The visual to-do list

Tick tock -- the end of the year is creeping closer and closer. Am I ready? Yep - pretty much. I have my schedule more or less organized for the first 6 months. WAIT --- that's at least as far as the things that I can control go. I have a couple of lectures to add and am just waiting on a response from someone before I schedule them. That's the sessions on scrap quilts. There will be one in February and one in March, so that's not an overly onerous addition to the schedule, and the prep time should be relatively minimal. OK—who am I kidding—that will likely be a one-day prep for each lecture. 

The only thing missing is what happens with my "day" job. That's a free-for-all, and I'm at the mercy of those who book as to what happens. I'm going to be pretty adamant that I don't want the same chaos as last year, as that almost killed me! While it was fun, it was a considerable task to prep and present up to three Zoom lectures in one day!

And my visual to-do list is prepped and ready! Doesn't it remind you of "caged" projects, and once they are done, they will be released from the cage! I can't wait to release the first one! Which one will it be?

My visual to-do list

There is a small title at the top or side of each category, followed by a picture of the things I want to accomplish in that category. Yes—it appears to be a lot, but it's all doable. Nothing on that list is a super large task, and it would be amazing to get them all done. I believe that most of that, if not all, is sitting on that current project table. Imagine how empty it will be if all that can be accomplished? I would like to thank M for leaving this amazing wall art behind when she moved out! 

So I'm going to keep my eye on the prize: a totally blank to-do list, except for the titles! I've already started on some of the things, and I'll hit the list with a vengeance on January 1! Getting that completed was a big task. 

I have a bit of paperwork to clear up before the end of the year that relates to the few clubs I'm running in 2026, and I must get that done as well! For anyone in those clubs, and you know who you are - I'll be sending out guidelines and dates before the end of 2025. 

I'm trying to burn those pie candles out! And I use books of matches to light the candles. Do they even make these anymore? Remember when they were a thing? My brother used to collect matchbooks, but this one goes in the recycling. It is VERY OLD - I would have got it in 1979. OK - that's not that old, but still! It was from a vacation I took to Cancun! WAIT --- I must dig it out of the recycling. This would be perfect for my junk journal! OH GOD -- it's small, it must have fallen to the bottom of the container. Now I have this massive mess of paper on the floor as a reminder to find that thing!

A matchbook from Cancun

I had to make some pet mat bags because there was a paper bag of fabric bits that needed to be dealt with. I'm trying to get the "bones" of Studio B back in order before the new year. So I had the serger out to make the bags. I use pillow cases and simply cut them in half, while sewing a bottom into the top half with the serger. One seam, and the pillowcase is cut, and the top half has a bottom! Does that make sense? It's so easy! 

Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S600

I didn't even notice that I had run out of upper looper thread. You can see the empty purple spool in the picture and the lines of needle stitching, but no looper thread around the edge of the seam allowance. I see my right needle is going to run out of thread soon, too!

Oops - running low on thread!

Now, usually, this would be a big ordeal, and it would take hours (OK - maybe not that long) to rethread the machine. Actually, there was a white thread on the serger when I turned it on. Notice - I just had to turn it on - it was ready to go, not tucked into a closet! I keep a small quilt on top of the serger to keep it somewhat clean. The amount of dust and lint in Studio B is crazy! But I need to vacuum it out later today. 

However, because it is an air threader serger (Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S600), it was easy as pie to get back up and running. You do NOT have to rethread all the needles and loopers, only the one that has run out! That is just beautiful! And I went from three-thread overlock to four-thread overlock, which isn't a big deal - simply had to add an extra needle! 

Air threaders!!! LOVE!!!!

I love the fact that I am pretty knowledgeable about what a serger does and how to make it do what it's supposed to. Did I take a class? Of course not, I simply sat down and experimented. I am not an expert by any means, but I know how to make it work, use all 26 stitches, and why! Just want to remind you that, as an educator for a sewing machine company, we get very little training. We get the tools and the machines and total free rein to see what we can do with them. I will forever be learning something new! And I LOVE it! 

Here are some tips if you have a serger and you have no clue what it does or how it works. First, try to find a home for it somewhere in your space. If you have to haul it out of the closet each time you want to use it, that's not good. But the real tip (for me) in learning what all those threads were is to buy FOUR different colors of serger thread in the same colors on the threading paths. Thread each path with the appropriate color thread. Then when something doesn't look right, guess what? You now know which thread you need to deal with! It's a brilliant idea (not mine), and it helped me enormously to figure out what was what! The four-thread overlock is pretty straightforward, but some of the others are less obvious! And I found a fantastic book at the library, which I later purchased because it helped me enormously on my learning journey. 

And then the BIG tip would be: get an air threader with auto-tension, and all your problems will disappear!!

Then I had another project basket that had been pulled from the closet with those little ornaments in it. There are a few ornaments that are almost completed, and some that are in progress. I took a few things out of the basket, put them in the right place, and then put the basket back into the closet. I'm not sure where the basket came from, but I found a spot in the closet. 

Sorting another basket

There is also a massive pile of small squares that I cut because I was going to make kits for these small ornaments. What was I thinking? Now the question is what to do with a bunch of black, white, and other-colored squares? Anyway, it's not on my radar list at this time. Maybe as a bonus UFO, if I finish the four projects on my list, I can bring this out and truly deal with it. 

The Designer EPIC 3 requires a hoop adapter for legacy hoops, since there is now a very nice clip mechanism for the new hoops. I LOVE the new connection! But I was forever putting a hoop away with the adapter attached, and then I couldn't find it. I'm happy to report that I'm now in the habit of returning that adapter to the accessory box, and no danger of misplacing it! It's all about things becoming a habit! 

The hoop adapter on the accessory box

The Globe and Mail publishes a diversions section just before the holidays. Every year, there is a giant crossword, and it's gone untouched. That section is for DH to unwind over the holidays, and this year, he tackled the crossword with a vengeance. Every time I come upstairs, he's back at the puzzle! I LOVE crosswords, and that used to be a big pastime of mine, but there is no time at the moment. I'll get back to it when I give up sewing, which might be never! What you see is one quarter of the puzzle.

The giant crossword

For the moment, the jigsaw puzzles are for me. I made a bit of progress before bed last night. But I might just sit down and have a go at it this afternoon. As with all Dowdle puzzles, this one is busy, which can be good or bad! 

Progress on the current jigsaw puzzle

And Miss Murphy is on the hunt again, while Lexi couldn't care less. There is definitely another rabbit in the backyard. Look at how intent she is. 

MOM -- there is a rabbit on our property again! 

And look at her face when I tapped on the window! 

MOOM - nothing to see here! 

It was funny on the Virtual Retreat last night. Lots of people on the call, but very quiet! I was distracted by getting things done and didn't have much to say. WHEN has that ever happened? 

And we have another one scheduled for New Year's Eve starting at 3 PM. I will NOT be staying up to ring in the new year -- but if anyone else wants to, I'll leave the call open. 

Here is the link for that Zoom. 

Wednesday, December 31 - Starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86965821331?pwd=QwdKXQA5i2iuYHkVZbtjQ5tboL7dGG.1

Meeting ID: 869 6582 1331
Passcode: 423224




On the writing front, progress is being made. One more is out the door, all the pictures are ready for the next one, meaning I got another project completed yesterday. That one was a total experiment, and well, it turned out pretty darn good considering I had no clue what I was doing! Actually, two projects were completed, and most of it was new stuff. You'll get to see the results in a couple of weeks. I'm going to make a big push today and tomorrow to try to get it completely done. I need to move on to other things. 

What about that weather yesterday? It rained like mad. I don't think we've ever had such a rainfall in a very long time, and certainly not in winter. The pond is quite full this morning. Last night, the rain was coming down so hard that, with snow still on the roof, the eavestroughs couldn't handle it, and it just spilled out on all sides of the house. I could hear the rain coming down hard at the window in the stash room, which was a little disconcerting, but all seems to be OK this morning. 

 It was a bit slippery when I went out for a short walk at lunch. Why tempt fate? 

It's warm this morning, so I'm off to spin class, but when the temperature drops, it's going to be a nightmare out there! Stay safe!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

PRIORITIZE FOCUS WIN!!!

That feels better—I was off bright and early to meet with Brooke. My legs have been so tired since my last trip, but after my stretching and compression pants, they feel so much better! 

Well, I am loving this relaxed schedule and certainly want to take advantage of it for as long as I can! I have two trips, a quilt retreat, and one guild lecture to round out the last two months of the year, so that should be pretty easy. It's giving me lots of time to tackle those current project tables, but as we all know, everything takes longer than we plan. 

However, I managed to eke out a few things yesterday. The quilt is trimmed and ready for pickup! 

Then I loaded the next quilt and realized I had the backing for TWO quilts here. Remember the dog-themed quilts I made in September? I need to get those quilted, so one of two is done on this backing. 

The first of the two quilts for this backing is quilted

I won't unload this, but simply add the next quilt to the backing and away I go. It's pressed and ready to load this afternoon. The batting is wider, but not quite wide enough for two quilts, so when I get to the end, I'll add a strip to the bottom. 

Here is a better picture of the L stitch as a reference point when advancing a quilt. 

The L stitch as a reference

I was wondering how easy it would be to remove it, and after timing that other quilt, I quickly removed the reference stitching. It was super easy to remove, and I think I just found a new way to mark my quilts while quilting. This reference mark will always be there in case something happens. It takes a few seconds longer to stitch the mark, but it is well worth the extra time. I'm a believer! And I'm sure there are many other little tricks that I could learn about that software to make my life easier. 

Thanks to the APQS dealer out west who helped with that one. 

I also got the backing completed for that other quilt, so now it's in the "to be quilted" pile, and I have done the three things on my list for the afternoon. That quilt had been languishing on the floor under a table for several years! 

The backing, the binding, and the quilt top

Now what? I looked in the bucket on the cutting table and picked the next project, which was a quilt that needed the sashing cut. Actually, I needed to cut the cornerstones as well, and I had enough fabric scraps to do so. 

The cornerstones and the remaining fabric scraps

All the scraps are now compiled in a plastic bag. I finished with all the fabric except the background, so it all went into the project container, along with backing and borders, and the book for Vintage Farm Girl II. 

The leftover fabrics for the next quilt

The backing and borders won't fit in the box, so it went on top, and that project box got put on the shelf. 

This box went back on the shelf

The old me would have left that box out because I might want to start it. Well, the new me says NO -- I will pull it out another time, but now is not the time to work on this. My goal is to complete the top, backing, and binding of the original one. And this is how those tables are going to get clear! 

I still have more cutting to do for the background and borders, and that is on today's list. This is a larger project and I can't finish it in one day, but I can set myself a goal for each day. 

What is nice is that these projects I'm working on are ones that I committed to myself and the Many Blocks and UFO Clubs to get done. YES -- PRIORITIZE FOCUS WIN! 

And yes, before I shut things down last night, I had everything prepped and ready on the table for today. Notice how the blue box is NOT overflowing at this point. Yep --- there are still a few projects in there before I need to fill it up again. But so far, this is all working just great! 

The cutting table is ready for today

I seem to have this need to know that something is waiting for me to work on, but I overwhelm myself and my space by filling it with things I am sure I can accomplish in a day. If I can continue in my new way, I may just make this routine a habit! And dare I say I see some progress on the current project table? There was a basket of fabric on the table for the second Farm Girl quilt, but since I decided to set that aside, the basket is gone! 

I had purchased this book a while back, and it was in the blue box as well. I read the book last night (cute story), and it's on the shelf with the other children's books about quilts. Should I ever be blessed with grandchildren, they will know all the quilt storybooks by heart!

Storybook about the little ghost quilt

You know me and the wonderful world of technology. Well, for the most part, I email photos to myself -- and if you need to email pictures to someone, you should be aware that you can CHANGE THE SIZE of those photos. Many people don't know that, but it's a great thing to learn. However, there are times when I need to download pictures, and I have a data cable to do so. I have two of them. 

My data cable

However, something had happened, and the cable transfer wasn't working. OH, great —now what is the matter? I tried both cables and different USB ports, but NOTHING. And I really needed to upload a video because that was on my list of paperwork things to do. 

Hmmm -- I wonder if Google has an answer, and YES it did! I switched my phone in July, and for whatever reason, there are new settings for the Samsung 25+ phone. Of course there are—thank goodness people make videos about these small techie details. 

The phone has to be unlocked—that I learned many years ago —but you also have to allow it to transfer the data—that setting is new. Once I did that, all was good again! So if you want to watch the video and haven't seen it yet, here is the link. It's the video of my quilt show as the featured quilter at the Buckhorn Quilt Show back in early September. It's all about machine embroidery on quilts—from embellishing quilt blocks to making entire quilts with embroidery, quilting, and making labels. It's a great show if you want to check it out. 

The bottom line is that I fixed a problem I was going to need an answer to next week, and another crisis is averted! 

I also had some paper from packaging that came in the last couple of days that I wanted to cut up, so it was on the cutting table, and it's now cut. I want to try my hand at making this IdeaBook, and they used brown paper for some of the pages. 

Some of the pages for my IdeaBook

I ironed the pages after cutting them to remove some of the wrinkles. No steam!

The pages are ironed

If you want to know what I carried home in that suitcase of mine, I dug it out yesterday. When I stopped by the farmhouse, I had a quick peek in my old room, and there was the FORTREL (crimpoline) quilt on the bed. I had planned to make one, but why make one when there is one that is just going to be left behind? 

With a sleight of hand, I removed the quilt from under the crap that was on the bed. ICK!!! It smelled like a non-housebroken animal had slept on it, and I found a mouse nest with skeletons in it. They were probably smothered by the polyester! I found a plastic bag to put it in because not only did it smell like urine, but it also had that musty, old-house smell. GROSS!!!!! I was NOT putting that in my suitcase unless it was encased in plastic! 

I laid it out in the backyard yesterday, and of course, the girls were extremely curious to see what it was all about. I checked it, and there are NO holes front or back—the mice probably broke their teeth trying to chew through it. It's back in the plastic bag, and I'll wash it this weekend. I will likely never use it, but it's a good quilt to have -- these were keepers back in the day. And besides, Victoria Finley Wolfe has one that her grandmother made! My mom would have made it. 

My crimpoline quilt

My girls are too funny—they do NOT want to be caught sleeping together. Lexi is outside, Murphy is inside, and they are happy. 

This is how we sleep close to each other

When they were both out at the same time, Lexi was sleeping by the door, and Murphy was by the gazebo. You would think they didn't like each other. 

When they sleep outside together

Look what I found at the dollar store - those sheets of laundry soap! I didn't check the price against what is in the grocery store. Are these the same products? 

Sheets of laundry soap

And OH MY --- GO JAYS GO!!!! They won last night, which is very exciting. I was listening to a group of employees from the radio station, and many of them had NOT been born when the Jays last won the World Series. I can't say the same thing! 

And that's it for today -- the pile of paperwork to process is set up, and the list of things in Studio B is ready to go, and I'm fired up!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!