What? I can't "make" money?

I was uploading some pictures from my camera to my computer yesterday and I got this bizarre message which I have never seen before. Something to the effect that I was NOT allowed to alter images of currency. OK - I get that, but why this message?   I never gave it another thought. Then I tried to upload some pictures this morning and I got the same message.  Hmmmm - what the heck????

Then I realized that I had taken a picture of my "wallet" while I was on the bike trip.  A plastic ziploc with a credit card, a debit card, a piece of Lynn's fabric that she wanted me to find for her and all week there was no money, but after stopping for ice cream and the ATM - there was a bit of currency (bills) in the plastic bag.  Photoshop was smart enough - it will NOT let me download that picture because it has currency in it.  How's that for smart software!!!!!!

Anyway - I had an amazing day yesterday.   So nice to be "back in the saddle" and actually doing some sewing. That hasn't happened in a long time.

Do you want to see what I did??   I resurrected a project from eons ago.  There were three of us that bought kits for this project  - It is called Syncopated Rhythm (Karen Montgomery) and the fabrics were from Timeless Treasures - Tonga Batiks. All of us wanted to make the quilt bigger as there were only enough fabric to make thirty blocks in the kit which made a small quilt (40" by 48"). I think we ended up scrounging a couple more kits and best I can tell I had 170 blocks made with 4 squares of fabric left over.  Don't ask me how that happened.

The reason I still had all the blocks was my plan was to lay all the blocks out so I could put them in order and then sew the three quilts together as best I could.  I even found a note that said make one quilt 8 blocks by 10, one was 6 blocks by 8 and the other was 6 blocks by 7.  I think that works out to 170.  The two smaller ones were going to need borders.

Well - I decided to change that up and I started off by clearing off the design wall and laying out all the blocks.

170 quilt blocks

4 leftover squares

 The quilts ended up being 7 by 9 blocks which makes them 56" by 72" which is very close to my generous lap quilt size of 60" by 72". Eight just doesn't divide nicely into 60.  Oh did you notice in the layout above that I made a mistake?????   Yes - the first quilt went together no problem.

Quilt Top Number one

Then when I started to sew the second one together - I had a problem. Fortunately I had not gotten too far before I realized the mistake and was able to correct it.

Quilt Top Number Two

 So now both those quilt tops can go to their respective owners and all it needed was a bit of a push and an afternoon. I would take the leftovers and would keep that one for myself.   Of course - what is the fun if there isn't a puzzle to solve.

The leftover blocks - there are 44

 A quick search of the internet to find another pack of these squares turned up nothing. However a quick search of my STASH turned up another pack of 40!!!!!!!    I LOVE shopping Chez Elaine!!!!!

The leftover squares AND a new pack of 40 squares

Look at all those yummy colours

44 blocks already made, another 44 to be made (and I am going to add from my stash 4 more squares to use up everything. Well - I will keep you informed of what actually happens. Some of those numbers might be off. Essentially you sew the blocks in groups of six.  It is going to be close enough to make it work - more oranges than reds in this pack which is OK by me. So I must get those sewn up and get my top made.  Then I can cross this one off the list.   FOCUS is going to be the key to getting sewing done at home now that I have less time.  But if I am careful - well anything is possible.

And when I was bored of sewing those blocks together, I managed to get a small quilt top done. Just to get back in the groove.

CORE quilt done!!!!!

 I also tried out a "new to me" quilting pattern which I like and is easy to do!

New quilting pattern 

 There is a LOT of work in this quilt that someone made and donated to the Mississauge Guild for the Community Outreach program.  However when I was giving the quilt a quick press I noticed this. Do you see what I see?????

Look at that white thread showing through on the border seam

I flipped the quilt over and sure enough - the tension SUCKED big time on most of this quilt.  Such a shame when so much work had been put into the project.  I didn't have time to take it apart and fix it so I quilted as it was!!!!

Tension is WAY off on the piecing

I could have just pulled those threads out.   I have to laugh because people are always so fussed about tension when they quilt, but NEVER when they piece!!!!!    CHECK CHECK CHECK.   If you can see your threads on the top when you press - your tension is WRONG.   Check it before you go too far!!!!


Now that I know I can't use PhotoShop to "MAKE" money, I guess I had better get ready to go to work to earn real dollars!!!!   Actually I am looking forward to getting back to work.  I have a ton of ideas floating in my head from being on the bike and in the car all last week.  Lots of ideas to put on paper for quilt designs, articles to write for magazines and well - my head is bursting and I better get some of it down.  That is why I am liking this job (although I may have completely different tasks waiting for me when I arrive), but this job is allowing me to do the design/planning side of quiting that I never had time for.


Before I go, I have to tell you about this girl at the gym.  When I walked into the steam room, there she was - laying stretched out on the bench with just a towel modestly covering her lower bits. A young girl who obviously sun tans in the nude!  You couldn't help but notice!   Well - she admired herself in the steam room, when she came out of the steam room and proceeded to get dressed in front of this big mirror.  OH MY GOD - it was disgusting.  I've never seen so much "self love" in a long time.  I know that we all need to love our bodies, however good or bad they are, but this was ridiculous!!!!!    I mean she preened and pranced in front of that mirror. I wanted to barf!!!!

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


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!