I'm PUZZLED!!!!

Creative block!!! Where do I start this morning? 

Just kidding! All I need to do is write one word, and then the rest just follows. I have more to write about The Artist's Way, but I'm leaving that until tomorrow. 

Lots of things happened yesterday, and they were very exciting. Let's take a look. I recently went through my pending folder, which was exploding, and I did quite a bit of checking things off the list yesterday morning. So that was a positive way to get some paperwork done. There are a few more papers on the floor from that folder that I need to check to make sure things got done, and then I can file/toss the paperwork. It's all good. 

On my Visual To-Do list is a category called "quilts for others," which means that it's a quilt I want to make for others, or someone asked me to make them a quilt. This is the most embarrassing category on the list because I got stuck in a rut. I'll work up my courage and explain them one at a time, preferably with time in between, so I can get over my embarrassment. 

The reason I'm sharing the stories is that you likely have similar projects, and I want to share how I dealt with them. And I might need your advice on some of it, but slow and steady - let's just deal with them one at a time. 

As I mentioned, I ran into a lady in the grocery store the other day, and she was on my list of people to call because there was a box with a partially completed quilt in it for her. 

The UFO quilt I promised to make for someone else

I sent her pictures of what had been completed so far and a diagram of where we were going with it. She had already received a quilt I made for her Mom. I called her yesterday, and we discussed it. I had phototransferred 30 pictures onto fabric and fused some lettering, which was to be the top and bottom borders. Here's what I learned in that conversation. First -- she didn't even remember the project when I sent her the photos. OH!!!! To be clear, this project was started in 2002 or 2003? So it's been many years - I don't blame her for not remembering, but I remembered, and it has been a weight on my back for all those years. 

Secondly, she mentioned numerous times that the pictures were very dated. Yep—some of the people in the photos were probably no longer around, and all the children? Well, some of them have children of their own. She felt bad for all the work I had done, but then didn't want to add to my workload. 

Bottom line? We ditched the project. Guilt gone and the next time I see her around, we can just catch up - I don't need to mention the quilt every again!!!

I'm not taking that project off the list yet. I need to sort through the box first, and when it's completely dealt with, then I can take it off the list. 

There was a stack of paper - that's now in the recycling. There were a couple of patterns, which are also in their appropriate place. I found some fabrics, and those are back on the shelf. 

Sorting through the UFO

Look at this gorgeous maple leaf neutral I found!!!

Look at the gorgeous fabric.

And THREE spools of machine embroidery thread, which is now back with the rest of the orange threads. I swear, if I could find all the threads that are in the project boxes, I'd have to buy many more containers! Don't yell at me --- I'm working on this mess!!! Are you working on yours? 

Three found spools of thread.

I also found two oraganmi boats that I made with fabric. I'm not sure why they were in the box - perhaps there was a lake behind the tree, and this boat was going on it. I know I made these as samples for another quilt, where I made an origami boat. Hmmm -- I should take a picture of that quilt. It's finished and hangs over my front door. I'm not sure where to put those, but I'll find a home for them, perhaps with my fusible supplies, because I needed a fusible to attach the two pieces of fabric. This technique would work a whole lot better these days with the much thinner fusibles!!

Two origami boats made from double-sided fabric

The stitching had NOT been done on the two borders, and I decided to try to rescue the fabric and perhaps the letters. I know—it's the pioneer spirit within me, and trust me—I LOVE doing this recovery work. I almost find it more satisfying than making something from new stuff. Plus, I have two YouTube Videos (informative) that I want to finish watching, so I can pull letters off while doing that. 

Oh shoot—I didn't seem to take any pictures of that process, but it's working. Some of the fused appliqué is stuck pretty well, but I'm persistent and have been able to remove about 1/3 of one border. That's pretty good considering I wasn't home yesterday afternoon. 

The moral of this story is- if you commit to making a project for someone, do NOT abandon it. I seemed to have gone through a period when I just couldn't wrap my head around finishing things, which has left a few things sitting here. I'm all grown up now and facing those awkward situations. Get it over -- live guilt-free! 

And the bonus lesson is that if you have a UFO, you do NOT need to finish every one of them. Abandon the project, shelve the material, cross it off your list, and call it a day. DO NOT leave it sitting around. MAKE A DECISION about it. 

Then we got ourselves ready because KU and I were going on a road trip. My brain kicked in, and I realized that while we were on our mission, we could drop some things off for the Pony Express. This is what we dropped off. Two quilts and three pet mats were dropped off at the first stop, and I picked up one quilt for quilting. The second stop involved dropping off some odds and ends for someone, and I didn't pick up anything. 

Items to be delivered on the Pony Express

The second stop was to the Springhouse Retreat house, where the person was currently enjoying a retreat. So, of course, I had to snap a picture of the red lawn chairs. 

The red lawn chairs at Springhouse Retreat

They were just not as nicely arranged as when we took our "famous" picture in them. I don't know where that picture is at the moment, but I'll find it for tomorrow. 

This is what remains on the Pony Express at the moment, which is not too bad. I'll try to drop that bag off today if the weather is nice. Two of the three remaining items are for me to drop off on my travels, and the bag of cars is for someone to pick up! All is good! 

What is currently waiting to be delivered/pick-up

After we did our two drop-offs, we were on our way to the Ye Old Fabric Shoppe. We found a fabric in the theme we wanted, but it was not suitable for our needs. So we looked at other things, and we got what we needed. I even picked up a few things which I'll share tomorrow. Oh boy -- I have a lot to share tomorrow!

WAIT -- there was one thing that I spotted. I did NOT buy it, but I took a picture of it. 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

Remember my picture from yesterday? 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

And that's all I'm going to say about that. 

I had wanted to check out the dollar store to see if they had any of those felt folders or laptop cases. And oh my—there was a thrift store and a Michael's right beside it. So we parked the car and went to Michael's first. The goal was to see if they had gotten their fabric aisle yet. Nope --- just the small pieces that they've always had. I first spotted the fabric aisle in North Vancouver in the fall. Nothing here yet, but I know that feature has also been implemented in part of Atlantic Canada. I don't know about my local stores. Too bad there isn't a Michaels within walking distance! It's within cycling distance, so once the weather is nicer, I must get that bike out! 

We checked out the dollar store, and they did not have the felt cases. BUT I scored big time at the thrift shop. We went in simply to check for jigsaw puzzles. I KNOW—I don't need any more, but just to check. OK — I checked the other departments but found nothing of interest, and we had a deadline to meet. 

Look what jumped into my shopping bag. 

WAIT --- first look what I spotted on the way to the puzzle section. Who remembers these tins? I was not a smoker --- EVER, but my Dad bought tobacco in these tins. He stopped smoking years ago. 

That brings back memories.

And doesn't this look nice? As Julia would say in The Artist's Way, inspiration can come from anywhere. Look at all the different reds, and they all look amazing together!!!

A display in the thrift store

OK -- so I have a thing for Dowdle puzzles. I have no idea why, but I like them. So I scored TWO of the bigger puzzles, and KU picked up a Diane Phalen quilt puzzle. 

THREE new puzzles

And then I found FIVE of the Dowdle FolkArt puzzles. 

OH -- five Dowdle FolkArt puzzles

And what the heck --- I bought them all! Eight puzzles for $40 inlcuding tax, because I had a 20% coupon with me. It's time to make another donation to get another coupon!

After we got back from dinner, I decided to tackle one of the small puzzles. It's so easy to lay out 300 pieces. Why does it seem to take forever when there are 500 or 1000 pieces? 

Laying out the pieces

Then I sorted out the border pieces. 

Sorting out the borders

I worked from the top down, and even with that, I was finished by 9:45 PM. You know what? I really enjoyed making that puzzle. It was fast, yet not super easy, and the pieces are small like a regular-sized puzzle. No missing pieces!

The puzzle is complete!

What was interesting was that the last one of the Folk Art series I did, the entire box cover was the picture, including the border on the box, and the name. I expected the same thing here, but nope—it was just the picture. Then I realized that the remaining four puzzles are the four seasons—one for spring, summer, fall, and winter. It was cheap entertainment for the evening. I might just do one a day until those are done. Then I'll let KU do them, and then they go in the donation box. I certainly do not want to keep them. 


We stopped for a snack at Tim's, and I won a coffee!!!

Winner!!!

OK --- this was Murp[hy yesterday morning -- back to lying on the pond. 

MOM --- something is here!

 I just let them out, and they were both by the pond. Murphy almost went on the pond, but the ice is almost gone. There must be something in the pond that is making them curious. Now I have to look, but I'm afraid of what I'll find. It's likely a rabbit or something. 

Look at Lexi! She is soaking up that attention like no tomorrow. 

I LOVE KU!!!!

This is why she hangs out with DH, although I don't know why, because he never gives her an ear rub like that! But KU knows where to hit all the good spots. It was hilarious. 

Today is going to be my last day —no, wait —Sunday will be my last day of goofing around with my projects, then I need to get heads down on stuff for my upcoming Facebook Live. WAIT --- they have the date as March 18!!!! 

Oh well—I'll evaluate my schedule and then move on to other projects on Monday. 

On that note, I'm out of here. So much to do! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The Artist's Way

I fell into bed last night, totally exhausted. After the heavy upper body workout with Brooke in the morning, working with the embroidery machine and the giant quilt, plus a walk to the dollar store and the grocery store, I was done! But that's OK -- it was a productive day! Plus, I finished listening to a book, which I have to share the details with you. 

Let's start with the giant quilt! It is 109 by 109 inches. It is done, almost trimmed, and ready to be dropped off later today. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I am leery of larger quilts because they can go on the machine wonky (my doing), or the borders are wavy or whatever. Lots of things can go haywire with a large quilt. I'm happy to report that I got it loaded straight through to the end, and the piecing was bang on. I had no issues with quilting it, other than it took a long time! And now it's done!

Then I decided, why have one automated machine working, when I can have two!! And there is no longer any procrastination in my house. Make a decision and get it done! I sent the Zodiac constellations design to the EPIC 3, and it happily stitched for a good part of the day. 

Ready to stitch the constellation designs

What was even more helpful was that the design looked like it was made especially for that large hoop—260 by 465 mm. I mean, the design literally filled it. Otherwise, I would have had to hoop the fabric several times. Oh my—I planned that perfectly! OK — I got lucky: I designed based on the size of fabric I needed and was not restricted by the hoop size. It was my lucky day, as they were essentially the same size!

I considered using white thread, which would have looked amazing, but I was thinking of the gold thread on the border print, and I didn't like the two together. So gold thread it was. My machine wasn't particularly happy with the gold thread. It didn't break - the needle just kept coming unthreaded more often than I would have liked. I'm not sure why that happened, but it didn't matter - I was downstairs anyway, so I just kept rethreading the machine when it needed that to be done. YES -- I slowed the machine way down, and other than the needle coming unthreaded, it stitched out beautifully. Patience is a virtue -- no need to get frustrated - just slow and steady, and it all came together. 

The completed design

I forgot to take a close-up, so I'll do that later today, but I love it! I trimmed all the threads and removed the stabilizer last night while I waited for the giant quilt to finish. All I need to do is give it a good press and cut it to the correct size. I didn't trust myself last night to do that task. Perhaps this morning. 

And here are some half-square triangles that I trimmed the other day. All up-to-date on those. Just lots more of them to sew!

Trimming half-square triangles

I had some time to spare (GASP), so I dug out the scraps of solid black I had discovered while finishing that table runner. It's hard to believe, but all of these are sold as BLACK!!!! I'm going to make the pieced backing for my Abreviated Dear Jen quilt. I don't care if the blacks don't match—I just want this fabric used up!! I cut the first pass and will potentially sew the rows together this morning. 

The many colors of black

This is my next machine embroidery project, and it's much smaller than the Zodiac, but it's going to be fiddly, I think! The first step is done. YES --- those rings are all machine embroidered - the last step is to assemble them, also on the embroidery machine! 

The next machine embroidery project

I'm taking KU to a quilt shop that is some distance away, so the afternoon will be a lost cause for getting work done, which I'm OK with. It's good to take a break. However, the Pony Express will be active this afternoon, as I have two drop-offs near our destination! But I have the morning to get some stuff done, although I should be focusing on some paperwork. I'll see how I feel after walking the girls. 

Speaking of the girls, we now know who the culprit is who thinks that walking on the pond is a good thing. 

MOM - I'm ice fishing!!

And it's not enough for her to walk on it, I spotted her in the afternoon like this. 

MOM - nothing to see here!

Yep -- why just walk on the pond when you can have a ly-down on it! That dog is nuts about the pond and water. It's supposed to be warm today, so hopefully she knows enough (she does) to stay off the ice! 

I got a chuckle from her in the morning because she "accidentally" tossed one of her balls under the desk beside me. And she tried desperately to get it. She must have found this position comfortable because she stayed there for a while. What a silly girl!!!!

MOM - just hanging out!

And then while we were having dinner, Lexi rescued me again from Murphy begging to play ball. They had a good tussle, and everyone was entertained and happy. 

MOM - I'll keep Murphy away from you!!
MOM - HELP!! Lexi won't let me play ball!

Wait -- Murpy "broke" her ear!!!! Well, Lexi probably did this to her, but it was so cute. Every once in a while, that happens, and I managed to get a picture! 

MOM -- Look at my ear - Lexi broke my ear!!!

KU and I walked to the dollar store in the afternoon—it was a glorious day. She may regret living with us because I walk everywhere. No going by car to do errands! Anyway, we were looking for these felt portfolios. Which we found, thanks to KU. We at last found the right department, and I didn't see any, but KU moved a book and VOILA -- there was ONE left. 

The felt laptop bag

Hmmm—I think I need better friends, or more explicit friends. Whenever someone finds something at the dollar store that others in our group might be interested in, we NEVER get the right department. "OH - I think it was in the office supplies" section. So I went and couldn't find it there. Turns out it was in the ELECTRONICS section because it's a tablet case. Sigh......

So the bottom line is that if you find something you think someone else will like, PLEASE take a picture of it on the shelf or note where you picked it up. People then say, well, they could be in a different department. NO --- when you see the folks at the dollar store unpacking boxes, they have a MAP of the store in their hands, and each product in each store goes in the same department. It might be slightly different, but the employees do NOT make those decisions. 

I'm not sure if I should go shopping with KU, as she could cost me a lot of money! We were also looking for this - not to buy it, but just to check it out. This was in the crafts section. So if you want inexpensive markers for your blocks or rows, you could use this. And if the letters come off, get out your hot glue and glue the letters back on!

Letters and numbers on clothespins

When we were at the mall the other day and waiting for the movie theater to open, we had popped into one of my favorite clothing stores, and here is the pair of jeans I bought. KU found them. They are so not like a pair of jeans I would typically buy, and certainly a lot more money than my $6 thrift store find. HEY -- I LOVE my thrift store jeans, and they fit like a glove! 

OK -- I finished The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron this morning, and I can finally cross that book off my list. I never need to get it from the library again. 

It was a very interesting book, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to read it. To clarify, by using the term artist, she refers to anyone - whether you are a painter, a quilter, an office worker -- anyone. So don't think the book and its methods won't apply to you. Secondly, the book is based on many spiritual teachings, which is OK, and she addresses those who don't believe in a higher being at the beginning. She has MANY lists in the book—I mean, MANY. And she quotes a ton of people. So be warned. She also talks about the "recovering or blocked" artist and rarely mentions those who would like to become artists. But I guess those people are considered blocked because they can't make the first move. 

Anyway, despite some of the things mentioned above, which are NOT negative, but a lot of filler, perhaps the filler is necessary. Anyway, I highly recommend reading the book if you haven't. 

WAIT --- before you jump into your library app to find it, here are a couple of things. First, the book didn't really help me. WHAT????? Why am I recommending it? Because I've already done most of what she said to do. I am NOT a recovering or blocked artist. The ideas are flowing out of me faster than I can write them down. BUT I did learn a few tips from the book, but I mostly got 1000% affirmation that what I'm doing is the way to go! And sometimes we need that. 

Things to keep in mind before you start to read this book: 

1. If you are serious about unblocking yourself, get the WRITTEN copy of the book, and I think there is a workbook to do the exercises. 
2. It's a 12-step program—do each step over 1 week. I think it's harder to do the exercises in audio form, and you won't have time if you have the book on loan for three weeks.  
3. It will be a lot of work, but it's good work. It makes you think deeply about what you want to do in life, how to get out of a rut (art, love, travel, daily living, health, etc)
4. Try to find a group or a buddy who can help you. Someone who will support you, not cut down what you are trying to achieve.
5. Believe in yourself- you are creative - everyone is creative, if they let the creativity out. 

OMG -- I just created a list. But there are only five items on my list. Julai's lists have twenty items on them!!

What are some of the things that I already do that she mentions in the book? 

1. Make mistakes! They are good for you! 
2. Affirmation of who I am. Yep — I'm not afraid to call myself an artist with a studio and toot my own horn about how good I am. 
3. Find your passion. I was fortunate to have found my passion almost 30 years ago, and I have never looked back. 
4. Teach others—yep, I've been doing that for 25 years. You will learn from teaching, not just about the subject at hand, but about yourself. I've learned so much from teaching - it was the best thing I have ever done!
5. WRITE --- it doesn't have to be a novel, but even nonsense, as she talks about for the Morning Pages, is good. Get your brain working, get that crap out of your head that you are struggling with. Get rid of it by writing it down. Never to be read again! I've been writing the blog for almost 20 years! Some good days, some not so good!  
6. Don't be afraid to do what you want, even if it means doing it by yourself. Yep --- riding a bike across Canada (with a group), walking across Spain on the Camino, climbing Kilimanjaro, etc. Many more adventures await me, and I wait for no person. If I had to find someone with similar interests to do those adventures, I'd still be waiting. 
7. LOVE yourself and be selfish a little bit. You need time for yourself, you need to learn to live with yourself, and to entertain yourself. I am the most important person in my life, and I'm proud to say it out loud. 
8. Stop procrastinating. This one is fairly new to me, and it took a very long time for me to get to the point where I just make the decision and go with it. No regrets -- just decide and move on. Life is too short to let details get in the way. For me, it was my visual to-do list and the desire not to leave this creative mess for someone else to clear up. 
9. Find a support group. Can you believe that I have found that in my Monday Sewing group, which has been going for almost 25 years? There were issues -- MAJOR issues, and the group got ugly at points with back stabbing, a police complaint filed against me (YEP  - that is not a lie), and moving from in-person to going online. It doesn't matter; the backbone of the group has held together like glue. Can you believe there are still three people from the original group (including myself) who started in 2001 who are still participating? 
10. Don't be afraid! While you probably can't do everything you want to do, don't be afraid to try new things or do things alone if no one is around to go with you. I used to be the most shy person you could imagine, and I have gradually cracked that shell. Thank god for that! START SMALL on this. 

OOOPs -- another list!!! 

But you get my point—I didn't need to read the book because I'm already there. But WAIT --- you are never there --- life is a constant journey, not a destination!!! Learn to make the most of it - stop and smell the roses along the way, take what comes with a grain of salt -- why let someone else ruin your life because they make silly choices? Nope --- your life is all about YOU!!!! 

OK -- I have to run, but seriously, if you are in a rut and want to make changes, the book is good. BUT WAIT --- here's another thing to keep in mind. You HAVE TO WANT TO CHANGE. If you think the book is going to help you, it can only do that if YOU ARE WILLING to change. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Progess on mitered border projects

Thanks for the information on the cadaver tendon use!!!! Apparently, the medical field has been using that technique for years!!! Who knew? And yes -- a lot is missing from the story of the man with the broken tibia/fibia. He's in bad shape, and I don't remember all the details - tendons pulled away from the knee and the broken bones (right at the knee cap) or something equally horrible. I must remember to ask his mother again. 

Another day - another project!!! And I managed to get through another item on that paperwork list, although a new one came up that I didn't even know needed to be done. All is good! 

Let's have a look at the table runner. I was making a scrappy backing for it, and that is now done. 

The table runner and the backing

Here's a close-up of the backing. I took the narrow strips of the border print and inserted a narrow strip of solid black between them to make the backing wider. I didn't really measure it, I just guessed, and WOW - it turned out to be the right size. What are the chances? I just go with my gut instinct, and again it worked! It also helps that the narrow strips should be the same length (or close) to the cut-offs of the wider strips, although the wider ones were sewn together. It doesn't matter - it worked. 

The backing for the table runner

And now the binding is also done, and so this is in the "to be quilted" pile. It's small, so I've added it to the list of what I want to accomplish this month. WAIT - make that next month. 

The table runner is now moved to the "to be quilted" pile.

I still had a few leftovers and didn't want to put them in my scrap bin, so I looked at it and decided I could make a placemat, which I could then donate to Meals on Wheels. I had two pieces of the narrow border print and some of the floral. I looked at the remaining pieces, made a few mental calculations, sewed the two narrow pieces together, and cut them to the same length. This is all I had left. 

The remains of the narrow border

Then I used the leftover floral pieces and the two narrow strips to get this. It's just the right size for a placemat! I swear—I didn't calculate the entire thing—I just went with my gut. I still had a few odd pieces, so I made a square-ish piece of the floral fabric and added solid black. I guess I forgot to take a picture of that. And then I found solid black to make the binding. It's rather pretty and won't show spills! The backing is pretty much the same size as the top, but it'll work for quilting on the sewing machine. 

The placemat is ready to be quilted.

There were two small pieces of black floral left, and those went into the scrap bin with the rest of the black with a bit of color. One day, that scrap bin will need to be addressed. 

Yeah!!!!! 

Now it was time to pull out the third (and final) project using leftovers from the mitered border prints. You will probably not remember this, but the wide mitered borders came from a zodiac-themed quilt I made for M. I don't remember what was in the center, but I used this very wide border print. The center was a picture that I had in the house. I wanted to get rid of the actual paper picture but keep the image, as it had special meaning, so I had it printed on fabric. So the picture got scanned and printed at Spoonflower. Can you believe that was in 2021? You can check out the story behind the print at that link. 

I'll try to find the blog post featuring M's quilt. I'm running out of time to do that this morning. 

I laid everything out on the floor. Hmmmmm. There is NOT enough border print unless I cut the picture down, which I didn't want to do. 

Hmmm - the border prints are not long enough.

When I really looked at the print, I don't think the colors went with the border print. OK -- time for plan B. 

Hmmm - the colors are a bit off.

I removed the printed picture, and I'll deal with that another day. Then I put the border prints together to see what I got. Hmmmm -- now I need something else to put in the center. What? What? 

OK—looks better. Now what to put in the center?

Then a brain wave hit me as I had literally just stitched out a new sample of one of the Zodiac constellations for M's bridal veil. What if I embroidered all 12 of them on some fabric for the center? OH MY GOSH --- what a brilliant idea. I can do the embroidery in gold metallic thread. 

Then it was time to audition some fabric. Well, guess who came to help? I swear - dogs can hear fabric of any size when it touches the floor. 

MOM - sorry I'm a bit late! 

And the situation got progressively worse as I auditioned more fabric. It was when I laid down this one that Murphy did, too. I guess that is her way of saying, "I approve!" Oh Murphy!!!

MOM - I approve of this one! 

The next step was to join the border pieces so I could get a rough idea of the size of the center piece. I put the lengths on the design wall, so Miss Murphy couldn't make a mess of my border. I had to take down my Many Blocks quilt top. I must get the backing done for that quilt! So much to do and so little time! But focus!!! 

I got a rough estimate of the size and then popped over to the computer to see what it looked like with all 12 Zodiac Constellations in one spot. OH MY --- I think it's going to be perfect. I had thought about rejigging the placement of the border pieces so the wall hanging would be square, but with 12 Zodiac signs, square wasn't going to work. I did a vertical orientation, then a horizontal orientation. 

I'll have a better look at them today and see which one I like. Hmmm—let's put them on the blog and see which one looks better. OMG — do you know how nice it is to decide at the last minute to add a picture that wasn't in the initial email, and have it come through in MERE seconds? That alone has been well worth spending time with the Microsoft support team. I must remember to tell them on our next support call next week. 

Horizontal

Vertical

I put the constellations in order, starting with Capricorn. I'm leaning towards the vertical orientation because it seems less contrived. I'm not sure that is the correct term! I still have the option to move them around, and then let's see what happens. 

I have a jacket that I want to make for the April wedding, and it's bright fuchsia. I also wanted to embroider on it - just because I can. I found a design to test, and I finally got around to it last night. It turned out amazing!!! The big thing now is, do I want that particular design and what color? I asked Google what color I should use for the design. I'm stunned at what I got back. Who needs ChatGPT when I can get some basic information from Google? I'm sold. 

Anyway, it suggests that for a formal look, I can choose this color; for a casual look, I can use this. I think it gave me four options, and some I hadn't considered. So I need to pursue that later today and make sure I have the correct thread colors. I also need to settle on the design. I don't want it to be too formal-looking, since the jacket will be casual but dressy, but I also want whimsy. WOW --- that was an exciting exercise! I didn't take a picture of the sample last night as it was wet. I also did some more experimenting with the veil sample. It was very rough on the back, so I did another, and this time it's much softer. It's all about knowing how to set your embroidery machine!

And I got this giant quilt on the long arm. I've been neglecting the long arm for a bit, but I need to get this huge quilt done. I have four more quilts that need to be done fairly soon, and I need to get working on quilting the tops I've produced over the last couple of days. 

The giant quilt top is loaded on the long arm.

And now for the daily dog story!! Lexi is shedding like crazy, and unless I keep on top of it, she looks very scruffy. Her hair comes off in clumps. I don't always get to brushing her on cold days because I need to take my gloves off to do so, and I only brush her in the forest. This is the latest massive clump of hair. It's a daily thing and helps to keep the dog hair down in the house. 

The results of Lexi's daily grooming

Murphy was in her glory yesterday. I was in the garage several times as I finally cleared the driveway of snow. Not only did I have snow from yesterday morning, but I hadn't shoveled the snow from the previous week. I injured my knee on the day of the snow, and I didn't feel like hobbling out there to shovel. And no one else did either. Sigh......

While I was in the garage, a black garbage bag sprang out of the corner. Hmmm -- in it was the towel to wipe the dogs down after a romp in the dog park and FOUR Chuck-It balls. I quietly put them in Murphy's toy box, and not long after, she discovered them. She must have smelled them. 

MOM -- something new in the toybox!!!!

And then she hounded me to play ball with her all day!!

Let's play ball!!

Notice that one ball is in Lexi's bed!!

Hmm -- which one? 

MOM - Can we play ball now? 

How about now?

MOM - I don't know which one to play with!

Until finally, even Lexi got tired of it and tried to divert her attention with a rousing game of rough-house. Thanks for rescuing me, Lexi!!!!

Hey Murphy - cut it out and play with me!

Spin class went well, and my knee is healing nicely. As a matter of fact, it behaved pretty decently all day. But when I went to bed, it started to hurt. It doesn't like the lying-down position, so I got up, got a heating pad and a pillow, and that seemed to do the trick. The heating pad was so hot, I think I cooked the knee! Anyway, it's feeling good this morning, and I'll be off to the gym shortly to see Brooke. No fancy things with the legs, and especially no bending of the knee. It works, but I'm still very leery of anything that isn't keeping the leg straight! All is good!!!

I've got more stuff to get done today -- of course I do. And that one project is now two because I need to figure out something for the printed-on-fabric photo, but the mitered border project is the priority!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!