Don't give up -- just learn and try again!

OK --- you know how it is when you come across a new word, and you wonder about it, and then POOF -- that word comes up again! In this instance, the word is actually a name - Eilidh - pronounced like Hailey, but without the H. I thought it was a strange spelling, but it popped up this morning on something I was researching, and what are the chances of that? I'll probably see that name and that spelling in many more places now. That's so weird. 

It was a decent day - I managed to solve some of the problems that are on my to-do list. Things that need to be done in a relatively short time. Slow and steady! 

Here's one thing that has eluded me for a long time, but I'm happy to report that it's finally finished (again!), and this time I'm very happy with the results. OK -- so I'm very picky, but if I'm going to take samples on the road, I want them to look amazing, and I'm willing to rework them to make that happen. By reworking them, I'm learning methods that work for me. 

This was a cushion cover that I embroidered last year, and I wanted to use an invisible zipper in it. Well, I just whipped that zipper in and then turned it inside out, and the bottom corners were bulky. I know I can do better than that, so I took it apart, and it has sat for a long time. I cut parts of the zipper tape to reduce bulk, but it didn't work because part of it was in the seam, and the bulk wouldn't go away. 

This is not the first time I've inserted an invisible zipper!

So, while at the retreat, I reinserted the zipper, leaving the ends free at the corners. Yesterday, I serged the sides back together. 

The cushion has been serged.

And now, when I turn it inside out, all four corners look amazing, and there is no bulk at the bottom where the zipper is. YEAH!!!!! I learned a valuable lesson—if you do something wrong, study it and think about how to do it differently. Check out a purchased pillow to see how they insert the zipper, and then just do it, and you will have a great-looking sample. I absolutely love this saying, and it's something we need to keep in mind whenever we pick up a book. 

The cushion cover is done!

Here is one of the corners. OK -- so it's one of the top corners that never had an issue with bulk, but all four look like this. 

One of the corners

And for those who want to know the "secret," leave one inch at each end of the zipper when inserting the invisible zipper. Then, when sewing the sides together, keep the zipper ends out of the seam. I'm sure you all knew that, but I goofed. I now know a great way to insert the invisible zipper in a cushion.  

The bottom of the cushion with the invisible zipper

I managed to put one of the dog fabric scrap quilts on the design wall and place the pieces. It's not a very big quilt, but it's large enough for a child. 

The scrappy dog fabric quilt

Yes, it's very scrappy, and I tried to position the blocks with alternating light and dark squares, except for the top and bottom rows. It is what it is. 

Then I removed the blocks by row and attached them together with a label and a clip. All the rows are in a bag and ready to be stitched at the next retreat. I have two more sets of blocks to lay out, and then I'll be ready to sew and won't have to deal with the short design wall. Preparation is key!

Tagged and bagged!

Amongst my unfinished projects is this jacket. It was technically a prototype, using a quilted bedspread (thrift-store find) and a new pattern. It is cold in Studio B these days, and I had forgotten to bring down a sweatshirt this morning. So I grabbed this jacket. The bedspread had been washed many times, and when I put it on this morning, the first thing that came to mind was how SOFT this was and how comfortable the fit was. That's all the incentive I need to finish it off properly, so I can wear it all the time downstairs. 

My jacket prototype - soft and comfy

To finish the seams, I like to grade the thicknesses, but that is a challenge on this one because of the TRIPLE chain stitch used to quilt it, likely on a large industrial flat-bed quilting machine. The thought of unpicking those stitches doesn't thrill me, so I may end up binding the seams. I don't have any matching fabric for the lining, but I might grab some bright fabrics to liven up the binding and the seam finishes. It's got a boring and dull paisley print on the inside. But comfy? Soft? Oh yes—this is a great jacket. 

The Pony Express is alive and well, and I will have a doozy of a story to tell you in a couple of weeks about it. For the moment, we will focus on what happened two days ago. I got a delivery of three puzzles. I tried to trade the one puzzle in my trading pile, but I didn't find a taker for it with this person. These first two puzzles have very nice pictures, and I will likely pass these along when I'm done. 

Two new puzzles

But the third puzzle was intriguing. This is the picture! I did NOT mirror the image, so is that a problem with the picture, or is the puzzle totally backward? 

The picture on the third puzzle

And it comes in this drawer pull box. Hmmmm --- what a unique puzzle. I may ask my new puzzle peeps about that. I can't find anything about this on Google. All I get are instructions on how to make a puzzle tray with drawers or links to buy one. That's not what I want. 

A drawer pull on the puzzle box.

And yes—I hope to have new puzzle peeps soon. I'm slated to volunteer for a couple of hours at the end of July. I can manage that!! And, sad to say, I've been watching a few YouTube videos about the competition this past weekend. There is one young adult who is the queen of speed puzzling. She won the individual and pairs events and earned a third medal as well. It might have been in the team event, but she didn't come first. She looks very young, but I Googled her, and it said she is an adult (no birthday information). But can we trust Google?

I also received a penny in the year that M was born, so I'll give that to her when we see them. It's supposed to be good luck on your wedding day. 

And there was one more delivery to my door that same day, the puzzles came. I got a box of old quilt books. I know -- do not yell at me. I requested them. Some of them are to be given to others, and a few are to add to my stash. I'm OK with that. I have a wee bit of room left and will start to cull when the shelves won't hold any more. I need to sort through them and put them in their respective places. 

A box of books

The puzzle got picked up by the person who dropped off the books! Good luck with that tough one! 

We have a pair of cardinals in our backyard, and Mister Cardinal was pretty visible yesterday. I first spotted him on the gazebo railing. 

Hey, lady—fill the feeder! 

Then I spotted him taking a bath in the pond. WOW --- what a cool picture!!! Would that make a puzzle? It would make a challenging puzzle with all the rocks! But look at the reflection! 

Hey—a little privacy, please —I'm taking a bath!

One of the readers just got a new pond, and there is no end of fascination with birds and fish. I spotted four of the seven fish yesterday. Two were hanging out in the empty spot in the shade, and two were among the lily pads, checking out the sun. They are not used to us yet and scitter away faster than a speeding bullet. We don't feed the fish - we used to, but there is so much algae and such in the pond that we haven't fed our fish for years. Now with the new ones, let's hope they learn the same thing. 

Of course, Murphy had to be in the picture as well. That dog just runs hot, and since it's relatively hot outside, she was trying to find a cool spot to sleep. She loves to sleep in these bushes, even behind them, right beside the house. This area never gets sun, and the ground is damp.

I dug out her small swimming pool and filled it with cold water. She was a bit hesitant and put her feet in, but was not ready to take the plunge just yet. She will. I have a larger one that she can lie down in, but if she wants, she can curl up in this one to cool off. The big one is so cumbersome. I also bought her a sprinkler that I may bring out later today. 

MOM -- it's hot!!

I have loads to do, so I don't have much time to spend in the backyard, but I try to grab a few minutes in the gazebo every day. 

Remember that plant I rescued from its dead leaf trap a few weeks ago? Well, in case you think one small act doesn't make a difference, look at the plant. It's smaller than the others, but it's thriving. It probably would have forced the dead leaf off at some point, but I'm happy knowing that I helped it along. 

Small but thriving!

That brings to mind the story of some scientists or nature photographers (I've forgotten which), who were studying penguins somewhere. They realized that the penguins were in a spot that they could not get up the very steep, slippery slope of some ice floe, and if they remained where they were, they would die. The dilemma was that the scientists were not allowed to help the animals but were to leave them in their natural habitat untouched. They were torn, so they carved mini-stairs into the slippery slope, and the penguins made their way up to safety. 

I think that's a beautiful story. Should humans have interfered with Mother Nature? They did, and yet they didn't. If the penguins hadn't figured out the stairs, they would have died, but survival kicked in, and they problem-solved, and the group of penguins was freed. 

OH --- if you think I'm bad about puzzling, you should see some of the pictures I've seen online. These puzzlers are just like quilters. They have rooms filled with puzzles, and they thrift them all the time; one person thrifted 37 puzzles in one month. Oh gosh—did I do a bad thing by picking up this "hobby"?

It's good to branch out and just a fun thing. I won't go crazy. Says she who has a stash room. 

Well, it's going to be a crazy month. I haven't had one of those in a long time, and I look forward to all the packing and unpacking! There are lots of fun things coming up, and not much time for puzzling or sewing. I'll do the best I can. 

On that note, I'm off to see Brooke to see what torture she can find for me. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!