Now that's OLD!!!!

It was one of those days! I got some machine embroidery done, and it turned out amazing. I need to get some more done for my upcoming Facebook Live (April 8), but I just couldn't get my head around it. And I'm supposed to be making another jacket for an upcoming wedding, and I can't wrap my head around that one either. I might just buy pink Lulu lemon pants and go with that! I am NOT one to dress up - ever, and especially not when traveling! 

I did get some binding on some quilts, which was great! The day was not a total loss. 

I only needed one more strip for the black binding, and now both of those table runners are done! Yep—two projects that were in the "to be quilted" pile for a very long time are now done. I quilted them both with the embroidery machine, and once you get the hang of that, it's a snap to do small projects. Yes -- I could have quilted them on the long arm as well, and I could have done it in free-motion sewing mode, but it's good to have samples of all kinds of stitching. 

Two table runners are done!

I made those as part of a series of table runners that I taught at Ruti's Needlebed (now closed) in 2012 or thereabouts!

Then I got to work on this small project, which also needed the binding. It also needed a sleeve in the event I want to hang it up. I made the sleeve for it and will hand-stitch the loose side down later today. 

The hanger is hiding under the binding.

Can you believe that I also needed more binding for this one? What is wrong with my math these days? If you look at the top right-hand corner, I was short about four inches of binding. I'll pin this to my design wall once the hand stitching is complete. 

My word of the year is complete.

But one more project is almost done, and that works for me. I have one last project to put the binding on, and I might work on that today, or I'd better get organized for the machine-embroidery sample I need as soon as I get back from my trip. 

Having gotten reinspired by Margareta's book, I decided to tackle some of the paperwork that has been sitting out for a while. OH MY!!!! This was on the front of the folder. I don't even know where the folder has been stored for all these years. 

A label on the folder of paperwork

And as Margareta mentions in her books, when you are Swedish Death Cleaning, enjoy your things, enjoy the memories, but then get rid of the stuff that you don't need. And boy oh boy, did this folder bring back some memories. 

The oldest bill I found was dated 1993. Yikes!!!!! What the heck is wrong with me? This folder obviously got shoved way back in some drawer and has not seen the light of day for a very long time. That's over 30 years old! 

A 33-year-old receipt

I found several receipts from Consumers Distributing. Remember that store? You ordered from the catalogue, and then they went into the back to pick up the items for you? Well, by the look of two of the items, I was preparing for M's arrival as I had ordered a mobile and a nursery lamp - whatever that is. I bought this on January 20, and she was born on March 1. She's now 30!

A 30-year-old receipt

I rented my maternity clothes and found the bills for that as well. Good lord -- I can't believe how deep this file got buried. 

Invoice for renting maternity clothes

What's even worse is that I found the change-of-address and the moving bill from two moves ago!! And we lived in that one house for 6 years, and we've been living in this one for 23. Oh boy!!!!! 

Change of address from two moves ago!

Can you imagine if I had saddled someone else with dealing with that folder? It would have been quite embarrassing to say the least. I found bills for golf clubs, which DH says were mine. They were? I remember having clubs, but not that those specific ones were mine. 

Anyway, it was fun sorting through it. I'm not quite done, and I'll try to finish it off this morning. I think that's the oldest paperwork in the house. There are still folders sitting on the floor in the office, but as mentioned, slow and steady is my style, and that's all I can say about that. 

I walked to the mall yesterday and saw this beautiful display in a shop window. I didn't get a close-up, but all those flowers are crocheted! They are not for sale - it's a window display. What will happen to them when they change the window display? 

Crocheted flowers in a window display

I also bought a new carry-on piece of luggage, which I brought home. YES -- I carried it home (only 6 pounds), and I didn't want to wear out the wheels on the 15-minute walk home! DH has been wanting a new carry-on for a while, and, of course, he wanted a fancy name-brand one. I decided to buy this one for me ($90 on sale), but the minute he saw it, he wanted to use it! So he is going to test it out today as he flies somewhere. 

And there is that Murphy dog. She is obsessed with her ball, and it's too wet and cool to throw outside, so I throw it in the house, which probably isn't a good thing. The floors are slippery, and she just goes full tilt. Which is not good for her back legs. Thankfully, the weather is warming up, but she is relentless in asking to play ball. I put her ball and her stuffed toy back in her toy box, and within minutes, she was there. Not only did she grab the ball, but she also grabbed the stuffed toy and brought both of them into the family room. 

MOM - I NEED to play ball!

I just missed getting the shot of her with both of them in her mouth. 

OK -- I'm leading up to some very bad news. I'm in total denial. No one got hurt, no one will get hurt, and of course, it's related to technology. 

I have been diligently transferring data from the hard disk I said was going to fail. The way it's been acting up, I knew something bad was going to happen. Last night, I was trying to save some files for my Monday sewing group presentation, and I should have just saved them to the new hard disk. 

Then I got this message. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sigh --- it was just after dinner, and I gave up. I shut down the computer and went to watch a YouTube video, but even that was too much for my brain. So I went to bed and had the best sleep ever. Over 8 hours, including almost two hours of deep sleep! 

I don't think the disk is completely fried yet, and I will continue to migrate data off it as best I can. But I have a feeling I'm going to have to pay to recover data from the darn thing. I should have been doing the migration faster!! 

I have most of the documents off, but there are still a lot of pictures on that hard disk, and while I need to clean them up, a lot could go; there are many that I want. Sigh........................    I have only myself to blame for not getting it off when I knew it was going. 

How did I know that? When the disk becomes sluggish, the computer doesn't want to recognize it as quickly as it should. That's a sign. I could try a defrag, but it's too late for that. 

Well, live and learn—it's not the first time a hard disk has failed. I need to take note. This disk was over 7 years old and probably older. They have a shelf life—I'm going to start migrating the data over after five years, and, more importantly, I'm going to clean up the darn data and back it up. Thankfully, some of the data is sitting on OneDrive, but there is still a lot that isn't. 

Well, that's a happy thought to start the day!

Here's another happy thought. DH and I were chatting about the new S26 smartphone. I was curious to see what the difference was between S25 and S26. Of course, there is NO change in the phone capabilities -- those have remained the same for years. But the ability to do more AI stuff is HUGE. Sigh --- so our smartphones are now driven by social media since the only place people are using AI is on social media. And these phones are getting more and more expensive every year! 

Well, on that note, I'm out of here and on my way to the gym for spin class. I have a lot of stuff to accomplish today, and we'll see how I make out after my amazing sleep. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

When you run out of binding........

I got sidetracked big time yesterday!! I was supposed to be downstairs sewing, but the night before, I started reading a thriller, and well, I needed to know what happened. So while I did get some things done, I finished my book before I went to bed last night! 

And you know what? Every once in a while, we need to do that! The book was called "A Death at the Party" by Amy Stuart. Oh boy --- an interesting concept! Now today, I need to get some work done!

I grabbed a few pieces of paper from the floor beside the computer and dealt with them. Oh my --- an article from the east coast in 2013 (Saltscapes - November/December) that chatted about quilting in Nova Scotia and in particular a guild called La Gulde Acadienne de Clare.

An old article resurfaced

I'm going to finish reading the article today, and then I don't need to keep it - it goes in the recycling. I'm sure I have many more articles such as this one to get rid of. I love the article's subtitle!!

Love the subtitle!

And there's a large picture of all the quilts at one of their quilt shows. 

The guild quilts are on display in the church.

Great article to reread, but I do NOT need to keep this. And then I found a document listing all the shops that participated in Row by Row in Ontario. This was probably from 2015 or thereabouts. Again, I do NOT need to keep this!!!

Ontario shops for Row by Row in 2015

I'm reading the book "The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly" by Margareta Magnusson. Yes -- the author of "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning." It's a short audiobook read by Margareta, and it's funny. She talks about being a senior - she was in her late 80s when she wrote the book. It's a quick listen, and it's so interesting to hear her perspective on senior living. There are so many funny stories and subtle messages about enjoying your old age, even if you are old! 

Sadly, this wonderful lady passed away on March 12, 2026. But if you get a chance to read this one and the one about Death Cleaning, they are both good. 

At the beginning of this book, she talks a bit about Death Cleaning, and there was one sentence I wanted to capture, but it's an audiobook, and it's hard to do. But it was something like, "Who do you think you are to saddle your children with cleaning out your crap. Why should they take their precious time from their schedule to do a job that you should have done yourself?"  Something to that effect -- my words, not Margareta's. And I agree 100%. This is our crap, and we alone should be responsible for getting rid of it. I believe the exact sentence she used is in her obit, which is linked above. 

I'll be sharing several other books about cleaning and decluttering in the next couple of weeks as they come into my reader. Yes --- I know I should be working a wee bit faster, but slow and steady is better than nothing at all. 

As I read that thriller book yesterday, I moved around the house, first in the family room, then into the living room. It was too cold to sit outside. But after a bit, I finally had to give up. Murphy was relentless in her request to play. I stopped to play ball with her, give her cuddles, but it was never enough. Finally, to escape her, I had to go to Studio B to get some work done! 

I finished ripping out the topstitching I had done the day before with the wrong thread color. And now that sleeve is redone with the correct thread color. 

The seam is much better with red thread.

But not before I managed to catch the back of the jacket in the seam. Sigh..........  But that is fixed. 

Oh crap - I caught the back of the jacket in the seam.

Then I got busy and completed the second sleeve as well. So all that remains on this jacket is some hand stitching on the facing and dealing with the front closures. I could make buttons, but I want snaps. I like to change up what I do, so I always have samples of all types of things. I know it's hard to see in this picture, but those are both sleeves from inside the jacket, and all seam allowances are finished. 

The last of the seam finishes are complete!

Then I went back to reading my book! Thankfully, Murphy had calmed down by this time. She is relentless in asking to play ball. It just doesn't stop, but it was evening now, and she was quiet. 

I thought I should attempt to get the binding on two more items. And everything went smoothly for the first one, although I only got the binding stitched to the back, and will get the topstitching done later today. 

Remember what I said yesterday about not having enough binding? 

Well, there are two table runners, and they are identical. You know how it is -- why make one when you can make two? Everything is the same, except the color of the thread that I used for the quilting. Yep --- another sample! But I was short by this much binding. What the heck was I thinking when I made the binding? 

ACK -- not enough binding

Hmmm—do I have more of that fabric? Some of these items were made years ago, so there's a good chance they're gone. I went to the stash room and started pulling out some black fabrics, and OH MY— the third one I grabbed from the basket was the one for this table runner! The fabric gods were with me this morning. I've cut the extra strip needed and will get to it later today. 

I still have that fabric!!!!

I love it when I get lucky like that!!!! 

This was Murphy this morning. She just has to be everywhere! That is stuff that I'm taking to my parents later this coming week, and how convenient for her to use it as a pillow. Oh Murphy!!!!

MOM -- is this for me? 

I managed to do a bit of sorting and organizing of my quilts, but I must continue to do that every day. I need to pull quilts for an upcoming trunk show at the Thames Valley Quilt Guild - that's on April 8. The topic is Modern Quilts and will be fun!!!! 

It's going to be a busy day because then I have to scoot home, where I'll be doing a Facebook Live on the NEW Large Magnetic Hoop for the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3, as well as chatting about the difference between metal and magnetic hoops. So be sure to listen to that because it's going to be educational (as always) and fun!!!!

I also experimented with the embroidery machine. I'm not ready to share what I did, but it's pretty cool. Now I need to find a place to use what I made! But I always make it a learning experience for myself, and hopefully I can work that into some lesson. I'm sure I can. 

Well, I need to get moving—I want to accomplish lots today, but I'm in a bit of limbo, so I need to put my thinking cap on while walking the girls and prioritize what needs to be done.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Quilted jacket must watch videos!!

LOL --- communal sleeping, as in at a retreat, is not for everyone. I have very few issues, although I like it when my roommates are quiet! Even sleeping in my own bed doesn't preclude me from getting a good night's sleep. The night before, I slept like a log. Last night? I was tired at 8 PM, but by the time I got into bed, I was wide awake and couldn't fall asleep. Sigh......

Now that I'm back home and have access to a sewing machine, the big question is where to start? I decided to get some of those bindings out of the way since they are taking up a lot of room. 

I'm happy to say that I have the binding on this quilt, which was the largest and heaviest of the seven projects waiting to be bound.  

The binding is on this lap quilt.

I'm not sure how much of this quilt I shared with you, but it was one I made while working on samples for my Facebook Live on felting with the embroidery machine. The blocks are made from denim that has been felted, using snowflake patterns. I put Fireside Fleece on the back, so it's nice and heavy. I put it on my bed last night, but even that weight didn't help me sleep. 

The details of the felted snowflakes

And there is my lovely tag on the back of the quilt. This is the side that shows. 

My personalized label

And this is the underside. While it's not a full-blown quilt label with all the information, it works for information purposes. Yes, it could be easily cut off, but it works for me. 

The underside of the label

Next on the list was to get the binding on Dear Jen, or should I say my abbreviated version of Dear Jen. 

The binding is on the Dear Jen wall hanging.

And there is the back with the little white tag. This one will become a cover for one of my sewing machines. 

The back of the Dear Jen quilt

I got lucky because this was all the binding that was left! About one inch! 

Barely had enough binding.

Before I put a quilt in the "to be quilted" pile, I always make the binding, and sometimes I worry I haven't made enough. There was a lot left over from the snowflake quilt, and barely any for this one. If I actually run out of binding for any that have been put away, I'm sure I'll figure something out. 

Then it was on to the next project: the mitered-border print table runner. 

The binding is on the mitered table runner.

I decided not to put the white tag on the back of this one. I may or may not keep it, and if someone wants to use both sides, they won't have to worry about the tag. 

The back of the table runner

I got three of seven quilts bound. Well, I should say projects since there was only one quilt and the rest were small. I have to deal with a sleeve for two of them, and I don't think I have anything prepped for that, so I hope to get at least one or two more projects finished today. 

I needed to take a break. I stood for two days at the retreat, cut itty bits of fabric, and had no issues with fatigue. I sewed three bindings on, and my back was tired! Go figure!

Later in the day, I went back to the sewing machine and decided to work on one of the two jackets that needed some machine stitching. 

Sewing the seam allowance down with the sewing machine was NOT an easy feat, but it was doable, and I was happy to have my PFAFF creative icon 2 handy to deal with all the layers. 

Sewing the seam allowance down by machine

This was my view as I sewed. I had to sew from the inside of the jacket to make sure I caught the seam. 

A challenging seam to sew

Then I turned it right side out and realized I had used BLUE thread on the red fabric. Good grief!!!! What a silly person I am, so I'm in the process of ripping that out and will redo it with blue thread on the inside and red on the outside. And there's another reason why things take so long! I repinned the seam before I started unpicking, then it shouldn't be so hard to redo. I have to finish grading the second seam before I can sew it down. Then all that will be left is to add the snaps, but I need to get a table press first, and there is some hand stitching to tack the facing in place. 

The wrong thread color!!!

Not a super productive day compared to what it could have been, but I'm happy I got those three bindings on. 

It was sunny, and the girls spent a lot of time outside, even though it was chilly. The two of them can handle a bit of cool weather. 

R&R for everyone!!!

I know a lot of people poo-poo YouTube as a time-waster, and it sure can be, because there is a lot of silly stuff on it. And just because people can make an educational video doesn't mean it's worth watching. However, I happened upon this series of videos, which, if you are in any way thinking of making a jacket, you NEED to watch this series. Grainline Studio, the design company of the Tamarack Jacket (the pink-and-purple one I'm making), has made a 15-video sew-along. Jen starts with an extremely detailed list of everything you need, then moves on to printing and assembling a PDF pattern together, sizing, and so on. 

Yep --- I should have watched them BEFORE making the jacket, but I have managed just fine. BUT even if you are making ANY jacket from quilted fabric, you will find those videos amazing!! In just 2 videos and part of the third, I have learned so much that I want to remake the Tamarack Jacket, or I'll likely make a different style, but I'm fired up to try out a few things. I'm not a fan of the curved bottom of this jacket and would like to change the pattern to make it square. I wonder why she designed the bottom that way? 

My Tamarack Jacket

You can't see it in the pictures, but it's curved along the side seams, which, to me, is just a lot of extra work for no gain. Maybe it sits better when you sit down? 

Anyway, here is the link to the first video; the following ones appear automatically, in order. They are very well done. Hopefully, that will introduce you to YouTube's educational side. As I've said many times, my dad spends an enormous amount of time on YouTube learning how to rebuild parts for stationary engines. 

If you have ANY inkling of making a quilted jacket, please watch those videos—the techniques she talks about apply to ANY quilted fabric jacket. They are well worth your time. 

And on that note, I'm out of here as I want to get a lot done today, and we'll see what happens. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

That is a quilt block?

It's great to be home!!!! I managed to get a bit more sorting done before we left shortly after lunch. It was another amazing retreat with great company, a new house, and a return date for next year! You can't beat that! 

My hand was a bit sore this morning when I woke up, and I'm guessing that was from all the cutting I've done. I'm surprised it wasn't sore before, but then I wasn't making big swooping cuts -- most of what I did was piddly little trimming. 

Once I arrived home, I had TWO very excited girls on my hands. Typically, Miss Lexi comes to say hello and then leaves, but yesterday? She was like glue, and they both craved attention. I left the unpacking until later in the day. It was raining, so I wasn't going for a walk. They were NOT happy. 

MOM -- we MISSED YOU!!!!!!! 

We had cuddles, and Murphy just had to play ball. When she was a bit tired, Lexi and Murphy performed their play-fighting routine for me. Then they were somewhat content, and I was able to start unpacking the car. YES -- I took a few too many things that I never touched, but I'm OK with that. I think I'll take those to the next retreat, which is in May. That one is a bit longer, and I'll take the scraps that need to be cut, but I'll also take the sewing machine. I'll cut one day and sew the other. Or whatever I deem worthy of my time at that moment. But taking the cutting sure makes a difference in getting it done there. I do not regret leaving my machine at home. I accomplished a LOT! 

I may have gotten rid of TWO things while at the retreat. When talking to people, someone mentions they want something, and so you say, "I have that and don't want it." One of them was fabric I knew I had, so when I got home, I had to find it because, in the great reorganization of the stash room, it had been moved. However, because the boxes were well labeled, I found what I was looking for within a minute. 

Well-labeled boxes made a HUGE difference.

I pulled it out, took pictures, and sent them along. Now I wait to see if that person wants it. That would be amazing if she takes it. One less project on my shelf. I am extremely happy to get rid of stuff this way, meaning if someone is specifically looking for something and I happen to have it. I am NOT going to just get rid of things so someone can put them on their shelf. It might as well stay on mine! 

The other item is my Cricut, which I bought with good intentions, but I haven't used it since I have two other digital cutters. I need to dig out all the supplies I have for that - tools, presses, irons, mats, etc. Then all we need to do is decide on a price, and it will likely be gone! That will free up half a table since it sits out ready to use. I'm good with it being gone. 

Then last night, after everything was put away and I had some quiet time, I decided to make something with those itty-bitty bits I cut over the last couple of days. I am working on three quilts, and I picked ONE to try making a block. 

What do you think? 

A teeny tiny block

Yes, that is a nine-patch, and it's made with one-inch squares, so they finish at ½" in the quilt. I know --- totally insane!!!!

There's the block without the ruler.

It's cute and will look much better once it's sewn in, with all the squares the same size. The crazy thing is how many of these I need. Close to 500!!!! I know—it will be a long-term project, to say the least. I'm not sure how much more cutting to do. 

Oh shoot—I didn't send the picture, but when I went into the stash room to put away the box of white scraps left over from my cutting session, I found some more white!! One piece was in the wrong box, and another box had been started because the first one was exploding. Sigh............... 

Thankfully, it's not nearly as full as the one I just dealt with, so I don't think it'll take too long to go through. The cleaned-up box with the white scraps contains larger pieces, which I'm going to keep in case I need them later. 

But while I was doing that, I decided to pull out all my batik scraps. OH!!! There are several boxes of them, and I need to address that. However, I've decided to kill two birds with one stone and use the batik scraps for my upcoming 7- or 8-part session on scraps (starting September/October)!! It'll be perfect for dealing with what's there, and together we'll learn sorting, cutting, picking patterns, etc. 

Hence, I'm not going to share that process on the blog, but am taking and saving pictures for then. And if I play my cards right, I could have most of the work done before the classes even start! The bonus is that these scraps are sitting on the current project table!!! 

OH -- just for fun, I'll post the picture of all the boxes of batik scraps. They are not sorted like I sort my other fabrics because they are batiks!! Does that make sense? Anyway—I've got a plan, and I'm happy. 

Batik scraps to deal with

It's not as bad as it looks since I'll be dealing with three of those containers in the next couple of days, and they will be gone! But that still leaves a lot of other scraps. My techniques and patterns will work with any scraps, and your scraps might look different than mine --- it's going to be a fun class. 

I thought I'd share the puzzles I acquired over the last couple of days, and I need to stop buying now, as I am literally running out of room where I store them. 

These are the ones I bought at the thrift shop, and most of them were were $4.99. I did not have a discount coupon with me, nor was it seniors' day, so I paid full price. GASP!!! But still --- a good deal all around. 

A LOT of animals

And look at this one --- two puzzles for the price of one. I find the puzzles at that location are cheaper overall than at my location. 

Wild colors

A pretty winter scene. 

Winter scene

And then this is the one I bought at the quilt shop. I made that quilt and thought it would be fun to do the puzzle. Actually, this is different than the quilt I made, but lots of similar blocks. 

Farm puzzle

And lastly, after I had a salad for dinner, I went for a walk with the girls. One thing about this retreat was that there were too many temptations. I'll have to ask the organizer to tell them not to bring extra goodies. Actually, it was pretty good, and we ate healthy, but I'm sure I put on a pound or two. Sigh.....

Anyway, the girls were wild when I went out. I just needed a sleigh with wheels, and the extra weight might slow them down somewhat. The two of them were in their glory, and I don't like walking them together when they are wild like that, but I didn't want to walk them separately. The one who got left at home would be frantic!

MOM -- we are HAPPY girls!!!

They are so funny, and all they care about is that walk!!

I had a great sleep last night. We get sleep at the retreat, but it's never the same as at home, or as much. I was sleeping in a room with three people, and even though they were as quiet as mice, it was still distracting. 

But now I'm home, and I can get back to my normal sleep patterns and walking, and cooking oatmeal!!

I'm off to the gym this morning on my own. I'm not going to do anything much, but have a good stretch, and maybe do some weights. I'll see how it goes when I get there. 

Then I have the entire day to myself! I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but two surprise events popped up on my calendar while I was away, and I need to make a couple of samples, so I will probably work on those today. 

Have a super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!

Sorting scraps is my therapy

 For those not aware of the Magic Bags, they are bags of grain (not sure what kind) that you throw in the microwave to heat up - like a heating pad. However, Jill's comment is chilling!!! The smell was quite bad, and I can still smell it on my PJs because I held the bag to me for a bit. The smell is still very much in the bag, and I suspect that when I get home, I'll be shopping for another bag, because the moment it goes in the microwave, it will stink up the place. 

As for microwaves? I don't know what it is about this one, but it is POWERFUL!!! I tried oatmeal this morning for one minute at power 2. No problem. The second one minute was still at power 2, and I had a huge mess to clean up. What is it doing to the food? 

Anyway --- we are on our way home this afternoon, so I can cook my oatmeal safely tomorrow!!!

Do I have a lot to show for this retreat? I certainly don't have a quilt top, since I didn't bring a machine, but it's amazing how time-consuming these non-sewing-machine jobs are. I managed to get as much as I could done on the one jacket. Both shoulder/sleeve seams are hand-stitched in place, and that feels amazing. 

This is what the seams look like before. 

The seams after they were stitched by machine

And this is what they look like when the excess has been cut away and hand-stitched in place. 

The seam allowances are finished.

This is the Tamarack Jacket I'm working on. Now I have to resew the sides and sleeves together and finish those seams. The last thing will be to hem the sleeves. And this jacket will be done!!! Did you guess that I want it done for my jacket class, but it's also on my visual To-Do list!!!!

My Tamarack Jacket

Then I got out the second jacket I brought with me, and it also needed those shoulder sleeve seams cut down so I could finish the edge. That one is being stitched in place on the sewing machine, but I managed to get one completely pinned and ready to sew. I started on the other one and realized the two seam allowances aren't quite as well lined up as I would like, so I ripped that part out and will resew it when I get home. Then I'll finish prepping the sleeve seam. 

Here is the seam allowance on the other jacket before. 

The "before" on the second jacket

And now it's pinned and ready to be stitched. All is good. This one is also on the visual To-Do list, so there is a push to get these done. 

The seam is pinned and ready to stitch down on the machine.

This jacket is stitched together differently from the other one, so once these two sleeve seams are done, I still have to hand-stitch the facing in place. I could have done that here, but forgot to bring the thread. And I need to put snaps on it. Before I do that, I want to buy one of those table presses for putting snaps on. I did a bit of research yesterday and found what I want - now I just need to find a place to buy it. I could buy it at my "favorite" online store, but seriously? I'm not buying from them unless it is the last place on earth to buy something. I won't get into how many people buy from them because of the convenience, and ignore the fact that their dollars support some unsavory things. But I won't go there. 

Then it was onto a couple of other projects. I finished this cushion cover a while back, but I was never happy with how I put the invisible zipper in. So it's now apart, and I'll redo it. That's why it takes me so long to make things—I must learn to do it right the first time! I'm getting there!

The cushion cover is apart.

Then I spent the rest of the day fondling my scraps. I have several containers of batik scraps leftover from making the 4th of July quilt. I mentioned that yesterday. Well, I was back at it. I know -- most of you would have tossed those scraps years ago, but I couldn't. 

The first box wasn't so bad to go through, but the second box? I think I just scooped up what was left on my mat after trimming, including loads of iddy-bitty bits. So I had to clean all that up!!!

Sorting a mess of scraps

When I dumped the second box, it looked like a cube. The scraps were not crammed in the space, but they had settled over time. 

A cube of scraps

OH MY --- I am not a fan of this touch pad on the computer. The right click to get PASTE is crap. WAIT ---- I can just hear my computer friends --- use the shortcut keys. Hmmmm --- I may have to resort to that. Now what the heck are they? 

And then when you fluff the scraps up a bit, they explode!!!! Scraps are like mushrooms!

The scrap cube exploded.

OH --- when I did manage to get the pop-up screen from the right-click -- it's CTL+C for copy and CTL+V for paste. I might try that. Those friends of mine may convert me yet!!!!

And then I sorted. 

Sorting scraps

And I trimmed, and I'm happy to say that I've almost completed the second box. 

More trimming

A lot of the scraps went into those two boxes, and I have another project in mind that I'll be working on later today. I hope to get stuff for my new project, and then the rest will be tossed!!!! I must not put those back on the shelf. 

The third and final box of those scraps contains much larger pieces, which is good because I need some squares about 2" or something like that. So after writing the blog, I'll be back downstairs to see what I come up with. 

So while it's a very time-consuming task, it's so therapeutic and calming. Not that I need that at the moment, but why are we in such a rush? Sewing and quilting are our hobbies, and we should be enjoying the PROCESS, not the results. There's no need to rush, and this is teaching me so much patience and focus. This is a good thing, and I'll feel a ton of satisfaction when it's done. 

Here are the other two mini-quilts that I donated to the My Quilt Retreat. The website isn't up yet, but when it is, I'll let you know. 

Mini quilt

Second mini-quilt

This is an amazing house, all set up nicely for sewing, with lots of places to sit, chill, or converse as a group. The layout of the house is weird, with loads of storage places around. The only caveat is that the sewing room is downstairs, but you can drive around to the back of the house and unload your car for your sewing stuff, and the kitchen is on the main floor. It's a bungalow with a walkout basement. So if stairs are not your thing, it may not be the house for you. Just wanted to let you know that in case you get excited.

I went out for a walk in the morning and found another geocache. I didn't do any searching in the afternoon, and I think I found everything within walking distance of the house. OH -- there are others I could go for, but I don't want to spend all my time out walking. I almost didn't find this one, as it had blown off that post and was lying in the ditch! 

Another geocache

I spotted these two giant nutcrackers in a yard nearby. 

Giant nutcrackers

And spring must be coming as the pussy willows are starting to bloom!!!!

Pussy willows in bloom

That's it for today! I want to get that third box under control, and I have one more box of other batiks that I'd like to sort. I did not get to cutting the fleece scraps, the binding on my mom's quilt, my knitting, or cutting some more blocks for the 365-day quilt. No worries - I can take the knitting and my mom's quilt when I go visit them next week. The other two projects can come to my May quilt retreat. 

I feel like I have accomplished so much, yet I don't have much to show for it, but the progress I made is huge. I would never have stuck to those projects at home. Sewing? I can sew like a fiend at home, but to stick to these fiddly cutting-and-sorting projects? They are best done at a retreat!!! No sewing machine required!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!