I'm here to make people happy!

YES --- The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is definitely a must-see -- I spent quite a bit of time there a couple of years ago. I talked about it in this blog post. The experience was humbling, and I have some time on Sunday, so I may go and check it out again. The displays change, but the subject matter does not. Sadly, human rights are not equal among genders, races, statuses, and many other factors. We must learn from the past and move forward, but will it ever be equal for everyone? We can only hope. 

All I ask of anyone is respect! It doesn't matter the situation - it matters just to respect each other and any other living creature in our world. Respecting each other can change the world. 

A smile, a thank you, or an acknowledgment can go a very long way!! 

But onto Quilt Canada and what happened yesterday. By the way, there is no new artwork today. 

I was mostly in the classroom again yesterday. The classrooms are on the first floor, and the exhibit hall is on the third. There is one elevator, which is slow, and one escalator that runs up in the morning and down later in the day. 

I suspect because it's easier for me to move around quickly, that I got assigned this task, but you know what? I'm perfectly happy to be going up and down as needed. And it's fun to make sure that everyone is having a great experience with the machines in the class. 

This is one set of two staircases between the three floors. There are escalators for this particular set of stairs, but only one on the second set. 

How many times did I go up and down these stairs? 

I happily took many steps throughout the day, and once I got people going, I made it back to the booth and spotted some people I knew. It's so great to catch up and see people in person. 

Remember that big white box I was moving from the hotel to the convention center? Well, what is in that box? 

It is the NEW PFAFF creative icon 3. It will be officially released in the fall of 2026. So this is not quite a fully functioning machine yet. Yep -- software is an important component of any new sewing and embroidery machine, regardless of what brand you look at. New features and benefits are about to be released. I do NOT have all the details, or I would share them with you. 

PFAFF creative icon 3

As the classroom person, I was able to listen in to what the teacher was teaching, and oh my -- I see another fun project. So many great ideas and there is just not enough time! But I learned of another great little restaurant near the convention center. When the class and I arrived, there was practically no one in the restaurant. They served a great corned beef sandwich - it was fast, and the food was good! 

From the coverage on the wall, it looks like it's been there a long time. 

Oscar's deli

So yes—getting out and exploring the city, even with little time on your hands, you never know what you are going to find. 

Remember the quote on my bed—"Your world will expand with every step you take outside your comfort zone." Not only that, but if I were to eat at the convention center, I would most likely run into someone I know, and then I would be yakking. Not that I mind—trust me, I love to chat and visit —but it slows me down when I'm on a schedule. 

I had the wonderful job of packing up the sewing machines in one of our classrooms. The class wasn't full, and there is no class in that room today. So I boxed up 21 machines. Once you get into a rhythm, it goes quickly.

However, when I was putting the machines into the boxes, I forgot to include the bobbin we removed from the machine. Don't worry - the class got a different bobbin to use in class. 

And all was going very well. I was making great time. Once the class finished, I had the last 6 machines to box up. And to insert that missing bobbin into the boxes I had packed in the morning. When I was done, I had ONE bobbin left over. Are you kidding me? 

One bobbin left over.

Those machines will be sold to customers, and no one wants to be shortchanged a bobbin. The big question now is which box the bobbin belonged to. 

Which of these boxes is missing a bobbin?

So I used logic to figure out which one. I know - that sounds absolutely absurd, but some of the boxes had been packed earlier in the day, and I was certain that all of those had the extra bobbin inserted in the box and that it had to be one of the six that I had just packed. Hmmmm --- which one of the six should I open first? 

Hmmm --- I bet it is the last one I boxed because I wasn't paying attention at the time, as I was listening to the instructor as she packed up the last of her things. I pulled out that last box and reached into the machine to feel in the bobbin case for a bobbin, and there was NO BOBBIN. Eureka!!!! Logic and common sense prevailed, and I quickly found a home for that remaining bobbin!!!

The first box I pulled was the right one!

Here is the information for my upcoming class at Carellen Sewing Center. I will be at the store on Monday, June 22, from 1 to 4 or 6 to 9. There is limited seating for the event, so make sure you get your name on the list. 

Quilting with a digital cutter

While the Singer Momento 24" digital cutter will cut many products, like paper, vinyl, and cardstock, the focus of these demos will be on fabric. See what it can do to make life easier for you if you are hand piecing, into English Paper Piecing, or just for making it easy to cut your shapes for quilting and your applique. Do you need to back your fabric, and if so, how? So many questions will be answered in the demo. Be sure to get yourself on that list. 

And then on Tuesday, Carellen will be hosting me as I do two demos on quilting with your embroidery machine. Those will be amazing as well, and I have loads of samples in my suitcase here at the hotel. So you can't say you saw everything at the show because the samples aren't there! There will be loads of great ideas, so if you have an embroidery machine and don't know how to maximize it for quilting, be sure to sign up!!!

By the way, I will be doing similar demos at Sticharie in Petrolia, Ontario, next week. I will find that information - I don't have it handy, but if you want more information, contact the store. There is some cool new stuff that makes embroidery and quilting come together!!! 

It was challenging to find a spot last night for a large group to eat, so we ended up at a pub near the convention center. It was quiet for a Friday night, but I'm sure our group made up for it in spades. 

And we got to play music bingo. Oh my!! 

Music bingo

There were some great songs with loads of memories, plus a new song or two I wasn't familiar with. And we won two pitchers of beer, which was hilarious since almost no one at the table drinks beer. But we managed to get rid of some of it! 

One of our pitchers of beer

I am not really a big drinker anymore. If I'm going to have sugar calories, I want them from chocolate! 

Then a couple of us left to get some shuteye, though I did NOT fall asleep until hours later. I have classes next weekend, and I have a lot of work to prep for them. I made great progress last night. But when we exited the restaurant, it was pouring rain. I took a picture of the three of us and shared it with our group. I won't post it, but needless to say, we looked like three drowned rats when we arrived at the hotel, which was only a short distance away! My thick flannel shirt was soaked, but it's dry this morning. 

I did manage to do some damage yesterday, and with the help of one of my colleagues, I did some thread shopping. These are Madeira threads, which I haven't worked with much. So these are 30-weight cotton threads. 

Thirty-weight cotton threads

The front of the box

And I bought a few spools of other threads as well; there are still others you did not see. 

More exciting thread

I did pick up a few other spools of thread, and you'll just have to wait to see them when I get home and get a chance to use them. 

I also bought something else that I had already researched at home. I just needed to pick it up along with a few other supplies. I'm excited to try it out, and I can now finish one of my jackets. And while we were chatting last night, I realized that I meant to bring the pink jacket that I made for the wedding (Italy) and totally forgot about it! Darn!!!!

Well, it is time to get the day rolling. It starts early at 8 AM because classes start at 8:30, and there are eager beavers who arrive early. I need to get their machines threaded, and bobbins wound, and show them how to use the machine. Then, a few machines to box up so we don't have to do it all later in the day. 

I haven't seen the quilts, I haven't really seen the vendors, but I will see what I can see today. It's rare that I actually get a chance to check out the quilts, and I only saw the Trendtex Challenge online, and I have bids on two of the quilts. 

Here's a thought for you—do you think that for something like the Trendtex Challenge, the five fabrics should be more cohesive than they have been in the past? Would it encourage more people to participate? I totally get that this is a challenge, but if the fabrics are uninviting or totally bizarre, it is going to throw off those who want to take it on. 

Here is the link for the auction again - there are some very unique and interesting pieces, and I hope to bring home at least one of them. They will mail the items—you do not need to be present. The auction closes in 6 hours!!!!! 

And what is interesting is that it's not always the ones the judges like that get the most bids!!! Perhaps we need to have an online session to help people figure out how to do a challenge. Any takers on that? When the Trendtex Challenge is released in the fall, I might just host a class for fun to see if anyone joins, and we can brainstorm together to work on the challenge. Yep -- and there goes my free time. But I love to teach. I need to teach, or I will wither and die! Or I'll spend all that time in front of a jigsaw puzzle!

And on that note, I'm out of here. I have to iron a shirt today—WHAT????? 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS --- Be sure to let your friends know of the upcoming classes so they have time to think about what they want to take in the fall. The more people in the class, the more fun we will have. The details on where to get the patterns, timing, etc., will be up next week if I can get my act together.  Since they are on Zoom, anyone, anywhere can join. 

More Winnipeg artwork

Brenda did a bad thing!!! She reminded me that the ORIGINAL McNally Robinson bookstore is HERE—in Winnipeg!!!! I wonder why I didn't visit it the last time I was here? I bet I totally forgot about it! I just checked the map, and I see there are two locations! I will have to wait until I get a car to get to the big location, but there is one at The Forks, which I hope to visit later today. Thanks, Brenda!!!

Yesterday was the first day of Quilt Canada 2026, and I wasn't at the booth much if you were looking for me. I had mentioned I wouldn't be there, but I did see some familiar faces later in the day. I hope to be in the booth much more today, so if you are around, be sure to come and say hi. 

Oh my gosh --- here's a crazy story that I heard last night. I met up with some of my colleagues just before I headed off to bed. They related that someone had stopped by the booth and bought a machine. They were there because their puzzle-making husband does puzzles with me online, and they were told to stop by the booth and seek out someone with an orange thing in their hair. 

Well, that threw me for a loop, and I had no clue what they were talking about. Online puzzle, male friend? Who the heck could that be? And they had no idea that I had picked up puzzling as a new hobby. Then it dawned on me, this was the man I met during the puzzle social event a couple of weeks ago. He told me his wife was coming to Quilt Canada, and I suggested she look me up! 

He is a geocacher, and I bet he will be at that meet-and-greet today! Or whatever day it was. The world is so small, and people are so connected!!! We all had a great laugh once I connected the dots. And YES—she bought a sewing machine. 

I spent the day, or a good part of the day, in a classroom with 20 students and the teacher. SVP sponsors two rooms with sewing machines, and the class was all about free motion, which required a little bit of setup. It's crazy to set up 20 machines for free motion. Change the foot, drop the feed teeth, change the setting, etc. And then you have people extremely anxious about getting their machines set up when they are not even going to stitch for an hour or two. 

We needed to wind bobbins and thread the machines. It was crazy, but I survived, and then in the afternoon, I had to change them back to regular sewing mode. 

But oh my—people are funny. Only one or two in the class owned a Husqvarna Viking sewing machine, and trust me—I would be apprehensive about sewing on another brand in a classroom. The biggest issue I had was tension. And yes—there was only one machine? Maybe two that actually had tension issues. In one instance, the spool of thread was almost done, so the thread was the culprit. Sometimes, the high contrast some people were using caused the issues. And sometimes the thread was not in the correct position (vertical versus horizontal), and several other issues. 

But what got me is that a couple of people said directly to my face, "I am an experienced free-motion quilter." Well, if you are, then you should know that high contrast is NOT a tension issue but a shadowing issue. They looked at me like I had horns on my head! So many people were quick to blame the machine - "My machine at home would never do that." Seriously, people -- you are here to learn and have fun, not criticize the machine that you are using as part of your class fee, so you don't have to bring one.

I had some very picky people in that class - well, probably two that were the worst, and one of them apologized to me at the end about her trying to be so perfect with her project. Her work was just fine, and the tension was just fine - she was just damn picky for no reason and to criticize the machine. I didn't even ask what machine she had at home. 

I had time to people-watch in that class, and it was hilarious to see the different personalities. One woman arrived late, but only by five minutes. Within minutes, she had stuff strewn around her chair, and it was crazy to try to get to her machine to help. Then her phone rang in a very loud sound that went on and on. Where is her phone? Tucked in the depths of all her crap!!!

Anyway, the class was very interesting, and I was happy to be the fly on the wall, and I hope to try this when I get home. I think the classrooms today are a much easier setup. Simple sewing. Yeah!!!!

OH MY -- look what I spotted at the booth next to us. Yep -- there is a LOT of John Deere fabric in there. I wasn't going to buy any, but Margaret spotted a vintage-looking one that I may have to get some. It doesn't even look like John Deere fabric. And I spotted some other interesting fabric in that booth, so I will have to check that out today. I don't have to worry about the weight, but I need to worry about the space. I don't have a ton of room. 

John Deere fabric

I do not have any other pictures of quilts in the show, but I hope to get some pictures of quilts, the Trendtex Challenge, or something today. It's a bit hard as we are here to work the show and not spend time wandering around. And usually when we have time to wander, I'm so brain-dead that I don't see anything! There are oodles of quilted clothing as well, which is fun to see. 

Now I've taken my own advice about attending quilt shows and found a very quiet, "private" place to eat. Tim Horton's. I really do suck at finding places on Google Maps. Wait -- that is not true. I can find them no problem, but I cannot get there! I am good with the Geocaching map, but not Google Maps, and it's the same map. 

Anyway, in the morning, before the day started at 8 AM, I managed to find Tim's in the nick of time and still made it to the convention center. That Tim's location is only one block from the convention center. So when it was lunch time, I went to Tim's. There were only a handful of people there, and they were NOT Quilt Canada people, although a couple came in after me. 

Meanwhile, the line at the convention center for the food place was HUGE. How many complaints will they get for that? And there were other places outside the convention center. There will be NO reason for anyone to complain because there were other places. Just get out your phone and search. Yep --- I get it that the restaurant inside the convention center was easy to get to, but not to wait in that line. There were options. And I was to Tim's and back before some of those people got served - I didn't time it, but I walked and was back well within 30 minutes. 

But here is something new. I asked for chili, and when I opened the bag, I got the bread but no butter. It's a new policy. If you want butter, you have to ask for it. I guess there was too much waste, so that's a good thing.

You now have to ask for butter with your chili.

After the show ended at 6 PM, we zipped back to the hotel. I ate alone in the restaurant downstairs. There are days when I don't want to talk to anyone. I'm talked out. My throat, despite trying to keep hydrated during the day, is dry and scratchy, not from being sick, but from overuse. I just like being by myself. And so I had a quick bite to eat - I am so not into food these days. The thought of a large meal or anything heavy makes me ill. Not physically, just the thought of eating much isn't my thing when I'm at a show. 

Then I was off to finish my Adventure Lab. I did NOT intend to walk far, but well, one thing led to another  - literally. 

The first stop was very close to the convention center and was easy to walk to. This piece, titled Justice, stands outside the Law Courts building. 

Justice

It looks just like a big, heavy (30,000-lb) metal sculpture. But did you know that the three free-arm pieces actually move? Yep—I was able to move one of them; the other two appeared to be stuck. But just a slight touch, and it moved. I learned that on the app. They are perfectly balanced, so they settle back into place on their own. 

Three arms move

The last two pieces of art in this Adventure Lab took me on a wild trip down to the bridges and across several rivers. This piece was tucked along a pathway. It's called Niimaamaa and is located in the Forks district. 

Niimaamaa sculpture

OK -- so you can't read this, but it was the sign by the sculpture.

What most people would miss, and you can't really see in this photo, is that there are stars and constellations painted on the top (well, middle) section of this sculpture. So if you visit it, be sure to look UP. 

Stars and constellations are painted on this sculpture.

The final sculpture of this set was across the river, near the Université de Saint-Boniface. So that was a long hike to get there, and for the life of me, I couldn't get around the buildings. I decided to cut through the place, not realizing it was a rambling maze of connected buildings. So I ended up walking all around. If I had NOT taken the "shortcut", it would have been much faster! 

The controversial Louis Riel monument

Again, another controversial piece of art, and it was in a more prominent location, but was moved to its current location in 1995. 

Louis Riel sculpture

As I was walking to the final sculpture of the Adventure Lab, I passed a building that isn't a cathedral, but simply the shell of one. How cool that it has been turned into a gathering place or used for smaller outdoor activities. It was very neat to walk through with no roof. It's called the Saint-Boniface Cathedral and was destroyed by fire in 1968. 

Inside the shell of the Saint-Boniface Cathedral

There is a new, modern cathedral at the back of this one. Can you imagine what that rose window looked like? The opening is HUGE. 

The facade of the cathedral

And by this time, it was getting late - thank goodness that we are almost at the summer solstice, so the sun is out late in the evening. I walked across the footbridge on the Red River to get back to the downtown. I also walked across the Assiniboine River on the way to those last couple of sculptures. I walked across a lot of bridges. 

And there it is - the Winnipeg sign. You can just see the top of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in the background. This is a very funky, arty area, and I hope to explore it more this week. 

I'm in Winnipeg!!!!

And what about this sculpture? That looks a bit out of focus, perhaps? It's called Forever Bicycles. 

An out-of-focus sculpture

It is a sculpture containing 1266 bicycles!!!! It's pretty cool to see in person. 

And here's another view of the piece. I don't know if there is an optimal place to view where you only see one bike. I must go back and explore that. It was getting late, and I was getting tired, so I didn't stay long to explore. 

Another view of Forever Bicycles

On my way back to the hotel, I spotted this massive mural on a wall. 

Mural on a wall

And there you have it -- another art-inspired tour of Winnipeg. There is so much art, and the name of the Adventure Lab I was doing was entitled "Is it art?" And you can see so many controversial pieces were included. 

There are two other (much shorter) Adventure Labs that I want to explore, and I'm here until Wednesday, so I should have plenty of time to do them. 

Remember, I'll be at Carellen Sewing Center on Monday and Tuesday. One day will be all about quilting with your embroidery machine, and the second day will be all about the Momento digital cutter. I've got samples that are NOT being shown at Quilt Canada, so even if you visited here, what I'm showing will be NEW. 

And I have so many ideas of what I want to make - I need to start making a list. Where is that darn AI when I need it? Nope -- give me a piece of paper! I really think there is something to be said for using a piece of paper to get ideas down. Or, if we were Dumbledore in Harry Potter, we would all have a pensive and use our wands to transfer our ideas so we could go back and actually relive them! 

And now back to some quilting stuff. Remember to check out the list of classes for 2027 in yesterday's post. And if you are at Quilt Canada, you can get the Show and Tell pattern and the felt kits. I saw some people shopping yesterday! Oh my—those kits are so cute—I want them all!! And they have new ones that are not on the website. But if you can't be here, I'll be providing much more information when I'm home. 

So there are two rivers that meet in downtown Winnipeg - the Assiniboine and the Red River. Did you know that when that happens, it's called a confluence? Well, guess what? That was the theme of the Trendtex Challenge this year. I purchased a kit, but just didn't get around to making one. It was interesting to see how others interpreted the theme, and this year, you had the option to make a wall hanging or a bag. I have NOT seen the pieces in person, but you can bid on all the items, as they are used as a fundraiser for the Canadian Quilters Association. Here is the link—which one do you want to bid on? 

And on that note, I'd better get myself organized. I want to get to the convention center a wee bit earlier to prevent people from panicking about setting up their sewing machines. I swear, people panic for no reason. They are here to have fun!!! I don't know how many times I told the group that yesterday, you are here to play with the technique. This is NOT an heirloom, just listen and learn. But so many people were willing to give up listening to the teacher's instructions and ask me questions about setting up the machine that they were not going to use immediately. I refused to answer their questions and told them to listen instead. 

The other thing that shocked me, and I guess it's not out of line. I was there to help them get set up on the machine. Most people didn't believe that that was why I was there. Do they really think they will be left alone with a brand new sewing machine? 

Mind-blowing. I must write a list of tips on what to do and not do when you are taking a class - any class. It will blow your mind, I'm sure. 

BTW --- I WANT to renovate my shower at home so it's like this one. This is the BEST shower I've ever seen and used. I LOVE IT!!!!! Remember—the controls are on the wall opposite the shower head. Makes so much sense. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Who turned out the lights?

I am on the home stretch of the craziness that was September. There are still a few days left, but come Friday, when I don't have to travel for a long time and only have one class to prep for this weekend, it's going to be heaven. 

I hope you realize that I typically have more than one class on the weekend, two of them back-to-back on Saturday. I intentionally did NOT start the jacket class this month because I knew it would be silly from a timing perspective. That one starts in October. Yeah me! See -- I am trying to reduce the chaos that has been my September. 

I also went out last night and filled the car with gas when the price was $ 120.90. I bet it's $132.90 this morning. So I saved myself a bit of money. The gas station was packed, so I guess I wasn't the only one who had planned ahead. 

Before I could pack for this last trip, I had to unpack two suitcases and a couple of bags. Stuff got thrown into the bags willy-nilly, and I had to do that to find samples and supplies needed for this trip.  

Start repacking

The items that were left behind are somewhat organized - samples went to Studio U, and everything else went to Studio B. It will take the entire month of October to put everything back in its place. 

However, as I observed the "wreckage" in Studio B, I am excited to return and revamp everything, bringing it somewhat back to normal. There is stuff everywhere. 

Should I start to tidy up here? 

Not only do I want to put things away, but I also want to start tackling all the samples that need to be finished, quilts that need to be bound, and so on. I also have a week of writing to attend to, so I'll switch back and forth, and there are three customer quilts to quilt. 

While I'm driving this morning, I'll do some planning. WAIT --- I can't do that as I'll be listening to the rest of the Nancy Drew book. When it ends, I can then plan how to tackle this massive job. I'm tempted to start in one corner, clear enough room for a sewing machine, and begin there. 

I suppose I'll just have to wait and see what happens during the planning session.

I also solved a mystery today. I guess Nancy is rubbing off on me. I have three rows of fluorescent lights in Studio B. Each one operates on its own switch and has three ballasts. One of the lights in the middle row - the one over my cutting table - has been out of order for several years, and I just haven't had a chance to get an electrician in to install a new one. YES -- the ballast is toast, not the tubes. 

I've been noticing that one area of the room is rather dark; is that just my imagination? I could see that one tube was getting dim, but not enough to account for the darkness. It was only this morning that I realized this. 

The entire middle section of the lights is not working

Crap --- all three ballasts are not working! I strongly suspect it is the ballasts, not the tubes. The third one in this grouping is the one over the cutting table. How did two of them go like that? And it's probably been a couple of weeks, but I've been so busy, it just didn't register with me. I know --- how silly can I be? 

In addition to October being the month to clean up Studio B, I also have appointments, such as cleaning the furnace before winter and taking Murphy to the groomer, among other tasks. Now, I need to hire an electrician. Hmmm --- while fluorescents work great for lighting, they suck for film lighting. And I do NOT want to go the pot light route. I had them before, and they are "dead" at the moment because we put in the fluorescents. What other options do I have? 

I told Murphy it would be helpful if she started to tidy up while I was gone. She looked at me like I had lost my head! 

MOM -- dogs do NOT clean up after their humans

We had Monday Sewing, and it was so nice to visit with everyone. I did some pressing and trimming instead of prepping, and that was great. 

Remember that bag of HSTs that I had at the quilt retreat? Well, I worked with five at a time, so I wouldn't bore myself to death. I pressed five of them. Notice how my towel is getting crappy on the ironing surface? I need to wick that off and give it a wash, which will be super easy!

Pressing five HSTs at a time

Then I trimmed those five. And repeated the process many times! 

Trimming five HSTs - one at a time

There are many small bits from trimming, and you can see all that I trimmed in the top left corner. Anything that I make is now trimmed to one size -- I cut those triangles down to 1½". That way, they can be used with others that I have in my pile. There are still thousands (I'm guessing) to deal with, but there are not many that are sewn and not trimmed. I'm working my way through the backlog and am almost caught up. I still have loads that can be sewn, but I'll trim as I sew. 

Trimming the HSTs

For this grouping, I still have this many to press and trim. That will be a good job to continue with at the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

HSTs still to trim

There are still this many that need to be sewn, but once I get these ones trimmed, the entire bag will go back into the retreat bag, and I can use it for enders/leaders. Currently, when I have the chance to sew at home, I typically don't sew anything that requires enders/leaders, so it goes in the retreat bag. 

Triangles still to be sewn

I spent the remainder of the day after Monday Sewing, running around the house, unpacking, and packing new stuff. It was insane, but I found everything that I wanted/needed, and I made a couple of new small samples. I need to find a place to store those small samples or create a small project so they are easy to locate. Something to do in October. I am going to need many Octobers to get even a part of that room together and the samples dealt with! 

The important thing is to keep at it and not get overwhelmed, because it can be overwhelming. However, I now have a lot more time to make that happen. 

The staring continues. I don't know what Murphy was thinking here, but I suspect she is still on the trail of a rabbit, and she is trying to be sly by hiding beside the bush. Is she hiding from me, while still watching me through another window in the kitchen? 

MOM -- I can still see you!

And what is she looking at here? No idea - she is staring back at the house. There must have been a squirrel on the roof. Yes -- those little devils will climb the walls and up on the roof. I see them on the neighbor's roof all the time. 

MOM -- I'm a good guard dog! 

And poor Lexi was not happy. I had removed the blanket from her kennel so I could wash it, which I did. Then I had all intentions of cleaning out the dirt on the bottom of her kennel, but that didn't happen. I had to throw the blanket back in, and I'll finish cleaning it next week. 

MOM -- where's my blankie? 

You see, we had a lot of rain the night before, which wasn't a problem because we were in the house. But on the walk, Lexi and I got caught in the rain. Miss Lexi NEEDS to sniff every blade of grass, and I wasn't in a hurry, so I let her. It started to rain slightly, and that was OK, so we continued ambling along. We were about 7 minutes from the house when it began to pour buckets. Within two minutes, my shoes were soaked through and my fleece was getting wet. 

It was about then that she started prancing and wanted to run home. I was NOT running through the deep puddles on the wet sidewalks, so we walked, but she did not attempt to sniff anything. When she got in the house, she wanted to dive right into her kennel, but the blanket wasn't there, so she didn't go in. At that point, I threw the blanket in for her! 

My shoes, socks, and fleece are still wet this morning. I forgot to stuff the shoes with newspaper last night. GRRRRRR!! I wanted to wear those shoes this morning. 

I received my Trendtex challenge in the mail the other day. Hmmm -- what to do - what to do! I can add that to the list of things to plan in the car!

My Trendtex challenge fabric

On that note, I need to walk the girls and then pack the car. Thankfully, it's not nearly as much as I had on the weekend. Technically, it's just a bag of clothes, my portable office, and one suitcase. But I'm also taking a sewing machine for someone else in for servicing, so I have to load that and the embroidery unit in the car as well. It should only take five minutes, and then I'll be on my way. 

Here are the events for the rest of this week. 

September 23 - Stitch by Stitch, Kingston, Ontario, 

    What's new with PFAFF (1:00 PM) 

    What's new with Husqvarna Viking (6:00 PM) 

September 25 - Store Opening: Sewing Machine Magic, Cobourg, Ontario. This store sells PFAFF sewing machines, and I'm excited to present a series of demos that day. It's all about the magic!!!!

    Floating stitches

    Ribbon/yard/bead embellishments with the embellishment attachment

    Circular attachment

    Sequence creator

    The NEW Decorative Fringe Foot

    Maxi Stitches

September 27 - Colour My World (Online class hosted by me) at 9:30 AM. I need to send out an acknowledgment to those who have paid. But you have all the information you need. No supplies required for the first class. 

September 27and 28 - 28: Virtual Retreat - The links will be posted on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to sitting down and having some time to do my homework and catch up with friends! 

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Quilt retreat progress update

LOL - Your comments are so funny! I'll answer them individually this morning!

But seriously -- WAIZE versus Google Maps? Oh dear --- DH and I have this discussion all the time. I'm a Google Maps girl, and he likes WAIZE and never ceases to encourage me to use it. Well, I have had ZERO issues with Google Maps. Any app I use uses Google Maps, like Geocaching, and my house locator (shh -- used for spying, not moving!), and so I love Google Maps! 

The issue with my car is that Android Auto seemed to be timing out - it had nothing to do with the navigation system. So one of the ladies here suggested that I reboot my phone. DUH!!! I hadn't thought of that, and I did, and on our short drive home from New Hamburg, it seemed to work because on the way there, it timed out constantly. The drive home will tell the tale. I hope this works, as I have a lot of driving to do over the next two weeks. 

I had to take a quick trip to New Hamburg to get dinner for last night. You know me, I'm not much in the cooking department if I don't have to. There are several very nice catering/small restaurants in New Hamburg, so you can pretty much find anything you want. MeMes Cafe and The Garden Stand are two that I've bought food from, and everything was delicious. We missed the fresh scones at Phidellias. So that's on our list for the next retreat. 

So many lovely little shops here, and apparently, we've consistently missed the thrift shop! 

Lots of things to update you on. It was a hectic day!!!!

Let's start with the puzzle. 

The jigsaw puzzle

Once I got past that troublesome roof and had some room to work, it really came together. No time to finish it today, so hopefully someone will be happy to see a partially completed puzzle. I even had a dream that the next occupants sent me a text that they wanted the puzzle left. Seriously? 

And what about those bobbins? I always use partial bobbins on the long arm, but they are all different colors, and those bobbins will not fit in my sewing machine, although I could rewind them. But those smaller bobbins for this size of sewing machine? You bet --- I'm using them up. 

Many more empty, old bobbins to give away

I emptied eight more old bobbins, so they are in the bag for the next drop off. In total, I found SIX of the new style with the slot in them, and there are five bobbins left to empty. One is in the machine, and one has pearl cotton on it, so I won't be using that. I doubt that I'll finish them on this retreat, but I can put them in the retreat bag, along with the other bobbin holder for the next retreat!!! So that is a good thing. And one more sewing supply/tool that is being taken care of. I mean, how many bobbins does one need for a sewing machine that they use occasionally at retreats? 

When it comes to enders and leaders, I sewed all I could on those white/black/red blocks. I ran out of fabric, so before the next retreat, I'll have a cutting session, or I'll just bring the scrap box with me. 

White/black/red ender and leader project

Cutting the necessary pieces is a great thing to do on a Zoom call. If memory serves me correctly, all these pieces were leftovers from a project that I inherited from someone. So having to cut the next pieces isn't a big deal. And I really like this quilt. I've made several. But I don't need another one, so it will go in the giveaway pile - the one for community projects!

But never fear -- I have another ender/leader project with me. It's back to sewing those small half-square triangles. These are the cutoffs from a flying geese project, and there are loads of them. 

The next ender/leader project

Sorry for the orientation of the photos, but the ones on the bottom are what I sewed yesterday, and the ones at the top are the last of the triangles for this grouping that need to be sewn. 

What I sewed yesterday

The ones at the bottom of this photo are trimmed. The ones at the top are sewn and need to be pressed and trimmed. That would also be an excellent job for a Zoom call. So perhaps at the next virtual retreat (Sept 27 and 28), I will dig them out. It would be nice to get them done and nice to not have to bring them to the next retreat. 

Those that are trimmed and those that need to be trimmed

So did those eight dog quilts get finished? You bet! Even though I was totally distracted all day, I can't really blame anyone but myself since I'm the one asking questions! I finished the second quilt at 8:21 last night. 

Dog quilt Number Seven

Dog quilt Number Eight

Yeah --- that makes NINE quilt tops completed at this retreat. One of them only required the border to be put on, but still!! I had about eight squares left over, so some of the squares were stuck to each other when I was doing my counting. No worries - there is enough fabric in the bag to make more. I used up half of the dog fabric in my stash, so that makes me very happy. But that means there is enough for eight more quilts? That's obscene. I'll go through it when I'm home to see if I can make quilt backings from what's left or what exactly I should do with it. It needs to be used up, and I'd be happy to have none!

Don't worry that I have nothing to do today, as I have two more quilt tops to assemble. One is the Halloween quilt squares that I laid out at the last retreat. It has 8 blocks across and 10 rows down, so slightly less work than the dog quilts, which had 10 across and 12 rows. There are two borders to add to this quilt. I sewed the first two rows together last night, so I don't see an issue getting the squares together and perhaps one of the borders. I'll see how it goes. We leave today, and we usually leave around 1 PM. 

I need to get home as I have a LOT of work to do this week. 

As if that wasn't enough excitement, here are a couple of pictures from my morning walk. Yes -- fall leaves are changing here as well as up north. I've spotted a few brilliant ones, but not many. Not yet. 

The leaves are changing color

And I spotted the heron a couple of times yesterday, so I managed to get this photo. He was having breakfast, and I watched him fish for a bit. He was just happy to stand there and watch the fish, and from the looks of it from the bridge, there are loads of fish. He can stay here and eat these fish, but not MY fish! 

The heron is having breakfast

Well, that covers another fun day at Spring House Retreat. The last day is always bittersweet. I want to sew more and thoroughly enjoy the dedicated sewing time, but it's also nice to get home. And the next eleven days are going to be crazy. I have a meeting all day tomorrow, a Facebook Live on Thursday, then a machine embroidery workshop in Windsor, and then home to switch out the stuff in the car and off in the other direction for a couple of events. So I'll be in the car a lot! 

Wait --- have you seen the fabric for the new Trendtex challenge? The theme is Confluence! OK -- seriously, have you heard that word before? I have, but only in the context of two rivers meeting each other, as in the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in BC. That's its predominant meaning, but it can also be thought of as coming together, in the non-river sense. 

What kind of quilt will you make with that theme and the fabric choices? Hmmm. And then, we embarked on a wild search of the internet based on a charm pack that someone had purchased at a store. Well, that led to something else and gave me some ideas, so I ordered the kit! 

We have discussed the Cherrywood Challenge, which features a Storytime theme. I think I'm going to pass this year. I have no idea, and I don't want the stress of getting it ready for the February 15 deadline. That will fall right in the middle of my busy Zoom period, if the past is any indication, and I would not be able to make it happen. Perhaps another year. 

I've got to run!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!