When your unwanted things find a new home!

Thanks for the advice on the Christmas cactus. It did cross my mind that this may not be the best time to disturb it. I'll just keep adding water and leave it alone. What is it about neglect and this type of plant? I may just move one of those tables to the kitchen window, just a few feet from where it resides today, and put the bowl on that table to give the plant more room and support. 

And KUDOS on the experimenting with the sock knitting. If you get it right the first time, you are not learning! That is on my list one day - to knit socks, but with that automatic sock knitter! I'll get there one day!

But neither of those things are going to happen today. I need to be on a plane in a few hours, and I still have to prep for that event. Thankfully, the prep is minimal, so all should happen in time - not plenty of time, but time! Just remember to pack thread!!! And bobbin thread! And to "sneak" a pair of scissors past security! I have a very small pair that works, so all is good!

So the Facebook Live went off without a hitch yesterday. Although we were two minutes from starting and OH MY GOD -- I noticed that I had on the sweater with the small gap in the seam at the shoulder. I had to run and get another sweater because that would have bugged me to no end. And yes—I called Meredith "Judith" a couple of times. I knew I did it, and where that name came from? I have no idea. 

Here's the link. A small tutorial on using the Quilt Block Wizard in the Creativate Embroidery Software! And you have to zip to the end to see my new sample - at least one of them I made. The one about making mistakes! I forgot to take a picture, and if I remember before I leave today, I'll grab a picture for tomorrow. 

OH -- by the way, I'll be back tomorrow in case you are in one of my classes this weekend and wondering if they are still a go. YES—I'll be back tomorrow evening. 

Thankfully, the trips, bouncing around, and events are coming to a close for this year! I have a three-day quilt retreat coming up (which I can't wait for), a one-day (driving distance) event in December, and unless I decide to go to my parents, that is all I have for travel for this year. 

Actually, my schedule is looking pretty empty for the remainder of the year - it's just that so much gets thrown in the same week. Someone told me never to say that about my schedule, because then something else comes along. Thankfully, December is the month when not much happens. I have some day trips I want to take and classes to keep up with, and I'm just going to say no to other things. This trip to Montreal was unexpected, and I already said no to another event happening at the same time as the retreat. 

Someone on our street is getting some major work done. At first, I thought they were getting a pool dug, but I think they are getting the pool filled in? Anyway—this is the second time I've seen this massive mound of dirt in the street. No cones, nothing to highlight that there is a massive mound of dirt in the street and very little room to get around it. 

Very little room to get around the dirt

It's all gone now, but it didn't look very safe when I walked by, and I'm not one to complain about safety issues! 

OK—Murphy is like a leaf magnet when we go for a walk. Yes, she is in desperate need of a grooming, and I must take care of that next week. I picked all the leaves off her, thinking she was done with them. But NO - she spotted a squirrel and was insistent on trying to chase it, and then she was covered with leaves again!! And now you know why we have so many leaves in our house at this time of year. Even with grooming, that fine hair is like a magnet. Lexi? She could roll into the leaves, and NOTHING would follow her in the house. 

Murphy is a leaf magnet.

Speaking of Lexi, I spotted her out back in this little garden area that Murphy likes to sleep in. I have no idea what she was looking at, but it was pretty intense! 

An intense moment of staring in the backyard

Here's another one of our upper cabinets in the kitchen. We have a lot of upper cabinets, and this is the tea area—I know—that's how many cabinets we have! Let's see—one of those pots on the top shelf is broken—well, the lid is no longer attached —and there's a clear teapot. In fact, there are three teapots in this cupboard. I used to use them; I don't anymore. Everything on the top two shelves could go! OH MY GOSH --- when I get the chance to go through the cupboards again, there will be practically nothing left. So you can see I decluttered my kitchen ten years ago and gave away HALF of the stuff in the cupboards. And I could probably cut the contents in half AGAIN! But did you notice something else? Once I decluttered, I am perfectly happy with an EMPTY space. An empty space is NOT permission to buy something else! Leave it empty!

Another partially empty upper cabinet. 

I also need to go through the gold tin on the bottom, as I think it has tea accessories in it, but they probably aren't needed anymore. Oh my!!!!! As I mentioned, once you start giving things away, you look at the value and are happy to give. 

I should also mention there is a box of TANG (the teal box) on the left. Where did that come from? Could that be the remainder of our 60s lunch that we hosted at a retreat one year - many years ago? I must go through those few food items on the left and ask DH if he wants any of that. The Tang will have to go - it's horrible. How did we ever drink that as kids? 

The two worst upper cabinets are the ones with the day-to-day dishes and mugs and another one with just glasses. Again --- most of the stuff in both areas can go! My problem is that I want to tackle it all and I can't. I need to FOCUS -- guess what? I think I just found my word for 2027. FOCUS and FOCUS HARD!!!! 

Look at that little bud grow!!!! It's amazing how this plant is doing, and it's been so neglected. It's been sitting in water since March, after the cutting was tightly wrapped in a paper towel, then plastic wrap, and thrown in a suitcase! 

The buds are growing! 

Murphy may not be as mobile as she used to be, but boy - she is making up for that by becoming a super-intense guard dog! I don't know how many times yesterday she barked her head off. I came up, and one time I spotted a cat. OK -- she HATES cats with a vengeance. I don't know what she would do if she ever got close to one! But she can spot them at the end of the street, and that is too close for her!

Thank goodness that bicycle is in front of the window and it's doing its job. Which is to keep Murphy from jumping on the window, although I don't think she would try that now. But yes—in the past, she would jump on the window!

MOM - this bike thing is in my way!!!

But look at her. I was afraid that she would fall off the bed. 

MOM - I NEED to get that squirrel!!

You can't really see in this picture, but she was barking at a squirrel!! Let's just say I got a lot of steps, and thankfully she didn't bark during the Facebook Live. Or maybe she did, but I didn't hear her!

Yep -- there's a camouflaged squirrel out there.

And that Lexi is lazy as ever. She was lying in her bed, and I think she was guarding it from her sister, who also likes to sleep there. Look at that eye!!! Huskies tend NOT to get excited about much—well, that's not true, but they are very lazy when they want to be. So she doesn't even move her head - just her eye!

MOM - I can see you!!!

Here are all the bobbins I emptied while making my samples the other day. Granted, some of them were partial bobbins, but still. It would have been easier for me to use full bobbins, but then what do you do with the partials? So I plunked them in the embroidery machine, and away I went. It's all about keeping things neat and tidy and using up to prevent clutter. The bobbins are saved and go to a group that makes fidget quilts. The bobbins are placed on a ribbon, and the ends are secured!

I emptied NINE bobbins this week.

I have so many supplies, like prewound bobbins, and spools and spools of bobbin thread. I will never give those away because they're consumables, and I will use them. So I had better start using it up. I pulled out some older bobbin thread and threw it in the embroidery machine, and it worked like a charm. 

This was in my tea yesterday. How true is this!!! I know that some of you are probably sick of me talking about making mistakes, but seriously? If you don't make mistakes, then what are you learning? What drives me mad is that people are very sympathetic when OTHER people make mistakes, but not when they make them. They expect perfection!!! That's the most bizarre thing I ever heard of. The more mistakes you make, the more you want to make them, because everything I've learned from my mistakes would fill a book! 

Great advice for making mistakes

Do you remember I shared a picture from the magazines about the wooden quilt rack? Here's the ad once again. I mentioned I had one and gave it away. 

The ad for the wooden quilt hanger

The person who got the rack is using it!!!! She sent me a picture of it. This hangs in her cottage, and it's the perfect place for it. I love the colored lanterns on top! This is something that we all need to take into account with our stuff. If you are NOT using it, someone else can. Don't wait—find a new home for your unwanted things NOW!!!! Thanks for sharing the photo - you know who you are! 

My quilt rack looks so beautiful in someone else's cottage.

If I remember correctly, she said she is looking for a second one, so if you have one and you no longer need it, I can find a home for it!!!!

There's so much more I could chat about, but I have to get my butt to the gym. I should have canceled the appointment with Brooke, but after I get back, I will be happy I went. By the way—I did make the traffic light by 6 AM the other day!!! As you have probably guessed, small things like that matter to me, and it's the ridiculous stuff like that that keeps me going. You may think I'm weird, and I'm perfectly OK with that. 

I managed to get enough homework done last night to pull off the two classes this weekend, and if I'm smart, I'll make the presentations later this afternoon when I arrive at the hotel. Then, if I get a chance to do more sewing tomorrow evening, I'll do that. Did I say how happy I would be when this week is over? 

And on that note -- I'm off to pump iron!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

You EARN luck - it just doesn't happen!

Oh my goodness—what a crazy day yesterday was! But you know what? It was the kind of day that I absolutely love! I didn't have to be anywhere; I had ideas bouncing around in my head, I had two embroidery machines going, and I attempted to sew, but I got the grand total of ONE seam sewn, and that was it! 

But several times during the day, as I calmly walked through the debris field that is Studio B, I thought about how fortunate I am to do what I do. Having a great day like yesterday calms me, relaxes me, and the time just passes! When this event is over, I need to start tidying up.

I think I started at 9:30 AM and ended at 8 PM. As I was stitching, more ideas came to mind, and a BRILLIANT one popped into my head - actually, it was a solution to something that I've tossed around for a while. Oh yes--- if you are at all interested in machine embroidery and making small, simple projects, today's tutorial is going to be very interesting. 

Yes—today is a tutorial, with MANY other concepts thrown in, but this is the type of project we're going to recreate! They are so fun and make an amazing gift. The first one was just for fun; the second one is my word of the year!! I am struggling to choose just one word for next year! Except for the binding, these are all done in the embroidery hoop!

One of the projects on the Facebook Live today

The second project is my word of the year for 2026

Someone mentioned they may want to follow along—if so, I suggest following along with the computer part only. I won't be doing much stitching, and the focus will be on the computer. If you want to follow along, here's another tip: select a single word you want to play with. You will NOT get to any stitching, but you can have your project designed!

And here are the links again:

Husqvarna Viking North America  - https://www.facebook.com/events/1475580608011503

PFAFF North America - https://www.facebook.com/events/989058440360763

The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube (on both PFAFF North America and Husqvarna Viking North America) at 3 PM EDT. 

If you can't attend, you can watch the video on YouTube, and I'll post the links. 

I know you can't really see it in this picture, but both embroidery machines were working for most of the day! It was exhausting, as there was no clear path from one to the other, but I got in a ton of steps yesterday because of it! 

Two embroidery machines at work!

And I had a 2-hour session to watch in the afternoon, so I sat at the table watching the video on my external monitor, designing my next machine embroidery project on the laptop, and babysitting two embroidery machines. It was crazy, but I had my open earbuds in, so I wouldn't miss anything. I used up a lot of bobbins yesterday - I forgot to take a picture of them! I might want to go back and rewatch part of that session yesterday, since my brain wasn't always focused on the video.  

Watching a video on the external monitor

I'm not quite finished and have about one hour left of embroidery this morning. Then I connect to the Livestream link, double-check the camera angles, and walk through the presentation to make sure all the supplies and samples I need are ready!

I laugh as I write this because I don't think anyone can truly appreciate how much work goes into prepping these presentations! Actually, it's not that much prep - the issue comes when I decide that I absolutely MUST have a sample of something and then I go down a rabbit hole. That's what happened yesterday - I made THREE new samples. I NEEDED those samples! Why? Because it's easier for me to explain some things. As I walk through the presentation in my head, I anticipate what questions I would ask, and if I don't have a good way to show the answer, then I make a sample! 

Plus, the samples will be great for my embroidery club if they aren't watching this video, and they will work for my in-person presentations too. 

And you know the MOST IMPORTANT reason I make those samples? It's technically NOT for you; they are for ME!!!! I learned some amazing things yesterday, which I will share with those who are interested. 

It never ceases to amaze me how people think they can learn: they buy a new sewing machine, new software, or whatever it is. Then they want to learn - but all they want to do is have someone feed them that information, and they are terrified of actually messing around with the new item. Well, it was only because of my past experiences, my curiosity, letting my brain have a play day while I worked, and anticipating a question from you that the lightbulb went off and I had to make another sample!

What came to mind was such a simple concept that I'm almost embarrassed to tell people, but it just goes to show that when you get the creative juices going, you never know what will happen. Plus I need to stop walking the girls! LOL—that's another time when ideas come to mind. 

Perhaps my brain is wired differently, but here's something to contemplate. When I walk the dogs, babysit embroidery machines, or mess around with the software, I run through scenarios and let my mind wander. 

What's the problem or the project at hand? 

What supplies do I need? Is everything ready? If not, I need to prep it. 

Then you start to work the problem - one by one and POOF- the ideas just pop into my head. But that's NOT just because my brain is wired that way—I LET the ideas pop into my head, and because I have so much experience and am willing to make mistakes, those ideas just come. 

PLEASE - do NOT call me talented, lucky, or creative when it comes to what I do. I will be insulted! There was a time when I had no clue what machine embroidery was all about - NOTHING!!! But I've built up the learning curve and am thrilled to make mistakes, and well, that's why those ideas come to me! So please - do NOT call me lucky - I am not - I've worked hard to get lucky! 

I'm not alone in that thought!!!

You might not want to put 12-hour days into machine embroidery, and I'm sure the hours on those machines just yesterday alone are more than some people have on theirs after owning them for months! My plan? Blow the clock up on those machines!!! I'm going to call it testing the longevity of those embroidery machines. 

This morning before the session, I NEED to get some homework done for the weekend. Everything is prepped and ready to go! I just need some quiet sewing time. 

Of course, I got additional steps because of these two. They wanted in; they wanted out. Murphy came down to visit and then needed help to get up the stairs. DH is away, and they are very needy, and with me in the basement, they are not happy!!

MOM - We NEED YOU!!!!!

I could NOT find the darn charger for my iPad, and I needed to get a new USB multi-port for my laptop. I remember from the last Facebook Live that one of them wasn't working properly. So I headed to the mall and took the car. It was after dinner, and I didn't want to walk in the dark, and I didn't have the time. I didn't go for a walk yesterday, yet I had almost 17,000 steps. 

Remember that flower stand in that shop window? It's been restocked. There is another side that you can only see from inside the store, and I didn't go in. But they are selling the flowers for $10 apiece. I guess it must be a big thing since they have restocked or maybe this isn't a display, but they are actually selling the flowers. 

More crocheted flowers

And everything is set up for Christmas. I can't wait for Santa! 

Santa is coming!!!

To reiterate about my Christmas cactus—there isn't just one bud at the end of a single leaf, but buds at the ends of ALL the leaves. I better repot that thing this weekend. I probably want two pots - one for the Christmas cactus and one for the other cactus that is also in that little bowl. 

Lots of buds on the Christmas cactus

As I was scrambling to find my lost iPad charger, I opened this drawer of cords. What a flipping mess this is. I need to go through it and see what I need or don't need. I suspect that the ends of those cords no longer work on anything, and they should be tossed. It is such a waste when they change the ends of our devices. I think most of these are old cords with the Lightning connector on the Apple side (iPad only in my house) and some other connector for my old phones. 

A mess of cords

So I need to go through that - I think there are two drawers and I probably don't need any of it. 

The fellow at the store told me not to buy the Apple charger because it was way more expensive than a generic one, and the one he recommended was sanctioned by Apple. I found a slow-charging cord; it's not a good solution, so I bought a new one with a 6-foot cord. There is nothing so silly as to have a short charging cord. I hated that charging cord, so that is probably why I lost it! LOL. 

I remember tossing it somewhere - in a suitcase? With samples? No idea. But it will surface, and then I'll have two. 

DH is scheduled to arrive home sometime today. Oh boy—I had better warn him that it looks like a bomb went off in the kitchen. There are samples everywhere! OK -- just on the kitchen island and the table, but still! I will try to tidy that up before he comes home. And perhaps sweep the leaves off the floor! 

It is Remembrance Day today - November 11th. It is the day when the hostilities in WW1 ended. At the 11th hour on the 11th day (how accurate is that?), an armistice was reached between Germany and the Allied nations. 

Please stop for a minute at 11 AM this morning and remember what so many people gave to keep our world a free one. We owe them everything! 

What I love is that there is so many poppy displays these days. I'll share some of them tomorrow - I don't have time this morning as I'm off to the gym. Wear your poppy with pride, and remember those who sacrificed so much to give us the life and freedom we take for granted today. 

I'll see some of you on my call later today!!!!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao

PS --- AI sucks!!! I swear the editing software had a gremlin in it this morning. I'm probably going to miss that 6 o'clock traffic light. That's OK. 

PREP work and organization can save so much time!

LOL --- take a break? The demos weren't supposed to go for an entire hour, but you know me! I also had something else on my mind that stressed me out on Sunday, but a day later, after saying it out loud a couple of times, I'm over it. I can't stress about things that happened in the past that I can't control.

I admit that I made a goof (no harm done, no one got hurt) and life goes on. In the past, I would dwell on that for days, but now? What's the point? So all is good in my world and life goes on! I'm well-rested and ready to tackle the rest of the week. 

The final deer for the Show and Tell quilt is done! Yeah!!!!

The third deer block is complete.

I decided to follow the pattern and use the narrower strip between the legs. Here are the other two. 

My other two deer blocks

My time is a wee bit tight this week. I wish things could be spread out more so that I have a bit of time to breathe between events. Some months, things are wide open; other months, everyone decides we need to do something. It's temporary, so I can survive. It's really just the next couple of days and trying to get everything organized for the weekend. Plus I have a trip to Montreal that got thrown in this week, PLUS a Facebook Live. More on that in a minute!

Look at my sweet girl. She wants to play ball, so I gently rolled it across the floor. I think she realized playing ball may not be the best thing, so she plunked herself down on the mat, and I rolled the ball to her. She was happy! What was hilarious, and I didn't get a picture, was that she lay there for a long time, trying to engage with the ball! It just sat there! 

MOM -- Look at me - I'm playing ball!!!

I will say that the support strap that we purchased to help her up the stairs is a godsend!! I could have made one, but that wasn't going to happen. It's wide and padded with long handles, so I slip it under her tummy, and when she slips/collapses, I've got her. She is getting quite used to it, and sometimes when I'm not quick enough to put it under her tummy, she looks back at me and says politely - HURRY UP, MOM - I need to get to bed!!!

I can't tell you how much a little prep work or organization can make a huge difference in your day. When I did my first Facebook Live a while back, the setup issues were incredible. I didn't know which cables to use, didn't have the right lengths, and had many, many other issues. Then I threw it all back in a bucket, and what a mess to do it all over again. 

Now, everything is labeled in bags for each camera, and it's a snap. I have a Facebook Live tomorrow, and here's what happened this morning. My workout was fixing this area, not going to the gym. 

This is where the current project stuff is sitting, so I quickly moved that out of the way. Now that there is a lot less on those tables, it was super easy. I will get to a point where there isn't a lot on those tables, but that is not today. The portal design boards are in the corner, to conceal those bookcases. 

The start of setting up the film area

As I mentioned, I was in a bit of a funk yesterday morning, and if someone had called me to pick up books, I think I was prepared to get rid of the entire lot! GASP!!! I NEVER thought I would say that. But you know what? The more I get rid of things, the more I want to get rid of things, including books!!! I'm stunned! Now don't worry—that is not going to happen, but there are many books I will never use. However, there are book categories that I want to keep! 

Anyway, the next step in setting up the area was to bring out the cameras and the tripods. The cameras stay attached to the tripods, so it's easy to set up. I only have to attach the iPad or phone, depending on which device I'm using as the fourth camera. 

The tripods are out

I moved the sewing equipment into place and brought in an extra table to work on. 

Sewing machine in place

I love this tower power thing, but I've dropped it twice. The first time, one side of the base popped out, and the second time, the entire base popped off. It's super annoying now because it won't stand properly, and I've tried multiple times to snap it back in place. It might help if I unplug everything, set it on a table, and push from the bottom. I might try that later today. BUT - I've checked - the wires are still connected; it's just the plastic casing that came apart. 

This is what happens when you drop the power tower - twice! 

And now it looks a bit more "organized!" It's always a challenge to get everything in place, then decide where the cameras should be so you can see what I'm trying to show and not all the behind-the-scenes stuff. And since some of this event uses computer software, I need an extra monitor (no problem - I've got one of those), and it's all in place. 

The bags of cables are ready to install

Today, I'll connect to the Livestream service to test out all the angles and equipment. We were chatting about tripping hazards in the sewing space yesterday on the Monday sewing call. How is this for a tripping hazard? I put the extension cord on a stool to remind me it's there and, hopefully, I won't need to go into that area anymore. 

The tripping zone!! 

I still have some samples/demos to prep today, and I must get back to prepping for my classes on the weekend. People tell me NOT to say this, but after this weekend, I still have things to do, but not the craziness that is this week. 

But that didn't stop me from doing some puzzling last night! Not a jigsaw puzzle - there is a bit too much on that table at the moment. Not only am I having to get ready for this event, but I'm also trying to unpack and set aside what I need tomorrow, what I might need for a couple more online events before the end of the month, and what can be put away. Yikes!!!! 

My mom had a green thumb and could probably grow anything in cement! I love plants, but I seem incapable of making them grow. Yep—it's total neglect, and I'm not afraid to admit it! 

Earlier this year, someone gave me some plant clippings. They were well wrapped and survived a plane trip. Since then, I've been meaning to plant the darn things in a pot. I even bought the pot and the soil. 

In the meantime, the clippings have been sitting in a small glass bowl on my kitchen windowsill. OH MY --- look at this!!! The Christmas cactus is going to bloom!!! Even with extreme neglect, I'm growing things!

Christmas cactus is going to bloom under very adverse conditions.

I guess I had better replant those darn things. I'm surprised because those roots have stood in water for months. And this window never gets sun. Is this telling me something? But if I repot that plant, where the heck am I going to put it? 

WAIT --- I have two metal stands in the living room that I used to put plants on, so they were in the hot sunny window. There is nothing on them, yet they still sit in the living room. If I move at least one of them to the back and put it in front of a window in the eating area, that is the equivalent of the kitchen window. OK -- I don't think I have time to do that today, but I need to get that thing out of the water!!!!

Yesterday, we were chatting about Christmas presents, and this popped up in my feed. OH MY!!!!! 

Good suggestions for Christmas gift-giving

It's been years since we last exchanged gifts with each other, or with anyone. In fact, I don't give gifts at all at Christmas. If we're blessed with grandchildren one day, I will find a nice, sensible gift for the kids, but adults? We don't need more crap!!! At least I don't! 

I think it would be amazing if every family that wants to give gifts does the following: Pick a price point (that's good for the giver and the receiver), then go to your favorite bookstore, hobby store, hardware store, clothing store, online, or in person. Be specific about what you want and make a list. Distribute the list to the members who want to give you something. It's up to them to not get duplicates. 

Then on Christmas Day, they get the chance to give you something, and you get what you want! That makes so much sense. 

OH MY GOSH --- that's just what we did as kids with the Wish Book from Eaton's and Sears. Except, we may not have paid attention to the price! 

And parents NEED to stop catering to their kids who demand the latest trend, and it's out of stock. That's been true since the start of time, I'm sure. But seriously—this is a great place to teach your kid some rules of life! And we all need to throw in a bit of charity or community giving, too. Another good life lesson for the kids. 

Trust me—I didn't do that in the past, but I sure wish I had. I don't give, and I don't expect gifts, and I'm OK with that. I'd rather the gift of TIME with someone than a gift from them. Just like the gift of time I had the other night with the two people I met with for dinner. That provided some great laughs, good memories, and my friendship with both grew! 

And here's the other thing to think about with gift-giving. Let's say you have a $50 limit per gift. Someone decides that they want to throw in a few extra things, so now what you give them is worth $50 and what you get is worth $75. I know they are being generous, but you don't have to be. The person who gets the $75 will feel bad because they only gave $50, but $50 was the limit!!! 

Here are some dates to keep in mind: 

Virtual Retreat -- November 28 and 29

BUT - the most important date is my Facebook Live tomorrow: 

I'm working with the Creativate Embroidery Software AND the Momento, so regardless of what sewing/embroidery machine you have, there is something for you in this presentation. Hence, I'm giving you two links - one from Husqvarna Viking and one from PFAFF. Both will take you to the SAME spot. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1475580608011503

If you want to see the Facebook event page, here are the two links: Not sure why I can't make them hyperlinks this morning, but just copy and paste. 

https://www.facebook.com/HusqvarnaVikingUSA/events

https://www.facebook.com/PfaffUSA/events

Instead of just showing you a bunch of samples, I'll do a TUTORIAL. Yes—from start to finish, how you can make these amazing little quilts, all done in the hoop, except for the binding!!! 

It's so much fun, and I can't wait to share!!!! 

No time to share magazine stuff today, but you'll get more tomorrow! Maybe—depends on how today goes, but since most of the setup is done, I have the rest of the day to finish prepping for the weekend. 

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Gift giving

Yes - The Market in London is somewhat similar to The Forks in Winnipeg, although I didn't have much time to wander around The Forks. I think it's a bit more "commercial" if that makes sense. The Forks is also open for longer hours, and it's in a tourist area. But both are wonderful places to poke around! We have loads of old buildings around - we need more of that kind of thing! I didn't have time to investigate at all - I was busy the entire time, and I was exhausted at the end. 

I confess that when I got home, I did NOTHING. I did unload the car and unpack some of the bags and suitcases, which are sitting in the kitchen. It looks like a quilt store in the kitchen! And then I napped and scrolled until it was bedtime. I was so tired, I couldn't even eat. What was that all about? 

I managed to check the leg situation on the deer blocks. 

The one on the right matches the pattern. That background strip between the legs was only supposed to be cut to 1" wide. The one on the left was cut at 1½", which is why I had to cut some of the background away from the larger pieces. Not going to worry about it, but the mystery is solved: my strip on the first one was too wide, and they aren't the same width! Who cares!!!

The girls were definitely happy to see me since DH had left earlier in the day. Don't worry - we have someone to come and let them out when they need to. But they were such pesky pups!!! 

However, they did get a biscuit from the doggy treat place at The Market, and they were quite content for about ten minutes.

MOM -- don't make us wait!!! We want them NOW!!!

Lexi hates having her picture taken!!! Silly girl. Murphy doesn't care - she just wants the cookie. Of course, Murphy ate her cookie immediately, while Lexi carried it around the house for quite a while, and then I suspect she attempted to bury it in her elevated bed. And Murphy probably ate it when she wasn't around. Sigh....................

Murphy also wanted to play while I was sitting at the kitchen table. Poor thing is trying to be her typical self, but she doesn't have the same strength. But we are managing! 

MOM - look at us - we are playing!!!

I had to use my "emergency" charging cords on the weekend. I had forgotten to take my phone charger with me, but I have this multi-plug device which, believe it or not, is SWAG. Oh god—I am now having to eat my words!!! 

My swag charging cord! 

It has a USB at one end and three different plugs on the other. I thought it would charge my device very slowly, but it was actually pretty fast. I got it because somewhere in my travels, at an event, someone forgot their charger, or saw this when someone else pulled it out, and I managed to get one. I keep it in my office backpack, and the darn thing came in handy!!

OK -- so let's rephrase that advice on swag. If you are making swag, make sure it is something that people can actually use. I know that is a broad topic! Anyway, this little device came in handy, and it charged my phone! If you are going to use pens for swag, get those good ones I shared the other day!  

Speaking of swag and gadgets, what about this? 

It's wrapping paper with an appliqué pattern on the reverse side! Hilarious! You would have to use the entire sheet for one gift! And then tell the recipient to be very careful when unwrapping. I bet that didn't last too long. 

Wrapping paper with an appliqué pattern on the reverse

And here's another gadget. Remember—using rulers to cut anything was still very new at this point. 

A "new" ruler

It's a ruler that comes with stickers you can put on it to help you cut. I have never needed something like that, but lots of people have found it very useful. I believe we have seen multiple variations of this over the years, and there is probably still some form of this today.  

BUT this ruler also has slots on it to make cutting easier!!! Hmmm—so if you think the company that makes the rulers with slots is new? It's not!!! These pictures are from Quiltmaker Sept/oct 1994. 

And I found this quilt as part of an advertisement for P&B Textiles - a fabric company that still exists. 

A "modern" quilt from 1994

 

While this quilt was in the 94 Quiltmaker magazine, it looks pretty modern to me! Don't worry - modern quilts, or what the industry calls modern quilts, are NOT modern. That free-style, negative space aesthetic has been around for a very long, long time. The modern quilt movement just brought attention to that style, which quilters, young and old, embraced because they wanted something different. 

I don't know if any of you popped into that CBC article about The Market in London, but one of the shop owners interviewed was a young man who, at the time, was making bow ties and cushions. Well, his shop has grown, and he is the one who had the Villager jigsaw puzzles for sale. 

Spruce Woods shop in The Market

Of course, I had to take a picture and send it to Kelly, the owner of The Villager, to share. She must get tired of everyone trying to be her "best buddy!" But if I were the owner of such a cool product, I would love to hear stories and see pictures of how the products are displayed! She is so sweet and answers back - she had not been to this shop to see her product displayed! 

I didn't have much time to shop yesterday, but while I was chatting, I spotted these on the wall. OH MY GOODNESS. Does that bring back memories!!!!

Gorgeous pennants

You can check them out on his webpage. You'll find some on Page 6 (that's the link) and then go through the remaining pages to find more. They are handmade and are absolutely stunning. Not cheap - but then the good things (and good quality) are never cheap! 

Some of the artwork on those pages is incredible - lots of maps of various cities or areas and lots of very cool vintage-style things. It looks amazing. 

I did not go to the gym this morning. I'm doing laundry! I will confess that I did NOT eat well this weekend - it was busy. That's not an excuse, but that's what happened. And it seemed that everything I bought to eat yesterday wasn't up to snuff, and I'm typically not a picky eater! I have no idea why - perhaps it was my mood? 

On my recent travels, I heard this story, and I think it's very sad. We were chatting about Christmas and gift-giving. Imagine you are someone who wants to take up a hobby - could be quilting, could be candle making, could be any hobby. You don't have much disposable income. You would LOVE to get ONE nice gift at Christmas to help with your hobby. Instead, your family thinks QUANTITY is better than QUALITY, and so you end up with a bunch of CRAP from the dollar store. 

Seriously??? I would be so disgusted with my family that I wouldn't participate in Christmas. Christmas is NOT about gift-giving - it's about your presence, and listening to others and respecting others. Not buying things that end up in the landfill. 

Some of us no longer give gifts at Christmas, but are happy to buy them when they're most needed throughout the year. But again, some people feel that you NEED to open a gift on Christmas Day. Why? If you gave me my gift in September and I'm a maker, then I can make you a gift with my new tools for Christmas? Wouldn't that make me (as the maker) very happy? 

People just don't get it. I can only hope that you all are about QUALITY, not QUANTITY, and that you respect the recipients of your gifts. Some people would love a spool of thread more than a bag of crap from the dollar store. I know I would! 

Well, the girls are going to be thrilled this morning as we head out for a walk!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

It's all about the books

OH MY!!!! Yes—those Olfa cutting mats are expensive!!!! I agree about not buying one - I just think it's a cute story. BTW—I had a dream about your company last night. Yep—I had a dream that I stopped in at Northcott Fabrics, where I used to work. I was there to find some fabric? I was trying to find the shade cards, and well, it ended up turning into a nightmare because someone tried to follow me into my car. But not an employee! A stranger. 

When I woke up, I was at someone's house, waiting for a police escort to my car? To home? I have no idea. It's so funny how our brains take random ideas and mix them up. 

And yes—it doesn't matter the space between the deer's legs—it was just that I hadn't noticed it until I posted the picture, and I'm certainly NOT going to change it. But now I know why I had to trim on the first deer. The big issue is: did I make a cutting mistake, does the pattern have an error (Impossible since it's the same pattern for both deer), and how come I wasn't short a piece on the first one? A mystery to be solved when I get home. 

I had a great drive—look at me. The person who used to hate long-distance driving for many reasons, and now I'm ready for a road trip! I got a few twinges of sciatic pain when I left my house, but before I knew it, it was gone, and I was happily listening to my audiobook and driving on decent roads with little traffic. 

I arrived at the store, which is housed in The Market in London, Ontario. 

The Market

I think part of my mixed-up dream came from this photo with that security car in front. It was closing time for the market; the guy was probably making sure that everything was locked, which is typical. Nothing to see here, folks! I'm in a hotel this morning, and for some reason, I always think about my car being broken into in the parking lot - no idea why. Then Northcott was on my mind because I saw a job posted on one of their accounts. NO—I am not applying for the job, but it caught my attention because it was to make samples. This is NOT just sewing - but cutting and folding fat quarters, so definitely not up my alley. 

But in my REM sleep, I bet my mind just went wild with all the thoughts and tied them together. 

So - yes - I am a jigsaw puzzle nut, and one of the shops in the market had all or most of the Villager Christmas collection on their shelves. ACK!!!!! I LOVE those puzzles, so one of them may just have to come home with me. 

The Villager puzzles at The Market.

But I have no time, since I am "on" from the moment the market opens until it closes, so that doesn't leave much time for shopping. The market is intriguing and has food items on the ground floor and more artisan goods on the top. Some places sell goods like fabric or wool, while others sell items they made. It's all very unique and makes me wonder why this kind of a market can't exist in other locations? 

It's housed in what looks like an old warehouse and is bright and cheery inside. There is an elevator, but you can also take the stairs. 

Stairs in the market

I was looking at their website trying to find more information about the building and OH MY GOSH --- look what I found. 

Can you believe that—this building is almost 100 years old and was likely destined for a death sentence, but it was revived to do what it was built for: a showcase of regional industries. How cool is that? 

Check out this link to see more. 

We had drop-in demos all day, and they were well received. At several points, the demo area was packed as people watched one of the embroidery machines stitch out a Christmas design while I explained how to do free-motion quilting or add binding!!! 

I have to laugh because The Market was packed all day and lots of people stopped to look. If I mentioned CNC to most women, their eyes would glaze over, but if you want to attract a man watching an embroidery machine, tell them that the embroidery is done using CNC technology. You can easily engage them in a conversation! It works every time! 

I think the store's location is brilliant for engaging the general population in the sewing world!!!!

And they have a store that makes dog biscuits. I must stop and get something for the girls. They will be so happy!! That store is in the market!!

The doggy bar

Or you could go to Indigo, which I did, after the event just to check things out. Oh, that was a mistake, as a few things followed me home. 

But look at this book!!! All new sewists need this book. 

Love the title!!!

I didn't buy this book, but it's all about learning to sew. I'd like to train my machine to work independently. In other words, I'd like to give it instructions, and then have it sew on its own. It embroiders on its own; why can't it mend pants on its own? 

You know what is fun? And I'm not a shopper, but I LOVE browsing a good bookstore. I just love it. I spotted so many cool things yesterday. I had about an hour of free time, and rather than reading, I took a short walk to the store and browsed. 

I spotted this wooden birthday card!!! It was made from thin wood, and the bike was sitting on top. How cool is that? 

A wooden birthday card

It was expensive, but that's where you choose what to spend your money on. I did not buy that. I spotted tons of coloring books, but the books have changed. They seem more geared toward children? Or they are not as complex as some in the past. I may have totally misrepresented that, as I didn't really look at the books. 

BUT I noticed that sticker books and projects seem to be the new rage. Seriously? Stickers? 

Lots of sticker books

I have a love/hate relationship with stickers. Stickers are great if you keep them on your PERSONAL paper. It's shocking how many stickers get affixed to public signs, etc. It's disgusting, its disrespectful and just stupid and I don't use that word often. 

When I was on the Camino, some signs were completely obliterated by stickers. Especially those that said, "greetings from blah blah." We don't care!!! Again, people are totally unaware of their surroundings and think it's more important to leave their mark than to enjoy the beauty—I don't care if the sign is the same as you've seen everywhere else on the Camino—that is NOT your sign to disrespect!!!

So buy the sticker books, but make sure that you use them responsibly on your PERSONAL stuff. Actually, I should take a closer look at the sticker books. If you want to make SNAIL MAIL items to send, a sticker book would be awesome!!! I also don't put stickers in books, not on my sewing machine; I don't use stickers. If I want to eventually sell or get rid of my books, I want them to be PRISTINE, as that's how I want to buy a used book. More on that in a minute. 

And this is new. Holiday Advent Books. Yep—I think most of these were romance books written in 25, or was that 24, chapters. Each chapter had a sticker on the outer edge of the pages so you couldn't peek ahead. Some of them had each chapter bound together, and you had to slice open the pages. A neat concept. I didn't buy. 

Holiday Advent Books

And then I got to the puzzle section and OK -- a few came home with me. I know—I do NOT need more puzzle books, but I take one with me wherever I go, and I get a few done here and there. 

From the age of 3, I fell in love with books. I must go and see The Cat in the Hat movie because that was my first book! I remember bugging my Mom, or anyone nearby who could read, and asking what the next word was. I think I read that book from cover to cover a gazillion times. I don't really think I could read - I think I memorized the darn thing!!! 

OH, and I'm reading a book of essays by Ann Prachett, and she says that in order for people to buy books (she owns a bookstore), you must teach them to reach!! It doesn't matter what they read, but you want to develop a love of reading in them. 

Somehow that happened to me at the age of 3 or 4, and I've never looked back. But thankfully, I now have access to an amazing library - actually a consortium of libraries- and, well, I'll never want for having a book to read. 

It was so much fun to have a leisurely hour with nothing to do!! I so enjoyed that little walk. 

But speaking of the puzzle books, I remember when I worked at the bank in Montreal. I carried a bag to work every day that contained a puzzle book, a pencil and eraser, a dictionary, a novel, and probably a magazine or two. Just in case I had spare time!! I did read at lunch as I didn't have friends at the time. I was the shyest person in the world, and I would rather bury myself in my books than talk to anyone. Thankfully, that has changed. But I carried that bag of entertainment for years!!! 

I still carry entertainment in my office backpack when I go somewhere (or on my phone, depending on the trip), and I'll keep carrying it with me wherever I go. My form of entertainment is NOT scrolling on my phone. 

Then I had the pleasure of meeting up with two friends for dinner last night. I love going to dinner with people who are as casual as I am. The restaurant wasn't fancy; I don't care about stuff like that anymore. Actually, I never did. The fancier the restaurant, the higher the prices. And the less food you get, the more expensive it is, although I don't need much food. I just want regular food. 

I had a laugh as the menus sat on the table, and there was a SENIOR's menu on top. One of the ladies said she would order from there, and I said, "I've never ordered from the seniors' menu, so we all ended up ordering from the seniors' menu. It was cheap, and we got soup or juice, and dessert!!!!

But the menu items that had me in hysterics - OK - it wasn't that funny. There was the fish and chips, the liver and onions, and I never got past the fish and chips. But that brought back memories of Dad, who LOVED liver and onions and would order it whenever he could!!!

I decided to splurge and have dessert, which was --- LIME JELLO or bread pudding!!! Can you believe it? So we all had bread pudding. We splurged!!! 

Bread pudding for dessert

We sat in the restaurant for almost three hours. As we finally left, they locked the door behind us as we were the last customers, but it wasn't even 9 PM yet. I guess they figured they didn't want anyone coming in. But what fun we had - we chatted about everything and nothing. It was a glorious time, and I felt like I'd known these ladies for years, but I haven't. They are online acquaintances that we've come to know a bit better over the past few years. 

Thank you!!!! You know who you are!!!! 

When I got back to the hotel, I spotted this across the hall. Hmmm -- I wonder what's in the box? 

That looks like a LOT of food.

And there is GREAT news. I have made contact with someone about some of my quilt books. I haven't had a chance to discuss details, but I will contact them, and then we can figure out what they want and what I'm willing to part with. That won't happen immediately, but it is a HUGE start. I'm going to deal with the bags of books in the office, and then I can discuss the remainder of the collection. Some I will never part with until I have to, but many others really need to go, and this might be the opportunity I've been waiting for. I can't get rid of them all at once, as that would be too much, but look at me!!!!! 

I NEVER thought I would be excited about downsizing that book collection. 

By the way, I want to share that parts of my house are clutter-free. This is one of the upper cabinets in my house. This is ten years after I decluttered it. 

An upper cabinet in the house

The only things we use regularly in there are the microwave lids on the bottom left. The three serving trays on the top can go. The big orange mug could go. I occasionally use the blue plastic bowl, so it has to stay, and the white bowl up top is really a bowl I use for putting decorations in on the kitchen counter, which I keep forgetting to do. We rarely use the ice cube trays. 

So, once I clean out an area, I do NOT refill it with stuff - at least in the kitchen. The remainder of the cabinets are pretty much the same. The one area that is getting crammed again is the mugs and the cups. Why? I have no idea. I only use two, and I think DH only uses two. So why do we have 24 mugs in that cupboard? 

I won't have time this month, but it would be fun to go through those kitchen cupboards once more, and since there isn't much stuff in there, it will take less than a day to sort through, and then we'll have so little in the kitchen, but we don't need much. 

So, while the office is still a mess, the other areas in the house are pretty clean, other than Studio B, and well, that might be changing!!! 

Back to The Market today and then home. Yeah!!!! It's a busy week as usual, but that's OK. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!