Gazebo time!

Despite this newfound focus, it seems challenging to move ahead. WAIT --- I know that I'm getting things done, but the progress seems slow. I know it's not, when you consider how many hours I actually sew each day. I make the most of the time I spend in Studio B and call it a day. There is NO RUSH to get these things done!

Oh my gosh --- what am I complaining about - I still accomplished a LOT. The abbreviated "Dear Jen" is now quilted. I was hoping to get it trimmed, but that didn't happen. A job for today. 

The Dear Jen quilt is quilted.

I actually like this quilt (love that setting), and I think if I had continued, I would have loved the larger size as well. But it just wasn't speaking to me, and instead of making a lap quilt or a larger one, I ended up making a cover for my embroidery machine. So I'm learning that if I don't like a project, it's OK to stop, make it smaller, but get it done! That is HUGE for me! This self-awareness journey of the last ten years has taught me so much about myself, and I'm still learning. 

The placemat is trimmed and bound. 

The placemat is done!

The soccer quiltlet is also bound. 

The mini-soccer quilt is done!

I love that both of these items were created from scraps that would otherwise have languished in my stash. DONE!!!! 

The placemat is in my pile of other placemats that will be donated later this year. I have an outlet for them. I've decided to donate the soccer quilt to a NICU, but I need to reach out to see if anyone has a connection, rather than taking it myself. Does anyone in my area donate to the hospital? 

This machine embroidery postcard was on my Visual To-Do list. I had a small category of NEW things to do. They were small things that I had left on the cutting table at the end of the year. It's nice to do something new every once in a while. I decided that yesterday was the day, and I was also experimenting with this project, so I could use it in my machine embroidery class this coming weekend. It's not quite finished, so that's on the agenda for today. 

Machine embroidered postcard or rug mug!

Let's say that this small project is not without its challenges!!!! 

Then I made the binding for my denim quilt, but it's waiting for those labels. I see someone left an email address in the comments. I'm assuming it's for the label company. I also sent them a message from their Etsy account, which I need to check. 

I made the binding for the denim quilt, and it's waiting for the labels to arrive before I put it on. 

The binding for the denim quilt

Now I've have a stack of quilts - well, one quilt and the rest are small projects that are waiting for the labels. And when I trim Dear Jen, it's going in the same pile. I want these done!!!! 

The pile of projects that need the binding attached

I've sent them another message this morning, and will use the email that someone posted. I had received confirmation of my order and a tracking number when the order was initially placed. However, the email is a NON-reply email, and the tracking number is for packages traveling from Europe. Which mail/courier service? 

I had an optometrist appointment at 10:20. OK -- at this office (inside a LensCrafters), the three women (I've met two) are kids! Are they even old enough to be an optimist? But I'm OK with that. It's within walking distance of the house, and I'm not getting in my car for an appointment if I don't have to.  

I had time to stop at the thrift store before the appointment. HEY -- I wasn't going to let someone scoop my jigaw puzzles. Have you noticed the new obsessive behavior? 

The two I wanted were still there, and I threw in the colorful one at the bottom because it's so colorful. It just caught my eye. Three puzzles for $18, including tax. The one in the top left is brand new, still in the cellophane! 

Three new puzzles

And yes - I completed the fifth and final one of the DowdleFolkArt puzzles that I purchased last week. Imagine that - I purchased them last Friday, and all five are now done. I've given them to KU to do, and then they will be going back to the thrift store unless someone near me wants them. There are 300 pieces in each, and they are easy enough to do in an evening. 

The last of the Dowdle FolkArt puzzles

It amazes me how quickly one can turn over 300 pieces, but 500 pieces take forever. OK - it seems to take forever! This one was a bit trickier, and I suspect the pieces are identically cut. OK -- I don't suspect, I recognized the pattern, but that didn't help me assemble the pieces. I started with the sky and then the house, and then built out from there. Interesting how different they all went together based on the picture. 

I have to clear off a table in Studio B to work on the next one, which is 1000 pieces, and I can't leave that on the kitchen table. UNLESS -- I clear off either the desk or the table in the office and work there. Hmmm --- but the light is much better at night downstairs. 

When I came downstairs, Miss Murphy was surveying the puzzles I had laid out so I could take a picture. 

MOM - I'm guarding the puzzles for you!

I didn't go for a walk in the afternoon since I had walked a lot in the morning. But I still needed to be outside, and oh my—how could you not want to be outside? The weather is stunning. Since there was no snow left in the gazebo, I got my lawn chair out and slipped my orange jacket on, and I sat out there and listened to my audiobook for a bit. 

It's gazebo time!!!

Murphy was beyond herself with joy, and Lexi, the cuddler, was right in there for some close encounters. 

MOM - I need some attention

But seriously? I always wonder if Murphy understands boundaries, and yes, she does, but only on her terms. She was standing on the edge of the pond and tossed the ball on the ice multiple times. Each time, she looked tentatively at the ice surface, deemed it solid enough for her, and went on. 

MOM - the ice is thick enough to hold me!

She is careful not go to the other end, as that is where the heater is, and the ice is open there. It's too bad she doesn't identify with the length of her leash!!!!

As the weather warms up this week, I suspect I'll be out there a lot! It's beautiful and close enough to the forest that I call it forest bathing. You really do NOT understand how amazing that is for mental health. I have no issues these days, but just taking a few minutes each day to relax in the peace and quiet—priceless. 

Oh my -- I love the quote of the day from my Yogi tea. I have to laugh at this, though—if you enter it with grace, is it OK if you fall out of it in a mess? 

Quote of the day

I'm not good with change, but I'm also not going to be left in the dust because I'm afraid of the unknown. That's where the adventures begin, and I'm still way too young to enjoy adventures from my armchair!

I also finished an audiobook yesterday, which is good because another one came in. I have quite a few on hold, but many of the books are weeks away from coming in. I really must get my new headphones up and running and throw the old ones away. HEY -- they are on that table I need to clear up, so that will be something to accomplish today. 

I'm off to spin class. My knee is feeling pretty good these days, but it doesn't like the prone position. Even though I have my knee elevated at night (a flat knee is bad), it has its good and bad moments. But for walking? Oh my—it's doing pretty well. I'm still careful, as if I twist it, it's not happy. Even the pulling I get when walking Murphy isn't good for it, so I try to keep her under control, which is no small feat. But it's coming along. I might try a bit more pressure in spin class today. Trust me -- I'm not going to go too far to mess it up. I do NOT need to be a hero. But I need to keep my body moving!

And on that happy note, I'm out of here. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

Good old-fashioned progress

It's DONE, and I had a small ceremony as I removed this project from the Visual To-Do List. I LOVE that list, and it's so motivating to me!!! 

One project is removed from the Visual To-Do list.

YES -- this is the quilt that I was going to make for someone, and we decided to abandon the project for several reasons. Making quilts for others is the largest category on that list with NINE quilts. One down, and eight to go! 

But getting to the point of removing the project from the list involved dealing with everything in the box. I'm happy to say that I've removed all the fused letters from the two borders. For the most part, all of the letters came off pretty clean. I think six letters in total were destroyed, but lots were still intact, which I've saved (do not yell at me) and put in my fusible box. They can be used as samples when someone wants to practice their applique stitches, or I'll make some words from the letters. 

The second border is clean of letters.

And YES -- I cut up the photos, and they are in the scrap box. 

The photos are cut and in the scrap box.

I have a couple more projects on that Visual To-Do List that are almost ready to be removed, so I need to take a day and focus on completing those. I have many small things almost completed, and hopefully, I can get a lot of them done in one day. 

I am accumulating a lot of stuff that needs to be bound as I'm waiting on those labels. I sent a note via Facebook to them, but I see they don't update their page often, so I don't think it is going anywhere. They do NOT have an email that I can find - only a phone number. I'll try searching again. I thought I saw a contact on Etsy, so I will try there today. 

I managed to trim all the stitched half-square triangles. Oh my -- I'm actually keeping on top of things. I feel a bit discombobulated with all the togetherness, but I'm sure I'll get used to it pretty quickly. And then I'll wonder how I managed to survive in a total mess. 

More half-square triangles trimmed.

Then it was on to finishing the backing for the Dear Jen quilt, and that is now done. It doesn't look that bad with all those different colors of black, and it could actually be a great example of a scrappy backing with multiple colors of black. While it is scrappy, it certainly still looks very cohesive. 

The scrappy backing for Dear Jen

I also made the binding, and it's ready to be quilted. 

The Dear Jen quilt is ready to be quilted.

Now it's loaded on the long arm, minus the batting. I pulled out some scraps of black batting this morning and just need to fuse the pieces together to make one large enough. 

Dear Jen, loaded on the long arm.

There is no stopping me!!! I love working on these small projects. And also those that are almost finished, rather than working on a very large one that I just couldn't wrap my head around. I'm doing an amazing job, and I LOVE doing what I'm doing! The time will come to work on larger projects, but it's not yet. 

This is the small bundle of black scraps I had leftover. I'm thrilled to reduce that random pile of black, and going forward, I will try to buy only one brand, although I know that different dyelots can still result in different shades of black. But they will be more similar. 

The leftovers from the Dear Jen backing

As if that weren't enough excitement for one day, I also quilted the placemat using a walking foot and free-motion techniques.

The placemat is quilted.

I think I'll be focusing on quilting and binding projects today - at least those I won't put a personal tag on. As for free-motion, I don't do much of it on my domestic machine these days, but it's like riding a bike. You sit down, get the machine ready, and just go! I know people are afraid, and they want stitch regulators. You don't need a stitch regulator—it's just that you haven't been taught how to get that consistent stitch!! 

Here's a hint to learning that trick -- in FREE MOTION mode, stitch STRAIGHT lines, over and over and over and over, until you feel the speed of your machine, which should be set at medium, and keep it constant, and the only thing you now have to learn is how fast to move your hands. It's so simple, it's ridiculous! And practice on small things like a placemat, a table runner, or pet mats. But NOT your king-sized quilt. 

That was some productive day!! But I didn't work all day, and while I know some of you would call me a workaholic, I am NOT. On days (three times a week) when I go to the gym, I don't get to my computer desk to work until almost 10 AM because I have to walk the dogs, have breakfast, write the blog, etc. Those are NOT work things; they are all personal. And it's usually at that time I check my phone for messages. My phone is on SILENT all the time. 

Then I try to do computer work until lunch (11:30), and then I have the afternoon to sew. However, I also take an hour-long walk in the afternoon, and then stop sewing around 5 when I feed the girls. Sewing for four hours a day is NOT a workaholic. I typically spend the evening reading or doing a jigsaw - at least these days. 

Yes—I'm busy, but far from a workaholic. Some people struggle to distinguish between a workaholic and a busy (but happy) person. And not just idle busyness, nope -- this is busyness with all things I love. 

I've been chatting to my aunt, and she reminded me that I started knitting a cowl when I was visiting her. Oops -- I forgot about that, so I pulled it out, and perhaps I can finish the neck! 

I must finish knitting my cowl.

And here is the daily jigsaw puzzle. While it's the same style as the last three I did, I worked this one differently. I did the sky on the others and then the building; this one I worked from top to bottom as best I could. It just worked out better that way. 

One more jigsaw puzzle

That leaves ONE more of the 300-piece ones I purchased the other day. In less than one week, all five will be done, as I plan to do the last one tonight. Then I've pulled out a 1000-piece puzzle that I want to finish before I see my parents at the end of this month. There is always a puzzle set up in the common room of their building, and I stop and chat with the fellow who does them. I want to bring him a puzzle this time. It's a good excuse to get one more done. And I have to say I love doing them; it's a refreshing break from reading, and I can listen to a book while doing the puzzle. 

However, I have learned one thing: sitting at the kitchen table, doing a puzzle, and listening to an audiobook is challenging because people want to talk to me! Thankfully, DH is working outside the house this week. 

Speaking of puzzles, today is seniors' day at the thrift store, and for something to do on my walk yesterday, I scouted out the puzzles. There are TWO I want. So I'm going shortly after they open this morning. HEY -- I am doing the puzzles, I'm allowed to buy more, and I don't keep them. I do them and pass them along or redonate them. 

I spotted this book on the shelf at the thrift store. These are NOT the typical souvenir spoons that we bought at every tourist trap - these are serious collectible spoons, mostly to do with events and such in the US. I did not buy it. I just like to open my mind to new experiences!!!

A book on collectible spoons

Oh, wait—I also had my call with the Microsoft support team. It's the same person who calls me during this escalation process, so that's good. I think we have now discovered the WHY my Outlook isn't syncing, and now she is taking that information back to the team, so they can work on an answer. These calls don't take that long—perhaps ten minutes each time? I'm good with that, and if I can help them, while they help me? I'm good with that. 

There is no rush any longer (OK -- at least for the moment), and a slow pace works for me. I don't need to get everything done today or use up my fabric, but I'm making good progress, and that's all that counts. I want to enjoy the process and have fun, way more than I want to get these things done. 

I don't mind giving fabric away when I downsize, but I'd really like to NOT give away half-finished projects. That just doesn't make sense to me, so they are my focus. 

Even though it was a glorious day yesterday, I contemplated not going for a walk because I was in a groove. However, I told myself that I needed to get outside to clear my head. I was going to take a short walk, but then ended up having a good walk. Why? Because once I got out there, I felt amazing - the sun was out, I didn't need a hat (no wind), and well, I just kept walking. When I got back, I had energy galore and got so much accomplished!!!!

And on that happy note, I'm out of here!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!!

Celebrate the small successes!!!!

THANK YOU -- I didn't get a chance to cut up those photos, but I will today! I needed that wee push — I shouldn't even have needed that, with all my newfound philosophy on decluttering and getting rid of things, but sometimes — you just need a push. 

It's Monday Sewing today, and I have a LOT of tidy-up jobs to do, which is perfect to do while chatting. I have quilts to trim and bind, photos to cut up, and I might even be able to remove several items from the Visual To Do list. 

BUT let's talk about celebrations! For those of you who are organized, this is going to seem absolutely ridiculous. Still, for me, who typically has papers scattered all over the office and nothing is filed, it was like winning an Olympic Gold yesterday. DH asked for my paperwork so he could do a preliminary on the income taxes. WAIT — they are not due until April 30, but why not get them done now? I had given him all my invoices the other day, and yes --- they were all in one spot and even totaled. Celebration number one! Or should I say Gold medal Number One!

Then yesterday, he asked for not one, but two utility bills. I would typically say, " Let me find those - it might take some time." Instead, I dropped everything and said, " Give me thirty seconds." I went to the filing cabinet and produced both documents in less than 30 seconds. OK -- that was more than a gold medal win! That was huge, and it felt so good not to put a task on the to-do list. Yeah!!!!  

I noticed all the paperwork back on my desk this morning, and it'll take just a few seconds to file it back, and trust me -- I will do that!

Slowly and surely, I'm working through the paperwork, and each day I pick something. With fewer classes, there is less paperwork, and so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. All in due time!

It was another busy day, and I started by working on the small soccer quilt. It barely took any time compared to that giant quilt I did the other day. By "busy," I don't mean the crazy busy "this has to be done" kind — I mean I just did stuff instead of eating bonbons! I will always be working - I will always be busy, but there's a difference between doing and doing because you have to. 

The small soccer quilt on the long arm

I even put a more intricate pattern on this one since it was small. It's all about soccer with soccer balls on it. 

The quilting on the soccer quilt

When that came off, I put the table runner on. 

Now it's the table runner's turn to be quilted.

And that one got done as well. I used scraps of batting for both, which helps get rid of those piles. 

The table runner is quilted!

And I almost got the backing completed for the Dear Jen quilt. 

Working on the backing for the Dear Jen quilt

It's going to be very scrappy with many different black fabrics on the back, and I'm OK with that. What else was I going to do with all those small pieces of odd-colored black? This is a perfect use for them, and I have one more row to sew together and put on the bottom. Then it's ready to be quilted. Then I want to get back to the constellation quilt, but hey—I can't do them all in a day!! I'm trying to quilt what I finish, but I'm still waiting on those darn labels. I MUST do some research to see how to contact the company. They must be lost in transit, which is a total pain. WAIT — I just found them on Facebook, so I hope to send them a message today. 

After that one gets quilted, I have to get back to a couple of customer quilts and to some community project quilts I've neglected long enough! I have to get working on those and get them out of the house. All the batting is pulled for ten of them, and it takes up a lot of visual room downstairs. 

This was Murphy and me during our morning cuddle time. She is such a goof, but loves the cuddles, so I try to spend some good quality time with her every day! Just her and me!

Cuddles with Murphy

Later in the morning, she was outside in the sun. We had a wonderfully sunny day, and all the snow from the night before is gone and more. With the forecasted very warm weather this coming week, I doubt we'll have much snow left. And NO — I have not broken down to shovel the remainder of the small path in front that leads to the backyard. I'll let the sun take care of it! 

Sunbathing

But man --- Murphy can be a pest. Last night, wouldn't settle. She wanted in, and then she wanted out. Then she wanted to play ball, and then she wanted a cuddle. And if she doesn't get what she wants, she sits there and makes these small, discrete, yet very audible noises. It's almost like a purring sound. She knows enough not to bark, but boy oh boy!!!! After one more time outside, where she was out for almost 20 minutes, she came in and finally went right to bed. Now what was that all about? 

And one more Dowdle FolkArt jigsaw puzzle bites the dust. All the pieces were there for this one. This set with the houses is part of a series -- spring, summer, winter, and fall. This is summer, and I have two more left - fall and winter. I might as well continue working on them - one a night and get them done. I'm enjoying the process and don't rush it. It takes me about 2½ hours for each one. You would think that, being so small, I could just whip them together, but there are some tricky bits. I should be faster on the next two? 

One more puzzle! 

I laugh when I'm doing those jigsaw puzzles because one of the exercises in The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is to NOT read for one week. GASP!!!! Not read—how would that work? But the premise is that if you are not reading, you are doing something else. OK -- she has a good point there, and for me, that something else is doing a jigsaw puzzle. 

And have you ever noticed how long it takes to read/listen to a nonfiction book rather than a novel? I can listen to or read a novel all day, but I can only read nonfiction in small bits. I have a wee bit of catching up to do, and I almost finished one novel yesterday. That is such a lie -- I listened to 40% of it! I believe it's another Canadian author - Kelley Armstrong. New-to-me author, and one of her books came up on The Globe and Mail list, but I had to go back to the first one. OK -- I have NO idea where this is going because the detectives are also the bad guys? I'm sure there's a reason for this. 

But here's something to contemplate about books, and it shows you where life is headed. There is an audio, nonfiction book on my list. I had to return it many months ago unfinished. I placed a hold on July 30, 2025, to get it back, and I still have over 2 months to wait. When I walked into the library yesterday, there were FIVE physical copies I could have borrowed. I did not because I already have two nonfiction ebooks to read and don't have time for this one. But once I'm done with these two, I will go back and get a copy. 

I'm off to spin class in the cold this morning. Hopefully, this is the last cold morning of this winter! I'm done with the ice and the cold. Fingers crossed --- don't forget that PLUS ONE!!! The forecasters do it so we have hope! 

Have a super day and YES -- I will cut up those photos later today! I can & I will. Watch me!!

Ciao!!!

Be careful what you impulse buy!!!!

I swear this winter is hanging on as long as it possibly can. We had a cool, but sunny day yesterday, and things were melting like mad. There is still some snow on the small pathway that leads to our backyard, and I was so tempted to help it melt by shoveling what's left, but I didn't. What will the neighbors think!!!!

And I spotted a house on the next street over that is the same house as ours, but with a metal roof. It faces the same direction as our house, although perhaps not quite the exact same angle, and guess what? It STILL had snow on the roof in the valleys around that window!! By the way -- before last night, all the snow was gone from our roof. And I need to pursue locating an engineer who can help evaluate the situation. 

The sidewalls were very dangerous in the morning, with a thin layer of ice in lots of places. By the afternoon, everything was dry. And guess what? We had just a skiff of snow last night, so we now have the potential for ice this morning. Sigh...........  

But the days are getting longer, the sun is shining more, and spring is on its way!!!! 

It's March 1, and it's M's 30th birthday. How the heck did that happen? Happy Birthday, M --- love you to the moon and back, even though we don't get to see you that often. Maybe one day, Mom and Dad will pick up roots in a city that really doesn't have roots for us and move. 

Speaking of melting snow, the gazebo is clear of snow. I could get my chair out, sit down, and do some gazebo bathing. Heck - it's close enough to the forest and surrounded by trees, I could call it forest bathing! 

It's almost lounging outdoors time!

We still have lots of snow in the backyard because it doesn't get direct sunlight all day. The girls are having fun romping around, especially if I'm outside! 

Hey Lexi -- you can't catch me!!!!

I have to laugh about this because when we were at the quilt store the other day, I bought an IMPULSE item. I saw this kit to make two bowl cozies, and I have wanted to make one for a long time to use when I heat my bowl of soup in the microwave. For $12.00, you get fabric and the batting to make two of them. 

A kit to make two bowl cozies

So nothing funny about that. Then, when we went to Michael's, we were looking for the fabric aisle, which I hear is at the store in Kitchener. I agree - the fabric is NOT the best quality, and they have a lot of novelty prints, but I did find some funky stuff in North Vancouver. Anyway, while we were there, I spotted an entire bag of the Wrap and Zap batting product for $11.99!!!! With a coupon and my senior discount, I could have practically stolen it, and I have tons of fabric at home. Oh well. 

I don't remember working on this yesterday, but maybe I did. Well, if you've already seen it, here it is again. I now have the blocks in three rows. I've cut some more black and sorted out the other pieces of black to make this big enough to serve as the backing for my abbreviated version of Dear Jen. 

Working on the backing for Dear Jen

I was hoping to get more sewing done yesterday, but the quilt on the long arm required a LOT of babysitting. Constant babysitting, and even then, there are a few spots where the fabric went wonky. Don't worry -- it's my quilt. The denim I bought for the quilt was labelled 100% cotton, and 100% cotton denim has some stretch, but this denim had spandex or lycra in it, and, as it was quilted, the fabric wanted to tuck because of the quilting design. It has small tucks, and no one will notice, but I had to babysit to prevent even more tucks. 

My quilt

It turned out way nicer than I envisioned, and I'm really happy with it. You'll see more of the quilt if you watch my Facebook Live on machine embroidery on March 18. Even if you don't have an embroidery machine, I think it's a good idea to watch. You can learn about the technology in the sewing and embroidery world, and someday you may want to do this. You do NOT need a high-end embroidery machine! 

It seemed it was a day filled with laughter, as I had a few small bits of paper that I had pulled from somewhere, and I needed to deal with them. 

At some point, I had purchased a box of small quotes - they were notes that you could slip into someone's lunch box or briefcase. I only found one of the notes; I have no idea where the others are, and maybe I used them all. 

The little notecard

Inside the notecard

Inside the notecard

Isn't that nice? I'm all about celebrating anything! Just like in The Artist's Way -- you need to celebrate everything, no matter how small. It's important! Very Important!!! 

Nothing funny about that, but I also found this piece of paper, and if you're not familiar with the terms, that file listed is the contacts list in Outlook. That was probably me trying to find the file or move it from another computer, many years ago. That paper is gone, but I kept the card because it can be used in a junk journal, which I will get to at some point because I'm feeling so much freer in my time. 

The elusive contacts file for Outlook

So much so that I sometimes feel lost. Am I really allowed to sew on my projects without an immediate deadline? How is this possible? 

I also got some machine embroidery done. While I was babysitting the long arm, I let the embroidery machine run. At one point, I needed to dig out my metal hoops, which I keep stored in their original boxes. They all contain some very powerful magnets. 

The long arm had finished, and so had the embroidery machine. I left the long arm and went to the embroidery machine. I realized I needed more magnets, which were in another box. When I returned to the shelf, I spotted this. 

My "lost" scissors

Good grief — the scissors I use for long-arming got attracted to the magnets in the box and were stuck there. Good thing I did my tasks in the sequence I did, because I would have needed the scissors for the long arm to cut the thread. I would have seen they were missing, but I would NEVER have thought to check those boxes!!! I might still be looking for them this morning. 

While I was watching a video, I managed to get all the letters off one of the borders. One down and one more border to go. 

Removing the lettering from the border

I've been wracking my brain to see if I could do anything with the photo-transferred pictures. Could I make a sample of them? And if so? What? If I were going to make a sample with photo transfers, it would be nice if the people were ones I knew. I thought of making a picture book and giving it to the family member who asked for the quilt. But I think I just need to bite the bullet, cut the pictures up into scraps, and put them in a pet mat. 

Yes -- I can give myself permission to do that. But I can't just yet. Help me!!!

Both of our girls are exhibiting completely different behaviors. While Murphy is still full of vim and vigor, she has become obsessed with sleeping in Studio B. I think I mentioned that, and yesterday I caught her hesitating much longer than usual at the bottom, gathering the courage to go up! I must put those little carpets on the treads and see if that makes her feel safer. She has learned to slow down before attempting the stairs because she slips. But this hesitation to even start is new. 

She won't come upstairs (2nd level) anymore, and if she does, it's just to see that I'm OK, then she goes back downstairs. I know she is slowing down, but it's almost time for them to go outside, and she is nowhere to be found. 

But give her a ball, and well, she reminds me of Chuck and his ball, Wilson (Castaway). I swear she is trying to talk to it!

Hello Chuck (the balls are called Chuck-it!)

But Murphy was a very good girl yesterday. We met up with Suzie, who was walking Dexter, and she didn't bark. Since we were both going in the same direction, we were able to have a chat. I swear that is the FIRST time that Murphy didn't attempt to bark at another dog, and we could walk together. Way to go, Murphy!!!!

After dinner, I got one more of the Dowdle FolkArt puzzles done! Two pieces were missing from this one. 

Spring Dowdle FolkArt puzzle

There is a girl I follow on IG who is a professional puzzler. Anyway, she does puzzle competitions and stuff like that. I haven't seen a post in weeks, but last night, one came up about how to become a speed puzzler. Good grief -- she had a 500-piece puzzle that she assembled in less than ONE hour! This 300-piece puzzle took two hours or maybe a bit more. HEY --- I'm not doing this to stress myself out - I'm doing it for fun!

So I read The Artist's Way the other day. Actually, I listened to it. I had also downloaded the abridged version, which is 3 hours instead of 12. I listened to that yesterday, and obviously it's much shorter, no quotes, and not as many lists! But if you are looking for a quick read, there's some good stuff in it, and obviously lots of the same stories. 

The book is not just about creativity and art. The book is about changing your life, learning to celebrate each and every little thing. It's about decluttering your house and your mind so that you can live without all that baggage. There are many good lessons in the book. 

I thought I was doing well, but the more I declutter my schedule, the office, my life, the better I feel, and I have so much "free" time. I'm giddy with excitement. I'm now free to do the things that I have wanted to do for a long time. And I can do it guilt-free. And when the day comes for me to move, I won't have much crap to move. 

There is one quote from the book that I love, and it is attributed to Miles Davis: "Do not fear mistakes. There are none!"  That is so true. I can't tell you that often enough, and you'll hear Julia mention it multiple times in The Artist's Way. Those "mistakes" are simply steps along the journey. They are meant to happen -- they are part of your journey to learning and finding new ways. 

On that note, I'm out of here to see how icy those sidewalks are. I see the sidewalk plow passed about 6 AM, so they should be somewhat decent. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

I'm PUZZLED!!!!

Creative block!!! Where do I start this morning? 

Just kidding! All I need to do is write one word, and then the rest just follows. I have more to write about The Artist's Way, but I'm leaving that until tomorrow. 

Lots of things happened yesterday, and they were very exciting. Let's take a look. I recently went through my pending folder, which was exploding, and I did quite a bit of checking things off the list yesterday morning. So that was a positive way to get some paperwork done. There are a few more papers on the floor from that folder that I need to check to make sure things got done, and then I can file/toss the paperwork. It's all good. 

On my Visual To-Do list is a category called "quilts for others," which means that it's a quilt I want to make for others, or someone asked me to make them a quilt. This is the most embarrassing category on the list because I got stuck in a rut. I'll work up my courage and explain them one at a time, preferably with time in between, so I can get over my embarrassment. 

The reason I'm sharing the stories is that you likely have similar projects, and I want to share how I dealt with them. And I might need your advice on some of it, but slow and steady - let's just deal with them one at a time. 

As I mentioned, I ran into a lady in the grocery store the other day, and she was on my list of people to call because there was a box with a partially completed quilt in it for her. 

The UFO quilt I promised to make for someone else

I sent her pictures of what had been completed so far and a diagram of where we were going with it. She had already received a quilt I made for her Mom. I called her yesterday, and we discussed it. I had phototransferred 30 pictures onto fabric and fused some lettering, which was to be the top and bottom borders. Here's what I learned in that conversation. First -- she didn't even remember the project when I sent her the photos. OH!!!! To be clear, this project was started in 2002 or 2003? So it's been many years - I don't blame her for not remembering, but I remembered, and it has been a weight on my back for all those years. 

Secondly, she mentioned numerous times that the pictures were very dated. Yep—some of the people in the photos were probably no longer around, and all the children? Well, some of them have children of their own. She felt bad for all the work I had done, but then didn't want to add to my workload. 

Bottom line? We ditched the project. Guilt gone and the next time I see her around, we can just catch up - I don't need to mention the quilt every again!!!

I'm not taking that project off the list yet. I need to sort through the box first, and when it's completely dealt with, then I can take it off the list. 

There was a stack of paper - that's now in the recycling. There were a couple of patterns, which are also in their appropriate place. I found some fabrics, and those are back on the shelf. 

Sorting through the UFO

Look at this gorgeous maple leaf neutral I found!!!

Look at the gorgeous fabric.

And THREE spools of machine embroidery thread, which is now back with the rest of the orange threads. I swear, if I could find all the threads that are in the project boxes, I'd have to buy many more containers! Don't yell at me --- I'm working on this mess!!! Are you working on yours? 

Three found spools of thread.

I also found two oraganmi boats that I made with fabric. I'm not sure why they were in the box - perhaps there was a lake behind the tree, and this boat was going on it. I know I made these as samples for another quilt, where I made an origami boat. Hmmm -- I should take a picture of that quilt. It's finished and hangs over my front door. I'm not sure where to put those, but I'll find a home for them, perhaps with my fusible supplies, because I needed a fusible to attach the two pieces of fabric. This technique would work a whole lot better these days with the much thinner fusibles!!

Two origami boats made from double-sided fabric

The stitching had NOT been done on the two borders, and I decided to try to rescue the fabric and perhaps the letters. I know—it's the pioneer spirit within me, and trust me—I LOVE doing this recovery work. I almost find it more satisfying than making something from new stuff. Plus, I have two YouTube Videos (informative) that I want to finish watching, so I can pull letters off while doing that. 

Oh shoot—I didn't seem to take any pictures of that process, but it's working. Some of the fused appliqué is stuck pretty well, but I'm persistent and have been able to remove about 1/3 of one border. That's pretty good considering I wasn't home yesterday afternoon. 

The moral of this story is- if you commit to making a project for someone, do NOT abandon it. I seemed to have gone through a period when I just couldn't wrap my head around finishing things, which has left a few things sitting here. I'm all grown up now and facing those awkward situations. Get it over -- live guilt-free! 

And the bonus lesson is that if you have a UFO, you do NOT need to finish every one of them. Abandon the project, shelve the material, cross it off your list, and call it a day. DO NOT leave it sitting around. MAKE A DECISION about it. 

Then we got ourselves ready because KU and I were going on a road trip. My brain kicked in, and I realized that while we were on our mission, we could drop some things off for the Pony Express. This is what we dropped off. Two quilts and three pet mats were dropped off at the first stop, and I picked up one quilt for quilting. The second stop involved dropping off some odds and ends for someone, and I didn't pick up anything. 

Items to be delivered on the Pony Express

The second stop was to the Springhouse Retreat house, where the person was currently enjoying a retreat. So, of course, I had to snap a picture of the red lawn chairs. 

The red lawn chairs at Springhouse Retreat

They were just not as nicely arranged as when we took our "famous" picture in them. I don't know where that picture is at the moment, but I'll find it for tomorrow. 

This is what remains on the Pony Express at the moment, which is not too bad. I'll try to drop that bag off today if the weather is nice. Two of the three remaining items are for me to drop off on my travels, and the bag of cars is for someone to pick up! All is good! 

What is currently waiting to be delivered/pick-up

After we did our two drop-offs, we were on our way to the Ye Old Fabric Shoppe. We found a fabric in the theme we wanted, but it was not suitable for our needs. So we looked at other things, and we got what we needed. I even picked up a few things which I'll share tomorrow. Oh boy -- I have a lot to share tomorrow!

WAIT -- there was one thing that I spotted. I did NOT buy it, but I took a picture of it. 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

Remember my picture from yesterday? 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

And that's all I'm going to say about that. 

I had wanted to check out the dollar store to see if they had any of those felt folders or laptop cases. And oh my—there was a thrift store and a Michael's right beside it. So we parked the car and went to Michael's first. The goal was to see if they had gotten their fabric aisle yet. Nope --- just the small pieces that they've always had. I first spotted the fabric aisle in North Vancouver in the fall. Nothing here yet, but I know that feature has also been implemented in part of Atlantic Canada. I don't know about my local stores. Too bad there isn't a Michaels within walking distance! It's within cycling distance, so once the weather is nicer, I must get that bike out! 

We checked out the dollar store, and they did not have the felt cases. BUT I scored big time at the thrift shop. We went in simply to check for jigsaw puzzles. I KNOW—I don't need any more, but just to check. OK — I checked the other departments but found nothing of interest, and we had a deadline to meet. 

Look what jumped into my shopping bag. 

WAIT --- first look what I spotted on the way to the puzzle section. Who remembers these tins? I was not a smoker --- EVER, but my Dad bought tobacco in these tins. He stopped smoking years ago. 

That brings back memories.

And doesn't this look nice? As Julia would say in The Artist's Way, inspiration can come from anywhere. Look at all the different reds, and they all look amazing together!!!

A display in the thrift store

OK -- so I have a thing for Dowdle puzzles. I have no idea why, but I like them. So I scored TWO of the bigger puzzles, and KU picked up a Diane Phalen quilt puzzle. 

THREE new puzzles

And then I found FIVE of the Dowdle FolkArt puzzles. 

OH -- five Dowdle FolkArt puzzles

And what the heck --- I bought them all! Eight puzzles for $40 inlcuding tax, because I had a 20% coupon with me. It's time to make another donation to get another coupon!

After we got back from dinner, I decided to tackle one of the small puzzles. It's so easy to lay out 300 pieces. Why does it seem to take forever when there are 500 or 1000 pieces? 

Laying out the pieces

Then I sorted out the border pieces. 

Sorting out the borders

I worked from the top down, and even with that, I was finished by 9:45 PM. You know what? I really enjoyed making that puzzle. It was fast, yet not super easy, and the pieces are small like a regular-sized puzzle. No missing pieces!

The puzzle is complete!

What was interesting was that the last one of the Folk Art series I did, the entire box cover was the picture, including the border on the box, and the name. I expected the same thing here, but nope—it was just the picture. Then I realized that the remaining four puzzles are the four seasons—one for spring, summer, fall, and winter. It was cheap entertainment for the evening. I might just do one a day until those are done. Then I'll let KU do them, and then they go in the donation box. I certainly do not want to keep them. 


We stopped for a snack at Tim's, and I won a coffee!!!

Winner!!!

OK --- this was Murp[hy yesterday morning -- back to lying on the pond. 

MOM --- something is here!

 I just let them out, and they were both by the pond. Murphy almost went on the pond, but the ice is almost gone. There must be something in the pond that is making them curious. Now I have to look, but I'm afraid of what I'll find. It's likely a rabbit or something. 

Look at Lexi! She is soaking up that attention like no tomorrow. 

I LOVE KU!!!!

This is why she hangs out with DH, although I don't know why, because he never gives her an ear rub like that! But KU knows where to hit all the good spots. It was hilarious. 

Today is going to be my last day —no, wait —Sunday will be my last day of goofing around with my projects, then I need to get heads down on stuff for my upcoming Facebook Live. WAIT --- they have the date as March 18!!!! 

Oh well—I'll evaluate my schedule and then move on to other projects on Monday. 

On that note, I'm out of here. So much to do! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!