A progress report

I'm happy to report that loads of progress happened yesterday. I'm not sure why yesterday was different from other days, but that's OK - I took advantage of the situation.

It started off with Ronda coming over to do some embroidery. Not because she needed an embroidery machine, but she needed a specific hoop size. I say call up the shop and order one of each Please!!  You never seem to have the right hoop unless you have them all. I swear she bought that embroidery machine just to do sports logos. She's been having a blast and doing experiments and that warms my heart.

You can't learn if you don't experiment and if you don't experiment, you won't make mistakes and you won't learn. I think she's pretty competent embroidering on T-shirts. This is a pretty dense design and there's no puckering. The water-soluble stabilizer that she used on top hasn't been dissolved yet. There are tricks to stitching on T-shirts and the quality of the T-shirt needs to be taken into account as well. Not only has she done T-shirts, but she's embroidered towels as well. Let's not start with cotton,  which is much easier to work with.

Ronda's T-shirt

This was made for the Super Bowl which happens today. I guess we all know which team she rooting for. Me? I have no idea which teams are playing.

Here's a mystery for you. Anyone know what this is?? I found it on the floor in Studio B so I'm guessing it's something sewing related. It's not very big and has an eye.

View from the top side

View from the back

It's a needle of some kind, but what the heck does it attach to???

As a freelance educator, we have to make samples. Lots and lots of samples. And sometimes we have to make more than one of the same thing. This is a journal cover for one of the events I'll be teaching later this year.

This is a journal cover that was made entirely in the hoop (except for the top-stitching around the edge). The design is created on the Husqvarna Viking DESIGNER EPIC 2. This version is made of vinyl with the darker bit made of cork.

The journal cover

The inside is decorated with some of the decorative stitches that you'll find on the DESIGNER EPIC 2. You can't really see them in this picture and I wasn't happy with the way the sleeves were assembled. They are NOT equal on both sides.

The inside of the journal cover

I had made a couple more samples and they needed to be tidied up and topstitched. I did that while Ronda used the embroidery machine. This second version, made with red and black vinyl, looks pretty sharp.

The second version of the journal cover

Here are the stitches on the inside - again, you can't really see them well in this photo, but the sleeves are now the same size on both ends.

The inside of the second version of the journal cover

And I made ONE more. This time I user black thread for the design on the cover by MISTAKE - that was supposed to be red. But I had black in the machine and hit START and by the time, I realized, it was too late. This is vinyl - not a very forgiving fabric for embroidery. The insert is navy blue cork - all I had. I need to find black cork and keep some on hand.

The cover of the THIRD journal cover 

Here's the inside and now you can see the decorative stitches. They are so easy to do and nice and straight - all those stitches are built-in to the DESIGNER EPIC 2 and the two on the outer sides are exclusive to the DESIGNER EPIC 2.

The inside of the third journal cover

Now you know why we don't get much done when we have to remake some items to test out the pattern, make notes or whatever. It's all for a good cause and that is teach a seamless class.

The events we teach at Husqvarna Viking or PFAFF retail shops across the country and are for potential buyers to kick the tires (so to speak). IF you are interested in taking the PFAFF Creative icon or the Husqvarna Viking DESIGNER EPIC 2 for a test drive - talk to your local dealer and encourage them to schedule an event.

I'll be at The Sewing Machine in Saskatoon on the weekend of March 13, 14. We have some great events planned, including one on software so be sure to get booked for that if you're interested in test driving the latest and greatest. We're making a quilted table runner, a tote bag and the software event. Call the store for more details.

I managed to get some quilting done! This is one of the quilt tops that was a kit that we prepped during one of our community project days. One person took it home and sewed up the kit. We found backing for it and now it's quilted. It's destined for Quilts of Valour once it's finished. It's been trimmed and I hope to work on the binding later today.

Community projects quilt

I managed to get a second one done and while it looks like the one above, it is different. We had enough fabric to make two kits. The binding is made and I need to trim it later this morning. Hopefully, I'll get the binding on it as well. It also will be donated to Quilts of Valour.

Community Projects quilt

I have one more quilt to quilt for Quilts of Valour (was supposed to be done last month), and then get these bindings on and I'll make a delivery. The work schedule will then be replenished by more from our community projects stash that will be donated to Quilts of Valour and one more that they will provide for me to quilt. I have to reduce the "to be quilted" pile. I don't have any room for more quilts until I get a few more done. All in good time.

For those who are working on the community project day - don't worry - there are still projects that need to be bound so if anyone wants to bind a quilt on our next workday - there's probably one for each of you who are coming that day.

Speaking of binding quilts - I also got one bound that belongs to me. This is the back of the quilt. Yes - it has bicycles on it. The fabric collection is called Ride-On by Banyan Batiks. It's going to appear in a magazine so you can see it then.

Binding on a quilt

I did some visiting with M and persuaded her to come to the grocery store with me (on foot with the two big girls). The little guy stayed home. I don't think he was happy. So I got a lot of miles in yesterday. I'm having a wee problem with one of my little toes. If you remember, I had to buy new shoes because my big toe will pop through the mesh on the toes of the shoe. Well, at the same time, I must use my littlest toe (on my right foot) to put a death grip on the ground. As a result, there's a hard callus right at the tip. Somehow, I got a blister in there as well. It's a mess and well - I won't go into details, but it was throbbing like no tomorrow in the middle of the night. I took some drugs and tried to clean it up. I think it needs medical attention - I've no idea what to get rid of and it's so darn awkward as it's on the bottom of that little toe.

I didn't go to the gym this morning, and the toe is feeling much better this morning. But I do need to get the issue addressed. I hate to go to a walk-in clinic, but I might have no choice.

I had a good chuckle this morning as I looked at the "street view" of my virtual cross Canada trip. Oh boy - I just passed Merritt and I see this sign this morning. This was NOT a welcome sign when I was cycling across Canada. It says "chain up area" which meant BIG hills ahead. This walking and using Google Maps is such a fun way to relive that trip. I can't wait to see some of the other sites I'll pass as I virtually walk my way across Canada. And because I've been back and forth many times, it's just a fun trip down memory lane.

Chain up Area - ACK - that means BIG hills

I'm way ahead of my pace on both trips and that's OK because there'll be days when I won't get as much walking in so I have a wee bit of a buffer zone. I like buffer zones.

On that note, I'm out of here. Got a busy day - got some computer work that I can't put off, binding, and quilting. All in a fun day!!

Have a great day!

Ciao!!!!