It's a great day in Studio B!

Sharon -- you are so right!!! So many of the ideas that we see today as "new" and "modern" are not new or modern at all. So many techniques from years ago have been resurrected, and countless other things. The only thing I would say that is NOT being recreated is the color palette! The harvest gold and avocado green? Although I like those colors. Even the small muted prints of the 70s are back in vogue. WAIT - I stand corrected - even the color palettes are back, maybe not exact, but close! 

Well, I am a happy camper. I was definitely in my happy place yesterday, and it was a day filled with fun, creativity, learning, and everything went as planned or better! I was in Studio B all day with my toys - predominantly the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3- and, more importantly, I had my Creativate Embroidery Software to design what I wanted to make. 

Let's just say I will NEVER give up the Projector on the Epic 3, which is phenomenal for item placement. And there is the Exact Positioning, and so many other amazing tools. I was a smidgen off on one piece of my placements yesterday, but I'm OK with that. I learned something while doing it. The more that I do, the more I learn, and well, we know how that goes. At my house, the learning never stops. 

Then you get cocky and need to push the envelope, and that's what I did yesterday. A slight (maybe about 5 mm) placement issue, but no one is going to know if I don't point it out, which I may or may not - depends on the day! 

There are so many techniques and designs (from our Creativate Design Catalog) that one could make samples for the rest of their years without duplicating anything. That's the beauty of using the software rather than buying purchased designs. I totally get it—it is not for everyone, and that's OK. I'm not into machine embroidery to stitch just for the sake of stitching; I like to stitch what I dream up! I also like to stitch out things just for fun! 

For an upcoming event in two weeks, I need to demo some specific embroidery hoops. The Mega Turnable Hoop, the Large Magnetic Hoop, the Special Techniques Hoop, and the Embellishment Attachment using yarn. OK -- so while I have samples of each, they're sparse. Since this is a product showcase for our dealers globally, I needed to up my game. 

I thought this quote was fitting for yesterday. The unknown and all outcomes are possible. I'm not so sure I entered it with grace, but since I wasn't pressed for time, I think I did pretty well. Yes -- I have 11 days to complete my samples and make a garment. Lots of time, but everything takes more time than we anticipate. However, I made amazing progress yesterday considering how it all transpired. 

The quote of the day

Samples for the Large Magnetic Hoop are done - wait - I want to make one more, but if it gets done, that's a bonus. I am NOT a fan of making samples that corporate or marketing have made. Why would I duplicate someone else's work? However, when a new hoop is released, there are usually one or two designs released with it. I might jazz up one of the designs that came with that hoop. 

And my secret weapon is Quilt Block Wizard in the Creativate Embroidery Software. I thought I pretty much knew the infinite number of designs that could be created, and then yesterday I got curious, and OH MY—the possibilities are beyond infinity! I was jumping up and down with joy at my discovery. And all it required was the curiosity to see what would happen when I made a few extra mouse clicks. 

I mentioned earlier this week that I am trying to dress up my samples. Not all my samples are a mess. Many of them are finished, but there are lots of "technical" ones that will never be finished as we want to see both sides. That means removing the excess stabilizer, trimming to size, and serging the edges. I didn't get to those yesterday as I don't need any of them for the event. 

But I have another drawer of stitchouts that I have never done anything with, and how could I incorporate those into something for this event? So that's where I started. I pulled a bunch of stuff from the drawer and a tub, and I'm working my way through them. 

Samples languishing in a drawer

 Here are three, all undergoing a makeover using the Embellishment Attachment.

Embellishment Attachment designs getting a makeover.

Here is one I tackled using the Quilt Block Wizard. I won't share my secrets, but I'll certainly explain all to my group of machine embroidery people in the fall. The possibilities are endless! And so is my level of excitement. I didn't even have time for a walk yesterday, but since I was using my computer upstairs while the embroidery machine was downstairs, I still got 14,000 steps in. I didn't need a walk outside! 

Amazing quilted textures! 

You can see the projection system on the fabric, and OH MY --- if you have an EPIC 3 and are NOT using that system - shame on you! It is the best thing since sliced bread. And NO - we do not get training on this stuff. We are given a machine and told to run with it! Thank goodness, my curious mind is in overload mode. It has taken me a while to catch on to all the components of the projection and placement systems. There are so many options that can be used alone or together. 

I might have to do another class on Epic 3 stuff in the fall. Right now? It's all about ME!!!!

Using the Projector to place a design

Then I got out my Embellishment Attachment and, using "yarn," I was into creating something so amazing and cute that my head is still spinning at how cute it is. Don't worry - I'll share it with you. It just needs to be tidied up and finished. By finished, I mean the binding on. 

The Embellishment Attachment

There were boxes of thread on every available surface yesterday. I know there are people out there that must use the exact colors that a designer has chosen. I don't think I ever did that. Unless you buy a kit, your fabric won't be the same as theirs, and so why should the thread be the same? I love the opportunity to open a box (they are sorted by color) and grab what I want. I am also NOT a fan of my thread being in a cabinet I have to go to. I love opening the box where I want and just choosing. It's not super neat, but it doesn't have to be. Want a grey? Pick one and get to the embroidery machine!

A box of grey thread

Some of my test samples are simple like this. A round ball of fluff that I stitched several years ago. But I didn't want to throw it out, so what to do with it? There is a long tail of the fluffy stuff, and every time I showed it, everyone said it looked like a dandelion fluff or a cat's bum with a long tail. The issue is that I'm also working with the placement of the design. I can't move it! 

The sample stitchout is getting a makeover.

Well, my creative juices were flowing (no, there was a tsunami going on), and I decided it was time to make something of this. And I was going to quilt around that fluffy thing! I know—that required a lot of "skill" to make that happen. And then I added more stuff to it. I'm almost finished, but not before I had to create some brand new designs in the Sketch Module of the Creative Embroidery Software. And then I had to edit my sketch. Can you tell I'm excited? So far, everything has gone amazingly well, and I'll do a test stitchout of my sample to make sure it is what I want. 

I am not prepared to teach what I'm learning as it's just by trial and error. One day, I will get it all in my head, but it'll be years before I consider myself an expert. 

Once I add that new component, then that sample will be done. I'm thrilled to bits with it!!!!

The day wasn't without a glitch or two. When I loaded one hoop, I realized after basting the items in the hoop that I had forgotten to move the backing out of the way. So I had to pin the layers in place along one side of the hoop. You can see the pins in that one picture of the green in the hoop above. 

As this piece was being stitched, I was at the other sewing machine (my old PFAFF creative icon2, which will soon be replaced by the NEW one), sewing binding on and repairing a couple of small areas that needed extra stitching on something else. 

The embroidery is still being supervised even if I'm not right next to it.

OK -- so everything is going well, and I swear I moved that long tail of yarn out of the way, but as I was sewing, I heard a crunch and a grind and ran to the machine. OH GOD - the tail got caught in the stitching. Of course it did!!!!!

Ooops!!!!

But no worries—everything is good, and you can now see the tail on that blob. 

You know me and quotes and words - I had fun searching the embroidery software for fonts after I found some amazing quotes. This is not rocket science - it's just letting your brain wander, and my head was exploding with ideas. As I started designing one, more came. 

Then it was time to work on the next sample. Actually, this is the first one I did, and I had to start it from scratch. But that looks like a creepy crawler in the hoop!

Stitching out a creepy crawler

When I got my labels out to insert one during the binding process, half of them fell on the floor. I couldn't get them back in the bag, so they went into the drawer loose, and that's OK - that's all there is in that drawer. It's the small one that fits under the table. 

Oops

And I got lucky when putting the binding on - I had one inch leftover. 

One inch left on the binding

So to tally up the day, one sample was made completely from scratch and is finished with binding and hangers. Let's see - that uses a design from the Design Catalog, the Embellishment Attachment (using yarn - chenille, so the spider is nice and fuzzy), and I used a font from the embroidery software, as well as the Quilt Block Wizard. A perfect sample because it uses lots of different things. And it's small. I could have added more space around, but I don't need or want big samples to travel with. And it is super cute!!!! Although maybe it needs two red beads for eyes!

One sample is DONE!

Then there is one sample that just needs to be cleaned up and bound. Another one needs some stitching, but only after I test it on a scrap of fabric. One is designed and ready to stitch - I just need to find some fabric and yarn. And the final one needs some design work, and then I'll stitch that. I MUST finish all of them today, as tomorrow I must move on to another hoop. Eleven days will go by very quickly. 

This is one of my samples, but it won't be coming with me because it doesn't meet the criteria for this event. I had originally bought some artificial moths at the dollar store, and they have disintegrated over time. 

My disintegrated artificial moths

So a couple of years ago, I used the embroidery machine and stitched NEW moths for it. They have been pinned on, and it was time to get them stitched in place. I had stitched them on before I went to Stitcharie, but one of them was stitched too high and was stitched onto the hanging sleeve. Of course it was! So I moved it down a wee bit, and now it's done! Although it could use a proper label on the back instead of a piece of paper. 

Another finished sample!

This is one of my finished samples, and it's coming with me. I had seen one loose piece of yarn and a loose thread every time I got it out, and it was time to fix that. It's all tidied up now. Again, there are multiple techniques on this piece, even though you may not realize it. I will rarely make a sample that works for only one topic. For those of you in my upcoming scrap class this fall, you will likely see this piece! Don't worry -- no sign-up has happened yet!

Another sample

I managed to get a new puzzle laid out the other night (not yesterday - I was too busy, and when I finally stopped, I was exhausted!), and I got the border done, minus a few pieces in the bottom left. It's going to be a challenge to get this one done, but not a big deal. 

The next puzzle

Our upcoming event is in Nashville. Nashville is a cowboy town and also home to Dolly Parton. So think western! I spotted this hat in the thrift store the other day; however, I don't need a hat. I have something special, but I won't share it until the time comes. 

A glitzy cowboy hat

And as I closed up Studio B the other night, I glanced back and WHAT THE HECK??? OH -- One of Dilon's T-shirts is glowing in the dark. 

A glow-in-the-dark T-shirt

I sent him the picture and asked if he knew that. Nope - he didn't realize!!! How funny! Anyway, I haven't heard back from him, but that's OK. Even if he gets back to me, I'm having way too much fun with the embroidery machine at the moment. 

By the way, for those who know me, I am predominantly a quilter. Well, I'm using my embroidery machine to make quilts or wall hangings. I have so many other things to test out that I won't have time to do them all. But that's OK. I have a plan for what I need to take to Nashville, and eleven days should be just fine. There is NO time for lollygagging though! 

However, I'm trying to finish reading a physical book, and I have 100 pages left. I'm not sure if it's the writing in the book, or that I haven't read a physical book in a while, but it's a struggle to read. It's getting better, but so darn depressing. And it's all about a murder in Toronto, during the summer when it's hot. I wonder how it turns out? DH said it was worth the read. I trust him, so I'll keep going. 

Speaking of DH, when I was having dinner, he came into the kitchen and said, "It's hard to be creative all day!" I just laughed because I totally agreed with him. But I asked what he was being creative with. "Words," he said, as he seems to spend a lot of the day writing creative contracts or something - I have no idea, and I don't get involved! 

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

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

New quilts to make!

First, let's get the pictures of the community project quilts straight! Here is the first one, which you saw yesterday. This came from a book whose name I can't remember at the moment, but the cover is pink, white, and black! That sure helps - doesn't it! 

Community project quilt - Number One

The blocks were all strip pieced and then cut into slices. I have no idea why I made these two. Wait - I know - because I could. I probably wanted to have some baby quilts on hand, but I never got any requests for quilts. And I just wanted to make quilts!

The second one is the same except for the outer border. I likely ran out of the fabric on the inside and had to use a print for the border. 

The second community project quilt

If memory serves, I have two more of these quilts (same fabrics) in the "to be quilted" pile. Pretty sure I have a couple of pink-and-white (larger) ones, also in the "to be quilted" pile. It is a super fun and easy quilt pattern to assemble, and you can easily make it bigger by increasing the number of blocks. 

The border is also made from the strip sets. The strip sets are made from 2½" strips. So super easy and can be made with a jelly roll and a white fabric. HEY --- that might just be a way to use up some jelly rolls that I have. I never even thought of this pattern. And I always have white around. That's the one staple that I can't get enough of - white. I'm always using it, and so I'm always buying it. Boring white! But it sure makes things sparkle. 

Perhaps I should set a goal for the summer to get all the quilts from that style quilted. WAIT -- I need to get that leader back on the machine, and I might just get that done today. I didn't get much done yesterday. I was a slug because I didn't sleep well the night before, but that's a whole other story that I will share someday. 

These are the two other quilts I'm working on. Another one of those: why make one when you can make two quilts? These were the second $10 quilts that I taught back in 2004. 

The status on the winter quilt tops

You can see the sled block in the quilt on the left, and there is now one made for the quilt on the right. While they had the tracing patterns for the guy on the sled, there are also trees and a dog to be included. However, there was no pattern to trace. Oh - you can free-form cut them from fabric. Well, that's an invitation to not get them done! However, I'm happy to report that the trees and the dog are fused in place, and I hope to get the satin stitching done on them today.

Then two more sections on both quilts need to be pieced, and my goal is to get those done this summer. I sure hope to have more than those blocks done. I'll have to find some border fabrics in the stash and then assemble them. I also want to work on the summer quilts. Those never got started, but since the fall, winter, and spring are done (or almost as above), I might as well finish the set! It would be great to get those done this summer as well, since I still have four other quilts on my UFO list this year to finish. Two need to be quilted, and two still need a lot of piecing. Actually, one still needs a lot of designing. 

I was saying to the Monday sewing group and probably those on the retreat that I rarely start a new project, and yet - I'm going to start to work on those two summer quilts. But that's not really a new project. It's more like I'm finishing the set, and hence a UFO. That doesn't count as new. 

But I had sent out a note asking for suggestions on what to do with the Tula Pink fabric bundle I purchased, and, of course, that would mean starting a new project I have no purpose for. 

Here are two of the suggestions, and I love them both!!!

Spanish Tile quilt

Spanish Tiles by Anka's Treasures has great big spaces, which is perfect for the large prints. You can find the pattern at that link - it's only $9, and you get an immediate download. I like the fact that the pattern is only $9. If I am downloading the darn thing, the designer didn't have to worry about printing, folding, inserting the pattern into the plastic bag, and certainly not about logistics and shipping. That is worth a lot of money, and I shouldn't have to pay for those services if I'm getting a downloadable PDF pattern. There are some designers where you get no break, and we deserve that price break if the services haven't been used. 

I am not sure of the source of this next one. I don't know the pattern name, and well, it's easy enough to figure out. I did NOT say that out loud. And I apologize to the designer, but some things just don't need a pattern. 

Another pattern with large blocks

The fabric collection it is showcasing is Ruby Star's Cascading Landscaping. I went back and checked the lookbook, and that pattern is NOT there, so someone else (the store?) has rendered the fabrics into that quilt pattern. Maybe the person who sent me the pattern can locate the pattern source.

I love both patterns and certainly have more than enough fabric in that bundle to make both. I just need to find the backgrounds (white, most likely for both) and then find a strong fabric for the trellis on the first one. A Tula Pink is NOT strong enough (color-wise or perhaps value-wise) or plain enough to make that work, and I think that is the issue I have with Tula Pink. Using only her fabrics in a quilt is a hot mess (in my opinion), but adding other fabrics can calm it down. 

Speaking of which—when I look through the Lookbooks for the Ruby Star fabrics and other pattern sources, so many are copies of each other. I see the same things (motifs/styles) over and over again. And people are happy to pay good money for these patterns - just because it's in a slightly different setting or different fabric, it is the SAME pattern! And what I "love" is that a good part of the "modern" fabric look is all about vintage and retro things. So it's not modern—it's just retro revisited! 


Loads more to share, but I must get myself to the gym this morning. I guess the beauty of not having to attend Joseph's classes is that I can go whenever I want to spin. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Sewing updates!

Let's get back to the T-shirt quilt. All the shirts are cut up and hanging on the wall.

The first part of the T-shirts

Make that two walls. This second wall also includes the backs of the T-shirts, and thankfully there were only seven of those. There are 44 T-shirt fronts and seven backs. 

The second wall of T-shirts

I sent a note to Dillon to ask how to proceed, as they will not all fit on one quilt unless we make a giant quilt, and I'm happy to do that if that's what he wants. 

Let's just say that the T-shirt cull happened when they moved in together. M kindly suggested to him that I could make him a T-shirt quilt, but he had to cull his collection, which is mostly concert T-shirts. He saw the first picture and sent a note back that he wanted one of them back. LOL -- I kindly explained that what he was looking at was no longer T-shirts, but just the logos from them. I also said that if M found out that I returned a T-shirt, we would both get in trouble! 

I told him to take a week to figure out what he wants, and then the fine-tuning begins. 

As I was digging through the laundry basket where the T-shirts resided, I found my collection of T-shirt books. Yep -- why have just one when you can have everything published about T-shirt quilts? Good grief—I don't know why I do that. 

My collection of T-shirt quilt books

Hopefully, I can get started on the math later this week. It will take some finessing to make this one happen. And once that is done, then I have one for myself I'd like to work on. 

But in the meantime, I now have two weeks to complete 4 new samples and make a shirt for myself. The ONLY thing on my schedule is a massage next week. I'm in good shape, but I also need to deal with that garden. The weather has cooled right down, and it's the perfect weather to get out there. What's even nicer is the humidity is gone! Let's hope it lasts for a while. 

What is this new label all about? I only recently started noticing it, and it can intimidate a person. ALL chocolate bars I buy at the grocery store now have this label on them. If that doesn't make you sit back and think! Thankfully, I have halved my daily intake, so I'm good - a little bit of saturated fat is not a big deal. It's really how much you eat. I wonder what type of food has three warnings on it? 

New warnings on food labels

They have not resorted to putting danger pictures (obesity) on the foods we eat, like they did with cigarettes. Like everything, it's all about moderation. Just Googled it and it's a new label system that Canada has implemented. You will find it on packages of food items that are high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Hmmm -- that makes me think of the book: Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss. I read it a while back, and it's shocking to learn how companies deliberately load foods with those three items to make us CRAVE more. 

When I went to the post office to mail that puzzle, I got a bit of a surprise. There was a line because our small satellite post office is closed, and the lady said their location is now quite busy. The line never stopped. Once I was done, several people were behind me. And it seemed that everyone took their time to run their mailing errands. 

And the other thing I noticed is that they changed the size of the flat-rate boxes. Yikes!!!!! I didn't know that. They are now larger, and I think they cost more. Of course, they cost more! 

New sizes of flat-rate boxes

When I stopped at Indigo, they had a puzzle sitting on the table. A few pieces were clearly in the wrong spot, so I took them out. 

The in-progress puzzle at Indigo

And then I stood there and found ONE piece. That was all I did because I could get caught up in the puzzle, and I was already running behind schedule, with a line-up at every place I went that day. 

My lone piece in the community puzzle

I was looking for some strong clips for the long arm. These clips had been recommended to me when I was at Quilt Canada. But where to find them? Imagine my surprise when I was at my friend's as we changed her leaders and she had the same clips (white) on her table and was switching to those clips, instead of the clamps that we currently have. 

She bought them online. I was determined NOT to buy online if I could help it. So on the way to the mall, I stopped at HomeSense and found exactly what I needed, and they were HALF the price of buying online. So I got four for what she paid for two! I have yet to put them on the machine. 

My clips were on sale! 

And in case you are wondering, I got the hem on the leader done the other day. I need to sit down with some peace and quiet and determine which way the leader needs to face and then sew in the channels. I might attempt that this afternoon once I get the long arm (sample-making) up and running. 

Hemming the leader

I'm also trying to get a handle on the stuff that's on the cutting table. That seems to be a constant battle, but that meant trimming more half-square triangles. These are the insane ones that are trimmed to 1¼". I'm not done with the bag, but I believe it's the last bag of ones that are sewn and not trimmed, and I made progress yesterday. Any progress is good. 

Progress on trimming the small HSTs

These next ones are from the sewing I did on a quilt, which I need to share with you this morning. 

More HSTs trimmed

And some others, so everything, except that one bag, is pressed and trimmed. 

More HSTs trimmed

I almost forgot to show you what I've been sewing. My Tequila Lime quilt is in one piece!!! Now I have to remove the paper from the back, but that's OK. It's a mindless task to do while watching some YouTube videos. 

Tequila Lime in one piece

And someone had quilted two community project quilts for me, and I got them back the other day. I must have made these twenty+ years ago! Having them quilted was an experiment, and I realized it's so much work to prep them for someone else, so we won't be doing it again. But the quilting she did is gorgeous! It sounds silly that it's so much work, but it adds another deadline, and I don't need one. 

Quilt number one

While these two quilts look identical - wait, I think I used the same picture twice. But you'll see in a minute that there are two quilts. I had to check - the borders aren't even the same! Pictures tomorrow. 

Quilt number two? No -- that's the same picture.

The backing of one is purple. 

One back is purple

While the backing of the other one is blue. 

One backing is blue

The binding, made from lovely polyester fabric, is on both quilts. How can I tell it's polyester? The smell when it's pressed. It stinks of synthetic. 


Well, I have lots more to share, but I must get the day started. 

Have a great day!

Ciao!!!

A special wedding gift

I've been keeping a secret for months—OK, two months —and now it's time to share what I did. The only reason I kept it a secret was that I wanted to share all the details at once, and I just didn't have time to make that happen. 

As you know, M and Dillon were married on June 11, and my - how quickly time marches on. It's almost one month since that special day. 

It was about four weeks before the wedding, and I got this ridiculous idea that I could make them a special gift. Let me rephrase that - I wouldn't make the special gift, but I would facilitate it being made. 

Let's just say that I married my love of hobbies with this one. As you know, I have fallen big time into the world of jigsaw puzzles. It used to be a special thing to do at Christmas, but now? It's an everyday occurrence. Well, not quite, but I love doing them. And the more I chat to people, the more I realize that it's a huge deal. Many people do jigsaw puzzles. 

I had tossed this idea around much, much earlier, but just for fun. What if I made a commemorative jigsaw puzzle for the happy couple? Could I pull that off in four weeks? 

I was totally at the mercy of others, but let's see what happens. I sent the initial request to my friend Cynthia Frenette, an artist who lives in Nanoose Bay, BC, on the island, to see if she was up to the challenge. I also had to get in touch with a puzzle-making company before she would start. I contacted TheOccurence, which is located in Merrickville, Ontario, on the same day. 

Prices were agreed upon, and I passed all kinds of information about the couple to Cynthia and let her run loose with it. 

I also told the two contacts that it was my fault for leaving this so late, and if it didn't work out to get the puzzle to BC by the wedding, I was OK with that. Cynthia designs puzzles for other companies (this link only shows a few of her puzzles - she also just won the BC Ferry competition for The Villager puzzle company), so I knew she was up to the task. I got the preliminary sketch about 10 days after I gave her the ideas. She also had access to their IG accounts, and Dillon is constantly posting pictures. I think the picture of Cynthia's puzzle for BC Ferry was only on IG, and I don't have time this morning to find it. I'll let you know when it's available. 

When I saw the sketch, I was thrilled!!!! 

So I gave the go-ahead, and she finished the artwork. In the meantime, I was in touch with Brigitte at TheOccurence, so they could be prepared. Actually, I was late in contacting her, and I apologized and said that if it can't be done, I'm OK with that. I was in the middle of work-related stuff and juggling a lot at the time. 

TheOccurence got the artwork on June 1!!!! OK -- so ten days to make and ship a puzzle. Can it be done? 

YES IT CAN!!!! The folks at TheOccurence were the BEST. They went above and beyond to make this puzzle happen once they got the artwork. 

I'm sure Brigitte was ready to shoot me as I contacted her several times the day that I sent her the file. They didn't open it until late on Tuesday, June 2. That's how they work, and I just had to content myself with the fact that if it didn't work out, that was OK. 

OMG—can you believe they had the puzzle ready to ship on Thursday?! Hurrah for small companies and this one just happens to be Canadian!!! I was thrilled beyond belief. Please, please—you must support TheOccurence—they are a fabulous small business, and I want them to succeed. You can buy puzzles directly from their website or from PuzzlesCanada. OH MY -- I see a bunch of new ones! 

But before that happy event, we needed to figure out how to get it to Tofino on time. It's not like Tofino is in a major center. It's on the far side of Vancouver Island, and it's quite a drive. How much was this shipping going to cost me? Tofino is the red dot on the left. 

Tofino is very remote!

I thought of having it come to us, and we could take it with us on the plane. I had 12 copies made. Just wait—you will see the puzzle in a minute. 

We could have it shipped directly to Tofino, but how much would that cost? 

Then KU said, why not ship it to her sister in Vancouver, and they could take the puzzle over. OK -- that works even better, but we weren't sure when it would arrive, as some of them were coming by car on Tuesday and others by seaplane (limited baggage allowed) on Thursday, the day of the wedding. 

When I heard how much it would be to ship the package OVERNIGHT to BC from Merrickville, I said - let's do it. It was $75 for a relatively large and heavy box! So it arrived in BC on Friday morning, which meant people coming to the wedding by car could bring it. 

All that remained was for them to remember to bring the box, which I'm sure wouldn't be a problem, but it was just one more logistical thing I had to consider. Things happen accidentally, but there were always people coming by plane on Thursday. 

I got the box in my hands on Wednesday evening, and, of course, M spotted me carrying it to my hotel room. That girl just seems to be everywhere she isn't supposed to be. 

They knew nothing about the puzzle, as I wanted it to be a surprise for them. However, I also didn't want to spring it on them at the wedding, so I needed to share it with them at some point. So I asked her if she and Dillon could meet me in the room, as I had something to discuss with them. 

You could see from their faces that they were very apprehensive, as I would be when your mother tells you she did something and isn't sure you'll like it. 

When I showed them the puzzle, they were speechless!!! It was so much fun to see! And they LOVED it!!! It brings tears to my eyes as I recall that moment. So many questions—how did you get all this detail? My necklace is just like the one I wear! It was crazy and so much fun! 

We discussed where the puzzle would be displayed and decided it should be at the after-dinner party. As soon as the picture-taking was done, I scooted to that area and set it up so people could finish the puzzle at the wedding. NO ONE knew about the puzzle except for DH (he paid the bill) and KU and their family, but no one had seen it. 

I had a sign-up sheet so people could request a free copy of the puzzle. I handed out all 12 copies I had with me, and now I need to find the list so I can order more and get them delivered!!!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for—here is the puzzle. The reason it took me so long to share this is that I brought home the puzzle from the wedding, and I needed to make sure it wasn't missing any pieces. 

Our Wedding

The other night, I finally had some free time and got the puzzle together. Cynthia is known for her puzzles being somewhat challenging with all the detail. This one was fairly simple, but it did have some tricky bits. We didn't want to make it too hard because some of the people getting the puzzle are not super puzzlers, and we wanted them to have fun. 

No pieces missing from the wedding puzzle

And yes - Little Bear, who turned ten yesterday, was up front and center in the puzzle. Of course he was!!!

If I weren't in the picture, it wouldn't be complete! 

On our way back from the wedding, we stopped at Cynthia's to have her autograph the box. Thank you so much, Cynthia—you are a brilliant artist, and we love you!!!!! 

The box is autographed now.

Here's a picture of M and Dillon the night I showed them the puzzle. It was so much fun to share that with them and how it came about, although they were probably not in any shape to remember what I said with so many other things to think about, so it's all documented here now. 

The happy couple with their custom puzzle

I had a sign at the puzzle with a sign-up sheet at the after-dinner party. 

The sign at the wedding

The puzzle on display

The ideal plan would have been for us to have copies of the puzzle with us when we stopped to meet Cynthia in person. Although I have been friends with Cynthia for many years and she has done artwork for us before, this was the first time I got to meet her in person. On the way up, we stopped, and I got her to sign one of her other puzzles. Yep -- I carried that one all the way with me in my suitcase. Then we stopped on the way back and got her to autograph the wedding puzzle. And yes -- she is tall. We took the picture in her art studio. 

Cynthia and myself 

All I can say is we need to support our artists. This is how they earn a living, and I have another story to tell you about that, but it will have to wait. 

I was able to get |M's copy of the puzzle in the mail yesterday, and so they will finally be able to make their puzzle. She wanted one in the wrapper, and one they could assemble. So now they will be able to assemble theirs when it arrives next week. I'll crack it open every anniversary and put it together for them.

A massive shoutout to Cynthia Frenette and TheOccurence for making this happen in a very short time frame. I truly appreciate your artistry and skill. The gift was worth every penny!!!

Wow—on that happy note, I'm out of here! 

There is a virtual retreat this afternoon. It starts at 3 PM. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84936943764?pwd=F4GB0CFWZUDAukXjGmbNLR1GS6CreN.1

Meeting ID: 849 3694 3764
Passcode: 777609

Ciao!!!!!!