I'm PUZZLED!!!!

Creative block!!! Where do I start this morning? 

Just kidding! All I need to do is write one word, and then the rest just follows. I have more to write about The Artist's Way, but I'm leaving that until tomorrow. 

Lots of things happened yesterday, and they were very exciting. Let's take a look. I recently went through my pending folder, which was exploding, and I did quite a bit of checking things off the list yesterday morning. So that was a positive way to get some paperwork done. There are a few more papers on the floor from that folder that I need to check to make sure things got done, and then I can file/toss the paperwork. It's all good. 

On my Visual To-Do list is a category called "quilts for others," which means that it's a quilt I want to make for others, or someone asked me to make them a quilt. This is the most embarrassing category on the list because I got stuck in a rut. I'll work up my courage and explain them one at a time, preferably with time in between, so I can get over my embarrassment. 

The reason I'm sharing the stories is that you likely have similar projects, and I want to share how I dealt with them. And I might need your advice on some of it, but slow and steady - let's just deal with them one at a time. 

As I mentioned, I ran into a lady in the grocery store the other day, and she was on my list of people to call because there was a box with a partially completed quilt in it for her. 

The UFO quilt I promised to make for someone else

I sent her pictures of what had been completed so far and a diagram of where we were going with it. She had already received a quilt I made for her Mom. I called her yesterday, and we discussed it. I had phototransferred 30 pictures onto fabric and fused some lettering, which was to be the top and bottom borders. Here's what I learned in that conversation. First -- she didn't even remember the project when I sent her the photos. OH!!!! To be clear, this project was started in 2002 or 2003? So it's been many years - I don't blame her for not remembering, but I remembered, and it has been a weight on my back for all those years. 

Secondly, she mentioned numerous times that the pictures were very dated. Yep—some of the people in the photos were probably no longer around, and all the children? Well, some of them have children of their own. She felt bad for all the work I had done, but then didn't want to add to my workload. 

Bottom line? We ditched the project. Guilt gone and the next time I see her around, we can just catch up - I don't need to mention the quilt every again!!!

I'm not taking that project off the list yet. I need to sort through the box first, and when it's completely dealt with, then I can take it off the list. 

There was a stack of paper - that's now in the recycling. There were a couple of patterns, which are also in their appropriate place. I found some fabrics, and those are back on the shelf. 

Sorting through the UFO

Look at this gorgeous maple leaf neutral I found!!!

Look at the gorgeous fabric.

And THREE spools of machine embroidery thread, which is now back with the rest of the orange threads. I swear, if I could find all the threads that are in the project boxes, I'd have to buy many more containers! Don't yell at me --- I'm working on this mess!!! Are you working on yours? 

Three found spools of thread.

I also found two oraganmi boats that I made with fabric. I'm not sure why they were in the box - perhaps there was a lake behind the tree, and this boat was going on it. I know I made these as samples for another quilt, where I made an origami boat. Hmmm -- I should take a picture of that quilt. It's finished and hangs over my front door. I'm not sure where to put those, but I'll find a home for them, perhaps with my fusible supplies, because I needed a fusible to attach the two pieces of fabric. This technique would work a whole lot better these days with the much thinner fusibles!!

Two origami boats made from double-sided fabric

The stitching had NOT been done on the two borders, and I decided to try to rescue the fabric and perhaps the letters. I know—it's the pioneer spirit within me, and trust me—I LOVE doing this recovery work. I almost find it more satisfying than making something from new stuff. Plus, I have two YouTube Videos (informative) that I want to finish watching, so I can pull letters off while doing that. 

Oh shoot—I didn't seem to take any pictures of that process, but it's working. Some of the fused appliqué is stuck pretty well, but I'm persistent and have been able to remove about 1/3 of one border. That's pretty good considering I wasn't home yesterday afternoon. 

The moral of this story is- if you commit to making a project for someone, do NOT abandon it. I seemed to have gone through a period when I just couldn't wrap my head around finishing things, which has left a few things sitting here. I'm all grown up now and facing those awkward situations. Get it over -- live guilt-free! 

And the bonus lesson is that if you have a UFO, you do NOT need to finish every one of them. Abandon the project, shelve the material, cross it off your list, and call it a day. DO NOT leave it sitting around. MAKE A DECISION about it. 

Then we got ourselves ready because KU and I were going on a road trip. My brain kicked in, and I realized that while we were on our mission, we could drop some things off for the Pony Express. This is what we dropped off. Two quilts and three pet mats were dropped off at the first stop, and I picked up one quilt for quilting. The second stop involved dropping off some odds and ends for someone, and I didn't pick up anything. 

Items to be delivered on the Pony Express

The second stop was to the Springhouse Retreat house, where the person was currently enjoying a retreat. So, of course, I had to snap a picture of the red lawn chairs. 

The red lawn chairs at Springhouse Retreat

They were just not as nicely arranged as when we took our "famous" picture in them. I don't know where that picture is at the moment, but I'll find it for tomorrow. 

This is what remains on the Pony Express at the moment, which is not too bad. I'll try to drop that bag off today if the weather is nice. Two of the three remaining items are for me to drop off on my travels, and the bag of cars is for someone to pick up! All is good! 

What is currently waiting to be delivered/pick-up

After we did our two drop-offs, we were on our way to the Ye Old Fabric Shoppe. We found a fabric in the theme we wanted, but it was not suitable for our needs. So we looked at other things, and we got what we needed. I even picked up a few things which I'll share tomorrow. Oh boy -- I have a lot to share tomorrow!

WAIT -- there was one thing that I spotted. I did NOT buy it, but I took a picture of it. 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

Remember my picture from yesterday? 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

And that's all I'm going to say about that. 

I had wanted to check out the dollar store to see if they had any of those felt folders or laptop cases. And oh my—there was a thrift store and a Michael's right beside it. So we parked the car and went to Michael's first. The goal was to see if they had gotten their fabric aisle yet. Nope --- just the small pieces that they've always had. I first spotted the fabric aisle in North Vancouver in the fall. Nothing here yet, but I know that feature has also been implemented in part of Atlantic Canada. I don't know about my local stores. Too bad there isn't a Michaels within walking distance! It's within cycling distance, so once the weather is nicer, I must get that bike out! 

We checked out the dollar store, and they did not have the felt cases. BUT I scored big time at the thrift shop. We went in simply to check for jigsaw puzzles. I KNOW—I don't need any more, but just to check. OK — I checked the other departments but found nothing of interest, and we had a deadline to meet. 

Look what jumped into my shopping bag. 

WAIT --- first look what I spotted on the way to the puzzle section. Who remembers these tins? I was not a smoker --- EVER, but my Dad bought tobacco in these tins. He stopped smoking years ago. 

That brings back memories.

And doesn't this look nice? As Julia would say in The Artist's Way, inspiration can come from anywhere. Look at all the different reds, and they all look amazing together!!!

A display in the thrift store

OK -- so I have a thing for Dowdle puzzles. I have no idea why, but I like them. So I scored TWO of the bigger puzzles, and KU picked up a Diane Phalen quilt puzzle. 

THREE new puzzles

And then I found FIVE of the Dowdle FolkArt puzzles. 

OH -- five Dowdle FolkArt puzzles

And what the heck --- I bought them all! Eight puzzles for $40 inlcuding tax, because I had a 20% coupon with me. It's time to make another donation to get another coupon!

After we got back from dinner, I decided to tackle one of the small puzzles. It's so easy to lay out 300 pieces. Why does it seem to take forever when there are 500 or 1000 pieces? 

Laying out the pieces

Then I sorted out the border pieces. 

Sorting out the borders

I worked from the top down, and even with that, I was finished by 9:45 PM. You know what? I really enjoyed making that puzzle. It was fast, yet not super easy, and the pieces are small like a regular-sized puzzle. No missing pieces!

The puzzle is complete!

What was interesting was that the last one of the Folk Art series I did, the entire box cover was the picture, including the border on the box, and the name. I expected the same thing here, but nope—it was just the picture. Then I realized that the remaining four puzzles are the four seasons—one for spring, summer, fall, and winter. It was cheap entertainment for the evening. I might just do one a day until those are done. Then I'll let KU do them, and then they go in the donation box. I certainly do not want to keep them. 


We stopped for a snack at Tim's, and I won a coffee!!!

Winner!!!

OK --- this was Murp[hy yesterday morning -- back to lying on the pond. 

MOM --- something is here!

 I just let them out, and they were both by the pond. Murphy almost went on the pond, but the ice is almost gone. There must be something in the pond that is making them curious. Now I have to look, but I'm afraid of what I'll find. It's likely a rabbit or something. 

Look at Lexi! She is soaking up that attention like no tomorrow. 

I LOVE KU!!!!

This is why she hangs out with DH, although I don't know why, because he never gives her an ear rub like that! But KU knows where to hit all the good spots. It was hilarious. 

Today is going to be my last day —no, wait —Sunday will be my last day of goofing around with my projects, then I need to get heads down on stuff for my upcoming Facebook Live. WAIT --- they have the date as March 18!!!! 

Oh well—I'll evaluate my schedule and then move on to other projects on Monday. 

On that note, I'm out of here. So much to do! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

A road trip

I'm going back to QUILTsocial for a minute. In addition to searching for articles about the machine, the links at the top provide free projects, tutorials, etc. 

However, you can also search. The search button is on the extreme right at the top, and you can type in topics. Let's say you want to know about blog posts I've written on piping. Search for piping and add my name, Elaine Theriault, and posts will come up! 

The amount of information in those posts will blow you away. I would love to have a website that cross-references my blog posts. Wouldn't that be super handy? I have several handouts that I've compiled on some of the topics—so there's one for all the posts on binding quilts, one for machine quilting, etc. 

I'm in the process of compiling a couple more - one on accessories, and I think I may have already done a list on machine embroidery. 

At this point, I can't remember!!! Again, if I were smart, I would put those compiled lists on my blog at the top under one of the tabs. I'll see what I can do about that. Once I have that done, I'll let you know that it's there. But in the meantime, you can search QUILTsocial for information. 

That's one of the issues with the internet - it's too big!!! And everyone wants to share their version of everything with you. As I learned yesterday (well, I already knew it), just because you can share information on the internet DOES NOT make it the correct information. 

Someone may have an entirely different slant on a product or technique. If they don't like the technique or product, they won't give it a good (and sometimes fair) review. However, the next person might rave about that technique or product, and the review will be quite different. 

That's why you should NEVER look at only one resource. Look at different ones to see what possibilities exist and what different viewpoints there are. Then, most importantly, you need to do your samples and make your own opinion about that technique or product!!

Yesterday, in the pouring rain, I had to drive down to Windsor. Thankfully, the traffic behaved itself and wasn't too heavy, so that was good. About halfway down, the skies lightened, and then the sun came out, and the day ended beautifully. 

It was a very long day with the drive and then two 3-hour lectures, so I was happy when we finished at 9 PM. By the time I got into bed, it was 10 PM, and let's say that I was glad to "sleep in" this morning. I was going to go for a walk, but I was too lazy to get out of bed. I'm back at the store this morning for a hands-on event - we're making more monsters!!!

I need a shower, something to eat, and get my butt on the road. This is my view from the hotel room, and NO, I'm not in Detroit, but it's right across the river on the other side of the hotel. 

The view from my room

That would be beautiful with the bridges and the skyline, but I'm assuming that would have cost a lot more, so I got the Windsor city view!!!

I only have that one photo to share for several reasons. I forgot to bring my phone charger, so I'm hoping someone at the store today will have one. I could have gone downstairs and asked at the desk, as this is the one thing many people leave behind, but I was too tired to go back down once I realized. I can charge the phone in the car on the way home. 

Speaking of the car, I LOVE the navigation system, the screen, or Android Car Play—whatever you want to call it. I listened to my audiobook, which was right there on the screen, so it was easy to manipulate the controls. My map was always on the screen, which is handy even if you know where you are going. 

You can see the distance, expected arrival time, traffic, etc. I just love it. I don't understand how it knows that there is a speed trap ahead, and exactly where it said there was one, there was a car. At one point, I was told there was a stalled car on the road, and yes, there it was, although it was a truck. So how does it know that? If people put that information in, how are they doing that while driving? 

The two events yesterday were a complete success!!! I just threw tons of samples in the car because I could—big quilts that I can't travel with, little quilts, samples of techniques and tools, and so much more. In a way, it was a bad thing because, as a teacher, I want to share my information, and while I've done great things on Zoom, perhaps I should be doing some teaching in person? In the machine embroidery world? I need to take some time and contemplate what is happening in the fall and then go from there!

I also have some live Facebook events coming up in the next six weeks, so I'll be madly prepping for them. 

There is so much to do and so little time, but I wouldn't have it any other way!!!!

Have a great day

Ciao!!!

Road Trip

 

OK -- so the timing of the road trip was NOT the best. I have a lot of work to do, and I didn't get back until later in the afternoon. However, that day was the only day that worked for Dede, and we were going for her sake, plus we had a sweet ride - I was in! 

Dede had to pick up some fabric and a book all the way in Seaforth, so we headed out early in the morning. I waved HI to Shelly as we zipped through her neighborhood. 

Let's just say that it's fun to drive with the top down until you're in farm country and the farmer is out fertilizing the field! Thankfully, we were faster than he was, and that didn't last long, but that odor returned from time to time. Hey -- it's farm country - what do you expect. 

I didn't get a lot of pictures because I was driving. I know - lucky me! And let's just say that car GPSs are just weird. But between the car GPS and our phones, we didn't get lost, although we ended up on a gravel road at one time. 

Since we were headed out that way, we decided to stop at K&A Quilt Studio in Ingersol. OH MY  -- they moved to a new location in January, and it's right off the highway. It's HUGH, and the classroom?  Oh yes -- I could take a class there - it's huge, and the tables are AMAZING. I want those tables. Yep - they are IKEA. They also have loads of Kimberbell stuff if you're into that, including the fabrics. Yes -- I wanted one of everything since Kimberbell stuff is just cute! 

I did pick up a few things, but I also left a LOT for the next person! If you're in that neighborhood, it's definitely worth the trip. 

There's loads of room to move around. The only thing - both owners were away on well-deserved breaks. But wouldn't it be fun to have a sew day there? The classroom is on the ground level,  hmmm -- perhaps we could have a two-day retreat, but we have to go home at night? They have a lot of property - I could take my tent! I wonder.........  

I know they do have open studio days - OK -- let's ask. Who wants to drive to Ingersoll??

Then we zipped off to Seaforth to visit with Trina at Cotton Harvest Quilt Shop. Amazing how many small communities have their downtown ripped up. I guess it isn't quite downtown, but we had to take a detour. I've never been to this shop before, although I've seen them at quilt shows, and of course, they have hosted the Cherrywood Challenge three times. She remembered me! Yikes --- that's scary as I haven't seen her in a couple of years. 

It's a super shop if you want wool, Sue Spargo stuff, and Cherrywood Fabrics. Tons of wool kits and primitive style quilts, hand embroidery, etc. There was one lady in the store when we arrived, and she was like a kid in a candy store! I'm not sure if she had ever been there before, but she was awestruck. 

Time for a quick bite - it was getting late in the day by this time, and we needed to be heading home as I did have a bit of work that needed to be done. 

The car just happened to drive past E&E Cloth & Creations in Newton. They have loads of fabrics and excellent prices. 

Yes - I brought a few things home, but I didn't go too crazy. Almost everything I purchased has a reason. Only one thing I bought that I didn't really need. I'll take a picture for tomorrow. I couldn't resist. 

So back home where I had a quick bite to eat, and then I hit the computer. I got everything organized for a couple of the presentations. I'm not done, but I'm as done as I'm going to be. It'll be OK - we're not talking rocket science here. I once taught an entire quilt top and never made one block, so I'm sure I can make this happen. BUT -- I won't let this time management issue happen again. I'll start on the August homework NOW. 

After the classes this morning, it's going to be heads-down this afternoon to get that writing finished and off my plate. I'll be trimming quilts during the Virtual Retreat tonight. But that's OK. Then I need to regroup so I can figure out how to get caught up!

Here's something to contemplate today.  I'm looking at my Tula Pink quilt, and I'm in a quandary. 

I love it; however, do you see what I see? Or should I say, "do you see what I don't see?" 

Something is missing. I wasn't sure what to do about it, but now that I see the picture, I think I know what needs to be done. I'll give you a day to contemplate it. Leave me a comment if you see what needs to be changed. Here's a hint -- it does NOT involve switching blocks, so don't suggest that I move A to B, etc. 

Here are the Zoom links for the Virtual Retreat. It's TONIGHT and tomorrow. Be sure to stop by and say hello. You don't have to stay and sew - just say HI! Now that things are opening up, it'll be interesting to see if the numbers go up or down. Me -- I'm ready to sew anytime!

Here's the Zoom link for Saturday, July 24, from 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

And here's the link for Sunday, July 25, from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

Also, let me know if you would be interested in having a sewing retreat at K&A. I haven't even asked them yet, but I don't think it would be a problem. I'm not sure how many could fit in the room and keep social distancing, but it's huge. And maybe a couple of other people could sew in the hallway, which is also huge! I'm thinking two days in August, and we could have a catered lunch. And see - just like that - I'm organizing another event. 

But here's the thing -- I was planning on going away in August for a couple of weeks. I've decided NOT to go. Instead, I'm planning day trips to various places, and this would be a perfect two-day outing. I'm thinking of a couple of days in August. 

Text me, e-mail, and I'll work out details with the owners IF it's even possible.  

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

A road trip

A road trip! Imagine that! I didn't really need to make the road trip, but what the heck - it was pouring rain and why not!

Actually, I wanted to get that sewing machine to Karen and I had an order to pick up at Thimbles and Things. Both are in the same town and I had been holding off until our retreat at the end of this month. That retreat got canceled and well - I just wanted to cross those two tasks off my list.

Karen is like me - when you get an idea - you want to make it happen. It poured rain most of the way so it wasn't the most pleasant road trip I've driven. The rain, along with the lane switches in the on-going construction zones and well - I was glad to arrive at my destination.

Here's the other thing - I'm not used to sitting for long periods and I'm not in my own car. My legs, my knees, lower back, and butt were PROTESTING. I hate it when that happens. I think part of it is contributed to all the walking but NO STRETCHING. That's totally my fault. I also think that excessive walking has caused a few overuse flareups so I need to tone the walking down a bit. Of course, it doesn't help that I have two crazy dogs on the leash. So less walking with them and more walking by myself. It sucks to get old! But I shall be sucking up the glucosamine to try and get rid of this!

I had a nice physical distancing visit with Karen. I haven't seen her in TEN years, but we keep in touch via social media. I met her on my first long-distance bike trip which was from Vancouver to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories (yes - we biked north of the Arctic Circle!). If you think I'm a cyclist? Karen is an extreme cyclist!

Then I popped over to Thimbles and Things. I gave them a call and my order got put on the bench on the porch. It was a bit weird to not be able to go into the shop, but we must practice physical distancing!

Picking up my order from Thimbles and Things in Orillia

Since I was so close, I had to drive by the retreat house (Fireside Retreat) and pretend that I was going to be there soon. Well, I have another retreat booked in June. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that one.

The new block by the front door

That's pretty bright!!!  Do you know the name of the block?

And now there's a barn trail in Simcoe County. Since there is no barn on the property, Emma has a block on her garage. Anyone know the name of that block? I've seen this block before, but I don't know the name of it.

Block for the Simcoe County Barn Trail

When I find the information for the Barn Trail, I'll post it for you. So what did I go all that way to pick up???

My Storybook Princess and the Pea panel of course!!! And then I had to spread it out on THE bed for the princess. I LOVE IT!!! It's going to be a perfect cover for that mound of quilts.

The Princess and the Pea panel

I also got a coordinating fabric for a border and I got a package of Chenille-It. I did NOT realize that the panel was designed by the Erin Dahl for Chenille-It. But I saw a sample that had used the chenille product on the long curtains. It's perfect and adds a fun touch to the project. The sample is on the web site - it actually uses a LOT of Chenille-It.

The border and the package of Chenille-It

I had forgotten to take something to eat and I was getting hungry by this time. Hmm - I wonder if any of the Service Ontario stations are open because I'd sure like to make a pit stop as well. And yes - they were open. Hardly anyone was there. And all the seating areas were gone. The tables and chairs were stacked up in a corner and whatever couldn't be stacked was cordoned off. It looks very odd.

Oh - I was at Boston Pizza the other night to pick up a take-out order. They had a sign - TOUCH NOTHING but what you need to touch. No leaning on counters, doors, etc. The biggest thing is to touch the least amount of things possible. So you can go to the washroom without touching much. And this was the situation at the sinks.

Every second sink was closed.

The washroom situation

It's darn eerie, to say the least.


So that was the second time that I breezed across a normally very busy highway with little traffic. OH - there's traffic, but a lot less. I saw a LOT of traffic heading north on the way to cottage country, with boats and watercraft.

Someone is hopeful

I just realized that when I took this picture, I was at the service center going SOUTH, not north. Maybe this guy got partway up and decided to head back.

Tim's had NO cookies, so I had to buy a muffin and tea. It had stopped raining by this point so it was dry when I walked in to use the facilities. I got back in the car and get to the order kiosk and it starts to pour. Of course, the person behind the scenes, says "one moment please". So I'm trying to keep the window partially open so I can hear her when she comes back and trying at the same time to avoid a flood in the car.

Needless to say, I was drenched by the time I got that order. Oh well - life goes on.

And you know what? The rest of the day was a total wash. I sat outside in the gazebo until the rain drove me inside. I had a nap and just had a lazy day! OH -- but I did get my presentation prepped and it went very well. I'm getting better at these things. I do need to get a new light bulb for this darn light on my desk. I guess an online order to Micheals is in order. It didn't seem to last long and the darn things are expensive. Maybe I should look at another option.

Back to the pet mats. Here are some of the prints. Some of them are OK, but some of them are HIDEOUS. Who would have copious yardage of this stuff in their house? I can't imagine how much dust would collect from large voluminous drapes.

An upholstery sample

Which came in FOUR different colorways

This one is also not bad and came in five different colorways.  I have a friend who likes to make tote bags out of these samples, so I've picked about a dozen for her to play with.

Another nice print in five different colorways

 And there's a peek at another print I gave her.

Another upholstery sample

I took 20 of the samples and cut them up into various shapes to make the pet mats.

Pieces cut to make pet mats

 After I removed the 20 for the pet mats and the dozen to give to my friend, I counted the remainder. OH MY - I must have made a huge mistake when I counted the first time. I thought there were 85 in the pile before I started. NO - there are about 85 still so there was over 100 when I started. I so tempted to take the entire lot and give to my friend, but NO - I don't want to overwhelm her. Technically, she could take the entire lot if she wanted. I know there are some more pillowcases and sheets in those IKEA bags - I just don't know how many. My goal is to have enough bags made to use up those boxes and bags of scraps.

The upholstery samples still to process

The lady that we give the pet mats to is looking for more. NO - you are not going to give me more stuff to deal with. We have a nice little system going and I'm keeping that my secret.

It's all going to work out and I'm good with that.

I dug out the serger this morning and got to work. I serged up 10 pet mats in a few minutes. I know - I just LOVE the serger.

Serging the pet mats

I'm using the Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S|400. It's a phenomenal serger.

Amber Air S|400 bu Husqvarna Viking

Here's one of the main reasons why I love it. I knew that the spool of thread for the upper looper was almost finished. I was hoping to catch it and tie off a new spool. Alas - that did NOT happen.

No worries - this serger has AIR THREADING. Don't look at the dust collected in there. I need to get the vacuum out and suck out all that lint.

Anyway - there's NO need to unthread anything and rethread, right to left or left to right. I simply rethreaded that looper. One WHOOSH with the lever and the looper was threaded. It took less than 10 seconds to get the serger back in operation. You CANNOT beat that.

The air threading inside the serger

All that's required is to shove about ½" of thread in that little hole, operate the lever, and WHOOSH - the looper is threaded.

The air channels for the loopers

And just like that - there are 10 bags ready for scraps. I'll tuck in those thread ends (I know I probably don't have to since they are inside the bag), but I'm OK with that. Remember, my hands and brain need these small therapeutic repetitive projects to keep it calm!

Pet mats almost ready to be filled

I'll serge the smaller pieces together to make pet mats as well. Nothing from those samples will go to waste.

This is the view from the window in front of my computer. There's a couple of birds nesting in it. I saw a robin yesterday carrying a HUGE mound of something in its mouth. I tried to get a picture, but he wouldn't cooperate. However, I did get this bird. And while you can't really see in the photo, he also has grass in his mouth. Birds are so clever!!!

Birds are making nests in that tree

 Don't forget the virtual retreat - May 27 - 31. If you read the blog posts one day later and want to participate, there'll be a link to a ZOOM meeting on each day of the retreat. The first will be May 27. Click on the link anytime from 9 AM EST to 9 PM EST and I'll be there sewing! Along with whomever. You can pop in and out as you wish. So if you want to participate (even for a day, get prepped!!!!) It's amazing how much you can get done if you have things prepped.

I've got more to share, but no time. It's going to be nice and I hear my bike calling. And when I'm back, I have so much work to do. A few deadlines have crept up to the point where they need to be addressed this weekend. Nothing urgent, but going to be if I ignore them much longer.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

A rolling stone gathers no moss.......................

I think that's a very appropriate expression for me. I'm all about go-go-go! I know that I have an obsessive personality and I take every advantage of when I'm on a roll! The Sit n Sew days get me so fired up and now the Community Projects days get me even more fired up - well - there's NO stopping me now. I WILL get this mess cleaned up. I'm so excited about the prospect and even in my mind, I keep rearranging things to make it better. But ONLY once some of the other stuff has gone.

Yesterday started with a wee road trip. We had to drop something off and pick something up. Although I didn't know I was going to get something to pick up.

Our Quilt Posse (road trip group) leader just got a new set of wheels. Oh boy - it's amazing what they'll put in a car these days.

Yep - that's the glove box. NO - it's not. It's under the glove box and it's a cooling compartment. Seriously??? That's totally insane but you knew that was going to happen. I'm waiting for the microwave to show up in the next year's models. That jar of Coffee-Mate? That's what we were dropping off. It was accidentally left at my house last week. It's some special flavor that you can't buy in Canada and I certainly won't use it at my house. Besides we needed an excuse for a drive.

The cooler in the new van

Now, what's with all these doom and gloom vehicle colors?? Yep - the new van is black. And YES - the weather was a disaster yesterday! A perfect day to be out driving a new car, but notice it already has snow tires on it!

The new road trip wheels

There's that HUGE badass truck again. Notice - it's also black. Well, I'm not changing the color of my vehicle to fit in. And I bet that Laura's car (what the heck does she drive anyway??) is not black - I think it's grey. But here's the thing, if you wanted a color other than black - guess what? You had to pay extra. You want white? You pay extra for that. You want grey? You pay extra for that. Didn't Henry Ford say that at one point? You can have any color you want as long as it's black? I get it that it helps with inventory, but seriously. That's probably why there are so many black cars on the road.

The badass truck 

Did you notice the parking? Good thing I didn't have my chalk with me (to draw big lines on the pavement) and the slush wouldn't have made that easy!!!

What was I picking up? I had completely forgotten that I gave this to Shelly to finish. Several years ago, I made this Amy Butler bag - it's called the Weekender Bag. One of the Monday ladies had made several for her family members. So Maria and I made the bag at her house near the end of 2014. I thought it would be so fun to make it out of heavy decorator fabric (I think it's outdoor fabric). Well, that fabric is very stiff and very heavy.

Amy Butler bag 

The bag was complete except for one thing. Well - two things. The lining is a drop-in lining. So once the outer bag is done and the lining is done, you put one inside the other and then the two have to be attached. You're supposed to do that by hand stitching the lining to the inside of the zipper. First off - I think that's a silly idea and not the most sturdy and second? Who wants to hand stitch that stiff fabric to a zipper. Enter Shelly - our bag maker extraordinaire with a badass industrial sewing machine. I had to ask her the other day if her husband married her because of all her tools or because he liked her. She said, because he liked her. I have my doubts!

Anyway, as usual, she did the most amazing job of sewing the lining to the zipper with the industrial sewing machine. I'm sure she cursed me the entire time as it would not have been fun.

The lining is now stitched to the rest of the bag

And this is what it looks like from the outside. I think she did a fabulous job of following my line of stitches. Yeah, Shelly - you're the best and now I owe her a BIG favor. Not sure what yet - but something will come up, I'm sure. Does she need anything to be embroidered? No - she has another friend who does her embroidery. Well - we'll figure something out. Thanks, Shelly. I love you for your tools and I also love you for who you are!

The outside of the bag

However, I got to thinking about Shelly this morning. Where the heck does she store all her tools? She doesn't have a huge house. OH - now I know why she has that big truck. I bet she carries them in the back!!! So if she wants to change my toilet paper rolls in the house - she's allowed. No one else though!!!

This is the second thing that needs to be done. Make the bottom insert for the bag. Everything is cut - it just needs to be sewn together. I think I can handle that today. This isn't part of the pattern - this is the thing that I do for all the bags that I make.

The bottom for the Amy Butler bag

I now have a couple of spools of thread that can be returned to the thread bin. They've been in that silly bag for years. I can only imagine how many more spools of thread and missing tools there are in the other UFOs.I found a pair of small hemostats in the witch project that I finished the other day - used to turn the legs inside out. 

Thread to put away

Once I got back home, it was time to hit the quilting machine. For some reason, I thought this was a lap quilt but when I pulled it out - it was a giant quilt. But it's now quilted and trimmed and ready for pickup!

Customer quilt - DONE

I was on a roll and besides, I wanted to have a couple of small things for Rose to bind, should she feel inclined to bind some projects today. You know - practice makes perfect. This is made with 12-inch squares of solid fabric. So it's not very big but would make a good lap quilt for a senior or a child's play mat. It has flannel on the back. But what I LOVE is the quilting design. The design just perked up the solid fabric. I LOVE IT!!!!  I notice there's no binding for this one. The quilt top and backing have been sitting in the "to be quilted" pile for a while and I remember not having time or fabric to make the binding. I'm sure I can find something today to make binding for it.

Community projects quilt - DONE

But I wasn't finished. I put this small table topper on the long arm and it got quilted up as well. There is binding for that one. I found this topper in the box of stuff that someone donated years ago. Well - the topper can now be used. It just needs the binding to be sewn on. Hmm - it does have a red binding, but I think the red is too bright for it. I might put that on the other one (will have to make more) and find something dark for this table topper.

Community projects table topper - DONE

I couldn't stop at that. So the two sheets that I had washed in the morning were cut apart and are now in a stack of 9" squares. Ready for our foundation sewing day. Seriously?? Who wouldn't want to come and sew that day? There is ZERO prep for anyone coming - all the cutting is done. There'll be some trimming that day. You don't even need to put the quilt together at the end of the day and you certainly don't need to think about quilting it or binding it. That gets done by someone else. All you need to do is sew! Think about it - one spot left for January 17th.

Foundation squares for a string quilt

I had stuffed these two geckos on Monday sewing days. All that remained was to sew the sides together where I had inserted the stuffing. They are now done. I just have to trim the flaps away. That'll happen this morning and two more projects are DONE! One is for me and the other is for someone else who is picking it up today. I bet they want to go on a road trip!

Two geckos

The scrap box is full yet again. So I'll dig out one more pet mat bag. I'm going to have to make more sooner rather than later! No worries - I've got a date scheduled for charity sewing next Sunday (anyone is welcome to come and work on a kit if they want - you don't need to finish it). So I'll be making more pet mats and filling them, as well as working on the stuff in that basket I showed you yesterday. It doesn't bother me to have this stuff sitting around because I have a scheduled time to work on it and that works for me!! It would be nice to empty that basket that day, but I don't think that is going to happen. We all know that everything takes longer than planned. Besides, I'm quite happy to throw on an audiobook and work away.

The scrap box is overflowing - again!

I finished off two pet mats this morning. So those can be delivered tomorrow.

Two more pet mats

I love how you are all digging out UFOs and trying to get them completed. And if you're not digging out or finishing UFOs or trying to destash - WHY NOT?? I'm so proud of all of us for becoming responsible because if we don't, someone will have to eventually. And if we're not going to have fun with our stash, then we should just get rid of it now. I'm tired of managing my stuff and I want to use that time to make things. I'm so close now!!!

Today is the LAST Sit n Sew of the year. Well - the last official Sit n Sew. Every day for the remainder of the year, except one (I have two private classes booked after Christmas) is going to be a personal Sit n Sew day for me! I can hardly wait to get started! I'm down to three or four more customer quilts to get quilted this week and then I'm done customer quilts for the year! So that means, I'll be trying to get all those community projects quilts done (and I'll sneak in a few of my own as well).

I was looking at my list of audiobooks that have accumulated. Where did some of these recommendations come from? I recently finished the latest Janet Evanovich book (Twisted Twenty-Six) and I actually liked it more than the last couple that she has written. It had a wee bit more "meat" to it than some of the previous ones. And someone recommended, "Where'd you go, Bernadette?".  Oh my gosh - this book is hilarious! You MUST read it or listen to it and it's also a movie. I must see that movie!!

On that note, I'm out of here. I've got another UFO that I'm working on today! I put all the community project stuff away because I have a scheduled date to work on it so I get to play with my own stuff today.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!