The Saskatoon Quilt Show

I love how some of you ALSO had to dust those knick-knacks! I can hardly wait for this morning to do my job! 

OH MY GOSH --- The Saskatoon Quilters Guild Show. What can I say—it was a fantastic show, and I am so glad I decided to come. It was the BEST (by far) of any guild show that I have ever been to, and I've been to a fair number. Why? Well, I'll tell you shortly. 

I stopped by the apartment for a little bit before I left, as I had some time to kill before I needed to go. I am ALMOST done binding the second side of that hexagon quilt, and I should get it done this morning as I'll be at the apartment for most of the day, although I have more visiting this afternoon. 

I had a few errands in the morning as well, and ran into another cousin. Actually, she recognized me and we had a quick chat as she was opening up the place where she works. What fun to catch up with everyone in person. 

The plan yesterday was to meet up with Brenda for lunch. Brenda found me online and has followed my blog for a bit, and is now in one of my online classes. We had a grand chat over lunch, and it always amazes me how easily perfect strangers can have a meaningful conversation about so many things. Yet, it's so hard sometimes to have meaningful conversations with people we've known for many years. 

Brenda and me

This is a picture of Brenda and me, and in the background you can see Cathy's quilt—the Tula Pink Butterfly. Cathy took that class online with me, but she custom quilted it on her long arm, and well, the quilting and the quilt are spectacular. She won first place in her category, and it is well deserved. Congratulations to Cathy, and it's so lovely to meet you, Brenda!!! 

What was so funny is that Brenda is from Calgary, and, like me, happened to be in town for the show. She was there by accident at the same time as the show, while mine was planned. I haven't met some of the people from my online classes who live closer to me! It's a small world. 

While we were at lunch at the Prairie Ink restaurant at McNally Booksotre (a must-stop for any trip to Saskatoon), we spotted two ladies wearing these pants and figured they were heading to the show or had already been there. 

Patchwork pants

Roomy pocket

They were super funky, stitched with a serger with exposed seams, and large, roomy pockets to store all your stuff. I LOVE them, but they didn't make them; they purchased them somewhere. I want to say Las Vegas? But I could be wrong. There was so much to take in yesterday that my brain was about to explode. 

If the wearer of the pants is reading this, thanks so much for letting me post the picture!!!! No way to put flashing lights around the pictures, but I love those pants!!!

Here is the guild banner that greeted us as we walked into the building. The show is at Prairieland, and the venue is massive. The entrance fee is $15, but for what we got in return, it was well worth the price. PLUS, they took cash or card. Now that's civilized, since I rarely carry cash, but I made specific arrangements to have some money on hand. 

The guild banner

But this is what you see when you walk in. The floor is carpeted, the lighting is pretty decent, and the hall is enormous, with WIDE aisles between rows of quilts hanging on black pipe and drape. It does NOT have the feel of a guild show. I was stunned and overwhelmed before I even saw one quilt. 

What you see when you walk in

 I noticed a few ladies grabbing the corner of a quilt and lifting it to see the back. WAIT -- is that allowed? Then I realized that every quilt had a clothespin attached to one corner, so you could grab it and flip the quilt over to see the back. Now, what a simple idea that completely eliminated the need for gloves. 

A clothespin to lift the corner of the quilt

 Not to brag or anything, but these prairie girls are SMART. Does that count for me since I grew up in this area? 

There were many categories of quilts, and there were a lot of ribbons. I don't know the details of how that worked, but I loved that they had a category especially for Machine Embroidery quilts. I took pictures of all of them to share with my machine embroidery club. I just thought that was a brilliant idea—a lot more work, but well worth it to display the items and add to the diversity of the show. 

I spotted a Boho Heart quilt—this was not made in my class, but I love seeing how others handled the same quilt. I see she added extra at the top of the heart, just like we did! 

And there was a Long Time Gone (previously known as Gypsy Wife) as well. An unusual color palette and very busy backgrounds. Again, this was not someone in my class, so it was interesting to see another colorway that was totally different from anything from my class participants. I love the wave of color. 

I took many other pictures —how does one choose which ones to post? The quilts were stunning, and the featured quilter's quilts were amazing. Debora Barlow is a very accomplished quilter. As mentioned, there was so much to see that it was overwhelming. 

Thankfully, I had some diversions. I ran into Cathy and Jocelyn, who I know from my classes. And I've met Cathy many times now -- in the airport, at Quilt Canada. Cathy is everywhere! But I also got to meet more of her sisters, and we had a good chat. 

Then I ran into a longtime friend (you can't say "old" friend) and we sat down and had a good chat, since I hadn't seen her in a long time. Susan is the one I met because of the barn quilt they had on one of their outbuildings along the highway! That was so many years ago! So much fun catching up, and I knew she would be there —how to connect? She spotted me (orange flowers in the hair) and sent me a text, which I missed, so she called me. 

It is such a small world!!! I chatted to Debora for a bit as well and bought some raffle tickets—maybe I'll be lucky. If not, it supports the guild, which is terrific. I even considered joining the guild since they have a hybrid component to their meetings. 

There was only one thing that disappointed me, and it had nothing really to do with the guild. There was a demo area set up so professionally, with large TV screens and cameras. Very impressive. The topic was machine embroidery on quilts, so I thought I would see something spectacular or perhaps glean a new idea or two. The demo was given by one of the vendors, and well, all she did was show a couple of kits that she makes to sell. She didn't even have any of the quilts in the demo because they were hanging in their booth.

That was disappointing, BUT I ran into some of the ladies who have been in my classes at The Sewing Machine Store, so we had a good chat. And well, something bad came out of that conversation. NO ONE is allowed to yell at me, but I might take on another small job. It's just opening up another club, so that's one hour a month. There is a HUGE need for this kind of thing, and all that would be required of me is to book the monthly hour, load pictures into a presentation, and moderate it. I LOVE that kind of thing, and well, I think I'm going to do it. I even have an idea of where that extra hour will come from without adding to my schedule. I'm good! 

Thank goodness the show was open until 6:30. As a vendor, I would have been so exhausted, but it was nice to be on the other side of things for a change. I could sit down, leave, or do whatever I wanted. So I managed to check out some of the vendors. I actually have to thank Susan for saving me some money, because I had just stepped into the first booth when she called me, so I had less time to spend! 

A friend back home has been looking for bread fabric, and I knew it existed because I'm sure I have a small piece. Well, guess what I found? Yep --- that's bread fabric - it's sideways, but many kinds of bread. So, a quick text: I am bringing a meter of that home with me. 

Bread fabric

One booth had ALL of the Legit Kits for sale. Now, why would anyone want a giant pickle quilt? I guess you have to really like pickles. I suppose it would be suitable for your kitchen. It is kind of funky, but would I make it? Probably not. 

The giant pickle quilt

I did make a few purchases, but I didn't take pictures of anything yet. I'll likely do that when I unpack when I get home. I tried to be good and I was. 

I had a good, long chat with the staff at The Sewing Machine store, and that could bring me some more work—we'll see how it goes. Not that I'm looking for work, but I'm so passionate about what I do that I can't help but share what I know! That's just me!!! But nothing in the immediate future. 

I left the show at 6:30!!! Oh boy—it was a long day, it was exhausting, but I am so fired up. I wish I could be home right now so I could sew all day!!!! I did not join the guild, but I can always join when I get home. I need to think about that, and I might consider it for later. I'll see. I don't belong to any guild for specific reasons, and I know those reasons exist within this guild. Too much politics!!!

Whenever I'm at the bookstore, I always check out the quilts on the balcony. Here are a few —they are amazing. 

Not that I need to add another quilt to my list of quilts to make, I love this one. It's a pixelated double wedding ring. Can you imagine making this with scraps? I have the perfect box of scraps. Does anyone know what pattern this is? I tried a quick search this morning, but didn't find anything, and the way it's hanging, I can't get a better picture. 

Pixelated double wedding ring quilt

This is another great scrap quilt. I love it, and what a great way to use up scraps. It looks like plaid, but it's pieced!!! 

A "plaid" quilt

And this alphabet quilt was also cute. I think the pattern's name was on the label. I'll have to check that out more when I get home. 

Alphabet quilt

While I don't want to start a new scrap club because I don't have time for that, I was considering running a one-hour (or perhaps slightly longer) workshop with the "best of" scrap patterns and practices. Would anyone be interested in attending? OK -- we will make this happen, so watch for more details -- I just need to remember to book that when I get home. 

And on that note (don't yell at me), I'm out of here. It seems warmer this morning by 12 degrees, so it's practically balmy!!! 

I can't wait to dust those teapots!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

PS -- I think DH was in his glory watching another amazing game—the first in the World Series on the TV instead of his phone!!! So glad that saga is over. 

PSS -- One other observation. I don't recall seeing many quilted jackets. Hmmmmm, I wonder why? 

Backyard makeover

The biggest takeaway I'm getting from the comments about retiring is the ability to do what I want, when I want! YES --- that is what I want! DH sometimes travels to exotic places, and I'm not able to go because of commitments. That didn't bother me in the past, but this year - well, it did! So I'm considering that when I plan my gradual slide into complete retirement. Because of what I do, I don't have to cut everything off at once. But I must keep working on that plan!

Now, where's his next exotic trip? I'm not sure I want to go to the US, but you never know. 

We had some work to do in the backyard, and they said they could come this past week. Yikes—there was no time to get organized. WAIT - there was nothing to organize, so there was no need to panic. 

We have no grass in our backyard. OH - I should find the pictures of what it looked like when we moved in over twenty years ago. The previous owners had made good decisions, like the shed, the gazebo, and the pond, although we enlarged the pond. Many of the plantings (a couple of big trees) also remain. We have worked around those items and enhanced the overall look. So out with the grass, which, in the words of a real estate agent we had come several years ago, said our backyard is NOT kid-friendly. Yep --- and happy for that! The agent was here to chat about what improvements to make for potential resale way in the future. That was very clear upfront! 

But over the years, some things have gotten a bit tired, and when I chatted with a neighbor, she said there is some disease that is hitting boxwood shrubs, and mine had seen better days. 

I managed to get some before pictures. This is looking off the deck into the entrance of what I called the secret garden because it was separated from the rest of the yard by a little "bridge" and the shrubs. 

The entrance to the secret garden

This is looking from the secret garden towards the gazebo. We are lucky that we live on a corner, so there is lots of room on the side of our house, and our neighbor also has lots of room, so our houses are not close. 

In the Secret Garden

And there's the garden hose draped over the fence! The tap is in its new location on the other side of the fence, but it is still within our fence, as we have two gates on that side. 

The garden hose was draped over the fence

And one more view from the gazebo. 

The side garden from the gazebo

The goal this year was to fix up that transition area. We had a dead dogwood tree in the back of this area. So now the dead or dying trees and shrubs are gone! 

Dead and dying plants are gone

The new plants are in place. They replaced the old, decrepit wooden bridge with three more stepping stones. 

The new plantings

Murphy had to check everything out, and she approved everything. It's much more open than it was before, and I'm OK with that. The plants will grow somewhat, but the area won't be closed off like it was. 

Murphy approved

We got the garden hose set up nicely in a retractable one (I'm leery of its lifespan), but it looks nice, and there are three stepping stones toward that. 

Stepping stones to the hose

The hose is tucked behind the fence, so all is good. If I need to run water in the opposite direction, I can disconnect this hose and put another one in the opposite direction. I have two more hoses! Oh, and in case you're wondering why we couldn't run the hose under that fence, as it looks like a big gap, there is wire mesh embedded in the ground to prevent certain canines from digging! 

The hose is under the fence

But then, things got dicey for the girls as the landscapers had to remove sections of the fence on the other side of the yard to fix a fence post. They had to dig very deep to find the concrete, and it was left open overnight. I stacked the chairs over the opening to prevent the dogs from visiting the next-door neighbor. We didn't even ask if we could traipse through their yard. I don't think they were home.

MOM - the fence is open! 

I know—you're thinking that chairs are not enough to stop the dogs from jumping, but there is a big yawning hole on the other side because of the deck height, and they wouldn't do it. But that didn't prevent Murphy from pushing beside the BBQ, so I had to find something to block that. 

MOM - what is going on? 

No worries—the new fence post is installed, and all is good. I even took the opportunity to pull all the creeping vines from the neighbor's yard away from the fence, as they were creeping through it. On this side of the house, we both have a walkway that separates the houses. I get a good view of the neighbor's brick wall from the office. 

You can see the new post and some new grill on top. But we also found something interesting: a ball cemetery! When I dug through the crap at the bottom of the fence, I found three balls. Who knows how many more there are? Murphy soon completely destroyed them, and they are in the garbage! 

MOM - I wondered where those balls went! 

Fixing that fence took a long time, and the girls were very unhappy. They moped in the house beside the screen door. 

MOM - why can't we go out and play?

I am trying to clear all the leaves out of the bottom of this part of the pond. There is so much dirt and debris in there. While the guys were working on the fence, Mike, who opens and closes our pond and works for the same company that was doing the other work, stopped by. So I got him to fix the filter in the pond skimmer, and hopefully, all will be good. But there are MANY more scoopfuls of leaves to remove. I'll check the new filter later this morning. Since it's all organic material, I wing it over the fence into the forest! 

Leaves and debris need to be removed from the pond

And there is Murphy, who loves the pond and wanted to play ball last night. So I tossed the ball and it went into the pond. She will NOT jump into the pond, so all is good if she's on that side. But she will literally slide into the pond on the other side. I don't know how to describe it, and I watched her do it one day!

MOM - a little help here! 

The second the crew was gone, I was in the gazebo! It was such a beautiful day. And of course, I had company! 

MOM - help me - I'm in jail! 

I had to come in because the sun was directly on my chair and no place to move, but Miss Murphy stayed out in the sun. That dog is weird, as she gets so hot!

MOM - I'm fine! Just sunbathing! 

I didn't get any weeding done last night, but I did the night before. 

More weeds gone! 

What I need now is mulch—lots and lots of mulch. It would be economical to have a large bag (or by the yard) delivered to the front and then bring it back via wheelbarrow, but I'm just as happy to buy bags at the local store and deal with it bag by bag. We have steps in the backyard, so the wheelbarrow only works so far. So I might take a trip today and get the first load. I suspect I'm going to need MANY bags, but I need to remove some leaves in some places before putting the mulch down. I have some time tomorrow, so I'll evaluate what I need today and pick it up. Then I can work tomorrow afternoon and try to work on a small section each day. 

Look at the forest canopy. The leaves are almost entirely out, and I cannot say how calming (I'm calm these days, but still) that canopy is. You just feel relaxed, and when they talk about forest bathing, they aren't kidding. If you have a chance to walk in a forest, do it! We have two trees in our backyard and the wall of forest right behind the fence, which encroaches into our backyard—the leaf canopy, that is. To me, that is the best feature of the house! 

When we looked at this house, we knew immediately when walking in that this was our house. We didn't even need to get past the front hallway. But the clincher was taking a walk in the forest—that sealed the deal. It will take a lot to pry us from this location. At the time, I would never have considered walking anywhere, but now—well, that would have been another high point at the time of purchase. By the way, the walking in the forest thing? Not going to happen for DH! 

The tree canopy in the forest

Our kitchen and bathrooms need to be updated, but they are functional, and I'm not worried about changing them. But if we did—the big thing these days is having a LARGE window over the sink—we could easily get rid of those cabinets and put in a bigger window. 

But I used the island yesterday to work on a jacket for a class later today. There is so much space and it's the width of TWO of my worktables downstairs. 

Tracing a clothing pattern

I shoved everything to the other counter, which I'm in the process of dealing with. But it's still pretty clear considering other kitchens I've seen. 

A large window would fit just fine! 

DH comes home later this afternoon, so I must get all that put away or washed. I already moved the stack of magazines (I'm slowly working on them) back to the office. There are a few things to clear off the kitchen table, and it will look like I've been super busy! 

He's only home for a day or two before he's gone again!

I walked to the restaurant last night, and we'll probably go again tonight as there is NOTHING to eat in the house. Well, some broccoli and a bagged salad. 

Everything is prepped for my classes today—well, I have one more seam to sew, and then I'm ready. The presentation for this morning is done. I can only say that a pattern tester would have had a heyday with this pattern. The number of errors will blow your mind. 

I have tomorrow afternoon "off," and then the week starts again with writing assignments and sewing samples. At least the writing and sewing can be done on my own time, which I don't mind. 

I'm also happy to say I'm not sore from all that craziness with Brooke yesterday. So that's a relief. 

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Tight spaces

Elle gave me a quick little lower-body exercise routine in the comments. Feel free to grab it! These are simple exercises, but they are essential for keeping us limber and independent. Some of us have good genes, and some of us do not! It's up to us to keep things moving. I cannot imagine depending on someone to get me out of bed or dressed. Hopefully, that day will never come, but it might. The thought scares me! 

So you all know how inquisitive Miss Murphy is and how she loves to push her way into some of the smallest spaces. Although big, she's pretty capable of curling herself into a tight little ball and sleeps in a dog bed that is probably too small for her. Remember the other day when she tried to squeeze her head through the arm of my chair in the gazebo? 

MOM - I need to be with you! 

So can you tell me why this is a problem? 

MOM - can you open the door? I need IN! 

It was a nice day, so I decided to leave the door ajar so she could come and go as she wanted, but I didn't feel the need to keep the door wide open. It was nice, but not that nice. No - that is a problem for her. I even put an incentive - a treat that works for anything with Murphy. NO - she would NOT push the door enough to get in. I even put my hand, with the treat, outside, and she's standing right there. But that wasn't good enough. I literally had to open the door wide so she would come in. 

Oh - the mysterious world of dogs! 

My calendar is a funny thing. I have one more week of the presentations, and then we are done with all our Zoom presentations for the year, and I'm starting to get booked for in-person travel. I expected a nice, quiet week that first week in April. Alas - that is not the case. A few things had to be moved around; a couple of guilds requested presentations, and I now have an event in person or on Zoom for four nights in a row that first week!

However, that is only one event a day, and they are all shorter than what I'm currently doing, so it will feel like a vacation! I need some sewing time—I'm a little bit behind in my projects, and it's going to take some dedicated sewing to get things completed in time for the show and tell. 

I did a naughty thing yesterday. Instead of working on the presentations for tomorrow, I read that book. It's a war story but compelling, and I need to know how it finishes! Thankfully, it's not too long, but I still have 75 pages to go. It might be a late night tonight! 

OK—I took a few minutes to download some of the pictures from Facebook in preparation for one of the presentations! 

Now for something exciting! I spotted this book, and I wanted it! YES—believe it or not, quilted jackets are BACK! I've made several over the years, and all of them are slightly large. Mind you, I was slightly larger when I made them, so I need a jacket that fits! 

I'm teaching an INPERSON class on jackets using this book as our bible. You can find the signup on the Hobby Horse website. I'm not sure how many spaces, but sign up today -- this class will fill up very quickly. 

Book about quilted jackets

It's going to be a fun class (two parts). You can start from scratch, use a quilted bedspread, which seems to be a dime a dozen in the thrift store or cut up one of your quilts. OK—the ones at the thrift stores cost about $20, which is an excellent deal. I have "several," so I will use my least favorite bedspread to play with the size. Then, I'll make several using the nicer quilted bed covers. 

That's also a project for April. Yep - April will be a busy sewing month, but at least it'll be on my schedule! 

On that happy note, I'm out of there. I'm off to meet Brooke for our early morning workout, and I can hardly wait to see what fun things she has planned. But here's the good news. When I started with her, the thought of getting on the floor (and then getting back up) was not pleasant. Also, some of the exercises she presents seem impossible when she demos them. However, they are just fine when I try doing the exercises! 

That's the power of getting down to business and not saying no! 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, March 22 - Starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, March 23 - Starts at NOON

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

The raccoon story

How many of you checked out the challenges the other day? For one of them, the idea popped into my head when I read the title and saw the colors. I've done some research, and it's possible, but it will require a wee bit of finagling to make it happen the way I want. The best time to start is NOW. 

OK -- so hopefully, some of you watched that 10-minute video on the Amazon tour. It's quite fascinating, but that does NOT make me want to buy from them. Not in the least. And I think they know that. I tried to book the in-person tour, and every tour was FULL. They know I'm coming and don't want me near their fulfillment center! I get it -- the feeling is mutual! I just want to see it! I'll keep checking the dates. 

I am so mixed up about what day of the week it is! I'm actually participating in an online quilt show for two days. OK -- that's a lie. I'm NOT participating; I'm watching. It's by The Grace Company (who does the software for my long arm), and while most of the events are not related to the software, it's fascinating to hear the stories, and they are very much a FAMILY-oriented company. And they are trying to build a QUILT FAMILY. The event is extremely well done with live videos, a great website with vendors, and, if you want a Grace frame, I'd attend the event. They have some AMAZING deals on long arms, frames, machines, and software! At least they sound amazing! 

When Lexi and I were out walking earlier this week, we met Wednesday! At first glance, they look the same, but he definitely has different coloring than she does. Anyway -- the two of them had a grand time dancing around each other, and they would have loved to play. However, there was no way that either of us would take the leash off our dog. Those huskies are runners! 

Lexi and Wednesday

I've seen him on numerous occasions with Wednesday, even on his rollerblades. Now that is brave, or he is very good on his rollerblades. Me? I'm sticking with shoes. 

Speaking of shoes, I'm not happy. Guess what has happened? My feet are still peeling like mad and way beyond where the blisters were. It almost looks like I got a terrible sunburn, but perhaps a lot of skin was damaged because of those blisters? Anyway -- the "good" news is that I have developed NEW blisters. 

New blisters bring me joy! - NOT!

These are NOT in any location that previously had a blister. And while they do not look bad in that photo, they are painful. Am I becoming a wimp? With all my shoe swapping in the last three years, I have NEVER had a blister until this summer, and then things just went downhill from there. There has to be an underlying cause. You can't tell me I got unlucky with the last three pairs of shoes I've worn. Am I just getting old, and my skin is now delicate? Oh great --- that won't fly at my house. Anyway -- I plan to get an appointment with a foot specialist to see if they can shed any light on the situation. 

In the meantime, I'm babying this blister to prevent it from getting larger, and we'll see what happens. 

So when Murphy's ball accidentally goes into the pond, I use a net to get it out. Then I turn the net over, and she catches the ball from the net. I see that she is anticipating that I take the ball and the net and give it to her! What a dog!!! The ball usually ends up in the pond more often because of my lousy throwing arm, than Murphy dropping it in! 

MOM -- the ball is in the net -- let me catch the ball! 

And there is Lazy Lexi. She loves to lean against things. 

MOM -- I'm exhausted! 

So here's the raccoon story. The other morning, the girls were beside themselves. Barking and barking like mad! I went out to see what was happening and peeked between the slats in the fence to find this on the other side. A raccoon. It was about 10 AM, which is not normal for raccoons. 

A daytime raccoon

He wasn't scared and didn't move even when I shooed him away. Next thing I knew, he is walking along the back fence, and by this time, I managed to grab Murphy and drag her into the house. She is the MOST vocal, and Lexi was happy to keep an eye on the raccoon as he ambled along. 

Hey, raccoon -- do you want to play at my house? 

I swear this guy was sick! He is right on the other side of the fence and had no desire to go anywhere. 

As a matter of fact, he was happy to poke his nose through the fence and even tried to dig under the fence. His face didn't look too good - the eyes were messed up, or so it seemed. I tried to call Animal Services because I didn't want him swatting Lexi and giving her rabies or whatever. 

Hey raccoon 

I was on hold forever, and then the raccoon ambled away. So I hung up! Poor raccoon -- OK -- I know they are destructive, but I feel sorry for any sick animal, even though I know all about the circle of life! We haven't seen him since, and hopefully, he won't return. 

Can I come in?

I walk the dogs in the morning, and when I go for my afternoon walk, I go alone. They are too slow or curious to take along for a good walk. But I felt sorry for Murphy, so I decided to take her on my afternoon walk. I thought Lexi was outside, but when I turned around, they were both sitting there -- begging for a walk. Now how could you say no to that? DH isn't here, so they are lonely when no one is in the house! 

MOM --- can we go with you? 

So after dropping a book at the library, we went to the dog park. No one else was there, but they had a good run through the park. 

Running in the dog park

It doesn't take Murphy long to get overheated and she needed a rest. 

MOM -- I need a wee break! 

And now for the quilting stuff --- you'll get the thief story tomorrow. Talking about fulfillment centers -- this is my living room right now. Yep -- there's a lot of stuff that needs to go, but I'm waiting on pick-up times, etc., to get rid of most of that. OH -- Lexi is allowed to stay! But she just lays in her kennel and ignores the mess. 

My staging area for things to leave

While watching The Grace Company's events, I needed to get my act together and get some work done. I want to try and clear the work table area -- it's a mess. So I got myself in gear and got the binding on the sweatshirt jacket, and it is DONE. 

Putting the binding on the sweatshirt jacket

And here it is!!! I'm so happy that it's done, and I have to say that I really like it, and it still fits, which is always a good thing. I don't remember exactly when I started it, but let's say it's been a few years!!! I'll probably wear it a lot -- a bit dressier than my grey sweatshirts, but cozy and warm inside, which is what I need in the winter. 

My sweatshirt jacket

The pattern was called "I Can't Believe It's A Sweatshirt" by Back Porch Press. I changed mine up a bit and removed the ribbing on the neck (not cutting it off, but removing the stitches) to preserve the size of the neck opening. And I bound the entire perimeter of the jacket with binding. This is not how it was in the pattern, but I like the effect -- it removes all evidence of it being a sweatshirt. I also bound the cuffs with my little trick that I showed you a while back. 

Pattern for the sweatshirt jacket

And now that quilted jackets are back in style -- I'll fit right in! I think I'll take it to the quilt show later this month, and there's a new store opening up near me! YES --- a NEW STORE is coming. It's called Sew Productive, and it's in Acton. I will be at the store opening on October 26th as they are also a Husqvarna Viking dealer, and I'll be doing some lectures/demos on quilting and embroidery the following day. I don't know that the owner is ready to take registration for the lectures, but when she is -- I'll be sure and let you know. It'll be the perfect time to see my samples IN PERSON as that doesn't happen very often - at least not locally!!!

And then I was on the long arm to get another customer quilt done. I swear this is the most common thing in the world. I'm on the LAST row, almost at the end, and the bobbin runs out. It never fails!!! 

The bobbin ran out!

I was watching the stitch-out process. 90%, 91%, 92%, and then at 97% -- the bobbin was done! I had a good chuckle over that. 

At 97% complete, the bobbin runs out!

Here's the quilt that, for some reason, I keep calling it Boho Heart, but it's Wanderer's Wife!! 

Customer quilt -- DONE

It has a nice flower/butterfly pattern and looks amazing. 

Detail of the quilting

Now you all know that I can be silly sometimes. As I was trying to sort out my long arm digital patterns and get them into the right folders, I realized that I have purchased MANY designs that I never even bothered to upload to the computer. Sigh................ So I sorted some of that out yesterday, and I have more to sort out today. It was like Christmas! I noticed that I even purchased a couple of patterns twice, so I'm hoping to get credit for those, and I can go shopping again! That just goes to show that one must be ORGANIZED with EVERYTHING!!

On that note, I've run out of time! The next quilt is on the long arm; I've got some embroidery that MUST get done today, I still have homework to prep for Sunday, BUT I hope I got all the paperwork out of the way early this morning! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!