It's a GOOD news day!!!!

I chuckle at all the higher-toilet comments. This might be too much information, but I am not a tall person (66"), and I'm not sure what my inseam is - probably around 30". When I am sitting on the toilet, I need to be at a certain angle. I find the higher toilets are too high for my comfort. So I'm going to keep doing my standing squats so I can keep using the lower toilet! It's hilarious—but I can't use the higher toilet! How do vertically challenged people cope?  

Thanks for the recommendation of The Calamity Club. Oh my -- it's 29 hours!! I've just added it to my HOLD list, which is over 30 books, with 6 books in my inbox. One of those needs to be returned, and I'm partway through several of the others. I have so many in suspended status! Perhaps I've been a bit overzealous in the reading department. But that's OK. 

I must learn to rely on tagging the books as "want to read," but like that elusive Sunday morning pill, that habit just hasn't hit me yet. 

YES -- I am waiting 30 minutes before making breakfast—yet again, even though I've been up for several hours. OK—so maybe I do need to set an alarm on my phone for 5:30 AM. You would think this would be easy, but it's not, and I have another 12 weeks of pills! Yeah me!!!

And to clarify one thing I mentioned yesterday about AI. What I dislike about using AI as a search engine is that it finds the information I asked for. It doesn't let me browse the stuff I didn't ask for, and sometimes there are interesting tidbits there that are very useful. Sorry for that confusion! I love learning, and allowing AI to narrow down the search prevents me from learning other useful and sometimes useless stuff! But at least I get to choose, not a computer. 

Well, it's a good news kind of day!! Why? Take a look. 

I double-checked that the leader on the long arm was loaded in the correct orientation - clockwise versus counterclockwise. That was kind of hard to find online, but I did. When I first took the leader off, I had noted it with a piece of tape on my metal bar, but I didn't trust it. However, the tape indicator was correct, so I went ahead and secured the leader with wide painter's tape. 

The leader is secured with tape.

Using the Sew Tite Magnum magnets to hold that leader in place made this an easy task. I had a pair of scissors in one hand and the roll of tape in the other, and within two minutes, this part of the tape was in place. 

Then I took the roll and added a single layer of tape along the length of the leader. 

The second step in taping the leader in place

Hmm—that took another 2 minutes, and then it was done! 

I rolled it up, and it could be a bit tighter, but hopefully that will happen as I use the long arm. At least it's even on the edges, and that's all that counts. 

Then, since I was on a roll, I decided to load a quilt backing. Oh my—that was hilarious. I started placing the magnets on and then realized I was NOT attaching the back—just adding the magnets to the metal bars in the leader. OK—let's try that again!! And before I knew it, the backing was secured. Magnets on one side and pins on the other. 

The backing is loaded.

This is one of the community project quilts, and I realized I didn't have any batting made. So I grabbed three pieces, and I'll join them later, and I hope to get this quilt done today. Then I can move to some customer quilts. I have only three, so that shouldn't take too long. Perhaps I can squeeze in some from that huge pile of community project quilts. What I need to do is focus on that group of 11 and get that out of here! I think there are five left, including the one on the long arm. 

Then it was on to the next project: finishing the appliqué on those two winter quilts. And I'm happy to report that it is done! The appliqué on both blocks is complete! 

Progress on the winter quilts

You won't remember this, but the bells on the bottom right were NOT done, but I got those blocks completed yesterday as well. Yep—they are scrappy, as I couldn't find enough big pieces, and when I did, I managed to mess up the instructions, and well, it gave me another picture for my scrap class!

The bell blocks

But here they are --- the two winter quilt tops. 

Progress on the two winter quilts

All that remains is to make 88 flying geese. And if I had been smart, when I pieced Down on the Farm with all those stitch n flip corners, I should have been using these flying geese as my enders and leaders instead of those scrappy triangles. Alas -- that didn't happen. 

But I managed to get this much done yesterday. 

Progress on the flying geese

It's a start, and this morning, I got more cut, and I'm ready to sew. I don't think I have enough white squares, but I'll cut more from my scrap bucket when needed. Who can be bothered to count?

Ready to sew

Once those are done, then I get to sew the quilt top together. I need to find two fabrics for borders and binding. And then the back. I'm making progress, but I'm going to have to put it aside because I need to work on the class prep for next weekend. 

I'll see how the day goes!! It would be nice to get this off the wall, and I'm close, so I may get that far at least. 

I put away a few things that were on the cutting table. These batik strips are to die for!! You can find others like them at Heather Bell's Sewing Studio! 

Striped batik fabrics

Miss Murphy is doing OK. She only coughed once during the day and twice last night, so she seems to be getting over whatever this is. I left a message at the vet, but they didn't call me back yesterday. If she continues to improve, then there's no need to take her next week. 

But I'm noticing lots of changes in the behavior of the two. It's like Miss Lexi is coming out of her shell. No longer dominated by Murphy, she is becoming more "aggressive." She wants to play, and Murphy is the one to stand still (or lie down), and Lexi does all the running. Murphy is doing great on the stairs; she is allowed to go down as she seems to have zero issues, but she waits for me to help her up. We kind of have the hang of it now, but I keep the stairs barricaded at all times so we don't end up with a disaster. 

She doesn't make a fuss about not going downstairs, although she does come down every so often. It's just not the same, but this is life. She still has lots of love to give, and we have lots of love to give her, and we've found a way to work around her issues. The only thing we can do is to keep her comfortable and make sure she gets lots of love every day. 

OH MY GOSH -- you would think she is dying from my comments. She is not - she's just getting old, and because she was so boisterous, it shows more than it would with Lexi. 

And Lexi seems to be less skittish as well. She stands at the door to the office, asking to go out! And she will come and stand right beside me and let me hug her, which she never allowed before. It's strange how their behavior changes as they age. 

MOM - I'm ready for my walk! NOW!!

And this is the ONLY dog bed they share. Never at the same time, of course! But if the blankets aren't nicely laid out, she won't sleep there. 

Well, I've become Miss Chatty Cathy with the neighbors! I stop and talk to anyone or at least say HI. There is a house two doors from us - the same house as ours. That house was purchased about 4 years ago for an exorbitant amount of money. A real estate agent bought the house. It was funny because the house was the same as ours, and the lady who lived there before the real estate agent was named Elaine. 

Anyway, a while back, the house went up for sale, and she was asking for MORE money than she paid. She bought it just before the market crashed, and I swore there was NO WAY she was going to find a buyer. Imagine my surprise when I saw her putting a SOLD sign on the house as I was returning to the house with Lexi. 

Of course, I had to stop and chat. She was never forthcoming with any neighbor during all the time she lived here. The occasional glance, but that was it. 

Yes—she sold the house, and the closing is next month. A family is moving in. I checked the price online, and she sold it for $50K over what she paid. I am STUNNED. Who the heck bought the house? Now I have visions of a family of five adults moving in, and the driveway will be packed with cars. It can only hold two cars. 

The backyard is huge, but it doesn't back onto the forest, yet it sort of does. Because the house is on the corner, it backs onto two other houses and has a narrow gate into the forest where the two yards meet. 

Let's keep our fingers crossed that we get good neighbors. There are two other houses for sale on the street (this is unheard of), and both of them were significantly less money. 

At dinner last night, DH and I discussed it and said - she must have fudged the numbers. The house still has its original carpet everywhere - that would be 30 years old. And no bathroom or kitchen updates. It's all very suspicious to me. 

We got really nice new neighbors two houses in the opposite direction; can we be so lucky again? 

I think my alarm system is on point with the day and time, but the weather? Not so much!!!

The panel is half right!

I really lucked out with my fish. They had a lot of babies, and they are growing like weeds. 

These are the baby fish.

I never see more than five big ones at a time, so perhaps two didn't make it, but the babies more than make up for it if we lost two. We now have new electrical plugs and a new bubbler, so there should be zero issues for the winter. I often see the fish swimming amongst the leaves, so this is the perfect setup. They have shade, and they have sun. 

The fish love the pond.

Someone posted a note in a puzzle group about this the other day. How can so many border pieces of a puzzle be missing? To be sure - this doesn't look like enough border pieces. 

All the border pieces for a 1000-piece puzzle

But within a "few" minutes, the border was together. I feel like I speed-puzzed that one together, although in speed puzzling, few people focus on only one area at a time unless it's an event with two people, aptly called a pairs event. 

The border is together.

I didn't do more than that because I have some reading to catch up on. In addition to the ebook and audiobooks, I have a few physical books from the library that I must get read! No one can accuse me of not having personal time! I am taking way too much personal time!

Here's an interesting sign at a local Michael's store - learn to sew!!! Michaels is now selling Singer sewing machines. Well, they have been for a while now, but there is a big push, especially since they are now selling fabric. 

All about sewing at Michaels

I'll be hosting a "Teach The World to Sew Day" in the afternoon of September 19th at a Michaels in downtown Toronto. That should be fun—I hope we get loads of people out! 

How true is this? How much do we want to think that we are irreplaceable and yet ignore the fact that someone else can do just as good a job? 

Therefore, we need to take some time and do stuff for ourselves, which I seem to have zero problem doing! I love sitting in the gazebo, with my new cushion, and listening to the water. Reading, napping, petting the dogs, or whatever makes me happy at that moment. 

I'm really liking this weather—it's cool in the mornings and nice in the afternoon! 

On that note, it's time to get moving! 

It is going to be a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!

So many patterns, so little time!

 It's down to the wire for class prep, and everything is right on target! The best news is that I have the entire day to finish up things, so that's great. I completed something significant for the homework last night, and I was dancing around the room as it looks fantastic! 

You have to love it when things come together like that. 

It was an enjoyable day teaching my in-person class, and everyone went home with their heads filled with information. Way too much, but I took full advantage of the day, and they will now have to process the information on their own. 

That was the last in-person event of the year, and six one-hour Zoom events are remaining. Some will require more work than others to prep for, but after this weekend? I'm almost home free! I have NOT had the chance to sit down and plan dates and so on for next year, but next week will give me some breathing room to do that. 

I also want to alert you to the Virtual Retreat days for December. Saturday, December 27, and Sunday, December 28 are the "regular" virtual retreat days. And I've planned one on the morning of December 24 (10 AM to 2 PM). We did this last year, and it was well received, as many of us are not traveling or hosting Christmas, and let's face it - many of us have family that are not close, and it's crazy expensive to travel at Christmas. I refuse to hand over good money just because it's a holiday. 

I am NOT a slave to society's schedules and dates. I can celebrate with my family and friends whenever I want. 

I am not Scrooge, but I don't need to purchase any gifts this year - again! It's been many years since I stopped exchanging gifts with anyone. I don't want or need anything, and if I do, it's easy enough for me to go out and buy it. I also don't feel the guilty need to buy for someone else. If there were children in our house, I would buy for them. But adults? Just because it's Christmas? I'm done with that! 

I got a chuckle last night as I had some sewing to do and my SIL wanted to do some handwork. So I set up a table for her -- no room on my tables for handwork, and the cutting table needs to stay clear. Now she has her own spot in Studio B, so I think it will work just fine. Then we logged into Crave, which I already had set up on my laptop - who knew???? And we watched Project Runway Canada. Even though I watched two episodes with M, we started at the beginning. There are at least two more episodes available for watching, and then she's away for a couple of weeks. She will have to watch it where she is because I'll be watching here! 

But fun to watch it with someone, and we booed or cheered for the designs as they came down the runway! It is entertaining to watch while doing handwork, but it's also a distraction, as we both got caught watching instead of doing what we were supposed to!

Because I was back to sewing something and not doing applique, I was able to work on my enders and leaders. Whatever I sewed yesterday is now trimmed! I cannot fall behind on that, or it will become an albatross! All up to date - well, except for the little box of half-square triangles on the end of the ironing station. I should take a few a day and press and trim them, and then that box would be done! 

Half-square triangles trimmed

I also got this pattern the other day. 

Show and Tell by Elizabeth Hartman

It's the latest by Elizabeth Hartman, and it's absolutely adorable. I would LOVE to do it as a sew-along, BUT that isn't going to happen. I might do this one starting in September 2026, but right now, we are focused on Colour My World, and I am NOT going to clog up my schedule. I am loving having some free time to actually sew for myself, and I will not do that to myself. And in doing so, I'm not encouraging anyone to take on too much either! 

The issue with starting a project in September/October is that new stuff would come out at Fall Market (end of October), and if I already have a pattern planned, it has to wait almost a year before I can teach it. If I start in January, we'll have to let the project languish over the summer, since I don't teach in the summer. 

Now- Fall Market has gone! Yes -- there is no longer a Fall Market. BUT Festival remains, which is the consumer show. But the trade show is gone. There's a new show in town, put on by H+H Americas (May) or H+H Cologne (Germany) (March). Many Canadians are heading to the European show, but remember -- those are TRADE shows, not for consumers. It might be fun to go to one, but alas, the March show dates don't work for me. 

The point was that if new stuff comes out in the spring, it's just in time for me to find something to teach starting in October! Perfect!!! 

Back to my schedule. In 2026, Colour My World and the jacket class will continue, both online. Actually, everything scheduled is online. Then there are the clubs - Machine Embroidery (FULL), UFO times two, Many blocks, and - wait - that's it! What??????? Yep ---- I went from a ridiculous amount of stuff to very little. The Many Blocks and UFO club are helping me focus on things I want to complete, machine embroidery, because it's just fun, and also to complete stuff and experiment with new techniques. And two classes. Very manageable and I'm pretty happy about the entire outlook for 2026!

Will I add more? I may or may not add an occasional in-person event or a short online event, like the scrappy sessions, for which I have not set dates. That is NOT a project class, but simply inspiration to help people deal with their scraps. That is the only thing new, and it will be two sessions. I'll let you know when you can sign up. 

Of course, I'll still have any events that are planned for SVP (PFAFF and Husqvarna Viking). I won't give that up, but I have no idea what that schedule will be at the moment. 

My Murphy girl was up to her old tricks. This time, she was back in her bed. Of course, the blankets were tossed, and the bed wasn't in the corner where it's supposed to be. I think she was sulking because I didn't want to play ball with her at that precise moment. 

MOM -- I want to play ball!

As in the moment, when I'm eating dinner! She is so like a toddler, it's unbelievable. Especially when I'm eating, she thinks she has the right to pester me! "Mom, I need to go out, I need to come in, I need a cuddle, I need to chase my ball!" She's relentless! But darn cute!!!!

MOM -- Play with ME!!!!!

I have a bunch of pictures loaded into my presentation that I need to deal with this morning, and then back to the sewing machine to see if I can eke out a few more stitches before tomorrow! I'm having a blast, and that is all that counts!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The art of NOT complaining

When I got up this morning, I had almost two hours before I had to "do" anything! That meant two free hours of sewing. I was beside myself—where would I even begin? 

On the days I go to the gym, I lose those two hours, and when I have a deadline, I must work on the deadline items in those two hours. Today, there was nothing, although I still have writing to do, and I'll focus on that later today. 

So I dug out my older sewing machine and dedicated a spot to sewing only. And I sewed! My design wall is just to the right, so I was able to sit on my little stool, grab the blocks from the design wall, and sew!

Glorious sewing!

My headphones seem to have completely died, so I listened to my audiobook on a speaker, which is OK but not my favorite. I may be getting new headphones soon, or I'll try my earbuds. They don't work well as microphones, but listening should be OK. There must be some interference with all that electronic equipment that causes my microphones to bug out. I don't have time or the inclination to solve it, so I use the computer mic, and it works for me. 

I was torn—should I work on bindings? I have a number of quilts and placemats that need binding. Or should I work on my UFO? Or what about my Many Blocks project? I settled on my UFO, and as ender/leader, I'm sewing the Many Blocks. All is good, and it was nice to just putter and not have to stress.

Trust me - there are a few other "urgent" projects, but I can put them off for a day or two. Some of my personal stuff is also "urgent" to me. I need time to do both. Hopefully, this month will be a tad quieter so I can steal a few moments here and there to make that happen. 

If you wonder how I'm making out on the magazines on the floor, this is the current status. 

Remaining magazines to deal with

A few piles are gone! Here's what happened. 

Subconscious: What's this? What are these magazines?

    Me: That's Mike Holmes. He's the best! 

Holmes on Homes magazines

Subconscious: You watched his TV show many years ago—more than 15, just for the record. 

    Me: Yes - I loved his show

Subconscious: And did you ever take on any of his projects?

    Me: No

Subconscious: Did you ever read any of these magazines? 

    Me: No

Subconscious: And why is that?

    Me: I didn't have time

Subconscious: Let's face it—if you need to do a renovation, are you going to read a 10-year-old Holmes magazine?

    Me: Well, no. 

Subconscious: So what are you going to do? 

    Me: I could browse them to see if there is something in there I want to learn. 

Subconscious: Did you know building codes, ideas, and trends change?

    Me: I know. Stop it - you're bullying me! 

Subconscious: This is not bullying, this is reality! 

    Me: OK - I hear you! 

Subconscious: Think about it - which would you rather? Read 10 - 15-year-old magazines or sew a 15-year-old project. 

    Me: OK -- you got me!

Subconscious: So what are you going to do? 

    Me: I will toss them without reading them.

Subconscious: I'll be watching! 

After that little discussion, the magazines are in the recycling bin waiting for pickup later today. A few other stacks got the same fate. 

I have to be realistic—this is a 2010 Travel Guide to Canada. I think it will be a bit dated, and if I want anything, I can go to the internet. 

A dated Travel Guide

And you know the magazine is dated from when there was a survey where you could win an iPod. Do they even make those anymore? 

Hmm - a bit dated

The rest will likely suffer the same fate, but I have to do it my way, and that works for me. I rescued a couple that I want to browse a bit, and then they will go. 

But I uncovered this little gem of an article about complaining. Did you know that complaining (and negative vibes) are extremely bad for your health? Oh yes, I knew that, but I love getting confirmation of it! 

Complaining is bad for your health

Here's what the article says: When we complain, our bodies release cortisol, which is a stress hormone. High levels of that in our body can lead to compromised immune systems, higher blood pressure, weight gain, and increased heart disease. If that isn't enough, here's what else it can do. It can harm the GOOD parts of our brain - the ones that deal with cognitive functions and problem-solving! 

Whoa—if that can happen, we do NOT want any of that negativity around. I must save my brain—well, not save it for a later date, but protect it so I'll be sane at a later date and can still ask questions! 

Listening to others complain can be just as bad as if you were doing it yourself. 

The first step to getting over complaining is to track how many times you complain! Wow, I wonder how many times a day I whine about something. A lot! 

I should learn to think mostly on the positive side, and I do for a good part of things. Which brings to mind what the rest of my day is going to look like. I have to take my MIL to the hospital for a four-hour appointment today. Yippeee!!!!! I'll take something to do in the downtime while we are waiting. Bonus time, and maybe I'll just read a book!

Instead of just complaining, you should try to find a solution, and I agree with that 100%. There is no sense in complaining if you're not willing to do anything to solve the problem. It's incredible how many people can continually find the negative side of anything, even when many positive solutions exist! 

I had to chuckle when they said to write about the things that bother you in a journal. OK, so I blog about those things all the time. Perhaps that's what makes me feel so good!

The articles also stated that if something happens, instead of dwelling on the negative, figure out how you can learn from it and move on! I'm all about that! 

Last, don't spend time with negative people. Their bad vibes can roll off on you, and that's not good! I'm 1000% in agreement on that one. The problem is that most negative people aren't self-aware! 

One of the worst things is when you meet someone or just start a conversation and ask how they are. Fifteen minutes later, they are still spewing verbal diarrhea, and you haven't even had a chance to say one word. People, be SELF-AWARE. I don't care about your problems, or at least allow me to empathize with you. It drives me crazy! 

A conversation with anyone is a TWO-WAY street. They ask about you, you ask about them! It's simple. Otherwise, the person you are spewing to? They will NOT ask again, and will avoid you! 

I had a great workout at spin class yesterday. I don't know if it's the strength training, the stretching, or just a mental note to get better, but I can crank out more KM than I've been able to in a long, long time. I can still feel twinges in my back/leg, and I must call the doctor for the results of the MRI, which was done a month ago. But overall? I'm doing amazing. That horrific pain was a wake-up call, and I answered it, and I'm going to keep it at bay! There will be NO complaining from me about my health unless I'm prepared to do something about it - if I can!! 

This is Miss Murphy in the forest. She has taken to moving sticks. She grabbed a big one but didn't carry it too far. 

MOM - I found a stick! 

And the trilliums are in bloom! 

Trilliums in the forest

Speaking of Murphy, I was on several Zoom calls yesterday and looked over my computer and saw this. 

Despite the fact that there are several rugs on the floor for her to nap on, she has picked my quilted bedspread to sleep on. YES—I'm supposed to make a jacket from that! 

Mom - this is so cozy

What was hilarious is that when she got tired of sleeping on one side, she moved over to sleep on the other! 

Mom - I have to sleep evenly!

And she doesn't try to unroll it or move as she does with her dog bed blankets upstairs. It's only to rest her weary head! 

Mom - my head is very comfy

That is where I found her this morning! What a silly girl! I'll make the jacket, and I can always wash it. 

Well, it's time to start the day - part two of the day! It's incredible how little junky things can pile up on my desktop, so I scooped some of the bigger stuff off and I'll deal with these little things later today. That's my downfall - little crappy stuff --- how to get rid of it. I know - daily and one piece at a time! 

And on that HAPPY note - I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Ten quilts - ten days!

Thanks for all the suggestions on taking the pill! Well, not THE pill, but my weekly pill. I will try my new alarm and see what happens. Quite frankly, I'm a dunce, and why did I do what I did? Well, there are wonders in this world, and that was one of them. It's not my most brilliant move, to be sure. If that doesn't work, I like the idea of these other medications that don't require a weekly pill. I'll definitely look into those. 

So there is some GREAT news this morning. The last quilt in the ten-quilt marathon was pulled off the long arm just before lunch. That was a great feeling, and even though those quilts aren't huge, there was a lot of pressure to get one done daily. It'll be easier now that I'm down to one a week. And I'm excited to get started on that group. I have pulled enough backing and batting to prepare the first one later today. I have to make the binding for all those quilts, and you'll see the progress as the week goes on. 

Community project quilt - DONE

Then to really say that I finished ten quilts in ten days, I needed to get my butt in gear and finish the bindings. And here they are -- all ten quilts now have the binding on them. I probably won't arrange for delivery at this point; they are hanging out on a quilt rack, and closer to the end of the year, when there are more, I'll arrange to get them delivered. 

Binding number 7

Binding number 8

Binding number 9

Binding number 10

Finishing those quilts took a fair amount of my afternoon, as I'm much slower when I'm chatting on Zoom. However, I then moved on to the applique. I refuse to let myself down on that commitment. This has nothing to do with the financial commitment to the UFO Club, it has nothing to do with peer pressure, it has to do with myself and what I want to get done. So I persevered, even though I was getting tired and I completed my daily quota for applique. 

By that time, I was getting pretty tired, and there were only three of us on the call, so I shut the retreat down early—well, after 7 PM. 

So yes, this new focus in my life is pretty amazing. I'm getting so much done, yet I'm not working all day. I still get in my walks, I'm still reading—more than I ever have in the last couple of years—and I'm enjoying my cup of tea on the front patio in the mornings. 

The other day, I removed the remainder of the "junk" magnets from the fridge. That left these as the ones I want to keep, which are all keepsakes from some trip. 

The keepsake magnets

I've since rearranged them so they look like this. 

The magnets are now arranged in one corner

Our fridge feels positively empty, but I like the new look. I have yet to finish sorting the items I took off the fridge to see what works to give away and what needs to be thrown out. That is a job for later today. That is one area where I could improve at finishing the job. But I'll get there. 

Someone gave me a book the other day, and rather than just throwing it on my bookshelf, I looked at my lists to see where it belonged. Since there wasn't any room where it needed to go, I found a book that was next in a series and pulled it out to make room. Because I had taken the time to sort and organize, that task was fairly simple. It's all about keeping things organized, and I have to say that I love it!!

Keeping the bookshelf organized

I am supposed to be sorting through my boxes of novelty prints to find something for a friend. The boxes are still strewn on the floor, and I need to get that accomplished today so I can put the boxes back in the room and close the door. 

Sorting through novelty prints

When Miss Murphy and I went for our walk two days ago, we spotted this fairly large tree that had "fallen" overnight. No—the tree did not fall, but it was hit by a car. It was hit so hard that it pulled the roots partially out of the ground. The tree was more forgiving than the concrete light post the car barely missed. But how can the car (in a 60 zone) go so fast that it jumps the curb and mows down a tree? We won't go there. 

MOM -- someone pushed down this tree!!!!

When we went by yesterday, this was all that remained. The tree is gone, and the stump is a huge mess. 

MOM -- where did the tree go?

Speaking of Miss Murphy, I think she was trying to tell me something yesterday as I was sewing. 

MOM -- STOP sewing and play with me!!!!

And Lexi? Soon, there won't be much left of her. I'm trying to keep her brushed, but it doesn't matter how much hair I take off each day; there is more the next day. I swear it's like her hair multiplies, and I can do nothing to keep on top of it. 

Lexi getting her daily grooming in the forest

See, I've just removed three huge brushes full of hair, and she doesn't look neat at all. Her fur is a train wreck!!

MOM -- enough - let's get walking!!! 

Here's the Pony Express Depot at my house. It's looking pretty empty at this moment, which is a good thing. I've since added another item to the pile, and all will get picked up or delivered in due time. 

The Pony Express Depot at my house

I've had this cordless iron for eons. For some reason, I stopped using it, and then I resurrected it again. But now, it's totally done. I finally gave up on it the other day. It's in the electronic waste pile, and the plastic cover is in the garbage. It would no longer heat, so I guess that means the end! It's not like this is a huge issue, as I have six or seven more irons in the house, and I believe two of them are brand new. But like a true pioneer, I'm "struggling" with the almost-dead ones. I need to give my head a shake and move on. 

My cordless iron has bit the dust

I have a few other items like this that must be thoroughly evaluated and tossed. I think—OH—I might get a little more use out of that, but I need to be more realistic. 

Here's my tip for the day: When you sew, make sure that you use the proper stitch length. If your stitch is too long, the threads will start to pull out at the end of a seam, which looks ugly and can affect the integrity of that seam. 

The threads are pulling out at the end of a seam

Your seams should look like this!!!

Good stitching all the way to the end

People say they use a longer stitch length, so it's easier to rip out. Well, that is just wrong in so many ways. What is the correct stitch length? It's about 2.0. But you can easily test. Sew a seam right to the end. Then, gently try to pull that seam apart at the end. If nothing happens, the stitch length is excellent. If several stitches come undone, the stitch length is MUCH TOO LOOSE. Fix it!!!!!

FYI- the next Virtual Retreat is set for September 21 and 22. 

And now it's time for spin class, so I've got to get myself organized, and then there's an exciting day ahead. Not only is it Monday sewing, but I don't have to quilt a quilt. I have quilts to quilt this week, but I might just load the next one and wait to quilt it tomorrow. I must also work on my projects for the upcoming filming session, continue with the applique, work on the blog posts, and I cannot forget my Many Blocks homework! Good grief -- that applique just seems to go on forever, BUT there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!