Out with the old

Oh my --- I do not want to get old. WAIT! That's not right. I guess I don't mind getting old because the alternative isn't great. But I want to get old gracefully, or as gracefully as I can manage. I want to get old by maintaining my body as best I can. And I want to get old by keeping my brain active and asking questions, being curious, and having a purpose each day when I get up! 

Can I control those things? Not 100%, but I will do my darndest to make that happen. I guess what I'm saying is that I want to be like my Dad for as long as I can. 

I'm home alone! For the next couple of weeks, but now I'm in charge of babysitting MIL, which will be a challenge. She has a lot of issues and is on a lot of medication, which causes confusion. But she knows how to use her phone! I already got one call, asking me if she needed to get dressed to go out. Well, yes, but we are NOT going out until Tuesday. Sigh.....

I would so hate to be in that position. It's going to be a challenge this week as I have to take her for a nuclear bone scan. With her limited mobility and cognitive issues, it's going to be a challenge to get her there and keep her at the hospital for four hours. I'll be exhausted at the end of that day. 

That said, you MUST keep yourself occupied and try to keep your body in as good a shape as possible. It might be all fun and games at this moment in time, but when you're older, and you will get older, it won't be so pretty!

This relates to DH, who has his head in the sand! There was a book by the door that needed to be returned. He usually leaves it there, and I walk it to the library. He said he didn't know if I had time, so he would take it in the car. Seriously? This is from a person who got on a plane later in the day to play golf for two weeks. And he can't walk 10 minutes to the library and then 10 minutes back? 

Oh boy - the apple didn't fall far from the tree! What scares me to death is the fact that he is NOT taking care of his body, and guess who is going to be the caregiver? I flat out told him that if the day comes that he can't make the stairs, he's going to an apartment, and I'm staying here! I'm pretty brutal and blunt and callous, but sheesh --- take care of yourself! Why should I be punished if he doesn't take care of himself?

Now, I might be more accommodating if he got ill and couldn't make the stairs! So much for sickness and in health! Well, we never got married (GASP), so I didn't make any vows! 

For my walk, I went to the mall to see if the luggage store had office backpacks. DH hinted that if I was going to get one, he wanted one as well, and wouldn't it be good to have for his trip? So I walked in the morning, not the afternoon, which was fine. 

I lucked out! I found the perfect office backpack. It's leather, so it's a bit heavier than the nylon ones, which I may regret, but I liked the look. They had two, and they were 40% off. Perfect! I'll take two, please. 

My new office backpack

I like that it has loads of pockets and a structure so that it doesn't expand into a massive, stupid backpack like many you see. My old one was sort of like that. This is compact, and it looks nice. I can't wait to use it! 

Talk about instant gratification! I went to the mall, found what I wanted, and came home with it. There was no carbon footprint in that purchase! And I got it immediately! What a concept that is! I would prefer to do all my shopping that way, and I sure attempt it, but it's not always feasible. 

I didn't do much yesterday—well, that's a lie! I did, but I can't share it with you until later. But I was happy with what I did. 

However, I got hooked on the thriller (ebook), and well, I just read all day until it was done! It's by Rick Mofina, a Canadian author. I like his stuff, and I'll read more of his work. My headphones weren't cooperating yesterday, so I couldn't listen to anything. I'll try again today, and if they don't work, I'm buying a new pair. 

The girls were beyond themselves as we prepped for their morning walks. Separately, of course. I am almost 100% certain that my back/leg issues are from walking Murphy! Yep - she likes to pull, and I started by walking them together. I should have stopped that immediately when I saw what was happening. And I should have spent more time teaching Murphy to walk on the leash. She is good, but that first day after not having had a walk for a couple of days, she's just enthusiastic! 

I see Miss Lexi is getting more and more used to her new bed. I'm sure she'd rather sleep on the couch, but well—we don't have a couch anymore!

MOM - I like this bed, but it's not the couch!

But Murphy? Oh -- she's just a big goof! And she can't help herself. She loves to play, and she needs attention! 

MOM - Are you looking at me?

These days, instead of throwing the ball, I'm wrapping it up in blankets in her bed and letting her find it. She loves it, and it takes her about five minutes to do that. But five minutes is better than the five seconds it takes her to fetch! 

MOM - I can smell the ball!

I tuck her bed into the corner, and within minutes, she has it out! You just can't help but smile and laugh at her (with her, of course). That dog has lots of entertainment value! 

MOM - it's here! I know it!

At one point, the ball rolled under Lexi's bed. So she sat there and watched it for a while. What is going through her head? 

MOM - Do you think it will move on its own?

And at last, she was exhausted and needed a nap! I swear she is more active and demanding than a toddler!

Mom - I'm just having a quick nap!

We had our final show-and-tell for Chatsworth—a quilt I taught over the last few months, with the Hobby Horse as the host. I'll try to remember to share it with you tomorrow. I have two more presentations this morning, but they are ready to go! I need to get back into the swing of things this afternoon—there is a lot of work to do, and hopefully, I can accomplish a lot in the next two weeks as I enjoy my home alone time! 

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I can't get things done at any time in my house if DH is home. But I like to work in the morning, and well, I like to make noise. He's a later sleeper than I am, so I must attempt to be somewhat quiet. That doesn't always work! Now, I'm free to make as much noise as I want, and no one will care! Yippeee!!!!!! The girls will be begging me to be quiet!

Remember --- only YOU can help yourself by staying physically and mentally active. You might be OK today, but what will you be like in 10 years? 20 years? Think back ten years? Are you better or worse? The same with the clutter. Get rid of it! That alone will make you feel younger! GET IT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE! Stop watching mindless stuff - do something to keep your brain active and learning. Puzzles are good! Do puzzles - read - do something! 

I will focus on the magazines that are still on the floor. I need them gone, and I may just toss them all without looking. I'm getting brave! Am I all talk? Or will I make it happen?

On that happy note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Sound the alarm!

I love Murphy. How could you not? BUT she's testing us these days. I had no problems falling asleep, only to be woken by her intense barking. Something's in the backyard. Good grief, so I took her upstairs and shut the bedroom door. She doesn't like being in a room with the door shut, and I eventually let her out because she gets extremely restless in a closed space. Thankfully, I fell back asleep. 

What was in the backyard? Probably a raccoon or a possum! 

This morning, as I was sitting down at the computer, she started barking madly out the front window. What could it be this time? There's one dog in the neighborhood that she hates, but I haven't seen it lately. There's a story there which I'll tell you in a minute. 

But it's too early to walk the dog. Nope, it's this. 

A neighborhood resident

Wait -- can you see what caused her to sound the alarm? I zoomed in on that photo. 

A coyote

Looks pretty healthy and just sauntering along. I guess we won't spot any rabbits this morning. And it just saunters along the street or onto the lawn like it owns the place! 

Wait - there's more. We were just back from the walk yesterday morning, and Murphy sounded the alarm again, but at the back door. What could it be? 

Remember how I mentioned that I hadn't seen the pair of ducks that visit every year? Well, they were in the backyard! 

Mrs. and Mr. Duck!

They even went for a short swim in the pond. 

Mr. Duck is taking a swim

Then, because Murphy was making so much fuss, they stood on the rocks for a long while. Alert in case the girls went out, which they were not allowed to. 

Mrs. and Mr. Duck are enjoying the rocks

After the ducks flew away, I let the girls out, and they rushed to those rocks to see who and what was visiting. 

MOM - someone was here!!

I chuckled because Lexi stayed pretty much in the same place, but Murphy had to sniff every square inch of that space. 

MOM - they were here!

She's like a whirling dervish!!!

MOM - and they were here! 

So, it's been a crazy last couple of days, but hopefully today, or at least the rest of the day, will be quiet. There's nothing worse than getting woken up by a very loud dog barking its head off. OK -- there are worse things, but she's a lunatic. 

OH -- the story about the dog that Murphy doesn't like. Well, it's funny what you can learn just by being observant. I'll call the couple Dave and Betty. Over the last couple of years, I've often seen Dave and occasionally Betty out running with Rex. This is the dog that Murphy hates. I've also seen them walk the dog, either individually or together. On my walks, I even discovered where they live. 

There were always two vehicles in the driveway, and then one day, there was only one. The car was a bit older, so you think maybe they did like we have and went to one vehicle. But come to think of it, I haven't seen Betty in several months. And I never see Rex any longer, so perhaps Betty and Rex moved away. 

A silly thing, but if you are observant, you can learn all kinds of things! 

Anyway -- that's just a silly thing. 

More Canadian authors! Linwood Barclay - yes, I know about him and have read some of his books. I even went to one of his book signings several years ago. But here are two more Canadian authors who are new to me: Rick Mofina and Chevy Stevens. Both are mystery writers. Thanks for the comment and tip! 

I hope you all know about Bookseriesinorder, as it lists books by author or character. Wow - just checked and Rick has a lot of books. I just borrowed one of his books. He has several series and standalone books. I put one of Chevy's books on hold. This is exciting, even though I don't need to discover a new author. My list of authors is already very long. 

Another author that came to light yesterday during Monday sewing is Ma-Nee Chacoby. I've also got her book on hold. And one more author from the US, James Grippando - I just downloaded one of his books. 

I thought there was another author we discussed yesterday, but their name escapes me. 

I now have loads of reading material for the next bit. 

I'm happy to report that all the embellishments for the Trendtex challenge are made! And the majority of them are stitched to the piece. Thank goodness. The rest will happen this morning, and then I'll walk it to the post office. I want it out of my house today. I have other stuff to work on, and I can't keep getting sidetracked by that one. 

My plan to sew the embellishments on using my sewing machine worked like a charm, and hopefully, the second part, which I'll sew by hand, will also go quickly. 

Shoot - I swear there was another story I was going to share with you, but POOF - it's gone! 

Oh -- I remember what it was! I wanted to thank everyone for letting me know about the dates for 'Long Time Gone'. I think I got it all straight now. Sorting out the 80+ quilts and the year they were started was challenging. 

The reason I wanted that list was for my Concurrent show at Quilt Canada this June. It's called "Celebrating 25 years of teaching!" Of the 80+ quilts I've taught over the last 25 years, I had to curate that list down to about one-third! That was a challenge, but I had a method to my madness. I hope you can come to Quilt Canada to see all the creative work done by the students! It's going to be exciting! Because yes -- the quilts in the show are by the students - NOT by me! There are some spectacular quilts, and a wide variety of them: different colors, styles, and patterns. You won't want to miss it! 

Well, I'm off to get the day started. There is a lot to do, but the end is in sight for at least one project, so that's good. And, of course, there's more paperwork! No appointments - that I like!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Murphy's thought processes

About that new author I mentioned yesterday - Iona Wishaw. Her latest book is coming out on April 29th, although Daphne noted that it's already out. If you live in BC, she's doing book tours and signings, and you should go! It's great to support our authors. I hope she can get a more extensive reach! I finished the book yesterday and I loved it. Lots of thinking and fact contemplating, which I love! 

Let's support our Canadian authors. And for our US neighbors, I do read lots of US authors, but I'm always excited to find a great Canadian one. We've had a tendency in the past to overlook some great talent, at least I have! I'd never heard of Iona before, and I'm glad I found her. Thanks to The National Post for recently highlighting Canadian authors in the mystery genre. 

Speaking of contemplating and fact contemplating, what about those EXIT Games? Oh boy -- we had one puzzle that eluded us the other night. We didn't look at it the night before, as that was date night, but we worked on it last night. We followed the instructions to cut out part of the page, which I had photocopied, but DH wasn't satisfied with the photocopy. We needed to CUT the page, so I did. That gave us nothing. 

We zeroed in on what we thought was essential and what was not. Still nothing. Hm - now what? As I sat staring at the photocopy, it hit me. BAM! I figured it out! It was easy to get the answer once I saw something. But until then, we were at a loss. The puzzles come in a wide variety, and how the three-digit code is deciphered is - well, it's different each time, and yet the method is not always unique. 

It's all about letting your mind go and think outside of the box. 

Part of the puzzle 

I got a thumbs up from DH on this one. 

I accomplished a lot in Studio B yesterday. I had a lot of cutting to do to get ready for classes next weekend. I'm behind on a couple of projects. But I had an excellent day cutting and made tremendous progress. I even started sewing! I won't share them with you as they are all secret projects. OK - they're not secret projects, but I want to show the groups first, then you can see. 

I'm working on a challenge quilt, and it's going to be a nightmare to add all the embellishments. They need to be done ASAP. I'm going to have to resort to glue, not hand stitching! Not something I'm a fan of, but I know it can work as I've used glue in the past. The big question will be - which glue? Hot glue or a fabric glue? 

I loaded another quilt on the long arm and got it quilted. Of course, my faithful companion had to be there to supervise. And she knows EXACTLY where to lay when I need to be in the same area. It's like she has a sixth sense. "I will lie right here, so Mom can't miss me."

MOM - I'm your therapy dog! 

As I worked, I emptied a spool of thread, but of course, I had another spool, which I didn't need, so all was good. 

One more spool gone! 

And here's the quilt. It's one of the ones that Diane pieced for me. There's been a basket of flannel quilts sitting by the long arm for months. Along with batting, so it's not pretty! It's neat, but I'd like it out of the way. So, this one is done - well, it needs trimming and binding, but I'm not worried about that for now. I just want the quilting done! 

Community project quilt - DONE

The next quilt is on the longarm, and I need to work on it today. 

I zipped out right after lunch and picked up a small end table that I had spotted the other day. Even though it's not that heavy, I wasn't planning on carrying it home. It's only a fifteen-minute walk from the store, but I wasn't going to do it. Ooops - I forgot to take a picture of the table. I'll share with you tomorrow, as it's a cute little table and quite functional. 

While in line to pay, I spotted this. What do you think? Would the girls like that for hot days? 

A sprinkler mat for dogs

It was a glorious day, and I went for a morning walk with just a sweatshirt. But I soon had to abandon that as it was very hot. When I got home, I dug out the furniture for the front patio, put on shorts, and sat out there to have my tea. It was glorious! I'm sure the neighbors think I've gone mad, but I'm past the point of caring! It's my yard and I can sit out front if I want! 

In the afternoon, I was in the gazebo. Of course, Murphy has to start her antics. She grabbed a toy that had sat on a tree stump for MONTHS. 

And she proceeds to drop it in the pond. And then fondly looks at it and then at me, to get it for her. That little devil!!! 

OH - it's so sad. My toy is in the pond!

After some desperate pleading (barking) on her part, and I didn't budge, she attempted to get it herself, which she did. Such a drama queen! Of course, the next time, she threw it further in, so I had to get up and get it for her. 

I have to do all the work myself! 

What I love is that Murphy's actions are intentional. It's not just an accident, she is thinking and understanding sequences! Dogs are way more intelligent than we give them credit for. Of course, they are not always thinking! 

A reminder to everyone: the upcoming election is on April 28th. If you can't get to your voting station that day, advance voting is happening now. There are two more days of advance voting. Check your voter card for locations and make sure to vote! 

What is encouraging is that a record number of people voted on the first day! I don't think they have posted any numbers for day two, but this is an important election, and we must do our civic duty. If we don't, then we are forfeiting our right to complain afterward. Yes - we might not be happy with the elected party, but at least we are part of our democratic system. 

Yes - you might have to wait to vote (that's unheard of in our country), but waiting in a line to vote is better than waiting in a line to get rations! OK - I'm exaggerating a lot by that statement, but you get what I mean. There have been waits of up to two hours at some stations, and I'm excited to hear that! 

I was going to go on election day, but I might go today since I have a guild lecture on April 28th (East Lake Simcoe Quilt Guild in Cannington), and with the driving time, it might be a challenge. I'll see how it goes. Wait, voting is open until 9:30 PM on election day, I shouldn't have to go to the advance voting. 

And check out the latest issue of A Needle Pulling Thread (Number 69). It's just come out. I have a quilt in it. Can you spot which one is mine in this quick preview? Skim over the Table of Contents page first and then come back to see if you were right. Here's a hint - my quilt is NOT on the cover. 

Well, I'm off to another exciting day. I have it all laid out in my head, and we'll see what I get done. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Whatever the weather!!

 I found EIGHT books at the used bookstore in North Bay. And I love that ALL their titles are searchable online. Even better, you can search by author, and whatever they have from that author comes up! It's called Allison the Bookman, and I LOVE the site. I will call today and pay for the books, then they will go on the Pony Express. Yes - Our Pony Express reaches faraway places! Now, I need to update my list, and I have a couple of other bookstores to check out. Oh my -- this is super exciting! 

Oh, I should mention I found 8 of 23, so that's pretty amazing! There will be loads more, but I'll focus on seven authors at the moment. Once those are taken care of, I'll add more to my list. I don't want to have a ton of books hanging around, so I'll focus on a few authors at a time. 

Speaking of reading, I finished a Louise Penny book last night. This is one series that you MUST read in order. The books build on the characters and reading out of order would just be wrong! What is amazing is how Louise manages to tie in the storyline from this book (and all the others) to the previous books. It's an incredible talent and she is definitely a Canadian Treasure! 

She will launch her latest book this fall and has chosen to visit various Canadian cities. I planned on going to Ottawa, but that event sold out in a day! There is an event in Toronto, but I bet it has since sold out. I had the good fortune to meet Louise at a book signing in 2013. There were two hundred people in the audience. She was popular way back then and is even more popular today. 

I am not up to date reading her most current book, and I'm OK with that since it allows me to read Louise Penny whenever I want. There are so many other authors on my list. Let's just say that I did not see the end of this book coming—A Great Reckoning. WOW! Her character development is the best I've ever seen from an author. 

I got a chuckle when I was getting ready for yesterday's walk. I glanced over at Murphy's bed and saw her toy! He kind of looks happy in an upside-down way! 

Topsy-turvy

And yes, there are times when Murphy does go into a deep sleep. Not often, but there are times. I try to tread lightly in those moments, but her sleep is NOT that deep! 

Fast asleep

I ran around the house yesterday, taking pictures for my presentation. That was fun, and there were quilts all over the place. I have a spot upstairs where anything with a sleeve was hung up and photographed. Then I tossed the quilt on the floor. Look who claimed the very first quilt I threw down. Why are animals attracted to quilts? 

Mom - just holding it down so the wind doesn't blow it away

When I tossed the next one, she just lay there! Great - she's too lazy to take the quilt off her head. 

Mom - I'm scared of the storm - I'm OK

When I had to move to the bedroom to take pictures of quilts without sleeves, she was right there—ready to pounce on them. Quilts are like magnets to our pets! 

MOM - I can test that for you! 

This is what the real picture looked like, with my feet on the stool. That's why you can crop photos! So what the audience sees is a nice quilt—they don't get to see everything else in the way. And you have to love our cell phones. I have three lenses on my phone—macro (close-ups), regular, and wide angle. I love and use them all!

The rough photo

I use all those lenses regularly, and there is also a way to change the photo ratio. It's easy to get into the wrong one, and I swear from some of the photos I get for show and tell people do not understand their cameras! I should offer a course on using your phone camera! 

While taking photos of modern quilts, I almost forgot this one at the top of the stairs. It's funny how you pass something every day but then don't actually see it anymore! 

Almost missed this giant wolf quilt

And now this is the mess I have to clean up! I must also try folding my quilts differently, as many have fold lines. They used to lie flat on the bed, but it was a hassle if I needed the bed or one specific quilt. There is no easy way to store quilts. So, I will try that bias folding method and see if that helps. Also, if I donate some of them, there will be fewer to store. I'm going to tackle this pile slowly. A few a day, and that works for me. 

The aftermath of prepping for trunk shows

The presentation went very well, and again, there were great comments from the members, although it's not the same thing when you're on Zoom as in person. So, thanks to the Limestone Quilters Guild for allowing me to share my quilts!

And it sounds like everyone loves my teaching style! When you find a passion - nothing you do seems like work, and teaching/quilting is my passion! Can you tell? 

Yesterday's weather was a bit all over the place. It started snowing in the morning, and it didn't take long before we had this. 

MOM - it's snowing! 

We had about two inches of slushy snow. I decided to walk to the grocery store, as I needed some items I couldn't find the previous day. What is it with bran muffins? Why are they so popular? Yes, I could bake them, but this is my treat! You don't make treats! 

Should I take my usual route along the multi-purpose path or take the shortcut through the forest? It didn't seem so bad when I got outside, so I took the long way. I saw a white vehicle slowly turn into the gas station I was almost at and imagine my surprise when someone shouted my name. What? It was one of the instructors at the gym! She spotted me and wanted to know if I wanted a ride home! WOW -- that's the second time I was offered a ride home this week. 

Nope - I'm OK - just on my way to the grocery store. I bet Maria thought I was a lunatic! But I thanked her and went on my way. 

Then the ice pellets hit me as I turned the corner, and that final block to the store wasn't the most fun I've had on a walk. I got my muffins and headed home, but this time, the snow and ice had turned to rain, which wasn't so fun as I was a bit wet when I got home. I wasn't that wet, but enough that after 20 minutes, I changed my pants and socks. Of course, I did NOT wear boots! 

It wasn't that bad, and we must stop fearing the weather! It's here to stay; we must learn to live with it! 

As I took the shortcut through the forest on my way home, I immediately spotted a bright light approaching me. OH—a motorized vehicle that shouldn't be in the forest. WAIT—the owner was walking his bike home. I guess the roads were too slippery, or he didn't feel comfortable, so he had the bike on to help him push it home. I hope he didn't have too much farther to go! That happened to me many years ago in Montreal. I started out driving the motorcycle, and the roads were great. But it had snowed during the day. That was an intense drive! 

Snow in the forest

It didn't snow much while I was gone, as I could still see my tracks from when I left the house. You can see how wet it was. But it really wasn't bad. My feet got wet when I crossed the street, and they weren't wet; they were just damp. I'm going to make a great grandma - I can see M rolling her eyes at the thought of me taking her kids for a walk in the rain without boots! Bring on the mud puddles - we've got some splashing to do! Maybe that's why she lives at the other end of the country from me! And she doesn't have any kids yet! 

Not enough snow to cover my tracks

The other day, while prepping for the scrap quilt lecture, I saw these containers of shapes I had cut from my brown scrap boxes. 

There are actually several containers. One contains 2½" by 4½" pieces, and I know what those are for. There is one with 2½" squares, and I don't have a plan per se. Then there are 2" squares and 2" by 5" pieces, which were to go together to make something, but what? I couldn't remember. Well, I remembered when I was on the walk yesterday!

Boxes of brown scraps

As I was sewing this morning, I made one block. Hmm—I need to pause and think about value before I continue. Can you imagine what I did with 2" squares and 2" by 5" rectangles? You have until tomorrow morning to figure it out! 

And seriously! What is with our dishwasher? This is becoming very common, and I'm tired of fixing it. It might be time for a new dishwasher, but it works just FINE until it gets F11. Most of the time, I cannot find anything that clogged the drain, which is very frustrating. 

F11 - again! 

I have one more class this evening, and then there are four other evening classes for the rest of the month, two of which are makeups for March! That is amazing! And that means we can get back to our EXIT Games!! Yeah!!

I've got some paperwork to get accomplished - I'm looking for quilts for the Concurrent show at Quilt Canada. I'll be taking a recap of where I am this morning and then posting what I'm missing. OH - and I have one more overdue follow-up, but after that, I think I'm caught up on the daily paperwork. How can that be? I must be missing something!! Wouldn't it be nice if it was all done by the end of today? It should all be done by the end of the week! 

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Jacob's Ladder

 

Do you ever have those days when you're so excited and so much is going on that you feel like a kid in a penny candy store with ten cents??? OK - so perhaps I'm dating myself by saying that, but seriously - so much stuff is going on, and it's not even huge stuff. Yep - the little things in life just make me so happy. 

I see that Rose has read the six books in the Rockton series I mentioned yesterday by Kelley Armstrong. I didn't have a chance to listen to the audiobook yesterday, although it did niggle in the back of my mind and today is the Virtual Retreat all day, so no books either. I think that means the book is going back, and I'll have to get it again. It's kind of creepy, and I had no idea that there was more than one book! Good to know - loads of books to read!

I was a voracious reader when I was a kid. Oh yes - I wanted to read EVERY book in the world. Yep - a sheltered life! Then I didn't read for a long time, and years ago, I got back into it, but I mostly read mainstream stuff - the big-name authors that write a lot of cookie-cutter stuff. 

Then I started venturing out and finding new authors, and WOW - that has really opened my eyes. SO many amazing authors, and some debut novels are awesome. So if you're stuck on reading the same type of thing over and over, try a new author. I'm glad I did. 

Here's my erratum for today - my jeans? They are NOT fleece lined - they are flannel lined. It's like the flannel is laminated to the denim, and well - for cold days walking outside, they are the best!!! It's much warmer today, but still, minus 7 - I don't think I need them for that temperature. 

I had FOUR Zoom sessions yesterday. Yes - I'm back in the saddle and loving every minute of it! One of my calls had close to 100 people - the maximum that I can handle with my subscription. What great fun we had! Can you tell I love to teach? 

And we had LOADS of fun at the Virtual Retreat last night. Seriously - we talk about everything and anything. I can't tell you what we talked about - you have to join to find out. We had a couple of new people or people that we haven't seen in a while, including Jill, who caught COVID and is in for the long haul on her recovery. It's been months, and she's still on oxygen. That's the first person I know who has a serious round of COVID. Speedy recovery!!!

Oh my -- I've been looking for something for a while, and guess what? I found it yesterday. Yes - I really need to make a list of everything that is missing to really celebrate when I find it. The list will also help me know if I'm making progress!! What did I find this time? Well, a while back (way before COVID), I bought a small book to store passwords. Yep - they say don't write them down, but seriously - who is in my house to steal the book? 

My new password book

When I searched through a basket of stuff on the table to find something else (which I did find), I found the little book. It's now with the crappy book where I currently store my passwords. I'll transfer them over at some point. But at least I know where it is now. 

Now here's something else that's missing. I was looking for a ruler to do a specific job the other day. I found the ruler, but NO instructions. I thought there was a book that went with the ruler. Oh - I found the book, but it was for an entirely different ruler. So how does one use this ruler???  No idea. It's a Pineapple Ruler by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan. Remember them from way back? They were at the forefront of quilting when I started. I might find instructions in one of their books? OR - I might find it in one of the boxes of crap in this office. In the meantime, it went back on the shelf - I found something else that'll work instead. 

Pineapple Ruler

So I got a question from a student about the Jacob's Ladder block. One of the projects I'm currently teaching is Long Time Gone by Jen Kingwell. HEY -- heads up - it's been so popular that I think we're going to do another Jen Kingwell class. Let me know which one you want to do - I've got TWO in mind and well - let's do it. We buy these darn books, and then we never make them. So a sew-along is perfect. Wait for details on that, but let me know which Jen Kingwell book you want to do. I've been checking out the homework that the class has posted on our private Facebook group, and well - they are having way too much fun!!!!!

So here's the block from the book that is called Jacob's Ladder. The idea is that you made nine of these and sew them together to get a larger block. This one block is small, by the way - it finishes at 4" in the quilt. 

Jacob's Ladder, according to Jen Kingwell

Nine Jacob's Ladder blocks

So I decided to check in my NEW Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns to see what Barbara Brackman says about Jacob's Ladder blocks. If you want your version of the book, ask your local quilt shop to order it in. The Canadian distributors now have the book in stock, and your shop can order it from them. 

This is the line drawing from the original book. There are no colored pictures in this book, and to me - this is Jacob's ladder. You can see how the above block resembles it, but it's not the same. There are NO Quilt Police governing the naming of quilt blocks or the names of quilts. You want to call it Jacob's Ladder? You call it Jacob's Ladder. 

An outline drawing of Jacob's Ladder quilt block

By comparison, this is what you get in the new version. You get a colored picture (thanks to the beauty of Electric Quilt 8), and there is a line drawing, also done in EQ8. It looks so much nicer done on the computer!

Jacob's Ladder 

And guess what? Jacob's Ladder, or at least the block above, is known by other names as well. Go figure - that's why we can never figure this stuff out. Hence, the book is invaluable for research in the quilt world. If I didn't like the research part, I'm not sure I'd need or want the book. But I get intrigued by small things, and I once had to find a very obscure quilt pattern for someone. Here are two instances when I needed my book. TWO  - in the twenty years, I've had it! But's that OK. Here's the second one. 

Other names for the block pictured above

To find a block in the book, you must use the index in the back, and here's the list of Jacob's Ladder blocks from the index in the new book. 

Other versions of Jacob's Ladder from the index

Wow - that's a lot of blocks, so I checked them out and found a couple of blocks that were way off the mark for me for Jacob's Ladder. But Barbara scoured thousands of sources of quilts, patterns, and other reference material and put down every reference she could find. It must have been a HUGE undertaking. The latest book wouldn't be quite so bad. 

Here's one more style of Jacob's Ladder!!! Not even close. But you have to remember that a LOT of blocks were named locally for various reasons. It makes sense that there were be many different blocks under the same name. 

Another version of Jacob's Ladder

I got the binding on the customer quilt last night. Perhaps I shouldn't say that because now she will want to pick it up, and well, I'm not doing pickups today! 

I started on the homework sewing for February and made pretty good progress. Here's my stack of stuff that's prepped and ready to sew. It's going to be a sewing marathon all week!!!

Ready for a sewing marathon with MANY prepped projects

Well, on that note, it's off to get ready for the Virtual Retreat. If you get a chance to join us - then come on in and say hi!! We'd love to meet you. And then you get to hear what we're talking about!!

Sunday, January 31   FROM 10 AM - 8 PM

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

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

A correction or two

 

Well, it seems that I goofed. I put the wrong link for QUILTsocial yesterday. Thanks to Gwen for alerting me to that. I did fix it and hopefully got the right link in there. I'm going to list all the links for last week later today. That will solve all problems. 

Thanks to Carmen, we now know with 100% certainty what that "container" building is. The structure is the sales center for the Mattamy Homes development on Ninth Line.  It was designed by a famous Architect Frank Gehry.   The development is called The Nine.

The sales center is made with containers.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that building. This photo doesn't do justice to it - it's stunning. I wonder what will become of it when the development is done? And yes, during my entire walks with the girls yesterday, I envisioned how I would make my own container house. Since those things are HUGE (the most common length is 20 or 40 feet, the width is 8 feet, and the most common height is 8½ feet, but there are high cubes at 9½ feet. There is tons of information on the internet, but here's the link to one place.  Hmm - I'd need 5 containers to have a nice studio and another five to live in! I wonder how much they cost??? 

Oh - I should say that I dug out the fleece-lined jeans, and they slipped on right over my regular jeans. And I was TOASTY warm for the entire hour that I was outside. They were a good investment. I don't wear them that often - thank god, but when I need to be outside for a long time, they are great. Although with two pairs of pants, I did feel like the Michelin man. Actually, it reminded me of when we were kids. We did NOT have snow pants, so when we wanted to go out in the snow, we wore two pairs of pants. I particularly remember this in grade school. We lived and went to school in the country, and I remember coming in from recess or lunch, and there would be tons of laundry hanging in the classroom to dry so it would be ready to wear home when you had to walk two miles! AH - back to those character building days!!

Fleece-lined jeans

And my double booking issue? Seems like the events are on the same DAY, but not the same time. And wouldn't you know that I found that out AFTER I alerted one of them. SIGH......   So I must get all that arranged properly today. 

While I was planning on telling you about my research story - I'll have to wait until tomorrow. If I don't do the prep work during the day, there's not much time in the morning. And seriously, I've already walked 1,324 steps this morning? Wow - how did that happen? So I'll share the crazy day I had yesterday and some of the UFO.

I have an excellent audiobook that I'm listening to, which motivated me to stay in Studio B and cut and quilt. This is what happened in the quilting area. 

Customer quilt - DONE

This is a beautiful quilt and guess what? She hand-stitched the entire thing together! I know!!!!

Then I was on a roll, and that audiobook will be returned automatically in two days, so I need to be focused. So I loaded another quilt, and I was off. 

Customer quilt - DONE

This is one of my favorite quilts, and it's flannel on both sides, so it's going to be toasty warm. 

Which is what we could use right now at our house. I suspect our thermostat isn't working properly. Even though the temperature was set to 70, it never went above 68 even though the furnace kicks in. As a test, I set it even higher, and nope - it doesn't budge past 68. I suspect I need to call to get it fixed. 

Trust me - I've checked the schedule numerous times, and I can't see that anything in the schedule is causing this. 

All the customer quilts are trimmed, and I need to get in touch with them for pickup. One does need the binding sewn on, and that's a job for later today. The next quilt is loaded on the long arm for later today. 

I managed to empty all the silk and velvet from this container, so it's now up for grabs should anyone want it. Otherwise, it'll be donated. The tub - that is - not the silk and the velvet!

A container up for grabs

And the scraps are overflowing. I didn't take a picture of the stack of boards with projects cut out and ready to sew, but it's HUGE. I have two more projects to prep today, and then I'm ready for a MULTI-DAY sewing marathon. Actually, it'll take days to get everything sewn, but that's OK. 

The overflowing scrap bin

Oh shoot, and now I've run out of time! So let me share at least my UFO show and tell with you. I'm working on Quilter's Patch by Laundry Basket Quilts. It was a group class a couple of years ago. I've been slowly working on the blocks. I really don't understand why I kept putting the homework of these projects on the back burner. Many complex UFOs are sitting there because of this. I'll find my list one day, and then you'll see what I mean. 

Anyway, the main part of the quilt is done, and now it's time to work on the borders. That's my homework for this past month. I need to add that border to the list of stuff to get done! 

The center of Quilter's Patch

I spent a LOT of time doing the applique for the roof of the garden shed. But it's done, and I like it. 

The roof of the garden shed

Wait a minute - do you see who is in the garden????  Those darn girls of mine!!! The original pattern has a cat on it, and well, we don't have cats at our house. So I made Lexi and Murphy!!! They are so cute - both on the quilt and in real life. 

Lexi and Murphy in the garden quilt

Last night was author night at the library, and I was introduced to two new authors - Andrew Pyper and Catherine McKenzie. 

Andrew Pyper and Catherine McKenzie

And let's not forget the other new author I discovered that I'm currently reading - Kelley Armstrong. I'm reading the first one in the Rockton series. Wow -- a weird premise, but very good and intriguing. 

These are ALL Canadian authors. I believe next week is Jennifer Robson. It's free, and you don't have to be a Mississauga resident to listen in. Here's the link if you want to get signed up.    Hmmm - how to make a quilt from all these amazing books??? I'm so glad that I got out of the loop of reading the same authors in series all the time. It's great to have a change with some VERY unique plots. 

Oh yes -- here are the QUILTsocial links. 

Monday - introducing the Husqvarna Viking Designer Sapphire 85

Tuesday - features and accessories

Wednesday - four great features

Thursday - using decorative stitches in sewing mode

Friday - using decorative stitches in embroidery mode

HEY -- if you think this is just about buying a new machine, think again. I always fill my blog posts with all kinds of tips and things that technically you can use NOW. Check the links out!!!!!

Don't forget that TONIGHT is the first part of the Virtual Retreat. And then all day tomorrow. Here are the links. 

SATURDAY, January 30 at 6 PM - 9 PM

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

SUNDAY, January 31 at  10 AM - 8 PM

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

On that note, I'm out of here. Have a SUPER day!!!

Ciao!!!!