Reconsidering the importance of value!

Oh dear --- I may have to switch out the grass on my blocks for Down on the Farm. I will evaluate it this morning and make a decision. I am going to redo the turtle block as well. This quilt is darn cute!!! And I am on the final block!!! This one also has grass in it, and well, maybe I can switch out the green, and if I like it, then I'll have to remake that section of the rooster block. It wouldn't be a lot of work. Maybe that's why I stopped at that point last night in cutting out the next block? 

Cutting out the last block.

 

But here is the eleventh block. It's a dog!!! 

The eleventh block

The dog has a blue eye and a red collar, just like someone I know. Wait - that could be Lexi with the mottled black fur! 

The final block awaits—what animal is it? Do you remember? Once this final block is done, I'll go back to reworking the couple of sections I need to revise. Hmmm -- let's have another look at that rooster block. 

The rooster and chicken

Yes -- I guess I could go back and find something different, as that grass does blend in in spots. I won't change the grass part that fits on the post - well, let me think about it, but now is the time to change for the final block. And do you notice how those teeny tiny flower centers stand out because I switched out that yellow after sewing just one of the flowers? Value does count!

While I have enjoyed working on this quilt, I will be glad to see it end. It has consumed my sewing time for the last two weeks, and I need to move on! So once the final block is done, I'll set it aside while I finish prepping new samples for my travels next week. Then anything that needs to be redone will get redone. Thankfully, the grasses are easy enough to cut and sew. 

Some of the boxes in the kitchen got flattened and are in the garage. I must make it a priority before the nice weather is over to take a load of crap out of the garage. It's not that bad, but a few things have accumulated, and I would like the garage to be a bit neater. I have loads of recycling, but I'm happy to fill our bin and put it out gradually rather than leave unsightly piles of recycling in the driveway. Loads of people do that. They don't break down boxes; they don't separate the garbage from the recycling. It drives me mad.

I packed another box for my SIL and plan to ship those two boxes today. I still have two boxes in the upstairs hallway to bring down. Everything in the main hallway needs to be dealt with today, so the hallway is clear for the cleaning people tomorrow. Worst case, they all get moved to the office as the cleaning staff doesn't come in here. It's too messy. 

Let's just say that "adulting" is hard work. Just keeping up with the cleaning and tidying of daily life is constant, and the minute you stop? You have clutter! 

The poor office has become the dumping ground for things that have yet to be dealt with. We all know that - I've mentioned it oodles of times. But boy - it would be nice to get the final dregs of the clutter out of this room. All the rooms are now clear of the clutter from the first decluttering round, which took about 15 years! Then it would be easy to start at the top and work my way down again. Let's face reality - I'll never be done. This is a constant part of life and one that some people just can't handle - like my Mom. But that's OK. We're working our way through that. 

I'm afraid that my Mom's days of living in their apartment are numbered. Her mobility is getting less and less, and soon, she will need more help than can be provided in the apartment. My Mom is overweight and hasn't been active for many years. She was happy to sit in her chair with minimal walking and zero exercise, even though she swears to us that she does them every day. 

As a result, she has lost muscle mass and thus mobility. You do NOT want to face this issue, and we are all smart. So, if you can, get up and do something! Chair squats, step-ups, or whatever, but do NOT lose your mobility and hence your independence!! The biggest issue is the use of the washroom - when you can no longer deal with that, you are toast! 

With all the moisture we've been having, the forest is exploding with fungi!! I grabbed a photo of these the other day. 

Fungi in the forest

It would be neat to have a time-lapse of their lifespan. I bet it's fast!

I like to read every day - it's a way to escape to new worlds, learn new things, and well, a good old murder mystery just gets the heart racing! I also read non-fiction, which I love. I have a long list of books on my waitlist in the Libby app, and sometimes, when a book comes up, I wonder who recommended it to me? 

I also get my recommendations from The Globe and Mail review. I think it's once a month and usually reviews 8 murder mysteries. Of course, I put all of them on my list! Although some of them are not out yet, I think all of them were this time. Thankfully, there are some LONG wait times on some of the books, and I'm OK with that. There's no need to be the first to read a new book. I'm past that point in my life where I want everything right NOW. 

The Globe and Mail monthly book review

My walk yesterday took me past the bookstore, so I had to wander in. They have a big puzzle section, but I did not buy any. I still have puzzles to pick up at Puzzles Canada, and they sent me a reminder over the weekend. I need to puzzle faster!! 

I spotted this one with pictures of windows!! 

A puzzle with different-style windows

Which made me laugh because this is my next puzzle. 

My new puzzle - DOORS!

Yep -- those are doors!! I wonder how difficult this one will be? It should be easy, but when I opened the box last night, I noticed the pieces are tiny! 

I also spotted this puzzle. You may or may not know that there is a movie out about The Odyssey. DH wants to go and wants me to come with him. That man just can't go to a movie on his own. The darn thing is 3 hours long, and so we have to go in the afternoon. My body will not deal with a three-hour movie at night. I'll be bored and asleep before the opening credits happen. 

But I spotted this puzzle and asked him if putting it together would substitute for the movie. If looks could kill!!! LOL. 

The Odyssey Puzzle

Good heavens - they even had glow-in-the-dark puzzles. 

Glow-in-the-dark puzzle

And the community puzzle was together! I don't get to the bookstore often, so I miss putting pieces in. But that's OK since I always have one on the go at my house. 

The puzzle at the bookstore was done!

The monthly theme for August was Wild Animals, and I just happened to have this one in the puzzle pile. It was a 500-piece puzzle and actually quite easy. 

The August-themed puzzle

I found the missing border piece - it was upside down and under another piece. I did a little bit of work on it in the morning and then finished it last night. This is much better than scrolling! And I noticed that Kilimanjaro is in the background! It's about this time last year that I was getting ready for my hike up that mountain! That was such a great trip!!!

I have to find the theme list for the remainder of the year and see if I have something that works. One of them was a destination, I'm sure, and I have a couple of puzzles for that. 

On my walk, I also hit the mall as I had something to pick up. On my way out, I saw this kiosk. You can PRINT your custom phone case with a picture. All from a kiosk. 

Print your custom phone case from a kiosk.

This next picture will make you think. 

YES --- it's hard to believe, but there are some sounds we no longer hear. I'm sure most are related to technology, but who remembers dial-up for the internet? And I'm sure there are a ton of other sounds we no longer hear. I haven't checked out the website, but here's the link. WAIT --- I don't think I found the link - I'll find it and post tomorrow. 

One sound I'd love to go away is the whine of motorcycles late at night. While we are far enough from the highway not to hear the daily traffic, when it's late at night and the sky is clear, we can hear the whine of a motorcycle for 30 KM or so, it seems. Why? Why do they have to make it whine like that at night? 

On that note, I'm off to the gym. I need to keep mobile, and it's helping my legs. I've had no issues or very little with walking in the last week. That could just be a fluke, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to keep going strong for as long as I can. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

Making smart buying decisions

If this week is indicative of the pace of retirement, I say bring it on! Having only two classes this coming weekend is the only urgent thing I'm dealing with. That's not true since I'm also writing, but the pace is manageable, and I have time to goof off if I want. I can deal with that. 

Well, this weather is helping, as I have no desire to stay outside and lounge in the gazebo. I could freeze to death if I did that! And it's not really going to warm up for weeks. That's OK—I have loads of work to do in the house. 

So, have you looked around your sewing space and contemplated the less-than-60-minute challenge? I don't care if the task takes you one minute or 59 minutes. The goal is to get something done! What did I do yesterday? 

I finished the T-shirt quilt. Remember, I had stitched the binding by machine, but I really should have stitched the corners by hand. So I did that. How long did that take? Maybe 5 minutes at the most. These are all very short, piddling jobs, but if they don't get done, the project sits on a table, taking up physical space and creating visual clutter. 

The binding corners are hand-stitched

I have many other almost finished projects that will take only a few minutes to tidy up. Then I'll have to get into some longer ones, but still, less than 60 minutes! Could there be a light at the end of the tunnel? I don't care how many games I must invent to make things happen—I just need to make them happen! It's only going to take three weeks to make this a habit. It's been three days—only 18 more to go! 

I quilted this quilt yesterday, and the next one is loaded to work on later this morning. It's even trimmed and almost ready for pickup! 

Customer quilt - DONE

I have to tell you a story about this quilt. It's called Blue's Clues. I ran a block of the month many years ago at one of the local guilds. I'm not sure of all the details, but there must have been at least 12 blocks in the public domain, and I wrote up instructions for them and handed them out each month. It was a pretty successful block of the month. Then I was asked to run it at another guild, so I did! 

Hmm—I think my version is quilted, but I ripped part of it out and need to redo the quilting because I didn't like it. Oh boy—that's a bit more than a 60-minute project, but it should be done! 

It's nice to see one more of those Blue's Clues quilts done! Oh yes -- I did a lot for the guilds I belonged to over the years, and that's why I'm done with guilds. The politics got too much, and no one truly appreciated the time I spent, and certainly NO ONE wanted change. Wait - that's a lie. Only a select few were dead set against any kind of change, and it was very frustrating. 

Don't you love that—coming from someone who says change is bad? I'm mostly kidding when I say that, as I appreciate change, but it's sometimes hard to cope with. So I get that change isn't for everyone, but if there are new ideas or better ways of doing something, at least try! If it doesn't work, then go back to the same old! 

That mentality is quite common in guilds or organizations, not just the ones I belonged to. 

I try to keep Studio B in tip-top shape as far as the floor goes, but the dirt and dust can creep up on you when you're not looking. This cordless vacuum, by Rowenta, is the BEST I've ever owned. I believe I won it at some event or bought it at a silent auction. It's amazing! But this morning, I had to empty the canister (long overdue) and then remove all the dog and human hair from the rollers. That was quite a job. 

But look at it—it's scary to vacuum in a darker space because it has lights in the front. If you thought there wasn't much lint or dog hair on the floor, think again! That light shows everything! Let's hope this vacuum lasts long because it's my favorite! I just cannot imagine how much crap is in a carpet. Thankfully, we have none!

My bionic cordless vacuum

OMG—I just went to see if Rowenta still makes that vacuum, and I got onto my "favorite" online site. Can you believe an ad popped up for something I saw in a video from one of the content creators I watch? It's for a pool cleaner—I don't even have a pool. That is creepy!!! I did not even search for that item. 

But about the vacuums, while I like the big Dyson I bought, I wish I had purchased a cordless one instead. I might do that, as this one is heavy to carry around the house. Or perhaps I buy a cordless one for upstairs! 

I had to take pictures of sewing machine feet in my little studio! It's the cutest thing, and I love it! 

My small photo shoot booth

I tricked Miss Murphy yesterday. I wrapped her ball and a few other toys in the blankets, but instead of taking the large blanket and plopping that on top, I wrapped it around the other ones. She was mystified and had to learn a new trick! 

MOM - something's different

Lexi is happy in her new bed, and that's all that counts! 

You saw a picture of fungi in the woods the other day. Look at this! Lexi's in the photo to give you an idea of scale! These look like wash basins—they are that big! 

MOM - what are these things? 

There are five stacked on top of each other

I do not think there has been enough time for these to grow this year; they must be remnants from last year, although fungi grow quickly. This is a dead tree in the forest, and it's covered in various fungi on all sides. Lexi was not impressed that we went off the beaten path to get pictures! Oh, the princess might get her feet muddy!

When it was time for my walk, I looked out the window to see that it was raining, so I dressed accordingly and took an umbrella. It was also windy, but really, it wasn't bad at all. I went to the mall and checked out four stores for what I needed. As you know, I've been considering replacing my FitBit since it's having issues. 

Several years ago, the heart rate feature stopped working. Then, recently, it stopped alerting me of a low battery, so it doesn't unexpectedly lose power; it just doesn't let me know when it needs to be charged. Technically, I could still use it; I would just have to become more aware of the battery level, and opening the app isn't a big deal. It's just one more thing to think of. 

I thought of the prices of the Smart watches (hundreds of dollars), and then I thought long and hard about two things. The battery life is about 40 hours! That is NOT a lot, and it will use lots of battery as it sends those text messages and phone calls to your watch. Then I thought about that -- do I care? I don't care - if someone wants me - send me a note and I'll get back to you WHEN I WANT. I do get some messages on my FitBit, but I'm not in the habit of checking it. So why would I spend all that money on something that isn't useful to me? 

I'm traveling this summer, and I won't have access to electricity for at least one week. That watch would die in two days, and I'd be unhappy. So, common sense prevailed, and I bought this. It's only an activity tracker - nothing smart about it! 

My new Galaxy Fit3

I could have bought the Fitbit version, as they are still making it, but I decided to switch brands (GASP!) and got the Samsung one. I bet the FitBit brand will be gone in a year or two as Google phases that brand out and focuses on its own, so why not switch now? 

I'll keep using this one and monitor the battery level for a while, but when I get tired of that, I'll fire up the new one! 

I'm still manually entering the data into the virtual challenges, and I just finished another one—The Great Barrier Reef. I laugh when I see this picture—it makes me think of the Cherrywood Challenge, although I did not use it as a reference. The colors are very similar! 

Finished another Virtual Challenge 

Here are the stats. 

Now I have the fun task of picking another challenge. I haven't really been paying attention to the stats other than plugging them in about every two weeks! My daily distance averages about 11.5 km, and that works for me. 

Did I mention the weather? It's 7 outside, but it feels like 4, and it's cloudy, wet, and windy. Yeah, the girls can't wait to go for their walk! I think it's raining as well. I even turned the furnace back on! 

On that exciting note, I'm out of here! When I'm back, I can have a nice cup of tea while editing on the computer. It's going to be a great day!

Think long and hard about those less than 60-minute projects. They might not even be in the sewing room, but in the kitchen or anywhere in your house. Just aim for one a day—get it over with and move on! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Sorting and decluttering

So --- did you give any thought to those almost completed UFOs that could be done in 60 minutes or less? 

I stared around Studio B, and oh boy—the number of projects I found in that category would blow my mind. I'm not even tempted at this point to group them. So this is what I started with. Two pet mats were sitting beside the serger; all they needed was one seam to close them up and tuck the ends in. 

Two pet mats - DONE

And now they are done and sitting in the Pony Express area. Seriously? That took less than five minutes! I wonder what I'll work on today. But what a nice feeling and a quick win! How many more quick wins can I get? I have no idea, but I must remember to tackle one daily! 

The other thing I tackled yesterday was the drawers of beads. There were four of them, and they were a mess. So while we had Monday Sewing, I started sorting them. OH MY GOODNESS—what an eye-opener. 

The mess of bead stuff

Then I started to sort. I'm not ready to get rid of the beads yet, and now that they are sorted, I may actually find a use for them. There is one drawer for seed beads, one for funky beads, one for kits (those I should probably find a new home for), and one for tools. How many pairs of jewelry pliers does one person need? Wait! Don't you buy another when you can't find the first pair? I honestly do NOT know what went on in my head sometimes!

Sorting the bead stuff

And now the beads are all neatly stowed back where they were. 

The bead drawers are sorted

Should I need something (like sequins), I know exactly where they are. I have many sequins and want to keep them as I need them occasionally. Did I get rid of anything? I found many larger beads, and someone mentioned they could use them for fidget quilts, so that bag is on the Pony Express. 

Beads that were donated

I also found this fabric. Oh gosh—it was designed by Mark Lipinski and the collection was called Katmandu by Troy Corporation. I remember buying it to bead it. I can't remember if it was made for that, but I found lots in the drawer. I will never put beads on that, so the fabric went into the stash—or it will later today. Yep—the cutting table needs to be cleared again! 

The fabric that I was going to bead

Here's the thing -- you can't yell at me for continuing to mess up the cutting table. Anything that has a home and needs to be put away goes on the cutting table, and it then becomes a quick task to put it away. If something doesn't have a home, it sometimes doesn't make it to the cutting table, as I need to think of where to store it. 

Now, something amusing happened at Monday Sewing. One of the ladies asked if anyone knew of a Lori Holt pattern called Bee Happy. It's a cute pattern and YES - I know of it. She bought the book at her thrift shop for less than $2. But you need the templates to make the quilt, which I think is a real money grab by the designer. Sorry, but true. At some point in my life, I found the templates or bought them for some reason, but didn't buy the book. So between the two of us, we could easily make the quilt. 

The big question is where I stored those templates. I'm going to start looking later today. The bag would have gone into a basket or box of other odd things. Hmmmm—that could be anywhere. I know exactly what the bag looks like! 

While I have made a lot of clothing in my time, I've never done much with changing a pattern. But now, I'm trying to eliminate a bust dart. Oh yeah!! I've got it figured out, but I need to redo it today as I wasn't 100% happy with how it turned out. Well, it turned out, but my pattern is too flimsy, so I need to start with a piece of paper, not the pattern I had originally traced onto a lightweight stabilizer. 

Eliminating a bust dart

I think I mentioned that the deadline for the Cherrywood Challenge was this past week. I got mine in 20 hours before the deadline. Carla (the owner of Cherrywood Fabrics) posted a short video the other day about the number of quilts they received. The first year, when Wicked was the theme, they had 114 entries, and the number of entries has varied over the years. Last year (Poppy theme) was a record at 465 or something like that, and this year, that number was blown out of the water! I figured the number of submissions would be high based on the theme, Abyss. 

Do you want to hazard a guess? Sit down, as the number is insane!!!

Number of Cherrywood challenge entries

That's incredible!!!! The colors were fun to work with, and the theme was fun, so I could see why people wanted to enter. Now, the crazy job of three mystery jurors is to select 225 of the 570, which will form the official traveling show and the book. I've seen a few of the entries on IG, and none of them look like mine, nor did anyone use the techniques I used. But what are the chances of getting selected? It all depends on those three jurors and what they are looking for. 

If mine doesn't get in, I'm not worried. I'm just thrilled that it actually got done and I LOVE it. This is the kind of thing I'd like to spend more time doing! And I could potentially use those seed beads on something like this, but there was no time! 

Apparently, they got many entries in the last 24 hours (mine included) and many in the final hour. I wouldn't leave an online entry submission to the last hour! That would tempt the fate of technology, which would fail for me! 

I'm reading an ebook and listening to an audiobook, and both flip back and forth in the timeline. They're quite different, so they're easy to keep separate. But I'm reading to the point in both where I NEED to know what is happening or what is going to happen. Hmmm—how do I manage to squeeze that into my day? 

So while I was curled up in my chair last night, guess who was trying to entertain me. Her ball had been hidden earlier in the day, and she had fun unwrapping it, but she didn't succeed in getting it out of the stuffie! You are not done, Murphy!

MOM -- are you watching me? 

We've had some rain, but enough to generate this growth? This is growing on a section of a tree chopped down several months ago. It's crazy that the fungi grew that much! 

Fungi on a log

So what is with this weather? It's crazy and cold. DH is away again and sent me a picture of the temperature where he is. It's 35 Celsius there, and it's 3 Celsius here! I bet he's glad he's away again! 

It's a pretty wide-open week, but I have writing to do and some prep for the weekend classes—only two. What will I do with all my free time? Don't worry—I have quilts to quilt, that writing to finish, and trying to find those templates! 

Plus, I will try hard to work on one 60-minute or less project daily! That is more of a memory thing than a time thing! That would clear up a huge amount of space! How about you? Are you onboard? Just think how much you will appreciate it, and it's not a big deal to get those done. Even if you do nothing else in the day, get one of those done each day, and you'll be way ahead of the game. 

And I don't mean that my memory is bad—it's just that until it becomes a habit, things like that tend to get sidelined by other things! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! It will be a silly day, and I might as well get it started. 

Have a super day!

Ciao!!