Downsizing your quilting stash

Oh boy, so I went to Diane's house yesterday. I had never been in her sewing room before and had no idea what to expect. However, I have known Diane for many years and have learned some of her habits. She always finishes things. I have never heard her talk about a UFO in my life! She was very organized. But having worked in a quilt store for many years, what came home with her? 

It was a quick walk through the forest to her house. The temperature was great, and there were big fluffy flakes of snow, and the walk was beautiful. I was off on an adventure. 

Walking to Diane's

When I arrived, her husband was so happy to see me. I know him from my frequent visits to their home. The sewing room was beautiful as there was so much light from that window, and her furniture was outstanding. Oh my -- it was terrific. 

OK—I snapped a couple of photos when Jerry went downstairs. I would have enjoyed working in this room with all that natural light over the sewing machine. Yes, I could have the same thing in Studio U, but I don't have internet access there, so it doesn't work. 

Diane's sewing room

This was the other end of the room. I suspect Jerry had removed all the fabric from the dresser and perhaps the closet. 

The other side

I know it was overwhelming to him, but to me, it was OK. There was still a lot of fabric, but it wasn't in comparison to what I have. 

After looking at what was on the bed and inside the cupboards and asking a few questions, I told him I would take it all. Shoot me now, but I owe Diane that for everything she did for me. Jerry didn't want to be bothered selling any of it; he just wanted it gone. The only thing he wants to sell is two Brother sewing machines. 

Thankfully, he had lots of bags in the room, so I set to work and filled many bags with fabric and other supplies. After I cleared off the dresser and the bed, he shooed me out of the house. I think it was exhausting for him, so I left. I'm returning today with the car and will bring all of it home (I hope!).

I still have to empty the large cabinet in the corner of the first photo. And some drawers under the desk. I'm taking some IKEA bags with me to make quick work of the packing. 

I have no idea how smokey the fabric smells, as it was hard to tell in the house. Once I get it out, it will be easier to access. For now, I will unload it all into the garage and probably deal with one bag at a time. 

A lot of fabric can be used as backings for the community project quilts that Diane made, which will help enormously! There was a bit of batting, but not tons. 

Here is my takeaway from this. This is the FOURTH time I've rescued someone. 

• The first time was for a friend from our Monday Sewing group who passed away from cancer and was very private about it. While we didn't touch her stash, our group (mostly me) finished many UFOs for her. I offered our services to finish them, and we were inundated with stuff she wanted finished. It was hard to refuse. 
• The second time was for a frequent student in my quilting classes at The Hobby Horse. She was killed in a motorcycle accident, and through a mutual friend, I again offered to finish some of her UFOs. She didn't have many, but it took a while to accomplish that. 
• The third time was for a woman from our Monday Sewing group. She hadn't been in the group for a while, but we stayed in touch. She had stopped sewing, and she was getting rid of all her stuff while she was alive. Bless her—she was super organized. The remaining UFOS (two) are being completed so they can be donated. The rest of the fabric is in the storage room and will be used for community project quilts. 
• And the fourth time was Diane, where I was "in charge" of the entire room. Thankfully, Jerry found someone else to deal with all her knitting stuff. 

What's the moral of this story? Don't call me - I've done my time! 

Just kidding -- here are some tips: 

• Organize EVERYTHING. This will make it easier for someone to figure out what is there
• Put all the bits of a UFO in the box and label it! 
• Anything that you don't like - patterns, books, fabric, rulers, etc -- donate or sell it NOW
• Anything you will never use again - patterns, books, fabric, rulers, etc. --donate or sell it NOW
• STOP BUYING -- NOW
• Stop denying that this will happen to you! It WILL, and if you plan on leaving your messy sewing room for someone else to clean up, I will track your soul down and haunt you! Leaving a mess is not payback to anyone—it is irresponsible. 
• If you are NEW to quilting, do NOT CREATE this mess. Learn from our mistakes! The more you buy, the bigger the mess becomes! DO NOT let that happen to you. You do NOT need all the latest gadgets or fabric. There will always be new stuff! 
• Do NOT lose your mobility. That is just a recipe for allowing clutter to accumulate! 
• If you are not that mobile, HIRE someone to help you! 

If I think of any other tips, I'll add them to this list. And yes, you could say I'm the pot, calling the kettle black. I will not deny that cleaning up my place would be horrible if I didn't come home today. I can't imagine where I would start, let alone anyone else. At least things are organized, but the quantity would bowl anyone over! 

I chuckle when I think of how I plan to bring everything home in one carload. Jerry says it'll be two, and it might since I'm also selling the sewing machines for him, and I'll bring those home with me. I would need a semi-truck to empty my room! And that's not a joke! It's also a harsh reality! Who would absorb all my crap? 

So be warned! Start cleaning up; if you are already cleaning up, you better move faster! Sew faster, donate quicker, or whatever. But you cannot leave this mess to a loved one. I felt bad for Jerry. He was lost and overwhelmed. As sad as he is to see this stuff go, I bet he will feel much better when it's gone. 

I've been very productive these last few days; here are two quilts I got quilted. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Customer quilt - DONE

I have more to share, but no more time this morning. I'm on my way to the gym to see Brooke. 

Have a great day!!

Ciao!!!

The power of the sun

I did it!!! I completed a computer task. All of the USBs were dealt with except the missing one. All the files were moved to OneDrive, and everything was deleted from the USBs except for the locked files. I have no idea how that happens. And what about the two PowerPoint presentations that say they can't be deleted because they are open in PowerPoint? Seriously? 

I will try to delete them again today, but I don't want to waste more time. In the future, USBs will be TEMPORARY storage places, and the files must be deleted once I'm finished with them. 

Now comes the massive job of cleaning out OneDrive. I will use OneDrive for the current year's files or anything I'm working on, and I can access it from any computer. If I can't send the files wirelessly, the USBs will hold the files I need for a digital cutter or an embroidery machine. I also carry a USB backup of my presentations if I can't access OneDrive. 

I've made a considerable start in that clean-up, as most of the 'loose" files have been placed in a folder. Now, folder by folder, stuff will be deleted or moved to my external hard disk. I prefer to delete, of course, and there will be much of that. But it's going to take time. The best part is that if I'm looking for a file, I know where to try and find it. Thank goodness for searching abilities. 

Now I've got to look for that missing embroidery file. How I could have such a mess is beyond me. There were about 15 USBs and jumbled files on them all. 

A mess of USBs

Does anyone know how to access the connector on this one? 

How do you access the connector? 

I rebooted my PC multiple times to clear the memory, as moving all that stuff around was a huge job. So far, so good! 

So, another great thing happened yesterday. Quilt Canada (our big national quilt show in Canada), held in Toronto from June 18 - 21, 2025, always hosts Concurrent Shows to the National Juried Show. A friend encouraged me to apply, and my application was accepted!!! 

However, this concurrent show is NOT about me or my quilts. Nope, it's about the quilts I've taught over the last twenty-plus years. These quilts were taught at The Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe, Oh Look Fabric, Thimbles and Things, Sew n Serge, Ruti's Needlebed, and Cockadoodle Quilts. The last three shops no longer exist. 

Can you believe that there were (are) over 75 unique quilts that I've taught? These are not just one-and-done sessions but sampler-style quilts that took months. Some were as short as 6 months, and Dear Jane lasted 2½ years! I need to whittle down that list of 75 to 25 patterns and then find a student with a finished quilt for those 25 quilts! Yikes -- that is going to take some doing! 

With the help of my blog and some list-keeping, it should be easy to finish compiling that list of 75 quilts. You can always check this blog post for some of the earlier quilts. 

Oh my -- I'm super excited!!!!

Anyway - back to the pictures from two days ago. 

It's cooler outside these days, but it's NOT cold. I've been walking everywhere (I walked to the doctor's yesterday), and if you are dressed, you are good. I just need my neck to be warm, and I'm OK. 

But here is one thing about the weather: Even after shoveling the little bit of snow from the driveway, it was still covered in snow. 

The driveway is still not clean

But within a very short time, the sun's power melted everything, and it was dry! Gosh - I'm so neighborly that I'm keeping my neighbor's sidewalks clear up to two or three on each side of me. I do one because they mow the little bit of grass in front. One house is empty (it has been for almost two years), and one is lazy. But I see that the guy on the other side of the empty house is now doing it - he has a snow blower, for heaven's sake! Just walk the sidewalk; there is no need to go to the driveway. 

The driveway is now dry!

I'm back at the long arm and working like mad. I have several quilts to get done in the next 10 days, and I should be OK if nothing goes wrong. This was a community project quilt. I've had to set those aside and now working on the few customer quilts I have. 

Community project quilt - DONE

Murphy is pretty sneaky. I put this green bucket on the office floor, which contained stuff I wanted to put in the mail. I found the little red sweater on the floor when I entered the room. What did I see in the bucket? Murphy's ball. What? A red sweater for a white ball? 

Someone has been in the green bucket

Then I spotted this by the front door. It was a Christmas ornament from Peggy's Cove that missed the mail before Christmas. I wonder how it got from the office to the front door? 

Hmm - why is this at the front door?

Oh -- look what the little devil did to it! 

Stormy weather hit Peggy's Cove!

Oh, Murphy! She has two toy boxes of toys, and she has to pick the Christmas ornament! 

But she didn't seem the worse for wear after her attack. That evening, while I attempted to read, she played with the blankets and toys. This dog is definitely an entertainer, and she knows it! Apparently, the dog that attacked her is called Baby. And it's known for being a troublemaker. I didn't report it, but the next time I will. 

Murphy is entertaining herself

I also completed some machine embroidery and made two mug rugs. However, you won't see them until my embroidery club sees them. 

Making mug rugs on the embroidery machine

I love how huge they recommend cutting the pieces. I won't be doing that again. I currently have another set on the embroidery machine, and I'm working on two at a time. Why not? If you're changing threads for one, you might as well do two! 

I was so tired last night, but then I realized that I had done my spin class in the morning and had walked 15 km during the day. Oops. So I went to bed early!

Today's another busy day. I'll be downstairs - no more playing with the computer and no jigsaw puzzles. It's now time to get to real work! 

And I have to get rid of some of these boxes in the house. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Digital file clean-up

Well, I seem to have some major computer issues this morning. They actually started yesterday, and the biggest problem is with Microsoft Outlook. I've always had issues with that program, and it doesn't disappoint. 

I've had to reboot my computer twice, and it's not even 5 AM. Yes, I rebooted many times yesterday, so it wasn't like I was irresponsible. 

The issue is that it won't synchronize, meaning it won't send and receive emails. Seven emails, all written yesterday, were still waiting to be sent. I see it is finally syncing, and let's hope it finishes in time to load a picture or two. 

Today's post will be short. I'm off to spin class this morning and cannot be late. 

I'm back in the saddle, and it seems I need a deadline to get me moving. Thankfully, I'm starting to work further before those deadlines, but I know I'll be scrambling. 

What happened? Well, this is why the memory on my computer was totally messed up. I was trying to find a file to send someone, and I wasn't 100% sure where it was. I grabbed my USBs and attempted to find it. It ended up in me moving HUNDREDS of files to a new spot on my cloud storage. It also results in DELETE DELETE DELETE many times. 

I'm far from sorting out that mess, but I've started. The issue is that I had MULTIPLE places to store stuff, and it's a HUGE mess. I'm putting similar subjects in the same folder and subfolders, so it'll be easier to see what I have and sort them. 

My biggest issue is duplicate files. I'm very good at duplicating files and then not deleting them. I emptied several USBs and tossed one that is write-protected. I have no idea how to get rid of it. I also have another with ONE protected file on it. I have no idea how to get rid of that. These do NOT have a little switch on them - they are write-protected in the device. Since it is write-protected, I cannot delete it. I've since renamed the folder, so I know it's a garbage folder. 

I seem to be missing the primary USB I used most recently. I'm sure I put that in a safe place, but where is that safe place? Other than finding that one, I think what's left on the other USBs is minimal. My goal today is to move all that stuff into that one storage spot, put the USBs away, and then work on that cloud storage folder. It's on shared cloud storage, so I can work on it upstairs, downstairs, or on the road. What will this do to the backup storage on my computer? It'll get thrown into a tizzy!

Outlook synced and sent the emails, but it did NOT receive them, so there are NO pictures this morning. I must call Microsoft because that product is NOT stable. I hate using the server to get my email, and I much prefer using Outlook. And where or where did that other USB go? I'm even trying to visualize what it looks like. It's tiny and silver, but I can't visualize the dratted thing. Did I leave it beside the embroidery machine? The digital cutter? The computer? It could be anywhere, although I'm usually very careful with the darn thing. 

And all this because I'm looking for a specific machine embroidery file that I ENED. I could recreate it, or perhaps it's already in that cloud storage. Wish me luck with that. 

I can receive my email on my phone, but I hate and seldom respond to emails using that tiny keyboard. So, I must get this fixed. Yes, even when I manually select Send/Receive, it won't sync. That's been an issue for years, but it seems to have gotten much worse lately. It's sporadic! 

As mentioned, I did find the PowerPoint presentation, which was one of the emails stuck in the Outbox. But all is good—everything is sent. 

Wait - I have four pictures from yesterday that I didn't have time to post. I'll post those this morning. 

A photo from the storage magazine. Here's an item we won't ever need again. A sorted for those plastic grocery bags! 

Plastic bag sorter

Here's the latest quilt I'm sleeping with. It's time to donate it. I made it as a class sample in 2010, but it was never used until recently! 

The next donation quilt

I also did some sewing the other day, so I'm back at the ender and leaders with this project. I must finish it, as it's been sitting around for a while. This was the one project I rescued when I agreed to take care of the remnants of someone's stash. When it's complete, this quilt will be donated. 

My current end and leader project

Speaking of someone else's stash. The trip to Diane's was postponed, and I'm scheduled to go on Thursday. 

And it's time to dig out all the filming equipment. I need to get it all connected to make sure that I remember how. I need some help with a setting on one of my two camcorders, so they are out so I can take them to the camera shop. They are helpful and knowledgeable, so they can probably do it quickly. I've tried working through the menus, but just not sure how to eliminate this one thing from the screen. It's gone from one, but not the other camera. 

The box of video stuff

On that note, I'm out of here. It's cold outside, but not that cold if you're dressed for it!

Have a great day!

Ciao!!

It's a good day!

It was a busy day, but it was a GOOD day! I decided to get off my butt and start putting some of this stuff away. Some things in Studio B have languished on the tables since September! Seriously? I know better. So I made HUGE leaps and bounds to get things back in order, and you know what? I feel so much better. I can see open spaces. And I'm much calmer and happier. 

Maybe all those quotes are helping me to see the light! 

Since my decision to change the coloring for Dear Jen, I could put all the blacks and whites back in their spot in the stash room. 

Black and white fabric back on the shelf

All the solids were returned to their usual spot. 

The solids back in their spot

This basket of Kansas Troubles also went back to the stash room. This month, I showed the class (Chatsworth) how to cut ALL the print fabric efficiently, so hopefully, everyone learned how to do that. However, it was nice to get this out of the working space. 

Kansas Troubles back in the stash room

And now, back to Dear Jen. Here are the blocks that I just can't live with. They are not horrible, but I'm not a fan of them. They are bundled in a bag with the book and the new background. All that is now corralled in a container, so it's not strewn everywhere. I'll start back at the blocks for October and try to catch up by next month. 

Out with the old

While we were chatting during Monday Sewing, I was putting things away. When I got bored with that, I finished the applique for Dear Jen for this month. I still have to machine-stitch the applique blocks, but everything is ready. 

In with the new

I still have some paper-pieced blocks to make and one more to sew—there are ten blocks this month—but I like these so much better. I had told myself I would try to use each colored fabric only once, but I see I used the same pink in the center blocks. Oh well—it is what it is. The second animal in the middle on the bottom row is dark. It would be easy enough to remake that block and follow my rules. I'll see. 

Then, I found many strips of this striped fabric in my scrap box of brights, and it may become the sashing for this quilt. 

Hmm -- what about this for sashing?

I like that. Now, I just need to keep using the bright colors in that fabric to connect all those blocks. This fabric is also in a bag and in the same basket as the rest of the project. 

Look what came to my door yesterday? A package with this pretty label on it! 

The packaging

When I opened it, I saw my ABYSS CherryWood Challenge. Yeah!!! I had waited a long time for it, as the fabric bundles were in, but not the box of floss. Now, I need to refine my idea and start working. 

My new Cherrywood Challenge kit

After getting Dear Jen organized, the cutting table was completely empty! I know!! It didn't take much. So, to keep up the momentum, I did this.

More crap to put away 

Yes - I refilled the space with more stuff that needs to be put away. It looks much better this morning, and I will keep at it today. February and March are extremely full of SVP events, and I need to get this tidied up. Nothing like a deadline to get my butt in gear. 

I decided to make some soup around dinner time. The soup was for my lunches this week. I've started cooking the meat and onions and realize I need a can of tomatoes and some celery. I had not gone for a walk yesterday, so I went to the grocery store! I took the shortcut through the forest. There was plenty of light with the snow on the ground to see. All was good, and it was a beautiful evening. 

On my way there, I decided to get another container of laundry soap. I cannot deal with the smell of the Original. Now we have his and hers laundry detergent., 

His and hers laundry detergent

And here's my soup! I've started using Mitchell's Soup Company and LOVE the soups. DH loves them, so he's stealing my lunches! It makes a huge batch, so there's plenty for two. 

My pot of soup

So, a bad thing happened while walking in the morning. Murphy and I are merrily walking along a busy street on the multi-purpose trail. Out of nowhere, a retriever appeared and attacked Murphy! Don't worry - she is fine! But it scared me. A chain link fence separates the path from the houses.  

We've walked past this house many times, and occasionally, this guy has his dog in the front yard, and the dog rushes the fence. But that dog went right under the fence this time, as the bottom support wire was gone! Obviously, this is NOT the first time this dog has done that. First time for us, but the dog and the owner knew the condition of the fence. 

ACK. Murphy went down on her side like a ton of bricks. Many thoughts went through my mind, and I was ready to hurt that other dog. Yes - even though I'm a dog lover, this was wrong! I yelled, and thankfully, the owner called his dog, and the dog left. The owner merely lifted another section of the fence, and the dog went back under. Obviously, this has happened before! 

I didn't say anything because I was a bit shaken, but I should have yelled. It's one thing for this dog to approach the fence and bark its head off, but it's another when it comes under the fence to attack a dog outside. Next time I see him, I shall have a word with him. 

I checked Murphy over, and she had a couple of wet spots where the dog mouthed her, but there were no punctures. I suspect the dog isn't vicious, but it sounded and acted like one. But it didn't bite! Still, the behavior is NOT acceptable. 

She seemed slightly shaken, as she had been pretty subdued for most of the day. I hope she realizes how lucky she was. It could have been much worse - it takes mere milliseconds for a dog to bite, and I know how painful it can be. 

But as I opened the breathing hole in the pond and plugged in the heater, she unearthed one of her frozen teddy bears and was happy to be outside. 

MOM - my frozen bear!

There's a lot on the agenda today, and I need to get rid of some of these boxes before they drive me mad! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

What is that SMELL?

 Oh dear - what have I done? And I can't even blame DH for this one! Plus, I should know better. 

What happened? I saw that we were getting low on laundry detergent, so I decided to buy some on one of my trips to the grocery store. Hmm - I looked at all the containers but didn't spot the same one we are currently using. Oh my -- all these scents. Gross! 

I purchased one with "Original Scent," thinking it would be scent-free. What an idiot I am!!! 

That is NOT scent-free, and now our house stinks like this scent. How the manufacturers can say this is clean and fresh is beyond me. It's a horrible stench! OK - that's a bit dramatic, but I hate it. 

It's not that the smell is unpleasant, but it's STRONG. And in today's world, that doesn't work for me. 

I am NOT allergic to the smell. I hate when people say, "I'm allergic" to the scent. Most of us are NOT allergic to scents, but in the absence of scents in our day, we are hyper-aware or have become sensitive to them. I don't cough or sneeze or get an allergic reaction; I just find the smell strong and distasteful! 

It's the same as when we needed to buy floor cleaning supplies. DH couldn't find Mr. Clean's regular scent, so he got lavender. Oh my god, I wanted that out of the house—it was horrible. Yet, I'm sure some people love this, and that's great—they can use it all they want! Just let me know, and I'll visit when the scent dissipates! 

I'm going to the grocery store to find some unscented laundry soap. I don't mind if DH uses it on his clothes but on my clothes? That's just too much for me to bear for an entire day! And God forbid I wash sheets in this stuff! 

And by the way, for those who missed the post, sadly, Diane passed away in July 2024. She became ill, and I think she stopped sewing for me at the end of 2023. She did a fantastic job clearing up the huge piles of fabric at my house! I am slowly whittling the pile of quilt tops down, but I need to get focused on that. I've never seen Diane's sewing room, so I have no idea what to expect. Was she neat? I suspect so. Did she have a lot of UFOs? I don't think so - she seemed to be the type to start and finish. It will be a mystery tour when I stop in tomorrow. 

All her husband said was that he was overwhelmed by her huge fabric stash. What does "huge" mean? Any fabric stash is huge to a non-quilter. Let's hope he is exaggerating. 

Here's another problem I'm struggling with. I've been struggling with this one for eons, so it's not new, but I wish I could get on top of it! I can't finish ANYTHING! That stack of CDs and DVDs? I made a considerable effort to clean it up, and they are mostly gone, except for about a dozen. Why can't I finish that job? 

The bags of garbage and boxes of books that Yagana cleaned up for M. They are partially sorted by me and sit in the hallway. I get through some of the stacks of my paperwork, and the rest sits there. It's not like I don't have the time - I have the time, but I'm off on something else. This is how stuff becomes clutter. I need to NOT start anything new until I've dealt with the stuff that is currently OUT. FOCUS - I know I can do it! And I'll feel so much better when I do! 

I can't wait to get down to barely any possession because then I'll have to finish any job I tackle. After all, there won't be much there! 

The universe is trying to tell me something. Remember the message in my Yogi tea from two days ago? 

Yogi tea quote

And how about this one from yesterday. 

I say that all the time. Having failures is so critical in our lives. I don't know why it's so frowned upon. So much so that people are paralyzed to do things because they'll make a mistake or do things for their children so they can't fail. Just go for it! As the quote says, making that mistake takes a lot of COURAGE. However, those who make a mistake are ahead of those who sit on the couch lamenting that they can't learn something new. DO IT!!!! What mistake did you make yesterday? Celebrate it this morning! Embrace those mistakes, and then move on! 

I had a few minutes to spare, so I worked on the new jigsaw puzzle. You probably can't tell which city that is by the picture. But if the image were clear, you'd quickly know which US city. There is so much light in that room that the glare on the puzzle makes it hard to take pictures. 

Working on the new jigsaw puzzle

Here's something else new at our house. DH bought tea, and the box has a green band advertising less packaging. For one, the box is smaller, which makes perfect sense. I could never figure out why they make big boxes that are half-filled. They take up more room to ship and store in a warehouse or shop's shelves. There was no plastic wrap on the box! Yeah, Tetley, thank you for making those changes! 

New tea packaging on the left

The cost of chips is high because of the packaging. While the bag size hasn't changed, the quantity has been reduced—they are practically empty. Shipping takes up a lot of space. Remember, shipping is not just about weight but also about volume. 

Well, I'll be off to the grocery store to find the blue and white scent-free container of Tide because I need to rewash everything I washed yesterday to eliminate this smell before it kills me! Oh, the drama! 

I have many things to do today, so I need to work faster. But I'm getting to the point where I see people taking the weekend off, and I wonder why I can't have a weekend off. So I am slipping! But it's the week now, so it's back to work! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

Battling decision making issues

So what happened? A LOT! While my situation is pretty tame compared to the mental health issues that others experience, I can see how debilitating it can be. When I get into one of these states, my productivity goes down, I procrastinate, and I almost make myself sick with the weight of the issue on my shoulders. That gets me into those stressful time crunches. Thankfully, I can dig myself out of a hole, but it might take a long time for that to happen. 

I thought it was timely that this was the message on my Yogi Positive Energy tea in the morning, although I had made the decision the day before. 

It has to do with a quilt. I know—nothing life-altering, but yet it was! I started teaching Dear Jen back in October, and I excitedly pulled out my fabrics—black on white and white on black for the backgrounds and solids for the shapes. 

My plan was to make two of each block. I kept rearranging them on the design all in hopes that I would fall in love with them. I did NOT! 

It was now Friday, and I had to finish the homework for Saturday's class. I procrastinated and kept coming up with excuses. While I had done some prep work - I was OK with doing the prep work, I could NOT cut into those fabrics. 

This is what the blocks look like at the moment. 

My Dear Jen blocks

Yes, they do not look bad at all, but those busy backgrounds—I just can't handle it. It was driving me mad. So I knew to save the project, I had to come up with a plan B, and it had to be quick. Otherwise, all the group was getting yesterday was the pictures in the book and the hope that all the measurements would work out. The book uses 100% templates, and I give them alternate instructions for each block. A GOOD value for their money and time! 

I couldn't do that. As we were getting ready to go out the door for dinner, I told myself that by the time I got back, I had better have a new plan, or else! As I was rushing out the door (OK—I wasn't rushing, but it sounds more dramatic!), I said to myself, "Solid black backgrounds and bright, cheery fabrics. That's what I'll do." And I felt RELIEVED beyond words. All I needed was a decision!  

When I came back from dinner, I made a lot of blocks or parts of blocks, and I was good! This is probably the FIRST time in all my teaching that I picked a colorway that I wasn't happy with. It's not that I don't like it, but NOT for this pattern. 

The other thing that I don't like is the condition of my book. It's filled with paper, handwritten pattern notes, and paper-pieced templates, so finding a specific page is a nightmare. So, this is an easy one, but I need to get it done!!! The papers were for the second blocks I was going to make. Now, I'm only going to make ONE of each, so those papers will come in handy. But I need to push forward to get caught up so the quilt can be done by June. 

My Dear Jen book is filled with paper! 

Here are a couple of my new blocks. Much more cheery than what I was doing before. 

Needs to be trimmed

Needs some stitching

OK—so I like this version a whole lot more! The moral of the story is that if you don't like something, ONLY YOU can change it or come up with some plan to change what you are doing, change the situation, or whatever. Those choices are NOT easy, and for some, they can be life-threatening. Thankfully, in my case, I was able to break through that barrier, choose a new colorway, and move on! 

What will I do with the old blocks? Someone suggested I put them on the back, which might be a good place. It'll serve as an example of what to do when you are not happy. Yes, I think that's exactly what I'll do!! Thanks to Lucy for that suggestion! 

Our girls are so different from each other. We had snow the night before, and of course, they were excited as little kids—MOM—we need to go out NOW!!! Both are happy to lie in the snow and even there, they are different. Lexi goes out and elegantly curls up in the snow to watch what's happening. Murphy? She goes out and just flops herself down anywhere. She loves the cold on her tummy! 

MOM -- we love SNOW

The other thing is that Lexi has much more fur on her tummy, while Murphy does not! Murphy runs HOT, and Lexi runs cold! Silly girls!!!!

As a reward for myself, I put away the finished jigsaw puzzle and got the new one set up, including the border. I can work on it a bit today, but of course, I have some stuff that must be done today. 

The next jigsaw puzzle

Speaking of the girls, look at how lazy this girl is. She can't be bothered to lift her head to acknowledge you. She moves her eyes. It's really creepy!! 

MOM - I can see you! 

I was finishing up another quilting magazine last night and spotted this. The magazine is from 1999, so I suspect this is PFAFF's first or almost the first embroidery machine. How things have changed!!! Look at how small that thing is! But at the time, we thought we had died and gone to heaven with the ability to make embroideries. 

PFAFF Creative Fantasy 7570

Someone posted this in one of my groups, and it was poignant as people are madly trying to declutter. 

Yes, it's OK to put some stuff in the closet, as we can't use everything all the time, but think about it before you rush out to buy more storage! Are you a warehouse? Or will you use this stuff? Not using it, never will use it? Get rid of it! 

Remember—it is possible to outgrow our possessions. We've moved on from that dress size, that hobby, or that interest. Get rid of the stuff!!! 

Oh, I received THE CALL yesterday. I knew it was coming; I just didn't know when. Diane's husband contacted me (he sounded so sad) about what to do with Diane's sewing machines and stash. Oh, god! I want to run because they are smokers and they have cats. But I promised him I would help, so I will go next week and look. Wish me luck! 

On that note, I'm out of here. I have one presentation later this morning, and I haven't even started loading the pictures. Then I have the afternoon FREE, but those three priority things are on the list, and they need to be done today!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

 

Miracles do happen!

Oh my gosh, your comments are too funny. I always get a chuckle! YES, we reboot our router much more regularly than we used to, but it still doesn't help. This reminds me that I must reboot it this morning while walking the dogs! 

A lot happened in the house yesterday, and I can't share any of it with you! At least not yet. But I went to bed feeling MUCH BETTER than when I woke up. I was not sick, but I had a massive weight on my shoulders because I had two classes to prep for this morning, and I was struggling. And NOT with time. I'll tell you after sharing the story with the class this morning. 

Let's just say that a miracle happened, and I'm thrilled. Of course, I instigated the miracle, but why didn't I do it before? 

It was a busy day: selecting fabric, cutting, sewing, and pressing. Then I got frustrated, and this happened. 

While half of the cutting table was open for work, there still wasn't enough room, which drove me mad. So I did a "clean sweep" and literally swept EVERYTHING on the floor. It looks like a tornado went off there, but that's OK. I could work more freely, and things went much better after I had made some space. This was one side of me as I stood at the cutting table. 

The floor to the left of the cutting table

And this is the other side. 

The floor to the right

No, I'm not proud of the mess, but at least two things happened. I put a few small things away, which was good. Now, I had the room to spread my project out so I could actually work. There was no music or audiobook; this was hands-down heavy, thought-provoking work, and I needed silence. 

I hope the students today realize how much blood, sweat, and tears (not quite that bad) went into those presentations. I'm excited this morning, which I couldn't say yesterday. 

But that just shows that no one made my day better. No one provided me a pep talk or a miracle to get out of my predicament. It was only myself when I gave myself the pep talk and said - you are in or you are out! Make a choice, and VOILA - I made a choice. Not only did I clean sweep the table, but I also cleared my brain. 

I know some people can't, won't, or are afraid to do that, and I feel for them. Thankfully, I can break out but procrastinate like the best of them!

While digging for fabric, I came across this in the scrap box. Can you tell me why? 

A hole in a piece of fabric

Something else good happened yesterday. About a month ago, I tried to track down someone at Sheridan College with whom I could discuss donating this considerable tub of art supplies from when I attended the college. No one responded, and finding any email contacts online was very challenging. 

A container of art supplies

Well, guess what? A couple of days ago, someone responded, and now I've pulled the tub out, and it will be donated next week!

This tub has been sitting in various places for over twenty years!!! It's time it went. Now, I have this little space between the two desks CLEAR except for my garbage and recycling, which I always use. Actually, I could get rid of the trash can. I don't generate that much here, but recycling is constantly used. 

In my eyes, every small victory is monumental! But this one is big! 

More empty floor space in the office

Let's just say I have to take an afternoon next week and start delivering some of the stuff around the house. It needs to go! 

Look at the fabric scrap bin. It's growing, and I'll attempt to empty it later today. I like seeing it fill up and getting to start over! 

The scrap bin on the cutting table

A new project landed at my door yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect in the package size, but this is how the fabric came. 

A box of fabric

It's a big, long tube of fabric. The project is scheduled for next week. I'll share more as I start working on it. 

Since I live close to two different grocery stores, I frequent both because I can only find some things at one or they are cheaper. Yesterday, I scored when I saw my protein bars ON SALE. Usually, they are $2.99 a bar, but they were on sale for $2. They are great to have before spin class. 

My supply of protein bars

The hilarious thing is that you can buy them in a box, but a box of 12 was on sale for $26.99. You do the math! 

I just looked at my calendar for next week. There is nothing next weekend except one class I am taking, not giving! Yeah, but I'll be at the long arm all week as I need to catch up there. 

There was no time for jigsaw puzzles yesterday. That one is still sitting on the table, and maybe later today, as a reward for all the work I did yesterday, last night, and early this morning, I deserve an hour's break to work on that puzzle. 

There are days when I think about what I do all day and realize I spend a lot of time prepping for classes or events! Thank goodness I like the projects or would be in big trouble! 

Well, it's time to get the party started!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!