Conquering GOALS one at a time!

I won't bore you with the details, but I LOVE cleaning up the digital mess. In a way, it's the same deal as with a physical mess. The task is daunting, and you have no idea where to start. But once you make a plan, then it starts to fall into place. I find I'm spending a little more time than I have at the moment on this task. It's therapeutic and FUN!!! OK - I must be mad!

I can see there's a lot more work ahead of me. Duplicate and triplicate files, stuff in randomly named folders, and well, it's going to take a long time to clean this up. But now that I'm MOVING, not copying, it's going to be easier, and I'm learning a whole lot about DELETE. OK - I already knew about that, but I'm being ruthless. Well, I haven't got to the big, ruthless part yet! I'm mostly still sorting. 

My first priority was to get the files somewhat organized into three spots. I have three external hard drives: one for sewing, one for photos, and the third, which I wasn't planning to use, will become the admin drive. That may change over time, but I think that's a good split. I managed to get all the unfiled items in that one folder taken care of - they are now in a folder. It may not be in the right spot, but they are all corralled. 

Here's an example of my previous file folder names --- Stuff from the USB drive, Things to deal with, and to be printed. Seriously? And if I print something, I never go back and delete it!! Oh my ---- what a mess an unfocused mind can make! 

Random file names

Next up: move the files from the photo hard disk that shouldn't be there. And I'm starting to deal with the stuff on OneDrive, too. 

I have almost accomplished one of my goals for this month: corral all the Machine Embroidery files in one spot. Mission is nearly completed. I still have to look at my old computer, then double-check through OneDrive. That task will be done unless I find a rogue file here and there. So that was HUGE, and it only happened because I have goals!!!!

I cleaned up the Admin Hard drive, but don't be fooled. Within each of those categories is a HUGE mess. Even though I have plenty of room, I think I'm going to delete the Fabric Downloads folder. That was mostly for when I was working at a fabric company and doing a lot of quilt designing. Now that I don't design much for magazines and such, there's really no need for that folder. And most of the stuff has been downloaded into specific EQ8 files. If I need something, I can always download it again! And I'm not touching the OneDrive folder, as that is the backup. I need to learn more about that. 

The Admin Hard Drive

OK -- I hear you --- ALL of those fabrics, except the blenders (and even then) are NO LONGER available, so what's the point of keeping a digital file to design a quilt? I will take a quick peek after walking the girls and then delete the entire folder! 

As for the pictures, that stuff will eventually all be moved to the other hard disk, so all the photos will be together. But there are folders and folders of pictures. As there are folders and folders of stuff in the MyDocuments. I'm getting there. And I'm doing it MY WAY!!!!

Speaking of goals, I can now share this with you. So not only did I pick a word for 2026, which was GOALS, but I wanted to have a visual reminder of the word, so I can hang it up and be reminded each day that I have a word for 2026. Check out this QUILTsocial blog post to see what I did. I LOVE it, and the whole thing just fell into place without much planning on my part. 

I often design with my gut, and for the most part, it serves me well!!!

And if you want to check out the edge-to-edge quilting with the new Husqvarna Viking Large Magnetic Hoop, check out this site!!! Oh my --- I will NEVER do machine embroidery quilting, edge-to-edge in a traditional hoop again! EVER!!!

Dede came over in the morning, and we completed a UFO. OH MY -- I can't share it with you yet, but it's stunning, and we are both thrilled with the result. But we did have an accident. This is what happens when you apply too much hammering to a small rotary cutting mat! The mat appeared to have a lot of cracks - was it cold? Was it old? Or did we do all that damage? 

The cutting mat split!

After she left, I consolidated items that needed attention and set them on one of the worktables. I put away the things that had been left out. 

Stuff to put away or deal with

And then I got to work on one of the projects that had been sitting on the current project table for a while. 

This is my Barn Star Sampler quilt that I taught a couple of years ago. It is a giant quilt at 80 by 100 inches. I had already made a quilt back and binding for it. You can see the yellow background in the photo above on the top left. 

Barn Star Sampler quilt

But then I found this fabric in my stash and decided I like it better. I don't think I have ever done that before - switch out a backing when it was already made. While it doesn't really show in the photos, the colors in the quilt are exactly like the new backing fabric, and there was JUST ENOUGH. So that quilt has a new backing, and it's off the current project table, and back in the "to be quilted" pile. 

The new quilt backing

From time to time, I receive random pieces of fabric. They magically appear along with other things I said I would take. I could pretty much tell by the feel of this one that it was NOT cotton. Then I ironed a small piece of it, and, yep —you can smell it's not cotton. But to be 100% sure, I did the burn test. My pie candle was burning, so I decided to burn a wee bit of it, and it didn't burn; it just melted and became a hard, lumpy mess in that spot. This piece of fabric is now in the bag of textiles that I'm saving to give to one of those places that recycle textiles. I must get cracking on finding out where that is, as that bag is getting full. 

The burn test resulted in melting!! Not ash --- this is not cotton

And look at the cartoon I found when sorting through files!! Most of the files I did not open, as I could tell by the folder or the file name where they belonged, but there were several that I had to open because they were randomly named. I got a chuckle. The file is now deleted! I would like to say that my junk drawer was cleaned out years ago, and it is exactly the same as it was after I cleaned it! That's a huge positive. I'm learning as I go, and not regressing into old habits!!

How appropriate

I did some other work, but I haven't gotten that binding on yet. The quilt is trimmed, and the binding will be a job for today. But now I must switch gears and get to work on that second quilt. The days are quickly zipping by, and before I know it, the deadline will be here, and I won't be done. I can't have that, so after binding that quilt, I need to focus on meeting another goal!! Meeting those goals is hard work! And no rest for the ambitious!

So far, I seem to be good at adding things to my digital To-Do list. And I love the fact that it's available to me on all platforms. What I need to be better at is scheduling the due dates and actually getting the stuff done! That will come, but I think I like it and will use it!! There's a learning curve to everything, and I'm perhaps biting off a bit more than I can chew at the moment. 

On that happy note, I'm out of here!! Lots to do, and I see we got some snow overnight, but not much, so it shouldn't take too long to shovel. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

The aftermath

Phew -- so doing that Facebook Live was quite an adventure! I didn't go back and watch it, but I know a few areas where I could do things differently. But I'm OK with that. What am I always telling people? It'll never be perfect the first time -- gosh -- it'll probably never be perfect! However, one learns from experience, and I spent the morning walking through the presentation, moving from chair to chair, standing up to hold the quilts, and prepping fabric or whatever I needed as I did the walk-through. 

I had an agenda on a small whiteboard to help me along, and I'm happy with the results. 

Needless to say, I had help while I was working. First, Murphy was there as Little Bear was upstairs. 

Why is the gaffer asleep on the floor?

Then Little Bear wanted to be downstairs, so he got moved. 

The replacement is no better than the original!

Then, they were both there to help out. Lexi? She would NEVER come downstairs. That's beneath a Princess to take the stairs. 

MOM -- we want to be TALENT, not behind-the-scenes stuff!

During the actual presentation, Little Bear stayed on the floor. I could hear Murphy barking at one point, but nothing I could do about it!! 

I was messing around taking pictures, and here's the view from my primary camera. 

The view from the primary camera

And this is what my table looked like. 

Behind the scenes

My tiny little set-up gives you some appreciation for what happens in a real filming studio. It reminded me of the day when the Property Brothers (Drew and Linda) descended upon Studio B to film a segment for their show. I could see myself on the laptop screen, but I was not using the laptop camera, which was unnerving. I was looking into a camera about 10 feet away. Yet all the questions came on the laptop. Oh well -- it was OK, but remember to look at the camera, NOT the computer!

In case you're wondering, this is what my screen looked like. 

What I saw! 

I had to laugh because, after the presentation, this is what the floor looked like. 

Everything got tossed to the floor

Everything got tossed to the floor. There was no time to tidy it up, and that's OK!!!

Anyway, I had a blast! So help me, but I volunteered to do it again! Hey -- if I went to all that trouble to make this happen, I should at least get to do it again! 

Someone asked about my jacket (not during the presentation, but after). Here's a picture of the back. 

My jacket

This was the first time I wore it. Where did it come from? I wish I could say I made it, but I did not. When M was in Turkey in the fall, she was browsing some of the local markets and spotted a shop selling this kind of work. It is called Kashmiri Embroidery. 

The shop she was in had hundreds of brilliantly colored items, so I went shopping through her phone. We settled on this one. When it came to size, she tried on one, and we went one size larger. Anyway, I got the jacket when she stopped in on her way home. I tried it on, and it fits like a glove! It's beautiful. 

I suspect this type of embroidery is similar to the MOLAS from the Panama Canal area. Do they make "cheap knock-offs" for tourists? I don't know what the story is, but it's beautiful! I'm not sure how much she paid. I should ask her if she remembers. 

When I finished yesterday, I was EXHAUSTED. My brain and body protested that I needed a break, so I did. The girls, the boy, and I cuddled up in the living room and had a long nap. But only after they all entertained me!

My entertainment after the show

I went downstairs this morning to start tidying everything up. It was a disaster, to be sure! I got all the samples put away. The extension cords (I had THREE different power bars) got put away. And I returned the big mic to DH's office. Shoot -- I bought that for me, and then I was using earbuds, so I gave the mic to him. Thankfully, he wasn't home yesterday, so I stole the mic from his office. It worked like a charm! My earbuds haven't been working well for quite some time, so I've been using the mic on the laptop, which is crap! I have a new set of earbuds, and I'll try them for the virtual retreat this weekend. 

Mostly tidied up except for the technology

I need to do some significant labeling before I put everything away. Cords must be labeled; I might pack them with the appropriate camera. That way, when I grab a camera, all its cords are in one place. So I'll work on that later today - bit by bit, but the worst part is done.

Speaking of cameras, I was tidying up the remaining mess on the kitchen table, and imagine my surprise when I realized that TWO of the three cameras were FILM, not digital. I delicately opened it (although that doesn't make a difference if there is an open film in the back) and found a roll that needed to be developed. I suspect this camera belonged to M. Do I even dare get that developed? I may not want to see any of the photos. Perhaps I should give it to her and let her decide. 

An undeveloped film?

This is the second camera, which did not have any film inside. I dug the manual out of the recycling for this camera, as it's a decent camera. The other one is very cheap. This is a Nikon. I have a few rolls of film -- does anyone have a budding photographer in their family who would love to mess with film? Otherwise, it's going to get donated. 

Another film camera

I was sorting through the CDs that I found. Good grief -- I've bought a few Canon products in my time. Notice the version of the software that came with each!! I can download it online, so I don't need these. I don't think anyone uses CDs for multi-media or any other purpose, but I best keep those pouches!!! I have to deal with those today. 

Old CDs for cameras

As part of my cleaning process this morning, I was swiftering around getting rid of dust and decided to move the portable design wall. I simply folded it in on itself. Imagine my surprise when I spotted this block on the back! That's the MISSING block from Barn Star Sampler. I swear I had made all the pinwheels but couldn't find one. So I remade it!!! I got a chuckle!!!

My MISSING block from the Barn Start Sampler quilt

If you wonder why I called my sewing spaces STUDIOs, not sewing rooms, read this quote. It's from a book on organizing your sewing space. I must have read the book years ago, or I just decided that what I do sounds better in a studio than in a sewing room. 

We DESERVE STUDIOS!!!

To add to the circus which is my house, two nights ago, the doorbell rang at 7 PM, and this box was on my step. Good grief -- CanPar was working late!!! Anyway, I've opened the box, and it's filled with goodies that I get to play with for the next blog posts for QUILTsocial. I can't wait!!!! 

A box of goodies!! 

And I think that's enough excitement to last for a while. However, I'm back to work today as I have a presentation on Husqvarna Viking Accessories tonight. It won't take long to assemble, and I'll only use one camera. However, I might use one of my Handi-cams to show off the accessories. And I have a massage booked. Thank goodness, as I can feel how tight my shoulders are, and I've not had a chance to do much about it. She is going to HURT me today - I can already feel it. 

Almost all of our snow is gone. The weather was so warm yesterday, but when I finished at 4:30, I was too tired to go for that second walk. But it's still warm this morning and will get warmer as the day progresses, so it'll be nice to walk the girls and the boy. 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, February 24 -- Starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, February 25 - Starts at NOON

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The gold thread returns

It's back to business! I'm happy to report that my system of recreating the distribution lists worked! It's still time-consuming, but my process made it relatively pain-free, and two more lists were recreated yesterday. One of the steps is done for six more lists, and hopefully, they will get done this morning. That will leave one more to recreate tomorrow. 

Let's say that the "incident" was a good eye-opener. I sure seem to have my share, but then I'm willing to let "bad" things happen and learn from them. Things change and life is much better than it was before. I know some people are afraid to let the "bad" things happen to them or their family, but seriously? I'm a much stronger person because of it! And I sure cope a lot better when something really bad happens!

We had great fun at Monday Sewing, and I did some cutting. That's my new plan -- since I'm not good at sewing during Zoom calls, I must find other things I can do, and cutting or prepping is one of them. OK --- I've got lots of cutting, prepping, or handwork, and if I can do that on a Zoom call, then sew when I'm alone -- that works for me. 

This is why you want a cutting table with some room. So when you actually want to cut, you can put your stuff on it. Don't panic -- it looks much better this morning. 

A cutting session

I needed some squares for upcoming homework, so I cut the strips yesterday. I got a chuckle when I opened one of the fabrics. Guess what I found???

A GOLD thread

Yep --- one more of those elusive gold threads!!! It's been a long time since I've seen one of those gold threads. Many years ago, I ripped out something quilted with metallic thread, and those little gold threads were everywhere. I thought I had gotten rid of them all, but nope --- one more surfaced yesterday to put a smile on my face!!!

And so I cut all these strips, which will be cut into squares later. 

My strips are cut

And all this fabric got put away. 

Stack of fabric that I could put away

Now, I must learn to be this diligent in the future. Do the prep work, and put the extra away. And by planning a little bit, it should all work!! 

We had a bit of snow on New Year's Eve. Not much, but just enough to make the sidewalks questionable. Fortunately, they were OK, and it looked quite pretty in the morning. 

A somewhat winter wonderland

The girls were in fine form and quite frisky! 

MOM -- it's a squirrel convention (make that a circus!)

Lexi wanted to chase anything that went up a tree and found a few voles she attempted to dig out of a tree trunk. Silly girl!! 

MOM -- can I go up?

DH and I sat down at lunchtime and did one more puzzle in the EXIT Game Advent Calendar. Yes -- we're behind, but it's not time-sensitive, so we can do it whenever we want! We did one at lunchtime and one at dinner, leaving December 24th for tonight. 

Oh my --- I have to laugh because that box is getting beat up! There are CLUES everywhere ON the box, inside the rooms in the box, on the game cards, and then INSIDE the box itself, which we've had to use an EXACTO knife to slice open! 

We were so excited because we thought we were on the right track, and then we saw this. 

Oh shoot --- this is NOT the answer

I LOVE the designers. This was hilarious! OK -- so that wasn't the answer - where else do we look? Soon, we were off in another direction, found the clue, and solved the puzzle. But the game box? It's starting to look pretty shabby. 

The game box is starting to look pretty cut up!

You can't really see in that photo, but the edges are cut up, and the end is missing. What do we have to do with it today? Most of the puzzles are multi-step, yesterday being no exception, but we had a grand time figuring it out. 

This type of advent calendar is only for some. Thankfully, we both love puzzles and have pretty sound logic between us, although we were stumped a couple of times. And sometimes, AFTER we got the answer, we looked at the clues to fully understand the logic. So we learned a few things, and all I can say is that the value for the money we spent? Well worth it. Remember -- if you do NOT like puzzles, do NOT buy this. You will be frustrated and hate it! It also works best with more than one person unless you are really good. We found that by talking out loud to each other, we triggered a thought in the other person. 

However, I have noticed that after reading the story and getting clues for the day, DH becomes possessive of the box! We won't go there, but let's just say he should give it to me more often! We might spend less time puzzling over it! 

I might just be ready to start purging quilt books. I was looking for specific ones for my upcoming accuracy (in-person) class, and I found others about organizing your studio. So these few are getting ready to leave my house. I''m sure there are loads more that could leave, but I have to start small! I've organized my place and have loads of ideas. I no longer need these books, so they are going to a good home. 

Purging books on studio spaces

Last night, while I was sitting in the living room, reading my book, this happened. Lexi was sleeping on the big dog bed. She was quiet as a mouse UNTIL, guess who butted in. 

Mom - I'm not really here! LEXI is in the dog bed! 

Lexi tried to put her off. 

Hey Murphy -- SHOO - I'm sleeping

Then they sat and looked at each other for a bit. A little bit of grumbling and "fighting" ensured. 

HEY -- I can OUT STARE YOU! 

And this is how it ended! 

MOM -- I didn't mean to chase her away, but this is MY bed

I have never seen a more jealous dog in my life! She's bad, and I feel bad for Lexi! I keep telling her to fight back, and she does, but maybe she likes it! Anyway, Lexi went to sleep in her kennel (Murphy is NEVER allowed in there), which was all clean because I washed all her blankies and vacuumed the dirt out. 

Hopefully, you are all working on purging, sorting, and decluttering. Maybe you can send some before and after pictures so we can see your progress. Or send me a comment on which area you have selected to tackle. It's straightforward -- you pick a spot, set aside some time, and sort. 

Here are some tips --- let's say you are going to empty a drawer. Empty the drawer and wash it out. That's easy. Then, start sorting the stuff in the drawer. Put all the like things together -- candles, batteries, pens, or whatever happens to be in the drawer. Then, BEFORE you put it all back, decide what items you no longer NEED (what you want should NOT come into the picture here!). If there are 50 pens, there's a good chance that you will NOT need 50 pens. It's so much easier to decide when you see everything in front of you. For a while, because things were all over the house, I'd have boxes where I could put those things that I knew I had more of. When they were together, then I made a decision. 

Then you look at what's left and decide how you want to put it back in the drawer. I went to the dollar store, purchased those little dividers, and then put things away. Shoot - -I'll take pictures of two of my "junk" drawers. I cleaned them years ago, and they are still clean today because I no longer put junk in them. I put the things that are supposed to be in them. Pictures tomorrow. 

As a matter of fact, I think I might go through all the drawers in my kitchen for the January assignment to see what can be culled. Yep --- that should be easy since I've done it once before. I have 17 drawers in my kitchen, none of which are pots and pans drawers. I know -- I should be finishing the office -- I'll keep working on that. 

Someone sent me this picture of an organizing system for a craft/sewing room. It's a mobile pan rack with each project on a baking sheet - two trays per shelf. Now that's a pretty efficient system, it's sturdy, rolls around easily. I like it -- I wonder how much that cost? But it's suitable for a small space! If you Google Mobile Pan Rack (this one is half-height), you can get one for around $200 (probably US $). Then, there is the cost of the baking sheets. 

Mobile pan rack as a project sorter

I love this saying from my Happiness Journal. It's true -- it's how we handle day-to-day, not the occasional gesture! Think about it! This applies to decluttering. If you do a little every day, you barely know you're doing it. Yet after several days of something little, it can make a big difference. Think about that!!!!

This morning, while I was looking for a particular tool, I found this fabric. Oh my -- this would be perfect for the backing of my Barn Star Sampler! I measured it, and I think it's a wee bit short, but that would have been perfect! 

Perfect backing fabric for Barn Star

Here's a picture of my quilt, in case you think I'm crazy. I'll remeasure it later - just to double-check. 

My Barn Star quilt

I got a bit more sewing done this morning. So, another group of blocks is complete for the Heartfelt Sampler. I'm so far behind on sewing this one, but I should be able to catch up as the sewing is easy! 

Blocks for Heartfelt Sampler

But today? There are e-mails to write and distribution lists to recreate, and I need to get dates for all the clubs to those interested. So there won't be time for slacking today, and I will "attack" two drawers in the kitchen today. Guess what? Since they are pretty tidy -- I can go through them in a very short time. The result of all my hard work several years ago! 

On that note, I'm out of here. I'm excited to finish the Advent Calendar today!!! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Decluttering continues

Hmmm --- where was the lightbulb moment last night? We opened the door to Day 10 on the EXIT Game Advent Calendar and figured out what to do with all the pieces (or so we think!). Now, how do we interpret those pieces? We left it - I was going to go back before bed but didn't, so I'll try again today. We may need to look at the clues, but I think we will need all three before this is solved! Some days, the puzzles are tricky, and some are not! 

I stopped at the library the other day to pick up a book for DH and attempt to renew his library card. It's now mandatory that the cards be renewed IN PERSON at least every two years. A "few" people have since moved away and are getting a free ride at our library through the Libby App. I have zero issues with in-person renewal - it should have been mandatory long ago!

I had his identification with me (same address), and they know me, so I could renew his card. While there, I noticed a plan for the new community space outside the library. I'm not sure where those three or four big sitting stones will go, but I didn't look too close. 

The plan for the new community space at the library

While at the library, I asked one of the librarians to help me link the libraries to my Libby app. I could connect to my library and usually one other, but we have access to SIX, and I could never get them to link. Well, I could in the past, but not recently. It took about 15 minutes and TWO librarians to make that happen. 

The app has changed a little bit, and the linking process has changed. I have to log in to each library - I don't remember doing that before. So, one librarian logged into three, and then I sat alone in the corner and managed to log into the other three. More importantly, I now KNOW how to do it. Before, it was random that I made it happen. 

Then I picked up a book from the lightening loan, which means I have 14 days to read it. I'm not getting much reading done at the rate I'm going. And then I had a few other books to pick up as well. 

My haul from the library

I'm feeling generous with my "free" time and thinking I will have loads of time to read when I need to start my research for a big project next year. And yep -- I walked home with all those books. I had my trusty shopping bag with me as I had stopped at the grocery store, but I managed to squeeze a couple of books in the bag and carry the rest in my arms. 

Yesterday, I carried two more storage tubs from the mall. There's no need for a car - you just plan accordingly. 

Here is my Barn Star Sampler quilt. It's sideways on the design wall, but I'm happy to report that the top was together in time for the show and tell. Except that, I forgot to include it in the show and tell! 

Barn Star Sampler

I have to get it off the wall quickly as someone thinks it's a great spot to sleep, and she transfers dirt to things on the wall! I need to make the binding and get some backing together, and then it's done. And that class is a wrap!

MOM - is that for me to mess up?

I'm tackling all the pens and pencils in our house. I have a box full that we don't need/want. Some might not work, but we'll let some enterprising grade school kid figure that out. So now the pencil holder above my cutting table is neat, and I have only what I need, with a couple of extras. 

The pencil holder is neatly organized

I did the same to the pencil holder on my computer desk. It was jammed with stuff, and it's still full (I kept my favorite pens), but the things I won't use are gone. Then I realized that I have TWO trays of writing instruments in the drawer on the other desk, so those are out, and I hope to finish going through them today. Let's say we should never have to purchase a writing instrument for the remainder of our lives!

When cleaning out the stuff on the desk, I found a bulk pack of needles, which meant I needed to clean out the tin where I keep my packs of needles. Many of the elastics had disintegrated, so I got new elastics and bundled them up. 

Sorting packs of needles

And now everything is neat and tidy in there. This will make it easy to find a new needle when needed. 

Tin of sewing machine needles is sorted and tidy

I had to find two presser feet for my EPIC 2 that left the house last week. It was a mystery why they were not with the machine, but then I realized I had pulled them for a demo, and they were with all my presser feet in their separate drawer. So, the drawer's contents are scattered on the table and must be sorted through. I found the two missing feet! 

My Husqvarna Viking presser feet and other small accessories

I laugh every time I see this - there is the HUGE Santa Claus, and look at how big Mrs. Claus is -- she's half his height. Is that intentional? You know what they say -- there's a good woman behind every good man! Or is it - -good things come in small packages? 

Mr and Mrs Claus

OH MY GOSH --- I do not need another pair of mittens, but these ones are stinking cute! I stole the picture from Stitch by Stitch in Kingston. They had an instructor who taught these mittens last week, and I don't usually check their class schedule as they are several hours away, but these mittens are so cute - I might consider driving there to make them. Any takers? If we had enough interest, they would schedule a class for us. I haven't asked, but I'm sure they would. 

Felted mittens (partially completed)

I believe you felt the snowmen or fox, and then you assembled the mittens. So darn cute!!!!

Someone recently talked about new equipment and how we always need more space for our sewing rooms. I had a dream last night that we bought (how -- no memory of buying it) a LARGE house with a very bizarre basement that had lots of industrial-type space in the basement. I HATED the house - where did that dream come from? 

Here's part of my research for my big 2024 project: applique using a digital cutter. This part is becoming second nature, but getting there takes time. It took me almost four hours to get this. Not because I didn't know how, but because I was trying different things each time, I had to learn something new. 

The results of my digital cutting exercise

I am going to conquer this feat (along with the group's participation), and we will learn software, our digital cutters, and our embroidery machine software if we have that available. It's going to be a fun year!

Someone suggested that I post some pictures from the Out of the Box class, and I will do that tomorrow. 

Instead, I'll post a picture of something I embroidered a few months ago. It's all free-standing lace, meaning it was made entirely from thread on the embroidery machine. 

Free-standing lace table runner

Here's a close-up of it. It is not perfect by a long shot - there was a steep learning curve to making this, and I'd like to finish the ends off with the same scallop that's along the sides. So that is in the pile of samples to finish. 

Detail of the stitching on the free-standing lace table runner

I'd like to remake it when there's no pressure to finish it and see if I can't perfect my multi-hooping technique. 

I'm off to spin class this morning, and I had better get moving! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!