long and houses are sold in this area. Mere days! 

OH  --- if you have a great tip on a function on your Android phone, let me know! I'd be happy to share them with everyone. Like using your voice to take pictures and videos - it's so easy - you just click one setting, and you're in business. And the ratio on the camera. But any other tips - let me know!!!

I'd better get going --- it's Monday sewing, and I have lots sitting there to be done!!!! I can't wait to get started and visit with my friends. You know Monday sewing used to be a physical thing, but personally, I'm really like this format. And since we're on Zoom, if anyone wants to join the Monday sewing, let me know, and I can include you on the list. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!