Much progress and a scholarship!

 OMG!!!!!!! When I read the first line of Daphne's comment, I was going to say - I used to work at the Main Office of BMO in Old Montreal. The number of days I had lunch in the park across the street, right in front of Notre-Dame Basilica. But seriously? There is a plaque in the BMO Museum about the Pauline Vanier Scholarship! I did not know that, and I hope Daphne got a picture. That was ME!!!!!! I should tell you that story someday. I have photos at home -- it was a really big to-do. And it was a very generous scholarship! That scholarship was one of those major life-changing events for me!

What a blast from the past that is!!!! WOW --- I'll have to digest that one today!!!

And even more bizarre, I had the front page of the Montreal Gazette framed in my house for the longest time. It was the date of my birth, even though I was not born in Montreal. And the Vaniers were mentioned on that front page!!!!! Coincidence? 

Well, yesterday was quite the busy day, and I'm plowing through everything I brought with me. No one will be able to yell at me for overpacking for the retreat. Overpacking in the past was bags and bags of stuff that never got touched. Not so now! I've learned!

I have been forgetting to post this picture for the last couple of days, but when one of the ladies and I were out, we snapped this picture of a barn quilt block. Technically, it could be called a church quilt block since it's on a local church. There were several quilt blocks that I spotted, but didn't get pictures of. I love seeing them on the buildings, and I have several books at home about the barn quilt trails in Ontario. 

Barn quilt block on the local church

Two of us went for a walk in the morning, and to avoid bugs, we didn't go all the way to the other concession, since there is a creek near there, and it was pretty buggy. That meant we headed towards the highway, and on our way back to the house, we spotted the activity shown in the photo below. First, the road past the house is typically quiet. A few cars and trucks in the morning, but on Friday? It was like being on a super highway! Many farm vehicles passed us. 

Anyway, a farmer was out in the field, and well, you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl, so we stopped to watch. 

Planting - but what?

Hmmm—that is a pretty unique pattern in the field, and we were curious about the swath that didn't get planted. And then we spotted this massive piece of equipment coming down the road. It wasn't so much massive as it was wide, taking up the entire road. 

That's a big piece of equipment.

Thankfully, the tractor pulled into the driveway just in front of us. But see what I mean? It was huge. 

Wide load coming through.

Turns out this is a spud planter! Potatoes!!!!! So we stood there and watched it plant a couple of rows. Pretty fascinating, and it brought back memories of planting and hilling potatoes by hand!!!! I'm sure the farmer was laughing at us!

Then we were off to a quilt show in the afternoon. We only found out about it because we had been to Threads That Bind the day before, or was that two days ago? I'm not going to share photos because I want to share them with my Monday group, but if you have time today, you have to check it out. It's in Feversham, hosted by the Grey County Charmers Quilt Club. 

The theme of the quilt show

Now here is the interesting thing. This group has hosted a quilt show for each of the last four years. And each year, the theme has been very specific. Last year, it was all about log cabin quilts (I vaguely remember someone telling me about that show), and I wish I could have seen it. This year was quilting through the decades. Three ladies organize the show (I think it's three). Anyway, their theme idea is BRILLIANT. I thought the show was so amazing, and it was fun to see how the quilters interpreted the decade they chose. Sometimes it was the pattern, the fabric, the style, and some even modernized their quilts. 

It was truly fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We got stuck behind a combine (at this time of year?), and it took a bit longer to get home than planned. But what fun and what fun to see the quilts and discuss them with the group of five that went!!!

OK -- now let's check out what I've managed to get done in the last 24 hours. 

As I was digging through my project bag, I discovered another bag of HSTs that need to be sewn. Seriously?? This bag has been hanging around for quite some time because of the fabric it contains. These cutoffs were from a series of pineapple quilt blocks that I made eons ago. I made three quilts from this fabric collection, and they are all quilted, and I think one of them was donated at some point. 

And another bag of HSTs 

I pulled out my knitting and was prepared to get to work, only to discover that I didn't remember how to bind off and join the blocks. I searched online and found the technique—Three-needle bind-off—, but somehow that didn't seem right, since I only had one needle with live stitches, which wasn't going to work. I tried a few suggestions from the master knitters in the room, but nothing worked. 

HMMM - now what?

I had a small book that includes 54 different ways to cast on and cast off, but was the book in the knitting bag? Of course it was not, and it wasn't in my bookcase when I went through the books. It had better be in the cupboard where the knitting bag was, or I'll be buying a new one! Or maybe the library has it. I must check first when I get home. Since I couldn't work on that project, I took the bag to the car. Mind you, there were three other knitting projects in the bag that I could have worked on, but I really wanted to finish my afghan. Next time!!! Or that could be a great job for the gazebo. 

The knitting bag was moved to the car.

Speaking of knitting, I spotted this little knitting instruction book for making World Cup players here at the house!!!! The players on the front of the book are generic, but all the team jerseys' instructions were in the book. Also, a pattern for a soccer ball! The figures were attached to a knitted glove, so you can make them move! Super cute, but it's still on the table for someone else to pick up!

Instructions for knitting World Cup players

I managed to get my eight poinsettia blocks done and sewn together!!! 

Poinsettia blocks - DONE

And I got all the appliques cut for the sledding block. WAIT -- I'm still missing the trees and a dog. I'll get those done when I'm home. 

Applique shapes - DONE

Then it was on to another small handwork project that had been sitting at home for months. Actually, this was started years ago, and I'm almost done. I have this pile of paper pieced Christmas ornaments. I needed to sew three bells on three of the Santa ornaments. And I had to use a Pigma pen to draw the eyes and mouth. Seriously?? Why has that sat for so long? 

Santa face - DONE

So now the six Santa mittens are complete!!!

The six Santa ornaments - DONE

I had four snowman mittens, and they needed a face. The pattern said to use seed beads. Seriously?? How much work is that? So I used the Pigma pen and drew eyes and a mouth. Those smiles are very wide, but that's OK - those snowmen are happy!

Happy snowman ornaments - DONE

And the last one to finish is the birdhouse, where I'm supposed to sew a bird button on its roof. However, I did not bring a bird button with me. Good grief!! 

The last one to finish

There is a whole bag of ornaments that are completely done. Now that I have one small thing to do to complete the entire pile, what the heck am I going to do with them? I need to find a Christmas bizarre!!

The other completed ornaments.

This coming week will be busy, but I'm going to leave all these almost finished projects out, and I WILL get them done. I need to get them out of Studio B. They just add clutter and are so close to being finished!!!!

I managed to get five more raindrops removed from the Cherrywood Challenge. Two of them were small, and with the narrower stitching, they are a challenge, but they are gone!!!

Progress on applique removal

This morning, I pulled out some new things to work on. It's mostly the stuff that I panic-packed, and I'm glad I brought them. There is one quilt top and three bags of scraps in the retreat bag that I likely will not touch this time, but that's OK. I should be able to make progress on everything else! 

I had some sewing and cutting to do this morning, and decided to leave that one bag of HSTs on the cutting table. These units are sewn and pressed, but need to be trimmed. So every time I went into the cutting room, I trimmed four. 

Trimming HSTs

I trimmed quite a few, but didn't take a picture of the total pile. I have no idea where these came from - some project that doesn't ring a bell. Perhaps someone gave them to me. But look at them -- there is a seam in the light. And these are trimmed to 1 1/4". I need my head examined! This is the LAST pile that I will ever work on that is smaller than 1 1/2"  

There are two seams in these!!!

Then it was onto the next project. I go to a few trade shows and events a year and have never made myself a name tag. So I'm using the By Annie Call Me pattern. It's actually a place to put cards, phone, name tag, etc. I had the supplies sitting out for a long time, and it's on my Visual To-do list. This seemed like a good time to make it with Quilt Canada coming up next month. 

Some parts were cut, and others were not. So I got it all cut and quilted, and then cut the quilted section into the proper sizes.  

Supplies for the Call Me pattern 

By Annie.com Shepatterns use all sorts of material types, and there is a vinyl pocket so you can see the name badge through it. When I put the binding on that pocket, I had to sew it onto tissue paper to prevent the vinyl from sticking to the sewing machine bed. 

The binding on the vinyl pocket

And a word of caution -- when cutting, make sure your instructions are not under the fabric. I nipped the corner off the written instructions. 

Oops -- the corner got nicked off.

However, when I went to put the zipper in, I realized that I had an invisible zipper. Seriously??? Why? And I didn't bring any fold-over elastic with me. So I have only the bias binding to finish right after this, and then I have to put it away until I get home. Good grief!!!! That's what happens when you don't check the list of supplies before you pack up a project to bring to a retreat. But I had the right thread colors! 

But I have several other bag projects with me, and I'll work on them until I run out of some critical component, and then I'll finish them at home this coming week. I also have a couple of things to complete for the June wedding, and I hope to work on that today as well. There are three new things to make and one to fix. All are small, but we know that no project is completed in the allotted time frame!!!

Remember the person who was making HSTs with the paper? She had to rip the paper from all of them, but it's done, and the HSTs got turned into a table runner.

Removing paper from the HSTs

And on that happy note, it's time to get back to work. We are going out for breakfast this morning, but there is NOTHING else on the agenda. Thank goodness. We seem to have done a lot of traveling around to various things, and we've had a couple of visitors. Someone came to pick up a couple of books yesterday! 

And then tomorrow is the last day. But I still have time to work on projects, and I'm going to get as much done as I can. 

We all know that what happens at retreat, stays at retreat. I can't thank my friends enough for making each of us feel comfortable sharing almost everything! That says so much about who your friends are and who you spend time with. We are a small group (6), but boy, oh boy—we work well together. No drama and a high level of security—that makes me feel very happy!!!! And I'm thrilled to know I'm not alone in so many areas!!! Thanks, everyone!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

 Happy New Year!!!!!

If the year is going to be anything like my first 30 minutes of being awake this morning, it's going to be a heck of a ride!

But first - did I stay up last night? I did NOT, however, I needed to use the washroom, and I checked my watch just for curiosity, and it was 11:58. So technically, I was up! But I wasn't celebrating, and thankfully, I went right back to sleep after the clock turned over!

We had great fun at the Virtual Retreat, and well, that's where my morning issue started! 

Last night, I was working on Farm Girl Vintage. The top was together, but four borders need to be added, and I was working on the flying geese a couple of days ago. It's time to put those borders on. It was funny when I cut the side borders; they were shorter than the book mentioned. Oh well, it could have been a mistake. No worries, and I added the first border on. 

Then I went to piece the flying geese units together and held it up to the side of the quilt, and hey, it's too long, too. Of course, if the first measurement was off, it makes sense that the second one would be off as well. I was tired by then, and it was time for bed. 

As I lay awake in bed this morning, contemplating the quilt, I thought, "I must have cut the sashing to the wrong size, and that's what caused my quilt to be shorter." 

When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I went downstairs and READ the pattern, something I don't seem to do often or well! OH!!! We have a problem! 

In October, I was laying out the blocks to sew them together, and I had THREE extra blocks. No big deal. 

But when I read the pattern this morning, I was supposed to MAKE three extra blocks and add one more row. I was supposed to make three more star blocks and put them in the corners. OOOPS!!!!!

I missed this point

Hmmm --- what to do? I could save those three blocks for something else, or I could bite the bullet and make three more blocks! 

So I'm going to bite the bullet and make three more blocks. I thought I took a picture this morning, but I guess I did not. I should have clued in when I had extra sashing and cornerstones left. DUH!!!!! Well, it's easy to fix - I have to remove the bottom or top border, and make three new blocks. Then add that row and extend the two side borders. 

Then I can continue as planned! But what a way to start the new year! It's going to be a doozy for sure! Or maybe that means that things will go smoothly since I handled this little SNAFU with grace. I didn't even say a single bad word, but I got quite the chuckle! 

And the year didn't end off so well either, as I had to scramble to log all my steps into The Conqueror Challenge. I'm walking every day, but I did a fair amount of traveling, and I was totally lax on the days I was away, unlike other years, where I got my butt out and walked regardless of where I was. 

I had set an aggressive, but doable goal for myself, but I knew I wasn't going to make it. I was good until we went to Africa, and then things fell apart! I have been logging my distances manually, so I didn't even know where I was until about 7 PM last night! Yes --- no one can accuse me of being obsessive about step counting! 

I had reduced my goal a month ago, but I should have figured out what I could in December and set that goal. I did not, so to ACHIEVE my goal, I had to enter all the distances for December, see how short I was, and then reset the annual goal. How is that for "cheating!" 

I still walked 3,665 KMs, so I don't really think I cheated! My original goal was 4,400, and that would have been doable if I had kept up my daily distances, but I did not. I'm still pleased with this, and it basically works out to 10 KM a day, which is pretty good in my opinion. Do I feel guilty? Not in the least --- life is way too short to worry about stuff like that. 

My completed walking goal for 2025

I have to set a new goal for 2026, and I think I like the number 3,650 because itis exactly 10 km a day, which is very doable for me. I also want to get out on my bicycle more, and the time spent walking was preventing me from riding. I think this will work very nicely!!!

I'm also going to go back to having the distances updated automatically. It's a hassle to do it manually. 

I need to get that set up today. Yep -- a techie task on New Year's Day—wish me luck! 

It was another crazy weather day - one minute, it's snowing and the next it's not. But the sidewalks were in excellent condition, even if they were a bit wet. It's hard for them to dry out when we keep getting snow and zero sun! But no ice - thanks to all the ice-melting stuff they put on them. It's probably not good for the environment, but great for walking. 

I noticed that they even plowed a path through the forest - someone was just trying out the new sidewalk equipement I suppose. Or they needed to get to a new street and cut through the forest. The forest path isn't maintained in winter, and with all the ice buildup, it's impossible to walk there when spring comes. 

A plowed path in the forest

Yesterday, my afternoon walk took me to Homesense as I needed a new lamp. The on/off switch on the one I have broke about ten days ago, and I tried to fix it, but then it broke again the next day. So, to use it, I had to unplug and plug it back in. The weather just wasn't conducive to walking home with a lamp. Yep - I could have taken the car, but where is the fun in that? 

So despite a wee bit of snow, I went to investigate lamps. OH MY -- Christmas was gone, and all the Valentine's Day stuff was out. There were hearts in every department! 

Hearts everywhere!

I found a lamp I liked, and I also looked at the puzzles—OH MY—they are only $14.99. But then reality hit in two ways. One: I do not need to purchase another jigsaw at this time. And I didn't want to carry that home in addition to the lamp, since I didn't have a bag with me. See—common sense—I have some from time to time. 

Here's the old and the new lamp, and I love the new one! The old one is pretty, but it's little, and well, it's old. So out with the old and in with the new - literally!

The new and old lamp

I finished my project yesterday, and that was a first. I started and finished a project in 24 hours! That doesn't happen often at my house! And then I got to put all the stuff away on the cutting table, so I could work on the Farm Girl Vintage. 

Everything got put away in its home

I have another project to work on today, and I MUST get that finished today, and then I'll take until Monday to work on "fun" things before I get myself back into work routine, which is really quiet at this time of year, but there are still things that need to be done! 

A few more half-square triangles were sewn and trimmed. I'm going to try hard this year to get on top of that and perhaps even start sewing some of them together! But it's not one of my goals, so who knows how serious I am about it. 

Half-square triangles

How often do you hear people say they are burning the candle at both ends? What if the candle has three wicks? Well, I'm burning my pie candle, which is constructed quite weirdly. Anyway, the bizarre thing about candles is that they only burn near the wick - well, that part isn't odd, but you would think the sides would drip in. They do NOT, so I've been helping the pie crust crumble into the burn area. 

My pie candle

And this is what it looked like last night as I snuffed it out before going to bed. A lot of the wax has burned away when compared to the Christmas pie! I think I might get one more day out of it, and then I can empty it and use it for my machine embroidery project! Yeah!!!!!

The old pie and the new pie

I have to say that I was impressed with a SMALL company that I purchased rolls of stabilizer from. I ordered the products on December 24, and the box arrived in my mailbox on December 31. Free shipping!!! And this is why I want to promote the heck out of buying from stores OTHER than my "favorite" online store. Do we really need to make Jeff richer than he already is? We do not! So when possible, I want to order from small businesses. 

The company I ordered from is Monfil.ca, based in Granby, Quebec. The order was filled the same day I placed it, and as mentioned, arrived in one week. You cannot beat that service!!!! Even better, the price was right!!! They sell embroidery thread, stabilizers, and probably other stuff as well. 

100 yards of water-soluble stabilizer

I had a private lesson to deliver yesterday, and it went very well. The student is excited and was told that if she didn't do the homework, I wouldn't continue! Because the topic was very focused, I even gave myself homework! Which I'm pretty excited about. 

Earlier this year, I purchased a quilt pattern that I didn't share with you. As I'm cleaning up the office, it's where it got stuck, so I'm sharing it with you. Sadly, this won't be on my radar for this year, or will it? 

My new quilt pattern

Did I make resolutions for 2026? No, I did not. But I picked a word to focus on. Have you ever tried to pick one word to direct your attention for an entire year? That was a challenge, but it wasn't. My word is GOALS. As I move through the days and need to make decisions, I can simply ask myself: Am I spending time working toward my goals? I will try to avoid time-wasters like endlessly scrolling Facebook and IG, which I don't do often, but every once in a while, I catch myself getting pulled in. But if I'm doing something I don't like, I need to ask myself whether it is helping me reach my goals. It's complicated, but I think you get the picture. 

I guess that's a wrap for today. I see it's cold outside, but not windy - well, there's a wind chill. The girls will be in their glory outside! 

On that note, I'm off to brave the cold and then tackle that project! 

Have a wonderful day, and I wish everyone the very best for 2026. It's going to be a good year!!!

Ciao!!!

The naughty and nice list

Excellent news this morning! Yesterday was the winter solstice, meaning the sun rises a little earlier each day! I also have to be thankful that I live south of where my parents live, so the sun rises earlier than in Saskatchewan!

While I had "stuff" to do yesterday, I took the day off and sewed all day! I'm working on my UFO, which is due tomorrow, but despite having a specific goal, I'm doing something else—the same project but another part. You'll see it after I show it to the group tomorrow. All I can say is that I'm happy, and that's all that counts. 

But as I work on this project, it begs the question, "Why was it abandoned?" And why with bits half completed. There was no issue to resolve, no missing fabric. Everything was easy to pick up, but I just left it. 

The half-finished UFO

From working on other UFOs, I know this is not unique. It boggles my mind to find so many abandoned projects. Thankfully, the UFO club will continue in 2025 and probably for many years beyond that. I'll be making a new list for 2025, even though I still have loads on the lists from previous years. I'm holding myself accountable, and it's nice to see progress. 

I will show you one thing about this project: paper-pieced ornaments in the shape of mittens. And yes, they are adorable! But some pieces are very bulky, especially this one, where I had to join two sections. Bulky for sure, and hard to press? Not a chance. 

Look at how flat that seam is. 

A VERY flat seam

And here's the back so you can appreciate the bulk. 

The bulky seam

How do I achieve that? I stand up for one when I'm pressing. I can put my entire weight into the process. It sounds silly, but it's true! You just get way more leverage standing than sitting. That goes for rotary cutting, as well as pressing. Besides, it's essential to change your position from time to time. It helps to ease the aches and pains. I pressed to the side with fewer seams, which helped a lot. Once I had manipulated that seam flat with my fingers, I applied steam to it—not lots, but enough to flatten it. I did NOT use anything else—no clapper, no hand tool, nothing but my finger and iron with steam. 

You can do that as well! I'll give a "live" demo (on Zoom) of pressing in the new year and will let you know when it happens. 

Speaking of which, the SECOND binding class has been posted on The Hobby Horse website, so get yourself over there and sign up! 

My cutting table is in a bit of disarray at the moment, and there is barely any room to cut. But I'm trying to focus on this UFO, and once I'm over that, I'll clear the stuff on the table. I have plenty of room to work and use my small table and cutting mat beside the sewing machine. But I GET UP - I have to. I'm keeping my posture super straight, well, straighter than before, and keeping my leg loosened up! 

The disarray on the cutting table

I unpacked a little bit more of the stuff from the retreat. Oh gosh, I opened the bag with the Oh Canada fabric, and I barely remember what my plans were. So, I need to take care of that this week as well. 

But here's my crocheted dishcloth! Thanks, Diana! I love these, but I've never had a crocheted one before. 

Crocheted dishcloth

I'm still playing around with my Dear Jen blocks and tried a diagonal setting. 

The diagonal setting for Dear Jen

That will not work, as some blocks are directional, which would drive me mad. 

So, it's back to the straight set. 

Straight set for Dear Jen

I like this much better. I need to stop fussing with it and just get to work. The blocks on the right-hand side are rejects, so I'll remake them. I'm not happy with a couple of the backgrounds, so two fabrics and possibly more will be returned to the basket of black and white fabrics. I need high contrast, but some are just too muddy! 

But the overall look is OK. I will switch that setting up a bit and have two blocks of dark and then two blocks of light. I did that this morning, and it looks much better. 

Let's say the girls were in fine form yesterday. MOM, there's snow outside, and we love snow. 

Murphy just went out and plopped herself down. 

MOM - I love the snow on my bare tummy!

Lexi has this awkward pose but was happy to be out. 

MOM - I LOVE the snow - I'm a Husky!

And the two ripped around the backyard, chasing each other like puppies. 

MOM - can you see us? Can you HEAR us? 

But boy, is Murphy clingy! She NEEDS to be close, but only when I'm at the table. She doesn't bother me downstairs or when I'm in the office. But at the table? She's my best friend, not begging for food (I wasn't eating), just for attention and petting! 

MOMO - I LOVE YOU!

Lexi is happy that Murphy ripped up that dog bed. She hated it and wouldn't lie in it. I wonder if she remembered Sammy, and it made her sad. So I moved the pile of blankets from the living room to the family room, and LOOK!!!!

MOM - thank god these are back. I had no choice but to sleep on the sofa! 

I came home from my walk to find a naughty girl in our house. Of course, she had to find the mud in the backyard. I don't even know why we bother to clean! I told Murphy we would sell our house and live in a yurt, and she was thrilled! 

MOM - I was chasing rabbits! 

I was reading through a storage magazine again. I'm trying to get rid of all this stuff, and while I don't have to read the magazines or even browse them, it's fun. I bought them, so I might enjoy them if possible. 

But seriously, some of the solutions are not practical. They're all about prettiness, not usefulness. Who would have a cabinet like this with only a few towels in it? And who (OK—sorry to those OCD people) would stack them with that line lined up? Wait—who would fold them so that happened? 

A pretty but impractical way to store towels

I don't even have matching towels! Granted, these storage magazines are all about storage, but they don't mention getting rid of stuff. They just show you places to shove the clutter out of sight, which doesn't help. What's the point of storing things that you'll never use? I laugh when everyone says they need more storage. What they really need is less stuff! 

Anyway, I'm going to play hooky from the world again today, and I'm going to work on my UFO. I want that thing done, and there's no reason why I can't get close. Let's see what the day brings!

I see I brought the colder weather with me. While it's warming up in Saskatchewan, it's getting colder here. Oops! But it's only for the weekend; it'll be fine next week! 

Remember, as you are madly trying to think of a gift for someone, why not ask them what they want? Lunch with a friend (you), help in their house to declutter, maybe a tank of gas, or a bag of groceries? No one needs another candle or box of chocolates. Give a gift that is going to make a difference!!! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!


PS - in case anyone thinks I'm losing my marbles for almost missing that plane, this is NOT the first time I messed up the departure time. It happened about 10 years ago, and I got a notification that the gate had changed, and I was in the house sewing! Another time to be thankful for carry-on luggage and living close to the airport. It's not a memory thing - I just get in my head the wrong time! 

Personal trainer approved!

WOW—I'm surprised at the response about the personal trainer! Thanks for reminding me that this is an excellent idea! 

I've worked with personal trainers in the past but just got out of the habit. I think we got stale, and it was time to find someone new, which I did NOT do. I'm anxious to see how it works out. Brooke was recommended to me by another trainer I've known for a long time. Maria is stepping back as she wants to enjoy more free time and has no time to pick up a new client.  

The gym is "sneaky" in that it gives you a complimentary meeting with your chosen trainer. But all you have to go on is their background. I hadn't even seen a picture of Brooke, so I had no idea what to expect. I didn't feel a connection the last time I met with a trainer a few years ago, so I didn't go back. 

But this time, even though Brooke and I are very different, I think we can work together. And although she's younger, she totally gets the aging body. So I must get myself organized and do those exercises at home and the gym. I am now ACCOUNTABLE to two people! I was flat on my back—well, not exactly, as I had the foam roller with me, and I was doing my thing! Murphy soon got bored and left me! It's no longer a novelty!

This will be short this morning as I'm prepping to leave for the retreat, and there is MUCH to do. OK - that's a lie. All I have left is to pack the food and throw everything into the car. That might take a bit. While a lot is going out, I hope that about 1/3 of it will not come home with me! The Pony Express is alive and well!

I had a couple of twin-sized duvets that became clumpy after several washings (I don't remember how many). Hmmm—do they need a good shake? We hadn't used them in a long time, and it was time to deal with them. So I cut them in half and serged the ends closed. I'm donating them to an animal shelter.

It appears that a layer of polyester batting was sewn between the two layers of the duvet. Over the washings, the batting broke down, becoming lumpy and clumpy. 

Clumpy batting

Wow, I wonder if that will happen with some of the batting we use. The answer is YES! But what I suspect happened is that the batting they used was not graded for the density of stitching. The squares in the duvet were about 12" square, which was all the stitching on the duvet. Much more dense stitching was required to hold that particular quality of batting together. 

The batting broke down

So let that be a lesson. If you are unsure what batting to use, check how dense you want the quilting and buy the batting appropriately. If your quilts are quilted by a long arm, that's probably not an issue since the quilting is dense. But for those who quilt on their domestic machines and try to get away with minimal quilting, it's IMPORTANT to check the label of the batting. 

I think this next story started at a retreat this past year. If not, it may have been the year before. One of the ladies came back to the house from a shopping trip, all excited about this new way of paper piecing. I could not make heads or tails of what she was saying, so I looked it up online. I was intrigued, but it still made no sense at all. 

So I went to the store and purchased a couple of patterns (I know—shame on me). Each package contained a ton of paper, and they were not cheap. 

After perusing the pattern, I was going to write a letter to the company saying that half of the paper in that package was waste! Thankfully, I never did. 

This fall, I asked Paula at Thimbles and Things if I could teach a Legit Kit pattern, as she had just started stocking them. Only a few people signed up, but we went ahead with the class. 

WOW -- I'm hooked! I LOVE these patterns, and the result is fantastic! And those extra papers that I thought were wasteful? Oh no --- They are the most IMPORTANT part of the pattern! It's all about understanding what you don't know. 

I taught this pattern in the class. It is only 15" by 20" and was an excellent first pattern. We did NOT use a kit but fabrics from our stash. The kits are costly, and using my stash worked just fine. 

Orchid Mini pattern

I've accomplished this so far and only started paper piecing the other day. I got all the pieces for the remainder of that section sewn and threw them in my retreat bag so I could finish piecing this section! That will be 1/4 of the pattern together. When I get home, I plan to continue paper piecing. I'm in love with them. 

My progress so far

Yes, they take a bit of time to set up with all the colors, but I found a great system, and I'm on a roll. So, if ever you wonder if the Legit Kits are good patterns, yes, they are. Now, perhaps I can start one of the other two I have!

On that note, I'm off to finish packing, grab a quick shower, walk the dogs, and load the car! I tested my new laptop for Zoom yesterday, and all seems to be good. So, I'm taking only that laptop with me, and let's hope for the best. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!