Murphy is under the weather

Thanks for the comments yesterday. I'm surprised there were not more that roasted me for being "harsh." I get it that some people absolutely adore decorating for any holiday, making meals, etc. And I'm totally for that. But when it comes to the point that you shut everything else down for a month? That's a bit much! What about if you need a storage unit for your decorations? I guess we all have our priorities!

Again, I'm not against giving money as a gift, but I'm not fond of it when you don't know what else to give. Then don't give money for the sake of giving a gift. Give them money during the year when they need something new. Why does it have to be an "obligation" at Christmas? 

As someone said, advertising should be banned. That's a bit drastic, but the peer pressure that advertising puts on people is enormous. And then we wonder why we have mental health issues and stress. If you try to keep up with the Joneses, good luck! There are too many of them today; everything is "perfect" when you follow social media. 

Make informed gift-giving choices. Ask if you can stop exchanging gifts. Decide about age limits and let the family know. Make Christmas more about presence than presents. It can make a world of difference. Things do not buy happiness, but your company can cheer someone up for days. 

So, someone was not feeling well yesterday. Murphy was extremely agitated and clingy, so I couldn't do anything without keeping my hand on her to settle her. I finally caved and put her Thundershirt on despite the higher temperatures. 

MOM -- I'm not feeling well

I had a call at 10 a.m., and she settled at my feet, after which she seemed a little better. There was a lot of wind yesterday, and with all the leaves falling, perhaps that was the issue? I know she has hurt her front leg, and I'm unsure whether that was from the failed attempt to jump on the dresser. She did squeak when she made that attempt, so I suspect she has a bruise. 

She was limping, so we didn't go for our usual walk. 

Later in the afternoon, the two girls enjoyed the nice weather in the backyard. But Murphy barked at everything, so I wouldn't let her stay out for long. 

MOM -- just enjoying the nice weather

The two of them then had to investigate something at the front. Surprisingly, they are the same size but much different in weight. Murphy is stocky and sturdy, while Lexi is dainty! 

MOM -- we're guarding! 

She wasn't her usual self last night or this morning, so we'll see how she walks. If she doesn't improve today, I may take her to the vet for some pain meds. Poor thing. It must be killing her not to jump and leap around like she usually does!

I made good strides in accomplishing things yesterday. I need to take at least one thing a day off either of those two tables to get them empty by the end of the year. Yesterday, I pulled a partially finished quilt top off. Good grief—I know why it got stalled. I needed to cut more fabric, but where is the fabric? I slightly panicked about that as I promised to quilt it today and send it off. 

I was going to attempt Plan B this morning with some scraps, but then I realized I needed way more than was in the scrap box. I swear I had cut this fabric from a bolt. But when I calmed down and looked in the blue stash box, there was the fabric! Sheesh!!! 

So it's almost together, and I'll get it on the long arm later this morning. 

At one point in the day, there was a crash. Oh shoot, I accidentally kicked a bolt of fabric on which these backings were balanced. And after a bit, down they went. Yes -- they should be on the shelf, but there isn't room at the moment. 

Crash!

So I stood the bolt of fabric upright and balanced the backings on them. All is good for the moment. I just need to keep my feet from knocking that over. It's the first time, so it's all good. 

Back in their temporary spot

The four tubs of Christmas fabric were picked up yesterday. Yeah!!!! I think the recipient will have fun with it all and make some kits for pillowcases or whatever she wants. It's out of my house! There is ONE more small tub of stuff I need to find homes for, and I'll try to post some of it this week. 

The four tubs of Christmas fabric - GONE

Speaking of pillowcases, if you have nothing to do or want to get rid of yardage FAST, you can make pillowcases for the Comfy Cases project. I had a couple of days where the kits were made, and people came and sewed them. I got rid of a lot of yardage that day! Check out the website for the dimensions. They are OK with Christmas ones, but the fabric must be 100% cotton, with no metallic threads. Go by the instructions on the webpage!!!!

And in return for those four boxes of Christmas fabric, I got four small quilt tops to quilt. They will be donated to Project Linus and now sit on those two blue tubs in the storage room! 

Four more community project quilts

I had to piece the backing for this flannel quilt, but it got loaded and quilted last night. These are made from my flannel yardage. Yep, I gave it all up for Diane to make these quilts. When was I ever going to get a chance to use it? Now, in my lifetime, I see the benefits of my purchase. 

Community project quilt - DONE

I have a few bindings that I need to get on, and I hope to get to that today. Now, SIX quilts need the binding sewn on, and all six are on those tables! That would free up some room. 

As I'm sewing blocks for Dear Jen (more on that tomorrow) or Spice Market, I've been using these black-and-white blocks as my enders and leaders. HOLY!!! I'm making amazing progress. 

Ender/leader project

I pieced a bunch of the black-on-white strips (on the right), and most of them are sewn onto the block you see on the left. Then, I'll make the longer strip to sew to the other two sides. Before I know it, this one set of blocks will be complete. Then, I get to do the same thing to the other set. The blocks can be assembled, and the top quilted and donated! It's easy as pie!!!

I can't stress enough how great it feels to clear those main work surfaces! Yes, there are two elephants in the room, but I can overlook them (temporarily) while I'm working. At least things aren't falling on the floor from a too-crowded workspace. Even the cutting table is looking pretty good. 

What's even better is that I have the time. While I have loads to do, I LOVE not having commitments or deadlines that prevent me from enjoying the sewing. DH drove the car to a meeting yesterday, so I'm probably off the hook to drive him to physio. But he has these visions that now that the brace is off, everything should be easy, like putting on and taking off a jacket. NOT SO!!! 

I'm keeping an eye on my KMs to meet my walking challenges. And I notice there is quite a difference per day in the amount recorded. If my FitBit says 13.73 KM as it did yesterday, the amount recorded on the computer is 11.35. That's a HUGE difference, and I'm being cheated!!! Is the one recorded the more realistic one? I wonder why there is such a discrepancy. 

On that happy note, I have some urgent paperwork to do this morning, and then I'll be downstairs to do some sewing. 

By the way, the weather is totally out of whack. Here it is, Halloween, and I'm wearing shorts. I took the girls for a quick walk last night after 7 p.m. as I needed a few more steps for the day. I was wearing shorts! It's weird!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Sorting someone's' stash

Several stores in Canada are selling the Cherrywood Challenge. None of the stores are close enough for me to drop in, so I must have it shipped. I contacted Stitch by Stitch yesterday, and it's on its way to the shop. That's OK if I have to wait, as I have other things to keep me occupied. I see that Cotton Harvest in Seaforth already has it in stock. 

I got a notice that my Trendtex Challenge was shipped yesterday. 

The striped binding fabric was popular many years ago. I bought lots because I wanted to make binding for all those flannel quilts. I hope you find some!

I was back at the meeting for the morning, and all the kits were cut. I helped out the customers in attendance. Chatting with them, seeing what's happening in their shops, and discussing how we can help them is always fun. I left early as I had to get DH to his first physio appointment. 

All went well with that, although they told him he was going to be in a lot of pain later in the evening, so thankfully, he still has a couple of the strong painkillers left. 

While I was away, a delivery took place at my house. 

Someone I've known for a long time and who was active in many of my classes and sewing groups is no longer quilting. So, she was looking for a home for the remainder of her stuff. I volunteered to take it. I know—should I have done that? It's not like I need more stuff! So, this pile of tubs, bags, and boxes awaited me when I got home. 

The remainder of someone's stash

I decided to tackle it right after we got back to the house. She had loads of Christmas fabric, and I knew someone who could use it to make pillowcases for Comfy Cases. I sent her a text, and YES, she wanted it. So that got sorted out. Murphy helped, of course. Can you spot her? I think she was mostly there, hoping I'd give her part of my snack! 

The sorting process

And all of this is filled with Christmas fabric. 

THREE tubs of Christmas fabric

It'll sit in the living room until the new owner can pick it up. 

I sorted through the patterns and recycled whatever looked like a photocopy—yes, some of that happened back in the day. There aren't many patterns, but  I'm unsure what to do with them, as I don't want them. I might take them to my upcoming (December) quilt retreat, and if no one wants them, I'll take them to the thrift store. 

But oh my -- I got a chuckle when I opened up this bag! It was an exchange that I ran MANY years ago. We exchanged 5" strips of BRIGHT fabrics. And all the strips are still intact in their bags! I think this is the SECOND one from that group that came back to me, plus I have my own. I have done one project with these strips, but I can easily cut them into 2½" strips and make something with them or find a pattern for 5" squares. For the moment, I put it in the tubs that I'm keeping. When I say I'm keeping, this stuff will be used in Project Linus quilts, so it's going in that area, NOT my stash. 

Strips from the 5" strip exchange

I am sure missing Diane to keep me on track for sewing stuff up! She could have had loads of fun with this little bundle. 

There was a huge pile of batting—some smaller pieces, some larger, and a small roll. It was all measured and tagged and went into the closet, where it'll be used for community project quilts. 

Batting for community project quilts

And here's another project that came back—not to haunt me, but that I got a good laugh from. I'm sure there are a few of you who will remember this quilt. I know I made it, but I don't think it's quilted. And YES—we exchanged black-and-white strips as well. I recognize MANY of the fabrics in these blocks. 

The black/white quilt

There are thirty-six of each of the two blocks in a box. 

There are also LOTS of bits to make more blocks. The blocks are 6" finished, so 120 blocks are required to make a nice-sized lap quilt. I'm sure there are enough bits in the box to make the extra blocks, so I'll work on this one. I put it in my retreat box. It would work very well as an ender and leader project—ONLY if I could get to actually piecing a quilt!

The bits to sew more blocks

Some of the red centers are cut, but I'm not sure how many. I found the fabric for the centers (it was marked), and I'll keep it with the box of bits. It can be used for the backing or binding. 

The fabric for the centers

Several quilt tops with backings went into the community projects pile—or they will when they get downstairs. Several other large pieces will work for backing. And there was a lot of neutral fabric. Do you remember that basket that got emptied when I gave the corduroy away? The neutrals have a new purpose. That will help enormously with the community project quilts, and I'll probably use some for myself. 

I'll bring those tubs downstairs later today, one at a time, and empty them. It'll have to go if I can't find a home for something!

There were four containers of thread. There are only three pictured here. 

Three containers of thread

I dumped them on the cutting table and sorted out all the white and black thread. I have a container for each of those two colors, and they got put there. 

Sorting out the neutrals

Then I sorted the threads by color and added some to my little drawer unit, but it soon got full, so the remainder of the thread went in this container. It's all nice and neat. I wonder how long it'll stay like that? I may rejig my little drawer unit so I can put all the colors together, and this container can hold some of the weirder stuff that is in my second drawer unit. 

The tub of thread is now sorted

These are the other bits of thread that weren't shown, and I had forgotten about them, so I'll deal with those this morning. 

More threads to sort

It's amazing how much thread one ends up with! Some of these spools are brand new, and there are MULTIPLES of the same color. This is why I like to keep my thread sorted by type and color, so when I go "shopping" at my house, I know exactly what I have. So yes, I will have to resort to those small drawers so everything is together. But first, I'll remove the embroidery and quilting thread and then go back and see what's left. Most of these are 50-weight cotton or polyester. 

When I finished the initial sorting, I had three tubs of Christmas fabric that will be donated and three tubs of stuff I will keep. When I take those downstairs, I'll sort through them in more detail. If I spot more exciting things, I'll share them with you! 

There is ONE tub of things that I don't want, but I think I might be able to find a home for it. If there is anything that I can't find a home for, I'll post it here. 

Thankfully, there wasn't a huge amount of stuff to go through, and it only took an hour or so to sort. Trust me, I'm getting good at this! I should hire myself out by the hour! My stuff is already sorted, but it would take days to deal with. This is an excellent example of being responsible and taking charge of what we own. If we are NOT using it, instead of leaving it for our kids to deal with, we should deal with it NOW!!! 

NO—I will not do this on a regular basis, but I knew this person well, and I wanted to do her a favor. I also knew that I would be able to use or donate most of what was in the tubs. Please do not wait to let your children deal with that. As I've said before, they have enough issues on their plates with these new norms in our society; they do not need to be saddled with our junk!

On that happy note, I'm out of here. I'm going to the gym this morning, not for a spin class, as there isn't one on Friday. But I keep telling myself that I need to get there to work out—I need more strength training and stretching. Since I won't do it at home, I'm going to the gym! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Done and DONE!!

OK --- so the lawn furniture got put away. Phew -- we can all rest easy now. It wasn't so much the furniture; it was shutting off the tap to the backyard that was the critical thing here. I noticed that DH put one piece in the shed, but it was the largest piece, making it a challenge to get the rest in there. But I managed. And I drained 200 feet of garden hose, and it's all stored away. The deck is mostly swept -- I would have used the leaf blower, but it was at the back of the shed, and with that huge lounger in there, it was a challenge to get to. 

I can't yell at him --- he took the initiative to do it on his own, but seriously --- could he not have waited ONE more day? 

The deck furniture is stored away

And the 11th quilt for Quilts of Valour is now quilted and trimmed. A few bits of batting to tidy up will be done next week. 

Quilts of Valour quilt - DONE

That makes 22 quilts completed for Quilts of Valour and 41 for Project Linus since September 8, plus some for customers. I have two other quilts to be donated to Quilts of Valour that I quilted two years ago. My goal is to get back to quilting customer quilts and to bind everything that still needs to be bound. My guess is 32 quilts need to be bound. Now that I don't have to make quilt backs, I should get that cleared up in no time!

Speaking of backing, here's the backing for the 11th quilt. 

The backing for the 11th quilt

I had purchased those two panels in the center -- they were images of Canada, and I decided that I wasn't ever going to use them, so they are now in the back of this quilt. I will be thinking carefully about what I buy in the future! No more things just because I LIKE them -- I have to have a reason to use them. 

I dug through the red fabric basket yesterday and realized I needed to go shopping. I mostly use monochromatic these days and have very little in the red fabric basket, which is hard to believe when it's overflowing. 

Lots of reds, but not what I need

It's hilarious (NOT!) that most of what I bought over the years is NOT what I like to sew with. So how did that happen? I'll still use a lot of what is there, but a lot I won't, so it'll get used in Project Linus quilts. 

I also learned that I can get 24 lap quilts from a roll of batting. Well, 23 and a bit, and I'll make up the difference from my batting stash. This remains for the next time I take on some Quilts of Valour quilts. The pieces are in a labeled bag, and they'll return to storage for the time being. 

The remainder of the roll of batting

I need to get back to work on customer stuff, and the next round of community project quilting will be smaller quilts for teens. I want to use up all my flannel backing, so that will be the focus. I hope to do that in December/January timeframe. 

It's a good thing I cleaned up the garage floor the other day. The doorbell rang yesterday, and I spotted this out front. 

A delivery truck

OH --- I was expecting a delivery, but I didn't think it would come that quickly! So this new toy will sit in the garage for a couple of days until I can get to it. More on that another day!

A new toy

It's incredible how much thread I find stashed in project boxes. I found this thread yesterday when I was looking for something else, and it has since been filed in the appropriate box. 

Found spools of thread

I also got some embroidery done, but the design is not quite finished, so I'll wait to share it with you when it's complete. 

My new embroidery project

But it necessitated a trip to Fabricland to buy some goodies. Gosh --- I hadn't been there in a long time. I barely shop these days --- not even online, as I just don't need much. 

My shopping spree - no fabric! 

Oh --- here's all that blue thread back in the box. We'll share our thread storage solutions at the embroidery club this weekend. I hope to find something good because this is NOT the best way to store it! And I have thread EVERYWHERE --- depending on its use. One can NEVER have too much thread. I would really like ONE of every color of Robin Anton polyester embroidery thread. 1100 meters. That will only cost several thousand dollars. How can I sneak that out of the household budget? 

My green and blue threads

And I had to laugh as I mentioned; I've been swiftering around Studio B, trying to keep the dust and fabric lint under control. Obviously, I'm not doing a good job. While I love the telescopic thread stand on the PFAFF creative icon 2, the small spools sometimes pop off, and this one fell to the floor. Look what came up along with the thread!!! It looks like a darn spider web! So I had better use the Swifter more often! 

ACK!!!!

OK -- so these girls of mine (ours) are pretty pathetic. Doesn't Lexi belong to DH? You think Murphy is bad; look at this! She now believes the couch is hers forever. And Lexi would rather lay up there on the furniture than not. Eventually, she lay right on the table. Sigh..................   And we wonder why M is the way she is --- DH and I have different rules for discipline! Don't worry -- M is fine! 

MOM --- a little help, please -- move the table!

The weather was so amazing that how could I not go for a walk. I hope everyone else did as well. But I decided to take the girls to the Leash Free Zone. Not that they love it, but there were a few more dogs there yesterday. Murphy is so happy to go, and then she doesn't want to play with the other dogs. Lexi just wants to be petted by the owners of the other dogs. Sigh....................

Almost at the Leash Free Zone

But here we are --- one for all and all for one!!!! Oh, my girls are the best! A million laughs every day!

Me and the girls

You have to love them. And I have to say that my feet were sweaty, even in those open sandals! I've never paid much attention before. Well, I'll be walking that Camino in sandals next time! Actually two pairs of shoes, so I can trade off if I need to! Oh yes -- there will be a next time!

Don't forget that the York Heritage Quilt Show is this weekend. The dates are November 11 and 12. I'm going today! It's always good to see quilts in PERSON!!

I'll be at Thimble Quilts and Sewing Company in Windsor on Saturday. I'll be demoing machines and techniques from 10 - 4 PM, so drop in if you live in that area. It should be a fun day, and I'm packing some samples to share with people! And I have a couple of fun projects that I'll be working on during the day! I'm still packing! 

November 15, I'll be at Pins & Needles in Listowel, where I'll be hosting two seminars on quilting, so if you live close by, be sure to get signed up for that!

And as if that isn't enough, I'm running a four-part ZOOM session on mySewnet (hosted by Stitch by Sitch in Kingston), which includes the software, Wi-FI connectivity in the embroidery/sewing world and explaining what it's all about as it can be very confusing. I had to have it explained to me at least three times before I totally grasped the concept. The first session is on Monday, November 14. Even if you are not in the market for embroidery or (GASP) own a different brand of machine, this is going to be loads of fun to discover how the industry has changed! 

Next week, watch for the list of clubs I will host in 2023. I know what they are; I just need to schedule dates in my calendar, and I hope to do that this weekend! You can refer to this blog post if you can't remember what they are. Scroll down to the end --- in reality, there are only four new ones --- EQ8, Digital Cutters, the Jen Kingwell remedial class, and the Many Blocks project. Others, like the UFO Club, embroidery club, and Out of the Box, will continue, and at this point, there are NO or minimal spots open for 2023. You'll get the info next week. 

I believe I got all the dates figured out, so that is great news!!! Hopefully, while I'm sitting in my hotel tonight, I can get some of that on my calendar! And then on to you! 

I have two classes to prep for on Sunday morning, and YIKES --- there just isn't enough time! But I'll make it! I need someone in the car to make a presentation while driving. WAIT -- I need a self-driving car, so I can do it myself! Now that would be nice! 

On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Revisiting stickiness and stashes

 

Oh my -- I just had a peek at my phone bill online. There's so much to see and do! I'm going to go back and have a better look later. It's always a good idea to check that bill regularly as the rate plans change. And while I'm more than 100% satisfied with my Samsung Galaxy S10, I will be able to look at a new phone at the end of August. Will I upgrade? Not sure - I'm going to check it out. 

A note that we are no longer buying (or renting) cell phones. Nope -it's all about the camera. My Samsung has the most amazing THREE cameras, and I love it. So all the pictures today (and all the other days) are taken with that camera. Note the MACRO lens (the ability to take close-up shots). Some of them are incredible, and I'm not sure that I could get the same level of detail (quickly) using a large DSL camera. Plus, I can activate the camera with my voice, so if my hands are full, I just say SMILE, and the shutter is activated. You can't beat that!!!

I'm not sure why my Fitbit isn't syncing the data at night. So then I have to manually sync in the morning, and then I don't have the most up-to-date information when I check my stats on the Virtual Challenges. I know - a first-world problem, to be sure. 

OK -- what did I do yesterday? Some writing got done, and one assignment is off my plate. More today. I had two errands yesterday that took up a lot of time, and they are done. The fuel pump recall on my car is now taken care of. While I was at the dealership, I spotted two things. The first was this adorable car. I WANT ONE. 

A new car, anyone??

It's only $650!!!! I think I'm a bit too large to take it for a drive, but gosh - it's just the cutest. Don't you wish we had stuff like this when we were kids? Well, we had trucks and cars, and we had to "drive" them ourselves. We had construction equipment toys, and we made HUGE cities in the garden with graded roads (my brother was very good at it), and that's what we did with trucks and cars. We probably had more fun. I'm sure driving this thing would get boring soon, and it doesn't promote physical activity of any kind. It does promote a car-oriented society, which I am not fond of. So I'll pass on the car. But it sure is cute!!!

The second thing I noticed is that the dealership has been rebuilt. Well, that's been an ongoing thing for a couple of years. But they have a new section with five bays. When you buy a new car, it gets delivered in one of those bays, and someone takes the time to make sure you know how to use it. Now wouldn't that have been nice when I got my car. I'm happy with my car - now, but it took two years and an app upgrade to make that happen. 

Here's my wildlife picture of the day. Shoot - I should have cropped this picture a wee bit. There's a hawk in the tree. He flew up in front of me into the tree, and he has something in his claws. I think it was a bird, as he proceeded to pluck the feathers from it as he made ready to devour it! AH -- the circle of life!!!

A hawk in the tree

And now back to the stickiness of the fusible products. I want to let you know that these were taken with my cell phone. They are NOT cropped; they are not touched in any way. I used both hands - one to hold the camera and one to hold the stiletto, and I said, "SMILE." I'm actually pointing to the gumminess on my needle. This is after doing another whole pile of applique this morning. The glue on the needle is so small that I can't even see it in this picture. 

The gumminess on my needle - NOT!

OH - in this picture, you can see a little bit of a ball, but hardly anything. 

A wee bit of build-up on the needle from fusible applique

Here's the deal. What does it matter if some of the glue gets on the needle? It doesn't make the needle sticky - at least this product didn't. I've never had an issue with stickiness - just the ball forming. And I found that as I was stitching, some other bits of the glue would just fall off the needle. Then I brushed it off my applique. Someone commented that perhaps the balls of glue are formed if the applique isn't completely fused. That's very possible. 

If you have experienced stickiness, what does it do to your needle? Can you still stitch? I've never had an issue with that. I mean, never had an issue that I couldn't keep stitching. I'll have to try some experiments, but no time at the moment. So perhaps people can leave a comment or send me an e-mail. 

OK -- so the inevitable has happened. I was struggled to see some of the little bits of my applique, even with the open toe foot. And I have to confess that it wasn't the machine - it was my EYES!!! I did have some issues with handwork a while back, so I had purchased a pair of readers. I dug them out yesterday. 

My "new" glasses

As you can see from the magnification, they are weak. I had a hard time trying to find these a couple of years ago. I only have one pair, so I'd better make sure they stay by the sewing machine! But they were just what I needed this morning.

+1 magnification

I'm happy to report that TWO owls are completely done. Yeah!!! The threads are trimmed, and the stabilizer is gone. 

Adorable owl - completed

Some of those bits are fiddly, like the claws. I still have 13 pieces to stitch in place - six of them are claws, four are the small bits in the center of the eyes, and three pieces of the body for one of the owls. UGH!! That is going to take some time. I hope to get it done today as I've got a lot of homework to prep for the weekend. 

Look at those claws!!!

OK -- back to the stash photos from yesterday. Unfortunately, it appears that I got the entire story wrong!

The FQ stash

She has been buying and saving fat quarters for years - even before she became a quilter! I see an obsession here! So these IKEA CD bookcases are filled with folded fat quarters. They were all neatly organized in drawers, so it was easy to put them on the shelves. Boy - those look like GIANT CD bookcases. It must be the angle, but they are the same height as the door!!! Anyway - that's a LOT of fat quarters. 

And these shelves are also IKEA, but her husband added extra shelves between!! AHA - that makes sense. Still - it's a lot of work, but the most important thing is that this person has found a solution to easily access her stash, and that's all that counts. 

The stash

That's the beauty of this - some of us like baskets, some like folding and putting on shelves, and well - I'm sure there are many other ways. But whatever works for you is the best way. 

I've always told people that they should sort their fabric the same they would shop for fabric. And this certainly looks like a quilt store setup!!!

I spent most of yesterday (when I wasn't doing those errands) at the computer. I've got many lesson plans that I've meant to sort through and download from a couple of websites. I managed to get through one website and started on the second. The second one has a ton of information on it. But as I downloaded the documents, I created a file structure that will easily access these documents. I needed to do that a long time ago, but it never happened. I can hardly wait to finish the second one, and then I can go in and start learning. 

Actually, I want to download all the manuals and reference guides for all the PFAFF and Husqvarna Viking machines that I own or use. That's a lot, but then it's all in one place. If I set up a good filing system, which I'm very good at, then it'll be a piece of cake to have all that material at my fingertips. 

The big question is, how far back do you go? Well, I did go back perhaps a wee bit further than I needed to, but I figure I'll still get some good stuff from those older documents. 

But today will be all about sewing as I have to get that stuff prepped for the classes, and of course, there's more writing!!

Notice how I haven't given you any more decluttering things to do? Well - what do you want to declutter? After a while, we have nothing left! As if!!!!  Me personally, I'm going through some old magazines - not quilt magazines. But magazines that have accumulated from organizations I belong to. Now that they are neatly in one sot right beside me - it's easy to grab, browse and toss! 

On that note, I'd better spend some time clearing up some paperwork. OH - before I go - you need to mark on your calendar a Facebook LIVE event. It's June 29 at 7 PM EST. Carla, Claire, Paul, and I are chatting about our experience with the Spectrum Quilt a Long. Even if you didn't do the QAL, come and check it out!!! Be sure to come and be entertained. 

OH -- some exciting things are coming up, and they have to do with Step 2 of reopening the province. 

And here are the links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Virtual Retreat - Saturday, June 26, 6 PM -- 9PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Virtual REtreat - Sunday, June 27, 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

And on that note, I"m out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Molas

I get so much good advice from you!!!  Order ONE pair of shoes and if they fit, buy two more instead of buying three at once. OK -- I NEED to order that first pair today. My current shoes are way past the expiry date. I won't lose the extra pairs - they go in the hall closet. Ordering those shoes HAS to be on the list of things to do today. I see my Windows Explorer windows all shut down last night, so I need to find the shoes again.

I am terrible about closing the windows at the end of the day or when I'm done. OK -- so I never seem to finish with the links; they are open because I haven't had a chance to fully explore that website yet. I'm bad. OK -- I finish with websites and close them, but I also leave many open at once. 

It was a bit of an intense morning as I finished the prep for the Color Theory class. It was two hours long, which I thought would be tough on the participants and me. It was a LOT of information, and it might be better over two sessions, but WOW -- so much great information. I impressed myself!! I'll be rerunning it in the fall. And NO - I haven't uncovered that darn missing quilt. I'll try to find it later today. I  swear it's in those tubs of "to be quilted" stuff. 

Here's the sad thing about those bins. Looking at all those tops brought back some great memories of fun times sewing them. A class or a special thing for me. Now to squeeze in some time to get to work on them. Wouldn't it be great to get ONE done a week? That would take me over five years to clear that mess! I do have about 5 that are on the current list for quilting, and I haven't got to them yet. BUT, I plan to take some time over the summer, and I'll work on some of those. 

I'm just going to have to retire to find time, but I'm not ready yet. There's still a class or two within me. 

I did get some sewing done last night, but I needed a break yesterday, and I enjoyed the backyard quite a bit while I finished my book on The Pursuit of Endurance. How fitting! While that book was about walking long distances in a short period of time, endurance applies to anything. You have to put your mind to a goal and go for it. 

It was windy yesterday, so these chimes were ringing merrily, and it was glorious. If you don't have a gazebo, you should test it out. I probably wouldn't spend nearly as much time outdoors if I didn't have the gazebo. I thank the previous house owners for leaving that. 

The wind chimes

In my sewing, I managed to empty another mini-design board. I'm getting there, slow and steady! Remember, I'm the turtle, not the hare!!!

One more mini design board - EMPTY

Gosh -- don't forget that Quilt Canada is NEXT WEEK!!! The last day to signup is June 15 (I think), and I need to get that done. TODAY!!

So yesterday you saw that I rescued a book from someone who was cleaning their stash. I've rescued more than a few books over my time, as well as magazines. I know there'll come a day when I've got to cull, and I'm not sure how I'll deal with that. But I'll figure it out when it's time. It's not time yet. 

I quite frequently go through my baskets of fabric. I definitely have a new style of what I buy that's evolved over the years. That doesn't mean I won't use what I already have - it's just different. But I got a chuckle when I was going through the blue bin. I swear I purchased these fat quarters (and there's one more just like it) almost 20 years ago. And the elastic has never come off!!! But I HAD to have it. 

Never opened fat quarters

I think I'm going to have to go through the bins with the plan of making a quilt with just polka dot fabric or other schemes. And I used to be very sentimental about the fabrics, but not any longer. I feel that many of them will just get cut up into small pieces and made into scrap quilts as they really aren't my style any longer. That doesn't mean I want to part with them yet. I have the room to store them, and I'm not adding to the mess. But when it comes time to downsize, those prints will be the first to go. That won't happen for quite some time, so I get the joy of looking at them each time I sort through the baskets. 

OK -- so I received an e-mail a while back, and would I like a Mola? Hmm - I already have some, but I decided that I would rescue this one as well. 

We settled on a price, and I went to pick it up. When I got home, I realized that there were THREE Molas in the bag. Yikes - I stole them. Oh well, she wasn't clear what it was she was selling. This was a lady who was downsizing and wanted to get rid of them. 

These are the three that I got. I've seen the small ones before, same for the middle size, but I had never seen the larger size. 

Three new Molas

That meant that I had to dig the ones out that I have. There are all different styles, it's totally fascinating. If you're wondering what a Mola is, they are handwork done by the Kuna Indians in the San Blas Islands, near Panama. The ones done on the burgundy fabric are many layers of fabric, and the technique is reverse applique. The large one and the smaller ones are mostly appliqued on the surface, not reverse, and do not comprise multiple layers. I think those are the ones geared to the tourist trade as they can make them faster. 

The more elaborate ones were made for their blouses, like this one below, which still has some trim attached to the top. OH MY GOD -- thank goodness I write a blog. I forget everything. I couldn't remember where I got this Mola. I searched my blog and there it was!!!! The story on how I found this one. If ever you want to find something that I talked about, just put the search word in that big white bar at the top and if that word appeared in a past post - you get the posts!!!  It seems that I have other books on Molas as well! Ooops. 

A MOLA with the top trim still attached

This is the first one I ever bought. I bought it from a teacher of mine, and she charged me a HUGE amount of money, but I didn't know any better at the time. 

Elephant on the Mola

Then somewhere along the lines, I've acquired a few others, and they are absolutely stunning. The workmanship is amazing. 

A MOLA bird

Here's what the back of the pieces looks like. The orange is the back of the bird above, and that orange that outlines the bird is the multiple layers cut way back to the backing. The other one is just an ugly piece of fabric that doesn't show to the front. 

The backs of the Molas

Here's the one with the four little motifs that I rescued. 

Four small motifs

And here's one with two motifs. I didn't realize until I pulled them out how different all the styles were. 

Two panels

And here are two of the simple motifs that I've acquired over the years. I know - excessive!!! 

Two simple Molas

Here's a close-up of the one that I rescued. Hey -- it's me - the turtle!!! Slow and steady!!!

A simple turtle Mola

And here's the large one. 

A huge Mola

As I was going through the bucket of black fabric the other day, look what I found! A MOLA print. That's hilarious, but it would make a perfect backing for these pieces. 

Mola printed fabric

OK -- so it's time to get at least one of these things made into something. There's not enough room around them to stretch on a frame, although borders could be added to make that happen. I do like to showcase textile art around the house, and this would be awesome. I might try that with one of the large ones; actually, it would be great to do with one of each size. I should try that with one of the little ones. 

Then I think a journal cover would be great to make with one of the small ones. That's easy to stabilize and stitch into place. Now to put my thinking cap on to see what to do with the others. 

Of course, I have a book. WAIT -- I have TWO books on Molas. I've left them out so I can actually browse them. The books are gorgeous and filled with HUNDREDS of different styles. 

The Mola by Edith Crouch

Magnificent Molas by Michel Perrin

I just started reading a new book called The Art of Gathering, which is hilarious since we can't gather at the moment. But the concept is pretty interesting - why do we gather when oftentimes we don't want to. Or we get nothing from it. How many useless business meetings have you attended in your life? How many guild meetings did you go to and didn't get anything out of them? Etc. The intent of this book is to have gatherings, but be very MINDFUL of the purpose of that gathering so that people will walk away refreshed and excited! 

I think that's going to be an important thing as we go forward. I don't mind gathering, but do NOT waste my time with something that can be done differently. I hate rehashing the same old - gather the data and make a decision. So I'm going to be VERY careful with how I give out my precious time in the future. Well, I hope I will. 

The book was written in 2018, so before the pandemic hit. This book is from the library, and I NEED to stop using the library - I have a ton of books that I've purchased, and those should be my priority!!! Not only is there a ton of books downstairs, but I have books in the office, as well as in the family room—time to read them and then get rid of them. Or make them into journal covers, as my friend Katheleen is doing. Her work is STUNNING. 

On that note, I'm off to get the day started. I have two classes this morning and the afternoon is free. As if I could just take the afternoon off. Well, I just might - it's going to be an action-packed week, and I need some downtime just like everyone else!!

I listen to pop radio, and why does it seem that every fourth song is Justin Bieber??? What's with that? The guy has so many top songs right now. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!