Doing what you think you don't like

OH MY --- someone mentioned in the comments about Mary Ellen's book -- "It's OK if you sit on my quilt." Indeed, there were NO quilt police for her! Mary Ellen was quite the spitfire - I heard that from the shop owner where I used to hang out. And definitely, there were no quilt police in Mary Ellen's life. It's a great book. All three of her books that I have (well, technically, now two) are amazing. The amount of detail, flexibility, and freedom she gives is refreshing. 

We need NEW books like that. Books that give you permission to play, meat to sink your teeth into, and not another book filled with patterns. The good stuff came in the old books! Which is why a lot of my books are the old stuff! 

I'm working on the items from the handwritten to-do list. I just can't work with the list on the computer. I have no idea why -- it's just not in my blood, but I'll keep trying. I'm great with audiobooks and ebooks, but not my lists! 

This weekend is the Color My World class, and I still have some appliqué to do on the house blocks I made earlier. I seem to have a mental block about appliqué. I have no idea why. I have a good machine that does great appliqué. I have lots of stitches that work amazingly well for appliqué. The machine has zero issues and is easy to switch between piecing and appliqué, and I have all the proper tools and plenty of thread. But the thought of stitching out appliqué just doesn't sound appealing to me. Why is that? 

Well, I need to get my butt in gear and make this happen, so this morning, when I woke up and lay in bed contemplating what I would do today, that appliqué popped into my head. It's Tuesday, and I need this done by Saturday. 

So I got everything prepped, which took about 1 minute, and then I started. I also connected my audiobook. And before an hour had passed, I had completed all of the fiddly bits and only had seven pieces left to stitch down later this morning. 

Four house blocks that need appliqué stitching

So, can you tell me why it's not my favorite thing to do? All that remains is to stitch the two pieces of tree down (one tree is already stitched in place, which is why there are seven left) on four blocks. Then I'm done and only have this month's homework left to finish. Finish? Who am I kidding - I haven't even started it!

I have other appliqué to do as well, and I really should just leave the machine set up and continue. It's not hard, and I'm good at it! Mindset change!!!!

Yesterday was Monday sewing, and we had a great time. There is a lot to be said for being close to an amazing and extremely supportive group of women. What I love about Zoom calls that you will not get in an in-person group is that if you are seeking information (that's me every week), EVERYONE usually has something to offer. While they are listening, they can continue working. This DOES NOT happen in an in-person sewing session. 

While people like to get together in person, and I agree that I like that as well, I will NEVER give up my Zoom calls. Learning to take turns talking, actively listening, and participating is something you will NEVER get in an in-person group. OK—depends on the size of the group. But Zoom? Something very good came from the pandemic. 

A HUGE thank you to the ladies who answered my many questions yesterday; I feel much better about a lot of things. And you know what? People like to share information, and they typically have a ton to share. Some people need a bit more encouragement than others, and I find that the ones who usually talk are happy to talk over the quiet ones. WAIT!!! Let person X respond, since I asked THEIR opinion, not yours! I find I have to do that frequently in the Zoom calls. But it's a "trick" to engage everyone - ask questions. It's not just about YOU! It's about everyone! I don't always do a good job, but I try. I think that's why every casual Zoom call requires a moderator to keep the conversation going and to encourage everyone to participate. 

While they were chatting and answering questions, I had something important to work on. 

M is getting married in just over three weeks! Oh my --- how did that date come up so quickly? And she is following the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. We also added the phrase about the penny for the shoe. And thanks to Jane, who found a penny for the year she was born. 

She had taken care of everything, but needed something old. I couldn't think of anything, but she remembered this little pinafore that I made for her when she was tiny! We have a family photo of her in the dress. She drooled on the embroidery in the yoke, and I don't think she ever wore it again. It's been hanging in the closet for 30 years. I'll take a picture of the dress, which doesn't have quite so much work on it. 

Pinafore for the dress

The dress and pinafore went out to BC with a friend of hers and then came back. She asked if she could use the lace along the bottom to wrap her bouquet in. At first, I was resistant, and then seriously! I gave my head a shake. If she remembers this dress from when she was a babe, the least I can do is let her use the lace. I must remember to learn from my mom what not to do! 

As we chatted yesterday, I attacked the bottom of the ruffle using the seam ripper. 

Time for some ripping

Not wanting that lace to ever come off, there were two rows of stitches - of course, there were, and because of the ruffle, there was almost 4 meters of lace. OK -- it's technically eyelet trim, not lace. I had staystitched the bottom of the ruffle, then stitched the trim onto the bottom of the ruffle, and then topstitched it in place. 

That's a lot of stitching.

It took FOUR hours to carefully remove the trim, but it's off! I just have to remove all the threads from the trim and give it a good press. Amazing how much it has yellowed in thirty years in a dark closet. I'm not washing it -- that's the concept of OLD! I must try to find a new picture of her in the dress - the one that's been sitting in the living room for 30 years is quite faded. 

The trim is off the pinafore.

If the trim comes back in good condition, I can restitch it to the ruffle. Why? I don't know because who the heck would ever dress their kid in a dress like that? Unless it's for a photo! Perhaps if she has a girl someday........ But mission accomplished. Now I have to resize a bowtie for Bear, and I'm waiting for scraps of wedding-dress fabric to arrive so I can make a ring-bearer pillow. 

I'm waiting for my outfit to arrive, as I broke down and just ordered one online. I have to rent a car, check the Hullo ferry schedule, and then I'm done with my wedding plans! 

I also completed another community project quilt! 

Community project quilt - number 5 of 11 - done!

I'll be very happy to get these done, but I also have another grouping of ten of my quilts slated for community projects, and I need to dive into those. I must make some kind of dent in the pile this year, or I'll never get them finished. 

It's definitely a treat to work on something where the backing has already been prepared. But I'd better learn to "like" that task, because there are about 250 community project quilts with ZERO backing or binding. Yippee!!!!

Here was the quote in my tea the other day. OH!!!!

A great quote to live by

I cannot express this fact often enough, and we need to encourage people (quilters) or any other person to embrace this philosophy. We NEED to make mistakes, we need to fail, we need to embrace all those so-perceived negative things. Because if we become used to the negative things, we don't feel bad when something really bad happens. We will have developed coping mechanisms to get over it. Today, the youth do not have those abilities (not all), and it's hard for them when something goes wrong, and they develop anxiety! 

Can you imagine being shielded from failure all your life, and then going out into the world and facing failure for the first time as an adult? You'll have a meltdown! 

The section in The Celestine Prophecy I am currently reading is about children, encouraging them to grow, and giving them your full attention. OH boy -- if the author could see the world today, where parents are walking their children to school, and the parent is on the phone. Why are other people on the phone more important than the little one in front of you? 

I really think this book could be rewritten as a "self-help" type book. Outline the nine principles and forget the story. Although the story helps illustrate each of the nine principles. Actually, when you look at it from that perspective, the storyline is pretty clever. While the storyline is so contrived, I'm enjoying the book and really, really believe in these nine principles. It's about self-awareness, energy, and how to get it, and living in harmony with each other and the planet. But I'm curious why the author feels it necessary to give each character the main character meets an age?  

Perhaps I'd better take the lesson from the dealing with children section and apply it to Murphy. I was on the phone for quite a bit yesterday and sat in the gazebo to make the calls. 

Of course, she wanted it to be all about her! And this was her adoring face, only because I took her ball away from her! 

Mom - give me the ball, I'll be good! I'm a good girl!

It's almost like the instant I sat down, she grabbed a ball and threw it into the pond. Her acts are so intentional that you can't help but smile. But then, when I don't pay attention to her, she barks! And she doesn't like to be disciplined, won't be quiet, and you can't catch her. Indeed, one very naughty girl! 

MOM - the pond is a magnet for the ball!

At one point, she finally got the message that we were not playing ball, and she lay like this - staring at the ball. 

MOM - My ball is beautiful!

If the ball comes close enough to the edge, she can pick it out. But it's more fun to have someone throw the ball! 

The rabbits in our neighborhood are pretty bold. They hang out along the walk, and for the most part, Murphy can contain herself, but she can get hysterical. Lexi just wants to play with them. 

The rabbits are bold in our neighborhood.

After dinner, I attempted to work on the jigsaw puzzle. While my butterflies and birds are more together, I'm still a long way from being finished. I need to start moving those pieces into the proper position in the puzzle. I love having the puzzle on the end of the table like this because I can swing my chair around and work from THREE sides! All the pieces are on those boards, which are out of the way. But notice how many pieces I have lying in the puzzle. And I can't find homes for them. Yet............

Progress on the puzzle

This morning, as I walked by (the puzzle is too big to be completely covered by the boards), I noticed that I'm getting a lot of work done in the bottom-left corner. Notice how the corner is floating; it's not connected to the left or bottom border! 

A floating corner!

The cleaning ladies are coming today, so there are a few things I haven't finished (sorting books I don't want), and I must take care of them this morning. It's a good thing to have a cleaning service because it forces you to deal with the "junk" that has accumulated since they last came by! 

I'll have to tell you the story of the cleaning lady another day! I have a few things to put in the garage so they can be packed in the car for the upcoming quilt retreat, and I have things in the kitchen which will get plunked into the office, which is why the office is never clean and tidy! One day!!!!

There is a virtual retreat this weekend. Saturday evening, starting at 6 PM, and Sunday, starting at 3 PM. I'll post the links later this week, but in the meantime, you can add that to your calendar if you want to attend. It throws the Zoom security computer into a tizzy if I post the links on a public blog! Remember what I said about our Monday Zoom -- the information sharing and the way it makes you realize you are not alone in any aspect of your life are priceless. 

And on that happy note, I'm off to tidy up a bit and get a LOT of items checked off the to-do list. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

New residents for the backyard

Alright - Mother Nature! We've had enough! I turned the heat off yesterday morning, but I had to turn it back on later in the day. It never got above 10 degrees Celsius, and it's just cold with the wind. I see the temperature will go up later today, and the sun will come out, which will help. With all the rain, clouds, and wind, those low temps are cold! 

While it was a day for errands in the car, I also managed to start the appliqué. I got the stars done for both blocks. 

Progress on the appliqué blocks

And the fish are done on one block. Now that the machine is set up for appliqué, it shouldn't take too long to finish these two blocks. I know - setting up the sewing machine for appliqué is so easy - change the stitch plate and the foot and select a different stitch. I mean -- we are not talking rocket science here! I must try to get this done today so I can move on! 

More appliqué on those blocks

The day did not start off well, as I had a few minutes before the planned departure for the errands, so I thought I'd dig out the stove's serial number and model and call the support team. OH, great -- I carefully opened the door to see if the serial number was along the edge (that was the first spot I was told to look after a Google search). Sadly, the serial number wasn't there, and the shattered glass took that moment to start collapsing. 

I had no choice but to clean it out, or it would have all fallen into the oven, which I didn't want to clean up. So I got out a spatula to help scoop up the glass. I got almost all the glass scooped up, but broke the spatula in the process. I think I may have to buy a new one, as we only had two. I need to check on that. 

Scooping the shattered glass from the oven door

You can see how dirty the glass was. and how clean the shattered glass became during the cleaning process! 

At least the shattered glass got clean!

I stopped at the pond place to ask questions about our skimmer, which gets clogged so easily, but there isn't much we can do, other than try putting a screen on the front of the skimmer or adding a floating skimmer. Or just plan to clean the existing filter more regularly than we do. If we glue the screening to the existing skimmer, the pond level will have to be lowered, and we will need special glue. I think I'll just schedule cleaning the filter more frequently. It will have to become a job - feed the dogs, clean the filter! 

But I decided to restock the pond with fish. And that was an eye-opener. 

Shopping for fish to restock the pond

When I first bought fish for the pond, twenty-three years ago, I paid 49 cents per fish. Granted, they were small, but still. This time? The smallest fish were $10 a piece! They are approximately 3-4 inches long. Lesson learned: make sure the aerator is working properly in the fall. That was a costly mistake, and so I ended up with seven new fish. The koi and larger fish were even more money, and these smaller fish have room to grow! I did buy a new aerator as well!

Miss Murphy had to investigate what was happening in her pond. 

MOM - Are these my friends?

And then the fish were released. 

The fish, after being released

I think they were in shock. Where's the big blue tub? We have plants? Wow!!!! They swam around and around following each other as they explored their new domain. When I checked on them later, I could only spot part of one, as they had settled amongst the plant debris at the bottom, where they would be safe and warm. 

Hopefully, when the sun comes out later today, we will spot them. 

I had some things to drop off and pick up, and one of the stops was the puzzle warehouse. I know --- do not ask! I had spotted some puzzles a while back, and they were out of stock. They have a system that lets you receive an email when the puzzle is back in stock. How "sneaky" is that? Well, three came in, so I decided to go and have a look. 

The puzzle warehouse

This warehouse is just insane -- it's floor-to-ceiling puzzles, and they carry a wide number of companies, including the latest one I found that publishes puzzles in Ontario! The variety of pictures just blows me away every time I go there. I will NOT go there in the future. Well, for a couple of months! 

Last night, I decided it was time to put away the New York puzzle that I finished last week and start a new one. I'm loving the flexibility of time to do this. And yes -- I feel like I've fallen down another rabbit hole. BUT - when a puzzle is done, it leaves the house. There are a few I'm keeping for certain reasons, but currently, there are only two on the keep shelf. Both will be put together one more time and then given away. 

This one I chose is crazy. It's a 1000-piece puzzle, but the pieces are quite large. I had to use five of the design boards to lay out all the pieces. I managed to get this much completed last night. The border is not together, and I seem to be missing pieces. I suspect the puzzle is much wider than it appears below because neither the top nor the bottom border is complete. By missing pieces, I mean, I just haven't found them yet!

Progress on the new puzzle

The picture is a bunch of brightly colored birds, butterflies, and flowers. 

We had a look at the huge puzzles - the ones that cost $999 and consist of over 40,000 pieces! Can you imagine? Those mostly consist of 10 smaller pictures connected, so, technically, you could do each one by itself. The one I spotted that was different was celebrating Mickey Mouse's 90th anniversary.

I think it's cheating a bit to call this a single puzzle when, in fact, it's ten separate ones put together. It's 22 feet by 6 feet. Where the heck would you lay that out? And in those ones, each puzzle comes in its own bag. Thank goodness for that. 

The largest I have here is 4000 pieces. I think I have two of them that I've carried from the farm back when I left many, many years ago. I think this winter would be a great time to dig one of them out. Hmmm --- those extra tables? I don't think they will be for sale after all! 

And I managed to get one more of the community project quilt done! When things go well, it doesn't take too much time, but everything had been prepped the day before. 

Community project quilt 3 of 11 done!

There is another quilt loaded on the machine for today. It's a gift, so we won't be posting the picture for a while. I'll have to help as the quilt is almost as large as the backing, which is Minky or plush. So that will take some time today, but at least it won't be my job to babysit it. Once I give some guidance, I hope to step back from that one. 

So progress is being made. There are always errands to be done, but today, there is zero reason to leave the house! I hope to start assembling that table and to finish the appliqué. Let's see what happens. I also need to figure out the stove issue and try to help Dad. He is having some pretty bad back pain, and we need to get him some relief from that. It's just so hard when we tell him over and over what he can do, and he refuses to do it. He also doesn't stay on top of his pain meds, so when they wear off, he's in agony. I told him, you need to get on a schedule, so the meds stay working. Yeah!

I finished an audiobook and an ebook yesterday. I have way too many on my shelf (now down to six), but that is way too much pressure to read those books before they are due. Many cannot be renewed. I have put several on suspend and will have to figure out how to unsuspend them at some point. When I get excited about a new book to read, I MUST remember to TAG the darn thing as "want to read" and not put it on hold, even though some of the books I have on hold have been on hold for over a year before I get them. I don't want to suspend or turn those ones away! It gets complicated, but having six books on the shelf at one time is way too much pressure! 

By the way, if you watched the Grainline Studio video linked in my post yesterday, my apologies. That was the link to the series' INTRODUCTION. Here is the link to the first video - Understanding your Sewing Practice. 

On that note, I'm off to start the day!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!

get some appliqué finished. 

And then this happened..................

OH -- there were a few comments about husbands cooking -- to be clear, mine took over cooking before the pandemic, and like Tammy's, he is constantly saying, "Oh, this is very good." While not implying that his cooking is better than mine, there are just subtle comments. Or, maybe I'm reading too much into the comment. However, he has recently gotten a more demanding job, and while he still works from home, he often doesn't have time to cook, or he finishes work at 8 PM and then decides to cook -- I'm on my way to bed by then. So I took back the responsibilities for cooking dinner. 

Plus, he would do the grocery shopping, which I was OK with, but gosh, his cooking is too darn fussy for me, and the kitchen is usually a disaster after he cooks a meal because he never puts anything away while he's cooking. Seriously? If you take a spice out of the cupboard -- use it and then put it back. Nope - he puts it on the counter. 

When I'm done, there is nothing left to put away. And don't get me started on how DH cooks a steak --- that is a very long, laborious process of multiple timers going off. It all seems too complicated for me.

I had a good chuckle when I made the salmon the other night (He cooked steak last night, which I won't eat). When he came to eat, he asked what spices I put in and immediately started pulling things out of the cupboard to put on it. I put plenty of spice in that salmon - it didn't need anything else. Anyway --- we'll survive! Just make it hot, and he's OK. 

But speaking of the kitchen, we have a big job on our hands now. I decided to self-clean the oven, but first I had to clean around the door - the part that doesn't get cleaned by the oven. There was a huge amount of greasy soot around the door - likely from the fire DH had created the night before. And the glass was a mess. Why? Because when he cooks his steak in the oven, it splatters everywhere, and the thought of cleaning that glass? Not in his vocabulary. I told him—if he is going to cook steak, he needs to clean up after himself. 

Well, at one point during the process, I glanced in and saw something a bit disturbing. And then when it finished and cooled off, this is what we saw.  

The glass in the door shattered!

Good grief -- the glass in the door shattered. But it looks clean!! Now we don't use that oven often and don't rest things on the door or slam it or anything like that, so there must have been a small crack that caused this. The big question is—can it be repaired? The stove is 23 years old. If it can't, I refuse to get a new stove. I'll clear out the glass and leave it. We can use the toaster oven if we need an oven. 

I managed to get all the bits for the first table downstairs, except for the table top. I need to open the boxes and start the assembly process. Yep - I could hire someone to do it, but I could save myself some money and do it myself. It's not that complicated. 

And I managed to get some sewing done! I completed the log cabins for both winter quilts. Remember that back in the day, I needed to make TWO of everything so I would have one to show as completely done (which never happened) and one to show the assembly progress. These are only 3½" square. 

My log cabin blocks are done!

FYI -- I only made two quilts on this series of four seasonal quilts and the Cabin in the Woods quilt. The two Cabin in the Woods quilts are waiting to be quilted. Of the four seasonal quilts, there are two fall quilts and two spring quilts. I'm working on the winter one, and the summer one hasn't been started, but to complete both sets, I'll do two of the summer quilts. After those quilts, I learned my lesson -- only make one! 

The backgrounds for the ice fishing blocks have been completed, and all the shapes have been cut out. I actually have the shapes fused to one of the backgrounds, but I haven't gotten a picture of it yet. I'll continue working on these today and plan to complete the appliqué stitching. I have appliqué on my Color My World to finish stitching, and on my hexagon quilt. You haven't seen that quilt yet. It's going to be an appliqué kind of day. 

The backgrounds for the ice fishing blocks

And I interspersed the appliqué with trimming half-square triangles. I got quite a stack done. 

Trimmed half-square triangles

But I still have all these to trim, and the pile gets larger when I'm piecing because I use small triangles as enders and leaders. I am determined to get this under control, and once these are complete, I think there is one more bag of items to trim. I think it's in my retreat bag. I must find it and add it to the pile, because it would be great to get them all done. 

HSTs still to trim

I know that many of you want to see what I'm going to do with them all. Me too!!! I shall dig out some of the items I've made, but when we start the scrap class in the fall, I shall be tackling some of these HSTs. 

Then I had to sort through the batting scraps and make the batting for this quilt. This is one of the eleven community projects I offered to do for someone. I won't be doing that again, but it was in the heat of the moment that I made an offer. 

Community project quilt 2/11 - done

I got a call late in the day - wait - I have to give you an update on my phone story. So you know that for the last couple of years, I've had major issues with chatting on my phone. It just doesn't work, as my voice fades in and out, and of course, the person on the other end can't hear me, which is very frustrating. I changed phones, bought new phones, tried inside and outside the house, and nothing ever worked. I was very frustrated and basically gave up talking on the phone. Or I would grab the call and then call people back on the home phone. 

I complained about the phone connection on numerous occasions and was finally told that there was a connection issue with my phone and the local tower. I also got into the habit of not having long conversations on any phone, and I'm OK with that. 

Well, guess what? I've taken several long phone calls over the last couple of months, and everything seems to be back to normal. Did I make any changes? Nope! One day it didn't work; the next day, it did. So perhaps it was a connection problem at the tower, and they have fixed it? Perhaps the phone gods decided I had been punished enough? I've no idea, but (knock on wood), it seems to be working just fine. 

Technology is a mysterious world. But what I hate about it is the amount of follow-up required to get things done when something is broken, and you have no guarantee it will work. It drives me mad!

Back to the phone call I received in the afternoon. It was the Sports Clinic that my doctor referred me to. They were going to schedule an appointment for me in October!!!! OH—then she said my situation was a priority, so I got an appointment at the end of July! At least I have an appointment. In the meantime? Well, I'll just do the best I can. Ice, walk slower, walk less. It's frustrating! I must get my townie bike tuned up so I can use it for my afternoon errands. The bike supports my leg, so it's not an issue. I must take the bike into the shop today! Maybe tomorrow, as I have some car errands. 

Well, I'm off to the gym this morning and will do some spin bike on my own. It's so frustrating because I looked forward to Joseph's class. Sigh..............

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

What a memory!!!

OK --- I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face, and I can't help it. They are tears of joy, but still. And even when I got ahold of myself and then came back to edit, these pictures still bring tears to my eyes. 

I just had a quick peek at Facebook before I started writing, and I spotted this post. I knew my nephew, who recently got his pilot's license and bought a small plane, wanted to fly from Winnipeg to visit with my parents in North Battleford. It's about 840 km. 

When I talked to Mom yesterday and asked if anything new was happening, she said that Devin and his girlfriend were there for the weekend. 

And here is Devin taking my Dad for a ride in his plane. My Dad would be tickled to the ends of the earth with this, and I just can't stop crying when I think of how much this would lift his day, his week, his year!!

Grandfather (my Dad) and his grandson (Devin)

One of Dad's buddies (best man) lives in Edmonton and used to fly small planes, and Dad talked about it all the time. Going for a ride with his grandson in his own plane will have him over the moon. And they flew over the farm, which is even more special. I bet the neighbors were wondering who the heck was in that small plane!! 

What's left of the family farm

Gosh -- if it weren't for the blue roof on the old garage, you wouldn't even know there was a farm there! Almost everything is now gone, but you will notice a long line of debris in front of the blue-roofed garage. That belongs to my brother, who is in total denial about being a hoarder, just like Mom. He is a hoarder of old trucks and cars. While he's in the process of getting rid of it, there is still a lot of work to be done. But that's not my problem! 

OK - I think I've settled down now! WOW --- what a thrill of a lifetime for Dad. He'll be talking about that for years! I might have to get those pictures framed for him! 

My news for the day is pretty tame compared to that. I'm so not used to having NOTHING to do on the weekends that I'm positively becoming a slug! Well, that's not true, but I didn't get done nearly as much as I would have liked. But you know what? That's OK. 

This was my quote in my tea in the morning. How fun, and it's so true whether you are quilting, getting from A to B, or anything in life!! I try to "enforce" that when I'm teaching a class. I am not a fan of teachers who dictate how something must be done. There are a few rules in my vocabulary when I teach - I have my preferred way, and I like to state why that is my preferred way, but honestly, does it matter if the students do it slightly differently? Not at all!

Quote for the day

The three of us went to DH's golf club for brunch. It was a beautiful day, but it was cold, and when that wind starts up, it's even colder. When I walked Murphy in the morning, it was without mitts, but when I walked Lexi, I got mitts. 

It was a wonderful buffet, and we had a great lunch. I only took pictures of the best part! Dessert! They had yummy cupcakes. 

Mother's Day dessert

But the best part was the creme brule!! Oh my --- the portion was tiny, so I did sneak a second one, and it was so creamy and heavenly. A great way to finish off a wonderful meal. I'm sure DH will be happy when his sister moves out! So much talking and frivolity at the table! He's used to my one-sided, idiotic conversations, but to have someone respond to me -- well, I'm sure he's getting tired of it. I think it's hilarious and loads of fun!

Creme brule to die for!

I had not been out to the club for several years, and I used to ride my bike in that area, but the roads have all changed now. I almost got lost! 

So what did I do once we got back home? That darn puzzle was calling my name, and I just couldn't resist. After all, it was Sunday, and Mother's Day on top of it, so I resisted the weak pull of the sewing machine and sat down to work on the puzzle. Those buildings were a challenge since there were loads of windows, but there were small figures in them, and, well, it all came together. And this is more like me—finding a home for all the pieces I have selected. 

Progress on the puzzle

Then I covered the puzzle and said, "No more," but I couldn't resist, and before I knew it, I was back to working on the puzzle. And this is what it looked like when I shut things down last night. I think you can now tell the city it portrays! 

Great progress on the jigsaw puzzle

And while I loved getting the information, I didn't need to know there was a second puzzle store in my area!! I looked at their Facebook page, and it looks like a wonderful store in Toronto. It's called PuzzleNerds, and it's about 30 minutes away by car. Hmmm--- I may have to take a visit, but they have a very good website, so one could just look online and order! Lots of great independent puzzle makers with some amazing pictures!

I spotted this puzzle, which I need to get. It's called Soaring Over Tofino, and since that is the location of the next wedding, it's a must-get! It's out of stock at both puzzle stores!!! The Villager is a Canadian company. Yeah!

Soaring over Tofino jigsaw puzzle

Anyway --- it was fun not having any pressure to get something done, and working on the puzzle was amazing. I LOVE doing jigsaw puzzles. 

However, I did accomplish some quilting things. The customer's quilt was finished. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I just have to join some batting pieces for the community project quilt I'll work on today, and I'll switch back and forth between these two categories to finish them. It's time I got back to the long arm! And I have some learning to do, and this would be the perfect time since I don't have much pressure from classes. And can you believe? This coming weekend is also empty!! I MUST get my bike tuned up, so I can get out for some rides!!

I also traced all the applique shapes for that winter seasonal quilt I'm working on. I didn't get any sewing done, and I'm OK with that. Tracing the applique is a boring process, and it's all done!

Tracing the applique shapes onto the fusible.

It's Monday sewing, so I hope to get all the fusible on the back of the fabric scraps and cut them out. Then, when it's time to do the applique, all is prepped. I have some other applique stitching to do, and today might be just the perfect day to make it all happen. While it's OK to slide a bit, I don't want that to become the new norm. I like sewing and have so much I want to do. 

I'm off to spin this morning. Notice I didn't say "class." I'm going to hop on a bike in the main area and watch the TV without sound. I'm OK with that. I just need to get back into my routine, and I really, really miss the spin classes. 

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

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao!!!

Working in the backyard

I WAS going to say Rose of Sharon!! I am quite confused about plants, but I believe you are correct! It's hard to believe that my paternal grandfather and mother had green thumbs, yet I struggle to name even a few plants in my garden. 

But I was attempting to use my pale green thumbs as I puttered in the garden in the morning. More in a second. 

It was another fun day at the Virtual Retreat. Our new hours are 3 PM to approximately 9 PM EST, in case you'd like to join us in the future. They used to be longer, but I want to play host and be on the call, and this time works for me. Remember - it's all about reclaiming some time to complete more of my projects. I was actually quite accomplished yesterday, or at least more so than I've been in the past. 

The next one is scheduled for August 30 and 31. I learn so much from everyone else that it blows my mind! Just when you think there is nothing new to learn, BAM -- your head is spinning with new knowledge and new ideas! 

After walking the girls, I was hot and sweaty, and I decided it was a good time to finally get the mulch I had purchased months ago into the garden. I know --- I'm good at procrastinating. 

I had only purchased 10 bags, and if I really wanted to cover the entire backyard, I would need about 200 bags. At which point, I should just buy the large bag, but then it's a hassle to get it from the front to the back. My intention was to buy 10 bags for each of several weeks, but that didn't happen. Oh well. It's not the end of the world. 

Newly laid mulch

More mulch

It's incredible how quickly the weeds grow back, especially between those rocks. I'll get in one more session of weeding before the trip, and then it'll have to wait until the end of August, which isn't a big deal. It's pretty clean right now, so a few weeks won't kill anything. And if I can find more mulch when I get back, I might get a few more bags. 

Poor Murphy was so hot when she got back from the walk, and when I showed her the small swimming pool, she just flopped right down. But she didn't stay long, nor did she return to it - even when I encouraged her. Maybe she didn't like the fact that she couldn't lie flat out! 

MOM - I'm boiling! 

Let's see -- Oh yes -- I mixed up the concentrate of the pesticide for my boxwoods and they got a good spray. I'll spray again this coming weekend, and hopefully they will be saved. They are out front. 

And no wonder that dog is hot -- she thinks sunbathing is a good thing. Then she comes in the house and is HOT. Well, she knows what to do to stay cool. She loves to sleep in the basement where it's cool. 

MOM - the sun is good for you!

Miss Lexi, who is afraid of stairs, prefers to have a fan! But it's incredible how one fan (well, we now have two) can keep the temperature and the humidity down in the house. Five minutes after I turn the fan off? Hot and sticky!

MOM - I LOVE the fan!

I know - we could turn the AC on, but I love hearing the birds chirping, I love getting that breeze through the windows, and I love that the girls can come and go as they want. It makes the house feel alive! Having the AC off also makes a huge difference in our ability to cope with the heat. Since our bodies are accustomed to the heat, we don't feel it as much outside. DH still plays golf in this weather, and I walk every day. 

I don't have an issue with getting to sleep or staying asleep due to the heat. 

I stared at this picture for a few minutes before I remembered why I had taken it. A house near me decided to install artificial turf. OK -- I get that, but perhaps I'm missing something. There are huge seams in this section. Wouldn't you want that to be one piece? Do they think it'll grow and the seams will disappear? Just seems odd. They are NOT connected - just shoved one beside the other. 

A patchy artificial turf job

I did manage to finish the appliqué on my quilt top. I realized after I got started and looked at the appliqué that these ones were added on after the top was stitched together. You'll understand more when you see the top. It's now loaded on the long arm, but I didn't get a chance to quilt it. See how the appliqué sappliquéer the edge of the block? That's why it never got done. It was a hassle to deal with the entire quilt top while I twisted and turned, but it was fine, and it's done! 

Appliqué oAppliquéngle quilt

Can you tell that two different people and two different machines, 25 years apart, did the stitching on that block? I didn't think so! There are a few other blocks, where you can see that two different people did the work, but it's a quilt -- do I care if it's not perfect? Not in the least. It's a group quilt, so that means it will never be perfect! 

I also completed some more machine embroidery, and this morning, I did some more tidying up. I have some paperwork and administrative tasks to attend to, and I might use my mornings at the upcoming retreat to get that done. Yes -- I'm off to another quilt retreat this morning. 

I did a bit of panic packing this morning, but only because I have a project that needs to be done and I have one week. No extensions, so if I can get a bit more done in the next four days, it'll be less pressure when I'm back. I'd almost be happy not to sew anything but the urgent things and get caught up on work! I'll see how it goes. 

And can you tell me about my headphones? What's with them? I was having a lot of difficulty with them, and I suspect there's a short in the wires due to the way the ear part rotates to turn them on and off. However, they have been behaving themselves quite nicely lately, and I'm a happy person!

However, I noticed that I've now torn the "leather" on the headband. Why? 

The leather is torn! 

Because of the way I was putting my hair up in this hot weather. I was using a squeezy clip, and I think the top of it damaged this material. I found some flat clips the other day, and they work so much better. I'll explain that situation a bit more tomorrow. 

DH took care of the ETAs yesterday, and thank goodness he did. It sounded like an awful process with a few frustrations. I'm sure that as this becomes a more common requirement for travel, the process will get refined. Now we wait for approval. Due to the shifts in where people are traveling, I wonder if some countries will start refusing entry to their borders because of the numbers. 

My task for today is to finalize the insurance details and contact the doctor regarding the vaccines. 

Many people have asked if I will be blogging while away. You bet!!! I have my office at home, where I mostly blog, and it consists of a desktop computer. I have a portable office, which I pack in my backpack and which consists of a laptop. When I travel on vacation, I have a ULTRA mini portable office, which I pack in a ziplock bag. I'll share the photo tomorrow since some of you may not be familiar with it. As long as I have Wi-Fi, I'll continue to post. The pictures are very challenging to post on the blog when I'm on vacation, but I'll consider options and — oh — I just thought of a way I might be able to make that happen. And it'll only add a few ounces to my Ziploc! Stay tuned! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! I have a few things to attend to before I leave. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

It's all about the birds!

 It's funny how you have an entire day to sew, yet I didn't get much done! How does that work? I was on the phone for two lengthy conversations. I took both calls outside, and neither had issues hearing me. Was it my lucky day? Or are things looking up with my cell phone? 

I've noticed a heron flying overhead several times while walking the dogs. Is it flying to my house? I want to run home to see, but I'm pretty sure that with their large wingspan, it wouldn't feel comfortable coming into our backyard. But you never know. I have spotted them sitting on my neighbor's roof contemplating the space down to my pond! 

However, I was walking through the forest yesterday with Murphy when something rustled in the trees overhead. I thought it was a squirrel jumping from one branch to another, as they love to do. NO—it was a bird. It was a big bird, so I suspect it was a hawk waiting along the path for some little rabbit or squirrel to be its victim. It was a large bird—I didn't get to see it, but you could tell by the movement in the trees. My first thought was - that is one giant squirrel!

In the last few weeks, I've spotted large hawks soaring above the area. Thank goodness Little Bear is not here because he would be a target. But what really freaked me out about birds yesterday was this. Notice how I use those new zoom buttons on my phone, yet I rarely used the manual zoom. That's just laziness on my part! But the new settings are great—thanks to Samsung for adding them. 

A very LARGE bird

I spotted this giant bird feasting on road kill ahead of me while walking Murphy. From a distance, it appeared black, and I thought it was a crow. As I approached and it moved to the sidewalk because of the cars, I was surprised at its size. It was HUGE. Then it flew to the nearest rooftop. That was no crow - it was a turkey vulture! I've seen them in the country, but do not remember seeing them in the city. Maybe I just missed ever seeing one. 

Yikes -- the day was for the birds! 

But nothing compares to the video my SIL took when they were on a quick weekend vacation on Bowen Island in BC. OK- this is gross, and while I saw the video, I am not sharing it, but it is the circle of life. A snake swallowed a frog! Knowing that an amateur photographer got that was the most incredible thing. He was in the right place at the right time, and neither reptile nor amphibian was interested, nor could they slither/hop away. Totally gross/totally fascinating! 

Let's talk about nice things now—pretty things and some progress. Here is my 60-minute-or-less project from the other day. Technically, it didn't come from those buckets, but it was for Dear Jen, and I was happy to make it happen. One block needed some appliqué. I used a wide satin stitch to go around it. It was very fiddly, but it's done! 

AppliAppliqué Dear Jen block

Speaking of abandoning a quilt project, I found this in my stash. I have a bundle of odds and ends of solid black fabric, which I used for my Dear Jen's sashings. When I opened up this big piece, I wondered for a minute about the lines. Then I realized the lines were most likely drawn to help position a stained glass project. 

I was happy to find that in this fabric stash, not in a UFO stash. It's now cut up and used for sashing. Well, technically, it's a frame, not sashing. 

I'm happy to report that all 25 blocks for Dear Jen are framed. But not before I had to take two of them off. Good grief—the framing had to be in a certain orientation to avoid butting seams when it joined the next block. That's what happens when you don't pay attention! I rearranged the blocks as best I could, calling it a day. I don't think I took a picture at the end of my framing session. 

The Dear Jen blocks

Then, the question was whether I should trim down the framing. I cut 1½" strips, although the quilt I used for inspiration used 1" strips. Well, it's better to have them too big and cut them down than not big enough. And I think I was using the bigger pieces to make the quilt larger quickly. 

However, one of the ladies used the smaller-sized framing, and it looked amazing. I got out the square ruler and the rotary cutter, and off with their heads! I LOVE the look with the narrower framing. YES, this is the way to go, and I completed the entire first row and part of the second. 

Which framing size do you like? 

Isn't that an incredible difference? I was blown away. The larger sashing makes it look like a traditional sampler, while the narrower one makes it look funky and modern! That's the difference a ½" can make. I was pleasantly surprised and am excited to continue with it. Before I decided to chop the blocks down, I measured the size needed to go over the sewing machine, and the smaller size works better than the larger size. That was the deciding factor! 

I didn't make a ton of sewing progress yesterday despite having a free day, but with those phone calls, the walk, and the snack break, it all adds up. Plus, I quilted a quilt, and that takes way more time than I think it does. Yes, even with a computerized long arm. 

But here is the latest customer quilt. 

Customer quilt - DONE

If you think that is the same one I showed you last week, it is not. I have one customer who loves this fabric style, and she brought me five quilts, four of which all use the same fabric. I have two more of hers to quilt, but I have to shift gears this week as I have a couple of quilts that are higher on the priority list. I'm doing great, keeping up with the customer quilts—there are fewer than ten in the queue, and I want to keep it like that. 

That brings me to a subset of my discussion yesterday. I've had to rifle through a lot of my projects in order to find a couple of things. Come to think of it, I'm constantly rifling through the projects for samples, or a quilt top, or whatever. I have loads of samples everywhere, including the "to be quilted" pile. And yes, I have my list of what quilt is in what tub, but holy, that entire corner of the room is one big mess. 

WAIT -- it's not a mess in the sense that I can't find anything, because it is very organized. But there are so many tubs (22) and each one holds MANY quilt tops that need to be quilted. I need to focus more on those quilts than I have in the past. 

ONE of the tubs in the "to be quilted" area

Yes, some quilts have come out and then been quilted, and I'm trying to quilt more tops as I finish them, but the amount being added is greater than the amount coming out, which is NOT good. I also need to consider the tubs in the storage room of the tops that Diane made. 

WAIT—I am not complaining, and I am not asking for help. It's all a matter of switching priorities in my life because I like using the long arm. I like the process of prepping and loading the quilt. I love seeing the quilt come to life; it makes me happy when I pull it off. It's just a lack of time that prevents me from doing more. 

June is somewhat quieter from a class perspective (8 one-hour Zooms, Quilt Canada (4 days), a quilt retreat (4 days), and the Virtual Retreat (reduced hours this month - starts at 3 PM on Sunday). The rest of the time is mine! Although there is a bit of class follow-up and some prep work involved, it's relatively quiet. July has nothing, and I want to use my time wisely. WAIT -- there are two 4-day quilt retreats in July. Don't ask how that happened. But if anyone wants to come on a quilting retreat, I have space in early July!! Just shoot me an email for more details. elainetheriault@gmail.com

When fall comes, I will have less class prep and more ME time, and I'm trying very hard to keep it that way. As some people very sneakily say, "What about this?" I am adamant—I am NOT adding anything new. Thanks for the suggestion, but you take the class my way or the highway. There will be no adding something just because. I am NOT doing it! I'm not even tempted to break my rules! 

I even warned one of my groups that it'll likely hit the chopping block because of a lack of participation. Perhaps you can explain something to me if you are one of these people. You attend a Zoom class, which is strictly show and tell, with a few tips and tricks thrown in as we discuss the issues people had. Why do people attend and never show anything - EVER? Yes - you are learning, but are you? What are you learning if you never apply the knowledge, or have never used this tool, and thus have no clue what is being said? 

It's not like this is a social event, as no one gets to talk unless they have a sample. That mystery has come about with Zoom calls that I do not understand. If someone can help me know that, I'd be grateful. Anyway, with the drop in participation level, I'd rather spend that time (and the preamble, the potential overtime, and the prep time) doing something for me! 

I apologize if that seems harsh. I understand that some people are busy and can't participate every month. I'm totally aware because the same happens to me. But if you NEVER participate, then what's the point? 

Anyway, I'm off to spin class this morning, and then we have Monday Sewing. I hope to continue working on my Dear Jen, plus there is a bit of tidying on the cutting table to do. All is good. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!