THANKS to all who gave me great suggestions about the witty comments. I will reread them and memorize them because they were great!!! You are the best, and thanks for putting up with my little tirade yesterday!
And yes -- it was just a question of time before I approached the CJPA (Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association) to help. I love helping out, and used to help a lot with the quilt guilds I belonged to in the past. Then, when it became too political and cliquish for my liking, I stepped away, and I don't regret that decision.
Thankfully, there are workarounds for all of us, and we just need to recognize them and move on.
Someone asked a question about the lilies in the pond. When we first set up the pond many years ago, we planted three lilies at the bottom. Since they were new, I bought a bunch of floating plants to provide protection (sun and predators) for the fish. That included floating lettuce and other plant varieties.
Within a short time (well, more like a couple of years), those lilies grew huge, and if they were outside the pond, I guess we would call them invasive; they seem to grow like weeds. The pond is about 3 feet deep, but with all the accumulated dirt and debris, I bet that section is probably only two feet deep. In the fall, the lilies are cut back somewhat and left in the pond.
Spring barely arrives, and those lilies are already growing like mad! We've had amazing blooms throughout June and July, and I look forward to them every year.
I had asked the pond people (who open and close the pond) to clean up some debris and lilies from the pond, as I want some open space. They did, and I continue to remove debris from the pond when I get a chance. I even attempted to pull those loose roots out the other day, but I could only get so much. If I really want to get to the "root" of that matter, I need to reach in with both arms, while lying prone on the side or step right in!
I was kneeling on my little foam pad and reaching into the pond, and had visions of being pulled into the pond headfirst by tough roots, so I only pulled what I could!
But those lily pads are pretty indestructible and have embedded themselves into the liner. I don't think we could get rid of them without removing the liner.
As for the fish, they are certainly shy. I almost thought they were all gone, but I spotted one the day I cleaned the filter and pump. The rest are probably still hanging out in the below-water jungle!
It was a weird day yesterday. I had tons to do, and while a lot was accomplished, I was out of sorts. There was a quilt that needed to be quilted, and I was getting some help with it. The first issue was that the backing was too short. Are you kidding me? The worst part of that scenario is that I bought the backing or was responsible for how much was purchased. Unbelievable, but it was that kind of day.
I found another piece of the same fabric (Fireside), but not the same color, and you know what? It works! I serged the two pieces together, and it got loaded on the long arm. Then I realized that the top wasn't finished - a few embellishments (machine embroidery) needed to be added before it could be quilted.
What the heck was I thinking? Anyway, that was a fun exercise and turned out fabulous, BUT - it took most of the day to make that happen! Silly me --- I take a week off, and my brain goes to mush.
However, the good news is that the quilt is loaded, minus the batting, and it will be quilted today. PHEW!!!!
But not before I had TWO hiccups with the embroidery machine. Sadly, both issues were my fault. However, my skill level at fixing these things is pretty decent, so I was able to rip out, unstick, and repair, and no one is the wiser that anything happened.
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| A wee bit of a thread jam in the embroidery machine |
Because of the types of designs I was stitching and the frequent use of the automatic cutter, I should have stopped at some point to clean the loose threads that can sometimes accumulate in the bobbin area. I did not do this, and as a result, I got this pretty significant jam. But I fixed it! No damage done to anything.
I can't share that with you at this point in time, but you'll get to see it in a bit. By a bit - I mean a week or two.
The one thing I will say is that if you have a PROJECTION system on your embroidery machine, make sure you know how to use it. I used the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3 with the projection system, and it is the absolute best. You can precisely place any embroidery. If you have this tool on your embroidery machine, please do yourself a favor and learn it. The more you use it, the better you get and the easier it becomes. I would be hard-pressed to live without that feature!
Then I had some flowers that needed to be embroidered, so they got done last night as well. These will be free-standing, so they got washed last night and are ready to be turned into something beautiful later today.
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| My embroidered flowers |
Since the serger was out, I got three pet mats stitched up. They had been sitting on the table, well, one of them had, and the other two came from the recent retreat. They are done and ready for delivery at some point. June will be an interesting month to get through, but then I'll have time to make deliveries and clear the Pony Express area.
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| Three pet mats are ready |
This was a pair of scissors I recently purchased - actually, they are not scissors, but a clamp to help with assembling things like 3-D machine embroideries. I don't know where to store them, so I took this picture in hopes of remembering where they are when I need them. I have put them in my scissors drawer.
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| My new clamp for assembling machine embroidery bits |
And the girls were outside enjoying the warm weather. While it's warm outside, but not overkill warm, it's like an ice box in the house. I'm still wearing a big fleece most of the time at home.
I will say that being back on dinner duty is cutting into my sewing time! The biggest issue is what to make, since I haven't really had time to shop or plan a weekly menu. I've run to the grocery store each of the last two days to get something. But we are thriving, and it's just a matter of rejigging time.
DH actually went and sat outside while I finished cooking, which is probably a good thing. I mean, it's good that he had some downtime at the end of the day instead of having to cook for me. I was spoiled for a while, but now back to reality. And I must get that oven fixed (I found the serial number) so I can use it instead of relying solely on the toaster oven.
Wait -- here are the girls outside enjoying the backyard, but why they think it's fun to lie in the sun is beyond me. They with their big fur coats!!!
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| MOM - we're just hanging out |
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| MOM --- we are waiting for handouts! |
I made phone calls, transferred large computer files, and sent emails, all of which were necessary to cross things off my to-do list. The file I tried to send was so large that I had to reboot my computer to clear the memory because it wasn't happy. But that got done. PHEW!!!! Thank goodness that process was NOT new to me.
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