My kid is SMART!!!!!!

I am so glad you enjoyed the PUPPY post yesterday. Those little pups are very cute!!!!   BUT I am NOT even tempted to bring one home. You see how easy it is to say NO!!!!!!!!   NO - I do NOT want a puppy. Surprisingly, the girls did NOT ask for a puppy either. Well - first these are purebred puppies, so not cheap and well - we have two amazing girls and we are all happy. No need to upset that mix.

And SOMETHING happened to the blog yesterday. It seemed to be an issue with reading on an iPad. The format and colour were ALL WRONG. But there is a button at the bottom of the iPad screen that said "see Web Version" and then you were OK. Not sure if that is a change to Blogger, iPad or what, but I did NOT change anything.


I think I am possessed by this cleaning thing and now that stuff is ALL OVER the entire room, I am getting tired of it. I think I have done enough tidying and sorting for the moment and now to find a home for everything. AHHHHHHHH there is the problem - everything did NOT have a permanent home before the clean sweep and so unless I plan on getting rid of a lot, there will be stuff that still doesn't have a permanent home. Just means that some things are better sorted than they were before!!!!!!!!!!!!   But might end up with a laundry basket or two on the floor. DRAT - I was hoping, it would all go on the shelves!!!!!!!

But here are a few interesting things I did unearth!!!!!

I used to do a LOT of demos and I had done a lot of prep for those demos. Then to keep things organized, they were all sorted in pizza boxes. I haven't done demos in the last three years. So - what to do with the boxes of demo stuff????

Here is the box on batting

The plastic bags went into the recycling this morning, the small (12" square) batting samples went in the batting closet so when I do a small wall hanging, I have pieces that I can use. 

There are boxes that I won't disassemble because they are things that I currently teach (like paper piecing, applique, etc.) and they will stay intact. This was the only demo box that I came across that I don't need any more.

A stray triangle that went into the box with the other triangles waiting to be sewn.

A stray binding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Now what quilt does this belong to?????   I have no idea, but I put it in the border, backing and binding box. I am sure I will find its home soon or it will be used for something else. As I look at this picture, I think I know what quilt it belongs to. I'm thinking I am also thinking that I have made a new binding for that quilt???????

Came across this box labeled Blue/White. Hmmmm - what is in this box?????

A few pieced blocks (I remember there wasn't enough contrast so they are rejects). 

And a LOVELY collection of blue and white fabric. NO PATTERN. I guess I just liked the combination and designated it to make a blue/white quilt. These are leftovers from another quilt that is waiting to be have the backing and the binding made. Hmmmmmm - I better dig out that quilt and see the status before I disassemble this box. 

Found this box - labeled Brampton Mystery Quilt. When I started to dig - I see this is the mystery from 1999/2000. And I figure if I haven't started it by now - then it likely isn't going to happen. There was a center block in the quilt and I was going to use the fabric on the right to make a kaleidoscope effect block. OK - who am I kidding - what kind of kaleidoscope could I get with that floral??????    Yep - I kept the green and burgundy, the other two went into the community projects box!!!!!

Oh yes - I got rid of another box. It was a shirt panel. The idea was to take a shirt that had a logo on it and make a patchwork front for that side. The shirt was in the box, as well as a bunch of green fabric. That got disassembled so quickly, I didn't even get a picture of it!!!!!!!!!

 And you know what - even though that is only four boxes that I decided to disassemble, it felt good and it is a start. I am sure there will be more as time goes on, but for the moment that is what I have done. And let's not forget the shirtings and the poly/cotton that has been pulled from the stash room as well. So I am making an effort - it just isn't going to happen over night and I don't want it to anyway. I mean - what will I do this time next year if everything is PERFECT?????   Yes - I would be bored, so I am pretty much done for the time being.

Now to find a home for all this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the shelf that backs on the other shelf I showed you the other day. I took everything off the shelf and verified the contents of the boxes. Made sure that each had a proper label on it and sorted them a bit and put them back on the shelf. 

 The one thing that kind of shocked me was the number of GROUP projects or exchanges that are waiting to be assembled. There are at least 10 and let's not forget the 3 or 4 nine-patch exchanges I was in. OK - so NO EXCHANGES for a while. I have to get these done.

I'll show you a picture of the reorganized shelf (above) when I am completely finished and you can see the entire newly organized room!!!!

Then I had a few minutes one day and I grabbed a basket of clothes from the closet. OH MY GOD - these are old and why do I still have them??????   And if you thought the orange thing was new - well have a look.

When I was younger - much much younger, I wore a lot of spandex. So much that people thought I was a runner which I was NOT. But see - the orange thing - yep - I had it way back when. However when I picked up these pants (which I have NOT worn in years), I was shocked at the feel of them. There was a residue that came off on my hands. Kind of sticky or oily??????   OH MY GOD - these have to go - I can't imagine wearing them and feeling this, plus they are pretty thin so we wouldn't want to shock anyone else around me!!!!!   But I guess the material is breaking down and that is where that residue is coming from. ICK ICK ICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh the way home from visiting the puppies we stopped at this little roadside stand. The cows caught my eye and I had to stop.

M and Caroline - among the herd of cows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We stopped at Killer Cupcakes and I bought a dozen cupcakes.

YUM YUM - those cupcakes were delicious!!!!!!!!

They have 70 different kinds of cupcakes and each week, they make four. You get an ingredient list of the cupcakes of the week. The young fellow behind the counter was very informative and well - we just had to buy some so I bought a dozen!!!!!!      Check out their web site!!

Killer Cupcakes


Sunday was a "bad" day at our house. I was making myself breakfast - a very "healthy" bagel with margarine and marmalade. M was making her breakfast - which was much more healthy with protein and whatever else. Well as I am waltzing my ingredients back to the fridge and trying to open the fridge with stuff in my hands, OOOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY LOVELY BIG jar of marmalade GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     And it was half full. DRAT!!!!!!    I couldn't even reach out with my other hand to save it because that hand was full. Lesson learned - YOUR HANDS are NOT as strong as you think they are!!!!!!!!!!!

Then M was busy bringing dishes down from her room and CRASH. She dropped and broker her favourite glass. I laughed!!!!!!    Oh great fun and never a dull moment at our house!!!!!!!!


 Yesterday was Monday Motivators and OH BOY - was I motivated. I got tons done (OK - not tons) but when you get something complete or as complete as you can - it is a great feeling.

Here is Margo with her gorgeous Christmas pillow

Flo who persevered and stitched around ALL the letters in this adorable wall hanging. She set up her machine at home and would stitch around two or three letters whenever she had a moment. How dedicated is that!!!!!! 

I worked on my crochet rug. And I got all the fabric used up that I had prepared. This is monumental for me!!!!!

Little Sammy had to test it out, but it is still much too small

So she went to lay on the other one

 In Bonnie Hunter style, I had a bunch of horrible fabrics and I cut them up into strips so I could use them for whatever. Well whatever isn't happening, so I am going to cut these into two inch strips and join them and add them to the rug. Not sure if there will be enough here to complete it or not.

Fabric to cut up and add to the rug

Now in my digging, I unearthed (yes - it is like an archaeological dig in this studio), some HIDEOUS and OFFENSIVE fabric. It is so offensive, I won't even take a picture of it, but I had NO IDEA what to do with it. I know it is hard to imagine that fabric can be offensive, but let's just say that I bought this (influenced by a well known quilter - who is gay and that is all I am going to say about it). Anyway, M had this brilliant idea that I cut it up and put it into my rug - no one will be the wiser!!!!     BRILLIANT IDEA!!!!!    The only problem is that there are FOUR hunks - a HUGE piece of black and and three smaller pieces of white.  I think they wouldn't fit in with this rug, but I will cut them up and add more to make ANOTHER RUG!!!!!!    I don't really care what I make, but just happy that stuff like this is getting used up and the BEST PART - I am NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT adding to the problem.    I LOVE THAT.


That is what gives me hope that YES someday, I could actually have this situation under control. OK - you can stop laughing at me!!!!!!!!!


Thanks to M and Berke who put up all our Christmas decorations. Well mostly M. Over the years, I started a collection of ornaments that belong to M. Whenever I went on vacation, I bought her something and I asked people to buy her a special ornament. So now she has enough to put up a little tree of her own. Since our big tree is in the living room, she put her tree in the family room.

M and Sammy decorating the small tree

Sparky has to get in there as well - very jealous dog!!!!

The finished tree!!!!   So cute and what good memories!!!!!     Hmmm - I wonder if she is getting any new ornaments this year??????

Sammy - who just has to get in all the pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!

M is working on a sewing project. I must say that I like when she comes down to sew. We have some pretty wild and good conversations!!!!!!    As well as learning experiences for both of us. It was during this moment when she found a purpose for my offensive fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Now I told you that I was productive at Monday. Judith and I stayed long after the others left. We had a great conversation. Hey - if we are already here and set up - what is the point of leaving early. It is a sewing day and so she hand stitched binding and I cut fabric.

One of the things I had unearthed was that HUGE pile of shirtings that had been sewn together for the theatre backdrop. It is TIME to get that used up.

Here is one of the sections laid out on my floor at home. It was 17 squares long and I had NINE lengths that needed to be cut up (this above counted as TWO lengths) 

I was able to get FOUR 6 1/2" squares from each of the big squares. And I cut two lengths after I finished the rug at Monday Motivators. When I got home - I kept working and even though M and I went out Christmas shopping, I managed to get most of the other 7 lengths cut up as well.

Some I cut into squares but to make a bad looking situation look better quickly, I just cut the lengths into strips . Now these need to have the squares cut from them. That shouldn't take too long. 

This is all that remains of the big square to cut into strips. Yeah - a job that has hung over my head for YEARS is now almost done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I figure I will get seven or eight generous lap (60 by 72) quilts from these squares - there are a LOT of squares and we are not adding borders. They will make perfect quilts for men.

Yep - I really think that all you need is a plan - nothing is bad or needs to be gotten rid of when you have a plan. I heard on the radio this morning, they were asking the "premier" of our province (I am not sure if is he still acting as premier??????) - Anyway - he talked about working because you had to, then wanting to do something for others. Well - I think I have reached that stage to a certain degree. I mean - I have all this fabric and skill. Others have nothing and well - why not make quilts for others. I might feel differently next year, but right now - I want to get this stuff used up!!!!!!


And YES - if you are wondering if I touched the 2012 shelf - the answer is YES. I ripped it apart, reloaded most of it and I am going to cram a few more things on it, only because it still has a bit of room on it. OK - I am refining this process - I did NOT say it was perfect!!!!!!!!!!

The other thing one needs in all this is ENERGY. You know - you have to build energy - it just doesn't happen. Working out at the gym - well - it give me energy. I did a spin class in the morning and I felt great all day. If you don't use your body - it will fail you!!!!!!  And if more of M's healthy eating habits rub off on me, hey - I will be 15 pounds lighter and have even more energy!!!


On that note - I had better get my butt in gear. I have another quilt to get done today. Christmas is coming and I can't wait so some of the pressure will be off with these quilts!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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



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