On doing nothing................

I tackled some paperwork yesterday morning. I had a bunch of e-mails that needed to be sent to my group classes. After running around the house to collect photos of stuff and the patterns, I managed to get everything up to date!  OH - I still have some homework photos to post. And I'm happy to report that so far this year, I've been able to keep up with all my projects.

• Lilla - 3 different blocks each month (4 of each for a total of 12 blocks each month)  - up to date. I cut the new blocks for May this morning. 
• North Stars - two blocks made. One of the two blocks for the coming class is partially made. Once that is finished, will start on the second one. 
• Ultimate Quilt Block Book - all homework is done! Just need to prep for the next class. 
• Hello Sunshine - I'm just a wee bit behind in that one, but not much. Then I need to get the homework prepped for this coming month. 
• Jingle all the Way - way ahead in that one. It needs to be quilted before the next class. 
• Stitcher's Garden - this is my UFO project. All the batting is cut for the remainder of the blocks. And I cut the background fabric for my two commitment blocks this morning. All the fusible applique is traced. 

Oh yes - I'm on a roll to keep everything up to date! I need to be working on some samples as well. It feels nice to be up to date! It's all about focusing!!

However, I'm happy to say that yesterday after I got those e-mails out - I did NOTHING. The weather was amazing. I suppose I could have gone for a bike ride, but I was content to sit in the backyard. I dug out my lounge chair and sat on the "upper" deck. It was kind of HOT and I was in the direct sun, so I moved to the gazebo.

I ate lunch out there, I listened to my audiobook, read some magazines, napped. Between the girls and the fish pond, I was totally entertained. Just a slight breeze to get a tinkle from the wind chimes every once in a while. Seriously - it was a glorious day.

I chatted with my Dad as it was his birthday on Saturday but when I called, he was napping. We had a grand conversation. I heard my brother is retiring this year. Yikes - that got me to thinking. Well, I'm not ready yet, but I need to plan for that day. I think I'll retire from my four freelance jobs one by one. Not all at once - that would be crazy. However, if there isn't a buyer for those magazines, I might be out of that job very soon.

I'm still making quilts for them and no idea that I'll get paid. Unless someone coughs up major cash, I won't get paid.

OH - I should ask - how many of you checked out the settings on your SmartPhone???  Normally I wouldn't care, but now I'm happy that everything is as it should be. Next technology to tackle is the audio system in my car.

I'm trying to finish another project and I needed some circles. Lots and lots of circles. What's the best way to get lots of circles? Why the GO! cutter of course. I put fusible on the back of that burgundy fabric.

Running the fabric through the GO! cutter

To make the process even faster, I folded the fabric in three and layered it under the cutting mat.  Ran the whole thing through the cutter and LOOK - lots of perfect fusible circles.

Lots of fusible circles

Now one of the reasons, I wouldn't consider getting a GO! cutter in the past was the waste. Don't yell at me - it's the pioneer spirit in me!!!  I couldn't bear to throw out those bits. Sometimes, I don't think it so much about throwing out, it's about seeing what you can do with what others would throw out. I've got a great story for later this week about scraps.

So I cut apart that initial scrap and laid the bits on the smaller circles on the circle die.

Using the scraps to get even smaller circles

I ran that through the cutter to get smaller circles. I have a tin with circles and other shapes that I've cut from my scraps. I have a plan - it's just not time to deal with it yet.

Lots of small circles cut from the scraps

Have you ever noticed that we tend to put up with lots of small things that could be fixed with minimal effort? Take my backpack. Two of the zipper pulls had fallen off a while back. I used safety pins to open the zippers, but safety pins are not good zipper pulls. They pull the zipper offside and it's difficult to open.

Safety pins as a zipper pull - not a good idea

When I was at Lens Mills, I found zipper pulls. So I bought one on the first day I was there. It worked perfectly so I bought another one when I went back the next day. I'm not sure where that darn second zipper pull is. Let's just say that I can't wait to use my backpack again! It's my portable office whenever I travel.

Zipper pull instead of the safety pin

If you're a dog lover, you'll cringe at this next story, but there's an important message here. I was walking Murphy yesterday morning. She is ALWAYS on her leash. Both of my girls are always on their 6 foot NON-retracting leash so I have control over them (well as much as I can with Murphy). As we approached the soccer field in the local park (across the street from where we were walking), I saw two people with two dogs. They looked like bulldogs or something like that. They got near the center of the soccer field and took their dogs off leash. They continued to walk away from the street while the dogs played behind them.

In other words, they were NOT watching their dogs even though the dogs were off leash. Guess what? One of the dogs saw Murphy and made a beeline to her at the same moment that a car came down the street. I stood there paralyzed - what could anyone do? The dog got hit. I don't know how badly. The driver of the car did not stop. I know it was a white car. That's all.

The dog ran back to its owner so it was still alive. I'm not sure how bad it was hurt. I was so mad that I yelled at the people that they need to keep their dog on a leash and that the soccer field was NOT a leash free zone. I hope their dog required LOTS of medical care for them to realize that a public soccer field is NOT a leash-free zone for dogs. At the minimum, if you're going to take your dog off the leash, you better watch that dog like a hawk!!!!  Stupid people. Poor dog.

I think it's good to say that there are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners. Oh dear - where does that leave me with Murphy??? 

On that note - it's Monday!!  I don't have to leave early today. Yeah! I'm so excited and with all the stretching and shoulder posturing and the acupuncture, my neck is starting to feel much better. Yeah!!!! It's supposed to rain almost all week. Good - I need to stay inside and get some work done!

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!