The art of learning and staying connected in the quilt world

It's time for a reality check! I did say that there was NOTHING in July; however, that is false. I have a LOT of writing to do in July. I love writing, and I can do it on my time—even in the middle of the night if I want. So yes, I will be busy in July; there just won't be classes. That's why we have editors—they remind us of our commitments and keep us on track! 

Today is going to be a traumatic day for our house. Miss Lexi has to get some dental work done. In preparation for her surgery today, I had to administer a mild sedative last night - well, two meds and then she gets two more this morning before they call for her. She gets so freaked out that they are calling us 20 minutes before they need her, so she can go directly into surgery upon arrival. Now - I didn't think she was that hyper - it's only when they try to stick needles into her. 

I had to walk down to the pet store last night to get pill pockets for her to make it easier for her to take her meds. She loved the pill pockets and gobbled the pills down. One fell out as she ate, and because it now tasted like peanut butter, she grabbed the pill and ate it! Oh, Lexi! The poor thing. She just got up and is wobbly! She's confused, so she needs some extra love before she goes! 

All should be OK, but it's still a worry. Miss Murphy will be beyond herself as she will be home alone—well, not alone, as DH and I are here, but without Lexi. 

As Murphy and I passed the roadkill, I spotted the turkey vulture on a nearby roof. It's big and ugly! But it sure wants the rest of that rabbit. By the end of the day, there wasn't much left. 

The turkey vulture is still there! 

On a prettier side, Miss Lexi and I spotted an iris! It was so pretty, and this one was HUGE!!! 

A giant iris

We had Monday sewing, which is always fun and a way to celebrate our successes and support each other with our problems. Yesterday, I wondered why some people sign up for classes or clubs and never participate. Attending the Monday sewing is better than a class or club because it's a wide-open forum. People just chat or listen, and there is NO GUILT attached. You can let Zoom be on in the background, or you can participate in all the conversations. We also have a show and tell of our work, or stuff I find online. 

It's a super forum for people who want to connect with others. Let's face it - many people are alone, and being at home alone can be lonely. I am often alone at home, which I used to find boring, but with the girls and so much to do, that's not an issue. Still, I look forward to the Monday sewing group, as it's the ONLY time I connect with my friends. Many members of the group do not live close to me! 

There is also the Virtual Retreat once a month. That happens on a Saturday and a Sunday, and again -- it's open. There is no cost; you only have to grab the link from my blog. I try to keep the conversation going so there's constant chatter. People can come and go as they wish, you can stay in the background, or you can participate. But the best part? There is NO HOMEWORK, no purchases necessary (fabric or pattern), no commitment, you can ask questions and ALWAYS get an answer, and there is zero guilt. 

If anyone is looking for a social outlet via Zoom, both options are much better than signing up for a class and not participating. That's my personal thought. However, if you sign up because you think you'll do something, that's OK. There is so much FOMO (fear of missing out); seriously, FOMO leads to guilt, and you remember what I said about the bad side of quilting for our mental health. 

If you want to see what it's all about, come to the Virtual Retreat (June 28 and 29). We don't bite, we are friendly, and if you have a quilting question or issue, we can help! Then, if you think you like the concept, let me know, and I can send you an invite to the Monday Sewing, which happens once a week. 

You do not have to be part of everything. Life is too short to fill your calendar and claim you are busy. I'd rather have a long, lazy day ahead of me. Having zero time restrictions is the best day ever!!! That is a prize-winning day for me. I still want things to do, but on my time! 

I've been binge-listening and watching a YouTube/Patreon/IG/TikTok content creator. I'm almost caught up, and as I listen to her and her partner, I've come to a realization. First, you can make a ton of money if you are good. I don't want to monetize anything I do, which is why I keep my blog ad-free. 

Anyway, I realize I wear many hats, but if I had to choose a title for what I do, I would call myself a content creator! I should improve at creating a site that links to everything I've done because some content may be hard to find. Maybe I can work on that in July as I continue to create new content for various sources!!! 

Here's a mystery that, if anyone can solve, I'd pay money to learn. Why does everything seem to take forever to do? I have several projects on the go, and I'm sewing, which is a treat! But at the end of the day, I only see this when I look at what I did. 

My sewing for the day

There are four blocks in each grouping, and I made a few flying geese, but that was the extent of my sewing. Seriously? That doesn't seem like a lot! But then I forgot I had to cut everything before I could sew it. I trimmed two quilts. And I went for a walk, and it all takes time! 

I'm not upset about it—all I can say is that I made progress on my project, which makes me happy. This should be a wake-up call to remind me that with all the UFOs I have, it will take years to complete them or get them to the "to be quilted" stage. That is why I am significantly reducing the number of projects I start or teach. There's just too much to be done. 

I know people who cull their UFOs because they don't like the fabric or the project. That is NOT the case with me. I picked good fabric, and I want to finish these things. I'm working on it, and that's progress in a positive way. I'm happy! 

I also got another customer quilt quilted, and the next one is loaded to work on later today. 

Customer quilt - DONE

It was a good day, but you think you are going to have loads to show, and it's often not much. The long arm takes more time than I think. But all is good! 

I spotted this quote the other day, and I think it sums up what I'm trying to say about my technique clubs. I want everyone to think about this as they evaluate their work daily.

Reading the manual to learn a new sewing/embroidery machine is not enough. It's about sitting in front of it and pushing all the buttons. What does this do? How does this work? Oops—I made a mistake. YIPPPEEEEEE!!! I know never to do that again, or guess what? Now I can write that down and ask when I attend a class or see someone I know who can help me! There is a delete button on most things. 

And here's the other thing I hear from people: I don't want to make samples because it's wasteful. ACK!!!!!! I just cringe when I hear that. Let me ask you a question. Did you send your children to university or college? How much did that tuition cost? How much did the materials or textbooks cost? When you make samples, you are LEARNING—that is your education. 

Remember this about your quilting. While you may pay a class fee, you are not paying anywhere near what a university/college tuition is. And the textbooks or lab fees? That is your material, stabilizer, etc. And I will bet that each of you has some excess fabric in your stash, or cardstock for a digital cutter, etc. You can't take it with you --- did you hear me? YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS STUFF WITH YOU!!!! Pretend you are returning to school, because that is what you do every time you take a class. 

• Do not be afraid!!! Make mistakes - that is the ONLY way we learn! 
• Get hands-on!! While you may retain about 10% (if you are lucky) when you listen, did you know that you retain about 75 - 90% when you do? That's an incredible difference in learning and retention! 
• Realize that everything you attempt may not be to your liking. If so, don't be afraid to give it away, throw it away, or find a home for it outside your house. Do NOT keep it because you are weighing yourself down with guilt. Yes, you spent a lot of money on it—get over that and move on! 

I'm unsure where that came from, but it's important to get a grip on it. This is YOUR life we are talking about. Take charge of it—only you can do that and make changes so you enjoy each and every day that we have. It's amazing how fast time flies, and then we are too ill or physically or mentally incapacitated to enjoy it. USE THE GOOD DISHES TODAY!!!! 

I now have a list of things I'm searching for in Studio B. And it involves these pattern boxes. Oh boy --- I need to cull as I sift through those patterns. Why did I buy so many? I felt I needed to rescue them if I saw them on sale. What the heck was I thinking? There are hundreds of patterns, and while I've made a lot, I've probably touched less than 10%. The big question now is what to do with them? YES -- I am getting ready to purge books and patterns. Well, maybe not 100% ready, but mentally, I'm purging. It's now a question of how to go about making it happen. 

Sorting through the pattern boxes

Speaking of successes, I thought I'd share my walking journey so far this year. Here's my map of my virtual walk through the US. The plan is to finish this in 3 years. If I planned everything correctly, I'll be walking through every one of the contiguous states. 

My virtual walk

In addition to my daily walking, I'm adding my spin class distances, as the total distance of 15,432 KM is too much for me to walk in three years. I'm a little ahead, as you can see, but I won't be doing many spin classes this summer, so that'll likely put me on par. 

It's fun to track my steps, and seeing the distance I've walked so far this year makes me smile. I mean walking, and spin class distances - from Detroit to somewhere in Montana! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. This morning, I must address a few "urgent" emails, drive Miss Lexi to the vet, have a follow-up doctor's appointment, make phone calls, and finish a quilt. I doubt I'll get any sewing done. 

Have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!!