Not throwing in the towel yet

At the beginning of last year, I created the Dirty Dozen list. Twelve UFOs that I wanted to get done this year. Things didn't progress quite as nicely as I would like and of course, I'm not done them all. BUT there are still three days left in the year and I'm doing what I can to get as much done as possible. Oh, that's a bunch of crock! I don't sew after dinner so I can't be too motivated to get them all done! Whatever I don't get done is getting rolled over to 2018 PLUS an additional new 12 UFOs.

I think it's important as we work on those UFOs to evaluate why it became a UFO. If this became a UFO for a specific reason, perhaps that reason will cause another project to become another UFO. Let's say, you don't like applique and that's why you stopped working on the project. Then I'm pretty sure that if you come across another applique project that that project has a high likelihood of becoming a UFO as well. Perhaps it would be best to NOT start another applique project.

I was thinking of that yesterday as I was working away. NO - I didn't get any quilting done. I had a couple of interruptions and well, I just didn't get to it. BUT I did get two of those small tops done for the magazine. They are done and waiting to be quilted.

And then I thought I had better plunge right in because the end of the year is fast approaching. YES -- I finally got ONE of the Amish quilts done! The top anyway! Why did this become a UFO? It's huge, it had applique and it wasn't a priority.

Amish with a Twist I  - Top is done!

 This was a project that Joann at Cockadoodle Quilts ran as a block of the month. She even had these cute little labels made for us. Notice the date - April 2013. That's not bad - four years!

Label for Amish with a Twist

 Actually, it was a label for our kit bag - it's a plastic laminated one so can't be used as a label on the quilt. But I intend to transfer that to fabric and use it on the label. Sadly, Joann and Cockadoodle are gone. Miss that store - we had a lot of fun there! And the store closed half way through the block of the month and thanks to Marlene, who got us geared up, we were able to get the remainder of the missing fabrics to finish the quilt. And the top is DONE, DONE, DONE!!!!!

But that's wasn't just the end of the process. Oh no - I had to make binding and lots of it because the quilt is huge. By the way, this quilt measures 88 by 104. That's TEN strips of fabric for the binding! Not only did it have the binding, but this quilt has piping in the binding. I know that I didn't have to make the piping, but I figure, what the heck - I might as well. I've never done it before. Besides, that is why I went to Fabricland the previous day - to get 25 meters of piping cord.

Piping is made!

 And yes - I had to make piping to fit in TEN strips of fabric - that was a lot of piping.

Amish with a Twist top with piping, binding and a fusible Amish buggy for the back

 I'm waiting for something very cool for the backing so I can't consider it completely done, but as much as is going to happen for the moment.

In case you're wondering what piping looks like in the binding, here's a sample. It's not finished. I hope to give it a whirl on a smaller project.

Piping in the binding

 Speaking of binding, I had better get a move on for those three remaining construction quilts. I got one more binding done this morning.

Construction quilt - DONE

 That makes two construction quilts completely done and two more that need about a half hour each. I do have a couple of errands today, but I could potentially get out of them and keep my head down and focused today. Yes, I know that sewing and quilting are supposed to be fun and that I need to do other things. Honestly, if I wasn't quilting, I have no idea what I would do. I can't read all day. I can't do puzzles all day - I would be bored out of my mind. So sewing keeps me busy and happy.

Although I did work on that list of UFOs yesterday and made good progress, I can't cross anything off the list as these are part of MULTIPLE quilts in the list, so I have to be completely finished the multiple items before they get crossed off!  Stupid me to have done that!!!!

I'm just super excited as the new year looms ahead - how can I tackle this mess and get it under control? The big thing will be to NOT start anything new that I have no intention of finishing! I'm thinking of all sorts of plans and ideas and I'm going to outline them on New Year's Day or maybe New Year's Eve. Depending on when I can remember!

So this is what remains of my 2017 UFO projects. Plus the two construction quilts. I - well - let's just see what happens. I can't get them all done, but I will do what I can!

UFOs from 2017 that are not completed

The other day I was at the grocery store to get stocked up. I was in the water aisle and remembered that I was getting low on distilled water for my iron. So I stocked up on water. The lady at the cash asked what I was doing with all that water and I said it was going to be used in my iron! She probably thought I was one of those kooks who irons underwear and sheets. Not in this house!

Distilled water stocked up

 I go through that darn stuff pretty quickly - well, this will last a couple of months!

I'm not a big user of pins, but I was pinning like crazy yesterday. Almost everything I worked on required me to use pins - joining strips for borders, bindings or piping or adding borders to quilts. All fiddly stuff. I like to keep one pin cushion on the cutting table where I do the pinning and the other one is by the sewing machine where I put the pins when I'm sewing. As one empties, I swap them. It works for me!

Two pincushions are very useful!

Oh yes - I should say that in 24 hours and ONE minute, I received the e-mail from Apple with the link to reset the password. What's with that? Most other places, you get the reset password e-mail in minutes.  I've no idea and we didn't get the e-mail that will allow me to get rid of that old e-mail address. I'm going to try and figure that out today. Maybe!

On that note, I'm out of here. My most productive time is early in the morning. I'm trying to decide if I should take the girls out. I'll wait until it's minus 10 - it's minus 14 right now. A wee bit cool for me, not them!

Have a great day!


Ciao!

Clean up in Row H

Before I get to what I've been up to, I have to share this story because it's so funny. A couple of years ago, we started to go to the movies on Christmas Day. Why not? A couple of weeks ago, we decided the movie would be Star Wars and as a treat, we booked seats at the VIP theatre. Oh - let me rephrase that - it was DH's job to book the tickets. I remember him telling me, "I booked them and printed them right on my phone".  Before leaving yesterday, he hands me the tickets and I threw them in my purse.

We arrive at the theatre in plenty of time to order a drink and order our food which we would have delivered to our seats. Ah - nice and relaxing. Nothing like popcorn and a beer while you watch the trailers and just enjoy the nice seating.

I did think that the lounge was a tad quiet for a nearly sold-out movie that started in 40 minutes.

I handed the tickets to our server so he could take note of the seats to arrange delivery of the food. "AH - excuse me folks - but these are AVX tickets, NOT VIP. AVX is on the opposite side of the theatre." WHAT???  Can we switch theatres?"  DH goes to the desk and finds out that there is a 4 PM showing of Star Wars in the VIP theatre - it's now about 4:05. Yep - we should be good. Can the food be delivered? Yep - we should be good there too.  However the best-laid plans - it took forever for the tickets to be switched. And I should have gone and claimed our seats when we realized we could switch. Some codes had been changed in the system and didn't like what we were doing.

We arrived at our seats - that would be Row H, Seats 1 and 2 (on the right). The movie had already started and the theatre was pitch black. Remember this is Star Wars - it's a dark movie! Couldn't see a thing, but the moment I moved into the seats (thankfully we were by ourselves on the side row), I felt something fall over. OH NO - that would be my popcorn! The manager had assured us that they would NOT drop the food at the seats if we weren't there. Well guess what - they did! DH didn't even realize he had knocked his popcorn over and was grumbling that there was popcorn in his seat! 

The server comes with our HOT food - yep - we ordered that as well. So I had a wrap and a salad and NO IDEA what it looked like. Did I have a fork? DH had both of them. Oh - they put the dressing on the side. Yum - yum as I dipped my fingers into that! Now I know how a blind person must feel when they are served food. You need someone to tell you what is where or you have to feel it all up!

I don't think the server was too happy about several things. First that we dumped the popcorn on the floor and secondly that she had to bring us the food in the dark! I'm sure the people behind us weren't too happy either and I'm sorry for that!

Let's just say that when the lights came on - it was a mess!!!  There was popcorn all over the place. Our dirty dishes were on the floor. Thankfully I didn't drop my beer out of the cupholder. Oh no - I felt for that darn cupholder ever time I placed the bottle down!

There is a lesson to be learned here. Several lessons actually, but the most important one - CHECK the damn tickets. I think DH is going blind and he can't see the small print like on his phone!

It was a bit disconcerting to arrive a few minutes into the movie starting - oh yes - it's 3-D so where the heck are the stupid glasses, your food arrives in the dark - it took me about 10 minutes to get settled.

Let's just say - it was good for a laugh after the fact!

So that's my funny Christmas story! Now let's get into what happened the day before Christmas. I told you I was motivated and I'm going to get this all done even if it kills me!  Here's what happened.

I want to get those last few quilts done for the Ronald McDonald project - so I got myself organized. Here's the first one for the day.

Community project quilt - DONE

Community project quilt Number 2 - DONE

Community project quilt - Number 3 - DONE

On a roll here - might as well keep going. And so I got ONE more done for the day.

So yes - I got three more of the quilts done. That makes seven done and only TWO left. I had to make backings and piece batting. The backings are all together and the pieces for the last batting are set aside. The second to last quilt is loaded on the long arm and it will be done today! That leaves one small one as you can see below and my goal is to get that done today as well. 

One community project quilt left on the rack

So Jane --- better get ready for a big binding day!!!  I think some people went a little overboard with the sizes. The quilts were supposed to be 3 blocks by 4 or 4 blocks by 6 and yet some of these are a wee bit bigger than that. No worries - this batch is almost done and I know how to say NO now!!!  

But let's not just do one thing at a time. I can multi-task and I tell you that I'm on a roll here. I fired up the embroidery machine as well.  Look what happened......................

Halloween blocks are DONE

Yes -- ALL the blocks for the Halloween quilt are done!!!  All twenty-five of them. I did three of them on the day before Christmas and I completed the last two yesterday. I was determined and so at 5 AM, I got the second to last block started. 

Close up of two of the blocks done yesterday

Now you notice there is also a green block at the bottom. What's with that? That would be the sashing! Yes - there are a couple of options for the sashing or borders. I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to do, but if I need sashing, I need a LOT. I can stitch three of them in the hoop at one time. And there is only ONE thread color so that makes them somewhat easy!

Sashings for the Halloween quilt

All these blocks and sashing have a product underneath them called battilizer. It's a thin batting but helps to stabilize all those stitches. As I was using a big piece for the sashings, I remembered that we used this product for a rug project a couple of years ago. I still have the bag of scraps and sure enough - found that within seconds. I might have to join a few pieces, but I can easier use this up for the sashings. 

Scraps of battilizer

Between the long arm and the embroidery machine, I was using up spools of thread and bobbin thread like crazy!! And getting in a ton of Fitbit steps as the machines are in opposite corners of the studio. 

But that's not all!  I managed to get ALL the applique done for the Amish With a Twist. OH MY GOD - that's huge! It's not my best applique job, but it's done and that's all I care about at this point. 

Applique borders for Amish With a T

Sometimes the embroidery machine doesn't like to finish off the spool of bobbin thread so I save them and they were perfect to use on the other machine for applique. 

Empty bobbin and full bobbin of pre-wound bobbins

I love having two machines going at the same time, but in future when I've got huge embroidery jobs, I prefer to NOT sit right beside the machine - it's noisy. I'm going to have to get earplugs or something. 

When I sat down to piece the backings for those two community project quilts, I thought it funny that the needle wasn't quite as dead center as I thought it should be. No worries - it didn't break.  BUT when I went to do the applique and had a much different foot on the machine, I noticed that the needle was rather bent. How the heck did that happen? 

Bent needle

It's hard to tell in the photo, but trust me - it's bent!

When I had a wee bit of downtime, I was trimming half square triangles. I'm almost done with this set of green and white ones.  What to make? what to make? A mini quilt of some kind to be sure!

Trimming half square triangles

Whew, wasn't that exhausting!  I was so happy to get some of those ugly jobs done! They've been hanging around forever. Now the big thing is - can I actually get those borders on before the end of the year? And how many of the remaining projects can be done? There are SIX days left. Six days when I don't have any commitments per se.  Let's forge ahead!

Oh - I should mention that I had to write some QUILTsocial blog posts that were out of my normal schedule. I forgot to post the links yesterday.  Here are the first two.

QUILTsocial - Monday   - All about Northcott basics

QUILTsocial - Tuesday  - working with digital "fabrics" to design quilts

On that note, I have two very impatient girls who are demanding to go for their walk!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!

Crossing items off the list!

Off to Monday sewing yesterday and it's so great to be back with the group. I almost feel like I wasn't gone for two years. That's so bizarre, but that's how comfortable I am with the group!  

It's time to get rolling on some of those UFO projects. The end of the year is looming and well - I still have a lot of work to do!

I spent a couple of hours and did the buttonhole stitch around all the silhouettes on this wall hanging and it's done! I had completed the other one last week. 

Safari wall hanging - ready for quilting

 So now both of them are done, backings are made and the binding is made. Ready for quilting!

Backings/bindings and tops ready for quilting!

 I decided to do a little bit of piecing and I got block number 11 completed of the Kaleidoscope quilt. Only two more sets of blocks to do and I'll be ready to sew this quilt together!  The end is in sight!

Block #11 for Kaleidoscope -  DONE

Then I dug out the Dirty Dozen list for 2017. Hmm - now there are three items completed as the safari quilts were part of the list. That still leaves a lot to be done before the end of the year. There are two other projects that I've been working on and it won't take long to complete either of them. Can I get all of them done by the end of the year? You'll have to stay tuned in order to find out.

Dirty Dozen list for 2017

I'm liking how this list kept me motivated (in a very slow way), but I got things done that I wouldn't have done otherwise. I liked it so much that I created a new Dirty Dozen list for 2018.  Yep - I found 12 more projects (easily found 12 more) that I would like to get done and so that list is created! If I don't finish this list before the end of the year, I will continue to work on it for next year. The list for next year is a wee bit more forgiving. Some of the items on the 2017 list involved FOUR quilts for one project. Several included two quilts and so on. Next year - there are ONLY 12 items in total!  It'll be way easier!

One of my favourite things on Monday is to come home from sewing and unpack my sewing bag and repack it for the next week. I'm focusing on that list so here is the next project (which is actually two quilts).

Amish with a Twist and Amish with a Twist II

Amish with a Twist II just needs three borders put on and I think two of the three are partially cut. Amish with a Twist needs some applique. All the applique is prepped - it just needs to be stitched down and then this last border needs to be sewn to the quilt. I'm doing applique next Monday.

Applique to be stitched next week

 While I was tidying up more stuff this morning, I was working on the cutting table and knocked my scrap bin off the table. Oops - just missed the garbage bin by a few inches. I need a better aim! The scrap bin needed to be emptied anyway!

Not a very practical way to empty the scrap bin

We had our first snowfall yesterday. Hm - am I going to miss my old commute?  I don't think so - 20 seconds and I'm in the basement. Yep - I can handle that!

Let's just say that Lexi and Murphy are thrilled with the snow. I think Lexi blogged about it.

Have a super day. Drive safe if you have to go out.

Ciao!

Gadgets galore!!!!!

Whew - last week was a bit of a whirlwind. This coming week is a LOT quieter which is great - I don't think I have any meetings or major things happening outside the house so it will be heads down to get a few things done at home. Including today where I will be taking photos, editing photos and writing blog posts for QUILTSocial. My week is coming up soon and of course I am a bit behind the deadline. Each time I get better at hitting the deadline - one day I will be on time and shock the world!

I am also trying to edit all blog post pictures as I take them and put them in the appropriate folder so that I don't have to keep going back to try and find the ones I want.

Today is an odds and ends day.  A whole bunch of different things that have popped up over the past week.

I used to be a gadget girl. I would buy ANY gadget out there. Some I used, some I did not. I had purchased this pen - it is called a Fabric Folding Pen by Clover. I don't think I ever used it and once when I was cleaning up, I think it went to a guild to be sold at a quilt show.

Fabric Folding Pen

At one of my classes last week, Judy brought in the pen and was raving about how much easier it is to fold things so I broke down and REPURCHASED the pen.  I want to try it for turning pockets and things of bags which I seem to be doing a lot of lately. I'll let you know my thoughts when I use it which will be soon.

Another product that I have but haven't used much is called Transfer Eze.    This is a "pliable film" that you put in your printer. You photocopy the hand embroidery design onto the Transfer Eze. Peel back the sticky backing and place on your background. Then you will stitch through the Transfer Eze, the background and I like to add a light interfacing to the back of my projects - that is a LOT of layers to hand stitch through.

Transfer Eze

I spent a bit of time (this morning) trying to find my sample and I have no idea where it is. I remember when I was cleaning up the project (Snow Days) that we used it on that I wondered where to "file" that sample so I could find it for future. I do NOT have a box for hand embroidery stuff. I have put it in a logical (at that time) place but where that is - I have no idea. I will find it as my brain will be processing that all day today!!!  If I find it - I will start a demo project box for hand embroidery stuff. Where where where could that thing be????

Anyway - I am not sure that I like the product - you are now having to embroider through that extra layer. And Linda brought in a sample where she had used the Transfer Eze. She had left the product on her project for a LONG time and the stuff becomes a bit brittle and thick.   I have heard others say that it is a bit of a challenge to "rinse" out. More like a good soaking is required.  Like everything else - TEST TEST TEST before you commit yourself to a big project. I will say that it makes it a BREEZE to get your pattern on the fabric ready to stitch. Fast!!!

Hard to see here - but this is Linda's sample with the hardened Transfer-Eze

Speaking of Snow Days - I saw another completed top yesterday.

Lauraine's Snow Days.  Love those brilliant colours!!!!   Thanks for bringing it in!!!!

I forgot to post this earlier this week, but a certain someone - we shall leave her nameless to protect the innocent. She was busy getting a small piece ready to quilt. She basted a couple of lines of stitching through her piece. And look what happened....................

YES - that white - that is her notes!!!!   Nicely basted to the back of her piece. We all got a chuckle out of that. (And she wondered why it felt thicker than normal!!!!  - come on - we have ALL done that at one time!!)

I love presents!  OK - everyone loves presents. Look what I received the other day!!!!

Mini notebooks and pencil set - all bicycle themed of course!!!!   Thanks Ronda!!!!

I have a few other things to post as well, but I realize I haven't taken pictures yet - so that will have to wait for another day.

Oh yes - forgot to blog about what I did on Monday. So we are now on a BIG kick for applique. This is the year that I am going to accomplish something. Project number one - is already DONE!!!!!

Remember - Simple Country Sampler - DONE - well the top is done and all that was left was some applique. 

Onto Project Number Two. I have to stop for a moment. I believe it was Mary Kay who left a comment a couple of days ago about cleaning up. Mary Kay was cleaning up closets/pantries and her sister asked if she was dying!!!!    That is so funny because I often think the only reason I am getting this stuff done is so that someone else doesn't have to deal with it should I die. Well - as far as I know - I am no where near my death bed, but just in case - I had better work faster!!!!   Every project I complete is one less for someone to wonder about when I am no longer here.


OK - onto Project Number Two.  I dug out Amish with a Twist (the original one). Marlene is also going to work on hers on applique day. I think we are in about the same stage of completion.

Amish with a Twist (the original)

 Normally I would not have started this project, but because the store (Cockadoodle Quilts) closed half way through - we only got some of the fabric. Marlene and Mary in their wisdom decided that we need to push on so we could order the missing fabrics while they were still available. So because of them, I started to work. Got all the blocks done (this was a long time ago) and sewed the top together. In my silliness, I did not pay attention to the length of the sashings. I cut what the pattern said which was NOT the size of my blocks.  I sewed it together and it looked like a kiddie wave pool!!!!

I went back for a quick peek - I signed up for this Block of the Month on July 17, 2013. So that is not bad by my standards!!!!

Anyway - the quilt had been completely ripped apart (not the blocks). I cut the sashings down (thank god the error wasn't in the other direction!) and got the top reassembled. Then I added the piano key border.

My Amish with a Twist - the original

 There is one final border to put on - there is applique in two corners so that will be my project for the next applique day!!!!   Can't wait.

Project box organized for the next applique day

Then I sorted through the scraps that were left over - I have started to cut out a new little project. I know - we can't let anything go to waste!!!!

These were the little little pieces and they went into a scrap box for plain fabrics and the triangles went into the HST box

So soon another project box will be completely cleaned up!!!!   I am getting very excited about this process!!!!


I watched a movie the other night - from the library called Philomena.  It is an excellent movie, but terrible what happened to these girls.  Just goes to show that we have come a long way, but definitely shows that "image" was important and sex education was severely lacking.  While watching the video - I got another binding hand stitched down.

Binding hand stitched - this is my quilt

 Got lots more to go - well about 5 and I have a couple more movies on order from the library so I will slowly work my way through them. There is NO rush for those quilts - they will just go into a pile of finished items  - I'm not worried about them.

In preparation for the next round of QUILTSocial - I am testing the embroidery part.  I love it - I get the machine fired up, set the embroidery and then leave it to work in the dark!!!!  Now if I could just have an assistant to do paperwork - I would be happy!!!!!

The Ruby Royale alone in the dark

Some people actually use VIDEO baby monitors so they can see what their machine is doing when they are not beside it!!!!   Not a bad idea since the thread can break or run out of thread and that is DOWN TIME!!!!

Yesterday, I received the sad news that my Uncle Paul passed away. He had been ill with cancer for a couple of years. I had a good visit with him last year when I was in Saskatchewan and he was the recipient of one of my tractor quilts which had plush on the back. He loved the quilt as it kept him warm. RIP Uncle Paul - I will miss the twinkle in his eye and his ever present smile even when he was sick.

Tractor Quilt

On that note - I had better get myself organized. I have over 100 pictures to edit (most will get culled - but there are probably 25 that I will keep and edit) and then upload to the internet and then write the text.  Sounds easy but for some reason takes a long time. Usually because I think another picture or another sample will show what I want to say better and then I have to go and make that happen!!!!   And we wonder why producing a movie or TV show or a photo shoot costs so much. If we could only snap ONE picture not ten in order to get the one we want!!!   I do enjoy it so I'm not complaining.

Have a great day!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crossing the finish line.....................

I survived!   I made it through those five days of total craziness. And had fun throughout! That is important - if things are not fun - then - well they are not fun.

Here are a couple of shots from the Sit n Sew this past Sunday. It was the last sit n sew for the season. This is my SIXTH year doing the sit n sews. SIX YEARS - hard to believe. I always threaten to not do them the following year and I get requests f rom people so I schedule more dates.  Well - the new dates will start in September so watch for that. I guess it all depends if I sign up to do the fundraising bike rides again next year!

I love to see what everyone is working on and their STORAGE CONTAINERS.  Liz had this amazing container for her project.  While I loved the project that she was working on, the container was AWESOME.   Have a look - see that drawer in the bottom - the blocks fit just perfect in that drawer

Look at that drawer - so cool

And there were several removeable tray inserts for sorting all those cut pieces

 She got it in a Christmas gift exchange. It was one of those exchanges where you can snatch gifts from each other and apparently this was the hot item that day. Liz was the lucky winner!!!!

My girls just love when we have company. They go hysterical - barking their heads off. BUT they are also very smart because they know who brings treats for them..........

A very attentive audience - they LOVE Katheleen as she is always bringing treats for them.   Oh yes - they know!!!!   (Look at that fatty Sammy!!!! - she doesn't need treats!)

Ronda was HARD at work on her Dear Jane. I think I saw smoke pouring out of her machine at one point. She had done a LOT of prep work and she spent the day stitching around her appliques.

Eight blocks

Then five more blocks

and another seven!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is going gang busters on this quilt and I have every confidence that we will see her finished top at our show n tell in September.

This was a class I taught a number of years ago and Liz brough her finished top to show me. It is absolutely stunning - the colours are awesome and she put a small piped border around the edge - well actually inserted it between two borders of brown and it really makes the quilt.

FABULOUS job Liz.  Just gorgeous

 I didn't get pictures of what the others were working on - I was too busy pressing stuff for Karen and Helen Anne. Thank goodness Ronda was doing applique and I didn't have to press anything for her!!!!

I did manage to get some  ripping done on my Amish with a Twist. I got half of it ripped apart.

Disassembled Amisth with a Twist

The other half waiting to be ripped apart

And ick - I have to remove all the fuzz from the thread. It is a mess. 

Then I measured the blocks and yes they are 1/4" too small (well smaller than the pattern). I started to cut down the sashings and for some reason they are all different sizes - my guess is that some of them stretched during the original sewing process. They are all being trimmed to the correct size and I have this much sewn back together again. Well - it is in three seperate rows. And guess what?   It is going together a WHOLE lot better than the first time.  I know - STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!!

The "new" Amish with a Twist

I can't even call this Amish with a Twist II because there is a real quilt called that.

Amish with a Twist II

Hmmmm - I am looking for a pieced pattern to run as a year long class next year - hmmmmmmmmmmm - that might be a good candidate!  


Last night, I was the guest speaker at the Needle Sisters Quilt Guild in Elmira.  It isn't that far away, but I didn't want to get caught in traffic on the 401. Hey - there is a Fabricland in Guelph and Greenwood Quiltery is also in Guelph and both are OPEN on Monday.  After I got myself organized and packed up for the talk, I hopped in the car and I was off.

My missing fabric

Zipped into Fabricland - checked all the fabrics - NOTHING. I spoke to a VERY HELPFUL sales person who took my swatches and zipped around the fabric looking but nothing. She said the green one (which I never showed to you) was a VERY POPULAR fabric and it went pretty much right away. Couldn't keep it in the stores and I believe it as I can't fiind it anywhere else either. Which reminds me that I should go back to the original Fabricland to get more of the green before it is gone everywhere.

The Orangeville and Burlington stores have nothing either (thanks to Joanne and Marilyn for checking on that for me).  Karen is going to check in Winnipeg and perhaps my Dad will check in Saskatchewan. At this point - time to regig the quilt and see if I can come up with plan B.  Sandra did find me another fabric similiar, but I would rather go with something completely different.

I will also take the selvedge so they can search their database to find it????  Not to worry - this will just become another CHALLENGE quilt in that I will find a way to make it work since I can't make it with this one fabric.

Again BIG THANKS to everyone who did look for me. I appreciate it.


Then I popped into Greenwood. Oh dear - that wasn't a good idea. NO - it was a GREAT idea. I found a couple of different things that I just had to have.  Didn't do much damage, but I am so IMPRESSED by Christine - she is the manager of that store and there isn't ONCE that I walked in and I wasn't addressed by name. Even the younger sales girl working called me by name when I was paying. That is VERY impressive customer service and I don't even go there often.


Had just enough time to look around and oh yes - there were a few more things that I would love to have bought, but I also have to realistic!

In an ideal world - I would stay focused on Amish with a Twist. Finish ripping out and getting it back together and then the applique and it is ready to be quilted. Really - could I do that????   Me????  Well I could give it a try until I realize that I have a couple of samples that need to be worked on for a couple of upcoming classes and there is a stack of quilts that need to be quilted. Nope - I won't be working on just one quilt at a time, but I will make every effort to get it done soon.


Anyway - I was so impressed by the workmanship of the guild last night. The Mennonite Relief Sale is coming up soon. The guild had put together a number (a rather LARGE number) of small quilted items that will be for sale in the craft area of the Relief Sale. These notebook covers (the notebook is included) were STUNNING. I have forgotten the name of the woman who make them, but they were beautifully done. I wanted one, but I will have to go the Relief Sale if I want - and I was warned to go early!!!!!

Notebook covers

More notebook covers

Small lunch bags

There were table runners, bags, children's books, and many other items that will go to the sale. Awesome work!!!!!!

It was a fun evening - we had a lot of laughs so I hope I was entertaining and inspirational to the members.


The other day I was paying for something with CASH!!!   How often does that happen these days?   Anyway - look what I found in my change................

I knew it was old by the shape of it - but look at the date - it is almost as old as me!!!!!

And now it is time to get to work.  Remember how clean the studio was on Sunday????

So clean and tidy!!!!

Well look at it this morning!   NOT so clean and tidy.

The good news - it won't take long to put things away - they all do have homes. But again - I keep moving the same things!!!   I really need to focus and get some of them done so I can stop moving them around. The best news - I don't have to keep the entire place clean - just enough room for embroidery club - YES!!!!   And the paperwork is threatening to topple over - so best look at that today as well.


Have an AWESOME day - it is raining outside -(YEAH) that means I HAVE to stay inside. Perfect day for quilting.



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!