Grand Opening day at Michaels in Joliette

I'm home!!! Let's just say that travel day will go down in my history books. And it wasn't until I got home and saw a post on Facebook that I realized it was Friday the 13th. Now, given what crazy things happened yesterday to other travelers, my day wasn't really so bad after all! Like, seriously? All US airplane traffic shut down! A cruise ship sank, and thankfully no one was injured or worse. A few minor inconveniences? I can handle that!

But the flight home involved THREE different boarding passes, the final one being seat 1A. Yes—to end my day, I got upgraded! It was a silly day, and I'll share the stories because it's hilarious and it just seemed to go from bad to worse, but again - I wasn't dumped into a body of water, so all was good. AND I never chat with my seatmate, but he started talking and OH MY GOSH --- I may have found something to help Murphy with her legs. I kid you not!!! You have to wait for that story—it'll blow your mind! Well, it blew my mind, but then it doesn't take much to make that happen. No time today!

I finished "working" at 2 PM, didn't get home until 9 PM, and literally had no time between the various stages to stop and get anything to eat or drink. I'm not kidding—it was just one of those days!

I have to say, I was super excited (of course I was!) to demo that new little Singer Smart Heavy Duty 9120 machine at Michaels yesterday. I told you all about the new format at Micheal's, and while it doesn't look too different, there are places to play, so to speak! Of course, the whole idea is to get you to buy more!! More about the day in a moment. 

So this will give you a chuckle. I was sitting at my desk on Thursday morning, chatting on the phone to get more details about the Friday event. And my eye wandered between the two desks. OH MY GOSH --- there is my LOST iPad charger. I NEVER use that plug, but I remember needing the iPad at my desk, and the battery was low!!! At least I have two now, but I will confess that I LOVE the new longer cord, and it came in super handy yesterday. So I'm kind of glad I lost the cord!

The missing iPad charger in the outlet.

And you are going to get the pictures that you were supposed to get yesterday. After Facebook Live ended, I finished the embroidery on the letters of my "in-the-hoop" wall hanging. 

The first part of the JOY wall hanging.

Here is the one I finished completely. I will add something to the one above as well, but why not make it different - because I can!!! I might get to that later today or, most likely, this coming week. 

The original JOY wall hanging.

And in case you think I cheated, took a picture, and then added the holly, nope—there are, in fact, two of those mini wall hangings! 

Two mini wall hangings

But this is the one that I had a lot of fun with. Heck - I have fun with them all. But people are so afraid of making mistakes - I just want to reach out and give them a shake!!! So I made this wall hanging to remind them that mistakes are OK. Mistakes are good. Mistakes mean you are learning! Embrace those mistakes!!!

My "mistakes" wall hanging.

FYI --- for those with embroidery machines and who have access to that Mega Turnable Hoop (Husqvarna Viking) or Grand Turanble Hoop (PFAFF), I made this in that hoop, and the background is quilted!! It worked like a charm, and now I have a list in my head of other things I want to make. It all came from the Creative Embroidery Software! I just assembled the components as they came to my head. I NEVER preplan anything like this. I typically start with a quote or a word and then let my brain do the rest. 

By the way, that hoop size is almost 18" square - it's massive. 

On the way to the airport on Thursday, I had a bit of time, so I enjoyed lunch in the lounge. A new perk of my status, which I will have all of next year. DH says I'll have to keep up the travel, as I will NOT want to lose that privilege. I could buy my way into the lounge, but seriously? I'm not that kind of person. And yesterday at the airport, it was such a disaster that there was no time to get to the lounge. 

Lunch at the lounge

But here is where I was for the day. YUL—otherwise known as Montreal, Quebec. I am always so excited to go there because I get to practice my French. And it's funny because when I arrived at the store, many people spoke English, but yesterday it was almost entirely in French. I loved it!!! And yes, people can tell that I'm not a native French-Canadian, and you know what? That's OK. 

YUL airport

I think I have mentioned this about getting to the rental car area at the Montreal Airport. It's a nightmare because you have to walk a fair distance, then catch the shuttle bus. I wondered about that, and now I know the story behind it, which I'll share when I share the travel story. What a flipping nightmare. All I can say is that if I have to go to Montreal again, I would consider driving. Seriously - think about it. I finished the job at 2 PM. I arrived at 9 PM. That's 7 hours. I could almost have driven home in probably a lot more peace than I had yesterday!

Walking through the bowels of the airport to get to the shuttle for the rental cars

And the car I had had keys that you had to use to start the car! What the heck is that all about? 

Keys for a car? What do I do with those?

This is one thing that I hoped to try out yesterday, but it didn't work. You take a picture on your phone to the Michael's framing department, and then in 10 minutes it's framed! How cool is that? And since NO ONE prints photos any longer, I think this is a great service. I was trying to decide which photo to use, and nothing came to mind. And I didn't have time either. I think this is now part of all Michaels stores. 

A very cool new service at Michaels

This is the fabric department at the new Michaels stores! Yes -- it looks just like a regular fabric store! I was quite impressed, and they have Singer and Brother machines for sale!!!! They are prominently displayed on this counter. I will be providing feedback to the company after the event yesterday - of course I will! 

The sewing machines on display

And look at that cutting table. Oh my—wouldn't that be fun to have in your house!

The cutting station at Michaels

The machine I demoed was also displayed on an endcap. My station yesterday was right across from it. 

The new Singer Smart Heavy Duty 9120

The other thing is that the fabric department is RIGHT inside the front door. You can't miss it!!! 

The fabric department is right inside the front door.

Another unusual thing is that they had a couple of spots with lower countertops. I'm not sure what this one was for - maybe showing a table set for Christmas rather than items on a shelf. But other areas had activities you could do—big sheets of brown paper on one so you could experiment with the pens; another had a charm bar to make garlands or something like that. All geared toward buying more, but let's face it—that's what a store is all about. And I would much rather shop in person than online. That's so boring!

New lower display areas

I arrived at the store bright and early on Friday morning. The store was buzzing with activity as employees and executives bustled around, putting the finishing touches on everything. It was insane!!!!

This was the entrance to the store. A food truck, balloons, a ribbon-cutting ceremony—the whole thing! They gave a speech to the employees before everyone went outside for the public speeches and ribbon-cutting ceremony. It was a bit cool (I had to scrape the frost off the car), but it was glorious!

The new Michaels store in Joliette

I have to say I was super impressed by the whole situation, especially by David Boone, the CEO of Michaels. Yes -- the whole Michaels. He was there, and he said some opening words. BUT he spoke in French, and I had to ask the staff if he was THE CEO from the US. Yes --- that was him. His French wasn't perfect, but he made the effort, and I could have hugged him for it!!! But hey—if you are going to open a brand-new flagship store in an area where French is the dominant language, you'd better give your speech in French. Kudos to Micheals for making that happen. I was duly impressed. He has ties to Canada, so French wouldn't be new to him. 

Throughout the day, I spotted other executives from Canada shuffling carts back to their spot and tidying up, and it was refreshing! I remember one situation where I was setting up a booth for a major show, and we had a VP who was not my favorite person. I remember him trying to sit on the sidelines and NOT helping the rest of the crew set up. He was quickly told to get his butt in gear and help! Seriously? Because you are an executive, you are too good to get your hands dirty? I could have killed him! 

I met a number of executives from both countries and was asked if I was going back next week - well, to a different new Michaels that is opening next week. Oh my god --- so exciting! I may end up going - I'll see what my boss says. I'm sure she is tired of me and my crazy ideas! I know—just say no, but it's hard when it's so much fun. And no planes would be involved in this event. I'll see. The other thing is that many of those executives stopped by to make sure I was OK and to see how things were going. I know this is a new venture for them, and of course they were interested in protecting their investment, not in me personally, but it was nice to see their interest. 

My display at the Michaels store

So many consumers stopped to look and get my little explanation. They were amazed to see this little machine stitching away all on its own! I wasn't sure about using my phone for the controls, but you know what? I'm really liking that concept. I'd like a bit more time with it to really understand all the capabilities, but it was a super fun day!!!

WAIT ---- this happened a couple of times, and if you are the spouse that does this, then STOP doing it. A husband and a wife would walk by. The woman was so not interested in the sewing machine, and I totally get that - not everyone wants to sew. But the MEN were interested in the technology and wanted to stop to look. I can just hear what the women said: "That lady is just trying to sell you a machine, and I am NOT interested." For God's sake—if you want to stop and look, then stop and look. If DH did that to me, I would let him continue walking, and I would stop.

But seriously—your spouse has interests too, and you never know when something might tweak his interest. Let him look!!!!! 

They had beautiful, vibrant FELT yardage, so I got some, but it ended up taking up a ton more space than I thought. OK—I did NOT think about how much space it would take. Once I got to the airport, I had to repack, and well, it was hilarious. Most of it fit in my suitcase and backpack, but I also had to carry a small box with my display stands because it just wouldn't fit!! I'll take a picture later. 

They had those carts you can drag behind you, plus baskets, and I spotted all kinds of stuff in those baskets as they passed me by. It was totally crazy!!!! Yep -- you can have a Harry Potter village!!! 

Harry Potter village

And let's not forget the Elf on the Shelf is everywhere! I'm sure that Shirley has her out, or he is getting ready to escape??

The Elf on the Shelf

I wonder if this little clip would keep him or her under control. Not likely!!!!

Watch out!!!!

A quick note about the hotel, which I'm sure was filled with Micheals people as well as me. The shower was bizarre. The door was right by the spout, so you had to walk into the water to get into the shower. I've seen enough hotel showers to last me a lifetime, and I've only seen a smart design ONCE. But it probably cost twice as much, which is why I've never seen it again. The spout and the controls were on opposite sides of the shower. 

The doors are backward in this shower.

And if you want to make breakfast, there's a toaster and a microwave in the hallway, but don't use them at the same time, or they can shut off a breaker!! 

Breakfast anyone?

I had great intentions to work on my two presentations on Thursday evening and completely forgot. I remembered them when I was on the plane. But when I arrived home, I was exhausted, so I got up VERY early this morning. One is done; the other has all the pictures. I just need to review it to see if it makes sense!!! 

And on that note, I'm out of here. The girls are prancing as they need a walk, and they are not afraid to tell me so. 

This afternoon? I hope to get to Studio B, either to sew or to attempt to tidy up a bit. I have no idea even where to begin. I might need a nap to compensate for the very early morning. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

New and exciting!

 I will be spending the day in a "danger" zone! Shopping danger, that is. There are two kinds of shops I shouldn't be allowed to wander around in: a bookstore and a craft store. I'm good with quilt stores now - I can only buy what I need and then get out. I'll tell you where I am in a second. 

Oh my -- hopefully the pictures will come through. Microsoft seems to be having difficulty letting me log in this morning. I wonder if they are still having problems. OK -- we may not have pictures. I totally get that there are security reasons for all this, but it is starting to drive me crazy. Two-step verification, doing it multiple times and then timing out. It's so annoying. 

Well, I just checked, and Outlook is still down—does that make it 24 hours? I'm sure the business world and anyone who uses Microsoft Teams are in a tizzy, and they should be. We put a lot of faith in Microsoft, and they have failed! Let's just say that I would NOT want to be on their team this morning. 

If only the hackers worked with us, not against us, computers would be so easy to use!!

I guess that means there are no pictures this morning, so you just have to bear with me as I describe what happened. 

This will mean nothing without the pictures, but let's get my writing skills out and your imagination. Imagine the word JOY in large, rounded letters on a white background. The letters are made from candy-striped muted red fabric. Some boughs of machine-embroidered holly sit on top of the J, the bottom of the O, and the top of the Y. Now that you have that vision in your head, here's what I did. 

WAIT --- I went to the video and snagged this photo. How did your vision compare to the real thing? 

This is one of my single-word projects. I love doing these - you take a single word and create a small wall hanging from it. I quilt the background with the embroidery machine, and then I cut the appliqué shapes for the letters on my Singer Momento (24" digital cutter). Then I appliqué the letters on using the embroidery machine. Did I mention that I design the entire thing in the Creativate Embroidery Software? 

If I need a little embellishment, and I did in this case, as the letters looked a bit lonely by themselves, I added a holly embroidery motif. The letters looked a bit plain with nothing else, and it just screamed GREEN to me - then I found a holly motif in our online Creativate Design Catalog and embroidered that on. Then I bound it in sewing mode. 

Wait—I didn't share the back with you, and I can't since I'm not home. But they are so fun to make. 

Well, that's a bit of a bust—let's hope everything is working just fine tomorrow. The pictures are coming through just fine to my phone email, which is NOT a Microsoft product. Wait—if I had the proper cable, I could transfer the pictures to the computer and bypass email altogether. Shoot -- I do not have that cable in my cable bag. I'll add that for future snafus!! 

I had a plane to catch at noon, and everything went smoothly. I had tried to get on the upgrade list, but that just didn't happen. Why? The silly app just wouldn't let me, but I suspected I would be too far down the list to get one of the three available seats. I am on the list today, but I am number four with three seats available. Why do I just miss the darn cutoff? 

But it was the first time I could access the lounge with my "new" status, so that was fun! Then I got on the plane and had a great flight to  - I can't even put the picture in here - but I flew to Montreal, which is a short flight for me. 

Thank goodness I came to Montreal in October with my colleagues, because I'm not sure I would have found the car rental place. The area around the terminal is in complete disarray because of major construction. 

To get to the car rental, you must walk a very long way, and it's mostly outside, under part of the terminal building, and you literally walk around it, or so it seems. Then you arrive at the shuttle bus, which takes you to the car rental. Now, why the shuttle bus can't meet you at the terminal like the limos and taxis do is beyond me, but then I'm not the genius who figured out the temporary situation. 

Then I had the fun of driving to Joliette, which is about 1.5 hours from the airport. It was around 2 PM on a Thursday afternoon, and the traffic was insane. Now we think the traffic in Toronto is insane, and I suppose it is when you consider that we have MANY MANY lanes of traffic on the major highway to get through the city. 

Here on Highway 20, there are at most THREE. And the GPS kept trying to avoid the traffic, and I just said -- screw this -- keep me on the main highway. It might take 2 minutes longer, but it's less hassle. 

I passed right by the exit for one of the places I used to live, and I was tempted to zip off and have a peek, but I decided to stay on the highway. If I have time on the way home, I might. But I doubt that since I'll be going back later today (Friday) and it will be rush hour again!

I got to Joliette in good time and spotted the Michaels store where I will be today. Yes -- that Michaels - the arts and crafts store!! When Joann's closed in the US, Michaels took over some of their product lines and decided to bring fabric into their stores. Actually, at the flagship store in Dallas, Texas, they have had fabric for about three years now. So even before Joann's closed, Michaels was testing fabric. 

Now they have gone in with a vengeance, and they are also selling sewing machines - Singer and Brother. 

Most of you in Canada have spotted fabric in Michaels, but it's been a long process, and they have tried to incorporate it into their existing spaces. 

They are creating new stores that allow a lot more interaction than just selling rows and rows of product. And now - I wish I could share the photos; the brand new store in Joliette is the FIRST store in Canada to have that format. Here is the press release from Michaels so you can check it out. 

The store has a relatively large sewing/knitting/crochet department with a massive cutting table (I want the table), fabric displayed in the two corners, and, right in the middle of it all, the table with the sewing machines. It's all rather exciting!!!

The bigwigs from Michaels Canada are here, and I met a couple of them yesterday. 

So why am I here? Singer has a new and exciting embroidery machine called the Singer SMART Heavy Duty 9120. This machine is fairly inexpensive - it is for anyone who wants to start with sewing and embroidery but without a huge price point. How is that possible? The embroidery area is small, but that's OK. The big deal is that there are NO electronics in the machine—it runs from the Creativate app on a cell phone!! YES!!!! 

At first, I wasn't sure what to think, and now? I'm hooked, and it's helped me see the vision of Creativate, which is the glue that ties the technology of SVP Worldside (the parent company of PFAFF, Husqvarna Viking, Singer, and Creativate!) together. Check out the video, and you'll see what I mean. 

So I'll be demoing that machine today!!! Before you poo-poo this technology—keep in mind that this is the future!!! Apps let us do so much, and if there is a way to keep costs down, that's where the younger generations are going! It allows people to get into machine embroidery at a very low price point. Less than $1000 in Canada, and that is HUGE!

The other thing I spotted at Michela's was in the framing department. You can come in, give them a picture, and they will print it, frame it, and you'll have it in ten minutes. Seriously??? I want to get something framed - I should have done it yesterday, which was their test day. Today is the grand opening, and I expect the place will be a zoo. 

But Michaels has hired a ton of people to be at the store, and if you can't find someone or they don't find you, you must be hiding in the craft-making area!!! I certainly expected a lot of French language in this area, but the bigwigs are from out of town, and almost everyone is speaking English. It's a crazy place and today is going to be FUN!!!

So lots of exciting things are going on. I was going to say I'd take pictures, but my phone will be tied up! WAIT - I can still use my phone to take pictures while I'm embroidering! 

People are arriving at the store at 6 AM to make sure everything looks spiffy for today's grand opening, and I'm sure there were a few bugs yesterday that need fixing. I will be arriving at 7:30, and hopefully everything will go smoothly for the setup. I have played with this embroidery machine, but I've never set it up, so let's see how easy it is!!!

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!

When your unwanted things find a new home!

Thanks for the advice on the Christmas cactus. It did cross my mind that this may not be the best time to disturb it. I'll just keep adding water and leave it alone. What is it about neglect and this type of plant? I may just move one of those tables to the kitchen window, just a few feet from where it resides today, and put the bowl on that table to give the plant more room and support. 

And KUDOS on the experimenting with the sock knitting. If you get it right the first time, you are not learning! That is on my list one day - to knit socks, but with that automatic sock knitter! I'll get there one day!

But neither of those things are going to happen today. I need to be on a plane in a few hours, and I still have to prep for that event. Thankfully, the prep is minimal, so all should happen in time - not plenty of time, but time! Just remember to pack thread!!! And bobbin thread! And to "sneak" a pair of scissors past security! I have a very small pair that works, so all is good!

So the Facebook Live went off without a hitch yesterday. Although we were two minutes from starting and OH MY GOD -- I noticed that I had on the sweater with the small gap in the seam at the shoulder. I had to run and get another sweater because that would have bugged me to no end. And yes—I called Meredith "Judith" a couple of times. I knew I did it, and where that name came from? I have no idea. 

Here's the link. A small tutorial on using the Quilt Block Wizard in the Creativate Embroidery Software! And you have to zip to the end to see my new sample - at least one of them I made. The one about making mistakes! I forgot to take a picture, and if I remember before I leave today, I'll grab a picture for tomorrow. 

OH -- by the way, I'll be back tomorrow in case you are in one of my classes this weekend and wondering if they are still a go. YES—I'll be back tomorrow evening. 

Thankfully, the trips, bouncing around, and events are coming to a close for this year! I have a three-day quilt retreat coming up (which I can't wait for), a one-day (driving distance) event in December, and unless I decide to go to my parents, that is all I have for travel for this year. 

Actually, my schedule is looking pretty empty for the remainder of the year - it's just that so much gets thrown in the same week. Someone told me never to say that about my schedule, because then something else comes along. Thankfully, December is the month when not much happens. I have some day trips I want to take and classes to keep up with, and I'm just going to say no to other things. This trip to Montreal was unexpected, and I already said no to another event happening at the same time as the retreat. 

Someone on our street is getting some major work done. At first, I thought they were getting a pool dug, but I think they are getting the pool filled in? Anyway—this is the second time I've seen this massive mound of dirt in the street. No cones, nothing to highlight that there is a massive mound of dirt in the street and very little room to get around it. 

Very little room to get around the dirt

It's all gone now, but it didn't look very safe when I walked by, and I'm not one to complain about safety issues! 

OK—Murphy is like a leaf magnet when we go for a walk. Yes, she is in desperate need of a grooming, and I must take care of that next week. I picked all the leaves off her, thinking she was done with them. But NO - she spotted a squirrel and was insistent on trying to chase it, and then she was covered with leaves again!! And now you know why we have so many leaves in our house at this time of year. Even with grooming, that fine hair is like a magnet. Lexi? She could roll into the leaves, and NOTHING would follow her in the house. 

Murphy is a leaf magnet.

Speaking of Lexi, I spotted her out back in this little garden area that Murphy likes to sleep in. I have no idea what she was looking at, but it was pretty intense! 

An intense moment of staring in the backyard

Here's another one of our upper cabinets in the kitchen. We have a lot of upper cabinets, and this is the tea area—I know—that's how many cabinets we have! Let's see—one of those pots on the top shelf is broken—well, the lid is no longer attached —and there's a clear teapot. In fact, there are three teapots in this cupboard. I used to use them; I don't anymore. Everything on the top two shelves could go! OH MY GOSH --- when I get the chance to go through the cupboards again, there will be practically nothing left. So you can see I decluttered my kitchen ten years ago and gave away HALF of the stuff in the cupboards. And I could probably cut the contents in half AGAIN! But did you notice something else? Once I decluttered, I am perfectly happy with an EMPTY space. An empty space is NOT permission to buy something else! Leave it empty!

Another partially empty upper cabinet. 

I also need to go through the gold tin on the bottom, as I think it has tea accessories in it, but they probably aren't needed anymore. Oh my!!!!! As I mentioned, once you start giving things away, you look at the value and are happy to give. 

I should also mention there is a box of TANG (the teal box) on the left. Where did that come from? Could that be the remainder of our 60s lunch that we hosted at a retreat one year - many years ago? I must go through those few food items on the left and ask DH if he wants any of that. The Tang will have to go - it's horrible. How did we ever drink that as kids? 

The two worst upper cabinets are the ones with the day-to-day dishes and mugs and another one with just glasses. Again --- most of the stuff in both areas can go! My problem is that I want to tackle it all and I can't. I need to FOCUS -- guess what? I think I just found my word for 2027. FOCUS and FOCUS HARD!!!! 

Look at that little bud grow!!!! It's amazing how this plant is doing, and it's been so neglected. It's been sitting in water since March, after the cutting was tightly wrapped in a paper towel, then plastic wrap, and thrown in a suitcase! 

The buds are growing! 

Murphy may not be as mobile as she used to be, but boy - she is making up for that by becoming a super-intense guard dog! I don't know how many times yesterday she barked her head off. I came up, and one time I spotted a cat. OK -- she HATES cats with a vengeance. I don't know what she would do if she ever got close to one! But she can spot them at the end of the street, and that is too close for her!

Thank goodness that bicycle is in front of the window and it's doing its job. Which is to keep Murphy from jumping on the window, although I don't think she would try that now. But yes—in the past, she would jump on the window!

MOM - this bike thing is in my way!!!

But look at her. I was afraid that she would fall off the bed. 

MOM - I NEED to get that squirrel!!

You can't really see in this picture, but she was barking at a squirrel!! Let's just say I got a lot of steps, and thankfully she didn't bark during the Facebook Live. Or maybe she did, but I didn't hear her!

Yep -- there's a camouflaged squirrel out there.

And that Lexi is lazy as ever. She was lying in her bed, and I think she was guarding it from her sister, who also likes to sleep there. Look at that eye!!! Huskies tend NOT to get excited about much—well, that's not true, but they are very lazy when they want to be. So she doesn't even move her head - just her eye!

MOM - I can see you!!!

Here are all the bobbins I emptied while making my samples the other day. Granted, some of them were partial bobbins, but still. It would have been easier for me to use full bobbins, but then what do you do with the partials? So I plunked them in the embroidery machine, and away I went. It's all about keeping things neat and tidy and using up to prevent clutter. The bobbins are saved and go to a group that makes fidget quilts. The bobbins are placed on a ribbon, and the ends are secured!

I emptied NINE bobbins this week.

I have so many supplies, like prewound bobbins, and spools and spools of bobbin thread. I will never give those away because they're consumables, and I will use them. So I had better start using it up. I pulled out some older bobbin thread and threw it in the embroidery machine, and it worked like a charm. 

This was in my tea yesterday. How true is this!!! I know that some of you are probably sick of me talking about making mistakes, but seriously? If you don't make mistakes, then what are you learning? What drives me mad is that people are very sympathetic when OTHER people make mistakes, but not when they make them. They expect perfection!!! That's the most bizarre thing I ever heard of. The more mistakes you make, the more you want to make them, because everything I've learned from my mistakes would fill a book! 

Great advice for making mistakes

Do you remember I shared a picture from the magazines about the wooden quilt rack? Here's the ad once again. I mentioned I had one and gave it away. 

The ad for the wooden quilt hanger

The person who got the rack is using it!!!! She sent me a picture of it. This hangs in her cottage, and it's the perfect place for it. I love the colored lanterns on top! This is something that we all need to take into account with our stuff. If you are NOT using it, someone else can. Don't wait—find a new home for your unwanted things NOW!!!! Thanks for sharing the photo - you know who you are! 

My quilt rack looks so beautiful in someone else's cottage.

If I remember correctly, she said she is looking for a second one, so if you have one and you no longer need it, I can find a home for it!!!!

There's so much more I could chat about, but I have to get my butt to the gym. I should have canceled the appointment with Brooke, but after I get back, I will be happy I went. By the way—I did make the traffic light by 6 AM the other day!!! As you have probably guessed, small things like that matter to me, and it's the ridiculous stuff like that that keeps me going. You may think I'm weird, and I'm perfectly OK with that. 

I managed to get enough homework done last night to pull off the two classes this weekend, and if I'm smart, I'll make the presentations later this afternoon when I arrive at the hotel. Then, if I get a chance to do more sewing tomorrow evening, I'll do that. Did I say how happy I would be when this week is over? 

And on that note -- I'm off to pump iron!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

You EARN luck - it just doesn't happen!

Oh my goodness—what a crazy day yesterday was! But you know what? It was the kind of day that I absolutely love! I didn't have to be anywhere; I had ideas bouncing around in my head, I had two embroidery machines going, and I attempted to sew, but I got the grand total of ONE seam sewn, and that was it! 

But several times during the day, as I calmly walked through the debris field that is Studio B, I thought about how fortunate I am to do what I do. Having a great day like yesterday calms me, relaxes me, and the time just passes! When this event is over, I need to start tidying up.

I think I started at 9:30 AM and ended at 8 PM. As I was stitching, more ideas came to mind, and a BRILLIANT one popped into my head - actually, it was a solution to something that I've tossed around for a while. Oh yes--- if you are at all interested in machine embroidery and making small, simple projects, today's tutorial is going to be very interesting. 

Yes—today is a tutorial, with MANY other concepts thrown in, but this is the type of project we're going to recreate! They are so fun and make an amazing gift. The first one was just for fun; the second one is my word of the year!! I am struggling to choose just one word for next year! Except for the binding, these are all done in the embroidery hoop!

One of the projects on the Facebook Live today

The second project is my word of the year for 2026

Someone mentioned they may want to follow along—if so, I suggest following along with the computer part only. I won't be doing much stitching, and the focus will be on the computer. If you want to follow along, here's another tip: select a single word you want to play with. You will NOT get to any stitching, but you can have your project designed!

And here are the links again:

Husqvarna Viking North America  - https://www.facebook.com/events/1475580608011503

PFAFF North America - https://www.facebook.com/events/989058440360763

The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube (on both PFAFF North America and Husqvarna Viking North America) at 3 PM EDT. 

If you can't attend, you can watch the video on YouTube, and I'll post the links. 

I know you can't really see it in this picture, but both embroidery machines were working for most of the day! It was exhausting, as there was no clear path from one to the other, but I got in a ton of steps yesterday because of it! 

Two embroidery machines at work!

And I had a 2-hour session to watch in the afternoon, so I sat at the table watching the video on my external monitor, designing my next machine embroidery project on the laptop, and babysitting two embroidery machines. It was crazy, but I had my open earbuds in, so I wouldn't miss anything. I used up a lot of bobbins yesterday - I forgot to take a picture of them! I might want to go back and rewatch part of that session yesterday, since my brain wasn't always focused on the video.  

Watching a video on the external monitor

I'm not quite finished and have about one hour left of embroidery this morning. Then I connect to the Livestream link, double-check the camera angles, and walk through the presentation to make sure all the supplies and samples I need are ready!

I laugh as I write this because I don't think anyone can truly appreciate how much work goes into prepping these presentations! Actually, it's not that much prep - the issue comes when I decide that I absolutely MUST have a sample of something and then I go down a rabbit hole. That's what happened yesterday - I made THREE new samples. I NEEDED those samples! Why? Because it's easier for me to explain some things. As I walk through the presentation in my head, I anticipate what questions I would ask, and if I don't have a good way to show the answer, then I make a sample! 

Plus, the samples will be great for my embroidery club if they aren't watching this video, and they will work for my in-person presentations too. 

And you know the MOST IMPORTANT reason I make those samples? It's technically NOT for you; they are for ME!!!! I learned some amazing things yesterday, which I will share with those who are interested. 

It never ceases to amaze me how people think they can learn: they buy a new sewing machine, new software, or whatever it is. Then they want to learn - but all they want to do is have someone feed them that information, and they are terrified of actually messing around with the new item. Well, it was only because of my past experiences, my curiosity, letting my brain have a play day while I worked, and anticipating a question from you that the lightbulb went off and I had to make another sample!

What came to mind was such a simple concept that I'm almost embarrassed to tell people, but it just goes to show that when you get the creative juices going, you never know what will happen. Plus I need to stop walking the girls! LOL—that's another time when ideas come to mind. 

Perhaps my brain is wired differently, but here's something to contemplate. When I walk the dogs, babysit embroidery machines, or mess around with the software, I run through scenarios and let my mind wander. 

What's the problem or the project at hand? 

What supplies do I need? Is everything ready? If not, I need to prep it. 

Then you start to work the problem - one by one and POOF- the ideas just pop into my head. But that's NOT just because my brain is wired that way—I LET the ideas pop into my head, and because I have so much experience and am willing to make mistakes, those ideas just come. 

PLEASE - do NOT call me talented, lucky, or creative when it comes to what I do. I will be insulted! There was a time when I had no clue what machine embroidery was all about - NOTHING!!! But I've built up the learning curve and am thrilled to make mistakes, and well, that's why those ideas come to me! So please - do NOT call me lucky - I am not - I've worked hard to get lucky! 

I'm not alone in that thought!!!

You might not want to put 12-hour days into machine embroidery, and I'm sure the hours on those machines just yesterday alone are more than some people have on theirs after owning them for months! My plan? Blow the clock up on those machines!!! I'm going to call it testing the longevity of those embroidery machines. 

This morning before the session, I NEED to get some homework done for the weekend. Everything is prepped and ready to go! I just need some quiet sewing time. 

Of course, I got additional steps because of these two. They wanted in; they wanted out. Murphy came down to visit and then needed help to get up the stairs. DH is away, and they are very needy, and with me in the basement, they are not happy!!

MOM - We NEED YOU!!!!!

I could NOT find the darn charger for my iPad, and I needed to get a new USB multi-port for my laptop. I remember from the last Facebook Live that one of them wasn't working properly. So I headed to the mall and took the car. It was after dinner, and I didn't want to walk in the dark, and I didn't have the time. I didn't go for a walk yesterday, yet I had almost 17,000 steps. 

Remember that flower stand in that shop window? It's been restocked. There is another side that you can only see from inside the store, and I didn't go in. But they are selling the flowers for $10 apiece. I guess it must be a big thing since they have restocked or maybe this isn't a display, but they are actually selling the flowers. 

More crocheted flowers

And everything is set up for Christmas. I can't wait for Santa! 

Santa is coming!!!

To reiterate about my Christmas cactus—there isn't just one bud at the end of a single leaf, but buds at the ends of ALL the leaves. I better repot that thing this weekend. I probably want two pots - one for the Christmas cactus and one for the other cactus that is also in that little bowl. 

Lots of buds on the Christmas cactus

As I was scrambling to find my lost iPad charger, I opened this drawer of cords. What a flipping mess this is. I need to go through it and see what I need or don't need. I suspect that the ends of those cords no longer work on anything, and they should be tossed. It is such a waste when they change the ends of our devices. I think most of these are old cords with the Lightning connector on the Apple side (iPad only in my house) and some other connector for my old phones. 

A mess of cords

So I need to go through that - I think there are two drawers and I probably don't need any of it. 

The fellow at the store told me not to buy the Apple charger because it was way more expensive than a generic one, and the one he recommended was sanctioned by Apple. I found a slow-charging cord; it's not a good solution, so I bought a new one with a 6-foot cord. There is nothing so silly as to have a short charging cord. I hated that charging cord, so that is probably why I lost it! LOL. 

I remember tossing it somewhere - in a suitcase? With samples? No idea. But it will surface, and then I'll have two. 

DH is scheduled to arrive home sometime today. Oh boy—I had better warn him that it looks like a bomb went off in the kitchen. There are samples everywhere! OK -- just on the kitchen island and the table, but still! I will try to tidy that up before he comes home. And perhaps sweep the leaves off the floor! 

It is Remembrance Day today - November 11th. It is the day when the hostilities in WW1 ended. At the 11th hour on the 11th day (how accurate is that?), an armistice was reached between Germany and the Allied nations. 

Please stop for a minute at 11 AM this morning and remember what so many people gave to keep our world a free one. We owe them everything! 

What I love is that there is so many poppy displays these days. I'll share some of them tomorrow - I don't have time this morning as I'm off to the gym. Wear your poppy with pride, and remember those who sacrificed so much to give us the life and freedom we take for granted today. 

I'll see some of you on my call later today!!!!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao

PS --- AI sucks!!! I swear the editing software had a gremlin in it this morning. I'm probably going to miss that 6 o'clock traffic light. That's OK. 

PREP work and organization can save so much time!

LOL --- take a break? The demos weren't supposed to go for an entire hour, but you know me! I also had something else on my mind that stressed me out on Sunday, but a day later, after saying it out loud a couple of times, I'm over it. I can't stress about things that happened in the past that I can't control.

I admit that I made a goof (no harm done, no one got hurt) and life goes on. In the past, I would dwell on that for days, but now? What's the point? So all is good in my world and life goes on! I'm well-rested and ready to tackle the rest of the week. 

The final deer for the Show and Tell quilt is done! Yeah!!!!

The third deer block is complete.

I decided to follow the pattern and use the narrower strip between the legs. Here are the other two. 

My other two deer blocks

My time is a wee bit tight this week. I wish things could be spread out more so that I have a bit of time to breathe between events. Some months, things are wide open; other months, everyone decides we need to do something. It's temporary, so I can survive. It's really just the next couple of days and trying to get everything organized for the weekend. Plus I have a trip to Montreal that got thrown in this week, PLUS a Facebook Live. More on that in a minute!

Look at my sweet girl. She wants to play ball, so I gently rolled it across the floor. I think she realized playing ball may not be the best thing, so she plunked herself down on the mat, and I rolled the ball to her. She was happy! What was hilarious, and I didn't get a picture, was that she lay there for a long time, trying to engage with the ball! It just sat there! 

MOM -- Look at me - I'm playing ball!!!

I will say that the support strap that we purchased to help her up the stairs is a godsend!! I could have made one, but that wasn't going to happen. It's wide and padded with long handles, so I slip it under her tummy, and when she slips/collapses, I've got her. She is getting quite used to it, and sometimes when I'm not quick enough to put it under her tummy, she looks back at me and says politely - HURRY UP, MOM - I need to get to bed!!!

I can't tell you how much a little prep work or organization can make a huge difference in your day. When I did my first Facebook Live a while back, the setup issues were incredible. I didn't know which cables to use, didn't have the right lengths, and had many, many other issues. Then I threw it all back in a bucket, and what a mess to do it all over again. 

Now, everything is labeled in bags for each camera, and it's a snap. I have a Facebook Live tomorrow, and here's what happened this morning. My workout was fixing this area, not going to the gym. 

This is where the current project stuff is sitting, so I quickly moved that out of the way. Now that there is a lot less on those tables, it was super easy. I will get to a point where there isn't a lot on those tables, but that is not today. The portal design boards are in the corner, to conceal those bookcases. 

The start of setting up the film area

As I mentioned, I was in a bit of a funk yesterday morning, and if someone had called me to pick up books, I think I was prepared to get rid of the entire lot! GASP!!! I NEVER thought I would say that. But you know what? The more I get rid of things, the more I want to get rid of things, including books!!! I'm stunned! Now don't worry—that is not going to happen, but there are many books I will never use. However, there are book categories that I want to keep! 

Anyway, the next step in setting up the area was to bring out the cameras and the tripods. The cameras stay attached to the tripods, so it's easy to set up. I only have to attach the iPad or phone, depending on which device I'm using as the fourth camera. 

The tripods are out

I moved the sewing equipment into place and brought in an extra table to work on. 

Sewing machine in place

I love this tower power thing, but I've dropped it twice. The first time, one side of the base popped out, and the second time, the entire base popped off. It's super annoying now because it won't stand properly, and I've tried multiple times to snap it back in place. It might help if I unplug everything, set it on a table, and push from the bottom. I might try that later today. BUT - I've checked - the wires are still connected; it's just the plastic casing that came apart. 

This is what happens when you drop the power tower - twice! 

And now it looks a bit more "organized!" It's always a challenge to get everything in place, then decide where the cameras should be so you can see what I'm trying to show and not all the behind-the-scenes stuff. And since some of this event uses computer software, I need an extra monitor (no problem - I've got one of those), and it's all in place. 

The bags of cables are ready to install

Today, I'll connect to the Livestream service to test out all the angles and equipment. We were chatting about tripping hazards in the sewing space yesterday on the Monday sewing call. How is this for a tripping hazard? I put the extension cord on a stool to remind me it's there and, hopefully, I won't need to go into that area anymore. 

The tripping zone!! 

I still have some samples/demos to prep today, and I must get back to prepping for my classes on the weekend. People tell me NOT to say this, but after this weekend, I still have things to do, but not the craziness that is this week. 

But that didn't stop me from doing some puzzling last night! Not a jigsaw puzzle - there is a bit too much on that table at the moment. Not only am I having to get ready for this event, but I'm also trying to unpack and set aside what I need tomorrow, what I might need for a couple more online events before the end of the month, and what can be put away. Yikes!!!! 

My mom had a green thumb and could probably grow anything in cement! I love plants, but I seem incapable of making them grow. Yep—it's total neglect, and I'm not afraid to admit it! 

Earlier this year, someone gave me some plant clippings. They were well wrapped and survived a plane trip. Since then, I've been meaning to plant the darn things in a pot. I even bought the pot and the soil. 

In the meantime, the clippings have been sitting in a small glass bowl on my kitchen windowsill. OH MY --- look at this!!! The Christmas cactus is going to bloom!!! Even with extreme neglect, I'm growing things!

Christmas cactus is going to bloom under very adverse conditions.

I guess I had better replant those darn things. I'm surprised because those roots have stood in water for months. And this window never gets sun. Is this telling me something? But if I repot that plant, where the heck am I going to put it? 

WAIT --- I have two metal stands in the living room that I used to put plants on, so they were in the hot sunny window. There is nothing on them, yet they still sit in the living room. If I move at least one of them to the back and put it in front of a window in the eating area, that is the equivalent of the kitchen window. OK -- I don't think I have time to do that today, but I need to get that thing out of the water!!!!

Yesterday, we were chatting about Christmas presents, and this popped up in my feed. OH MY!!!!! 

Good suggestions for Christmas gift-giving

It's been years since we last exchanged gifts with each other, or with anyone. In fact, I don't give gifts at all at Christmas. If we're blessed with grandchildren one day, I will find a nice, sensible gift for the kids, but adults? We don't need more crap!!! At least I don't! 

I think it would be amazing if every family that wants to give gifts does the following: Pick a price point (that's good for the giver and the receiver), then go to your favorite bookstore, hobby store, hardware store, clothing store, online, or in person. Be specific about what you want and make a list. Distribute the list to the members who want to give you something. It's up to them to not get duplicates. 

Then on Christmas Day, they get the chance to give you something, and you get what you want! That makes so much sense. 

OH MY GOSH --- that's just what we did as kids with the Wish Book from Eaton's and Sears. Except, we may not have paid attention to the price! 

And parents NEED to stop catering to their kids who demand the latest trend, and it's out of stock. That's been true since the start of time, I'm sure. But seriously—this is a great place to teach your kid some rules of life! And we all need to throw in a bit of charity or community giving, too. Another good life lesson for the kids. 

Trust me—I didn't do that in the past, but I sure wish I had. I don't give, and I don't expect gifts, and I'm OK with that. I'd rather the gift of TIME with someone than a gift from them. Just like the gift of time I had the other night with the two people I met with for dinner. That provided some great laughs, good memories, and my friendship with both grew! 

And here's the other thing to think about with gift-giving. Let's say you have a $50 limit per gift. Someone decides that they want to throw in a few extra things, so now what you give them is worth $50 and what you get is worth $75. I know they are being generous, but you don't have to be. The person who gets the $75 will feel bad because they only gave $50, but $50 was the limit!!! 

Here are some dates to keep in mind: 

Virtual Retreat -- November 28 and 29

BUT - the most important date is my Facebook Live tomorrow: 

I'm working with the Creativate Embroidery Software AND the Momento, so regardless of what sewing/embroidery machine you have, there is something for you in this presentation. Hence, I'm giving you two links - one from Husqvarna Viking and one from PFAFF. Both will take you to the SAME spot. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1475580608011503

If you want to see the Facebook event page, here are the two links: Not sure why I can't make them hyperlinks this morning, but just copy and paste. 

https://www.facebook.com/HusqvarnaVikingUSA/events

https://www.facebook.com/PfaffUSA/events

Instead of just showing you a bunch of samples, I'll do a TUTORIAL. Yes—from start to finish, how you can make these amazing little quilts, all done in the hoop, except for the binding!!! 

It's so much fun, and I can't wait to share!!!! 

No time to share magazine stuff today, but you'll get more tomorrow! Maybe—depends on how today goes, but since most of the setup is done, I have the rest of the day to finish prepping for the weekend. 

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!