Crazy Quilter on a Bike!: What to do??

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

What to do??

Well, let's chalk up another intense day. As the clock keeps ticking, I keep thinking how to fit more into the day. Can I delay the last customer quilt? Can I abandon the test quilt (for the moment) and quilt it on the domestic machine? Same goes for the table runner. Can I pack up the long arm on Friday morning instead of Thursday evening? How late can I quilt tonight? The deadline to ship is Friday afternoon, which would be great, but there's the Etobicoke Quilt Show on Friday (I can't go on Saturday) and so - what to do? what to do?

Well, I'm not throwing the towel in on anything just yet. I'll just go as long as I can and eek out as much as I can.

I have half of the magazine quilt quilted. I'm debating on how to do the second half but I think I'm good. I've some of the blocks pieced for that last quilt - it will be a question of how quickly can the top get together. Two of five blog posts are completed and pictures for the fourth day are edited and will be loaded this morning. I didn't work on the pattern writing yesterday so that's number one priority this morning.

And obviously, I can't be too stressed about this because what do I do in the evening? I read! I should be working! But I think 12 hour days are enough! I'm OK with that. I will have to learn for future that just because it looks like there is a lull in the schedule - DO NOT fill the lull with extra projects. There's likely going to be some delays with the scheduled stuff and that will fill the lull! I'll never learn, but I'm getting better.

I did a smidgen of tidying up this morning and here are the lastest six blocks from 150 Canadian Women. That makes 84 blocks - DONE! 66 left to sew in the next 11 weeks. I'm getting excited now as the end is in sight? I know that 11 weeks is still a long time, but I'm ready to move onto something else, but NOT before these are done.

Six blocks for 150 Canadian Women

In all the cleaning, sorting and organizing in the last couple of months, I came across a bunch of stuff in one of the kitchen cupboards. We have a lot of tea supplies in the cupboard. We have a lot of loose tea.

A container of loose tea

Now there are numerous ways to deal with the loose tea. You can use either of the two devices below to steep the tea. And I'm sure there are many other different types.

Tea steepers for loose tea

BUT, I also found some packages of tea filters. Hmm - how easy are these to use?

Box of tea filters

This is what the tea filter looks like. Essentially, it's an empty tea bag.

Tea filter

Using a small tea spoon (not a teaspoon - there's a difference), I filled the tea filter with the loose tea. I know M had an issue with the bag opening and the loose tea getting into the cup of tea. But I learned to tuck in the end and give the top a couple of folds. While I've never rolled cigarettes, I sure feel like I'm doing that when I make my own tea bags!

Handmade tea bag

And there's the end product with my ONE cookie.

A cup of steeping tea and a cookie

I know I go on and on about the food thing, but here's the deal. That oatmeal raisin cookie from Tim's has 220 calories. FOUR of the cookies (Simple Pleasures) has 120 calories and I only eat one! Plus a box of those cookies costs a couple of dollars whereas each cookie at Tim's cost $1. What am I going to do with all my savings? I've got some ideas!!!

Speaking of saving money, I bought a pack of these food savers the other day. They are essentially cotton coated with beeswax. I had some fresh fruit and veggies that needed a wrap, so they are wrapped in the new food savers. I wonder how well they work. I guess I'll find out later this week.

Food wraps

In all the mess that I'm in, I'm still managing to finish a couple of projects. And you'll see why next week. Now I have to stop to tell you a story about the list of finishes. Diane, at Monday Sewing, is a machine. She counted her finished projects from last year and I think she had 67 or something like that. She is up to 21 so far this year. We were chatting about what items she put on the list. Pillowcases? Why not? They are technically a finish. So that will take me up to 21 finishes as well this year as I made a pillowcase and a journal cover. I'm trying to remember to save a picture of each one in a folder so I can post them later this year. I'm writing them all down in my Task Master journal.

Here is number 19 or whatever number it is. More on the finish next week. The binding is on, the small label attached - no sleeve needed as it's lap sized.

One of my quilts - FINISHED

Remember my orange (white) board? You can see it sitting on the shelf with the list of quilts to be quilted. It works like a charm and is right there in my face. There are still FOUR items on the list. Let's see what happens.

The orange (white) board

Here's the rack with the quilts on it. The ones that are waiting to be quilted. Actually, this picture was taken on the weekend so it looks a bit better now.

WAiting to be quilted

Oh - I unearthed another finished quilt. This was also finished this past week. Again, more details on this one next week. Bottom line, there are 21 finished projects on the list. On even par with Diane! Not that we're competitive or anything!