The signs of autumn

OK -- someone turned off the heat! It's cold. I wore shorts yesterday, but I think I'll find some pants this morning. 

So far, so good on the jet lag. With the full day of travel and the ability to sleep like a baby on the plane, I didn't need a nap yesterday and went to bed at my usual time. I did wake up in the night, but was able to get back to sleep, and so the day is now just like any other day! Let's hope I don't get hit with a whammy later on! 

Another reason to fly business class if you can, but it also depends on the timing and which direction you are flying - east or west. It all worked in our favor, so that's a bonus. 

Miss Lexi seems to be fine, and she also slept through the night, so it must just have been excitement from knowing that she hadn't been abandoned! Poor girl! Both of them were ecstatic to go for their long walk. They had been walked daily while we were away, but not the typical long walk. Murphy will never get it through her head that we walk a specific route, not the amount of time it takes. So if you walk really, really fast, the walk is shorter! 

But both of them stopped to sniff lots!!! There was a lot of pee-mail to catch up on!!!

Me? I got right into my day and didn't stop! I have a lot to prepare for the September events, and there's no time to waste. 

I've unpacked my stuff, and it's in the wash; I'll deal with it later today. It's all my travel clothes, nothing I wear around here, so there's no rush to get them done. Remember, travel clothes are typically thin and lightweight. Yet, they can be durable and warm. Just for fun, I weighed the backpack before I emptied it. OK -- so I'm obsessed with traveling light. My "big" backpack was 13.7 pounds, which included the weight of the backpack itself at 1.5 pounds. 

All of this fit into it — a pair of ski gloves, my winter jacket, my storm pants (OK, there were a few things I wore here), pants, shirts, long underwear, my sarong, and so on. 

All this was in the backpack

Believe it or not, there were a few things that I did NOT use. I forgot to pack my towel when I went on the hike. An extra pair of socks, the belt to my new pants, and a few odds and ends. But overall, I did pretty well on the packing. 

Extra stuff I did not use

My small backpack weighed 7.9 pounds, and it contained a lot of unnecessary items. Mostly electronic stuff, so I need to be more diligent next time. I took way too many charging cords, and the power bank did NOT work as I would have liked. And a bathing suit that I always pack, but never use. That's the last time -- it does not come with me again!!!! And I took way too many protein bars - I ate half of them, so next time, I'll reduce the number I take. I greatly appreciated having them with me, so I don't regret that, but I don't need quite so many. I didn't use everything in my medical kit, but it's better to be safe than sorry on that front. It's tiny, but a mighty kit. I also had way more drugs than I usually carry, and I was lucky on that front and only used what I needed. 

Unnecessary stuff I packed

In total, I carried 3 pounds of stuff that I never used. What a waste of energy!!! OK -- I'm kidding, but next time, I'll pack a wee bit smarter. I love the minimalist approach, and if I hadn't had those bulky cold-weather items in my bag, packing and unpacking would have been a breeze. As it was, the backpack was full and things were crammed in. However, proper travel clothes do not wrinkle. 

When buying travel items, weight is my first consideration. DH did pretty well, with his small backpack and a canvas tote. It was more effort for him to carry that in his hand rather than on his back, but we didn't have a second backpack, and he did just fine. And while it may look geeky to have one backpack on the back and one on the front, it works well for travel. 

I noticed whenever we had a driver, they always took his bag, but they never took my backpacks!!! Which is fine, as I was comfortable wearing them to the car and had no issues. 

I even bought a couple of things that added to the weight. Here's a picture of one of the items. Technically, it's a pair of pants - something I've wanted for a long time. I actually had a pair of these pants years ago and loved them, but they went out of favor. Now, they are back in style. They are wraparound pants. I might wear them this coming weekend in Buckhorn! 

My wraparound pants

I have more stuff to show, but that's all I got around to at the moment. 

So then it was back to work as usual. I had to find some batting to piece together for a quilt that I loaded on the long arm before I left. I'll be quilting it later today, as it needs to accompany me to the show next weekend. I have another quilt to bind that will also go to the show with me. So, yes — there will be brand-new quilts that no one has seen before, and some of these are UFOs, so it's a double whammy! Well, some people have seen some of these quilts, but not many. 

Piecing batting

The batting is loaded, and the threads are chosen. I just need to press START. As if!!!!!

Then I decided to try to clear the cutting table, which, despite my rush to leave on vacation, didn't look too bad. I have two quilt tops that I completed before I left, and they needed backing and binding. I have this wide back that is perfect. So I will need to quilt the first quilt and then use the leftovers to piece the backing for the second one. All of this is now in the "to be quilted" pile. 

For the "to be quilted" pile

I decided to make the binding for both and found a striped fabric in the black/white basket. Since it was striped, I decided to make bias binding. I think I goofed on the size of the fabric squares, which was wasteful on my part from a work perspective. I  made two squares of bias binding, but it's not enough, and so I will have to make two more squares. I'll leave that for when I work on the second quilt. When calculating the amount of binding needed, I forgot to take into account not only the length but also the area of the necessary binding. DUH!!!!! Oh well—it's not the end of the world. 

Cutting bias binding

The binding is ready to go - I joined the two strips together to make one. Once I see how much more I need, then I'll cut more fabric. 

The binding is done

I had a virtual meeting first thing in the morning, which led me down a rabbit hole this morning. And I managed to complete one more embroidery project, so that was good!

The following slate of items is pulled and on the cutting table for today. It's great to just putter around on my own time! I love it!!!! And I might say that the cutting table is looking pretty good, and I hope to keep it that way. Just pull out what needs to be worked on that day. Nothing more!!!! Some of this stuff just needs to be put away, which I should be able to do. Or while the long arm is running, I can create my next embroidery files on the computer. That kind of thing, and that makes me very happy!

The cutting table

As I mentioned, this month is going to be insane. Here's a brief recap so you know where I'll be, in case you'd like to visit.  

September 5 and 6 -- Buckhorn Quilt Show

September 8 - 14 -- a Quilt retreat --- I know --- bad timing!!!! However, there is room, so if anyone wants to attend a quilt retreat at Spring House, there is still space available.

September 18  - Facebook Live using the PFAFF (I need to confirm the topic)

September 19 and 20 - A two-day hands-on embroidery workshop with Thimble Quilts and Sewing in Lasalle (near Windsor). This is a super fun event and a great way to get to know your embroidery machine. Contact the store if you want to come!)

September 23 - Stitch by Stitch (Kingston) ---- What's new with Husqvarna Viking and What's New with PFAFF (YES-- some fantastic new products are being introduced!!!!

September 25 --- an event at another store east of Toronto; details are being worked out, and I'll let you know when they happen. 

And then I'm home and have nothing on the calendar (except my online classes!) for three months. However, I'm sure something will come up! 

I walked to the grocery store yesterday and NO!!!!!!! The signs of autumn have arrived. 

Fall plants for sale!!!!!

I can deal with the flowers, but this? It's way too early!

Not pumpkin spice already!

And there's that Murphy! Curiosity killed the cat, well, it's going to kill the dog! We happened to have these two wrought iron tables, which fit perfectly in front of the front windows, because she is a nosey dog and would be jumping at the windows if they were not there. So it's not enough to look through the table, but being right underneath works just fine! The height is perfect for her! She can see the traffic coming and going. Silly Murphy!!!

Mom -- I fit perfectly under the table! 

And that wraps up another crazy day!!!!

Remember -- it's Virtual Retreat this weekend. Stop by to say hello, and I'm sure there will be loads of catching up to do! I already know we're going to have a discussion on metal hoops!!! And there will be numerous other topics as well --- it's amazing what our brains have to share with each other, and you never know what you can learn by asking questions. That is a fine art, and well, asking questions is a fabulous way to learn! 

Saturday, August 30, 2024 --- starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, August 31, 2025 - starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Have a super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!