Important lessons

There's great news today! Actually lots of great news!

First up - the demolition crew came back to check the moisture levels in the basement. Despite the fact that they pulled up into my neighbor's drive (I can see everything from my new sewing room!). Her house is identical to mine on the outside and we are both Elaine. It's happened only once before that I know of. Anyway - they seemed to be there a long time for arriving at the wrong address. No worries - they finally arrived at my house and YEAH - the basement is dry. So the fans and the dehumidifier are gone. It's so quiet - you could hear a pin drop in the house. Well, not quite, but you get the idea.

Now we play the waiting game until the main contact calls us back and we figure out how to get a new floor in the basement. I'm not in a rush. I can't bear the thought of moving all that stuff - multiple times as the new floor will happen in stages.

The second bit of good news. The paperwork got done and it's winging its way to the final destination and the quilt is also done and on its way. That was a good feeling to have both of those things done.

Oh yes - it was a gorgeous day yesterday and after our shoveling spree the night before and the brilliant sun, our driveway and street are looking pretty good right now. No ice. However, it would appear that while we've had snow here, there's been tons more in the US. I got a note from Elle who said they got 6" one day, then 16" the next day, 14" the following day and then to top it off, another  6", and then another 7" and finally nothing yesterday. Holy!!!!  I'll take our weather - thank you!!!  Elle - hope you've managed to dig yourself out!!!!

It's M's birthday today!!!!   I can't believe she's 23. While she's still my baby, she's all grown up and moved out. Time passes by so fast. While she has moved out, I'm still thinking "fondly" of her all the time as I continue to clean out the mess she left behind. Thank you, M!!!  I decided it was time to completely reclaim all the space in her bedroom for my sewing room. I went through a lot of stuff yesterday (all approved by her that it could go!). More to go through today. I hope in two days, I can have it all done. As I look at the bookcase in that room, I realize that a lot of the books could go as well - but I'll wait for her approval before I do that. However, they may get packed in boxes??  No - I won't do that until we know what goes and what stays. Heck - I might even send her pictures and do it that way. I could use the shelf space!!!! I love you M!!!!!

What's been nice about the basement issue? It's made me realize how "important" stuff is. How attached we get to it and how crippled we are because of it. So my goal is to get rid of the junk. Then I can deal with the "maybe" items and then decide what to do with those things that I think I might still want to keep. So there really is a silver lining to the basement issue.

I'm going to document it all so that I can pass along my wisdom to you all. Just trying to find the best way to make that happen.

There's one final bit of good news to share with you. I contacted Adobe this morning to see how to reinstall my Photoshop Elements. The time was 6:08 AM. I got a chat person immediately who gave me the link. I had to reset my password which is now written in my little book. I'm bad with passwords. Anyway - I also found out that I could install TWO copies of the software (only able to use one at a time - I'm good with that). Both have been downloaded. The software is installed on the laptop and I'm going to start the install on the desktop in a minute. That means when I go away, I can now edit my photos!!!!   Yeah!!!!!  And in a few minutes, I'll be able to edit photos on the desktop.

For this morning, I e-mailed the photos to myself. I did change the orientation of some of them, but that change didn't stay so some of them look weird. The funniest part of all this? The laptop does not have a touch screen and the desktop does. The mouse on the desktop doesn't work so I use the touch screen. The laptop has a mouse that works. Anyway - I'm swiping screens and 50 percent of the time - it works - provided I'm using the right computer!!!!   Doesn't matter - I'm almost 100% back in business.

All that's left to do is install EQ8 and the Microsoft products on the desktop. Thank goodness.

I was tidying up yesterday and in the process, I found some scraps. Leftovers from a previous project that I had made. Hmmm - If I do a bit of sewing, I can make some nine patches. Now I have 12 nine-patches and one half square triangle. All 6 ½".  Anyone have an idea for them??? 

9 patches and a half square triangle

When I was in the basement, I dug out some of the small triangles that I've been saving for years. Time to get them sewn together. I got four put together as enders/leaders. I'm not sure where that big project of mine is at the moment that I was doing before.

Untrimmed half square triangles

Trimmed half square triangles

Yes - I trim them to whatever size I can get once they are sewn together. I have big plans for those silly little triangles. I should start now cause it's going to take a long time to finish the project.

As I was cleaning in M's room, I found a pair of jeans. There wasn't much left of them, but before I tossed them in the garbage, there are a few bits (labels) that I want to save for an upcoming project. That's on the cutting table for later today to rip apart.

What's left of a pair of jeans

The previous day, I had loaded a small baby quilt on the long arm. This is something that I started years ago. I mean years - I remember I was going to Sheridan College so that would have been 2000. The textile studio had just bought an industrial sewing machine. It had a HUGE throat space on it and I remember being in heaven. There was nothing like that in the quilting market at that time. I started to quilt this panel and the center got done. The rest did not.

I decided it was time to get it done. So I removed all the safety pins that I  had use to baste it together and loaded it. I did a quick meander over the parts that were not quilted.

Partially quilted panel on the long arm

Seriously - we need to get over this business of making things perfect. I wish someone would have sat me down when I first started to quilt and had a chat with me about two things.

1. Things do not have to be perfect. Get them finished to the BEST of your current skill level. The more you finish, the better you will get. As you make more projects, you'll be able to tackle harder projects. Why we think everything has to be perfect is beyond me. I'm so glad I'm over that.

Panel is now quilted

2. Think ONCE, TWICE, and THREE times before you buy something. Think about the space where you'll put it. It - being a pattern, a book, a kit or fabric. How long it will take you to make that project and how many other things you have on the go. Think about your budget.


It's amazing how there is so much information on the market about how to declutter our spaces and our minds. Well, why isn't there anything that helps us PREVENT that decluttering from starting in the first place???

I seriously think that as parents, we need to teach our children to declutter as they grow up. I wish I had taught that to M. The stuff that she left behind is junk and someone has to deal with it. The more junk there is, the harder it is to deal with. My brain can only concentrate on a little junk at a time. However, I'm now in the mind frame of getting the junk out of here.

Anyway - there's going to be a lot more about that in the near future, especially now that I have my Photoshop Elements back in business. Oh yes - we're going on a tear to do some "fun" stuff!!!!

I also managed to find the rest of those scrap blocks. So that one stack in the photo below is all the blocks that remain. Don't worry - there's still a LOT to do.

Scraps blocks waiting to be sewn

And I managed to get one more set of blocks sewn together. So that's super exciting. I think I'm of the mindset, slow and steady. Things will get done - just don't abandon them. Pick one or two and focus until they are done!!!!

Two more scrap blocks - done!!!!

If you know anyone who is a pysch major at school and looking for a topic of research - here's some food for thought. Wouldn't it be fun to appreciate how/why crafty people get into the mess that we do? Are we hoarders before we start our crafts? or do we become hoarders? Why do we buy so much and finish so little? I'm not sure, but I'm stopping the buying thing. I spent very little when I was at Quiltcon - I think I bought two fat quarters. It's time to start cleaning up in preparation for a downsize (in about 20 years). I've got 20 years to downsize!!!!  I can do it!!!!

On that note, I"m out of here. I'm so excited to have all this time to do what I want. Well, not exactly - I still have loads of things that need to be done, but at my leisure more or less. It's all about time management. I'm getting better.

Have a super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!