What is this technique - mystery solved!

Oh dear -- I'm not sure what happened to that link for the classes, but I reset it in yesterday's post just in case I didn't get the correct one. And here it is again. The post is from June 18, so if that link doesn't work, you can go back and search for it. I have a lot of work to do when I'm home, and I didn't get much done yesterday morning except prep things for the afternoon and evening. 

OH MY—we have a hotel situation this morning. There is someone out in the hallway, and they don't sound too happy. I did not open my door, but she sounds inebriated and perhaps locked out of her room. Not sure what the issue is, but she doesn't sound happy. I finally called the front desk and security, and the police are on the way. Never a dull moment! Actually, this hotel has been pretty quiet throughout the stay, and things happen. Thankfully, I was awake when it started. 

Oh shoot --- she stopped, and now she's back at it! EDIT -- all has been quiet for quite some time now. 

Anyway -- I got totally sidetracked in videos on Facebook, and well, it's just one of those days. 

So I'm going to ask for your help. This was a quilt at Quilt Canada. It's quite impressive  - the base photo is all thread-painted. EDIT --- go to the end to see the mystery solved! 

Front view

View from the right

View from the left

The artist's statement

It won a prize - a judge's choice, if I remember correctly. However, it has sort of taken the show by storm, and I realized this morning while searching that the quilt won Viewer's Choice, but I'm a bit miffed about the piece. Why? Because if you read the credits on the statement, it says she used a technique that she saw at the Houston show 13 years ago. While this is likely correct, a book has been published on this technique. And I think that the book author's name should have been included in the credits. 

The big question is, who was that author? I can picture the book cover in my head, but I can't read the author's name. I'm not sure if I have the book—I might, but I don't remember seeing it when I went through my books a couple of months ago. Trust me, I have tried Googling everything I can think of to find the book, but I'm stuck. 

So—my question to you is: does anyone have that book, and remember who the author was? I think the credit needs to be attached to this quilt. I'm surprised the judge chose the piece when proper credit was not given to it. That should be a given when a quilt wins an award. It's also the problem with stuff that happened years ago. People think things are NEW and inventive when they are not—it's been done before. And yes—this artist did say she saw the technique 13 years ago, so if people read it, they should know it's not new. 

Well, I keep getting distracted. 

This is one of the books I bought at the bookstore the other day. I know—I am not a fan of things that need to be done every day. But it's all about gratitude, which I don't think we spend enough time on, and there are puzzles for every day. Very simple ones, so maybe it will be a good diversion, which I haven't even opened this morning. 

My new gratitude puzzle journal

Yesterday's puzzle was a word search, which took about 5 minutes to complete. And there was a page to write down a few things. Sometimes, it's good to write things down - prompts for things you want to keep in mind, prompts for things you want to change. And there was a place to write one large goal for the month. 

I'm happy to share that goal; it's for July. It's all about getting my long arm up and running properly. While it has no issues with quilting, it does need a good spa day. The old leaders (20 years) need to come off, the rails cleaned, the magnets sewn into the new leaders, and then attached to the bars. I also need a new brake, which I must order today. Then I should consider putting all the screws back on the housing, since it seems the electronics are working fine. The design files need to be organized on the computer into a more manageable file structure. And I need to learn/practice that one technique. So it will be a busy month to get all that done, but when it's done? It'll be like a new machine. OH - and new clamps on the sides. 

That is my goal for the month, and I already have a date planned on July 1 when someone is coming to help me put on the new leaders. It'll be easier for two people because of the leader's length. Once we are done, then we zip to her house and install her new leaders! 

I saw this at Tim's yesterday. Yep—a small change can have a big impact. I don't get why people grab handfuls of napkins - one should usually suffice unless you are a very messy eater. And that's another mystery in life - why are some people prone to messy eating and others are not? Is it because they eat messy foods? Not paying attention? I am NOT a messy eater, but why? 

How many napkins do you really need? 

I don't have many shirts that require ironing before wearing, but I have this one, which I really like, and I should wear it more often. It's made from quilting cotton, and I find that after years of wearing knit shirts, wearing a solid cotton shirt is very restrictive. But the pattern for this shirt is amazing. It has a lot of darts in the sleeves and the front, not just one, and there are two darts in the back, and it fits like a glove. I should make a few more in different fabrics. I must dig that pattern out. It's super comfortable for a cotton shirt. I also have an orange one just like it. 

I love this shirt and should wear it more often.

Speaking of orange, this was the view from my room when I first woke up!!! WOW --- look at that color!!! It's spectacular. There was a bit of rain this morning, but I think it's going to be another nice day. 

The sky this morning

 

So my experience with Uber is typically getting to and from the airport. Since I wasn't able to rent a car, I decided to take Uber. It felt weird to go to a location other than the airport, but it's super slick and costs a lot less than renting a car that would have sat most of the day. Then, when I came back to the hotel last night, I had Uber pick me up. Because all the financial transactions take place within the app, you never need to worry about paying a driver and then figuring out a tip and whatever. You stop and immediately get out of the car. I LOVE it. 

I had to laugh last night because I had some tough attendees in the session on the digital cutter. Loads and loads of questions, and I suspect that one person had ADHD, and it showed! I was exhausted. However, I am shocked/surprised at the number of older people (people my age and older) who are into AI. If you don't know something, just ask ChatGPT. They might not be able to say ChatGPT, but they know how to use it. 

But don't use it when I'm talking. Anyway, their kids must have pushed that on them. And while I'm OK with people using it, I'm not a fan of using it for everything. Typing in a search engine works just fine as well. And it's a lot less intrusive in a class. 

Trust me -- I have tried searching for the author of the technique mentioned above, but I can't find them. 

SQUIRREL --- I was determined to find the darn information. Instead of trying to find it with words, I posted a picture, and VOILA—Google came through, and here is the link to the "original" author. I don't know if Flora is actually the first person to use this technique in a quilt, but she is the first place I saw it. Her first art quilt (in a show) using this technique was in 2014, and the book was published in 2015 by the American Quilters Society. Here is a link with her information. The quilts are stunning!!!

Trispective 3-in1 quilt book

OK, I can relax now -- I solved the mystery, and 13 years ago is not that long ago, but no one knew that this technique had been done previously and so famously!!!! The people who commented on Facebook had no clue. Flora Joy is a very inventive quilt maker. Her stuff is mostly 3-D and very cleverly constructed. 

I think that credit on that piece is NOT complete, and I don't care how good it is --- credit should have been given to the proper person. I have done that -- I posted the link and Flora's name on the pictures on Facebook. I used this current artist's photo to find the original - it took mere seconds to find that information (once I thought of searching by photo). The current artist should have done the same. 

The quilt at Quilt Canada also won the Viewer's Choice award - I didn't know that until I did my research. 

On that note, I can rest! I love a good mystery. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

NOTE: I am flying out early tomorrow morning, so there may or may not be a blog. 

I'm a jinx!

So much for a free day! I left the hotel at 9 AM, and I didn't get back until after 8 PM. Considering I didn't have a car at my disposal, that was a pretty full day! 

First, though, if anyone wants to see the classes I am offering, I have listed them in this blog post. I was going to do some work on the dates and so on yesterday, but I didn't have time. At least you will know what I am teaching - you just don't know specific dates yet. I might throw in a few short (one- or two-session) classes, such as a session on the Trendtex challenge kit, for anyone who is interested. And I might be doing something with that batting I get my hands on next month, but those will be short and mostly for informational purposes, not a new project. 

Feel free to purchase the patterns if you wish, but I am going to explain more and show you more pictures of the wool applique kits, and I'm still working out options, so you could get some thread for the kit. If you have a kit already or bought one at the show, no big deal. That is the class with the most options. There are kits by Sue Spargo and Wendy Williams, and I can't find the Wendy Williams kits online. There is no rush to buy anything, as classes will not start until September. 

I decided to go for a walk to start the day. It was beautiful, and I almost wished I had worn shorts, but given what happened, I was glad I did not. 

I passed by more artwork. This was a huge set of marbles in a park. I guess I should have walked closer to them to get a picture. I can't seem to find a way to crop pictures on this silly laptop, so I'll have to figure that out at some point. But those large marbles were as shiny as any marble you would hold in your hand. 

Giant marbles in a park

Then I thought I would check for any Adventure Lab artwork, and this is what I spotted along the way. You really can't see the artwork, and sadly, some of the paint is peeling. It was painted in 2015 and depicts the boat people who came from Vietnam. The mural depicts one of the men who came to Canada as a refugee. And it is painted on a building that this man owns. 

A mural

I took the most direct way to my destination, not the prettiest. So I mostly walked along major streets, but I'm sure there was a prettier way to get to my first destination. 

There was a power line corridor that had no houses. However, there were garden plots for rent in that area, and what a great use of the land. 

Garden plots for rent

And after an hour walk (equivalent to walking the girls), I arrived at my destination. The McNally Robinson bookstore - the original one. No quilts are hanging up as there are in the Saskatoon store. As an independent bookstore, this one is amazing!! I could walk around for hours. I notice there are NO places to sit. Sadly, those spots have been abused over the years, and they are gone. But that's OK. 

McNally Robinson bookstore

But I wandered around and spotted so much good stuff. Sdly, I don't have a lot of room in my suitcase. I spotted this GAMES magazine in the magazine section. This magazine had been around for a very long time, as I was introduced to it in my late teens. It used to feature articles about games and game events, but now it's just a magazine with puzzles. I did not buy it. I don't think I have any of the old issues still around, but the masthead is very similar to the original! 

The GAMES magazine is still around!

OH MY—you can find anything and everything online. The first issue was released in Sept/Oct 1977. Check it out here, and I remember that first masthead!!!! 

There is the craft section, which has been greatly reduced over the years. But the way we get our information in the craft world has greatly changed. I did pick up one magazine that is hard to find at home. 

The hobby/craft section

And then I got a phone call from my friend I was going to meet, and she said she'd come to the bookstore, so I browsed around some more while I waited for her. Oh my --- the puzzles. There were two big shelves of puzzles - I think the other store has more, but there were so many new brands I had never seen before, and it was like being a kid in a candy store. I can't wait to get home and finish the one on my table. 

Part of the puzzle section

OK -- so I bought a puzzle! Let's just say that it's going to take some creative packing to get all this stuff in my suitcases. Or as I mentioned yesterday, I might just have to take a tote bag on the plane with me. I'm good either way. At least, I don't have to worry about the weight in my suitcase - 70 pounds times three is my included limit. That is way more important to me than having access to the lounge. 

While I was looking through everything, I spotted this in the games section. 

Threaded, the game

This is a brand-new game, and it's all about choosing patterns and thread to create bargello embroidery. I don't really understand how it works, and it's hard to see from the boxes, but you can learn more on their website.  Actually, when you read the description, it's pretty funny because it's based on how we work! Wait for a sale and hope it's still there, or pay more and get it now!

The back of the box

And I got a chuckle from this sign. Isn't that like us quilters? Why buy one fat quarter when you can buy the bundle!

Then my friend (Jeannette) showed up. Jeanette and I were in Katimavik together - almost 50 years ago! I have seen her on and off over those 50 years, and we have communicated a lot via text and Facebook. We had lunch together at the bookstore and chatted for hours. Then we needed to get moving - I was surprised that they didn't kick us out, but there was always at least one empty table in the restaurant, so we were good. 

Then she drove me to see her cute house in Winnipeg. She met her first husband in Katimavik and, sadly, after they had four children, he got sick and passed away. She married another friend later in life, and sadly, he is gone as well. So she now has this cute house in Winnipeg that is hers! 

Then we got in the car and drove outside Winnipeg to visit my Katimavik roommate from 50 years ago! Carol and I were roommates in Esquimalt (Victoria, BC). We have many memories together in that room! Carol and Jeannette both came from London, Ontario, and it's funny that they both ended up in Winnipeg. 

I have a picture to share, but I will wait until I get home. But Carol's husband, who Jeanette knows from London, is into medieval things in a big way, and he made these rattles for their new grandchild, who is arriving sometime soon. Many conversations were happening, and I couldn't keep them all straight. 

3-D printed sword rattles

They are not sharp and have beads inside, so they are true rattles. He made them on his 3-D printer. Apparently, you can find this design on Thingiverse.com. 

Sadly, we couldn't stay too long, but it was getting late in the day anyway. Jeannette had to pick up her daughter at the airport, and I was off to visit with my nephew. She dropped me off, and then Devin and I hopped in his Tesla and drove out to a different airport. We were going for a plane ride in his plane!

However, when we arrived at the hangar where he stores his plane, the darn thing had a flat tire, so we couldn't go!!!! How disappointing. This is the plane that my Dad went for a ride over the farm last month, with Devin as the pilot! 

My nephew's plane

While I was disappointed, it was OK. I'll just have to arrange to come back, or, as he needs to gather hours, he can fly to Ontario. 

It was funny because when my friend wanted to show me her new self-driving Tesla, the FSD mode wasn't working that day, so she had to drive the car herself. Then, just as Devin is about to take me for a ride in his plane, a tire goes flat. Hmmm --- what will be next? 

I have a free morning today, and then I'm off to Carellen Sewing Center to chat about our 24" Singer Momento digital cutter. There are two sessions -- one at 1 PM and one at 6 PM. So be sure to come out and see how it works, check out the samples, and learn all the fun things you can do with it. 

I'll be getting things organized this morning, so I may take a short walk, and then I'm going to Uber it to the store. It's going to be way cheaper to do that than rent a car. It's not that far away, but trudging a suitcase behind me? That's not going to happen. 

Then tomorrow is all about quilting with your embroidery machine, which will be fun as well. 

By the time my nephew dropped me off last night, it was after 8 PM, and we hadn't even gone for a flight. It was a long day! But it was fun to catch up with everyone. I'm now on my own for the remainder of this trip, but I don't have much free time either. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Bidding wars at the Trend-tex challenge

And that's a wrap for Quilt Canada 2026. It's amazing how surreal the show always seems. One minute everything is fine, and all the quilts are hung, and the booths are busy, and then the show ends, and it's a crazy place as people start packing! As usual, I didn't get much time to walk the show or look at the vendors, but I did get some pictures to share with my Monday Sewing group and checked out a few vendors. The big issue now will be fitting everything into my suitcases to get home. 

Unusual for me, but I brought way too many clothes, and I typically use that suitcase for extra room! I'm sure I will manage, as I can take my backpack on the plane and a tote bag to carry a few things. The three suitcases can be checked. I'm not worried - I will get everything home. 

The day wasn't going to start well as I walked to Tim's by the convention center, only to find it wasn't open. It may have opened later in the day, but I had to get to the classroom when the class started, and I had no time to walk to the next Tim's. Two ladies from the Madeira thread booth, whom I had met the previous day while buying thread, arrived at the same time and were also dismayed to find the location closed. 

They had time to leisurely stroll to the next location and offered to get me a tea. Bless their hearts, and they brought the tea to me in the classroom. Thank you so much, Madeira thread ladies!!! I had bought a lot of thread from them, and we had a grand time choosing it. So it pays to make friends at the show. And now I need to pay that favor forward. Who will be the recipient?

My tea was personally delivered to me. 

Quiltsource was at the show, introducing a new batting called Mathilda's Own. Some very interesting new batting choices, and I can't wait to try them. These battings will be available in stores in mid-July. 

They had a super cute quilt to display the various battings. 

A super way to display different types of batting

Isn't that adorable? At first, I didn't get it, but each sheep is made from a different batting, and because the edge is free, you get to touch and feel the batting. A very clever concept for sure. Each sheep wore a differently colored ribbon. The legend of the colored ribbons was available on a separate card and identified the batting types.  

The  sheep 

One more batting type

And this was the sign near the sheep. YES, a quilt that you could actually touch!

A quilt you can touch!

Well, I am super excited because I'm going to get the battings and make up some new samples to see how this batting reacts to prewashing (or not), test stitch density, and then wash the pieces after the quilting is done. I can see this as a class! STOP IT RIGHT THERE. Do not think I am unnecessarily adding a class to my workload; this kind of class is extremely beneficial to YOU!!! And also to me! Imagine having gone through this exercise and now having a very good idea of what type of batting you want for any particular project. 

What does wool batting feel like? How does it react differently from a 100% cotton batting? This is the kind of stuff that makes me giddy, and I may just make it a lecture/demo series, an online Zoom class, or an in-person class. I think there is a lot of potential in this. Years ago, I did something similar with 10 different types of batting, each with 5 samples. I still have those samples, and it was a very interesting exercise. 

So if you think I just know this stuff, I don't. I love to experiment and test, and that's how I gain my knowledge. 

Now I have to sit down and figure out how I will use the batting in my sample making and make it a teachable class at the same time. I can't wait!!!

I have two classes this coming weekend, and I have been working on one of the presentations. I have also been collecting data for the classes in the fall, and I hope to get a lot more work done today since I have a free day. I have two places I would like to get to, and I have a friend and a nephew who live here. So it's going to be a busy day! 

And I wasn't able to rent a car today. I had thought about it all week but just never got around to it, so there are no cars, at least at the airport. I can rent from another location, but I checked Uber's price, and it's actually the same as renting a car to get where I need to go, so I'm not going to bother renting. It all works out. 

So yes—here is me ironing my shirt yesterday—just in case you think I don't ever do that! 

Ironing my shirt

I am staying at this same hotel for the duration of my stay, which includes those lectures/demos at Carellen, so I don't have to move hotels. The rest of my group is leaving today at various times. While I would be excited to go home today, I am happy to stay and visit, and it's always exciting to demo my samples and talk about techniques. 

I am a pretty neat traveler, and I am notorious for having everything tidied away whenever I leave the room. I am not sure what happened this trip, but it's like my suitcases exploded and I never got anything put away. My sample suitcases aren't even open right now, which means it's going to get worse!!!! And I do NOT require the staff to come in and tidy my room. That's just weird. 

An explosion in my room

Later today, I will have to start sorting the samples into what I need tomorrow for the Singer Momento sessions. That's the 24" digital cutter, and then what I will end on Tuesday, which is the quilting with your embroidery machine. 

Wait --- those batting samples? They will be very useful for quilting with your embroidery machine. I don't have any of the batting with me, as it's being delivered later this month or early next month, but I'm super excited to use it when quilting with the embroidery machine! 

My job at this show ended up being to look after the classrooms, and it worked for me. I packed up a lot of sewing machines yesterday, and I got really fast at it, but there were so many details to think about. Factory reset, bobbins, accessories, power cords, etc. It all takes time. I was wearing a scarf and my name badge, and I soon took both of those off to make it cooler and easier to work. 

When I finally left the room, I put them back on and went to help my colleagues pack up the booth. 

There was stuff everywhere, and my samples were in a neat pile, and eventually, I got them into my suitcase. It was only when we were close to the hotel that I realized my scarf was missing, as was my name badge, which held my room key. CRAP!!!!! Where the heck did I put it? I was certain I had shoved them in one of my bags, but I checked, and there was no scarf and no room key. I LOVE that hand-dyed green scarf. I couldn't have cared less about the key - that was easy to replace. 

I went back to the convention center to see if I could find it, but I did not, so I left a note with the security desk. 

WAIT -- let's go back to the show. Remebmer I mentioned the Trendtex Challenge? Well, I was bidding on two pieces. The online auction is great, although I still like the action of an in-person auction where you can see your opponent! There were 53 pieces up for auction, and some of them got only one or two bids, with no bidding war. But I got a notification that one of the pieces I wanted was also desired by someone else. 

Hmmm --- who was going to bail on the price first? I was determined to get it. So I outbid the other person. The bidding ended at 2:00 PM, and I was helping a customer at our booth. Just before 2 PM, I felt my phone go off, and I thought the other person had outbid me. But I could NOT check what had happened, and I thought, well, she waited until the last possible moment and then outbid me. However, when the customer left the booth, and I checked, I won that piece as well as one more. I did not take pictures, but I will take them today and share them with you. 

Someone bad home also won two pieces and asked me to pick them up for her. Yes, I could, but she needed to pay for them. That seemed to be taking forever, and I left the convention center without her pieces. It was only when I had to go back to look for my scarf that I was able to finally pick up her pieces. 

So then we sat at dinner, and while we were chatting, my brain was working and BAM -- I knew exactly where my scarf was. I had shoved in a bag, but then I tucked those bags (of thread from Wonderfil - I couldn't help myself) into my suitcase. 

And sure enough, when I was finally ready to go to my room, I opened the suitcase in the lobby where I had left it with the front desk. 

Checking the contents of my bag in the hotel lobby

And voilà—there was my scarf and my name tag with the room key in it!!! 

There's the missing key.

See how our brains kick in when we need them to? As mentioned, the room key was replaceable, the scarf was not. 

And I don't know why I keep forgetting to bring any business cards when I travel. I'm a dolt - I have a ton of them at home, and I just never bring them. I must put that on a list somewhere. Or perhaps I just keep a small supply in my office backpack - that would be the best place. Then I always have them, and they are not that heavy to carry around. 

When I got back to my room, I unpacked my pants pockets of things I had accumulated during the day. Spools of thread, scissors, and business cards from others. 

My finds of the day

I set a goal for myself this summer to learn how to use a specific feature on my computerized long arm. A dealer was at the show, and I wandered over yesterday and asked a few questions. Well, Jenny was a wealth of information. I can't wait to get home and get those new leaders on my machine - she showed me the simplest, ingenious way to make that happen and to get to work on some quilts that require this new feature I want to use. I am so excited. And then I have preparations for the new classes, and so much more. WAIT --- including trying out my new thread purchases. I can hardly wait!!!!

BUT -- I am only home for a couple of days when I am back on the road again! But it's only by car and only for three days, so that's good. Then I think I am home for a couple of weeks before I take off again. Yes -- it's a crazy world. 

Both places I want to visit today are well within walking distance, so I think I'll head out if I don't hear from my friend. I also have some work to do, so it'll be a full day. 

On that note, I'm super excited about my day off and to explore the city or visit or - well, you never know what will happen!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

I'm here to make people happy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PFAFF creative icon 3

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

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

Oscar's deli

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

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

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

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

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

One bobbin left over.

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

Which of these boxes is missing a bobbin?

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

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

The first box I pulled was the right one!

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

Quilting with a digital cutter

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

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

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

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

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

Music bingo

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

One of our pitchers of beer

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

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

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

Thirty-weight cotton threads

The front of the box

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

More exciting thread

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

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

More Winnipeg artwork

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Deere fabric

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

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

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

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

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

You now have to ask for butter with your chili.

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

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

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

Justice

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

Three arms move

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

Niimaamaa sculpture

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

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

Stars and constellations are painted on this sculpture.

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

The controversial Louis Riel monument

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

Louis Riel sculpture

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

Inside the shell of the Saint-Boniface Cathedral

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

The facade of the cathedral

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

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

I'm in Winnipeg!!!!

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

An out-of-focus sculpture

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

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

Another view of Forever Bicycles

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

Mural on a wall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!