Let's play ball!!!

Not to throw anyone into a panic, but there are a couple of things to mention. 

YES—there is a virtual retreat this weekend. I keep forgetting to mention it. The links will be at the end of today's post, much to Zoom's dismay. Posting links in a public place is a no-no in the security world.  

Second -- I'm almost finished reading The Brain At Rest, by Dr. Joseph Jebelli, PhD, and OH MY GOSH!!! Did you know how much exercise can make your brain bigger? And a bigger brain means that if you have a stroke or some other kind of injury, there is more of your brain left, so the damage may not be as bad. I'm sure I made that sound way too easy. Exercise also releases some chemicals that make your brain a happy place - helping to reduce depression, Alzheimers, etc. 

WAIT -- the good news is that you do not need to lift weights or run a marathon. A simple walking routine EVERY DAY can make a huge difference! HUGE!!! So don't be afraid of exercise - there are lots of programs out there that have you sit in a chair and do various routines, so you don't even need to worry about losing your balance. You do not need to work out hard enough to sweat! It's MOVING that is important.

Exercise is huge, and most people figure they are too old for it. Or why start now? But you would be surprised. 

I used to be a gym junkie and would freak out if I missed a day - well, maybe not that bad. But then I got out of it for a bit, and now I'm getting back into it (can you believe I even contemplated going to the gym this morning - ON MY OWN!), but I had some pictures to take. The next time you wonder where my energy comes from, remember energy begets energy. So the more exercise I do, the more energy I have!

And I want my brain to keep functioning as well, so, besides doing the puzzles, sewing, and other things, exercise will help!

When you work freelance, you never know what your day will entail. After discussion with some of my "bosses" yesterday, I'm taking a wee turn, and that works for me. And it gives me a wee bit of breathing room at this point. As for the two classes this week, I basically have one presentation ready to go - I still need to add in a few pictures, and that allows me the entire day to work on the other one. 

WAIT ---- if you do one thing today, it's this. If you are a scroller of Facebook, PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING that you see. If you see something that sounds real, go to a website and fact-check it. While there are some good things on Facebook, I would hope that your friends' posts are real, but everything else? Most are FAKE. They (whoever they are) are feeding you information that you WANT to believe, but if you fact-check it, someone has faked it! 

By the way, does anyone post personally on Facebook anymore? I do from time to time, but not often. 

As for sewing, I did get some sewing done. I can't share any of it at this point in time, but I have made good progress. I managed to make and trim a few more hourglass blocks! 

Hourglass blocks trimmed

I am packing for the upcoming quilt retreat, and I had to dig around on the current projects table to find a few things. Except for one spool of thread, I think I have amassed everything at the bottom of the stairs. 

Packing for quilt retreat

Except Murphy, of course, who is going to stay home. I know—you are thinking that's a lot of stuff to take, and it is. I plan to load it in the car over the weekend as it's all fabric. There are boxes of scraps that need to be sorted and cut. BOXES, but when you only have to chat with others, sort, and cut? You can get through a lot in a day. I also have a couple of tubs of fleece scraps that I'm going to cut. And I'm taking the scraps for my 365-day quilt to see if I can get a few more blocks cut for that. I have a few projects that will require handwork. It's all pretty light, as they're just scraps, and I plan to leave everything in the car and pull out one container at a time. I must remember to pack the car so that it is easy to do. 

I don't plan on taking my sewing machine, but I'm taking a cutting mat and chair risers, so I hope to raise my own sewing space and not bother the others at the cutting table. I find cutting and sorting little pieces extremely therapeutic, and I can't wait. Besides, I'm clearing stuff off the current projects table, so all is good!!!

As for puzzles, I'm making great progress on that as well. 

Getting close to the finish!

YES --- almost finished, and I had some therapy time as I moved all the pieces onto two small design boards before closing up shop last night. I hadn't been successful in finding homes for all the pieces I had pulled, but I'm now at the point where I can grab either board, scour for pieces, and put them in immediately. I gave myself one hour and fifteen minutes last night. It works for me because I also wanted to read. 

I'm hooked on these darn things, which I knew I would be since I've always loved working on puzzles. But never seemed to have the time. Now I have more time! 

Here are the three I got at the thrift store earlier this week. 

Movies!

Animals

Garden

Yes, occasionally a piece or two might be missing, but really, for the price, you can't beat it. Those three cost me about $20, which is less than the cost of one at full price. Some might be of questionable quality, but all the ones I have purchased look great, with great pictures. I shall continue to buy from the thrift store, although I treat myself every once in a while to a brand new one. 

A friend of mine recently acquired a golden retriever puppy (3 months old). I hope she knows what she's in for! 

Lots of morning cuddles and needy time!

MOM - I'm needy!!! 

MOM - I just woke up and need cuddles!!!

And let's not forget about playing ball!!

MOM - Did you say play ball? I thought I heard you say, "Let's play ball!"

MOM -- throw the ball!!! Throw the ball!!!

And of course, I threw the ball, and it rolled out of the bushes and landed on the ice on the pond. Someone was NOT happy. Needless to say, no baseball team is ever going to draft me!!

CRAP - the ball rolled onto the pond!

As the ball rolled toward the edge, Muprhy tried desperately to reach it, but she knew the ice was not thick enough to support her. How the heck do dogs know that? She didn't touch the ice, but knew enough to stay back. 

MOM - the ball needs to be rescued!!!!

And let's not talk about the muddy feet. But you have to love them --- Murphy is adorable, and well, she knows it and milks that for all its worth! She is slowing down some - she's 11, I think, but the moment you put the leash on her, she is like a 3-month-old puppy!!!

If you haven't read Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese, you should. It's about this ragtag group of homeless people who win the lottery. And what happens after that is sad, happy, and everything in between. It's really a story of how one moment in time can change your life and I'm not talking about the lottery win. 

While searching through the crap on the current project tables, I found this charging cord. It would be great for travel - it's long and has multiple tips on it. I should try it out before I take it anywhere. It's unlikely to be fast-charging!

My new charging cord!

Well, that's it for me. Lots to get done today, and I'd better get started!!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

Virtual Retreat - Saturday, March 21 - starts at 6 PM.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

Virtual Retreat - Sunday, March 22 - starts at 3 PM.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

Persistence pays off

While I got things done, it was a frustrating day! Why? My computer just seemed to have an upset tummy! I couldn't open apps (trust me—they call them apps on the computer now instead of programs—it drives me mad) on my computer. I rebooted MULTIPLE times. I even shut the computer off and let it sit by itself to contemplate life as a dead object, and even then, I struggled. I'm not sure what that was all about. 

I did not get the blue screen of death - I got WHITE. 

Not a good sign when you need your computer!

And then during other attempts, I got the circle. 

Nor is this!

When I finally got back in, I was asked if I really wanted to open the file I had been working on, because it had caused a fatal error last time. Good grief --- what the heck is happening? 

I got scared enough to crack open this. 

A BRAND new hard disk

This is a new hard disk I bought a while back. I'm going to use it to replace the one I use every day. I suspect that one is on its last legs, and I had better listen to the computer because if that one goes, I'm in big trouble. I'll start transferring the data this afternoon. 

I also had a lot of trouble transferring files from one spot to another - it took hours instead of seconds, which isn't normal. I was NOT touching the older hard disk - I was transferring from my phone to OneDrive. So something was up with the computer, and I don't know what. But the first step is to replace that hard drive. They do NOT last, and that one has been around long enough. 

I'm still moving data around, and that is going to take eons. But I'm going away in a couple of weeks, and I might take the hard disks with me and spend an hour a day messing around, as I'll have time. But before I go -- that data needs to be transferred. 

I also need to get cracking on emptying OneDrive. It's not full, but it's getting full, and it's mostly stuff that I no longer need. So I must deal with it. 

OH - I found a folder filled with every screenshot I've ever taken, and I take a lot of screenshots. I usually save them in the appropriate folder, but they also get saved on the computer. Why? Why is there so much duplication? I don't get that, and perhaps there is a setting I can change so it doesn't save every screenshot I take. 

I managed to get some sewing done, and eventually some computer work, but not nearly as much as I would have liked - AGAIN! Now I'm running out of time and need to start prioritizing between the three tasks! 

I'm almost ready for one of the presentations, but I still need to work on the other, so that one will be my priority today. I have to at least have SOMETHING to show the class. 

I was lamenting to DH as I drove him to the train that I had forgotten to buy bananas when I walked to the grocery store the day before. I hate when that happens. It's not that I had forgotten - I just hadn't noticed that there were no more bananas. He reminded me that I pass close to the store on my way home. Go to the grocery store in the car? How dare he suggest that!! 

However, I stopped and got bananas. Can you believe that it's been well over 6 years since I took the car to the grocery store? OK - I think I've been to the grocery store in the car once in the last year. What a complete hassle! I know - I actually have to park the car and go in. When I walk- no thought required - just walk into the store. And I don't mind going every day or every second day because it's something to do, and it only takes 30 minutes to get there and back on foot if I take the shortcut through the forest. 

My bananas for breakfast

The bananas had just been set out, and all of them were green. Then I remembered to check the single-banana section, and there were three, one of which was ripe enough to eat. All was good in my world. I hadn't seen the computer issue yet. 

But while I was waiting for the files to transfer, I went to the mail box just in case. And OH MY GOSH --- there it is!!!!! Interestingly, neither the Global Tracking System nor Canada Post identifies the package as arrived!!! What is interesting is that this looks like a brand new package - not the original that was supposedly sent the first time. It was postmarked in France, and the sender's name is the person I dealt with on Etsy - Canada. Hmmmmmm. No mention of the name of the company. 

My package has arrived!!!!!

And there are my labels!!!! I'm so excited, but I don't have time to start using them yet. There are supposed to be 400 labels - I'm not about to count them, but let's say there are lots. What a relief to get those - I ordered them at the end of December, and finally they are here. 

My labels!!!!

Now that the labels have arrived and my Outlook issues seem resolved, perhaps I can go back to the house issues and see if I can resolve them. Dealing with too many issues at once is not something I do any longer. Give me two issues maximum at a time, and lots of persistence and patience, and I can resolve anything. 

And then I ended the evening with more reading—a daily 30-minute nap is highly recommended—I mentioned that yesterday—but PLAY is also good for your brain, including SHOCK—playing video games like Tetris and Candy Crush. The issue with those is that they are addictive, and you have to find a way to stop after a certain amount of time. |I will NOT play video games. My past addictive behavior with computer games is not something I want to get into. 

Then I spent about an hour with the puzzle last night. I look forward to this relaxed time with my brain - no books, no music, just chilling! 

Progress on the puzzle

I didn't quite find a home for all the pieces I had set out the night before, but I did find one of the two missing border pieces! I still don't understand why they don't just jump out! I'm loving spending an hour each evening working on the jigsaw puzzle. It's a nice diversion, and I'm so anal about the pieces. Yep -- I moved some of them, so I'm now down to three design boards, including the one that holds my current working pieces. I could consolidate them onto two boards, I'm sure. But the repetition of moving them? That's very good for your brain!! The tactile thing and keeping them organized—I love it!!!

There are lots of funky things I still need to assemble, and I'm still finding pieces with bits of yellow, red, blue, green, and purple, though I think I have them all now. I'm down to metal and woodgrain! 

I have several videos as part of my prep for the weekend classes, and I have them all set to go for when I'm back from the gym. It's going to be a busy day, and I had better get myself organized!! The extra 20 minutes I spend at the gym after my spin class has been incredible. I'm working on my stretching and working on my abs. WOW -- I will never have a six-pack, but my core is getting much stronger. And guess what that means? My stability and balance are getting better!! I used to struggle with the ab workout, but it's getting so easy. I must up my game!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Lost and found!

I love how we all have similar interests!!! And we have no end to the creativity and fun we have while doing those. I got a picture from Lynn, and she used the orange collage fabric in her butterfly quilt! It was probably used near the bottom in that orange bit? But maybe also on the border. 

Another use of the collage fabric

Either way --- it's a fun fabric, but I won't be searching for more. I have my fat quarter of orange, and that's good enough for me. 

As for doing puzzles on the computer -- that's an amazing alternative to doing them in person. I am trying to get away from constantly using the computer for everything, as I spend a lot of time each day writing, emailing, or making a presentation. It's nothing to find new puzzles by exchanging them with others, buying them from the thrift store on senior discount day (yesterday: 5 books and three 1000-piece puzzles) for $30, tax included! That's a lot of entertainment for $30!!! And getting rid of the puzzles? That is definitely not an issue because I can return them to the thrift store and get a 25% coupon, or I can pass them along to others in my circle. 

There is something about laying them out on the design boards (no trays for me!), and then searching through them. I am a very analytical person, and the arranging and rearranging of the pieces is something my brain needs to function. It's repetitive, extremely calming, and very therapeutic! 

Did I make progress yesterday? Oh yes --- I waited patiently until after dinner, then grabbed all the blue and green pieces, as well as a few with tiny bits of red and yellow that I had missed the times before. I'm down to four design boards with pieces now. What I love about this is that the space required is so minimal. And it's right in the middle of my sewing chaos, and yet I don't see it during the day. 

The amount of space I need is equal to the size of the puzzle, which is the end of a banquet table. 

Great progress on the puzzle

Putting the blue and green pieces in the puzzle went so quickly, I felt somewhat "cheated!" but that's OK, I had other things to do. To give me a bit more satisfaction, I pulled the pieces for tonight and placed them on a design board, now that I have a free one. So I'm all set when the time comes. I am teaching myself discipline and focus by stopping when I say I will. I need that because I have a very addictive brain, and if I let it go, I would get no sleep. 

Speaking of sleep! After reading about sleep in the Brain at Rest book, sleep is probably one of the most important things you can do for yourself, and yet so many people poo-poo how much sleep they need and are running on empty. Did you know that sleep helps rebuild and repair your body, including your immune system? You NEED sleep. I got 6 hours 40 minutes according to my app, out of 7 and a half that I was in bed, so that's not so bad. 

And napping? The author of the book "The Brain at Rest" LOVES napping, and so do I. 30 minutes is a good amount to nap. EVERY DAY!!!!

I was cleaning up a folder with more paper crap -- I just cannot imagine leaving this to someone else. There wasn't much in, but the dental bills (dating back to 2001) are now gone. I've decided to keep the medical stuff for the current year, after it's been claimed by insurance. At this point, we do not need those bills for income tax purposes - maybe sometime in the future, the total amount we pay will be higher, but for now, I keep one year (labeled) and then out it goes. I even made a label for the folder. 

My very thin medical folder

Then realized I already had another thin folder, also labeled "medical". So the two folders were amalgamated, and the empty one is in the supply cabinet. I had a few spare moments in the kitchen yesterday, so I even went through some of what was set aside for today. Oh my—I may even have to get another folder out! Slow and steady! 

Ooops --- duplicate!

When I'm buzzing around taking pictures in Studio B and then realize that I have put my phone down somewhere, but where - it can be a problem. Yesterday, I couldn't find the darn thing anywhere, and because it's completely silent (no vibration, no buzz), I couldn't call it. Only after going back over my racks did I realize it was UNDER this mat, where the serger sits. Seriously??? I need to stop doing that!

The phone was under the mat!

Before you think I'm completely mad and slipped it under the mat, not so. The mat wasn't under the serger, and I was taking pictures of the serger. Then I slipped the mat onto the table and put the serger back on the mat. I didn't realize my phone was beside the serger, and the mat went over it. 

And then I found it under the yarn by the long arm. 

Another hiding spot for the phone

One day, I will lose it for good. I need to put it in my pocket instead of setting it down. But I got lots of work done - not as much as I would have liked, but then I never accomplish as much as I set out to, as I always have big dreams, but I'm still on target to get everything done by when it needs to be done. That even included some handwork!!! I have some YouTube videos to watch, so I sat there doing the homework while watching them. 

I have this bag of ornaments I was working on and have almost finished them all, but some small, fussy pieces needed to be cut out, and some hand stitching was required. So I set up a TV table beside the computer, and the stuff resides there. I have 2/3 of the fiddly cutting done, and then I need to sew on six bells and draw some faces. OH - and some fusing. Then I can call these things done! Another bag of stuff that has been sitting on the current project table. 

My evening handwork project

What is nice about those current project tables is that they handily contain all the current projects. OK -- that's a lie since there are tubs of stuff on the floor that are too large to go on the table, but that's OK -- they are contained and form a wall around Murphy's mat, so she has a nice dark area to sleep. But the most important thing is that NOTHING additional has been added to those tables in months! So that is a huge bonus!!! It means I'm actually getting ahead of the game! And I love games!!!

I started culling the T-shirts in my drawer. I will never wear these again, so they went in the pile of T-shirts from which to make a T-shirt quilt for myself. I love T-shirt quilts as they are heavy and I LOVE heavy quilts. 

T-shirts for my T-shirt quilt!

Yes - I like to wear bicycle T-shirts, but the black one has a V-neck, and I can't stand wearing a V-neck. The purple one is starting to wear thin, so both are retired. The one from the fabric company - where will I ever wear that again? But it will go into the memory T-shirt quilt that I plan to make. Hey, I can make as many as I want!

I am feeling pretty content these days. So much to do, but I can only do a little bit each day, and there is absolutely ZERO rush to get this stuff done. No deadline, and I can completely ignore the mess. I don't see it, just like a hoarder doesn't see the mess in their house. I completely ignore that current project table! I'm good with that. I want to enjoy the process of making, not rush to finish something. 

The girls were in their glory yesterday. It was very cold (it must be cold for me to say that), and they loved being outside. Something interesting had attracted their attention in the forest. 

MOM - please open the gate!

And that Murphy - you give her an inch and next thing you know, she has pushed my chair completely out of the way and lies in the very spot I need to be to work! Sigh!!!! 

MOM - just keeping your spot warm!

No news on the package - it's still "in transit," so I expect that I'll only see it pop up in my mailbox unannounced. It's still within the delivery window. If it hasn't arrived by the end of the delivery window, I'll be at the post office asking questions. 

And on that note, I'm out of her and on my way to spin class. Good grief - I see it's still cold this morning, but hopefully no wind. That wind was bitter in the morning, and there was a layer of granular ice (in most spots). Yuck!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Things to make from collaged fabric!

Dang it—why do we get embarrassed when we do something silly? Especially when an acknowledgement of our slight accident and a kind word would make everything better! We are all guilty of that! Thankfully, my landing was soft, and I had no bruises, nothing. BUT it's going to be dicey out there this morning, so I may wait. I'll see how it goes. The problem is that when you get either of the girls out the door to test, it's very hard to get them back in! 

The day of puzzling continues. WAIT -- I'll start with the sewing first. 

No wait -- I'll start with updates on those niggling little things in my life. I had one last call with Microsoft, and the case is officially closed. Yeah! Although the support person was very good at calling back, it was a window, so I sometimes had to wait. But all is good - I'm very happy with the level of support I got, and I certainly got my money's worth from them!

When I questioned her about the life of Classic Outlook, she was pretty adamant that Microsoft had NOT made an official statement. And YES -- they know that the new version is missing some features. Whether they will do anything about it or not is another story. The bottom line is that I need to get moving and start clearing out the inbox. It's plain and simple. Then if I need to migrate to another interface at some point (I will - let's be honest), it won't be such a big deal. 

Now that Classic is working as it should, I rarely use the New version! But both are pinned to my taskbar in the event I need the new one. 

My package is "in transit." I know it arrived in Montreal, and that is all I see in the updates. At least it is in the Canada Post system, so if it doesn't arrive, they can do something from their end. Hopefully by Friday! 

Did I mention the engineers want the house plans to further inspect that beam? So I must try to track those down through the city. But first, I will ask the engineers if there is anything else they want. Are they trying to put me off because they don't want to look at the issue? Why didn't they say from the start what they would need? All the back-and-forth is just silly.  

OK—now let's get to the sewing. I have my jacket class this weekend, and I need to get something done! I have this Tamarack Jacket that I started a few years ago, and I need to finish it. I decided to put welt pockets in the jacket. One pocket was done, and the other was not. I thought I had not started it, but when I pulled it out, it was partially complete. The trick was to find out where I had left off. 

The welt pocket in progress

The pattern is very detailed with reasonably good diagrams, and soon I was on my way. Last night, I sat down and did all the hand-stitching required to finish the pocket. Instead of leaving the pocket loose inside the jacket to flap, I've hand-stitched it in place. It's hard to see the pocket!  

The jacket lining has "invisible" pockets.

And there are the two fronts of the jacket! All that is left to sew are the shoulders, the side seams, the sleeves, and to bind the edges. That shouldn't take long, and YES—this jacket is on the Visual To-Do list! The big question is: can I get it completed by Saturday? 

The jacket fronts

And just for fun, read this post dated May 15, 2023. It's when I did the first welt pocket. 

Last night, after sewing all afternoon, I pulled all the puzzle pieces with yellow on them and put them on the table. It's a bit awkward to work because of all the floating sections I assembled the night before. And there were so many pieces with yellow on them. It looked impossible! However, after organizing myself and studying the picture in great detail, I managed to find a home for everything with yellow in it! I love working by color, and I'm not sure there is any other way with this one. The two tape measures were interesting to assemble! Still missing two border pieces!

Progress on the tool puzzle

I also managed to connect many of the loose red sections. Today - I pick a different color! The entire process is working great for me, and I am happy to work through the day, knowing I have a reward in the evening! It works for me, and guess what? It keeps me off my phone! Not that I was on it a lot, but if I was going to scroll, it would be in the evening. I think putting the puzzle together is a much better use of my time! 

Let's go back to the puzzle fabric that I mentioned yesterday. I didn't have to dig far, and VOILA -- there was the orange fabric I was certain I had purchased. It still had the price tag on it, and I had only purchased a fat quarter. 

My orange collage fabric

Well, I had to unfold the fabric and have a good look at it. OH MY --- what an eclectic mix of orange objects! How fun!!! I don't have enough fabric to check out the repeats. WAIT --- I have a horizontal repeat, so I'll have a look at it later today! 

At least one repeat of the orange fabric! 

Of course, I had to get my orange puzzle out, and yep --- the exact same! What fun to discover that the fabric and the puzzles are the same. YES -- my orange puzzle is still in the plastic wrap, and it will remain that way until I get to it. After the tool puzzle, I have two more that I want to do first. Then I can dig in the closet and pull out the next one to work on!

Orange puzzle

Here is what I mean by old and new versions. Both are produced by Cobble Hill, but the one on the left is the old packaging, while the one on the right is the new packaging. 

Old and new styles of packaging

And there is the artist's name on the back. Shelley Davies. OH MY --- it was not a good idea to search the internet for her artwork! She does a lot of this style of artwork, and I LOVE it. She has one that is all letters and numbers. WAIT --- I need to finish a few before I can buy new ones! It is seniors' day at the thrift store, and I might just wander down to see if anything exciting is there! 

Artwork by Shelley Davies

But Brenda got as excited as I did about these puzzles—hey, she has done all seven of them! But like me, she was intrigued by the fabric. Her favorite color is blue, so she bought some of that and also pink. I laughed when I got back from my walk because there were two items she had made in my inbox!! 

A hat from the blue collage fabric

And she made an iPad case. 

An iPad case from the pink collage fabric

She must love the fabric because I believe she is out of town and happened to have both of these items with her!!!! 

Cathy, from the UFO club, made this quilt using all seven fabrics. 

A quilt from the seven collage fabrics

And I have another friend (Mary) who made a tote bag from the red fabric, and I forgot to ask her for a picture yesterday because I don't think I have one of her bag. WAIT—through my meticulous record-keeping, I have a picture of her bag!!!

Here's a picture of it in progress. 

Mary's bag, in progress

And here's a picture of it complete!!!

An open tote bag from the red collage fabric

So, if you think my pictures aren't organized, I found the last three very quickly. The ones I use are very well organized; it's the others that aren't! Someday I'll get there. It's a challenge to deal with digital and physical stuff at the same time. I have a lot more time on my hands, but not always when I want it. I really need to book a day to make a dent in the paper, but for the moment, I'm happy with my few pieces each day. I certainly don't need to keep all my dentist's bills. 

The sidewalks were beautiful yesterday -- clear and dry, even that icy patch where I fell. Throughout the evening, we had light snow, and the sidewalks are covered this morning. Sigh........ And it's cold!!! But the girls are in their element! 

MOM - we are HAPPY!!!

I'm off to accomplish lots today! And I can't wait! I have no idea why this happens, but when I need to get my act together and create something, I think and think and think, and ideas form, but I'm not excited about them, and so it's hard to get motivated to make them. Then, as the deadline approaches, the idea slams into my head, and I want to sew!!! That happened the other day, and I'm all ready to get started today, while I keep working on the two classes for the weekend, but all of that is pretty much under control. 

WAIT—someone mentioned the Southampton Market and the Puzzle Room!!!! I had a look online, and YES—the puzzle room is huge. I may have to take a day trip this summer!!!! 

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Did you know this? Do you care?

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with the HST fetish! They are easy to make and reduce the amount of waste quilts produce. Did you know that textiles are among the largest items in landfills? I'm sure lots of that comes from fast fashion, but I bet quilting and cotton fabrics are right up there! 

PLUS --- these units are small and will not take up much room, so as we downsize, we can still sew lots without requiring a ton of fabric. You will always have enough fabric, and you'll never run out! I love the darn little things, and I'm excited to cut and trim them, especially now that I have a plan and am up to date on trimming. The sewing? I'm working on it, but there is absolutely no rush. 

The same goes for the hourglass blocks. Some of the half-square triangles are large. Much larger than I want to mess around with in my teeny half-square triangle quilts, so I make them into hourglass blocks, and as you saw yesterday, I can make some neat scrappy quilts from them. 

A couple more hourglass blocks

After the UFO Club in the morning, I managed to get some sewing done, and it looks amazing. I love how everything starts to come together as you near the end of a project, and it's lovely having plenty of time to make that happen. I have three projects I need to finish by this weekend, and I've got plenty of time to work on all three. 

By the way, here is something that we are all learning in the UFO Club. First, many of us are finishing projects that are decades old, and it feels good. But what is even more important is that people are learning to evaluate the worthiness of some of those projects. Why was it shelved as a UFO, and is it worth finishing? Lots of people are discovering this as we continue our journey, and I think it's a very valuable lesson. 

Today, I'm going to share something weird!! I had no clue until I started looking more closely, and Brenda actually brought it to my attention. Otherwise, I'd still be clueless! Thanks, Brenda!

Let's take a look at the green puzzle by Cobble Hill that I completed last week. 

My Cobble Hill Rainbow Collection - Green collage puzzle

Nice puzzle and loads of fun to put it together. As I've mentioned, there are SEVEN puzzles in the series, and you can check them out at this link. Puzzles Canada, by the way, is an amazing place to purchase puzzles. It is a warehouse-type store that is open to the public, and you could go mad trying to decide which puzzles to bring home. And they have them all (OK, not all), but from small to big—they have a huge variety. 

Anyway, in this Rainbow Collection series of puzzles, there are seven colors - pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. I see they have a 2000-piece puzzle in the same style with all seven colors mixed in. Hmmmmmm

I had fun doing the puzzle, and since it's a series, you know me - I want to do all the colors. I assumed they were separate puzzles, and I'd do one at a time and pass them along. 

BUT Brenda included this photo in her email. Obviously, she also liked and has done all the puzzles, and look what she sent me. She had carefully kept the puzzles intact and put them together when she was done. 

Brenda's THREE collage puzzles together

It's a little hard to see, but that is the purple puzzle on the left, the pink in the middle, and the red on the right!!!! And can you believe it, but the images run into each other!!!!!

The collage puzzles blend into each other!

The word DOMINOES at the bottom is partially on the pink and mostly on the red! I didn't know that!!

I emailed Brenda back, and she sent me this picture from the back of her puzzle box—not mine, as mine is an older version (square, not rectangular). 

A REAL long rainbow collage

See how they have all seven of the puzzles lined up!! Who knew?

To make things more interesting, Northcott launched a fabric line called Northcott Color Collage several years ago. It's gone from their website, so I have no idea, but I'm guessing it was 2018 or 2019? Yes - I had seen it and wanted it, but I had nothing to make with it, so I didn't bother buying any. Maybe I bought a piece of the orange, but I'd have to check my stash. 

Anyway, I decided to investigate further and OH MY GOSH --- they simply licensed these puzzle prints and put them on fabric!!!! 

The red puzzle box

This is a picture of the red fabric!!!!

The red fabric!

Let's go back to the green puzzle. 

Green puzzle

And here is the fabric with repeats. 

The green fabric with repeats

There is no mistaking that the print and the puzzles are the same design. I'm not always a fan of how fabric repeats are designed; they try to blend them seamlessly, but sometimes it looks really fake. Not just Northcott, but all design houses. I should explore that a bit more one other day to show you. Now I have to dig out my orange, if I have it, and check the repeats. Stay tuned!!!!

Did you know that? I did not!!!!

As for progress on the current puzzle? I pulled all the red/orange pieces from the design boards and sat there until I had found a home for them all. And they are roughly placed where they belong in the puzzle. I'm going to work on the yellow pieces next. There are going to be a whole lot of brown/wood-grain pieces at the end, but I'll work my way through this. I have ten evenings in which to finish it, which I should be able to. 

Progress on the tool puzzle

And just like that, it's the start of a new week, and I'm off to spin class. It's very warm this morning, and the bit of snow we got yesterday is gone. I sure hope that is the last of the snow, as I'm tired of walking on eggshells so I don't slip. I was walking Murphy yesterday on the grass, as I knew this particular patch of sidewalk (shaded by trees) had a layer of ice under the snow. At one point, I decided to gingerly step on the sidewalk, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground! DANG!!!!! Luckily, I fell back onto the grass and suffered no damage, but a slip can be very dangerous, and I do NOT need a broken limb. That makes two falls this winter and a couple of near misses. That's too many for me! My knee was a bit sore when I first fell, but thankfully, I could get up gracefully and walk the pain out. It was fine by the time I got home. 

But sometimes, when you fall, you just want to lie there, thinking, what an idiot! I knew there was ice, but I thought I was being careful. Perhaps Murphy pulled at that same moment. Things happen so fast, you don't really have time to react. However, my second thought was to get up—I don't need anyone stopping to ask if I'm OK. 

Have a super day, and I might have to go puzzle shopping! I won't, but it's tempting! 2000 pieces of rainbow collage!!!!! 

Ciao!!!!


PS — The Canada Post tracking system says my package is "in transit" with a delivery window of 3-7 business days! I'm beyond excited!!!! It's been a long time! Let's hope it actually comes through this time.