The "to be quilted" pile

Yesterday was the complete opposite of the previous day. I accomplished lots, and I went to bed, exhausted but happy, after walking over 20,000 steps.

Quite a bit still needed to be put away, so I got out my audiobook and got to work. I also had to start packing for Quilt Canada in one week, so as I was sorting and putting away, I pulled out the samples I needed for that show. 

Stuff to put away

Of course, my faithful companion was right there with me, lying in the middle of the floor space. It doesn't matter how wide the opening is; she knows to plunk herself right in the middle, so I can't miss her! That table on the left needs to go once I get it and the cutting table clear, so we won't have this issue going forward!

MOM -- can you see me? 

Although this was NOT on my priority list, I tackled the "to be quilted" tubs. Some quilts needed to be put away in the correct tub, others were not necessarily in the correct tub, and a couple of tubs needed to be inventoried. 

A mess in the "to be quilted" area

So, with the help of my inventory list, I tackled the tubs. I went through every tub (21) and checked off the quilts. Almost everything was in the correct spot, so that was good. The ones I removed for the last filming were returned to the proper place. The final two tubs were inventoried. I'm happy to note that at least five quilts were removed from the list because they were quilted, given away, or sold. 

I have removed SIX quilts from the tubs I want to quilt in the next few weeks. I must also type up the new inventory lists and update several other pages so my book is up-to-date. Making that inventory list was one of the best time-savers I've done in Studio B. 

The "to be quilted" area finished

I seem to be very good at producing quilts but not so good at quilting them. My purpose is to make the top, as I don't really need another quilt. I already have a huge inventory of finished quilts. However, I did a quick tally. OH! Should I even tell you how many quilt tops there are? Let's just say that if, on average, it costs $100 per quilt, it would cost over $30,000 to have them all quilted! 

I know -- that number sounds totally incomprehensible, but it's right! I need to get myself together and try to get them quilted. That will be a slow process, but it can happen if I can focus. Let's not forget the 300 (totally random guess) that Diane made for community projects. It would take almost two years to clear the backlog if I did one a day! I need to take advantage of the long arm NOW, as I may not have one when I need to downsize! And then what will I do with them all? There are quite a few in my pile that I could donate, so I may focus on those. I'm not sure how I'll tackle the piles. 

Wait—what about those underneath the customer quilts? That's probably another 40, at least. Sigh.  However, the backing and binding are made for all of mine, so worst case, someone could just pay to have them quilted. 

Speaking of quilting, here is the latest customer quilt. I was working on the inventory while working on this quilt, and it's done!

Customer quilt - DONE

So today, I'll be quilting a community project quilt and I needed to make the backing. Hmm -- this backing took almost as long to make as the quilt top! 

The backing

But the back is loaded, and I'll load the top later today. It's tricky because the backing is not much wider than the top, and I suspect the batting will be the same. So, I'll be watching that one like a hawk. 

My list of quilts to quilt is set up, and I've got a plan! It includes customer quilts, community projects, and some of my own. Slow and steady, although the days when I quilt mean there isn't much time to do anything but putter. Thankfully, I have a lot of puttering to do, so I'll keep at that. That cutting table needs to be cleared!

While searching for some samples to pack, I came across a Trend Tex challenge piece from several years ago. This was when Quilt Canada was in Newfoundland, so that's about 10 years ago. The date on the back of the piece is 2008.

Quilting on the Edge!

It's adorable and called Quilting on the Edge! by Judy Morningstar. I had someone bid by proxy for me, and I had to pay a lot to get that one. So I should be enjoying it!!

I walked to the mall in the afternoon as I had some things to look for. I found part of what I needed but I will have to drive to Staples later today or tomorrow. 

There was a really nice view of the center of Mississauga, but part of that is gone now, as new buildings take over. 

The view from the mall

That's progress, I suppose! Housing for more people. The biggest problem with housing is the distribution of the rooms. If we were to count the number of bedrooms in this city, I bet it outstrips the number of people. The problem is that many people, such as myself, live in a four-bedroom house, and we use only some of those bedrooms. Or we use them for other things. So the rooms are there, although they are not available for those in need. 

The weather is pretty sketchy these days—will it rain or not? I took an umbrella with me, but I didn't need it, and the sky looked ominous—although there seems to be a more blue sky than I remember! 

Storm clouds

I see that Murphy has murdered another animal in the backyard. She has two bears out there, and one of them is probably a lot skinnier than he used to be! I wonder why she does that. Well, it's common for dogs to rip out the stuffing, but Lexi couldn't care less. She won't even touch a toy. That's beneath her! 

Murder by unstuffing

I have one software presentation this morning, so there's not too much to prepare. Then, the rest of the day is mine! But I have that quilt to quilt, bindings to put on, quilts to trim, some applique, and more puttering to clean up. It's a never-ending circle, and that's not even piecing anything. Yep—it's all this before-and-after prep work that takes so much time. 

And if I didn't have to manage my crap, I'd have a lot more time. So it's important that everything is dealt with, and once that's done, I suspect I'll have more time. But I also suspect that I'm my own worst enemy. I think as I see an empty space, I anticipate the next project so that it gets put out on display! 

I haven't really done that, but one or two pieces may have slipped through the cracks! Then, if I don't deal with it, it becomes clutter! So I must put a stop to that. I should only bring out something when I actually have the time to work on it. 

I must also finish off the spice drawer, and I brought out the label maker, so that can happen today as well. How many hours are there in the day? Not enough!!!

I marvel at people who can watch TV or video stream when they sew. I am never in the same place long enough to make that happen. I couldn't even listen to a radio or audiobook if it wasn't through headphones because I'm here and there all day. As a result, I can walk up to 5,000 steps a day or more in the studio alone.  

I have some drawers in Studio B that I could tackle, but before that happens, I have another area I should deal with. I won't go there yet, as it's going to make a big mess, and I can wait until I have a bit more time. 

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!