We are NOT alone!

Thanks for all the comments from yesterday. I'm rushed this morning, and my priority is to get the blog written before I leave! Someone suggested I do it last night, but after I finished packing up everything, there just wasn't time. 

I'm taking five machines. All of them but one will come home with me, and I hope to juggle the machines so I will always have one available to me for sewing at the retreat. I have to work three days that I'm at the retreat. Anyway -- you'll see this week. 

But here's the good news -- the week that I"m back is wide open, and I will be making good use of that to get everything done before it's due. And even better, ALL the homework assignments are out the door. That is amazing -- I pushed to make that happen, and it's done! 

So the future is looking a lot better, but that doesn't mean that I'm out of the woods, as those due dates come quicker than I can envision!

And I'm working out my plan for going forward. As we went through the UFO clubs yesterday, we all agreed that we have over-extended ourselves. Just like the kid in the candy store -- we want it all. That's due to Zoom and class passes, both of which are good things -- it's just that we didn't know how to control ourselves! 

Someone mentioned that there's no time for "fun" sewing. While I consider my current sewing projects fun, there's a reason why that project is being worked on, and I'm not just doing something for the sake of doing something! So yes -- I agree -- not enough time for fun sewing. 

For those in the crunch, let's all just take it day by day - we WILL get through it, and then we have a breather over the summer, and I hope to have my schedule out there before, so you have all summer NOT to sign up! Or should I say, you have all summer to contemplate your schedules and see what you want to work on, and hopefully, that includes some fun sewing and not taking a class, just because it's there! 

The one thing that we do NOT want to happen is to lose touch! Although many of us have never met, I see many friendships blossoming, and it's exciting to see everyone when I open the calls. So I'm going to see how to work that into the schedule. So instead of a class, we need some way to stay connected. I'm open to suggestions -- I do have the Virtual Retreat, which helps, and I have a new idea - but the rules to get in will be extremely strict, and it's very narrowly focused, so that won't work for everyone. 

But maybe we have a weekly show and tell of the "fun" sewing. That might be a neat way to stay connected. I think social time is so important, and I would hate to see that aspect go away as it's AMAZING how much we all have in common. Scary sometimes as I see we are all married to the same husband, have the same children, and the same in-laws and parents! Knowing that you're NOT ALONE in any situation is therapy! It makes me feel so much better about myself that I'm not alone in this journey we call life!

We had a great time at the Virtual Retreat, even though I had to bow out a couple of times to get some e-mails answered. I'm still behind on those e-mails, but I hope to take some time at the retreat to get them answered. 

At one point, I had to laugh. This is how my sewing machine ended up on my table. Look how far away it is from the edge! I must need lots of room to work! 

The machine sitting far back on the table

Here's my show and tell from the UFO club. WOW -- there is so much getting done between the two groups. It's so fun to see what everyone is pulling out of the closet. We have projects from MANY years ago. Someone mentioned their project was from over 20 years ago, or maybe that was even longer now. But quilts are getting quilted, tops are getting done, and we've seen several sewing rooms come together, which will make the sewing so much more fun!\

I got the binding on my Halloween quilt. Yeah!!!

The binding on my Halloween quilt

It just needs a sleeve which will go on soon, and it'll be ready for Halloween!!!

The Halloween quilt

This small quilt was quilted, and it needs the binding attached. That is half done and will get finished when I'm back. I used the long arm computer and some free-hand quilting to get it done. Parts of it are so busy that it didn't make sense to do anything fancy for quilting - just get it done! 

The chopped up panel wall hanging

And there's the Farmer's Wife quilt top, minus the borders. I had hoped to get the borders on, but I ran out of time. 

Farmer's Wife quilt top minus the borders

I'm not taking any of those to the retreat. Instead, I grabbed some other things I want/need to work on, including a jelly roll quilt. Wait for that one! I had to cut it out yesterday as I made my own jelly roll, and it's ready to go when we arrive! I can't wait to get started and have a "FUN" day of sewing. 

I took a picture while walking in the forest the other day. There's absolutely nothing special about this picture, but I have to say that I could literally feel myself go into slow motion mode the moment I walked in. It's totally uncanny how nature can do that to us. This is my quiet space, and I love to walk there. I know I've said this many times before, but the forest was the selling point when we looked at our house. I LOVE the house, and I love our location, but the forest clinched it! 

The calming forest near our house

Murphy loves it because there are squirrels and mud. Lexi just loves everything. 

Well, it's time to get rolling. I've got a ton of stuff to put in the car, and two girls who are saying -- DON'T forget we need to be walked before you go! And it's COLD outside today, but unlike last time, there is no snow!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!