Downsizing your quilting stash

Oh boy, so I went to Diane's house yesterday. I had never been in her sewing room before and had no idea what to expect. However, I have known Diane for many years and have learned some of her habits. She always finishes things. I have never heard her talk about a UFO in my life! She was very organized. But having worked in a quilt store for many years, what came home with her? 

It was a quick walk through the forest to her house. The temperature was great, and there were big fluffy flakes of snow, and the walk was beautiful. I was off on an adventure. 

Walking to Diane's

When I arrived, her husband was so happy to see me. I know him from my frequent visits to their home. The sewing room was beautiful as there was so much light from that window, and her furniture was outstanding. Oh my -- it was terrific. 

OK—I snapped a couple of photos when Jerry went downstairs. I would have enjoyed working in this room with all that natural light over the sewing machine. Yes, I could have the same thing in Studio U, but I don't have internet access there, so it doesn't work. 

Diane's sewing room

This was the other end of the room. I suspect Jerry had removed all the fabric from the dresser and perhaps the closet. 

The other side

I know it was overwhelming to him, but to me, it was OK. There was still a lot of fabric, but it wasn't in comparison to what I have. 

After looking at what was on the bed and inside the cupboards and asking a few questions, I told him I would take it all. Shoot me now, but I owe Diane that for everything she did for me. Jerry didn't want to be bothered selling any of it; he just wanted it gone. The only thing he wants to sell is two Brother sewing machines. 

Thankfully, he had lots of bags in the room, so I set to work and filled many bags with fabric and other supplies. After I cleared off the dresser and the bed, he shooed me out of the house. I think it was exhausting for him, so I left. I'm returning today with the car and will bring all of it home (I hope!).

I still have to empty the large cabinet in the corner of the first photo. And some drawers under the desk. I'm taking some IKEA bags with me to make quick work of the packing. 

I have no idea how smokey the fabric smells, as it was hard to tell in the house. Once I get it out, it will be easier to access. For now, I will unload it all into the garage and probably deal with one bag at a time. 

A lot of fabric can be used as backings for the community project quilts that Diane made, which will help enormously! There was a bit of batting, but not tons. 

Here is my takeaway from this. This is the FOURTH time I've rescued someone. 

• The first time was for a friend from our Monday Sewing group who passed away from cancer and was very private about it. While we didn't touch her stash, our group (mostly me) finished many UFOs for her. I offered our services to finish them, and we were inundated with stuff she wanted finished. It was hard to refuse. 
• The second time was for a frequent student in my quilting classes at The Hobby Horse. She was killed in a motorcycle accident, and through a mutual friend, I again offered to finish some of her UFOs. She didn't have many, but it took a while to accomplish that. 
• The third time was for a woman from our Monday Sewing group. She hadn't been in the group for a while, but we stayed in touch. She had stopped sewing, and she was getting rid of all her stuff while she was alive. Bless her—she was super organized. The remaining UFOS (two) are being completed so they can be donated. The rest of the fabric is in the storage room and will be used for community project quilts. 
• And the fourth time was Diane, where I was "in charge" of the entire room. Thankfully, Jerry found someone else to deal with all her knitting stuff. 

What's the moral of this story? Don't call me - I've done my time! 

Just kidding -- here are some tips: 

• Organize EVERYTHING. This will make it easier for someone to figure out what is there
• Put all the bits of a UFO in the box and label it! 
• Anything that you don't like - patterns, books, fabric, rulers, etc -- donate or sell it NOW
• Anything you will never use again - patterns, books, fabric, rulers, etc. --donate or sell it NOW
• STOP BUYING -- NOW
• Stop denying that this will happen to you! It WILL, and if you plan on leaving your messy sewing room for someone else to clean up, I will track your soul down and haunt you! Leaving a mess is not payback to anyone—it is irresponsible. 
• If you are NEW to quilting, do NOT CREATE this mess. Learn from our mistakes! The more you buy, the bigger the mess becomes! DO NOT let that happen to you. You do NOT need all the latest gadgets or fabric. There will always be new stuff! 
• Do NOT lose your mobility. That is just a recipe for allowing clutter to accumulate! 
• If you are not that mobile, HIRE someone to help you! 

If I think of any other tips, I'll add them to this list. And yes, you could say I'm the pot, calling the kettle black. I will not deny that cleaning up my place would be horrible if I didn't come home today. I can't imagine where I would start, let alone anyone else. At least things are organized, but the quantity would bowl anyone over! 

I chuckle when I think of how I plan to bring everything home in one carload. Jerry says it'll be two, and it might since I'm also selling the sewing machines for him, and I'll bring those home with me. I would need a semi-truck to empty my room! And that's not a joke! It's also a harsh reality! Who would absorb all my crap? 

So be warned! Start cleaning up; if you are already cleaning up, you better move faster! Sew faster, donate quicker, or whatever. But you cannot leave this mess to a loved one. I felt bad for Jerry. He was lost and overwhelmed. As sad as he is to see this stuff go, I bet he will feel much better when it's gone. 

I've been very productive these last few days; here are two quilts I got quilted. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Customer quilt - DONE

I have more to share, but no more time this morning. I'm on my way to the gym to see Brooke. 

Have a great day!!

Ciao!!!

It's a good day!

It was a busy day, but it was a GOOD day! I decided to get off my butt and start putting some of this stuff away. Some things in Studio B have languished on the tables since September! Seriously? I know better. So I made HUGE leaps and bounds to get things back in order, and you know what? I feel so much better. I can see open spaces. And I'm much calmer and happier. 

Maybe all those quotes are helping me to see the light! 

Since my decision to change the coloring for Dear Jen, I could put all the blacks and whites back in their spot in the stash room. 

Black and white fabric back on the shelf

All the solids were returned to their usual spot. 

The solids back in their spot

This basket of Kansas Troubles also went back to the stash room. This month, I showed the class (Chatsworth) how to cut ALL the print fabric efficiently, so hopefully, everyone learned how to do that. However, it was nice to get this out of the working space. 

Kansas Troubles back in the stash room

And now, back to Dear Jen. Here are the blocks that I just can't live with. They are not horrible, but I'm not a fan of them. They are bundled in a bag with the book and the new background. All that is now corralled in a container, so it's not strewn everywhere. I'll start back at the blocks for October and try to catch up by next month. 

Out with the old

While we were chatting during Monday Sewing, I was putting things away. When I got bored with that, I finished the applique for Dear Jen for this month. I still have to machine-stitch the applique blocks, but everything is ready. 

In with the new

I still have some paper-pieced blocks to make and one more to sew—there are ten blocks this month—but I like these so much better. I had told myself I would try to use each colored fabric only once, but I see I used the same pink in the center blocks. Oh well—it is what it is. The second animal in the middle on the bottom row is dark. It would be easy enough to remake that block and follow my rules. I'll see. 

Then, I found many strips of this striped fabric in my scrap box of brights, and it may become the sashing for this quilt. 

Hmm -- what about this for sashing?

I like that. Now, I just need to keep using the bright colors in that fabric to connect all those blocks. This fabric is also in a bag and in the same basket as the rest of the project. 

Look what came to my door yesterday? A package with this pretty label on it! 

The packaging

When I opened it, I saw my ABYSS CherryWood Challenge. Yeah!!! I had waited a long time for it, as the fabric bundles were in, but not the box of floss. Now, I need to refine my idea and start working. 

My new Cherrywood Challenge kit

After getting Dear Jen organized, the cutting table was completely empty! I know!! It didn't take much. So, to keep up the momentum, I did this.

More crap to put away 

Yes - I refilled the space with more stuff that needs to be put away. It looks much better this morning, and I will keep at it today. February and March are extremely full of SVP events, and I need to get this tidied up. Nothing like a deadline to get my butt in gear. 

I decided to make some soup around dinner time. The soup was for my lunches this week. I've started cooking the meat and onions and realize I need a can of tomatoes and some celery. I had not gone for a walk yesterday, so I went to the grocery store! I took the shortcut through the forest. There was plenty of light with the snow on the ground to see. All was good, and it was a beautiful evening. 

On my way there, I decided to get another container of laundry soap. I cannot deal with the smell of the Original. Now we have his and hers laundry detergent., 

His and hers laundry detergent

And here's my soup! I've started using Mitchell's Soup Company and LOVE the soups. DH loves them, so he's stealing my lunches! It makes a huge batch, so there's plenty for two. 

My pot of soup

So, a bad thing happened while walking in the morning. Murphy and I are merrily walking along a busy street on the multi-purpose trail. Out of nowhere, a retriever appeared and attacked Murphy! Don't worry - she is fine! But it scared me. A chain link fence separates the path from the houses.  

We've walked past this house many times, and occasionally, this guy has his dog in the front yard, and the dog rushes the fence. But that dog went right under the fence this time, as the bottom support wire was gone! Obviously, this is NOT the first time this dog has done that. First time for us, but the dog and the owner knew the condition of the fence. 

ACK. Murphy went down on her side like a ton of bricks. Many thoughts went through my mind, and I was ready to hurt that other dog. Yes - even though I'm a dog lover, this was wrong! I yelled, and thankfully, the owner called his dog, and the dog left. The owner merely lifted another section of the fence, and the dog went back under. Obviously, this has happened before! 

I didn't say anything because I was a bit shaken, but I should have yelled. It's one thing for this dog to approach the fence and bark its head off, but it's another when it comes under the fence to attack a dog outside. Next time I see him, I shall have a word with him. 

I checked Murphy over, and she had a couple of wet spots where the dog mouthed her, but there were no punctures. I suspect the dog isn't vicious, but it sounded and acted like one. But it didn't bite! Still, the behavior is NOT acceptable. 

She seemed slightly shaken, as she had been pretty subdued for most of the day. I hope she realizes how lucky she was. It could have been much worse - it takes mere milliseconds for a dog to bite, and I know how painful it can be. 

But as I opened the breathing hole in the pond and plugged in the heater, she unearthed one of her frozen teddy bears and was happy to be outside. 

MOM - my frozen bear!

There's a lot on the agenda today, and I need to get rid of some of these boxes before they drive me mad! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

Tell the truth - the whole truth!

I'm surprised at how "quickly" this basket of green scraps is disappearing. Wow—who knew that it could happen so quickly once I put my mind to it? It has taken eight years to get to this point. Well, maybe not eight, but I started the project eight years ago, and the water incident was about six, so it's been a long time. It feels good to get this cleaned up!

The basket is almost empty

At one point as I was picking out the pieces, the bottom actually peaked through the scraps. I confess before I take each picture, I tamp down the scraps so they are packed tight. It makes it look like there are fewer scraps! What a NUT I am!

I can see the bottom!

I don't know if I can finish it today, but I should be able to by tomorrow. Then, since I have MANY episodes of The Quilt Show to watch, I might as well start with this basket or pick another and start getting rid of the too-small pieces. My plan of saving anything that I can cut a 1½" square or logs or half of a 1½" HST is a good one. I'm sure I can go through all the baskets and get rid of some crap. 

Here's a link to a blog (thanks, Elle) for a project you can make with your 1½" logs. I'm not sure that's where I'm going to go, I have a couple of other plans in mind. I've been having trouble embedding links lately, so you'll have to copy and paste. 

https://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/2011/08/lego-tutorial.html

Here's why most of us do not need to buy more fabric. I needed some backing fabric for a small project, so I went through my stash to find something appropriate and came across this. 

The price tag is still intact

So, I want you all to tell the truth—the whole truth! How many of you have fabric in your stash that's been untouched and still has the price tag from stores that have been CLOSED for many years? By many, I mean at least ten years! 

While this fabric is perfect for the backing of my project, many others would have worked. The basket of purple from which this came is still piled high with other fabrics purchased years ago. I NEEDED those fabrics, and yet, there they sit - untouched. 

Not to be a nag and not to spoil the fun of shopping, but we really need to give this some serious thought. I know there are oodles of memes and cute cartoons about our fabric shopping habits. They are NOT cute and funny! They are the sign of a serious shopping habit. I also think they are sad in a way because it shows that "things" are more important than the relationships that develop because of quilting. It's also a "clever" way to disguise serious shopping habits. 

Not to poo-poo shopping - trust me, I did my fair share, but how much of that was guilt shopping, FOMO, or showing off that I could spend that kind of money. If I removed all the fabric purchased for those reasons, I probably wouldn't have a lot left! 

Oh, speaking of FOMO, the girls on that 90-minute video, which I'll never get back, referred to FOMO multiple times. Did you know that companies are marketing FOMO as a reason to buy? You will NOT miss anything important if you don't belong to the same club or buy the same fabric or the same project as your friend. Be strong—be an individual—and do what you WANT to do!!! Understand the marketing behind any company. They are pulling on your heartstrings every time they put an ad together. 

Oh boy -- did we see that coming? 

The girls have been a tad excited the last couple of mornings. There is a rabbit under the deck and they are going mad. 

Lexi was whining like mad yesterday, but I found her like this when I went out there. That's not the "I'm almost at the rabbit but can't quite get him" pose. I have no idea what her problem was. And NO, she's not stuck! She might look the same size as Murphy, but she's all hair! She's a little Houdini!

MOM -- I'm OK!

Murphy, on the other hand, was running around and around like an idiot, as per usual. But at one point, I found her under the deck. 

MOM -- I need a moment to flatten my body so I can get out!

We contemplated closing off the skirting on the deck, but I said NO. Now I regret that decision. 

Then we went for a walk, and Murphy was already hot from running around the deck, so when we spotted a sprinkler, she was right there getting a drink of water. When she's really thirsty, she has to lie down, so she also got a bath. 

Mom - can we get a sprinkler?

Lexi, on the other hand, is a peaceful dog who likes to walk amongst the flowers to chill. They are so different that it's hilarious. 

Mom - are these flowers for me?

The next round of flowers is popping up. This is my Rose of Sharon bush, and it's covered with buds. This is the first bloom. 

Beautiful flowers

The hostas and lilies are also starting to bloom, but I forgot those pictures. Oh shoot—I also forgot to tell you what was in the seven "hidden" drawers in someone's living room. I'm on my way to spin class and don't have time, so those must be done tomorrow. I made myself a note so I won't forget. 

I made good progress on my projects for the blog posts, but I'm slow. At one point, I was sitting at the sewing machine and working like mad, watching the embroidery machine crank out something, and I was finished way before I was!!

Embroidery machine hard at work while I sew

But I'm ready to start writing once we finish our Monday Sewing. I mapped out the next projects while on my afternoon walk, and hopefully, I can get it all done this week. NO—I need to get it all done this week. 

I sat in the gazebo for a bit until the breeze disappeared, and then it was too hot. At one point, I spotted Murphy staring out the back fence. What a goof!!

MOM -- there's something interesting on the back fence channel

Well, it's time to get moving! There's lots to do and no time to waste!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

A well organized quilt studio!

 No quilts got bound yesterday! I swear - I had everything ready to go, and other things got in the way! How does that happen? At least I got lots done, so I was happy at the end of the day, and the number of quilts to quilt before Christmas is getting smaller every day. I hope to be done by the weekend!

I want to ensure that if there is stuff on the cutting table, I focus on that! That is how my system is supposed to work. So two quilts were sitting there that needed me to find border fabric. 

These are quilts for Diane to finish up, and I had ZERO qualms about going into my stash to find something. Nothing -- not even a twinge, and you know what? That felt amazing! I am FREE of this huge stash of mine! Technically, it's still there, but I'm free to use it all instead of keeping it for a special quilt! That is huge. 

I pulled out a basket of bright fabrics, rifled through it, and found several candidates. 

A basket of bright fabrics

I settled on the one I liked best. 

The border fabric

While going through the basket, I found six fabrics that were at least three meters each. They got pulled for backing. Oh yes -- I'm dead serious about using this stuff up! They all got measured and labeled. Notice how uniform they are? That's just eyeballing it! There's no need to put a ruler or anything else in there (unless you want it to stand up). By this time, I just eyeball many things, and everything works fine. 

Six more backings folded and labeled

Of course, there was no room on the shelf, so I piled them up where the excess backings go. 

Excess backings 

Then I looked at the backing shelf and found a few holes for the smaller pieces. It feels good to have a few spots here and there. 

A smaller pile of excess backing fabric

And now the backing shelf is full! Once I make a few more holes, and those loose pieces have found a way there, I'll go through another basket. I'll keep doing that until I have gotten all the large pieces out of those baskets! 

The backing fabric shelf

I found the border for the other quilt in my other storage area, so that was a task done. And it cleared two things off the cutting table. I walked both quilts over to Diane so she could put the border on and make the binding! Job well done!

At one point during the day, the cutting table looked like this. But that is OK -- this is what this surface is for. It's my cutting table and my work table. So now I have a clear space to sort things. It looks pretty clean this morning. Not completely clear, but close. Oh, so close! 

The cutting table as a workspace

Here are a couple more things from the shopping bag. I know -- you're just dying to jump in and empty those bags - I know you are! I'm almost done! This is a large piece of swimsuit mesh. I've got an idea of what to do with that! It's now in the appropriate spot for this kind of fabric. 

Swimsuit mesh

Two spools of metallic thread are now in the box with all the other metallic threads. 

More metallic thread

Speaking of thread, as I was sorting through a box of stack and whack (one block wonder) stuff, I came across a spool of the Bottom Line Thread. Oh yes -- I bet that is one I thought I was missing. 

A spool of thread

And so I bought a new one when I had the chance. Sigh.............. The problem with keeping threads in the project box. I have no idea how much more thread I'll find, but this won't be the last spool I find. I need to finish the stitching and put the thread back in the thread box. That quilt isn't even on my UFO radar at the moment. 

A brand new spool of the same thread

Speaking of UFOs, I'm also working on this project that is not on my deadline list of UFOs. I still had three more hoopings to embroider, and there's no time like now to make that happen. Each one takes over two hours to stitch, and that's at the fastest speed. 

One more embroidery stitch-out

And as the day ended, I was tearing the stabilizer out of the other piece I had done. What a job! But I watched the baking show while the other one was stitched, and I was happy. I need something to do while I watch those shows. 

Ripping and stitching

Since I have quite a bit of stabilizer to remove, I have lots to do for a while. You can tell where I've removed the stabilizer from the top left, as it no longer has this white shadow behind. 

The front of the huge label!

And it's evident on the back, as you can see in the top right. 

The back of the huge label

Then I need to embroider the project's title, and I've got a spot for it. And I wanted to use the SAME font that Kat did in her book. This is going to be easy. I have 245 fonts in mySewnet Embroidery Software, and drat -- that particular font is not there. 

The title of the quilt

WAIT --  I went into QuickFont and created my own! That took all of about 10 seconds to do that. The font is called Algerian. And now I have to design that title in the software (easy peasy), figure out the sizing, and then get it and finish off the last two hoopings! Can I finish that this week? I hope so!! 

The font was recreated in mySewnet embroidery software.

And this is one more hooping done - only two more hoops of names and then the title. The last thing is to assemble the quilt. 

The embroidery is complete

All the names were supposed to be on ONE piece of fabric, but I miscalculated, so there will be a join. No one will know that! 

I should mention that I picked up three more quilt tops from Diane. I'm so happy to see this flannel used up! She said she got 17 tops from it or something like that! Now when would I have had time to make seventeen tops? 

Three flannel quilt tops

But that's not all. One more customer quilt is done! And the next quilt is loaded on the long arm, ready for later today. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Yep -- as I mentioned, while no bindings got put on, I accomplished a lot, and let's hope that one or two bindings can be put on today. I swear that managing this stash is almost a full-time job! Well, I only found and folded six backings! But I am so happy with the way things are organized! 

Oh yes -- we had a software class in the morning for the mySewnet Embroidery Software. Oh -- I just love teaching the software. It's capable of doing so much!!! And I'm learning so much every time I touch it! If only the students would touch it more! 

On that note, I'm off to spin class this morning! Yeah!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

To learn is to grow!

I took a circuitous way home from the Retreat. I had something to drop off, and I wanted to visit the art show where my friend, Helen Anne, had a couple of pieces hanging. Thank goodness for the GPS, or I wouldn't have made it! All those country back roads, some of which were pretty basic with gravel and barely a road as far as I was concerned, but it was the back way to get to The Hobby Horse. There were many trees down in that area, and that road was definitely closed after this storm. Fortunately, everything was moved when I came through. 

I had a great chat with Gail and Mary at the store. I don't get up there as often as I used to. I seemed to have lived at that store! And it's changed -- it's so neat and tidy and lots of new stuff. If you're looking for blenders, I would start there. And the best news? They have tried to keep their prices in the $16 per meter range. 

I didn't buy anything as I wanted to check out what I had at home first -- see, common sense prevails! I dropped off my stuff, and then I went to the art show. 

The theme was Forms and Faces or something like that. The show ends on Sunday, and although it's a small show, there is lots of great artwork. There was a great variety of mediums -- watercolor, photography, collage, acrylic, mosaics, etc. I very much enjoyed viewing the various art forms.

And look what followed me home. Well, I have to go on Sunday and pick it up. Helen sold both her pieces in the show. 

Growth by Helen Anne

So did I buy it just because it was Helen Anne's piece? I did NOT. I bought it for several reasons. I know the story behind the piece; it was created in PhotoShop (which fascinates me, and YES -- I'm jealous!), but the most important reason was the growth (learning curve) that it took for her to create this picture. I find it very inspiring that she decided to learn something and went ahead and did it -- that's a beautiful story, and I like the piece as well! That photo is not the best - the lighting wasn't proper for taking a photograph. I would like to do that, but I realize that it's not within my time bandwidth. I have too many other things that I'm learning, and I have to make choices. 

Great job, Helen Anne!!!!!

Back to the Retreat -- I trimmed some of that bag of small half-square triangles to say I touched that project bag. OK -- as I was trimming them to 1¼", I thought, why am I doing this? But I love small, so I'll continue. 

Trimming the half-square triangles

They are teeny!

My goal is to trim them during the Virtual Retreat and Monday sewing. Then they can go back into the retreat bag, and I'll create something from them during the next Retreat. 

I did some sewing on this bundle of scraps, and it'll definitely be a scrappy thing when I'm finished. But mindless sewing sometimes is a great thing! What I love about sewing scraps together is the puzzle effect. While it is mindless sewing, you still have to think about what piece should be stitched to which piece. It's like working with a puzzle, and I LOVE it. It keeps my brain active, which is a good thing. 

Scraps to sew together

When I got home, I unpacked everything. The stuff that didn't get put away got crammed on the cutting table. Oops! I intend to go through it this weekend and cut what needs to be cut, assemble the missing bits, and get it all ready for the next round of sewing or the next retreat. The amount of preparation will depend on when it needs to be done. 

This is why it's essential to shop at your stash BEFORE going to the quilt store. I needed more flannels to cut for that flannel quilt I worked on. I was tempted to buy some when I was at The Hobby Horse, but I thought to myself that NO -- I need to check my stash first. Imagine my surprise when I got home and discovered these fabrics in the stash. 

Flannels from my stash

Some of that may not be quite the right color, but I pulled it anyway. I'll cull through the colors more closely later today or tomorrow and then decide what to keep and what doesn't make the cut. Then it's a simple matter of determining how many squares of each color I need! No need to buy more! Phew -- good thing I held back! I may buy a green or a blue, but I definitely do NOT need red!

But I do need to go back to purchase a new ruler! Why??

My ruler is pretty much dead

The girls were all appalled that I was using this ruler, which was clearly worn out! I have to laugh, as you can definitely see where I put pressure on the ruler when I cut! OK -- so I guess they are right! I don't use this one often as I have another one at home that is in much better shape! But this one is getting to be super slippery, so it really needs to be thrown out. I'm going to send a picture to the folks at Omnigrid to show them what happens after MUCH use! 

Amazingly, the corners are still very much intact on this ruler. That's the result of careful cutting!

OK -- so I don't have time to show you all the doormats we made, but here's the one we made for The Retreat at the Farm. That was my fifth time at that house, and I love it. It's super quiet, well laid out (for the most part), well-stocked and organized, and close to home. Yep -- I'll be going back for sure!

Susan brought her digital cutter (Cameo Silhouette), some coconut mats, and other supplies to make doormats. We started off by designing a stencil in the software. After the stencil was cut out, we attached the stencil to the doormat, and using spray paint, we painted the motif onto the mat. 

As you saw a couple of days ago, we made one for each of us and decided to make one for the retreat house. This is what we came up with. 

A new doormat for The Retreat at the Farm

You should have seen us -- we were like kids at a free for all kindergarten session. There were moments of hesitation as we tried something new (yes -- we like and don't like new things), then squeals of delight as each doormat was revealed. After each one, a new idea emerged and that involved two trips into town to find further supplies. By the time we got to the last one, we had considered ourselves professional doormat makers. We know what works and what doesn't!

It was loads of fun, and by the way -- we checked Home Hardware (I even asked) for the freezer paper, and they had NONE. I'm not sure if they were sold out or didn't have it. So if you have some -- use it wisely! Remember, those templates can be used repeatedly when doing applique!!!

Thanks to Susan for that entertaining and freeing activity, and I got a great doormat to boot. I'll be posting the others tomorrow. And thanks to Katheleen and Lynn for a fantastic retreat! 

When I finally got home, I took some time to sit in the gazebo. The lilacs are JUST blooming, so I sat there smelling the beautiful smells, soaking up the warm weather, and reading. 

Lilacs are almost in bloom

But all was NOT quiet as Murphy immediately ran to get her ball and plunked it into the pond. And then barked when I ignored her. What a girl!!!!

Thank God you are home, MOM -- let's play ball!

Aloof Lexi enjoyed getting a good brushing and popped up on the bed to watch the world go by. 

Lexi watching the world go by

We went for a walk last night, and they were both happy to have Mom home. 

I received a disturbing phone call yesterday on the way home. A good friend called to tell me his wife had been diagnosed with liver cancer. She was first diagnosed at Easter, and she was given 3 months to a year. Apparently, her cancer is extremely aggressive, and she went into hospital yesterday with several days to a month left. He was heartbroken. I'm not sure how old she is, but she's around my age. 

The moral of the story is -- DO NOT wait to use those good dishes. DO NOT wait to learn something new today. DO NOT wait for anything --- do it now!!! 

I have a class tonight (homework not done yet), two classes tomorrow (homework almost done), and one demo (that I'm prepping), so getting that all organized is on the list of things to do today. It's all easy and shouldn't take too long to finish up. I got a lot of cutting done this morning, and I have a bit of ripping to do on a quilt that I started last week -- I'll show you later what happened. And let's not forget that it's Virtual Retreat this weekend. So lots of stuff happening. 

And thankfully, I can listen to an audiobook and do what's on the agenda today. That book "Looking for Jane" is a page-turner. It's NOT a thriller by any means -- it's about abortion and women's rights, and it's fiction. But I NEED to know what happens. It's very well written. I have two hours left, and I need to finish it today as it needs to be returned! The book is set in Toronto and spans several decades, but it's so sad that it's based on actual events. It's all very scary given the current situation. 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat. I'm hoping to do some clean-up work during the Retreat. I have sleeves to sew on quilts, half-square triangles to trim, and squares to cut. I don't think I'll even turn on the sewing machine. It's a fantastic place to do those boring jobs!!! So be sure to pop in to say hi!

Saturday -- May 28 - Starting at 6 PM.

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

Sunday, May 29 -- Starting at 10 AM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

There is an open house at the brand new retreat house (Spring Houe Retreat) near New Hamburg if anyone is interested. That is also this weekend -- Saturday and Sunday from 10 - 4. I'll be making a quick trip out on Saturday to check it out, although I've seen the house on the internet, and it's gorgeous. 

And there's a quilt show next weekend -- the Hamilton Quilt Show - June 3 and 4. 

And don't forget to check out QUILTsocial. One more day of making blocks for the fidget quilts. 

And here's the final day of QUILTsocial as I quilt one of the fidget quilts. 

I think that sums it up for today!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!