Do It NOW!!!

 And just like that -- it's a new week. So many ideas and so little time, but the important thing is just to do! 

Speaking of batting bits, it's amazing how many quilts you can quilt with those bits! I've pulled a few pieces from that stack I brought downstairs, and it doesn't seem to have made a dent. I calculate there is enough batting here for about 20 quilts! That should cover the remainder of my dog quilts, and the ten for the favour, and a couple more! This is the last favor job I do! This batting will NOT go back to the closet. 

There is a lot of batting bits

But here's another reason I prefer not to have someone else do the community project quilts for me. Sometimes, there just isn't quite enough batting, and a quick repair is required. Can you imagine having to pay 100% attention to that for someone else? It's not going to happen. And can you imagine what they would think of me? I would not be happy if this were someone else's quilt! 

A quick repair job

In this instance, I was a wee bit short on only one section, but it was easy for me to fix and continue. 

And just like that, another dog quilt is done. 

Dog quilt - Number four

The backing for the fifth one is complete, but not before I had to get somewhat creative with the pieces I had set aside. 

The backing for number five

The batting is made for that one as well, and I'll quilt it today. I need to get these done. But I have to chuckle when I finished piecing this backing. You see, I had set aside pieces from my basket of dog fabric to make a backing for each of them. This is all the brown I had left. Three small pieces -- that was a pretty good calculation! And of course, that's all the blackish fabric I have, but I have one quilt to trim, so there might be a bit more to add; however, it certainly won't be enough for binding. That will have to be Plan B - hit the stash. I had never really thought of the binding when I set aside the fabric for the backings.

The leftovers from my backing calculations

The fourth quilt is trimmed, and I have the components set aside to work on for the sixth one. Can I complete them, minus binding, by Friday? That is the goal! Then I need to work on some customer quilts, and I can bind these while the customer ones are on the long arm. 

The backing for the remaining three should not require as much work, so that's good. I want to get back to the items in the blue box. But can you imagine if I had started to refill that box? I haven't even emptied it yet! Slow and steady! And I knew that these quilts would take precedence over the items in the blue box. 

While piecing the backs, I'm whittling away at the tray of bits to make half-square triangles. I have a bunch to press and trim today. It's always a good idea to have something to use as enders and leaders. These are the cutoffs, resulting from making bindings or borders. And it seems the tray will never be empty! I believe there is a basket, or perhaps two, upstairs in Studio U. However, there is no need to dig into those when I still have these bits to sew. 

The tray of bits for half-square triangles

I pulled out another EXIT Game for some entertainment last night. It is a three-star puzzle, so will it be too much of a challenge for us? 

The latest EXIT Game

I quickly found the answer to the first puzzle, and we decided to forge ahead with the second one. I found something unique, and then DH ran with it and we quickly got the answer to that one as well. Two down and eight to go. That was it for my brain for the evening. 

Walking Bear is a challenge! He is so slow, and he has a lot of pee-mail to catch up on! But all three got walked, but not before this spider gave me a fright! Good grief! 

EKE!!!!! A giant spider on the lawn

But the three amigos are together and happy! One of them found something to sniff in the backyard, and of course, the other two had to check it out as well!

WAIT -- let me get in there! 

It is almost impossible to get all three of them posed for a picture. This is the best I've ever gotten. Murphy was not impressed. For that matter, neither was Lexi! But they are all together! It reminds me of family photos -- no one wants them, so they all have grumpy faces!

We are busy dogs - no time for photos!

The little guy is finally settling down. He didn't want to eat or drink all day and was quite happy in his favorite spot - in the sun in Murphy's bed, watching life happen on our street. He's a bit harder to spot from outside because of the tree in the front of the house, but he makes himself known!

Grandma, please-- I'm busy!

However, I suspect he has an ear infection, which is probably the cause of his not eating, so I need to take him to the vet today. As if I don't have enough money-pit animals in our house! He's better today, but his ear still smells, and he really needs a bath. I almost swear his mom is neglecting him. Isn't that a reason for him to be dognapped? 

Grandma - I need a haircut

Oh well. We do what must be done. 

We had a couple of great show-and-tell sessions yesterday. It's always a delight to see what others are working on, how far they have advanced in their projects, or how much they are learning by using their embroidery machines and software. If only we had an unlimited amount of time!

Speaking of which, here's a story to scare you with. I recently heard of a woman who is a quilter and a teacher. She is a widow and has recently fallen ill. From the gist of the conversation, I suspect she has a limited time and has engaged the help of a friend to help her with the UFOs. 

There is a sense of urgency involved because of the diagnosis (I don't know the details, and I don't want to know). However, it should NOT be a health scare that inspires you to get your UFOs done. 

No, I find that situation a bit selfish (the person they have engaged to help them has her own family and UFOs to work on). This is why you need to work on those UFOs NOW. I've done my share of helping others in the past - cleaning out a sewing room, finishing UFOs, and so on. I am DONE - I will not do it again! Not unless I know you made a valiant effort before you get sick! I will help, but I won't do it alone. 

You need to review your projects and make some decisions - it's called prioritizing what you absolutely want to accomplish. Then you need to stop starting something new (from a class or your kits) and focus on what is a priority. And then do it for the WIN!

Yes - PRIORITIZE - FOCUS - WIN.

Do not expect to drag a friend into the mix when your time is near. That is selfish and totally irresponsible. Do it now! You no longer want something - sell it or give it away now! Clean up the horrible little bits - whatever is necessary, but get it under control NOW! 

This is what I'm doing - it has taken me a long time to come to grips with this, but I'm on a roll now. I don't care how much I get done in a day; I try to tackle some small portion of the overall picture. I do NOT want to spend my last days trying to finish UFOs. I want to spend my last days with family!

Will I ever complete all my UFOs? I'm not sure about that, but the most important thing is that I'm making progress. I've stopped starting new things  - well, there are one or two new things a year, and that's it. That's a massive start and I'm working on completing. I WILL get those current project tables clear!

It's just hard to sew and quilt at the same time! Especially when there is so much prep work for those community project quilts. I'm not complaining - just explaining! But I will do what I can! Thankfully, all of my quilts have the backing and binding done, but I still need to piece the batting. 

On that happy note, I'm out of here - I'm off to spin class. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

When life gives you scraps - USE them!

It was a bit of a train wreck day, but I still managed to get three things done! Remember, I mentioned I had the shingles shot the previous day? Well, about dinner time yesterday, it hit me, although my arm had been sore for most of the day. It didn't help that I had done a lot of upper arm work with Brooke, and I could feel that in my arms as well. 

I had a slight fever, accompanied by a chill, and I was exhausted. I went to bed with a hot Magic Bag and fell into a deep sleep. I woke up a couple of hours later feeling much better, and today? I'm back to my old self! 

Good thing I didn't get the flu shot as well! I know those symptoms are an indication that the vaccine is working, but I hate that part!

The first thing I did was to grab all the batting bits from the lower section of the closet and sort them by size. Anything in the 60" range went in one pile, 70" in another, and so on. The sizes range from 40" to over 100". This way, it's a lot easier to find like sizes and group them to make a backing. 

Half of the batting bits

I still have the top section of the closet, which is a different batting type, and I guess I should have grabbed that one first, but it all has to be used up, so it doesn't really matter. There are still four more dog quilts, eight of my community project quilts, and approximately ten that I offered to do as a favor for someone. I doubt there will be any batting bits left by the time I'm finished. Wouldn't it be nice to get all this done before the end of the year? 

My November is a bit of a mess, so we'll see what happens. I'll do what I can! It's not that bad - not as bad as September, but there are a few trips, some work events, and some writing thrown in as well. 

So I joined the batting bits for the quilt I was quilting yesterday. And all was good. 

Joining the batting bits

I joined three pieces together, and that middle piece was JUST the right length. I think I've mentioned this before, but I've had offers from two people to help quilt the pile of community project quilts. There is so much work involved in preparing these quilts, especially in preparing the backing and batting, that it isn't worth it. I'd have to spend days prepping and then see it all go out. Nope - I'd prefer to work on one at a time, slow and steady, and that works for me. I'm usually doing creative things with the batting and the backing, and to do that for days to give it all away? Nope -- I get that done, while one quilt is on the machine. 

I thank those two people for the offer, but I'm happy to work alone. Then I don't have to be overgenerous with the backings or the batting. 

The middle section of batting was JUST the right length

And there is the quilt of the day. - DONE! The backing for this one was sewn at the retreat, so once the batting was made, it was easy to complete. 

Dog quilt - Number Three

While that one was being quilted, I got the batting made for the next one. Then I worked on the backing. Remember, those strips that I might have used for the binding? Well, they got cut and pieced together to help make the backing for the next one. Let's say there are a "few" seams in that long piece, but it's now wide enough for the backing. What is nice is that when I'm done, there will be very little of this fabric left. I had a roll of it and well, three quilt backings and poof - it's gone! You can't take it with you, so use it NOW. 

Working on the next quilt backing

However, that section is not long enough, but I have enough of the darker dog fabric to make it longer. 

Fabric to make the backing section longer

I have a knack for assembling this type of backing. I don't plan - I just measure and wing it. Thankfully, I have good spatial aptitudes, so it all works just fine. Once this quilt gets quilted, I'll see if I have enough of any combination of those fabrics for a binding, but I don't think so. No worries --- there's always Plan B because making the binding of this fabric was never my plan. It was just a thought. 

I thought of making the backing for the next one, but I didn't get there yesterday. I need to finish the one I'm working on.

However, everything is now ready to assemble, so I'm going to proceed with quilting the five remaining quilts this week. Hopefully, I can also start working on the binding, but I need to start writing and preparing for several upcoming events, so "free" time will be harder to come by.

I managed to sew a few half-square triangles, but I was unable to press and trim them last night, nor did I trim the quilt. My body just gave in, and I needed some sleep. 

Half-square triangles sewn

Here's the one thing that our non-quilting friends don't get. Quilting is a physical hobby. For me, I had to make several trips upstairs to Studio U to get all the batting bits. They will not go back upstairs since I now have plans to use these bits in the immediate future—at least for those four remaining quilts. 

The remaining batting bits

There are all the steps back and forth to the long arm from the sewing machine, the cutting table, and the ironing board. Loading and unloading a quilt. It's really quite a lot of physical movement, and I swear I want to be like my quilting aunt, who just turned 86; she is still teaching for her guild and remains pretty active and mobile.

I do NOT put my ironing board or cutting board close to my sewing machine. I need to move. Yes - my knees hurt like mad these days and my legs feel like they are made of rubber. Why? I've no idea, but it's not pretty. That doesn't stop me from doing things. I suspect it's the change in the weather? Even pills aren't helping these days. But if I sit in one spot, I'll seize up like a rusty engine, and I won't be able to walk. I can't let that happen. 

While I was standing at the long arm, I glanced at the photos on the wall. Oh my -- it seems that all four of them are askew. How did that happen? They are right beside the thread cabinet for the long arm, but there's no reason for me to touch them! It's like my life - topsy turvy! I'm not even straightening them -- this has happened before, so this is how they stay! Life is way too short to worry about things like this. 

The pictures are askew

Amazing what one day can do. The leaves came down in torrents, and I had to laugh because the city had gone by three days ago and blown all the leaves off the path. It's as if they never did it! Miss Murphy just blends right in. 

MOM - I'm hiding - can you see me? 

Look at this poor leaf! They are sticking to everything! 

Help - let me in - it's cold out here!

And that Murphy - I love when she sits or lies outside the window to Studio B. She needs to be out, but wants to keep an eye on me! Notice the bare shelves on both sides of that window? Oh, yes — when I did my tidy-up a while back, I removed some items that were up there. I am making progress in getting rid of things. While there are still things outside the picture that are up there, it's all coming together. 

Miss Murphy is standing on guard for me!

But look at her paws when she did come in. What a mess! The muddier she is, the happier she is. I have tried on numerous occasions to schedule an appointment with the groomer, but I've received no answer. I must try again. It's annoying, and she looks like a very shaggy dog. 

MOM - I LOVE mud!

While my sweet Miss Lexi is happy to snuggle on the deck. Her nose must be cold as it's tucked under her tail. But she loves the cool weather! 

MOM - I'm busy sleeping

I had to walk to the grocery store yesterday, and all the pumpkins were free! They still had quite a few, but some of them were quite interesting! Those are not your typical orange pumpkins!

Free pumpkins!

And someone in our house had a birthday yesterday. It was casually mentioned at the restaurant, and this is what arrived once the meal was over! I love going to the same restaurant every week. They get to know us - we get to know them. It's good. It's like Cheers! There was no fanfare, no singing! 

Happy Birthday!!!

I have such good groups - I have two sessions tomorrow, and today is a bit of a wash, and not because I don't feel well. You'll see the adventure tomorrow. But I wasn't going to have a lot of time to get their pictures into the presentations. So, I sent a note, and almost everyone has already sent their photos, which are now in the respective presentations. There will be a few stragglers, but that's okay -- I can handle a few. I wasn't going to have time for many! 

Thanks to everyone who sent in their pictures early. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

The signs of autumn

OK -- someone turned off the heat! It's cold. I wore shorts yesterday, but I think I'll find some pants this morning. 

So far, so good on the jet lag. With the full day of travel and the ability to sleep like a baby on the plane, I didn't need a nap yesterday and went to bed at my usual time. I did wake up in the night, but was able to get back to sleep, and so the day is now just like any other day! Let's hope I don't get hit with a whammy later on! 

Another reason to fly business class if you can, but it also depends on the timing and which direction you are flying - east or west. It all worked in our favor, so that's a bonus. 

Miss Lexi seems to be fine, and she also slept through the night, so it must just have been excitement from knowing that she hadn't been abandoned! Poor girl! Both of them were ecstatic to go for their long walk. They had been walked daily while we were away, but not the typical long walk. Murphy will never get it through her head that we walk a specific route, not the amount of time it takes. So if you walk really, really fast, the walk is shorter! 

But both of them stopped to sniff lots!!! There was a lot of pee-mail to catch up on!!!

Me? I got right into my day and didn't stop! I have a lot to prepare for the September events, and there's no time to waste. 

I've unpacked my stuff, and it's in the wash; I'll deal with it later today. It's all my travel clothes, nothing I wear around here, so there's no rush to get them done. Remember, travel clothes are typically thin and lightweight. Yet, they can be durable and warm. Just for fun, I weighed the backpack before I emptied it. OK -- so I'm obsessed with traveling light. My "big" backpack was 13.7 pounds, which included the weight of the backpack itself at 1.5 pounds. 

All of this fit into it — a pair of ski gloves, my winter jacket, my storm pants (OK, there were a few things I wore here), pants, shirts, long underwear, my sarong, and so on. 

All this was in the backpack

Believe it or not, there were a few things that I did NOT use. I forgot to pack my towel when I went on the hike. An extra pair of socks, the belt to my new pants, and a few odds and ends. But overall, I did pretty well on the packing. 

Extra stuff I did not use

My small backpack weighed 7.9 pounds, and it contained a lot of unnecessary items. Mostly electronic stuff, so I need to be more diligent next time. I took way too many charging cords, and the power bank did NOT work as I would have liked. And a bathing suit that I always pack, but never use. That's the last time -- it does not come with me again!!!! And I took way too many protein bars - I ate half of them, so next time, I'll reduce the number I take. I greatly appreciated having them with me, so I don't regret that, but I don't need quite so many. I didn't use everything in my medical kit, but it's better to be safe than sorry on that front. It's tiny, but a mighty kit. I also had way more drugs than I usually carry, and I was lucky on that front and only used what I needed. 

Unnecessary stuff I packed

In total, I carried 3 pounds of stuff that I never used. What a waste of energy!!! OK -- I'm kidding, but next time, I'll pack a wee bit smarter. I love the minimalist approach, and if I hadn't had those bulky cold-weather items in my bag, packing and unpacking would have been a breeze. As it was, the backpack was full and things were crammed in. However, proper travel clothes do not wrinkle. 

When buying travel items, weight is my first consideration. DH did pretty well, with his small backpack and a canvas tote. It was more effort for him to carry that in his hand rather than on his back, but we didn't have a second backpack, and he did just fine. And while it may look geeky to have one backpack on the back and one on the front, it works well for travel. 

I noticed whenever we had a driver, they always took his bag, but they never took my backpacks!!! Which is fine, as I was comfortable wearing them to the car and had no issues. 

I even bought a couple of things that added to the weight. Here's a picture of one of the items. Technically, it's a pair of pants - something I've wanted for a long time. I actually had a pair of these pants years ago and loved them, but they went out of favor. Now, they are back in style. They are wraparound pants. I might wear them this coming weekend in Buckhorn! 

My wraparound pants

I have more stuff to show, but that's all I got around to at the moment. 

So then it was back to work as usual. I had to find some batting to piece together for a quilt that I loaded on the long arm before I left. I'll be quilting it later today, as it needs to accompany me to the show next weekend. I have another quilt to bind that will also go to the show with me. So, yes — there will be brand-new quilts that no one has seen before, and some of these are UFOs, so it's a double whammy! Well, some people have seen some of these quilts, but not many. 

Piecing batting

The batting is loaded, and the threads are chosen. I just need to press START. As if!!!!!

Then I decided to try to clear the cutting table, which, despite my rush to leave on vacation, didn't look too bad. I have two quilt tops that I completed before I left, and they needed backing and binding. I have this wide back that is perfect. So I will need to quilt the first quilt and then use the leftovers to piece the backing for the second one. All of this is now in the "to be quilted" pile. 

For the "to be quilted" pile

I decided to make the binding for both and found a striped fabric in the black/white basket. Since it was striped, I decided to make bias binding. I think I goofed on the size of the fabric squares, which was wasteful on my part from a work perspective. I  made two squares of bias binding, but it's not enough, and so I will have to make two more squares. I'll leave that for when I work on the second quilt. When calculating the amount of binding needed, I forgot to take into account not only the length but also the area of the necessary binding. DUH!!!!! Oh well—it's not the end of the world. 

Cutting bias binding

The binding is ready to go - I joined the two strips together to make one. Once I see how much more I need, then I'll cut more fabric. 

The binding is done

I had a virtual meeting first thing in the morning, which led me down a rabbit hole this morning. And I managed to complete one more embroidery project, so that was good!

The following slate of items is pulled and on the cutting table for today. It's great to just putter around on my own time! I love it!!!! And I might say that the cutting table is looking pretty good, and I hope to keep it that way. Just pull out what needs to be worked on that day. Nothing more!!!! Some of this stuff just needs to be put away, which I should be able to do. Or while the long arm is running, I can create my next embroidery files on the computer. That kind of thing, and that makes me very happy!

The cutting table

As I mentioned, this month is going to be insane. Here's a brief recap so you know where I'll be, in case you'd like to visit.  

September 5 and 6 -- Buckhorn Quilt Show

September 8 - 14 -- a Quilt retreat --- I know --- bad timing!!!! However, there is room, so if anyone wants to attend a quilt retreat at Spring House, there is still space available.

September 18  - Facebook Live using the PFAFF (I need to confirm the topic)

September 19 and 20 - A two-day hands-on embroidery workshop with Thimble Quilts and Sewing in Lasalle (near Windsor). This is a super fun event and a great way to get to know your embroidery machine. Contact the store if you want to come!)

September 23 - Stitch by Stitch (Kingston) ---- What's new with Husqvarna Viking and What's New with PFAFF (YES-- some fantastic new products are being introduced!!!!

September 25 --- an event at another store east of Toronto; details are being worked out, and I'll let you know when they happen. 

And then I'm home and have nothing on the calendar (except my online classes!) for three months. However, I'm sure something will come up! 

I walked to the grocery store yesterday and NO!!!!!!! The signs of autumn have arrived. 

Fall plants for sale!!!!!

I can deal with the flowers, but this? It's way too early!

Not pumpkin spice already!

And there's that Murphy! Curiosity killed the cat, well, it's going to kill the dog! We happened to have these two wrought iron tables, which fit perfectly in front of the front windows, because she is a nosey dog and would be jumping at the windows if they were not there. So it's not enough to look through the table, but being right underneath works just fine! The height is perfect for her! She can see the traffic coming and going. Silly Murphy!!!

Mom -- I fit perfectly under the table! 

And that wraps up another crazy day!!!!

Remember -- it's Virtual Retreat this weekend. Stop by to say hello, and I'm sure there will be loads of catching up to do! I already know we're going to have a discussion on metal hoops!!! And there will be numerous other topics as well --- it's amazing what our brains have to share with each other, and you never know what you can learn by asking questions. That is a fine art, and well, asking questions is a fabulous way to learn! 

Saturday, August 30, 2024 --- starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, August 31, 2025 - starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Have a super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Personal trainer approved!

WOW—I'm surprised at the response about the personal trainer! Thanks for reminding me that this is an excellent idea! 

I've worked with personal trainers in the past but just got out of the habit. I think we got stale, and it was time to find someone new, which I did NOT do. I'm anxious to see how it works out. Brooke was recommended to me by another trainer I've known for a long time. Maria is stepping back as she wants to enjoy more free time and has no time to pick up a new client.  

The gym is "sneaky" in that it gives you a complimentary meeting with your chosen trainer. But all you have to go on is their background. I hadn't even seen a picture of Brooke, so I had no idea what to expect. I didn't feel a connection the last time I met with a trainer a few years ago, so I didn't go back. 

But this time, even though Brooke and I are very different, I think we can work together. And although she's younger, she totally gets the aging body. So I must get myself organized and do those exercises at home and the gym. I am now ACCOUNTABLE to two people! I was flat on my back—well, not exactly, as I had the foam roller with me, and I was doing my thing! Murphy soon got bored and left me! It's no longer a novelty!

This will be short this morning as I'm prepping to leave for the retreat, and there is MUCH to do. OK - that's a lie. All I have left is to pack the food and throw everything into the car. That might take a bit. While a lot is going out, I hope that about 1/3 of it will not come home with me! The Pony Express is alive and well!

I had a couple of twin-sized duvets that became clumpy after several washings (I don't remember how many). Hmmm—do they need a good shake? We hadn't used them in a long time, and it was time to deal with them. So I cut them in half and serged the ends closed. I'm donating them to an animal shelter.

It appears that a layer of polyester batting was sewn between the two layers of the duvet. Over the washings, the batting broke down, becoming lumpy and clumpy. 

Clumpy batting

Wow, I wonder if that will happen with some of the batting we use. The answer is YES! But what I suspect happened is that the batting they used was not graded for the density of stitching. The squares in the duvet were about 12" square, which was all the stitching on the duvet. Much more dense stitching was required to hold that particular quality of batting together. 

The batting broke down

So let that be a lesson. If you are unsure what batting to use, check how dense you want the quilting and buy the batting appropriately. If your quilts are quilted by a long arm, that's probably not an issue since the quilting is dense. But for those who quilt on their domestic machines and try to get away with minimal quilting, it's IMPORTANT to check the label of the batting. 

I think this next story started at a retreat this past year. If not, it may have been the year before. One of the ladies came back to the house from a shopping trip, all excited about this new way of paper piecing. I could not make heads or tails of what she was saying, so I looked it up online. I was intrigued, but it still made no sense at all. 

So I went to the store and purchased a couple of patterns (I know—shame on me). Each package contained a ton of paper, and they were not cheap. 

After perusing the pattern, I was going to write a letter to the company saying that half of the paper in that package was waste! Thankfully, I never did. 

This fall, I asked Paula at Thimbles and Things if I could teach a Legit Kit pattern, as she had just started stocking them. Only a few people signed up, but we went ahead with the class. 

WOW -- I'm hooked! I LOVE these patterns, and the result is fantastic! And those extra papers that I thought were wasteful? Oh no --- They are the most IMPORTANT part of the pattern! It's all about understanding what you don't know. 

I taught this pattern in the class. It is only 15" by 20" and was an excellent first pattern. We did NOT use a kit but fabrics from our stash. The kits are costly, and using my stash worked just fine. 

Orchid Mini pattern

I've accomplished this so far and only started paper piecing the other day. I got all the pieces for the remainder of that section sewn and threw them in my retreat bag so I could finish piecing this section! That will be 1/4 of the pattern together. When I get home, I plan to continue paper piecing. I'm in love with them. 

My progress so far

Yes, they take a bit of time to set up with all the colors, but I found a great system, and I'm on a roll. So, if ever you wonder if the Legit Kits are good patterns, yes, they are. Now, perhaps I can start one of the other two I have!

On that note, I'm off to finish packing, grab a quick shower, walk the dogs, and load the car! I tested my new laptop for Zoom yesterday, and all seems to be good. So, I'm taking only that laptop with me, and let's hope for the best. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The order of things

I'm pretty orderly - I prefer order to chaos, but it drives me crazy when I get so stuck on one thing that I can't see anything else. 

DH and I have been working on the latest EXIT Game. The first night, we did two puzzles—easy as pie. The next night, we did one more—and it was easy. Then, the fourth puzzle was a bit of a challenge. We found the three numbers, but they didn't make sense, so we left it. We got the same numbers when we played last night, which still didn't make sense. 

So we decided to look at the clues, and yes, we had done everything right! BUT WAIT—the order of the numbers is incorrect. ACK!!! Then, we couldn't figure out why the numbers were in that order and not the order we thought they should be in. Well, this is where the air got blue at our house! DH went on about the logic, and I looked at it again and finally figured out why. 

A small red herring got in the way, and we couldn't see past that. So, next time we are stuck, we MUST think about the order. DRAT!!!!! But all is good. 

However, when it comes to order in the house? I've got that down, no problem. 

Did you grab a drawer or a shelf? I did - as a matter of fact, I tackled THREE shelves. 

I went back to the batting closet only because I needed to get something from it, and while I was there, I might as well have a better look at some of the stuff. 

On the top shelf, which you can't see, I found three wool quilt bats and one silk one. I've now put them in this empty space, and there is nothing on the top shelf anymore. There is no need for a stool!!! I also found four bags—in of queen-sized batting. 

Sorting the shelves in the batting closet

Two pieces of fusible fleece were on that shelf, and I moved them down to the batting bits area, where there were two giant pillows. 

The batting bits area

The two giant pillows were moved to the other side, which was filled with pillow forms. Good grief! How did that happen? 

Pillow forms

In the pillow area, I also found THREE bags of fiberfill—actually two bags and one of a foamy kind of filling. I might just toss that one since I hate it. I'll go back to it later today and double-check. 

I left the three bags of stuffing in the area with the pillows, and later in the day, I thought of someone who uses stuffing. I checked with the person and yes, they can use it, so I pulled out this bag, which will go to its new home later this month. It's a huge bag, and I'll be glad to be rid of it. 

A bag of stuffing

Anyway, the closet is still in disarray, and I might go back later today and sort through it again. I know --- but while all the "like" things are together in the closet, it's still not sorted to make it easy to find everything, and I still really don't know what's all in there. It's better, but not perfect. Then, I should inventory all the quilt bats, make a list, and post the list in the closet. OR - I should post it downstairs so I know what I have and can pop up and get the appropriate batting when I need it. Yes --- an inventory is just the thing! 

The batting closet is still a mess

So that was a job half done—I'm good at doing half a job. But sometimes, you must go back to the same area several times before figuring out the best way to make it work. 

The next shelf was in the office. I've been meaning to go through it for a while, and yesterday, with the shelf/drawer challenge, seemed like a good time to do so. 

Let's tackle this shelf

What did I find? Oh boy ----- I used to play video games - this is way back in the 80s and 90s. I was obsessed (is that a surprise?) with them. And this was one of my favorites. This is the "answer" book. I don't think anyone needs this book, and I need to get over its sentimental "value". 

King's Quest HELP book

And look at the date. It's in the recycling. 

Look at that copyright date!!!

This was the solution book for another game. 

The strategy guide for Myst

And the date? 

A bit dated

These games are very old—at least in the world of computer games. There is ZERO need to pass these books along, so they are gone. 

Then I found these two books. 

Social Media book

Another book on social media

I have had grand aspirations in the past, but I never seem to act on them due to a lack of time or motivation. However, I was very good at collecting books. I thought of passing these along but look at the date. 

Ten years old - they are ancient in the tech world today

Those books are ten years old, and social media has changed enormously in that time. So, more stuff for recycling. 

I found a software program. 

Software

The software probably no longer exists, and I don't have a license anyway. Gone!!!

I learned from my parents that throwing stuff in the garbage is terrible, or at least frowned upon, and today's society has zero issues about throwing anything away. I'm struggling to find a happy medium, but at least we have recycling! 

By lunchtime, I was down to a small stack of stuff, which I put back on the shelf. I know—I should have gone through everything, but I got rid of a lot, and I'm OK with that. We must remember that anything we deal with is gone forever. The rest will remain for another day. 

What remained from the pile

Oh, I found this as well. What the heck is that for? It's in the electronic waste basket. 

A plug of some sort - gone

Rather than leave that shelf almost empty, I took the blue bin that was ON TOP of the unit and put it and the leftovers from my sorting and put them on the shelf. I couldn't leave that spot open on top of the unit, so I moved some stuff from the desktop to that spot. At least it is neat and tidy, so I'm not sweating it. 

The cabinet still needs work, but a lot of stuff is gone

Remember, my goal is to clear the desktop and the tabletop, so the more I get off them, the better. Yes, I know I'm shuffling stuff, but I'm OK with that. It's how I work, and it makes me feel like something is getting accomplished. 

An empty spot on the desktop!

Yes, I took one of the boxes on the double layer and put it in that spot. We can't have an empty spot in the office, can we? Don't worry—it's all under control, and I will get the office done, one box or shelf at a time. 

Here's the staging area for the Pony Express. I told you that the polyfill bag was HUGE. 

The Pony Express depot

That took very little time, and I'm so grateful I'm doing it gradually. I know of someone who has lived in their house for 39 years, and they are putting their house on the market. Guess what they have to do? Declutter 39 years of crap in one week, so they can list their house. All I can say is there is NO WAY that I want to do that. That would be the worst week of my life. There is no time to sort the good from the bad (maybe that's a good thing), but it also doesn't teach you new habits of not collecting the stuff again! Anyway -- I'm glad it's them and not me!

When it comes time for us to sell our house, the prep work will be easy. We may not have to do anything! 

My cutting table is pretty much ALWAYS clear now. I can't say how excited I get when I go downstairs to find the table like this. It's inviting to work on, and I don't have to shift anything to measure a border or cut fabric. It's a win-win!!! 

The state of my cutting table

I managed to get some sewing on my projects done yesterday. I made excellent progress, but I thought of a slightly better way to do part of it when I went to bed. Do you think I could sleep? Nope!!! So I didn't go to the gym this morning as I was tired. But then there was no spin class because of the holiday!!

But I'll rejig my design today, and all is good. I should be able to finish the step-outs for that project by tomorrow evening, which is good because I have two other things to get done, and time is running out. Well, I still have a week for one and two weeks for the other. 

I also got the binding made for the next quilt on the long arm. 

Binding

I was off to try and find those hangers for my picture. I didn't even know what they were called, but I knew what they looked like. There was nothing at the dollar store. But I was close to the mall, so I went in and found a whole package of them. They are called Sawtooth hangers!!! Now I have 35 of them, so I better find more pictures to hang. I did not get around to hanging up the picture yet. Maybe today. 

Sawtooth hangers

Have a look at this sassy girl on her walk. Nothing unusual, or is there? 






Look at how loose that leash is!! She still has to be in front, but she no longer pulls like she used to. I would like to give her credit and say that she has learned? But I'd chalk it up to being a "more mature" dog. But, we can also walk past squirrels, and as long as I have seen the squirrel first, she is good. She knows I have a good hold on that leash, and she won't get anywhere. I also tell her to look with her eyes so there is much less tugging and barking. Good girl, Murphy!!!

However, the other day, I missed the squirrel and almost had my arm pulled off, so I must stay on alert for the entire walk!

However, she is a devil for dropping her ball between the deck and the posts, so she can't get it. Oh yes --- she then stands and barks for us to help her! She does this intentionally. It's happened way too many times to be an accident. 

Mom - my ball will not roll in the gap!

That's it for me today. I sincerely hope you take my advice to heart and start cleaning out drawers, boxes, or shelves at your house. Would you rather take a little bit of time every day or do it all in a week? If you wait, you cannot enjoy your current house and all it has to offer. When you get it tidied up, you realize how much space you have!! And life is just better in a less cluttered space! 

Your mind (mental health) will also be much less cluttered. I'm happy I'm on this journey, but it's not easy! So I'll encourage you to pick a drawer or a shelf and see what you can do! I cannot say enough about the mindfulness of everything I'm doing. The cup of tea on the front step, the methodical tidying! Yes, I'm lucky enough to be able to do this, but I am also MINDFULLY making the time, which I never did before. I changed my habits - I don't have more time! 

Well, I'm off to walk the girls, and then we have Monday sewing. I've got loads to get done, and I need to get started. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!