The more you do, the more you know!

Oh my --- What a crazy day, but it was a great day!! Three things went off without a hitch! 

I was up early and had those suitcases loaded in the car - the girls were NOT happy that I was leaving without taking them for a walk. More on that in a bit. 

The drive was great even though there was a lot of traffic. A lot of truck traffic, but no accidents, so that was a bonus. I didn't have time for accidents or major slowdowns. 

The Thames Valley Quilt Guild is a great group of people, and OH MY --- I met someone from the Mississauga Guild who now lives in London (Ontario), and then I met two people from the Brampton Guild who now live down that way. Thanks to them for coming up and introducing themselves! That's better than spotting them from the stage during the presentation, and well, it was good to see all three of them. 

My, how times change, and I'm sure new people have joined those two previous guilds of mine. I haven't been a member of either of them for quite some time. I'm one of those people who feel that if I belong to an organization, I need to be involved in the executive or helping out on a committee, and I just don't have the time. And even if I did, I just don't want to, so I'll stay connected with my online peeps. 

I had to laugh at the topic they chose for me to speak on - it was Modern Quilts, and apparently, the members did not know because the program person thought the guild would veto that topic since many of them are traditional quilters. I think the presentation was a hit because I don't think I've ever had so many people come by to ask questions at the break, take pictures, or have a good look at the quilts afterward. 

My presentation is really about how modern quilts aren't modern. Modern quilts have been around forever - decades and probably even longer. It's a very interesting lecture. If they were naysayers on modern quilts before, they didn't feel that way when I left. 

I typically stay until the end, but I had to scoot back because I needed to finish setting up the Facebook Live. Technically, there wasn't really anything to do, as I had done it all the day before, but I still had a couple of things to check. And when the moderator let me in the call 30 minutes before we started, I realized that my laptop was running on battery. WHAT??? So that got fixed. And then the battery warning came on for my main camera. WHAT??? Trust me—NOTHING runs on battery during those presentations. I have power cords snaked all over the floor. Murphy must have rubbed against the cords, as I noticed that the main camera was slightly out of whack - thankfully, it was the camera that was sitting on the very sturdy tripod. 

But all was good -- no technology glitches, though I did notice a couple of slow spots when I rewatched part of the video-- nothing major. 

Phew --- and then that was done. 

If you wish to watch the video, you can do so on YouTube. You can check out some of my machine-embroidered samples of weird things near the beginning. I had so much stuff that I kept losing things! But it was loads of fun, and I was so happy when it was done. Not happy that it was done, but happy that it went off so well. 

I really need to do something about the lights, as I feel there is a dead spot in that room. Of course, there is, almost half the lights are no longer working. I must get the electrician in. But this was what it looked like when I was done. 

The view into the film area

And I literally threw everything on the floor, which is why I kept losing things!! But all was good. I made up for that with enthusiasm! Hopefully I spoke slower - I tried - I really tried, but at some points, I couldn't help myself, I was so excited! 

Just throw those samples on the floor.

What amazes me is how it can look like a disaster in real life, but on camera, it looks nice and uncluttered. Yep --- just like in TV or the movies. And angles? They are your friend in the film world. 

Those table top decoration rods are perfect for creating a wall! It allows me to set up my film studio wherever I want in the room. 

The fake wall for the film studio

That is a heavy piece of polyester fabric that is hard to keep in place on that rod because it's longer in the front than the back. However, I found the perfect solution to that. I bought these decorative bobbles from Cynthia Frenette a while back. They have a large glass bobble on the end and are made with beads. They hang on that rod every day, but when I was setting up the curtain, I used them as weights on the back, and they held the fabric perfectly. I noticed that Cynthia has released a new fabric line with a company. I don't have time to find it this morning, but I'll try to remember to share tomorrow. 

My bobbles become weights for the curtain.

The darn things are very hard to photograph because they are so long. I must tell Cynthia that, in addition to being pretty, they also have a very practical purpose in Studio B. They are supposed to hang in a window, but I don't have windows downstairs, so they hang on the rod. 

The decorative bobbles

I snapped this picture before leaving the house yesterday, and it made me think of those four astronauts so far from home, barreling their way back here at high speed. It makes me very sad to think there are theories out there that this is all fake and they are being filmed in a green room. What is our world coming to? 

The moon is so far away, and yet it's not.

It's been fascinating listening to all their stories, seeing the amazing pictures, and knowing that they circled or at least went to the dark side of the moon. I'm surprised that it has taken 50 years for man to get back into space travel. Sadly, so many of those theories are being fed to uneducated (and probably some educated) people. And they believe the fake stories, and well, I'm not going there. 

I had a bit of downtime yesterday as I waited for the Facebook Live to start, so I got to work on that puzzle. I must admit that I had to do that sky one row at a time because I was looking at the shapes. The shading in the sky was so subtle that shape, for the most part, was the way to go. And when it got down to these few pieces, I simply grabbed the first one in line and tried to find a home for it. If not, it went to the back of the line, and I tried to find a home for the next one. 

Nearing the end of the sky

And before I knew it, the sky was done!!!! Now for the hard part -- all those green trees. 

The sky is done!!!!

I think puzzles with photographs are very challenging. But did you know that doing jigsaw puzzles is very good for quilting? Yep—paying attention to details, learning to appreciate value (related to gradations), and a lot more are amazing exercises in color, detail, and value!!!

After dinner, I decided to walk the girls and took both of them-- BIG mistake. I also had something to do at the library. I realized I had an overdue book, and it needed to be returned before I could get anything done. 

I tied the girls up outside the library, well away from any paths. The two of them were good. My intention was to return the book and ask some questions. When I got into the library and asked my questions, I found the PERFECT person: she was willing to do what I wanted right then, asked if I had a few minutes, and gave me a mini-lesson. WOW!!!! That librarian sure loves her job. 

However, once the job started—don't worry—I'll share with you, but not right now. I had some time to kill, so I wandered around the library, then went outside to see the girls so they wouldn't think I had left them. They went wild!!!! 

MOM -- we are bored and need to get moving NOW!!!!!

Anyway, I eventually finished at the library, and it was time to come home. I swear the two of them were like wild horses that had never had a bridle on. They were insane, and both of them were tugging at their leashes most of the way home. Lexi is never like this, but she was jumping and leaping around like a crazy dog. She never talks, and she was pretty vocal. 

MOM - we need to get home - Dad is alone!

I guess they were happy to go on the walk, but not so impressed to be tied up outside the library for 30 minutes. Look at Lexi - she is pulling on her leash, and she never does that on the way home. 

When I let them in the house and off their leashes, they went wild. Lexi ran into the family room at full tilt, jumped into her bed, and then off the bed, running around the kitchen, and then back onto her bed. It's like she went mad. Muprhy wasn't much better. So I let them outside, and they ran like wild dogs around and around and around their obstacle course. 

MOM --- we were trapped for 30 minutes on our leashes 

And when they finally calmed down, Lexi came in and went to her bed. I had to remake her bed as the blankets were shoved into one corner by her jumping at full speed into it. But look at that look on her face!!! 

MOM -- I'm beside my Dad, and I'm happy

All in all, it was a hugely successful day. Why is that? I certainly didn't get lucky! I was prepared, and the more prepared I am, the more likely that everything is going to be a success. The more Facebook Lives I do, the more comfortable I am with the technology. It's all about the more you do, the more you can do, and start refining the process. My next Facebook Live is in September, and I'll be sure to let you know as we get closer to the date. 

What blows my mind is that I'm in Toronto, the moderator was in Texas, and people joined the call from all over. That is NOT fake! 

Well, I now have three days to prep for two in-person presentations (in Ottawa) and finish two online presentations. Hopefully, I won't have any issues and can get all the embroidery done on the jacket. Once those presentations are over, I can hit the road running to finish it. It's going to be tight to get everything done, but a little bit of pressure every now and then is good. I would NOT have had this time issue if I hadn't had to step in for my colleague, who wasn't able to do these scheduled events. My time management was right on and allowed me to do this favor. 

On that note, I'm up and on my way to the gym with Brooke. I haven't been there for two weeks and didn't do as much stretching as I should have. It might be tough!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The pets rule our house!

I took my SIL with me on my trip to the Kawartha Quiltmaker Guild! She said she got to learn a lot about quilting, and a lot about me! We had a great conversation, the driving went by in a flash, and the weather was decent!

However, a great deal of fun was had at the guild meeting. What a wonderful group of ladies, and there were a lot of them! They will be hosting their quilt show on May 8-9, 2026, so be sure to put that on your calendar! I'm sure with the talent we saw in the room, it'll be a fantastic show. And I am always astounded at how much work goes into their community projects, quilts! 

I received great feedback from many ladies, and one comment that stood out was, 'These are doable quilts!' (The topic was scrap quilts.) These are quilts that anyone can make. And she meant that as a compliment. It was in comparison to people who come with the most beautiful quilts, but they are beyond the reach of many people for various reasons. 

I couldn't agree more! I love seeing other people's work, but I also want to be inspired by the guest speaker, so I'll go home and try something new!

Thanks to everyone for your kind words -- I had a blast! 

It was great to catch up with Nancy, with whom I've been friends for ages, but don't get to see that often anymore, as she now lives far away.

And there is good news! The sixth dog quilt is done! 

Dog quilt - Number six!

When we got home, we had a late lunch, and then I decided I needed to deal with that quilt as it can't stay on the machine. So I ripped out the last bit of stitching - I didn't even take note of how long it took. Lined the pattern back up - I am getting very good at that, so I do NOT begrudge those ripping sessions - I've learned how to get myself out of a jam, and that's a very good thing. Wait -- I begrudge the wasted time ripping, but I do NOT begrudge the opportunity to learn. The ball is now in my court to prevent future issues arising from that situation. 

I lined the pattern up very well, I thought. Can you see the double stitching? 

Can you spot where I restarted the pattern?

If you look really, really close, and I've sort of isolated it - you can tell, but otherwise, you wouldn't know anything happened. 

And now the stitching extends all the way to the edge, as it was supposed to.

The correct way the edge should look

The moral of that story is - babysit every quilt past that spot until the new leaders get put on! I don't have time, nor do I want to spend five hours ripping out some quilting! 

Another thing that was quite evident yesterday was the bobbin situation. I have wound my own bobbins for 20 years and have had no issues with it. But I quilted three of the dog quilts using prewound bobbins. Hmm --- I could get almost THREE rows from a prewound bobbin and only one from the ones I wound. So which would I prefer? Prewounds -- that's not even a question! 

I haven't had time to set up the account, but I will try to add it to the list of paperwork to complete this morning. Then I have the fun of ordering colors, but Cathy has already provided me with the colors she uses, and they are all neutral, which should work just fine for most backings. Neutral threads on a quilt go a long, long way!

I think this picture was taken after lunch. Bear was sitting on my lap, and the other two were very close. It's all one big happy family! At least they all get along just fine, but Murphy is so clingy these days. It doesn't matter if I go up and down the stairs five times in a row; she is right on my heels. I don't think it helped that I had those big suitcases for the presentation, and she isn't happy when I go away. The poor thing has separation anxiety pretty bad! 

MOM --- we ALL need you!!! NOW!!!!

However, I must also be mindful of this. When I'm on the long arm, Murphy is also pretty clingy, but this is the first time I spotted her sleeping here. When the long arm is in use, the cords are pulled along the floor. I don't want her there, but of course, she didn't listen. I had to shoo her away. 

MOM - It's very comfortable to sleep on those cords

I had a peek at the new fish, who hadn't really moved from the spot where they were dumped in the pond. I think there was too much debris (leaves) for them to move, or they were lazy. Lots of big fish! I  moved some of the leaves, but by the time I got out to do that, the fish had found their way down into the murky depths. I'll need to remove some more leaves today and figure out why the bubbler stopped working. The motor is working, but no bubbles. Something must be disconnected. I'll bring it inside and test it. 

The new fish

There is always something to fix, something to buy, or paperwork to catch up on! It's a never-ending circle of life!

I went to the gym this morning, but Brooke and I must have got our dates mixed up because as I was coming out, she was coming in. But no worries - I did some weights and stretches on my own, and I feel great. I had a decent sleep last night, so all is good today!

I've got loads to work on, and I'm not sure what will get done, but I'd really like to push to complete those last two dog quilts. I need them done, so I can work on the bindings. 

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!