You know it's a good day when................

You are trying to finish quilting a quilt and your child wants to go to Fabricland (I know!!!!) and then you realize she can go by herself. So you give her a picture of some fabric that you want more of, instructions on what to buy for her project, membership card and OH YES - let's not forget the credit card!!!!!    And she got everything right. She also stopped by the grocery store to get ONE thing for dinner (that she made!!!) and despite the fact that I gave her cash and the cost of the item was less than $2.00 and she used the credit card?????   Oh well  - could have been worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fabric that I "coveted" from Fabricland. OK - so I bought some last year, but this will be great for backing (I don't normally buy backing, but it was on sale and I am planning to make a one block wonder during the holidays - a treat for me!!!!)   Don't bother looking for it - there wasn't any at John St store, nor Shopper's World and we bought out the Dundas/Winston Churchill store!!!

You get a CUSTOM quilt done in ONE day. OK - so it wasn't a big quilt, but it was annoying as I got to the end and realized that there wasn't enough backing to do the last row of stitching. I had to take it of the frame and shave enough off the skimpy leftover on the side and join it to the bottom. None of the join ended up in the quilt, but I needed an inch in order to quilt the end.

Customer quilt

On the THIRD attempt, you find the fabric you have been looking for. I took a break in the afternoon and went to Fabricland (I know - that is why I didn't want to go back) - I went to a different Fabricland - the one on John Street - just south of Square One. Oh boy - if you are looking for cotton - this is the store to go to. I am looking for a particular piece of fabric (I'll show you in a second) and I am searching the racks because there was NONE at the other two Fabricland stores I had been to in the previous two days. I am almost ready to give up when VOILA - there it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I grabbed the bolt and knew that there wasn't enough. OK - let's just get some other ugly fabric to finish off my project.

I am talking to one of the managers as she cuts my fabric and I am telling her my story. She drops the scissors and walks away. HEY??????    I see her in the back - getting a ladder, then she calls another staff member (who had started to help me) and so now I have been abandoned TWICE. Then the manager comes back with a BIG SMILE on her face and FIVE METERS of the fabric I want. She had a couple of flat folds in the back. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    The fabric was on sale - so I bought it all!!!!

My NEEDED fabric

Now what am I doing with this fabric?????   Well I have resurrected a project....................

My crocheted rug from fabric

I had a Sit n Sew on the weekend and not too many people so there was time for me to get something done. I pulled out this project - cut the fabric that I did have into two inch strips. Then searched high and low for the bias tape maker, only to find it the BIAS box. DUH - should have looked there first.

Then made YARDS and YARDS of bias - it was fast and easy with the tape maker. (Yes - the previous fabric I had was black/white check which I had to substitute for the black/white strip that I had started with) In the grand scheme of things - it works - the scale is the same.

Making bias with the bias tape maker - I started with 2 inch strips (I don't want raw edges on the rug) - then when it came out the tape maker - it was one inch - then I just folded it in half again and pressed and PERFECT bias tape (well - it is NOT cut on the bias - but you know what I mean.

Yards and yards of "fabric yarn" to be crocheted

Fabric strips waiting to be processed

Now I have FOUR meters of the red left and equal amount of the black/white (plus three extra meters). I will continue until that red is used up and then if I search for that red again - please someone put me out of misery!!!!!   The rug is going to be heavy - there is a LOT of fabric in it. But after adding 8 meters more of fabric - the rug should be a decent size. It is so cushy to stand on. I will have to put it by the cutting table or the long arm (although I don't stand in one place for long at the machine).

All the fabric I prepared on the weekend is already crocheted up - I did that on Monday. I was making these rugs for the spring Creative Festival - I can't remember if I posted about them. I don't think so.


But I am fired up to get them finished - besides the coordinated black/white and red, I am doing one that is completely scrappy. I am just getting started on that one. That first row is a killer - I am almost done, then it gets way easier!


Here are a couple of other things that I have been working on and haven't had time to post.

Completed the FIRST square (of twenty) for my knitted log cabin afghan. That center is a bit loose, but it is an afghan - not a sweater so I'm not going to worry about it.

The left over yarn - might have enough to make some odd ball blocks and do something with it

Started another block - I am pumped to get moving on this

Also got another binding and backing done for that mystery quilt I was working on  at the retreat. Just got to remember to write these things in my DONE book

Oh yes - one more story about good days. I am going through a book called iPad For Seniors for Dummies. I know - I know. I do NOT want any comments about that title!!!!   M cannot believe that I am reading this book, but hey - in a methodical way, I am learning about the iPad. Well, I was trying to figure out iCloud and backing up - and connecting to iTunes which I don't do any more because the updates come over Wi-Fi when I am home. Anyway - I tried to connect to iTunes the other day and NO CONNECTION. I got an error message saying my "Apple Mobile Device" wasn't working. No kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!


I looked at Apple Support page the other day and couldn't find anything about this message. So I decided to call Apple Support and after the technician established that I was the rightful owner of this iPad and that there was no warranty - no KIDDING - it is one of the original ones!!!   He then informed me that I would have to sign up for a two year contract - to the tune of $99. Well I don't want a contract - how much is  one time call???   That would be $79. NO WAY. Not paying that either. Then they tried to sell me some movie/restaurant promotion that was only valid TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I then typed "Apple Mobile Device" into GOOGLE and immediately got the answer to fix this. It took two tries because there were TWO buttons that had to be reactivated, not just the one mentioned in the document from GOOGLE. But the frustrating thing is that the technician was PRETTY insistent that this was a major problem that would require downloading drivers that only they could provide, that their support page was mostly marketing hype (there was NO place to search the database for fixes) and something else which I don't remember now (having a senior moment!!!!!!!!)

BTW - the iPad For Seniors for Dummies is a really good book. I like to take a book like that and go through it from cover to cover. I have learned a LOT about my iPad and I am only one third of the way through. But first I need to go back through the iCloud section. You see - I am a bit of a obsessive compulsive. Yes - I could figure it out by playing with it, but that NEVER happens and I figure if someone has written a book, all the good stuff will be outlined and I just have to go through it one page at a time.

It is getting annoying at how much SELLING is going on. No one wants to help anyone anymore without someone coughing up cash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   (Don't worry - I charged the lady for having to remove the quilt from the frame and fixing the back!!!!!!!!!!)

I also got the backing for the next "TO BE QUILTED" quilt made last night and loaded on the machine so won't take long after my class this morning to get that loaded and quilted. It is a small one. I am PUMPED today - look out - I have BIG plans to get lots done. I am pretty focused these days so we'll see what happens.

The best part - I feel relaxed!!!!!!!!!!!1   Yes - I have TONS to do, but I have a plan, I am organized and I feel that I can do it (well most of it anyway). I really am a visual person - I need to see what needs to be done and then I can do it. Still making plans for that 2013 shelf and located some stuff that needs to go on it next year - not that I was planning to find it, but had to go through the BBB (to be done) box and found this project. More on that another day.

I also got my FIRST plastic TWENTY dollar bill. Didn't even notice that I received it as change until I opened my wallet to buy something else!!!

New twenty dollar bill

And last, but certainly not least  - have a look at this..................

My life is so BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Well - I am off to have an AMAZING day. Already been to the gym, already made binding for a quilt and just having my hot chocolate. Oh yes - what more could I ask for??????



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!