Don't give up -- just learn and try again!

OK --- you know how it is when you come across a new word, and you wonder about it, and then POOF -- that word comes up again! In this instance, the word is actually a name - Eilidh - pronounced like Hailey, but without the H. I thought it was a strange spelling, but it popped up this morning on something I was researching, and what are the chances of that? I'll probably see that name and that spelling in many more places now. That's so weird. 

It was a decent day - I managed to solve some of the problems that are on my to-do list. Things that need to be done in a relatively short time. Slow and steady! 

Here's one thing that has eluded me for a long time, but I'm happy to report that it's finally finished (again!), and this time I'm very happy with the results. OK -- so I'm very picky, but if I'm going to take samples on the road, I want them to look amazing, and I'm willing to rework them to make that happen. By reworking them, I'm learning methods that work for me. 

This was a cushion cover that I embroidered last year, and I wanted to use an invisible zipper in it. Well, I just whipped that zipper in and then turned it inside out, and the bottom corners were bulky. I know I can do better than that, so I took it apart, and it has sat for a long time. I cut parts of the zipper tape to reduce bulk, but it didn't work because part of it was in the seam, and the bulk wouldn't go away. 

This is not the first time I've inserted an invisible zipper!

So, while at the retreat, I reinserted the zipper, leaving the ends free at the corners. Yesterday, I serged the sides back together. 

The cushion has been serged.

And now, when I turn it inside out, all four corners look amazing, and there is no bulk at the bottom where the zipper is. YEAH!!!!! I learned a valuable lesson—if you do something wrong, study it and think about how to do it differently. Check out a purchased pillow to see how they insert the zipper, and then just do it, and you will have a great-looking sample. I absolutely love this saying, and it's something we need to keep in mind whenever we pick up a book. 

The cushion cover is done!

Here is one of the corners. OK -- so it's one of the top corners that never had an issue with bulk, but all four look like this. 

One of the corners

And for those who want to know the "secret," leave one inch at each end of the zipper when inserting the invisible zipper. Then, when sewing the sides together, keep the zipper ends out of the seam. I'm sure you all knew that, but I goofed. I now know a great way to insert the invisible zipper in a cushion.  

The bottom of the cushion with the invisible zipper

I managed to put one of the dog fabric scrap quilts on the design wall and place the pieces. It's not a very big quilt, but it's large enough for a child. 

The scrappy dog fabric quilt

Yes, it's very scrappy, and I tried to position the blocks with alternating light and dark squares, except for the top and bottom rows. It is what it is. 

Then I removed the blocks by row and attached them together with a label and a clip. All the rows are in a bag and ready to be stitched at the next retreat. I have two more sets of blocks to lay out, and then I'll be ready to sew and won't have to deal with the short design wall. Preparation is key!

Tagged and bagged!

Amongst my unfinished projects is this jacket. It was technically a prototype, using a quilted bedspread (thrift-store find) and a new pattern. It is cold in Studio B these days, and I had forgotten to bring down a sweatshirt this morning. So I grabbed this jacket. The bedspread had been washed many times, and when I put it on this morning, the first thing that came to mind was how SOFT this was and how comfortable the fit was. That's all the incentive I need to finish it off properly, so I can wear it all the time downstairs. 

My jacket prototype - soft and comfy

To finish the seams, I like to grade the thicknesses, but that is a challenge on this one because of the TRIPLE chain stitch used to quilt it, likely on a large industrial flat-bed quilting machine. The thought of unpicking those stitches doesn't thrill me, so I may end up binding the seams. I don't have any matching fabric for the lining, but I might grab some bright fabrics to liven up the binding and the seam finishes. It's got a boring and dull paisley print on the inside. But comfy? Soft? Oh yes—this is a great jacket. 

The Pony Express is alive and well, and I will have a doozy of a story to tell you in a couple of weeks about it. For the moment, we will focus on what happened two days ago. I got a delivery of three puzzles. I tried to trade the one puzzle in my trading pile, but I didn't find a taker for it with this person. These first two puzzles have very nice pictures, and I will likely pass these along when I'm done. 

Two new puzzles

But the third puzzle was intriguing. This is the picture! I did NOT mirror the image, so is that a problem with the picture, or is the puzzle totally backward? 

The picture on the third puzzle

And it comes in this drawer pull box. Hmmmm --- what a unique puzzle. I may ask my new puzzle peeps about that. I can't find anything about this on Google. All I get are instructions on how to make a puzzle tray with drawers or links to buy one. That's not what I want. 

A drawer pull on the puzzle box.

And yes—I hope to have new puzzle peeps soon. I'm slated to volunteer for a couple of hours at the end of July. I can manage that!! And, sad to say, I've been watching a few YouTube videos about the competition this past weekend. There is one young adult who is the queen of speed puzzling. She won the individual and pairs events and earned a third medal as well. It might have been in the team event, but she didn't come first. She looks very young, but I Googled her, and it said she is an adult (no birthday information). But can we trust Google?

I also received a penny in the year that M was born, so I'll give that to her when we see them. It's supposed to be good luck on your wedding day. 

And there was one more delivery to my door that same day, the puzzles came. I got a box of old quilt books. I know -- do not yell at me. I requested them. Some of them are to be given to others, and a few are to add to my stash. I'm OK with that. I have a wee bit of room left and will start to cull when the shelves won't hold any more. I need to sort through them and put them in their respective places. 

A box of books

The puzzle got picked up by the person who dropped off the books! Good luck with that tough one! 

We have a pair of cardinals in our backyard, and Mister Cardinal was pretty visible yesterday. I first spotted him on the gazebo railing. 

Hey, lady—fill the feeder! 

Then I spotted him taking a bath in the pond. WOW --- what a cool picture!!! Would that make a puzzle? It would make a challenging puzzle with all the rocks! But look at the reflection! 

Hey—a little privacy, please —I'm taking a bath!

One of the readers just got a new pond, and there is no end of fascination with birds and fish. I spotted four of the seven fish yesterday. Two were hanging out in the empty spot in the shade, and two were among the lily pads, checking out the sun. They are not used to us yet and scitter away faster than a speeding bullet. We don't feed the fish - we used to, but there is so much algae and such in the pond that we haven't fed our fish for years. Now with the new ones, let's hope they learn the same thing. 

Of course, Murphy had to be in the picture as well. That dog just runs hot, and since it's relatively hot outside, she was trying to find a cool spot to sleep. She loves to sleep in these bushes, even behind them, right beside the house. This area never gets sun, and the ground is damp.

I dug out her small swimming pool and filled it with cold water. She was a bit hesitant and put her feet in, but was not ready to take the plunge just yet. She will. I have a larger one that she can lie down in, but if she wants, she can curl up in this one to cool off. The big one is so cumbersome. I also bought her a sprinkler that I may bring out later today. 

MOM -- it's hot!!

I have loads to do, so I don't have much time to spend in the backyard, but I try to grab a few minutes in the gazebo every day. 

Remember that plant I rescued from its dead leaf trap a few weeks ago? Well, in case you think one small act doesn't make a difference, look at the plant. It's smaller than the others, but it's thriving. It probably would have forced the dead leaf off at some point, but I'm happy knowing that I helped it along. 

Small but thriving!

That brings to mind the story of some scientists or nature photographers (I've forgotten which), who were studying penguins somewhere. They realized that the penguins were in a spot that they could not get up the very steep, slippery slope of some ice floe, and if they remained where they were, they would die. The dilemma was that the scientists were not allowed to help the animals but were to leave them in their natural habitat untouched. They were torn, so they carved mini-stairs into the slippery slope, and the penguins made their way up to safety. 

I think that's a beautiful story. Should humans have interfered with Mother Nature? They did, and yet they didn't. If the penguins hadn't figured out the stairs, they would have died, but survival kicked in, and they problem-solved, and the group of penguins was freed. 

OH --- if you think I'm bad about puzzling, you should see some of the pictures I've seen online. These puzzlers are just like quilters. They have rooms filled with puzzles, and they thrift them all the time; one person thrifted 37 puzzles in one month. Oh gosh—did I do a bad thing by picking up this "hobby"?

It's good to branch out and just a fun thing. I won't go crazy. Says she who has a stash room. 

Well, it's going to be a crazy month. I haven't had one of those in a long time, and I look forward to all the packing and unpacking! There are lots of fun things coming up, and not much time for puzzling or sewing. I'll do the best I can. 

On that note, I'm off to see Brooke to see what torture she can find for me. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

Fixing a problem is easy if you have the skills

THANKS to all who gave me great suggestions about the witty comments. I will reread them and memorize them because they were great!!! You are the best, and thanks for putting up with my little tirade yesterday!

And yes -- it was just a question of time before I approached the CJPA (Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association) to help. I love helping out, and used to help a lot with the quilt guilds I belonged to in the past. Then, when it became too political and cliquish for my liking, I stepped away, and I don't regret that decision. 

Thankfully, there are workarounds for all of us, and we just need to recognize them and move on. 

Someone asked a question about the lilies in the pond. When we first set up the pond many years ago, we planted three lilies at the bottom. Since they were new, I bought a bunch of floating plants to provide protection (sun and predators) for the fish. That included floating lettuce and other plant varieties. 

Within a short time (well, more like a couple of years), those lilies grew huge, and if they were outside the pond, I guess we would call them invasive; they seem to grow like weeds. The pond is about 3 feet deep, but with all the accumulated dirt and debris, I bet that section is probably only two feet deep. In the fall, the lilies are cut back somewhat and left in the pond. 

Spring barely arrives, and those lilies are already growing like mad! We've had amazing blooms throughout June and July, and I look forward to them every year. 

I had asked the pond people (who open and close the pond) to clean up some debris and lilies from the pond, as I want some open space. They did, and I continue to remove debris from the pond when I get a chance. I even attempted to pull those loose roots out the other day, but I could only get so much. If I really want to get to the "root" of that matter, I need to reach in with both arms, while lying prone on the side or step right in! 

I was kneeling on my little foam pad and reaching into the pond, and had visions of being pulled into the pond headfirst by tough roots, so I only pulled what I could!

But those lily pads are pretty indestructible and have embedded themselves into the liner. I don't think we could get rid of them without removing the liner. 

As for the fish, they are certainly shy. I almost thought they were all gone, but I spotted one the day I cleaned the filter and pump. The rest are probably still hanging out in the below-water jungle! 

It was a weird day yesterday. I had tons to do, and while a lot was accomplished, I was out of sorts. There was a quilt that needed to be quilted, and I was getting some help with it. The first issue was that the backing was too short. Are you kidding me? The worst part of that scenario is that I bought the backing or was responsible for how much was purchased. Unbelievable, but it was that kind of day. 

I found another piece of the same fabric (Fireside), but not the same color, and you know what? It works! I serged the two pieces together, and it got loaded on the long arm. Then I realized that the top wasn't finished - a few embellishments (machine embroidery) needed to be added before it could be quilted. 

What the heck was I thinking? Anyway, that was a fun exercise and turned out fabulous, BUT - it took most of the day to make that happen! Silly me --- I take a week off, and my brain goes to mush. 

However, the good news is that the quilt is loaded, minus the batting, and it will be quilted today. PHEW!!!!

But not before I had TWO hiccups with the embroidery machine. Sadly, both issues were my fault. However, my skill level at fixing these things is pretty decent, so I was able to rip out, unstick, and repair, and no one is the wiser that anything happened. 

A wee bit of a thread jam in the embroidery machine

Because of the types of designs I was stitching and the frequent use of the automatic cutter, I should have stopped at some point to clean the loose threads that can sometimes accumulate in the bobbin area. I did not do this, and as a result, I got this pretty significant jam. But I fixed it! No damage done to anything. 

I can't share that with you at this point in time, but you'll get to see it in a bit. By a bit - I mean a week or two. 

The one thing I will say is that if you have a PROJECTION system on your embroidery machine, make sure you know how to use it. I used the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3 with the projection system, and it is the absolute best. You can precisely place any embroidery. If you have this tool on your embroidery machine, please do yourself a favor and learn it. The more you use it, the better you get and the easier it becomes. I would be hard-pressed to live without that feature!

Then I had some flowers that needed to be embroidered, so they got done last night as well. These will be free-standing, so they got washed last night and are ready to be turned into something beautiful later today. 

My embroidered flowers

Since the serger was out, I got three pet mats stitched up. They had been sitting on the table, well, one of them had, and the other two came from the recent retreat. They are done and ready for delivery at some point. June will be an interesting month to get through, but then I'll have time to make deliveries and clear the Pony Express area. 

Three pet mats are ready

This was a pair of scissors I recently purchased - actually, they are not scissors, but a clamp to help with assembling things like 3-D machine embroideries. I don't know where to store them, so I took this picture in hopes of remembering where they are when I need them. I have put them in my scissors drawer. 

My new clamp for assembling machine embroidery bits

And the girls were outside enjoying the warm weather. While it's warm outside, but not overkill warm, it's like an ice box in the house. I'm still wearing a big fleece most of the time at home. 

I will say that being back on dinner duty is cutting into my sewing time! The biggest issue is what to make, since I haven't really had time to shop or plan a weekly menu. I've run to the grocery store each of the last two days to get something. But we are thriving, and it's just a matter of rejigging time. 

DH actually went and sat outside while I finished cooking, which is probably a good thing. I mean, it's good that he had some downtime at the end of the day instead of having to cook for me. I was spoiled for a while, but now back to reality. And I must get that oven fixed (I found the serial number) so I can use it instead of relying solely on the toaster oven. 

Wait -- here are the girls outside enjoying the backyard, but why they think it's fun to lie in the sun is beyond me. They with their big fur coats!!!

MOM - we're just hanging out

But I am not a fan of them hanging around when people have food. I don't give them stuff, but others do. Oh well, the girls are getting older, and I guess we can live with it. 

MOM --- we are waiting for handouts!

I made phone calls, transferred large computer files, and sent emails, all of which were necessary to cross things off my to-do list. The file I tried to send was so large that I had to reboot my computer to clear the memory because it wasn't happy. But that got done. PHEW!!!! Thank goodness that process was NOT new to me. 

And today? Well, more of the same, except I'm off to the gym - I almost wrote spin class. I just checked the app (yep—there's an app for that) to check availability, and they no longer require you to register a spot. Hmmmmm --- I wonder why? 

Well, not my concern, and I'll do my thing on my bike in the corner on the second floor. Then some stretching and I'll be back at work before you know it!!!

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for being YOU!!!! I have loads to share with you, but I can't at this moment, but it's all coming together! 

Ciao!!!

Anger management

I will be the first to admit that there are days when I should be enrolled in anger management training. However, I will say that it's not because of what I do - it's what others do to me. Within the last two weeks, I received SIX requests for information on my personal travel plans from the same person. I'm past the point of caring if anyone else knows.  

I asked why they needed to know that information, and the answer I got was lame. I decided (spitefully—I admit it) that I wasn't going to provide that information. It had no bearing on any other dealings we might have, and in my mind, this person was just being nosey, as usual. It goes a bit deeper than that, but I'm not going there this morning. 

When I was asked a sixth time yesterday, I lost it! You would think that if I haven't already answered the question, the asker would give up! Nope - try a different way, and it's still the same question. I really don't care that I embarrassed myself in front of someone else. But I really do need to learn some witty comebacks, not angry outbursts. 

I have been provoked on many occasions, and I don't react the first time, nor the second, nor the third, but continued digs get to me, and I lash out, especially when I perceive them as intentional. 

What typically happens is the culprit does it in a place where other people are around. The first instances might be quiet, but as the situation escalates, others who don't know the background end up feeling very uncomfortable, and I don't blame them.  

So—the bottom line is—if I don't play the game or I don't answer your question, STOP! It's as simple as that. What I dislike is the INTENT that is often behind these incidents. I feel (I could be wrong) that the person intentionally provokes me and continues to escalate their actions until I lash out. It's happened multiple times with different people. 

The question is how to deal with this? I have to go back and explain the backstory to the others present and tell them why I lashed out, so they don't think they need to walk on eggshells around me. And I have to face the culprit to explain that I don't want toxic people in my life. Or at least, I minimize my contact with them. What it does is heighten my distrust of those people. Sigh...........

Oh well --- that is life. Now to find some witty comebacks! Just walk away!!!! Just walk away!!! Perhaps I should talk to a counselor to get all the anger deep within my soul for these instances out, and then I can let it go! 

Yes -- that was more personal than perhaps you needed or wanted to know, but you know what? I'm tired of hiding the crap that gets dished out to me! My first step is to say that I will make any incident public (without naming names) to ensure others realize this behavior is unacceptable and borders on bullying. We must make it stop for everyone! I have been a target of bullying my entire life, and I always kept it bottled up inside. I'm not going to do that any longer. 

And now onto happier things!!!!

I have the name of the pattern that we saw yesterday. Remember the rose?

English Roses

 

The designer is Eileen Bahring Sullivan (The Designer's Workshop). The pattern is called English Roses, and it was published in 2000. So if you think freezer paper paper-piecing is new, it's at least 26 years old! Thanks for the information, as I had forgotten to look it up. 

Before I forget, let me tell you the app story. I was at the library yesterday, and they have an app that lets you stay on top of your loans right on your phone. I don't think I have that app, but I should download it. WAIT -- I lied. I do have the app on my phone. 

The library app

 

But this isn't about the library app, it's about the app for Tims. I typically don't go to Tim's, only when I'm away. I know - I should be searching out the small cafes, but it is convenient. When I went in to get a tea with my two laundry baskets zipped together, there were two people at each of the two order kiosks. This was when I was at the retreat. I could have gone to the counter, but at that location, everyone seems to use the in-store order kiosks. 

It was obvious from their actions that both pairs were struggling with how it works. Good grief—I wasn't going to wait while they learned how to order at the kiosk. So I opened the app, placed my order, got my order, and was on my way out as one pair was finishing their order. The other people were still there. 

While I'm not a fan of ordering online like that, I'd much prefer to order in person, so I may start doing that in the future! 

And as they say -- there's an app for that! There's an app for everything these days!

Yesterday wasn't my most productive sewing day in a long time. I had Monday sewing, but I also had ultrasounds for both knees. Let's hope that I don't have to go further than that step to figure out what to do with the knees. My next appointment isn't until the end of July. 

But I learned two things yesterday, and I suppose these are things that we may or may not subsconsiously know, so bear with me as I explain. 

I walked to the clinic, which I know sounds like an oxymoron - you have trouble with your knees, yet you walk to the appointment. My knees don't hurt all the time, and I'm really trying to find preventive measures to keep them from getting worse. And yesterday was a good day for my knees! As I waited at a stoplight for the light to change, I realized that when the countdown appears on the other side for pedestrians, the audible beep is timed to it. Each beep is one second. Now I've seen and heard those signs hundreds of times, but it was only yesterday that it clicked. DUH!!!!

And when the technician was doing the ultrasound, I asked questions. They now have machines that warm the gel BEFORE they apply it to the area to be scanned. That's neat! But why the gel? It appears that ultrasound waves require a liquid to function. Without the liquid, you would get a black image. And filling the bladder before abdominal ultrasounds? The urine helps conduct the waves and move the organs into specific positions for a better view! 

And there you have it --- two things I learned yesterday!

As I walked back, I walked alongside this new building. I wasn't impressed with the quality of the materials on the undersides of those balconies. The building is NEW, and yet it looked like the material had cracked in several places along the bottom! It's all cosmetic, but still!!!

Looks like shoddy work on the underside of the balconies

And while I was at the library, I spotted this knitting book. Yikes!!!! I think I'll be leaving that behind! 

Knitting anyone? 

But speaking of knitting, I found my book tucked into another bag of knitting. Oh - I guess I need to address that someday. I had a quick glance and didn't see the binding method I used, but I'll check again. And I have to set up a Zoom with someone who can help me. And I'll go back to the person who got me involved in this project, and hopefully, with all those resources, I can figure it out. And once I do, then I MUST get the afghan done so I won't forget again!

I found my knitting book.

It was a nice day yesterday, and Lexi was out sunbathing again! She likes to lie with her head askew, and how can that be comfortable? 

MOM -- I'm soaking up the sun

Murphy is just happy and will lie anywhere where stuff can cling to her fur!

MOM - I'm just so happy you are home!

Our gardener guy was here while I was away, but I find he didn't get all the weeds like he usually does. It wasn't in bad shape because I had already been out doing some weeding. No worries, I did some more weeding and then took care of five bags of mulch. It's pretty thick in some places, but I'm OK with that. 

One mulched area

This is the place where Murphy likes to lie down. Hopefully, the mulch will prevent that from happening, but I'm not holding my breath. The creeping vines love this bed, and the roots are very hard to get out. I'll have to keep an eye on it. 

The next area with mulch

I cleaned more muck out of the pond, the filter, and the motor. There are so many pine needles about 3 inches long, and they get through any filter. A total nuisance, but a fact of life in our backyard. 

And of course, Murphy was up to her old tricks. There is one ball in the pond. 

Ball One!

And then there were two because I wasn't cooperating with her! Intent!!!! That dog throws the balls in with intent! 

MOM -- I can play bob the balls in the pond!!

And after all that was done, I headed for the gazebo. I need to put the frog back in its rightful place by the pond. 

My quiet place

The lilacs are in bloom, and they smell wonderful. I could have sat outside all afternoon, but I had other work in the house. I don't even remember what work it was, but I'm sure it was something important. But by that time, I probably had to get to the grocery store to buy something for dinner. 

The lilacs are in bloom.

I managed to get all those half-square triangles trimmed that I didn't at the retreat. These are now back in the retreat bag, and I'll finish sewing them at the next retreat. 

The HSTs are trimmed.

I'm making great progress on clearing off the cutting table - slow and steady, and trying to find a home for everything! 

More progress on clearing the cutting table

I also managed to draft the pattern for the dog quilt with the panel. There are now three more dog quilts to sew together. One has the panel, but will need coping strips so the blocks fit. That was drafted in EQ8, and all I need is to find some fabric. Then that goes in the bag. Those will get done at the next retreat, along with sewing more scraps. I'm working my way through this, and all will be good examples for my upcoming scrap class starting in the fall. 

By the way, I have settled on the classes for the fall!!! I just need to work them into my calendar, and then I'll post them. I've tried to find something for everyone and tried to accommodate the choices I offered. So yes, there is more than one class. There are more than two classes, but several are short. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long, but I won't be taking signups until later in the summer. And please don't plan to take everything!!! Just because -- take it because you want to learn something or do some of the projects, but I think we are all over the act of just signing up for everything. 

WAIT --- I heard a really funny thing the other day. We are all familiar with FOMO (fear of missing out). But here's a new one to embrace - JOMO - the JOY of missing out!!! I love it!!!!! As I was walking home from the library, I overheard a man walking in front of me talking about FOMO to someone, and I got a chuckle. It's not just quilters who have FOMO!!!

And oh my -- it doesn't take me long to get into trouble. I have volunteered to work with the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association! I know -- that didn't take long. We are chatting back and forth via email to find something for me to do. It won't require a lot of work, but it helps me to get connected with the puzzlers!! I'll keep you posted because I think it's going to be fun and won't take long. 

Well, on that note, it's time to get moving. I have a bunch of wedding stuff to do today. By the way, I got what I needed done yesterday, but I need a follow-up today. So that's on the agenda, and a quilt has to be quilted today as well. 

Have a super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

The aftermath of quilt retreat

OH MY --- I was exhausted when I got home. I had a decent sleep the night before, but it was short. Can you believe I went to bed at 6:30 last night and got up at 4:30 AM—that is a rarity for me. I had five minutes of awake time and 1 hour and 13 minutes of deep sleep! Phew --- I feel great this morning, and that was probably my best sleep score ever. Those sleep scores only give you excellent if the sleep duration is long. 

But let's step back and see what happened in the day -- it was jam-packed!

Instead of starting something new, I decided to only work on the scraps from the dog quilts. You know you are down to your last bits when this is what the final block looks like! And yes—those are tiny little seams along the top, but this is what I love doing. 

The last block of the red/white/black scraps

The one above is made from the brights/black/white fabrics. This one was the last in the muted tones, except for that bright blue. I had more blocks made just from that blue fabric, and they got moved to the other pile. 

The last block from the muted fabrics

That piece of brown was the only scrap left when I finished sewing. The rest of the scrap cutoffs were already in the garbage, as I was trying to keep the cutting table clear, even though I was the only one using it. 

Trimming the last block

I had planned to stop at 11:30 or whenever the scrap pile was done. I beat the clock - I finished at 11:26. I felt like I was in a puzzle competition!!!

Finished at 11:26!!!

And there was the entire bag of dog fabric scraps from the cutoff quilt backings prepped into 6" squares to be made into two more quilts!!! There were 56 muted blocks on the left, so I can make a 7-by-8 quilt from those, and there are 87 brights. I'll add something to those and will make a 9-by-10 configuration. I'll lay these out on the design wall before I go. I find the design wall at the retreat house a bit small (wide but not tall) and very hard to lay things out on. If the blocks are labeled in rows, it will be a snap to assemble them. I'll lay them and bag them later today. OH -- and there was a bag of brownish scraps from those quilts as well. They are with the panel that I'm going to design later today. 

The blocks from the bag of dog fabric scraps

One last thing I looked at before leaving was this project, which belonged to Diane. She had all those squares sewn and labeled for a quilt top, but she was going to use light grey for the sashing. I wasn't sure about it, but as soon as I brought it out, the light grey got poo-pooed, which echoed my sentiment. So that came home, and I'll dig out another fabric, and that can go to the next retreat. 

The light grey does NOT go with the blocks.

I had a scrap bag of blue flannel bits with me as well, but I decided to finish using the remainder of my blue flannel pieces for those community project quilts, and THEN I can assemble some quilt blocks, and all the blue flannel bits will be used. One must be sensible about this stuff. 

The bag of blue flannel scraps is with the blue flannel pieces.

So technically, there was ONE project that I didn't touch while at the retreat. Yeah, me for the amazing packing job. It is the Oh Canada scraps, and they are back in the retreat bag for the next time! I MUST work on those the next time. 

And when I got home yesterday, I unloaded the car, brought all the bags downstairs, and left them. I was too exhausted to do anything, so I worked on that this morning instead of going to the gym. I'll do that tomorrow morning. See the freedom I have by NOT being committed to that spin class? I might just have found the silver lining. 

This is my retreat bin, which sits under a table. There are two bags in it, along with a few scrap projects at the bottom of the bin. That pile of scrap projects is slowly decreasing, and there aren't many left in the bin. I added the two extension cords to the pile because we need them, given how we configure the tables. So if anyone said, "Do you want to go sewing today?" I could grab that bin or the two bags in it, and I could sew for at least four days without running out of stuff. I love doing these scrappy projects at a retreat!

The retreat bin is ready for the next retreat.

This was the mess before I went to bed at 6:30PM!!! There was also a huge pile of tubs and such on the floor, but there was no way I could cope with it. 

Unpacking from retreat

Here are a few other projects from the retreat that others were working on. If you think freezer paper paper piecing is new, think again! This is from a project dated in the early 2000's or even earlier - I don't have time to fact-check that. Nor the designer, but I'll dig it out later today. One of the ladies is working on this rose, and it's stunning!!!

 A paper-pieced rose

She also showed us her Love Entwined (Esther Aliu) quilt that I remember she started MANY years ago. The finished quilt is much bigger than this, but she decided to finish this center block and stop. All that is hand-appliqué, even the zigzag border. Yikes!!!!!

The center of Love Entwined

And someone else was knitting these poppies for a Remembrance Day art installation hosted by her local Legion. They are stunning, and I can't wait to see what they do with them. 

Knitted poppies

OK -- I'm allergic to dogs or something in my house. When I woke up at the retreat house, my nose was perfectly fine. I wake up here, and my nose is itchy like mad!!! Murphy? Lexi? Thank goodness I love you lots!!!!

Let's take a wee break from the tidying up in Studio B and share the puzzle competition with you. 

It didn't take long to get from the retreat house to the puzzle competition in Georgetown. In the past, this competition was held in a community center, but it has grown, and they filled the arena (Mold Masters) with 100 tables, with a bit of room to spare, but not much! Can you believe? And I would bet that this particular event is small compared to the US or the World events. Unbelievable!!!

Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Nationals

I don't know what "social puzzling" or "puzzle chess" is. Although I suspect social puzzling is just assembling with friends. Puzzle chess? I'll have to look that up. I would have loved to stay for the entire event (it started on Friday), but I was at the retreat. Anyway, I went up to the stands to watch the next event start. The timing worked perfectly, so I got to see the start. 

The puzzle boxes are opened and then closed again by the volunteers. I don't know if the plastic bag is open. The boxes are then put into a red cloth bag. I watched part of the pairs event, and it was intense. And it was LOUD as people were chatting. But imagine 100 tables, all but one filled, and these pairs were madly flipping pieces and finding homes for them. And there were a lot of volunteers and spectators, who were most likely family members of the puzzlers. 

Let the pairs event commence!

As I was leaving, I snapped a close-up picture of one of the teams. Most started on the border, but not all. I found out after I got home that the DIL of one of our Monday group was competing in one of the events - could have been the individual events the previous day. How fun, and I knew NOTHING about this before. I feel like a kid in a candy store. 

Talk about intense!!

Speaking of candy stores, I did go to the puzzle store around the corner, and the darn place was hopping!!! All these puzzles for this competition have never been released before and bear a label stating they were for the Canadian Nationals. How fun!

I came home and got distracted by watching the livestream of the event. I cannot believe how quickly the participants finish these puzzles. It's totally insane. I went to bed watching the teams (groups of 4) and fell asleep. I would have fallen asleep regardless of how exciting this or any other event was. 

And now back to unpacking, which I did more of this morning. As I was madly sewing the scraps together yesterday, I needed a few HSTs but didn't have time to trim them. I'll trim them this morning, and then the remaining ones to be sewn can go back into the retreat bag. 

A few HSTs to trim this morning

I pulled out my zipper box and found TWO more appropriately sized and colored zippers for my two projects that I had to stop because of zipper issues. 

Better choice of zippers

But as I dug through the zipper box, I realized that while all the zippers are in one big container, they need to be sorted into "like" families and then into plastic bags. It didn't take long to find the zippers, but what a mess. 

OH - I guess I didn't send myself the picture of the zipper box. But that's one thing about sorting and organizing. If you put all the same things in one spot, it'll be much easier to sort and bag them. 

One of the best areas I sorted out quite a while ago was my supply of plastic bags. I had tons of them and gave a good part of them away, but what remains is sorted by small assorted, snack size, regular size, and large. It is so easy to find a plastic zippered bag for anything I need. 

Sorted plastic bags

I'm running low on large bags, so I may have to crack open a box if I have any left. I think I must have kept one box of large bags. I'll have to check it out, but no need to open the new box until I need it, because the minute one bag is empty, it goes into the appropriate bag. And notice, they are labeled!!!!

The poinsettia blocks are now on the design wall, and I hope to get to work on finishing the sled blocks later today. That will leave a section of flying geese to make, and if I had been smart, I could have taken that with me to the retreat, and they would be done! And there are three bell blocks to make for each wall hanging. 

An update on the winter quilts

There was a book on the coffee table at the retreat house in the giveaway pile, and it's one I LOVE, so it followed me home and is now on the appropriate shelf. 

A new book for the collection

One of the ladies at the retreat house loves the dollar store and made several trips during the retreat, and found some treasures. This was one of the treasures - actually, this one she found a while back. Normally, I wouldn't have gotten excited about these baskets except for what she used them for, as she had several at her house. I'll tell you in one minute. 

Once she told us what she used them for, I decided that two of them would work perfectly for me. That was the morning that we walked to town for breakfast. I decided that I hadn't gotten enough steps for the day, and I would walk back to town and get two baskets. I had many offers for someone to pick them up in the car. Silly them—a true walker doesn't care what they carry home! 

Hmmm --- how to economize on carrying them back to the retreat house. You could NOT stack them and carry them as the handles didn't work that way. Originally, I was going to carry one in each hand, but I also wanted to stop for tea (that might have been why my sleep the night before was short!). How could I manage a basket in each hand and a tea as I walked along the highway? People might think me a bit strange. OH -- I must tell you the story of the tea, but I'm running out of time at this moment. 

So while browsing the shelves at the dollar store, I spotted zipties, bought a pack, ziptied the two baskets together, put them over my arm, held my tea in the other hand, and it worked just fine! I love problem-solving!!!! I should add a couple of zipties to the retreat bag. 

The two baskets are zipped together.

Now, where do they work well? Take a look at this in the stash room. 

Bolts on the floor with quilt backings balanced on top

Bolts of interfacings on the left

I have two spots where bolts of fabric sit on the floor. While it's not an issue, there are times when I've kicked the bolts in the top photo, toppling everything onto the floor. Extra quilt backing sits on top, and when the bolts go, so do the backings. 

In the second photo, I have bolts of interfacing and fusibles, and they are very light and are prone to sliding all over the place. 

However, a bolt of fabric fits perfectly in these baskets (40 L Laundry baskets), and now look. 

The end of the row of bolts is now secure.

I don't need all the bolts to be in the basket, just the ones at the end where they could slide forward, toppling the contents sitting on top. 

And even more compact is the area of interfacings. 

The end of the interfacings is now compact as well.

Not all the intefacings are in the basket, but that end is now solid enough that nothing is going to slide away, and it keeps the floor cleaner. Thank you to my retreat friend for that wee organizing tip!

Here is the state of the cutting table as I left it this morning. There are still bags and projects to deal with, and I plan to finish tidying up later today, though it's going to be a busy day. 

The state of the cutting table

I have an ultrasound scheduled for both knees, and I have to be there at 11:15. My knees were totally fine all week, and then the tendons in the right knee? Since I got home, I can feel them shift in and out of place, and they hurt when they do so! It's the most bizarre thing. Thankfully, they have stretched a bit since this started, but it's still not a pleasant experience. This is probably NOT what is happening to them, but that's what it feels like. I'll have to come up with a better explanation before I go to the sports clinic in two months. 

I also have a meeting at 4 PM, Monday, sewing, and some wedding stuff that has to be addressed TODAY!!!


As I was unpacking my retreat bag, I spotted a couple of postcards with some quotes on them. This will be me today!! 

A quote for the day

Of course, the girls were very excited to see me, but I was so tired, I just wanted to bring everything into the house. But then they got some cuddles, and OH MY, Murphy has a boobooo on her head. I suspect she was trying to cram her huge body under the gazebo to catch a rabbit, but she just didn't fit. Thankfully, she didn't get stuck and had no more than a superficial wound on her head. Oh Murphy!!!

MOM - Look at my boo-boo

Oh my—I have to run. I'm running late, and there is so much to do today!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!