Pandora's back in town

What a great day!! I'm taking a couple of extra days to goof around, and then I need to buckle down as some significant deadlines are looming, and I won't be as free as I am now. That's OK -- play hard, work hard!

I started the morning off with some geocaching. I need to get 6,190 points by Monday, and I started the day with zero. 

Here's the thing with geocaching. Those little containers are EVERYWHERE, and most are so small that you wouldn't know they were there unless they are pointed out to you. Shoot -- I should have taken a photo of the tiny container I found yesterday. 

I arrive at a small park - well, it's not even a park, it's an island in the middle of two residential streets in an area that is a dead end, so no through traffic. However, I had to walk around that island for about 10 minutes before I found what I was looking for. And one is supposed to try to be inconspicuous about the process. Hmmm  - how does one do that in a bright orange jacket with a red car? 

However, I found the little tube, signed the paper, and was off. Before I left, I figured out where to go next. It was not that far away, and this next one is called a multi-stage, so you have to go somewhere, pick up some clues, figure out where to go next, and finally arrive at the final destination. 

Well, the first stage wasn't far away, so I went there and grabbed the clues, figured out the next destination. OH NO --- I'm going right back to where I found the other one. Good grief! 

Out of the car and located the next clue, back in the car to figure it all out. And then I was off to find the final, which was under this pedestrian bridge! Let's just say that I will have to start taking a small stool with me. I had to stretch way up to get it.  

The geocaching is somewhere under this bridge

It was great fun and involved a nice walk around a lake in the city, and I answered clues as I located them. If this all sounds complicated, it's not, but if you don't have the app on your phone, you can't do it. When we first started, we used handheld GPS units, and there was a LOT more paperwork involved. This way, it's all done on the phone. Much easier. 

All told, I found one regular cache, one Adventure Lab (those are easy and worth lots of points), one multi-stage (also worth more points), and one that I couldn't find. I NEED a pair of touch screen gloves as my hands were getting cold from taking my gloves on and off. 

Here's my point standing after yesterday. 

Hmm -- if I get 1,000 points on each of the next three days, I'll be good. That should be doable. I still went for my afternoon walk and ended up with almost 15 KM yesterday! Yikes! 

In case any of you think that Miss Lexi is the Princess around here, think again! OK -- she thinks she is, but she is still a silly girl and is prone to being naughty from time to time. 

I swear that her neck is on a swivel. This does not look comfortable, but she is quite happy to lay like this for hours. 

Did you want something from me? I'm busy!

Now she NEVER jumps on the furniture. That is not her nature and she hates the stairs. However, when a certain sister of hers is bothering her too much, she had no qualms about jumping up on the couch with DH. She didn't hesitate one second, she just jumped up and plopped herself down. And she stayed there for a while. Miss Murphy isn't allowed up and her nose was definitely out of joint! 

Is that Lexi on the couch? 

Once I got back from my morning of geocaching, I was ready to get to work. I got a giant customer quilt done. That one took a fair bit of time, because of the pattern (a snowflake) and the size. I'll get it trimmed today and there's another one that I'd like to do today if possible. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I thought long and hard about my green scrappy quilt. While I want these UFOs to look nice, I don't need to reinvent the wheel and create a lot of extra work AND another project to finish. So I repositioned the hexagons and this version is MUCH better and does not require any extra blocks, although I have to do something for the edges. 

Revised scrappy quilt layout

Here was my original take that I shared yesterday. That's a bit of a hot mess. And all it took was to rotate some of the triangles to get a more defined pattern. That one shouldn't take too long to sew together, but only after I figure out how to make those edges. If I make the same scrappy blocks, I don't think it will add anything, but if I put a muted monochromatic green in there (which is way easier), I think it will help to define the hexagons. 

The original layout

And that is why one needs a design wall. The one above is a portable one. There are three panels leaning against the bookcase and it works like a charm. You have to SEE your work and in most cases, you are able to fix the problem, just by looking at it. I would be totally LOST without one. 

Then I moved onto the embroidery machine where I got one more block done for the Kimberbell Christmas pillow. 

Block for the Kimberbell Candy Cane Lane pillow

OK -- I still have time, so I forged ahead to make one more block. 

A second embroidered block

All the threads are trimmed and there remains one last block and it's the easiest one with the fewest stitches so I hope to get that done later today. 

OH -- and I managed to eke out the components for the next barn block. I'm trying to keep ahead of the game. 

Components for the next barn block

However, while I was sewing, that Pandora's closet was calling my name. I really need to get that closet in order. This is what happened. 

Here's what the inside looked like before I started. Remember, I had started to work there, but did not make good progress. 

The inside of Pandora's Closet

I emptied out all the stuff that wasn't labeled or sorted. OK -- there's a lot of stuff. 

Stuff to deal with

And this is mostly what it looks like right now. 

The left side

The right side

It actually looks a wee bit different as I rearranged a few more things, but I didn't snap a photo. 

Now, one needs a plan. That center unit is the perfect size for those plastic (Iris) storage containers. It's an IKEA bookcase. So I found some more projects from another area and I've filled that center. I'll be going through it this morning, to ensure everything is labeled. No fear of running out of battery power since I now have my AC Adapter for the labeler. 

Once that center part is done with all the boxes labeled and then listed on a piece of paper, it'll be time to move onto the right-hand side with all the pizza boxes. I'll load one side up with sorted, labeled pizza boxes. 

The other side will be the odds and ends of containers, but everything MUST be in a box or other container. This plastic bag business is messy. 

I found a recurring theme in the closet so far and I have to figure out how to deal with it. I found MANY projects in there that are NOT started. 

Like these gorgeous batik charm packs with a chunk of black batik. I LOVE this, but there is no pattern. What should I do with it? I am going to put it in a labeled container - I think I know what I can do with it. 

Fabric, but no pattern

Then I found this grouping of fabric with a pattern. While I like the pattern, I'm not that thrilled with the fabrics, so these are going to go back in the stash room, the pattern goes in the pattern boxes and I get an empty tin. 

Another unstarted project

We've been speaking of making quilted clothing lately and people are sending me all sorts of inspirations. These are the leftovers from a quilted jacket that I made several years ago. Sadly, it's probably too large now, but that's OK. It's a gorgeous jacket - I should just pull it out and wear it. 

Now what to do with the leftover bits? I'll mull this one over for a bit - it would be good for zippered pouches or something like that. I'll leave it out and figure something out. See -- this is stuff that gets plunked on the current project table, but it really needs to be dealt with differently. My system is working really well, there's just too much to deal with all at once. 

Leftovers from a quilted jacket

Or it could be reassembled and become the basis of a new jacket? Hmmm -- I need to lay it out to see how much is there. The original quilted pieces were VERY generous. 

Another huge stack of fabric that was set aside for what? There are a couple of patterns at the bottom and still a quilt(s) that I want to make so it needs to find a box. 

More piles of fabric

Good grief --- here are two big hunks of canvas fabric. One with a print and one is solid. Sorry, Katheleen, I'm keeping it all! And there's a pattern to make a fabric tub. Hmm -- I don't really need that, so I'm going to empty this container and put the fabrics in the stash room. 

Another unstarted project

I'm shocked (OK -- I shouldn't be) at how many projects I set fabric aside for, but haven't gotten around to even starting them. FOr the most part, those will be pulled apart and put in the stash room. My focus is on UFOs. 

But dealing with those projects is going to make a HUGE dent in what is stored in my storage spaces or so I hope! 

This is the pull that Pandora's closet had for me this morning. As I was working on the barn block, I got sucked into the closet. Literally pulled inside!! And I set my half-done flying geese units on the shelf. Thankfully, I noticed them as I exited the closet, so I would be making new ones! 

My half "baked" flying geese units

I watched two more episodes of The Great British Bake Show and that means I'm almost done with Season Five. I finished an audiobook as well. Yep -- it was a good day. 

But now, I need to spend an hour or two in that closet to see what we can do. Once the stuff inside is labeled and sorted and nicely put on the shelves, it's going to be time to deal with what's on the floor. That is not going to be pretty. But it has to be done if I want to get things in order. 

Let's just say that the UFO club will have to run for many years before I get all the UFOs done. 

By the way, I should say that other people had the same idea for my second UFO each month. OK -- so everyone is so much smarter than I am!! Thanks for all the suggestions. I love them and if we can each help each other, that's what it's all about. 

Wouldn't it be great to enter 2022 completely organized? However, I think I've done an AMAZING job this past year and I'm getting close to getting it the way I want. OK -- that's a total lie. It's not nearly where I would like it, but it's so much better than it was. 

Actually, I would say that I'm in the refining stage of the decluttering of my sewing stuff, which is something that will likely go on for a long, long time. But that's OK. Each step makes you more ready for the next one. 

It's all very therapeutic and it'll all come together. However, I have a MAJOR reorg to happen upstairs in the next couple of weeks and I'd better get started on that. More on that another day. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Loads to get done today and there's no time to waste!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!