An non-typical travel day

Well, that was an interesting travel day. My travel days are typically boring. Get to the airport, board the plane, and arrive at my destination. Not so yesterday. 

First, we had an amazing thunderstorm with lightning that night, with a lot of rain as well. My flight was to leave at 7:40 AM, and I was waiting for the delay notice, as I didn't think the airport would allow workers on the tarmac with lightning. 

The girls were beside themselves with worry. Not only were there lots of loud noises and light, but Mom was packing. Murphy was velcroed to my leg, and regardless of where I went or what I did, she was beside me. I even took them for a walk in the rain before I left, but not too far, and even with that short walk, my jacket was soaked. 

The only saving grace is that it was warm!!!

Then my Uber arrived, and I was glad it was someone else driving in the dark, in the rain. His car was a Hyundai Venue. Keep that thought in the back of your head. 

We arrived at the airport, and I zipped through baggage check-in (I brought a larger suitcase because I have that large quilt of my Mom's, and I don't care what happens, I am not bringing it back home. It seems that the only place I work on it is here! So it stays, but I should be able to finish the last side and get some quilting stitches around the perimeter to hold that edge in place. I brought some other handwork in case the big quilt gets done. It's on my visual To-Do list, and I MUST get it done. I have five days! 

So I dropped my bag off and then walked to security. 

An interesting thing happened at security. There are two security lines -- one for Trusted Travelers (those with a NEXUS card) and one for others. The line for NEXUS users is always shorter, and despite the increase in cost, it's still a very good deal. Mine expires next year, and I have a note in my calendar to get a new one at the beginning of the year. 

Anyway, there were a few people ahead of me, and then an Air Canada staff member came through, "Excuse me, VIP coming through." The well-dressed gentleman said as he passed, "Excuse me, I have a flight to catch." OK—so do all of us. 

I will bet any money that this guy was a Super Elite status with Air Canada, and it was the concierge service bringing him through, so he didn't have to wait in a short line like the rest of us. That irks me to no end, but I let it go because what can I do about that? Nothing. He was met on the other side of security by another concierge, who asked if he wanted a coffee or something to eat. He was NOT in a hurry to get to his plane. But I digress. I'm not sure why he wasn't going to the lounge - maybe he didn't have that much time. 

I just think the whole thing of being pampered like that at the airport is silly. The same goes for the lounge—why do people need to go to the lounge? The way the status thing is working is that the lounge is no longer as exclusive as it used to be. 

I wandered down to Tim's because I had plenty of time - imagine that. I waited in line, which was slow, but I was in a Zen zone yesterday. No rush, no panic, no stress, no jacket or extra stuff to worry about. Just my office backpack and my travel pouch strapped to my waist. One hundred percent hands-free. Of course, it irks me when people who have been waiting in a line for 20 minutes realize they have to pay when they get to the cash, and it takes them a while to get out their card, or those who don't know that the airport locations of Tim's do now use the app for payment. That one I can ignore since not everyone travels often, but everyone pays all the time! 

I stopped along the way and bought a bottle of water (I know—I should have a small refillable bottle in my backpack; I must look into getting one) and a sandwich—$24!!!!!

Off to the gate and again, I'm not in a rush to get anywhere. I'm not sure where the new relaxed mode came in. I wandered down to the washroom, and when I got back, they were already loading Zone 4 of 5 zones. The plane was smaller and not full, which is unusual these days. I swear, if it weren't for transient workers traveling, I wonder if they would have any flights going to Saskatchewan. The guy beside me was going way up north to a mine - two weeks on, two weeks off. There were many others on the plane who worked in other transient-type jobs in the north. 

Everything looked good, and we were going to push back right on time. We did, and then we stopped. There was a technical issue on the plane, and the pilots couldn't reset it. They tried remotely with the maintenance crew. That didn't work. The technicians came to the plane, and that still didn't work. The next option was to get a new plane, which isn't as easy as just pulling one out of a hat. 

We eventually disembarked and went back to the gate area in the terminal. A line formed immediately at the agent's desk for people with questions. I was sitting nearby, listening, and most people were just asking questions they had already announced the answer to. But people don't listen; if they do, they don't assimilate the answer, or they think the next person they ask will give them the answer they want. 

The agent was extremely patient with repeating the same answers over and over again. Another agent approached the desk to help, and then a passenger did as well. I'm not exactly sure of the order of events, but the agent asked the passenger to wait a second while he briefed the other agent on what was happening. 

The passenger got upset and started arguing with the agent. He said his attitude was rude, and I don't even know what else, but the passenger was in the wrong, and there was NO rush to get answers. Someone behind me said something out loud, and I was getting very annoyed with the passenger, so I said out loud that HE, the passenger, was rude. He argued with me, and I cut him off and said, even louder, that he was the rude one. Just one word - RUDE!! He shut up and sat down. 

The other agent came over shortly thereafter and asked the passenger what he wanted. He wanted to know what time the flight had been rescheduled for. Good lord, how many times had they already said that? I get it -- people are anxious, people haven't traveled much. He might be flying for a stressful reason. I get that! But there is NO REASON to be rude!! It was not an emergency!

That story continues in a second, but first, I want to say that Air Canada, from the flight attendants to the captain to the agents inside the terminal, kept us up to date on everything as it unfolded. I mean, we got a ton of updates. They even brought the plane back to the gate and allowed passengers to get up and walk on the gateway. And the minute we got off the plane, an agent was at the gate to answer questions. 

The original flight was 7:40, and the new flight was scheduled for 11:15. No one wants a delay, but it's better to get a technical issue on a plane figured out before you fly out than just hope it all works out. I don't know where my Zen attitude came from, but I was OK. I had food and water, no luggage to cart around, and no rush. A travel day is a travel day. The original pilots couldn't fly the new time as their day would have timed out, so two pilots were called on their day off. Air Canada really went out of their way to get us there! 

We all got a $15 food voucher because of the delay. $15 doesn't buy much at the airport, but I went and found some snacks. A small bag of popcorn and one other bag of something. 

Our gate changed, so I wandered over to the new gate and was about to sit down when I noticed the man beside me had his sockless feet out of his shoes and was listening to a video without earbuds. I moved on, and then a passenger said, "Good for you to speak out". So I stopped to chat with him, and as I did, the gate agent came over and thanked me for sticking up for him. They must get so frustrated for not being able to yell at passengers. 

I think the guy who originally stopped me was the one who said something initially at the other gate. We both got $30 food vouchers!! I went back and got more snacks!! I have a lot of snacks!!! 

My good Samaritan snacks!

I eat chocolate every day, so now I don't have to buy any while I'm here. That's one thing Margareta said in her book, "The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly." Eat chocolate every day, and I agree!!!! I have for years, and I am happy with a small bit each day. It helps to learn control. I also know never to buy white or milk chocolate because I lack control with those! 

Anyway, we got on the plane, and all was good. I read my book while waiting in the "common folk" area of the airport, not the lounge, and decided it was also a good opportunity to clean out some text messages. I know you can set some messaging apps to use disappearing messages, and I need to do that, but it won't delete old messages. Good lord—so much crap in my texts and so many people; I have no idea who the message was from. I saved a few pictures and then delete, delete, delete!!!

Look at this cool light that someone had sent me years ago. It's a light!

A very cool bicycle light

When we left Toronto, the temperature was warm, and I was sorry to be missing the warm weather. This is what awaited me when we landed. 

Snow and cold!!!

However, the sun was shining brightly, and I believe it reached zero, so I didn't even dig my winter coat out of my suitcase until I got to the hotel in the evening. It really was a nice day here. As a matter of fact, the sun was so bright that even with sunglasses, I found it blinding at times!

They had had snow the night before, and look what I found on my car when I arrived. SNOW!!!!!

Snow on my car!!!

Can you guess what I got for a car? Yep -- a Hyundai Venue - the same car as my Uber in the morning. 

Oh boy -- I asked for a small SUV, but I don't call this an SUV. It's a car, and it's low - I feel like I'm riding on the ground!

But all is good. Even though it was later in the day when I arrived, I did my usual rounds of shopping and then headed to my parents'. I will save my shopping expedition for tomorrow, as I'm sure not much will happen today except visiting and working on that darn binding. I see I will have some shopping to do. I hope I don't get to the point where I am afraid to go to a store to buy something. But perhaps I should be happy my Dad isn't familiar with shopping online. The strangest thing is that he has no issue buying some mechanical thing online, but he has an issue buying anything for the house online. That's just weird!

So strange where these ideas come from. 

I'm getting very tired of people complaining about things and being rude about it. That's why I spoke up earlier in the day. We are letting the squeaky wheels get their message out loud and clear, while the rest of us sit back and do nothing. I'm tired of doing nothing and letting people get abused. My filter is definitely gone. Will it get me into trouble? I'm sure it will, but at least I'm doing something. Imagine being yelled at in public when you did nothing wrong, and there isn't a single thing you can do about it, or you'll get fired. That's where our society is, and it sucks. It's up to the rest of us to help maintain order and protect those who are being bullied or abused. My philosophy is I can always yell louder than they can, and I will - watch me! 

Well, I'm off for the day. It's early here, and I'll go for a walk right after breakfast. It feels like minus 17 at the moment, and I'm not going out in the cold and dark to walk! I have lots to keep me entertained here. 

And there is no crazy Airbnb story this time. I booked a hotel room well in advance, so that is a good thing!! 

The only thing I forgot was a hairbrush! There is always something. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

The view never gets old!

 Oh, Elle — yes — a 24-hour backup would be pretty nice about now. However, I am still able to access the data on the FATAL error hard drive, but it's sometimes slow going. I'm not sure, but it appears there are some corrupt cells on the hard disk, and if a file happens to be in one of those cells, it's not available. Other times, it just takes a long time to open. Well, I have time, but more importantly, I have patience. I will not be a victim of this again. Twice is enough!!

So yes --- if your external hard drives have been around for a while, it's not a bad idea to back them up or migrate the data to a new one before they fail. 

I finished reading The Brain at Rest today, and I want to highlight a couple of things the author (Dr. Joseph Jebelli) mentions that are good for your brain. These things help grow your brain, so if you have injuries, you still have lots of brain cells left. It also helps your brain process information faster, reduces the risk of dementia, helps you live longer, and makes you more creative. That is a very quick nutshell, but here are the things he suggests: 

1. Don't Work Too Hard
2. Let Your Mind WANDER
3. Forest Bathing
4. Embrace Solitude
5. Sleep More
6. Play
7. Stay Active
8. Niks (doing absolutely nothing at all!)
9. Just Say NO!!!!!!!

It really is a wonderful list of things to do, and thankfully, I already do most of them. I'm learning to say NO, and I try not to work too hard (now). The rest of the things—I do regularly. I'm not a super social person - wait, I can be a social person when the time calls, but I much prefer to hang out with the girls and DH at home. Yep!!! I love solitude - no music, no audiobook, nothing, but my brain to entertain me. Trust me, when I let it wander, there is no telling where I will end up!

Forest bathing? Oh yes—Murphy and I did that today. She had to go to the vet for her appointment, and she was so excited to go for a walk in the afternoon that we left the house early. We had a few minutes to sit in the forest and contemplate life. It was glorious. It also helped that it was 21°C today. I was only wearing a sweatshirt, and I was sweating! Well, I had pants on, of course! 

MOM -- why aren't we going anywhere?

I don't think Murphy got the concept of STOPPING for a bit. I was sitting on a log, and she was wrapped around a tree, trying to figure out why she couldn't go anywhere, even though she was facing the correct direction to get out of her dilemma. 

Then she figured it was time for a rest. 

MOM -- I'm forest bathing, just like you!

That dog just doesn't get the concept of a leisurely stroll. It's FAST or STOP. Notice how my hand is outstretched! I swear that leash is about 12 inches longer than it was when I started using it a couple of years ago!

MOM -- you are too slow!!!!!

Then it was hard to resist! This view never gets old. I have the musical windchime in front of me, the bamboo one back near the greenhouse, so they don't always ring at the same time, and if a big gust comes by, it rings the cowbell behind my head! The pond isn't open yet, but when it does -- well, I see some big naps coming on. 

The view never gets old.

As a matter of fact, that gazebo is a great place to do almost everything on that list that keeps your brain healthy!!! Solitude, napping, letting your mind wander, etc. 

However, Miss Murphy just can't leave that pond alone. Earlier in the day, when I was sitting out there, she found a ball and stood for the longest time looking at the water and looking at me. I told her numerous times to not drop the ball in the water. 

MOM -- the ball -- it jumped in the water! I swear! 

Then, after we came back from the vet, I was sitting in the gazebo and noticed her hanging on the edge of the pond. WHAT????? 

MOM -- I'm so hot!!!!!

Oh yes --- she was so hot from the walk and the temperature that she was slowly easing herself into the water - right in front of my eyes. Of course, I grabbed the camera to get a picture before I grabbed her!!! There is a ledge in the pond that she is resting her front paws on. 

MOM -- the water is cold!!!!!

I love how she just slides right in. What a nut case!!!! After I got her out, she lay on the side of the pond while she dried off. Sigh...............  It's not even summer hot -- I'm going to have to get her swimming pool ready for her! She just runs HOT!!!! 

I got some samples made for my upcoming Facebook Live on the Husqvarna Viking Large Magnetic Hoop. That was great. I don't think I have any other samples to make, but I have an entire week to consider whether I need anything more. You can see all the details at this link. There are already quite a few people expressing interest in joining the presentation. It just got posted today at lunchtime! 

I'll be discussing the difference between metal and magnetic hoops, so it's going to have some great information. And some cool samples! 

So that was good to get the samples out of the way. I need to find one more sample that is upstairs, and I need to get that done tonight. I'm going to be away for a few days and won't have much time to get set up and make samples when I return. Plus, I have that guild presentation as well. I need to pull the quilts for that show. 

I'm not in a panic, and I have loads of time. All is good. 

I had to make this thing to take with me. It's an absorbent pad to place on a pillow to keep it dry. I bought a towel and some ZORB fabric. I created a backing from flannel. So it's like a quilt with the flannel as the backing, the ZORB as the batting, and the towel on top. The towel has extra length on the two sides to wrap around the pillow. I don't know if it will work, but I'm going to give it a whirl. 

My super absorbent pillow pad

That item has been sitting here for quite a while, and YES - it was on the visual To-Do list. One more thing gone!!! Someone asked me if I ever add things to the list, and the answer is NO. However, I am going to make one exception. 

Every week at Monday sewing, I prepare a presentation for the group. It could be our show-and-tell or other things I've seen out and about. Today was all about postcards, and I was reminded that I still owe someone a postcard. It's only been 22 years since the postcard was promised. I think I should add the postcard to the Visual To-Do list. I remember exactly what I was going to put on it, but where is the project? 

But I might just figure out how to do the concept a different way, and I could make it, pop it in the mail, and see what happens!!!! Yes --- I might just do that!!! She doesn't read my blog, so no danger of her seeing my intentions here. 

Well, I had an amazing sleep last night—just over 8 hours, with almost 2 hours of deep sleep. DH is ready to throw my phone away because he doesn't get much deep sleep, and is tired of me always having more than he does. I typically get more than 1 hour each night. He is the one who started checking the sleep patterns, and I found them on my phone. It was never something I followed. One day, he will face the fact that my health is better than his. That doesn't say I will live longer, but I take better care of myself than he does. 

Anyway, speaking of that, I just heard the beep letting me know my laundry is done, and I need to toss a few clothes into a suitcase! Then I'm ready for my early morning flight. Yes -- the mouse, mouse pad, and the Fitbit charger are already packed. I'm sure I'll have forgotten something else, but all is good!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

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!!!