The dawn of machine embroidery

Regarding yesterday's post about changing needles, I wanted to add something. The "rule of thumb" is to change the needles after 6 - 8 hours of sewing. But what exactly does that mean? Some sewists could be sewing (needle moving up and down, NOT just in the sewing room) 6 - 8 hours in one day. For others, that might be several days or weeks. 

The guideline I use is to wind 4 or 5 bobbins, and when they are done, it's time to change the needle and CLEAN the bobbin case. You'll have to listen to your machine to see if that system works for you, but when you hear that pounding, you know you're past the time to change the needle. 

Film canisters were amazing for safely storing those dead needles, but you can also use an empty pill container or any small container. When it's full, you can toss it. I tried getting a small sharps container from a large drug store, but they were saving them for patients who used lots of needles. So, my small tin works for me. 

More presentations yesterday and more today and tomorrow. Since it's quilting and I have loads of samples to pull from, I don't have to make samples, but I'm still trying to get them all sorted into piles. Of course, I had a helper this morning. 

Mom - just helping you make piles! 

She just plopped herself amongst the piles of stuff! At least she wasn't laying on any samples! 

I have ten topics this month, and I think I have ten piles. I need to go back and do a recount! Some will require a bit more sample pulling and perhaps making a sample or two, but for the most part, it's all together. 

The piles of samples for the presentations

Then, all I need to do is open the link and grab the correct pile. All is good! I'm even managing to get some of the homework prepped for the weekend, and I hope to have TWO of the three presentations for Saturday completed by tonight. 

When we started the Zooms for the "day" job, we mostly did slide presentations, which can be boring. People want to see the real deal or see a live demo. So, I'm good to go with my four cameras and the switch box! It's a challenge sometimes remembering which camera to turn to, but I'm getting pretty good at it. I want to test one other thing out later today. I also have my phone connected to show people the apps. I can share stuff on my screen (software) and link to the internet. Yep - I'm a director as well! 

I finished the audiobook and am almost done with The Plot. This book would be a great one for a book club. Was the main character in the wrong? That's the big question. Someone obviously thought he was, but can you copyright a concept? An idea? A plot? 

I've mentioned before that I'm cleaning up some quilting magazines and going through a stack of random ones. Just odd ones that I picked up from who knows where. This one is small -- about 5" by 8". The date? May/June 1998!!!!

Creative Quilting from 1998

Several things come to mind as I browsed it. There were ads for hand-quilting frames. The ONLY frame you'll ever need. 

Hand quilting frame ad

Ads for ceramic quilt-themed items. OK - how many of you bought these? 

Ads for ceramic quilt-themed items

Let's not forget the calendars that used to keep people on track. These ones do NOT have quilt pictures on them, but they existed! 

Ads for calendars

And who doesn't miss this catalog? This company still exists, but nowhere in the same capacity as it was initially. I never visited that store, but I loved browsing that catalog! 

Ad for Keepsake Quilting

Don't forget the Classified Ads. This was a mix of getting jobs like addressing envelopes by hand at home! Seriously??? Companies that sold fabric (velvet) by the pound, quilting, buying squares, and many other things. Remember the section, Quilt Shows? 

Quilting Classifieds

Let's not forget the ad for TV Satellite. I guess this was a precursor to the filler booths you find at trade shows. 

An ad for satellite TV? In a quilt magazine?

There was also a marketplace selling tchotchkes. My mom would be ordering two of everything! 

The marketplace

Why did I read this magazine? I found this tidbit in the editor's comments at the beginning, which made it worth the effort to go through. Remember, this is 1998. 




OH MY GOODNESS --- the "introduction" of the embroidery attachment into the quilt world. Several months after this issue was published, I bought my HV Designer 1, the top-of-the-line embroidery machine. I would have LOVED to see the quilts that were submitted. 

Here's the last paragraph in that editor's letter. 

Like any advancement in other fields, what we can do now with an embroidery machine would blow our 1998 minds! 

I just had a quick peek on eBay and spotted this magazine with dates as early as 1988. There were a few issues later in the year (1998) than the one I had, but with the delay in publishing times, I doubt any of them had machine embroidery. That's OK - I have books that date back that far, so I know what the designs were like! NOTHING like today!

That was a neat blast from the past, but the magazine is now safely stowed in the recycling bin and onto the next one! I'm slow, but I'm OK with that. 

So here's the next installment of the 50 Ways to Keep a Quilter Happy While on Vacation. 26 - 25 - 24 -23  Enjoy!

Oh - I just want to mention that after my spin class yesterday and every spin class since I started my new routine. I finish the class, go to the main workout area, and stretch for 15 minutes! Yeah me!! I must say that I don't feel as stiff as I used to, so that's all good. And with another price increase, I better get to that gym and stay longer to get my money's worth!!

And on that note, I'm out of here. I've got pictures to edit, PowerPoints to prep, emails to send, and set up for the next "live" presentation. Another busy day!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Writing quilt patterns

There is one area of my life that won't get cluttered with digital stuff, and that's Zoom. I think I have 5 GB of "free" storage, enough to store a month's worth of video recordings—about 12 hours or something like that. I get emails from Zoom if the account is getting close to full. Do I want to buy storage? No, and then I go in and delete the older videos! Yeah, me! One area that will never become cluttered! They will shut down the ability to record if you go over! Or so they say! I'm not testing that. 

That area is easy since it doesn't have history! 

I'm trying to get ready for my two presentations this morning. I'm a wee bit behind, but I have time! One is done, and one is almost complete. It's a matter of sorting the slides into a logical order, and I sometimes take MANY photos, and I don't need them all. So all is good! And without Bear to walk in the morning, I have oodles of time! 

On my big walk the other day, I spotted these tulips. Yep, the tulips are almost done in Vancouver and just starting here. Different growing seasons!

The tulips are just starting

When I was at Indigo, I browsed the few remaining quilt magazines. The numbers are dwindling, and many we no longer get. I heard the other day that Quiltmania recently shut down. They published three titles:  Quiltmania, Simply Moderne, and Simply Vintage.

Remember when I said that Quiltmaker made a double issue for the summer. How convenient for us! However, the publisher (Golden Peak Media) also combined Quick and Easy Quilts and McCall's Quilting. Hmmm - are they trying to tell us something? 

MORE double issues by Golden Peak Media

I've managed to empty one of the three giant suitcases. I'm in no rush, and I have all this week to get them empty. Only two more to go!

Suitcases to unpack

I went to the Paris Quilting Bee's quilt show in the afternoon. What a treat, as I hadn't been to a quilt show in a long time. I rarely use cash, so I loaded all my loonies and toonies into my "purse" - a Ziploc bag and got rid of some of that! I did NOT win any of the door prizes or penny draws, but I heard that my friend won TWO pairs of applique scissors. Two separate draws, and she won both! Yeah!!! Scissors are so important to the success of machine embroidery. 

I had put my tickets in on a couple of jigsaw puzzles, and I guess the powers that be were telling me that I did not need more puzzles. However, remember the door puzzle from the other day? I already had someone say they would take it off my hands once I was finished with it. The only problem is that I didn't buy it! Perhaps I need to go back!!!

The show had many beautiful quilts, but I will only share one with you. OH  MY GOSH! What a surprise to see this quilt pieced by Lorna Z. 

Radiant Light quilt

Deborah Edwards (Design Director at Northcott) designed the quilt. She wanted to dabble in quilt design and used one of her Northcott fabric collections called Radiance. 

The pattern

I got the lucky job of writing the instructions. That task took forever and darn near killed me as I provided pressing instructions. There were a lot of arrows in that pattern! It was made up of nine blocks, and well, it was a nightmare to write! I'm glad to see someone made it! 

The pressing instructions

Then we had a virtual retreat last night, and I confess that I got barely anything done. OH -- I made a binding for my Heartfelt Sampler! That was it. I MUST be more productive today. Although I'm OK with slacking off last night. I needed some downtime, but I have loads that need to be sewn today, and I should have no problem doing that while chatting with the group. 

The binding for Heartfelt Sampler

So, if you're around today with nothing to do, be sure to pop onto the Zoom call to say hello. 

Virtual Retreat - Sunday - April 28 -- starts at NOON (or perhaps a little bit later if we run over on the digital cutter club) 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

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

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

A whole day of sewing!

I'm late again! OK—I've got the getting up and going to bed thing—no problem! The issue is that I'm wide awake in the middle of the night! So, I need to sleep in if I'm awake for a few hours. It'll get worked out soon! Thankfully, Murphy alerts me if I sleep in too late! 

It's been a long time since I had a day without a Zoom or had to be somewhere. A day when I could work on my stuff without an immediate deadline - as in a deadline the next day. So I had a very productive day, but not as productive as I would have liked, but good enough. 

The best news is that  I have another day like that today. I have stuff to prep for the weekend but "nothing" else to do. So all is good. 

I'm trying to catch up on the homework for Tequila Lime. We are getting down to the final steps for this quilt, as the final show and tell is in June. I managed to complete these components, but only after I had to do a lot of ripping. Seriously? They are not complicated, and I had the colors in the right spot, but I made several goofs. But I finally got on track and all was good. But it took ALL DAY to get them done. There are eight of each section. Long sections like this are not always easy to paper piece. 

Two sections for Tequila Lime

I still have more homework to complete before I'm up to date, but I think I should change strategies for today and finish the homework for the weekend - at least one of each piece and then I can go back and work on the remaining homework. 

And that's all I sewed all day! I had to find this tablet's power cord. Do you think I could find it? At the end of the day, when I was about to call it quits, I remembered where I put it, and sure enough, there it was. So, this tablet should be charged and ready to go this morning. 

Found the charger for the tablet

What a tangle of cords to keep everything charged! 

Lots of stuff to keep charged

I'm also looking for a book. I swear I had it in my hands not that long ago, and I was going to read through it, but can I find that book? Nope! Hopefully, later today, it'll surface. But I hate it when I do that! 

At one point, I walked back downstairs to find this. 

BEAR! What did you do?

Seriously?? Bear, if you are going to help, don't jiggle the design wall and bring the pieces of my Heartfelt Sampler down!!! Poor guy was totally freaked out!! But I got it back on the wall, and I might get a bit more of it sewn today to prevent this from happening!

Here's something interesting. This is the current issue of Quiltmaker.

The current issue of Quiltmaker

Notice it says it's a Supersized Double Issue!!!! And it's right on the front for March/April and May/June 24. 

Double issue

But I only get 112 pages in there rather than the usual 96. That's not exactly a double issue!! 

A whopping 112 pages! 

And there is a quilt in there that is very "sketchy" in origin. We are always talking copyright and copying techniques, etc., so I was surprised to see this quilt. Does it remind you of something? Yes—it reminds me of the designs by Sew Kind of Wonderful with their ruler. 

A quilt in the magazine

WAIT—I stand corrected. The pattern reminded me of their designs, but after checking their website, I could NOT find a pattern that looked like this!! The closet I found is Urban Pods. This was the closest I found—it's called Urban Pods. And there were the templates—pretty much exactly like the ruler. I swear that Sew Kind of Wonderful had this as a pattern. 

The templates

I also found this article interesting. These Instagram Influences -- I checked the names, and there are some big names on this list, but almost all of them have products to sell! 

I guess it bugs me that there are NO quilters out there who can be an influencer without selling a product. Quilter's can only be an influencer if they sell? Maybe that's just my personal little issue! I detest it when people tag me so they can potentially WIN something. Because all that is for that IG account to gain followers. I DELETE and IGNORE those. 

Not only did I have Little Bear in Studio B to keep me company, but Murphy was there as well, and she stayed well away from the design wall. Even though there are dog mats on the floor, they LOVE the soft texture of this blanket I picked up at the thrift store!! 

MOM -- I'm a good girl!!

I even sat in the living room and read last night. I'm reading The Dutch Wife (recommended by a blog reader) by Ellen Keith. OK—this is also a tough read. I need to get away from war-themed books for a while! Something light and fluffy! 

Just like Bear, who was quite happy to sit on my lap while I read. 

Look at me!! I'm all clean! Until I eat again!

But what's up with Lexi? She sure had her nose out of joint, to say the least. She was in the corner by the chair, with her nose in the corner! It was almost like I was punishing her, which I was not!!! Murphy would have just gone behind the chair, but not Lexi! 

SHH - hiding from Murphy!

We didn't get out for our full walks yesterday because of the rain. Perhaps missing some steps is causing the sleep disturbance. There is no rain this morning, but everything is SATURATED with water. 

Well, that's it for today. I must finish some paperwork today and then return to the sewing machine. 

Here are two more blog posts from QUILTsocial.com. Check them out -- there's loads of good information there! 

Wednesday -- Tips for machine embroidery

Thursday - Using floating Stitches

Oh gosh—I see where the name of the foot got mixed up again. I need to get all that corrected. Shoot—I'm usually on the ball with the names, but I put the foot in the wrong packaging and didn't even realize until later!!!

There's no need to sign up for the machine embroidery basic class on Sunday (April 7, from 10 to noon) if you are already in the class. It's for those outside the class. If you or someone you know is new to machine embroidery, it's going to be very useful!!! Send me an email, and I'll add you to the distribution list. 

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

Have a super day!!!

There is NOTHING new!

Oh my --- I love Tammy's comment about advent calendars! This is my FIRST-ever advent calendar, and it's a quilting one. They are pretty pricey compared to other advent calendars. I'm sure I'll get lots of stuff I don't want or need, but it's the fun of having something to open. 

However, after some research, I've already decided that this will be my first and last quilting advent calendar. There are MANY other options, and they cost a fraction of the price. You'll have to wait until next year to see! I may have to make a note because I'm sure I'll forget!

I need to call the furnace repair people as I don't think our furnace is working correctly or the thermostat isn't working. Despite being set to 21 C, the room temperature is 19 ALL THE TIME. And there is no hot air coming out of the vents. It's a new furnace, so I must call and book an appointment before we all freeze to death! 

The writing is coming along nicely, and so is all the homework for class. I have three sessions today, and all are ready to go -- well, a wee bit of work sorting slides on the last one. And there's plenty of time to do that! My poor computer is as messy as the house is. I've no idea how many windows are open in Chrome. There are too many, and the poor computer is struggling. I know -- reboot, but there's no time to reboot! I should take it in and see if I can get more memory! I need LOTS of memory!

And Murphy is surveying the filing system in the office and is not too impressed! Me neither, and my goal next week is to tackle this mess. 

MOM -- soon there won't be room for me! 

I started the second book in The Seven Sisters series. ACK! I believe this is a different narrator than the first one, or she is using a different accent, and it's taking me some time to get used to it. Or perhaps, it's just me! The whole series is quite a concept as it starts each sister from the same point but shows their viewpoint. Then it goes onto their story! 

Speaking of stories, I borrowed this book from the library and thought it would be interesting. However, I've read a couple of the essays or tried to read them, and I don't find them inspiring! I HATE when someone writes about the historical or religious perspective of the journey/pilgrimage --- NO -- I WANT their take on it. Not reiterating historical information. Sadly -- I'm returning this one to the library and only read one story about the Camino, which spent most of the time talking about their knee and hip replacements. Which is OK -- it's just not what I expected. 

So here's a blast from the past. Amid everything else, I'm trying to read some of those quilt magazines. I don't know why I thought it was a great idea to buy as many as possible at guild quilt shows, so I've ended up with tons of older magazines. Yes -- -I could just toss them, but you know what? It's been interesting to read them. 

And I've learned that there is NOTHING new in the quilting world, and be careful what you read! I knew both things, but these examples make it very clear!

So this is an issue of the Quilt magazine. 

QUILT magazine

Look at that date! I wasn't even quilting at the time! 

Fall 1993

Remember when we used to advertise quilt shows in magazines? Back in the early 2000s, when I organized a quilt show or two, it was essential to get your quilt show in the magazine listings!! How times have changed!!! 

Quilt show listings

And remember how we could swap blocks and charms with other quilters. That started in magazines!!! And I'm laughing as I read these letters sent in by quilters. The magazine published them VERBATIM, including the parts where the quilter explains they have three daughters, their names and ages and that she would like to make a quilt for each and wants to trade squares. The best part? Her address is right there!!! And we talk about privacy issues today!!!!

Letters from quilters

Notice the pictures are in black and white, and a good part of this magazine is printed on newsprint! 

Black and white photos

Here's a disturbing read, and NO offense to my American readers. But this paragraph comes from an article written by a quilter who explains why she loves magazines and what she has learned from them. 

Say what?????

Someone with a limited perspective on the quilting industry wrote an errant article. And we wonder how untruths happen!!!! 

The International Quilt Festival was in full swing, and look at this quilt made for the show. 

A quilt show quilt!

Quilt guilds were helping others as they do today. Either making quilts for those in need or using quilts as fundraisers, which one person stated is an EXCELLENT way to raise funds. Well, it used to be, but not any longer. Too many hoops to jump through to get a license, and not enough people interested in the actual value of what we do! 

Quilt guilds help those in need

Here's an EARLY long-arm ad from American Patchwork and Quilting. The big deal was how LITE it was. But that looks like a pretty big machine (the throat space) even back in 1993. Now we wouldn't even think of the weight of the machine, but the smoothness, the throat space, and what bells and whistles it has are more important!

An ad for a long arm

But look at those colors. The magazine has a few colored pages highlighting the SPECTUCALR FALL COLORS. Oh my --- those are a tad bland! 

Spectacular fall colors

Thankfully, we've moved on from there!!! 

Is it a waste of time to read those old magazines? Probably, but for the entertainment value and to see what was important at the time, I think it makes us appreciate what we have even more! So -- yes -- I'll continue to read those older magazines; when I'm done, they will be recycled, and they will not be passed along to someone else! 

And I had to laugh also as the quilters exchanged charm squares. Yep --- LONG before Moda came out with their version of Charm squares. So if you think Moda created pre-cuts -- think again. They packaged them from their fabric collections BECAUSE quilters were doing it on their own. Moda saw a way to market that concept, and VOILA -- the official CHARM pack was created. 

Yep -- NOTHING is new, yet some of the new quilters are amazed at what techniques their quilting idols INVENTED. Nope -- they likely read an old magazine or book and decided to bring it back. We more experienced quilters know that, and we can just sit back and have a quiet chuckle! 

Well, on that note, it's time to get the day moving!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

On a treadmill going nowhere FAST

Gosh  -- I'm so glad to hear I'm not alone -- well, sensing someone close by and needing clothing coverage! I don't know what it is, but sleeveless tops make me feel naked. And don't get me started on what some people wear to the gym! Skimpy little bra tops, with full coverage leggings, while I wear a t-shirt and shorts! It is what it is, and thankfully we can all wear what makes us feel comfortable! 

OK -- here's a somber topic to be discussing today. We are victims of our own success, and we are running on a treadmill at high speed. We choose to get on, and we're too afraid to get off, but we're going crazy.  I am NOT picking on anyone or trying to make anyone feel bad about their choices. This issue needs to be addressed because there are many of us in the same boat, and we don't want it to capsize! It's just something that occurred because of circumstances. 

I'm talking about taking on too much. YES -- I will not deny that I've taken on a bit too much. It's not that I'm not keeping up -- I'm behind, but not too far behind. But the bigger issue is -- am I enjoying myself? Do I have time for the things that I really want to do?

I have an assignment for you, so pay attention! Right now, there are two ways to enjoy quilt classes --- one where you pay for ONE specific class  - that should be easy -- you want to do that project, so you pay, and you do the homework. In other instances, we have the option to pay one price (class pass), which allows us to participate in many classes. 

It's like being a kid in the penny candy store. You have a quarter -- and you want it all! Some people have been smart and decided to audit the class -- they get to see the techniques but did not commit to making anything. Attending Zoom classes can be time-consuming and overwhelming, but at least those auditing never get behind! I struggle a little bit with that concept, but that's OK -- I must move on. 

But between the two options of Zoom classes, in-person classes, or the TONS of  FREE classes, videos, etc., that one can access online, we are virtually in OVERLOAD, and we are all experiencing FOMO -- fear of missing out!! We want to do it ALL, and we are failing! Myself included! And I feel like I'm an enabler, and I'm getting others into trouble. 

Some people are doing OK, but others are struggling and making things worse for themselves. I've always assigned homework in manageable chunks as we learn various techniques. Not let's be realistic, some people do NOT need the lessons -- they could go through the patterns on their own -- well, maybe not Jen Kingwell. But you know what I mean -- we are there to work and learn together. 

So can you tell me why someone has decided to work through one of the quilts to get all the blocks done and then falls behind on a class they really wanted to participate in? She said, she didn't have time to complete the assignment, but yet, she had time to do three months of extra work that had not been assigned? 

Sigh -----------  I will never understand the human mind or our motivations. I'm learning to let it go, but it's a struggle for me. My rule is -- if you work ahead, DO NOT show it in class (any of the classes) and do not post it to Facebook. We don't need to see it until it's time. 

So all of that to say that we are ALL in over our heads. I've been a quilt teacher for 20 years, and in all the time I taught, I put together class ideas and projects with the intention that I would have something for those that like to paper piece or the ones looking for a quick project, the ones looking for a longer project, and so on. The intent was NEVER for everyone to take all that I teach. That would be insane. 

But with the ways things are right now, that's what has happened, and people are OVERWHELMED. 

As our world gets back to normal, I've been noticing that some stores and individuals are taking stock of their situation and saying NO. They are evaluating what they offer for classes, guidelines for shopping, or whatever. And I've decided to do the same. Why? 

Last night, I sat for a few minutes and did some calculating. I figured out how much time I spend per week on various activities. 

There are 168 hours in a week. Of those hours, I try to get 8 hours of sleep a day -- it's sometimes less, but I aim for 8. That's 56 hours for sleeping. I walk about 18 hours a week, and 4 hours a week are spent getting to and from spin class. 

I AVERAGE about NINE hours a week on Zoom - that includes my four-hour sewing session on Monday, the Virtual Retreat, and all my sewing machine classes which are at an all-time low right now. Last fall, I taught up to 10 hours a week for my sewing machine educator job on top of all the quilt classes. Right now, I'm averaging about 2 hours. 

I spend an average of 16 hours prepping for those Zoom classes or doing the follow-up for the classes. And the last thing I calculated was an average of 12 hours a week writing. Hey -- it takes me at least one hour each day to write the blog. 

So if you do the math, I think that leaves 7 hours in my week for ME. That's ONE HOUR a day! And what should I do with that one hour? Don't worry -- the gym time, the walk time, and some of the Zoom time is spent on sewing my stuff, but what about the housework or the garden or visiting with friends. Oops -- there's no time for that! 

You need to do the same -- pick the main activities in your day/week and figure out how many hours you spend on each. We are spending way too much time trying to do it all!! Then figure out what you would like to be spending your time on. 

As a result, I'll be cutting back on things that enable others! I've got several months to work it out. I don't know what stays and what goes -- I don't know yet, but I don't want people to burn out. HEY -- don't get me wrong, I appreciate that people want to participate in the classes, and I love the social aspect of all the work, and the inspiration is superb, but we can't keep going at this rate! 

I think we all need to do the same thing the next time we sign up for classes. I'd be tempted to have a meeting (via Zoom) to help figure out the best way to offer classes or determine what will best suit people's needs - at least from me! We need support to get over our FOMO and if you have suggestions on how to achieve this, let me know. Do we need Zoom work sessions instead of classes? 

Tomorrow (if I can remember), we will have a serious goal-setting session. So start thinking about that -- what do you want to learn, what you want to finish, and more. You'll be making lists!

Despite all that, I did take some time to lounge in the gazebo -- yep -- it's gazebo time again. Yes -- I gave up a bit of sleep time to get my work so I could enjoy the backyard after my walk. 

Sitting in the gazebo!

It looks pretty blah right now, but soon the greenery will be coming. I saw a heron flying over after dinner, so we need lily pads in the pond to protect the fish! However, there are enough leaves in the pond that they have a place to hide. And the backyard means the girls are in their glory. Mom's outside! Mom's outside!

"MOM -- I can get that leaf! I can jump! I can do this for you!"

Murphy -- DO NOT jump in the pond

"MOM -- I found the ball just like you asked. Mom -- can I drop it in the pond?"

Murphy - DO NOT drop the ball in the pond

"Mom -- where's my ball? I did NOT drop it in the pond; it just fell - I did NOT intentionally do that." 

Murphy -- you INTENTIONALLY dropped your ball in the pond

And so the summer fun with the dogs begins. Well, I'm guessing we're still going to have some cool weather and possibly more snow, but every minute I can be out to enjoy it, I'll be there. 

But look what the monsters did to the gazebo floor last fall in an attempt to chew and dig their way through to the silly rabbit below. 

The damage to the gazebo floor

I've always been interested in quilt history, and that's one thing that I never have time for -- researching and studying what's already been done. I've recently joined a group, which made me think of some older magazines that came up at a sale, and I acquired them. 

This is Canada Quilts from September 1990. I wasn't even quilting then!

Canada Quilts - September 1990

This one is from June 1980. 

Canada Quilts June 1980

And look --- this one is from November 1975!!!! I haven't read them, but I will someday!

Canada Quilts -- November 1975

And on my walk yesterday, I stopped by Diane's house and picked up more quilts that she has made for the community projects. Yikes -- I need to hit that long arm this week. 

More quilts for community projects

The major writing is almost done for this month, and all the homework is up-to-date. That leaves two more follow-up documents to write -- and hopefully, I can clear them this week. But I have FOUR classes to prep for this coming weekend and our UFO club, and my homework isn't completely done. You see why those goals need to be set and FAST. Most of the sew alongs will finish in June or July, and I need to figure out how to go forward!

Anyway -- I've blabbed on long enough about that. If anyone wants to discuss goal setting, how to do it, how to avoid being left out, let me know -- if there's enough interest, we can set up a one-hour discussion on Zoom to help us figure out how to prioritize. Trust me -- I don't think we can do this on our own! We need professional help, and since we don't want to pay, we will need to rely on each other to figure it out!! And we haven't even factored in travel time for any of that because it's all been on Zoom. Can we afford to meet in person? 

The Textile Show at the Gerrard Art Space (Toronto)  --- show runs until April 3!!!  (better hurry on that one!)

Colour with a U  -- a quilt show at the Orillia Museum of Art & History -- runs until April 9 

Common Thread Quilt Guild Ottawa) is hosting its show on May 6,7,8. 

Hamilton Quilt Guild -- June 3, 4

On that happy note, I'm off to spin class. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!