Out with the old and in with the new (electrical) Part Two

Every day is a new day! I think that was what Alex and Ricky say at the end of every episode of The Quilt Show, and it's true! So much is happening, and some days I don't even know where to start. 

I walked to the grocery store and on my way back, my phone started pinging in my pocket. PING PING PING PING. There were so many pings I decided I needed to stop to see what the heck was going on. It was M, alerting me to something extremely creepy, yet extremely hilarious. 

I had set my bags on the sidewalk and was there for at least one minute. A woman and a man walked by and asked if I was OK. Isn't that amazing? I think we need to do more of that - communicate with everyone. Ask how they are, or ask if they need help. Or simply to wave!

Case in point, a gentleman that I see from time to time was walking towards me, but he hadn't crossed the street yet. I was going to turn the corner on my morning walk with Murphy, so our paths wouldn't directly cross. However, I waved at him across the street, and he waved back! That brought a smile to my face, and I'm sure it brought one to his! 

OK -- so now back to the pinging and what that was all about. It seems that AI has taken over my life without me knowing a darn thing about it. I think this only works on your Android phone, as I couldn't find it on my computer. It is generated by Google Chrome. 

So go to my blog on your phone. Then, in the top-right corner, select the THREE DOT drop-down menu. Scroll down until you find "Listen to this page." OMG --- AI turned my blog into a podcast!!!! I am not kidding. And they were pretty thorough, covering all the topics in a conversational style. It's hilarious, but it's creepy at the same time. 

While we have the THREE DOT menu on the computer, I could not find the "listen to the page" option. I think this is something brand new. Anyone heard of this before? Should we be alarmed? Darn right!!! Can I stop them using the content that way? I don't know, but at least it's linked to my page. 

Besides that excitement, a lot happened in the house. I have made and received so many phone calls over the last week; it's insane. I have tried all week to contact the vet to make an appointment for Lexi, but each time I called, another call came through, and I had to close the vet call. They have a long message when you call them. 

However, the good news is that my phone (knock on wood) seems to be back to normal. I can make and receive calls without my voice dropping. I have changed NOTHING!!! It just happened. Can you tell me why that is? My only guess is that what they told me about a misconnection between my phone and the local tower is true, but doesn't that seem far-fetched to you? 

I have no idea, but I'm still tentative about making and taking calls. But now that it seems to be working, the floodgates and phone calls are pouring in!

I'm in the process of making travel plans—yep—so much for it being a quiet August. I will be presenting the NEW PFAFF creative icon 3 at the following stores. If you want to get in on the action, be sure to call the store and get on the list. BTW - the AI didn't know how to pronounce PFAFF, so they just said P F A F F. 

August 19 (Wednesday) - Castle's Sewing Center - Langley, BC

August 22 (Saturday) - Northgate Sewing Center - Regina, Saskatchewan

August 24 (Monday) Heather Bell's Sewing Studio - West Lorne, Ontario

I will also be doing an event at Northgate Sewing Center on August 21 (Friday) on Creativate (embroidery software, quilting and crafting software, and the technology that ties it all together) and the Momento (24" digital cutter). 

So if anyone is in those areas and wants to attend, please call those stores. I have flights booked, but need hotels and cars. It's a crazy trip, but I'll make it happen. 

We had two electricians in the house for a good part of the day. I'm happy to report they have finished inside the house and will be back next week to deal with the backyard. 

This is one of the two old sconces in the living room. They were original to the house, and while they were decent lights, they didn't do much for me. 

The old sconce in the living room

These are the new lights. I LOVE them. 

The new sconces

And they seem to set off that window/space a lot nicer than the old ones. 

I LOVE the look!!!!

I will say that for shopping from what they had in stock, I did a darn good job and I'm happy! No need to dither about making choices! 

And now let's see what happened in the basement. There were nine fluorescent ballasts in the basement. The middle three have been dead for several years. Don't yell at me!! 

The dead fluorescent ballasts

And of the remaining six, I bet there was only one fixture that still had two working bulbs in it. It was time to do something. 

Some of the bulbs in the working ballasts were toast.

They replaced a total of eleven lights; there are two over the long arm. When I walked downstairs, I was blinded!!! It's like night and day. OH MY --- there really is a lot of stuff in that basement. 

The new lights are blinding!!

But here's the thing about the lights. We had a discussion about the lighting. This is the THIRD lighting setup for that space. I started off with pot lights, but didn't like them as they created many shadows; those were installed in 2004. They were replaced by the fluorescent light fixture) and I'm not sure when that was), and as the bulbs burned, I've been replacing them with LED tubes. So it was decent light. 

These new ones are LED closed light fixtures. No maintenance required. Here's the very sad part: when a light goes out, the entire fixture needs to be replaced. They are supposed to last for 78,000 hours. That is the equivalent of leaving the lights on 24/7 for almost 9 years. Hmmmm --- do I believe that? 

Anyway, the reason for moving to these kinds of lights is maintenance. The lights are used in buildings, homes, etc., and to cut down on the maintenance of buying and replacing bulbs, these fixtures are used. Great for maintenance, not so great for the environment. We have become a throwaway society. No one wants to fix or maintain - just buy new. 

I didn't really have much of a choice - three of those units needed to be replaced, so I replaced them all. But working in that space? WOW!!!!! 

Then it was time to move outside, and the two electricians got lucky that it had rained a wee bit, but they were able to work.  

So the lights outside our house are also original to the house, which is 30 years old. They are dated, dirty, and don't work. 

We have one at the front door, two on the garage, one on the side, and one at the back. 

The light by the front door

The light on the garage

And this is what I replaced them with. 

The light by the front door

At first I wanted something a bit less angular (i.e. modern), but seriously? I love them. And I realized that the little path lights in the front are very angular, so these fit right in! I don't know if you can see in the photo above (two photos up), but the massive amount of unsightly caulking they used is very different from the thin bead on the new lights. 

New light on the garage

The only thing missing from the front is a new LIGHTED house number, and we should be good to go. That will take some time to order, so it won't happen this time. I have one other (possibly two) things for them to do in Studio U, so those will happen later. 

I dare not think of the bill I will get when this is all done. Even replacing all those switches and outlets will be costly. But I had a budget, and we are well within it, and one must maintain the house! They found multiple broken and cracked light switches, so it was definitely time to replace them. 

As they were moving their tools out of the house, they left the door open. Look at that, Lexi. She warily eyed the front door, but didn't move towards it. When she was younger, she would have been out the door without hesitation. 

MOM - the door is open - that's not right!

The same goes for walking on the leash. If I had dropped the leash years ago, she would take off. Now, she just stops - MOM - something isn't right! 

And look at that Murphy! It's been a long time since she ripped a toy to shreds. 

MOM - I'm feeling pretty good!

However, she started barking shortly after midnight, so I ran outside to get her. She was groggy as all get out, but staring at the forest and barking. She came in and settled down right away (thank goodness), and I found her this morning sleeping in the family room where the plug-in pheromone dispenser is located. So I think it's time to start bringing her in at night. I can't have the neighbors calling and complaining about her. 

In all the chaos, I managed to get the rooster block complete for the Down on the Farm quilt. 

The rooster block

It never ceases to amaze me how a few diagonal seams using squares and rectangles can lead to something like this! 

But I still have many pieces left for the second block.

The bits for block ten

Then I was onto the next block. Oh boy—that is going to take some time to complete, but the worst is over. There is a little mouse in the block, and he was very time-consuming. BUT OMG --- he is adorable!!!! 

Squeak squeak!

There are still a LOT of pieces remaining for the remainder of this block. 

Still loads of pieces

Now it would not take you as long to sew the block together as it is taking me. I am pattern testing it, and I am a dog with a bone. As I complete a section, I send an email with any changes I feel might need to be made. I would likely skim the writing and only look at the pictures, but I am doing both. Checking the writing is hard for me, but I'm doing what I said I would. 

I am NOT changing the style in which the pattern is written. I'm just looking for labeling issues, missing instructions, or whatever. That is a very time-consuming job, and at the end of each block, I count the pieces in each block and compare them to the cutting instructions. I'm trying to be diligent and check off each piece as I sew it, but sometimes I forget. That's why I do the double-check at the end. 

I love this quilt, and I think it would make an excellent teaching quilt. But I will say that if you decide to tackle this quilt on your own—I do NOT recommend it for a beginner. Maybe an experienced beginner, but I would say it's more an intermediate pattern. Why? Some of the pieces are tiny - the smallest I've worked with are 3/4", which is small when you consider you are using ¼" seams. There are many pieces, and the instructions are clear, but you have to think as you work through them. 

When I am sewing, I can listen to an audiobook, but when I need to select pieces and read the instructions, I turn the book off. And I've had to rip because I grabbed the wrong pieces! 

I highly recommend the pattern, but be prepared for a challenge. The rest of this block should be fairly easy - I think I am done with the tiny pieces. WAIT -- I am not, as some flowers are coming up and the centers are 3/4" pieces. 

The house is still filled with boxes - I need to break them down and put them in the recycling. I got about half of that done yesterday. And the floor needs a good vacuum and wash. I'll vacuum today, but the cleaning people can do the washing on Tuesday. 

So much more is going on, but that is it for today. BTW -- the scrap class is FULL. I'll work on a distribution list and then send out some information, but since the first class isn't until September 19, we still have loads of time. And there really isn't any homework or things you need - you just show up on September 19. But I do have one small assignment to hand out before the class starts. Don't panic—it's not mandatory, and it won't take much time. 

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

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Out with the old and in with the new (electrical)

My apologies for not mentioning that there is a fee for the scrap class. I did not post it, and it wasn't in the blurb that I shared from the Thimbles and Things website, BUT it is on the page where you have to sign up, and it's pretty clear.

To add to the cart, you could not miss the $50, and since there are 10 classes, it works out to $5 per class. This is how I make money for my time! 

Here's something that many people don't know or perhaps don't think about. As a freelance person, I ONLY get paid for the time I spend in front of my audience. So let's do some math. Any class requires me to put together the preliminary information for the blurbs - not a big deal. Then I have to create the distribution list. Since the scrap class info is in a spreadsheet, I may be able to do that digitally, but I don't know how, so I manually create the list with up to 100 people. I must ask my gurus!

Each month, I also send a reminder of the Zoom session with the link, and then a follow-up email with the link to the recording (yes - you get to rewatch if you can't make the class), and then answer any questions people have. 

Then, for EVERY one-hour session, I have to assemble the presentation, which usually involves sewing samples, pulling out items for photography, and doing some research. Some of those one-hour sessions require upwards of 10 or more hours. Yes - I get a quilt in the end, but I don't get paid for those hours of prep! 

So my apologies for not making it clear that the class has a fee. Not once was it mentioned that the class was free. ALL of my classes have a fee! 

Yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind to say the least. We had not one, not two, but THREE electricians in the house, and they were busy the entire day. 

We decided, after many years of discussing it, to change the light fixtures in three of the bedrooms and replace them with fans that also include a light. 

So here's what the old light fixtures looked like. They were nice, but not functional for what we needed. 

The light in Studio U

The light in one of the bedrooms

The light in the guest room

If anyone wants one of the lights and you are close, all of them will be donated. 

And this is what they got replaced with. Three fans are 52" in diameter, and one is 44" in diameter. That's what they had in the store; that's what I bought. 

The fan with a light! 

The fourth bedroom is quite large, and we had the fan installed in a new spot so it has a light and a fan. 

The weird thing about these fans is that they don't have a remote. They only have a switch that goes on the wall. Well, I don't know about you, but I probably don't want to get up to switch the fan on or off. So the regular wall switch will activate the fan/light, and we'll use this as a remote. Hmm—could we find something to put these in so they look prettier? WAIT --- could we 3D print something for them to go in? Of course we can!!!

The remote!

It's a bit messy looking, but seriously - it's not a big deal. You can order remotes for the fans, but that will require replacing a component in the body that allows the remote to pair with the new components, and I wasn't going to have the electricians come back to do that. This will work. Thankfully, I got them on sale. But I like my idea of 3D printing something. 

So they installed four fans, replacing three lights and one brand new install, which meant fishing a wire through the attic. 

Then I asked them to change as many light switches and outlets as they wanted, and they went ahead and replaced them all. The GFI outlets in the bathrooms were dated and not working, so those are all brand new. And have you ever counted the number of switches and outlets in your house? Well, some of ours were changed, and some were not. So we had old and new styles. And they found broken switches, which could potentially be a fire hazard. I can't wait to get the final count of replacements. 

Speaking of fire, they also installed three brand new smoke detectors/carbon monoxide testers, so we are good to go on that front, and now in some instances, we have two - one from our monitoring company and one from the house. 

Then it was on to the family room, where they replaced the old lights. 

These were the old lights, and we never used them because we always heard a popping sound at the switch, so we didn't touch them. I know --- it's been light that for YEARS!!!! 

The old lights in the family room

Remember, I could only pick from what they had in stock. I needed two sconces, and here is what they look like. 

The new sconce

I was a bit hesitant as they are kind of old-fashioned, but they go nicely in the room. 

The new sconces

I see we will have some painting to do as the base of those lights is smaller than the original ones. Not to worry, as I have some other plans for the house and that will involve some painting. 

I got a new occupancy switch in the office. That's the one that senses someone is in the room and turns on. The old one had died, and I missed it. It works like a charm and stays on for 10 minutes. You can change that setting if you wish, but I'm good with 10 minutes. That gives me time to putter around and then turn on the desk lamp, which is what I mostly use in this room. 

A lot of furniture got moved yesterday as they installed the new outlets and switches. I told them to leave it as it's a good opportunity to clean. Yep --- there is a lot of stuff that needs to be put back in the right spot, things that need to be donated or shipped, and I might as well start doing that. 

They will be back today, and they will likely be here on Monday as well to finish the job. They still have the main floor (two more lights and switch replacement), the outdoors (11 lights to install - some wiring required), and the basement (11 lights to install). The switches in the basement are all good, except some face plates are missing. 

Can you tell that the appearance of my house is NOT a priority for me? DH may never ask me to follow up on a task again! I'll see the final bill on Monday, but with three electricians in the house, it won't be cheap. 

The other thing that happened is my SIL moved out. Yep, in the middle of the electricians ripping the house apart, she was packing. Anyway, her niece came to help her drive to her new home in New Brunswick. I did help a little bit to get stuff packed in the car. They left about 3:30 and hope to make it to their destination today. Then they have unpacking to do. I have a "few" things to put in boxes and ship to her when she gets the key!

I made her a small wall hanging for her new place. 

A gift for my SIL

I used designs from multiple sources. Yes -- the red lettering could have been a bit smaller. But based on the saying, it's OK to color outside the lines! It's sort of a joke - she needs coffee to do anything and was lamenting about how hard adulting is! Yep—sadly, it's part of life!!!!

I embroidered only on the batting and the top fabric (no stabilizer) and put a false backing on it, so none of the sticking would show. It's small enough that I can get away with it. I used some fancy decorative stitches on the embroidery machine to quilt it. Yep—give me some embroidery software, fabric, and an embroidery machine, and I can make anything I want!!!! I even got her some dowel (cut it to size) and gave her a Command Strips hook so she is all set to hang that up. No other things required!

The back of the wall hanging.

Since they were changing the switches and outlets, there were times when they had the breakers off. And to find the right ones, even though their company labeled them well back in the day when we had some more major electrical work done, they flicked all of them on and off! So my sewing machine restarted multiple times. 

But I managed to get more work done on Down on the Farm. 

The rooster for Down on the Farm

I think you can now see that that tail belongs to a rooster. 

Then I continued working in the evening and finished the grass. Not much contrast between the light grass and the ground grass. But I'm not changing it! 

The grassy section of the block

And now three-quarters of that block is complete. I hope to finish it today, but I'm not sure if they are going to work in the basement (I hope so, as I want to get things organized), as I know they will make a mess with changing the lights. 

The rooster block is almost complete.

I still have one complete block and that remaining quarter, and there are still a LOT of pieces on my board. It's getting a little bit easier to find the required pieces!

The pieces remaining

But it's all coming together, and I'm really enjoying the process. 

Even though my SIL didn't spend much time in our house during the day (she spent a lot of time with her mom and other relatives), you can tell there is one less person in the house. It's just different. DH doesn't get that, but I can feel it. 

Well, lots more to say, but running out of time before the electricians are back. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Living in a world of boxes

What an insane day yesterday was. It felt like we were living in a warehouse! Every time I turned around, there were more boxes in the house. 

After getting my morning chores out of the way, it was time to head to the lighting store to see what I could find. I didn't have the luxury to be choosy, but I sort of knew what I wanted. And seriously, I think people spend way too much dithering over decisions. I was in and out of the lighting store in about 1.5 hours. 

I walked in the store, and a young woman approached me. I explained my situation, and she made a list. Since I need the lights today, our main selection criteria was what they had in stock. What did they have in stock that suited my needs? A heck of a way to shop, but seriously? I didn't walk home with anything I didn't like, so that was good. 

The lighting store

I could have gone to a store like Home Depot and purchased lights - it would have been a bit cheaper, but I had a salesperson dedicated for at least an hour, and she helped with questions about bulb types and voltage, and that was worth the price of going there. Going to Home Depot would have meant I was pretty much on my own, and I didn't want that. 

As we went through the list, I wasn't sure everything would fit in the car, but it did. And of course, as I was loading the car from the back dock, the Purolator truck arrived and wanted to drop stuff off! He would just have to wait, but I was quick!

These lights are for the family room. 

Family room lights

The living room

Living room lights

Fans for upstairs

A fan for each bedroom

Lights for the front of the house

Lights for the front of the house

And lights for the backyard

Murphy is showing off the lights for the backyard.

And as you can see, we still have some very old switches and outlets in the house. 

Old toggle switches

They are going to replace a bunch of them. Not sure that all will get done, but we'll see how it goes. I have NO idea how many are still the old style. Even though we had some of them replaced about 10 years ago, those are now obsolete as well. Some new mechanism (different from the one we currently have) to prevent people from sticking things in and getting electrocuted. 

Old outlets

On top of all the boxes I brought home, these boxes arrived on the front step. It's going to be a fun weekend to unbox that!! That is the brand-new PFAFF creative icon 3, in case you are wondering. It will be widely available sometime in September. I have a wonderful boss, but I also have events where I'll be doing demos on the new machine. I'll provide a list tomorrow - I'm running late this morning. 

A new toy!!!

And as if that wasn't enough, Murphy's new "toys" arrived. 

A delivery for Murphy

One of the suggestions we got to help calm Murphy down, and they have them in the exam room of the vet's office, is these calming devices. They emit some kind of pheromone that's supposed to calm dogs. 

MOM - is this for me? 

She was much better last night. Although she didn't sleep in the house, she didn't go outside until about 9:30 PM, which is good news. She came in this morning at 4:30AM. We're making progress!!!

The calming plug-in for dogs

That's what the gizmo looks like, and the little container lasts 30 days. If it works, I'm happy to keep buying replacement containers. I bought two - one for the living room and one for the family room.  

Murphy even decided that she needed to take one more of her indoor toys outside. She even played with it. Yeah Murphy!!!! So she is definitely feeling much better, which makes me feel better! We have to face reality that she is older (12, I believe) and that she is slowing down. We just have to learn to accommodate her, just like we are trying to accommodate our aging bodies. 

MOM - let's play with my toys outside!!!

It was cool in the morning, but it got hot in the afternoon. I had to laugh because the fan was sitting in the family room, but it wasn't on. But Lexi thought it was!!! I turned it on for her. 

MOM - this fan feels so good! Lexi - the fan isn't on!!!

And Murphy even got into the fun. With her love of the basement, I'm shocked that she isn't asking to go downstairs. She comes down about once a day (we talk about it before she does), but she doesn't like the process of coming up, and that seems to be enough to deter her. I'm sad, but this is life! 

MOM - that fan is so cool!!!!

I had to pop out to Home Depot to pick up one more light that they didn't have at the lighting store, and YES - I had to ask where it was on the shelf, and that took time, but I got what I needed. However, look what I spotted in the store. 

WAIT - a big fluffy dog at Home Depot?

YES -- that is a big fluffy dog with that man. The dog was NOT a service dog. I remember taking Murphy to Home Depot once many years ago, and I was escorted to what I wanted and escorted out of the store. The female store employee who was my escort was NOT happy with the dog in the store. Perhaps they have changed their policies. If the dog is under control and on a short leash, what is the danger? Oh wait --- liability! 

I spent some time in the gazebo, and it was wonderful to listen to the waterfall. I think I need a more comfortable chair or something. I was tired - well, my back was tired, but I couldn't sleep. When I get a restless leg, I'm toast - no sleeping is going to happen. 

Relaxing in the gazebo

There wasn't much wind, but enough to get a tinkle or two from the windchime. 

A few tinkles from the windchimes

But not enough for the cowbell!

Not strong enough for the cowbell

While I love listening to the waterfall, I also love looking at the pond. There are big fish and baby fish, algae growing, and insects that scoot across the surface. And then you get these giant spiderwebs!!! The spider was in the middle, and he was huge, but he scooted to the side when I approached. 

A massive spider web

I finally made it down to Studio B to get some work done after dinner. And I figured out the issue with the mismatched number of pieces! That took a lot of time, but my brain was happy when I could account for all the pieces. 

Then I got to work on the next two blocks. My August is all of a sudden super busy and I won't have a ton of free time, so I'd best try to get this completed as quickly as I can. Look at this section. Can you tell what the rest of the block is? 

The next section of Down on the Farm

I am so happy with my color choices, but as I work through the pattern and identify each piece that I need for the next section, it's like looking through a needle in a haystack!!! There are a lot of GRASS pieces, and I need to find each particular size when I need it!

A fabric puzzle

But so far, so good, and I check them off as I work. And I use the ruler on my extension table to double-check the sizes because it would be super easy to pick up a 1.5" by 3.5" when I need a 1.5 by 3".

Using the ruler on the extension table to double-check

I hope to get back to work on it today, but with the electricians here today, I'm not sure what to expect. I forgot to mention that the electrician will bring the new lights for the basement when they come. I also have a small project that needs to be done today. I made good progress on it last night, but there is still about two hours left to do. 

And here is that stack of HSTs growing by leaps and bounds, and I'm not taking the time to trim them. That's OK - I can leave that task for a virtual retreat. 

The huge stack of HSTs that need to be pressed and trimmed

Again - a reminder for anyone wishing to sign up for the scrap quilt class: there are fewer than 20 seats left, so don't delay. You can find that information at this link for Thimbles and Things. If you think you know how to deal with scraps and scrap quilts, you'll know a whole lot more after that multi-part class. I can't wait to get started - there is so much to share, and I've been amassing quilts and projects and many other things over the last couple of months. Plus I want people to share so we aren't just learning what I do. I'll be putting together a distribution list next week and sending out a pre-class note to the students. 

And if you want one of my other classes, here is the link to them. 

I had to get to the gym early this morning to meet Brooke, and it was an amazing workout. I left feeling like a million bucks!!! We are going to get this situation conquered!!! 

On that positive note, I'm out of here. It's going to be a whirlwind day because something else major is happening in our house today, but I'll share that with you tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!