A day of challenges!

Wait for it -- it was NOT a challenging day!

So the oatmeal is pretty bland this morning. After taking my afternoon to the library, I realized that I should have gone in the opposite direction to the grocery store to get almond milk and bananas. I did NOT have time to do a second walk. Guess where I'll be walking today? 

I had to drop a book at the library and told myself I did NOT need to go in. I didn't even take my library card. I didn't spot anything on the highlighted shelves, but I had a peek at the quilting section and found FOUR new books. OK -- I had to have those. They were not all new, but one had some ideas for a challenge. I asked if I could take them out without my card. The guy at the counter said I needed ID, which I didn't have either. But then the two other library people nearby piped up that they knew me and would vouch for me! Yeah, for making friends at the library! The guy at the counter was new, so he didn't know me. 

The classes and the lecture went well, and all the homework has been sent! I'm learning that there is NO NEED to cater to the students. It takes a LOT of extra work on my part to write up a bunch of notes they wouldn't get if they attended in person. They get the slides, and that should be enough, along with the pattern and ATTENDING the class. They can use the pattern and my slides if they can't attend. 

I have the presentation ready for the UFO club this morning, and the same will happen there. If I don't get the homework pictures by 6 AM, the morning of the club, I'm docking them $10. I sent a reminder a week before, and don't need to track them down. So there's a penalty! I love collecting penalties -- and all the money goes to the food bank at the end of the year, so it's for a good cause. 

After the classes were over, I got to work. The next quilt is on the long arm, and I hope to get it quilted this afternoon. 

I worked on binding and got three quilts bound. I had to put the binding on both sides of the RCMP quilt. And seriously - what's with the join always happening at the corner. I know Rose will say that she places the binding, so that doesn't happen. That's too much trouble, and I make it work, but just funny how it always seems to happen. 

They join at the corner - AGAIN!

So that quilt is done, and it's washed, and I'm waiting for it to dry and hope to get both of those quilts into a box and into the mail tomorrow. 

The binding on the RCMP quilt

Then it was time to tackle that first pile of 10 small quilts for Project Linus. I NEED all of them out of my house and soon. 

These two already had the binding stitched to the back -- I just appliqued it to the front. 

Binding is done on a small quilt

The binding is done on a second small quilt

I think there are three or possibly four more quilts in that pile. Then the first group is done, and only 31 more quilts to bind. But once I get going, that will not take long. I just won't have time this coming week as I'm away. 

I emptied two spools of thread in the process. When winding a bobbin for the larger machine, those spools barely fill the bobbin. But that's OK -- I don't mind using and replacing it! I would like some kind of a system to track these spools of thread that I use for binding and other odd jobs. What I really want is one spool of each color. I suppose if I go online, I could find a master list and then check my spools against the list, and when there's a sale on the thread, I could stock up. There are 240 different colors for this size and type of thread. Hmmm --- that's a LOT of thread. I still want every color!

Two empty spools of thread

I found a kit with 48 of the colors, but I want them all! Now to try and find a thread chart. I'll send them an e-mail to get a thread chart, which should help with the inventory situation. And then the issue will be to keep it up to date!

I unpacked the Cherrywood Challenge. Oh my --- look at those gorgeous colors. The theme is Monarch -- oh, I think we were supposed to get a pack of milkweed seeds -- I know there is stuff tucked between the fabrics. I'll have to check. So I'm keeping one; the other three are for other people. 

 Cherrywood Challenge kits

As I was sewing last night, I noticed blood! On my hand. How did that get there? 

Blood on my hand

Then I noticed blood on my other wrist. Wait a minute -- what's going on? That definitely looks like a scratch. 

A scratch?

I washed it all off, and no scratches. I played with Murphy earlier, so the blood could have come from her. We were roughhousing and playing ball, so maybe she had bleeding gums???? 

Speaking of Murphy, what is wrong with that silly girl? She drags the bed to the opposite side of the room and then proceeds to lay down exactly where the bed was. Sigh......

Oh, Murphy!

Do you think she is sending me a message here? Like -- "let's play ball!!!"

Let's play ball!

What a girl!!!! And look what happened to her poor teddy bear. He's now blind in one eye. 

Blind teddy bear

I can't help myself, but here's another tree photo. This is two trees, one in front of the other, and they are different colors, making for a two-toned effect. It's beautiful, but soon the leaves will be gone! 

Fall colors from two trees

Oh -- so back to those challenges. I now have THREE challenges that need to be done. I got the Trendtex, the Cherrywood, and the small one for the CQA. Those deadlines will sneak up on me, and I NEED to get started. I must draft out the pattern for the one I know what I will do and get started!

Challenges waiting to be done

And here's the book I got in the mail the other day. Yes -- it's for a different brand of sewing machine that I will leave nameless, but if you look closely at the cover, you'll see the brand. 

It's a good reference book; obviously, a piping foot is a piping foot! There is little difference in how they work from brand to brand. I also found lots of inspiration in this book. I've had my eye on this book for a while, but it was on sale, so I broke down and bought it. 

It's going to be another busy day -- a quilt to quilt, some embroidery I'd like to do (but don't think I'll get there), a quilt to fix for someone, and hopefully more binding. Plus, a walk to the grocery store! Then I have to pack for an in-person guild presentation tomorrow and finish up some things I want to take to Salon Quebec next week. Will I have time for all that? I hope so!

On that note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!