Solving mysteries!

I saw a comment on my blog this morning (I need to catch up in answering) and was thinking something similar the other day. 

How many of us quilters are in a rut? We just keep piecing and piecing. What is the intent of all those quilts? How many of us have a new technique book that we purchased because we were absolutely enthralled with the technique? How many of us have a kit that we adore but are frightened of the technique? 

Why not get out of the rut? Look at what you are doing right now! Today -- what were you planning on sewing/quilting today? BEFORE you start any new project, why not start one of those? 

Yes, I know we have a ton of UFOs (most of us do) to finish off. But take a break (don't go rogue!) and try something new! 

And if you love to piece and have no idea what to do with all those quilts, start making them with the intent of donating them. Many organizations will accept quilts - Quilts of Valour and Project Linus (they also accept knitted and crocheted items) are just two examples. If you want to make something smaller (and try new techniques), make pet mats or placemats. 

It's easy to get into a rut, and I feel that my mornings are like that, but they have to be to get my "chores" done. But after the basic stuff is done? That's when the fun begins, but most days, that fun doesn't start until almost 10 AM, even though I've been up for hours. I have the blog to write, breakfast to eat, THREE dogs that need to be walked independently, sometimes drop DH at the train station, and then do a quick tidy up of the kitchen and fix the dishwasher (F11 error) as I had to do yesterday!

I had a great day yesterday -- I put on my audiobook and got into a ROUTINE! Quilting and sewing blocks in preparation for the Zoom class today. I also ran around collecting things to take to the in-person class. That's so weird - usually, I grab things and take pictures, but nope, I have to grab things and put them in a bag! Now I remember why I made so many quilted tote bags!

The presentation is complete, and the Zoom link was sent last night. I don't want anyone waiting until midnight to see if I remembered to send it! 

OH --- the latest issue of A Needle Pulling Thread came out recently, and I LOVE the picture on the cover. I never make the cover! But that's OK. 

A Needle Pulling Thread

There's a picture of my quilt. I LOVE the styling of the photograph. I need to share information about the patterns you can purchase from the magazine. Let me dig that out and share it (hopefully tomorrow). 

My quilt in this issue

Little Bear was a trooper who went out and blasted through the snow on his walk. He was running through the snow and never once lifted his paw. He's a good boy! 

But without teeth, he can be messy when eating that canned food. I've had to clip some hair around his mouth, and he needs to be washed. He wasn't happy while I was doing it, but he was content after. 

Doesn't he look so cute, wrapped up in his quilt? 

GRANDMA -- I'm a very good boy!

He looks like a tough dude all wrapped up while he surveys the neighborhood!

GRANDMA -- I've got your back!

I got a customer quilt done yesterday. It was big, and I wasn't sure how it would quilt. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. While there were a few lumps and bumps and a few little ruffles, I had ZERO issues with it. Yeah!!! But -- I almost had a problem, and it would have been my fault. 

When quilting on a long arm, you must set the "safe area." This is the area in which the machine knows where to stitch. That's between the two black bars, of which you only see one in this picture. 

The machine was VERY close to the bar!

The width of the pattern is then set to sit inside the safe area. Imagine my "surprise" after doing the first row when the second pattern was such a tight fit that it was hard to get it in place. NOOOOOOOOO!!! Thank goodness for understanding the logic of the software and saving the original file. I simply enlarged the safe area -- I was pushing the limit, and you can see how close the needle came to the bar, and it was the same on the other side! But once I expanded that area by a half inch (if that!), I was good to go and had zero issues for the remainder of the quilt. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Yep -- it's a big one!! And I hope to trim it tonight and get the next one loaded. I'm so close to being caught up, but I won't have much time this week as I need to prepare for the Facebook live. Not that it's a big deal, but I'm using some new equipment and need to test it out. If it works the first time, I'm good. If it doesn't, I'll have to play. 

So here's a mystery solved. Well, two mysteries actually, and both of them involve King Charles III! When I was a kid, and I mean, I would have been in Grade Two or Three (who didn't dream of marrying a prince then!) Anyway, I was dead certain that the royal family's surname was REX. I've no idea where that thought came from. I think we were studying the royal family in school, and for years, I thought that was their surname. 

However, I realized many years later that their surname is NOT REX, but for the most part, is Windsor - as in The House of Windsor, which came into being in 1917. 

So, where did Rex come from? It turns out that Rex means KING or Ruler (Monarch) in Latin. AHA -- I did not know that, but it came up in a recent conversation/Google search or somewhere. So, MANY years later, a mystery is solved! What did I say yesterday? NEVER GIVE UP!!!

The second mystery was a much more recent one -- what was in the package at the post office. I could think of two possibilities, but imagine my surprise when it was a registered envelope. It was a beautifully handwritten thank you note for something I forwarded to a cousin of mine on behalf of my Mom! There was a set of coins commemorating King Charles III. It was very sweet of them to send that! And another mystery is solved! 

It kills me when I look at handwritten cards and see the beautiful script or printing. It would take me hours to do the same, or it would go out illegible!!

Well, there's much to get done this morning before the Zoom and then to finish packing and off to class. And then home to finish my UFO homework for tomorrow! Yikes -- that crept up awfully fast! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!