Let it go!!

Thanks for all your comments! Yes -- we are all obsessed (I'm good with that!), and we all have some tidying to do! I did a bit, but not nearly enough. But that's OK. It's happening - just a bit slower than I would like. The laundry is in the front hall, so I will remember to do it. That's how obsessed I get -- I don't even think about things like laundry. I completely forget. The furniture in the backyard? Yes -- I must remember to bring that in today when the weather is still so warm! 

But I'm on a bit of a mission right now, and my long arm is working overtime!

Here is quilt number three of the eleven for Quilts of Valour.  

Quilts of Valour quilt Number three

And yes --- can you believe that I was near the end of the final row, and the bobbin ran out. How many times has that happened? 

The bobbin ran out 

While that quilt was on the long arm, I got busy and pieced the backing for the next one. Even though it looks like only three fabrics, I had to do some piecing within each fabric to get the backing large enough. And nothing is sacred in my fabric stash. One of those fabrics was a piece I bought last year -- it's Canada themed -- it went into the backing. 

The backing for a Quilts of Valour quilt

Here's the second quilt. Both quilts are trimmed, and the fabric and batting bits have been sorted and put away. 

Quilts of Valour quilt number four!

Then I dug through the buckets of quilt tops to find quilts that would match the backing fabric sitting in that room. Mission accomplished. So hopefully, the next couple of quilts won't require much work to get a backing together. I don't mind -- it all has to be used up! There is still more backing in that room that was set aside. Once that is used up, I'll tackle the backings in my stash room. There are hundreds of quilt tops to be quilted, and I bet I can find enough backing for them in that room! And I'll probably still have some left over. 

I sorted through the scraps of another quilt that Diane pieced, and this one had the backing. The quilt is on the long arm waiting for me to start it this morning. There are more bits on the ironing board, and with the yardage, the straps, and the leftovers from the backing, I think we might have enough to make another small quilt. 

Sorting scraps from a quilt

Speaking of the trimmed quilts, the pile just gets higher every day! I'm not worried about binding the Quilts of Valour quilts at this moment, but all this has to be dealt with before the end of November. 

The pile of quilts to bind!

However, I'm happy to report that I did manage some time to work on the bindings of the smaller quilts. 

Binding done! 

Binding on the second quilt - DONE

That leaves TWO of the small quilts to finish, and since I don't need to make backings for the quilts I'm quilting today, I should be good! Then I'll work on the Quilts of Valour quilts and then return to the remaining twenty for Project Linus. Let's just say that I'm pretty good and FAST at binding quilts by machine. 

There is a NEW quilt binder that was just released that allows you to use double-fold binding and sew both front and back at the same time. That could save me an enormous amount of time. I can't wait to get my hands on it! I'll let you know how it goes when I get it! 

I fired up the embroidery machine this morning, and it's madly working now as I have a large project I would like to finish. Remember, my goal is to clear the work tables, and this embroidery project is sitting there! Let's get it done! I'm putting all 150 names of the 150 Canadian Women quilt on the backing. There are 15 hoopings, and I'm on number eight! And you have to love being able to send the motifs WIRELESSLY to the embroidery machine. 

Working on the embroidery software

Then I walked to Diane's house and picked up three more quilt tops! That Diane is a machine! Wouldn't it be great one day if I caught up to her? That's wishful thinking, but I have made great leaps and bounds this year! 

Three more quilts to quilt

I took two of the three bags of bright flannel to her. I don't know why this "hurts," but I feel it more than I do with any other fabric I've sent her. I think because all of this came from my personal stash. It's been there for years, and since I'm not using it -- it's time to LET IT GO! I know it all has to go, and the more I let go, the easier it will be going forward. It still hurts!

Walking two bags of fabric through the forest to Diane

As much as it hurts, I know it's for the best. I do NOT want my family to be saddled with my "junk, " including my stash and paper crap. I told DH that he will have more stuff than I to move when we move! Those are big words to live up to! But I'll make it happen, or at least, I'm making big dents in the stuff, so that is good, and my mind is set to make this happen. Yes -- it cuts into my personal sewing time, but I'm a maker -- I don't care what I make!

I don't have time to deal with the paper and the fabric simultaneously. I can do one or the other. At this moment, I'm dealing with fabric! It's also helping me to set a routine - get some of these quilts done and out of the house. That doesn't mean that I can fill the space. OH NO! I aim to have loads of empty spaces in my fabric storage areas, and I'm starting to see that. That is actually a thrill, and I could technically bring more stuff down from the closet upstairs. Let's face it, I'm years away from dealing with everything I have to deal with, but I'm OK with that. Progress is being made! 

Speaking of buying stuff, I did buy this fabric when I was in Montreal at Club Tissus. I would love to return there, as I've purchased another cool pattern and need fabric. However, I have a piece of fabric that might work. But here's what I bought -- it's for a T-shirt, and seriously, I could NOT leave this in the store. 

Fabric for a T-shirt

And despite all that I got done, I was on the phone for a couple of hours! Today will be a repeat of yesterday as there is lots more to do, and I'm trying to do two of the Quilts of Valour quilts per day which is very time-consuming! 

The forest is almost stripped of its leaves, and this is how it looks now. 

The forest is almost bare

And this is how Murphy looks when we walk through the forest. She is a dirt/leave/mud magnet! Actually, she needs to be groomed, but no one wants her! Poor thing. She'll have to endure another hack job by me! 

The leaf magnet

I was sitting outside yesterday, and it was windy. See, no need to sweep the deck of leaves; the wind blew most of them off yesterday, and that saved me some time. However, the backdoor was open, and some blew into the house! Only a few and no worse than what Murphy brings in with her!

Leaves blowing in the open backdoor

Look at the color of these leaves. These were in the bushes along my walk with Lexi - brilliant red and green. 

Red and green leaves

This is in our backyard. More red and green. 

A single leaf on my chair in the gazebo! I haven't sat there in ages, and I should get out one last time with this beautiful weather. I swear it's the middle of summer! I thought about putting shorts on this morning. 

Murphy and I were sitting out on the front step the other night, and it was just amazing@!!!!

Murphy has a thing about keeping watch on the neighborhood, and I had to put something in front of the window as she jumped up and banged on it. So now she finds little spaces to peek out the window, and she does sit on her bed and look through the wrought iron bike, but I don't think she's happy at all! 

The nosy neighbor!

OH -- I spotted this leaf yesterday as well. I didn't know we had Ginko trees in the neighborhood. That is a Ginko leaf, isn't it? 

A Ginko leaf

The time change happens all on its own at our house. I'm so clueless about the whole process. If the stove and the microwave didn't have to be changed manually, I'd have no idea it happened! I'm so out of touch with reality! I don't even notice the extra light in the morning or the lack thereof at night. DUH!!! 

OK -- so I should get to the computer for a wee bit today, but my main focus is those two quilts!

 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!