Suspicious!

Oh yes - I am still very suspicious of all this internet stuff. I did move my laptop back down stairs and so far so good.  Thanks to my Facebook friends - one for alerting me about the number of devices as a potential fix to the problem and another for telling me how to fix it. That will come later today but for now - I am able to work. Big thanks to Margaret and Alan.

However I went to photocopy something this morning and NOTHING - the printer was dead.  I know - can this really be happening????   Well - I unplugged the printer because I couldn't get it to turn on or off. OK - I didn't know its' ON/OFF status.  I got two photocopies made and then the printer reset the size of paper (my printer thinks it lives in Europe with their odd paper sizes). But I managed to reset that setting and next thing I know - it is trying to print ONE HUNDRED copies of my document.  I put a quick stop to that. So - things are good - I got my copies - printer is working and now I am just waiting for the next thing to go wacko!

Oh and when I went to load pictures this morning, I couldn't find the most recent pictures. ACK - what happened????   Then I realized that I had reached the maximum number of pictures in that FOLDER on the camera (9999) and then the camera opens a new folder. Oh thank goodness!!!!


Overall, yesterday was an AWESOME day. Why????   Have a look........

First let me explain something. I got kicked out of my studio on Sunday afternoon (I'll show you why tomorrow) and as a result, I was forced to work in the kitchen. Perfect as I prepped everything for Monday which I don't always do and then I am not productive.

I had to cut binding strips for a quilt - I needed eight strips. This is the situation on the eighth strip - there was JUST enough fabric - I barely cut anything off that last piece. BUT I got eight strips.

Last binding strip cut

And now the backing and the binding are DONE on another quilt which will go into the TO BE QUILTED pile

Someone gave me this old top a while back and I wasn't sure what to do with it. Then I saw an article on quilting older tops with modern designs and that is what I am going to do with it.


When I managed to get back into my studio on Sunday night, I was determined to get that Professional Bag done.

These are the pieces I had left

I pulled out the big guns - my industrial machine for the sewing. You don't need it, but my regular sewing machine just cannot handle those thick seams. My older machine skips stitches terribly on thick stuff. 

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE those WONDER clips. 

 I know some people use them for binding, but since I only use TWO clips for binding - I am OK to use my regular binding clips, but for THICK things - these WONDER clips are a WONDER!!!!

This reminds me of sewing that Weekender bag - trying to sew the corner of a cardboard box!!!!

And this is the outer portion of the bag and this is where I finished on Sunday evening. 

 Hauled the big machine to Monday Mania and I worked and I worked - well not that hard since we had loads of laughs and chatting.

LAST SEAM!!!!!!!!!!!

Back of the Professional Bag

Front of the Professional Bag

Inside of the Professional Bag

 This is a very detailed bag. LOTS and LOTS of details - pockets, business card holder, zippers, cording, buttonholes, etc.  BUT the finished product is well worth all the effort.

That is a class I will be teaching at The Hobby Horse - two parts - February 1 and March 1.  Check it out - you will LOVE this bag when it is done. There is even a zipper to close the entire bag at the top.  Well designed! I am impressed.

And things don't stop there. I told you - I am determined to get a handle on things this year. I just have to. Each year gets better so after three years - I am hoping that in 2015 we will see some significant changes.

I finished the applique stitching on this quilt that I had dug out to work on in Applique Club.  I am happy to report that it is now sitting in the TO BE QUILTED pile. This was a $10 quilt at The Hobby Horse in 2007.

Simple County Sampler by The Rabbit Factory

Made the binding this morning and the backing is done as well

Then I took some time to tidy up a bit. Each pile on these work tables represents a project that is currently in the works. Most of them have a deadline or are just current that I want to finish.

Current projects

 But the best news of all..............

YES - there is SOME open space on that 2015 shelf. 

Why? Because some of the projects are on the work table. So when I need to clear the work tables - the projects can be put onto the shelf. That was the plan all along - it just took three years to figure it out!!!!!!

Yes - there are TWO laundry baskets and TWO big IKEA bags that are also sitting with projects that need to be addressed soon, but I am ignoring them for the moment. If too much appears on that table - I will lose focus and that would be a bad thing!!!!

I hope that I can get ahead of the game soon because I am tired of working to deadlines. I was OK with it before, but not enjoying it so much now. Getting old!!!!   Don't get me wrong - I still want to sew all day and do crazy stuff, but I don't want the pressure of a deadline.


Yesterday I talked about that book - Simplify by Camille Roskelley.  OK - so I read a bit more and now I know why I HATE (OK - that is a strong word) but why these books for the modern quilter or new quilter don't agree with me.

First off - MOST of the authors of these kind of books have fabric lines - and in particular many are with MODA which means charm squares, jelly rolls, etc. The patterns are based on using those pre-cuts which I think is a cop-out. Where is our creativity if we can ONLY use what the fabric manufacturer is telling us to use. Don't get me wrong - I like the pre-cuts - well - no I don't like them. There is NOT enough variety within the fabric line. Many of them look the same. While I am happy with the few quilts I have made with pre-cuts, NONE of them are WOW quilts.  I am trying to NOT purchase those pre-cuts any longer, but they sure do look cute!!!!

Anyway at one point in the book I came across this. It was mentioned that if your scrap bag was over flowing that you could cut it up into 5 inch squares to make this particular pattern. Well THIS pattern had you cut up the charm squares, then resew them together and trim them DOWN to 4 inches. Seriously?????   You are asking me to intentionally throw out 1/5 of my fabric???????    And that is why I HATE these kinds of books. Make it easy so anyone can understand them - NO - we should be teaching people to think for themselves!!!!!!    And that is why I love more complex quilts with tiny pieces - NOTHING goes to waste!!!!

On that note - I had better get dressed. I am back to the gym this morning - I am trying Pilates and then I have a couple of classes to teach.


Have an awesome day!!!!!!!!!!!!


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