Quilt Canada Day Two 2023

So glad to know I'm not the only one who gets off their game with the food thing and travel. I've just been "careless" about the sugar intake, and I'm not happy. But I made a start last night -- no cool beverage or dessert. I didn't miss it, and I felt much better. 

I'm happy to report that Day Two was almost as busy as Day One, which is great for a show, and let's hope that today (the last day) is as busy again. People are excited to get out to a quilt show, and I'm enjoying Halifax. It's a very cool city to visit. 

The day started with another walk and more geocaching. I walked along the harbourfront this time, and there is a beautiful boardwalk with fantastic artwork. 

This was one of my stops along the Adventure Lab and is a tribute to those who left Halifax for the World Wars. The monument is called The Last Steps, and the scene was quite fitting with all the fog yesterday morning. 

The Last Steps

There is a harbor beyond the end of the pier, but it was nowhere to be seen with all the fog, and from time to time, you could hear the fog horn of the ferry. It was eery but beautiful at the same time. 

I walked down to Pier 21, which is the location where many immigrants landed in Canada, and again, there were many monuments and artwork to celebrate. As the fog lifted, this was the scene on my way back to the hotel, which was very cool. On a nice day, when cruise ships come in, I imagine this area is bustling! I'm glad I got to experience it when it was almost empty. 

Here is the challenge piece I made for the show. The theme was Quilts Ahoy, and I used the Word Sculpt Wizard in the mySewnet embroidery software. Let's just say that there was a wee bit of learning involved in this, and I had to make three attempts before I got it the way I wanted. OK --- I screwed up the first time and added 30,000 unnecessary stitches to the piece. The second time, I made a spelling mistake (Thanks to Lorraine for catching it!), and the third time was a charm! 

My challenge piece

This was the blurb for the piece called Mine, Mine, Mine! 

And if you don't understand the reference to the title, this may help. And if that doesn't help, think "Finding Nemo." Anyway, I had great fun coming up with the design, and I wish I had completed the other two challenges I wanted to make, but I didn't, so let's move on! 

Seagulls are so possessive

I had a look at the TrendTex challenges, which are AMAZING. There are 60+ entries, and I bid on four of them, but I see that I was outbid on three, so I hope to go back and have a serious look at which ones I want and try again! 

Then I had another mission. Years ago, when I must have been in Atlantic Canada, I purchased a scratch lotto ticket. I know -- you didn't see that topic switch, did you? Well, I forgot the ticket, but it surfaced when I was cleaning, and I believe it's a winner -- maybe $25 if I'm lucky. I didn't realize it was not from Ontario and tried to claim it at a kiosk back home. 

When the kiosk couldn't scan it, I called Lotto Ontario. As I was on the phone with someone from Lotto Ontario, I realized my mistake and was told to send it to the head office for Atlantic Lotto. I brought the ticket to try and cash at a kiosk here. Well, imagine my surprise when I spotted this next door to the convention center. 

Atlantic Lotto

Yep -- turns out it's the head office for Nova Scotia. The first time I popped by yesterday, the office was closed for filming, so I returned later. The front desk couldn't scan the ticket either, but she offered to send it to the head office of Atlantic Lotto, which is in Moncton. So that got sent off, and let's see if I get my $25. It could take 6 - 8 weeks, so fingers crossed. 

It just makes the whole thing more exciting, and I remembered to bring the ticket and then get it to the office during their office hours!

I've been looking for a sunflower embroidery design, and imagine my surprise when yesterday I was looking through a book for the PFAFF creative 4.5, and there were TWO of them. So I must get a copy of them today to work on my project. Now I know why I stalled on that project -- because I hadn't found the right design yet!

I heard from a couple of friends about an art installation created by Andrea Tsang Jackson. It was within walking distance, so I headed out in the general direction after we finished dinner last night. It wasn't hard to miss as the installation covers the ENTIRE parking structure. 

An art installation on the Summer Street Parkade

All those panels are made with a wire mesh - actually, there were two kinds of wire mesh, and it's firmly secured to the structure, which opened earlier this year and is associated with the hospital across the street. 

The artwork is called In Conversation, and you can read more about it here. It's impressive to see, and it covers all sides of the structure. 

Then it was back to the hotel and off to bed. While I LOVE this location, it's a party city, and I've been awoken each night by something. Last night at 4 AM, a group of partygoers shouted as they found their way home! Sigh......

OK -- I'm off to get my geocache of the day. I've got a roll going here, and today will make four days in a row, and I need 20. I CAN DO IT. 

The show closes at 4 PM, and then we have the fun of tearing down, which is never as bad as setup!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!!

Packing is always fun!

So is it just me, or is it always like this? I don't think I've ever left on a trip and not been in frantic mode the day before. Why is that? 

I know why -- because when we're away, we don't have the same access as we have at home to computer files or whatever, or we know that we can eke out a few minutes here or there to do a job when we're at home and can't do the same thing when away. 

Well, it's been non-stop all day, and well, it's rather late for me, and I'm writing this now because I likely won't have time in the morning. 

I've been writing, sending e-mails, and quilting all day! Yet I still managed to clock 12 KM. I bet that was from packing my suitcases. Oops -- make that ONE suitcase. I did laundry, but I still need to pack my clothes, and that's always the last thing for me. 

I did NOT panic pack. I never do when going on a plane because of the weight restrictions. I very methodically packed that suitcase, and it weighs just under 50 lbs, so I'll be good! It's the second case that worries me. It's a bit larger than my usual carry-on, but it should still be considered a carry-on. However, if they ask for volunteers to check their bags, and I suspect they will, I'll be the first at the counter. I have to wait for my luggage anyway, so if you have to wait for one, you might as well wait for two. The problem is that if I intentionally book that second case, I have to pay for it. If they offer, then it's free! 

I quilted an unusual quilt today, as it was essentially two layers of fabric that had been digitally printed. 

Digitally printed fabric

I was a little hesitant since the two layers were pretty much the same size, but with the wider selvages on one, it worked out OK. I'm not sure where they got it printed, but it's for a baby quilt. 

One side has a print (William Morris?). 

The front? The back? 

And the other side is solid. 

The solid side

Quilting on a solid digital print is dicey since the white from the inside threads can show. But it turned out OK. 

I even dared to trim it, which was fun since there was no guide! But it's pretty darn square (well, squared UP!)

Oh -- I had to get my challenge quilt sent off to Quilt Canada. I thought I had until the end of the month, but NO, it was due NOW. I had quilted it the other day, but it needed a sleeve and label. Those got hand-stitched on, and while I did that, I watched an older episode of The Quilt Show. 

Hand-stitching and watching quilt shows

Thankfully, the local postal outlet is open until 4 PM on Sunday, so I walked it over and it's now gone! One less thing to worry about next week. 

I had to assemble some presentations for this coming week, and for whatever reason, that just didn't work like I wanted. But I persevered, and with the help of a USB stick, it's all done! Now, to cull a few slides, and all will be good. But I swear that I never have the right presentation. It's either in the wrong language, the wrong brand, or the wrong topic! Every single time! 

I've got to figure out a better way to deal with those presentations because they drive me mad and seem to take forever to assemble. 

I "failed" my UFO assignments for this month. There just wasn't time, so I tried to start off this month by downloading the files I need for design work onto the laptop. I have some downtime coming up this week and next, so I hope to get that accomplished. Does any device come with a CD drive any longer? I don't think so. Thankfully, I still have an external one. I should just download ALL my CD discs to the computer and be done with it! 

My CD-drive

And look at that clingy girl. She couldn't be any closer to me! Poor things -- this month, they are getting tossed between our overnight house sitter and our day house sitter! But they will survive! 

MOM -- I need you!

Now besides packing my clothes and downloading one more file to the laptop, what else do I need? 

Hmm -- I think I'm good, and if I've forgotten something, well, too bad. I'll just have to make do with what I have! 

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The countdowns

What a great Christmas Eve we had! I wasn't sure how many would be able to make the Zoom call, but because of the crazy weather, a few showed up because their plans had changed. Family members got caught in the highway shutdowns and had to make some crazy detours, and we all cheered when they got home! As usual, I went to bed, and some were still on the call. 

Sorry -- I'm tired and need my sleep! 

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope your day goes as planned! I bought tickets to the movie, and that's where I'll be later today. I just hope I don't fall asleep. I'm going to need a nap before I go! 

My Christmas may be untraditional, but I'm OK with that. And the best part? When it's time to take down the decorations, I just have to remove a quilt from the wall. I'm really OK with that! 

And who says you can't have popcorn for dinner? I like to think outside the box and be different, and I'm perfectly OK with that!

So what's with the wind? We've had wind for two days, and it's still windy today! Except the temperature is rising, as is the wind chill factor, so that's good, and WHAT? There's NO weather advisory today. I tell you that if you are dressed appropriately, the weather is always good! And extra pair of fleece-lined pants, my warmest jacket, hat, and scarf, and I was toasty warm when I walked the dogs. It's warmer today, so the extra clothes are unnecessary this morning. 

The girls were perfectly fine to take the entire 45-minute walk each, not a single lifted paw because of the cold. Silly girls. 

But that wind! As I walked through the forest, I could hear the moaning and groaning of the trees as they rubbed against each other. We only spotted one downed tree on the path, which was right where a tree went down in the last storm. That must be a nasty windy spot, although it seems sheltered. 

A tree down

But this tree? I think it's a goner. It's hard to tell from that angle, but the trunk appears broken about 10 feet up, and it was groaning like mad. A few more wind storms and that one is gone. It's a huge tree, but hopefully, when it falls, it's not tall enough to hit those houses! I will likely call the city next week and alert them to the tree's condition so it can be brought down safely and not wipe out the fence behind those houses. 

This large tree is going to be next!

How about synchronized sleeping dogs? Lexi loves to lay under the table, and Murphy decided to copy her, but not under the table, as there was no room. Those girls are very silly. 

Synchronized sleeping

And Lexi has a boyfriend. His name is Wednesday, and he's a Husky with one blue eye and one brown eye. Whenever she sees him, she freaks out. She NEEDS to say hi! She does not react to other dogs this way at all. It's hilarious. I told the owner that he must bring Wednesday for a play date one day! Murphy will be so jealous! 

Murphy, on the other hand, just wants to play ball. No matter how much I clean up the papers on the floor, she finds something to plunk her ball down on. 

MOM -- Let's play ball!

I'm happy to report that with the moral support of those on the call, I got the binding sewn to the back of ALL the quilts on that table. I had to make binding for several of them, some of which were very scrappy. But all is done. Phew!! Now all that remains is to sew the binding to the front of the quilt. I'll start with the largest and work my way to the smallest. And I'm going to do a couple a day. Not the entire pile at once! But the good news is that I'm almost done with that marathon, and the quilts can be delivered. I'm pleased about that! I confess that I'm getting tired of binding quilts!

The binding is attached to the back of the quilts

Then I decided to work on the quilt I'm making for our pre-cut class. The pieces were cut for a while, but there was no time to sew. 

Working on my pre-cut quilt

I made significant progress last night and got the first step done. All the 10" strips are sewn in pairs, and I finished pressing them this morning. The next step is to measure to see if any need to be trimmed, and then I can move on to the next step. 

The mini strips are sewn together

It feels weird to have that Virtual Retreat for one day only. We usually do Saturday night and all day Sunday, so I feel like I should be heading to Zoom later today! But it was great as we met someone new (Kathy), and we reconnected with some friends we hadn't seen in a while. So I'm happy I arranged the call. The next Virtual Retreat is on January 28 and 29, if you want to mark that in your calendars. I have one piece of paper that I NEED to locate this morning, and that's it for paperwork for me. 

However, starting tomorrow, I need to get back to work as there is much that needs to be done. Today will be all about napping and sewing, and then off to the movies. 

I didn't get a chance to work on the puzzle yesterday, except I found three pieces while waiting for the iron to heat up. But I was there this morning, and I can listen to my audiobook and search for pieces. When you get down to it -- this puzzle isn't that hard. Neither does it go together fast, but there are enough identifiers on the pieces to find the right spot. 

Progress on the puzzle

Still not confident about that border, and as you can see, it's not complete. But I'm working on this one from the inside out, which works for me. 

Hopefully, as the number of loose pieces gets fewer, the easier it'll be to spot a piece. I can see where those sorters might help, so I don't have to bend over the table to see those at the top. But we'll see. 

Yesterday was a 13+ KM walking day, and I still have 127 KM to do before the end of the year - 7 days! Since the weather is supposed to get nicer and warmer, I have a choice to make. Go to the gym and do TWO spin classes or do the scheduled one on Wednesday and make up the difference by walking. Decisions! 

And my throat? It's a pain - it's not sore per se, but I get this tickle, and if I don't drink water and get a lozenge in my mouth, it practically chokes me. Very annoying, to say the least. 

Well, that's it for me today. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

Finishing off UFOs

 Yesterday was a busy day, and I was on Zoom for most of it. I can't imagine what my days would be like without it! Yes -- I could get together with friends locally, but I couldn't be with someone in Germany, Mexico, and various parts of Canada simultaneously! But with Zoom, I can! The friendships that have grown, the things we have shared -- well, it just can't be beaten! 

And some of them just can't get enough! I left the call at 9 PM, and there were still some diehards. The night owls, but where are they now? Fast asleep! While I get myself up and to the gym!

As you know, I have those darn lists of UFOs, and I'm attempting to get them done. So here are two of them, and they are COMPLETELY DONE. 

The Chunk of the month --  quilted

Although I call this one the Chunk of the month, it's called Twinkle little star. And now the binding is on. 

UFO - DONE

I started it in 2013 and finished in 2022. 

The next UFO that is completely finished is Farmer's Wife. This one was started in 2012 and completed in 2022. 

Farmer's Wife quilt - done!

The binding is now on the quilt. 

The binding is on the quilt

I'm pleased as punch that both of those are now done. As I've mentioned, there are lots more where those came from, and I'm trying to take full advantage of the UFO Club to make that happen. 

I did a quick tally yesterday of the numbers from the UFO Club, but I need to have them in my head, so I'll try to post them tomorrow. But we will be making a nice donation to the local food bank with the funds that were forfeited by not finishing our goals as promised. And I'm not the one that sets the goal, but I've been known to slip! It happens. 

And now I'm onto the next UFO. I'm going to finish the 150 Canadian Women. The blocks are on the design wall. 

150 Canadian Women - the next UFO on the list

I don't know if I'm going to rearrange the blocks. I might rearrange a few, but they randomly got thrown up on the wall and play together nicely. You'll notice a gap along the bottom left, and I have a plan for that. Now that all my commitments for the year are done, I can get down to business and get more stuff done without any distractions. There is one more distribution list to create and then to deal with all the e-mails I've received. They are all filed away to make it easier for me to deal with. 

I will use EQ8 to help me determine the size of the sashing to put between the blocks -- ½" or 1"? I'm trying to keep the quilt as small as possible, but I don't want it to be a weird size, so I may have to go with 1". And then to figure out the border. I'm cheating in a way as I saw what one person did with theirs, and I really like the border, so I may copy!

And I was debating on using red or white for the sashing. Putting it up on the wall, I think the answer is obvious -- white it is, as red would be too distracting. 

All 150 names are embroidered on the quilt backing, but it now needs to be assembled; but best to wait until the quilt top is done, so the size is right. 

Part of the quilt backing

Since I belong to both UFO Clubs, I'm pushing to get homework done for both. When I made the list of UFO projects for 2023, I happened upon this project. 

The next UFO project

It's small, and the blocks are cut and will take little time to sew together. Do not laugh!! Then I'll need to find some border fabric and see what I can track down for sunflower embroidery, or I'll put something else on it. That's the problem with patterns from older magazines -- are the embroidery patterns still available? 

And let's remember this UFO that wasn't on any list, but I worked on it at the last retreat, and it's done. I believe this one was started in 2017. 

My sewing machine cover

I would like to quilt all the UFOs I'm completing. I'll see if I can sneak them in between other commitments. That would be very nice indeed. 

So did I get anything done at the Virtual Retreat? You bet! I worked on bindings, but rather than finish a quilt, I sewed many bindings to the backs of the quilt. Made the join, and now all that remains is to stitch the binding to the front. I have to switch threads to do that and decided to maximize my time. There are ten that need to be topstitched. 

The pile of quilts to be bound

So this is the current heap of quilts to be bound, and I hope the pile will be significantly less after Monday's Sewing. I contacted the Project Linus person and told her what I had to donate, but I don't think she comprehends the pile waiting for her. 

Good progress is being made in Studio B, and pretty happy. Yes -- I would love to have more done, but instead of looking backward, I need to congratulate the successes and move on! I could improve at keeping track of my accomplishments, and I'm sure I could spend some time digging through the blog to find out. But I'm just going to be happy knowing that I made considerable dents in what needs to be done, and that's good enough for me! 

I will be hosting a Virtual Retreat on December 24, starting at noon. The link will be posted on Wednesday. So this is NOT supposed to take you away from your family gathering -- it is for those that would be home with "nothing" to do on Christmas Eve. If you are around, be sure to drop in and say hi! We always have loads of fun. 

On that note, I'm off to the gym. I had set a goal for my cardio miles for 2022, and it's aggressive, although I had to downsize it a bit. The gym being closed due to COVID for several months and my not doing the entire Camino is the result of the decrease. There is still 273.2 KM to finish before the end of this year -- 13 days! Tick tock! But there are four spin classes before the end of the year, so that will take a chunk off, and I have an average of 12 KM each day to make my goal! Nothing like being ambitious and leaving the goal-achieving until the very last day! I want my medal!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The fall retreat - Day Five

The last day of any retreat is bittersweet. While we are excited to go home, it's time to leave, and no one wants to go home. This retreat house is several hours away, so I had plans to leave at 1 PM, and it was exactly 1 PM when I drove out of the driveway. 

However, I managed to get a lot accomplished before I left. All in all, this was probably one of the most productive retreats EVER! I've no idea how that happened. 

This was my last day to take a walk to the lake, so I got myself ready and was off. Besides, I wanted to "measure" the hills. There are two of them, and both are relatively steep. This is what my Fitbit registered for those two hills. 

You start by descending the hill to the lake. Then I turn left and go up another hill, then down a shorter but still steep hill. The road ends, so I turn around and come back. The deep dip is when I walked to the lake shore and then up a small side road, and then the final ascent back up the hill to the retreat house! That chart represents a distance of about 5 KM. For comparison, on one of the days in Spain, the elevation gain was close to 600 meters but over a longer distance. And the first day when we went over the Pyrenees, the elevation gain was 1,500 Meters! The number below pales in comparison! 

I am amazed that my FitBit can register this information, but if you want to see elevation, you have to start the HIKE feature, not the WALK feature. I had recorded the walk the previous day, but since I hit WALK instead of HIKE, I didn't get this chart. My average heart rate was 112, so I'm pretty happy with it, and I did almost 5 KM in just over 50 minutes. 

Hills just don't show up well in a photo, but this is the start of that second hill, and yes -- it goes around the corner, so you can't see the top! But I can power up that darn thing now, and no problems. 

The bottom of the hill

Of course, there were still lots of pretty leaves. OH --- this is going down the first hill. Again, it doesn't look like much, but it's steep. I took this shot to remind me to tell you about going downhill. When I was in Spain and probably learned the bad habit here, I stepped like a little old lady when I descended. Short shuffling steps mean MORE steps and more pounding on the knees and feet. 

The top of the hill going down

I am training myself to take my normal stride down the hills. And I find my knees are happier, so I'm always trying to do that. It's amazing how you don't realize what you are doing until you start to pay attention! I would get passed by so many people on the downhill because they were taking a NORMAL stride, but a shuffling stride. 

And I've been wearing the hiking shoes I wore in Spain, but with a cheap pair of athletic socks, and I have ZERO issues. So can you tell me why I had so much issue with my $33 fancy socks with wool and gosh knows what else? I can only equate it to swollen feet from the heat, thus making the shoe too small. 

My hiking shoes

It was nice to have that waterproofing or water resistance, as my feet were perfectly dry when I walked through the wet grass. Just blows my mind, and it makes me sad a bit, but I've learned some valuable lessons here, and I'll be more aware the next time I buy shoes for the Camino. Yes -- we all know there will be the next time. 

Dry happy feet

And here's my last shot of the lake. It was so beautiful and quiet -- one could stay all day, but I had things to sew, so I turned around and headed up that hill one last time. 

The calm lake

There are a few small streams along the walk as well.

A small stream on the hill

I worked only on the flannel star quilt, and I managed to sew a six-square section from top to bottom and added eight rows of squares to the bottom. It's currently in three sections, but that won't take long to sew. 

The starry flannel quilt top

I need to add four columns of squares to the sides, and I'm thinking of adding one set of four patches to each side. That should not take that long at all. I was surprised by how much I got done yesterday. Slow and steady!!!

And this is what I have left for squares. I'm sure I did the math and cut just enough, but we'll see how that goes. And YES, I twirled the seams on the back, which is why it's so easy to add to the top, the bottom, or the sides, and NO ONE will know what I did. 

Squares to make the quilt larger

I made three stops along the way. I stopped at Thimbles and Things and had a great visit with Sue and Paula. It's hard to get in the habit of saying, "I'll stop at Paula's on the way home instead of Sue's." I picked up a couple of things -- you'll have to wait for that, as it may just evolve into a class. Then a quick stop at Tim's to get a tea, and for heaven's sake, I can't even order the right tea -- I asked for steeped tea instead of Orange Pekoe. And I no longer like the burnt taste of steeped tea. Sigh......

Then I made a delivery stop to Kathi's. I had some fabric for her, and when I was at the quilt show a couple of weeks ago, I won a prize: a kit and the pattern below.  

The kit I won

Kathi really likes Barb's patterns, I gave her the kit, and I got Kathi's pattern! The kit included the pattern, and she didn't need two. So that was good -- I got that done on the way home. 

Let's just say the girls were BEYOND excited when I got home. They had been here by themselves for several days. OK -- that's not true; we had someone staying at the house since DH was also away. That's the first time we've ever left them with someone else for so many days. They were well treated, I'm sure, but man -- they wanted to go for a walk. I was NOT taking them out when they were so excited. We went after dinner. 

I think Murphy missed her friend as she slept in the guest room last night! Poor Murphy! 

Mom's HOME!!!!

I didn't have much to bring in the house -- what a concept! And it didn't take long to get it sorted out and put away. These are the backup projects in the retreat bucket, and well, it's time to get to work on them. 

The extras in the retreat box

I managed to put them into a smaller container. 

Small projects bundled into a small container

Which is now sitting on the current projects table. It's hard to tell, but the amount of stuff on this table is diminishing! Slow and steady!

The current projects table

I got MAIL -- lots and lots of mail, and I got to use the fancy key for the parcel container on our new mailboxes. I didn't have my phone with me at the time, but it's a big solid thing. 

I've got MAIL

I got my Trendtex challenge, so I need to put my thinking cap on. 

Trendtex challenge

The Cherrywood challenges also came, but I haven't opened the package yet. And I got a book I didn't take a picture of, but I'll show you it tomorrow. 

Speaking of books, here are the three books I chose from the free library. They are now on the "to be read" shelf, and I'll get around to reading them soon. I did donate three books -- an equal swap. 

Books from the free library

I walked the girls when it was dark, and they were WILD. But we spotted the cutest solar lights -- those are dog paws. It was hard to hold the phone steady to get a picture with trying to contain two wild dogs tugging at their leashes. 

Paw-shaped solar lights

Oh --- and here is one of Ronda's projects with her Cricut at the retreat. She etched the bottle after she put on a resist. Then pulled the resist off and put lights in. Very cool!!!

A lighted etched bottle

So the two presentations for the two classes are DONE! The Zoom links have been sent, so if you signed up for one of the classes and did NOT get the Zoom link, e-mail me. 

I also had to prepare my lecture, and I finished that up this morning, so everything is prepped and ready to go!!!

This afternoon, I have a bunch of bindings to finish off and prep for the presentations for the UFO Club, which is tomorrow. My homework is done, which is a relief!! No late night, although last night was late as I finished prepping. 

That's it for me --- I'll see some of you later today, but otherwise, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!