A quilting we will go.................

 Well, that was an issue yesterday! I had written the post about the UFOs the day before. But halfway through, I decided it wasn't the post I wanted to write that day. That rarely happens, and to avoid accidentally publishing the post, I set a day and time for it to post later. However, when I hit publish yesterday, I FORGOT to change the publishing date. So -- it didn't get posted at the usual time. 

A few people alerted me to the fact, but I was just starting the embroidery software club by then, and the post had to wait! Oops!

I forgot to mention about the UFO club that if you decide to leave at the end of the year, you'll get back your deposit of $100 minus any money you forfeited over the year.  Some people find it intense to have a deadline every month -- that's why you need to think long and hard about joining, 

My knee feels a whole lot better today. However, I know it's not right, and it still doesn't want to bend correctly - at least it's not painful, and I slept well. Of course -- today is the day I'm talking to the doctor. It must have been a sprain or a strain or something that exacerbated it. I have to tell you that I was sensible as well about it. 

I did go to spin class that morning. The bike I usually use had already been taken as I missed choosing it during the registration process. I selected the second bike that I like to use; however, I arrived to find that someone else was already on it. Not wanting to be a pest, I asked the instructor to give me another. I got on that bike, and it wasn't registering any stats. Plus, my knee just didn't feel right. 

So I decided to forfeit the class and stretch instead and had an extended visit to the steam room. Just in case you think I push myself - I do push, but I'm also sensible! Most times! And why are stats important on a spin bike? Don't you just get on and ride? Yes -- but I am motivated by numbers -- how fast, how much wattage I'm outputting, etc. I NEED those numbers to give me a goal! My goal is 30 KM in the hour, which I can do, but I've got to work to get there. And I'm aiming for my weight in wattage output. I'm almost there, but I can't quite achieve that number. 

I finished my book last night - at last. It was long - way longer than it needed to be as the author repeated herself over and over again. I don't think I've ever shouted at a book so much while reading it. This girl, who was raped on her second night at college, just went from one wrong decision to another. I get it that rape is a terrible thing, although she almost encouraged it by flirting (heavily) with a boy and then said NO. I get it that we need to be able to say NO, but sheesh! I know - touchy subject. 

And then, throughout the book, she seemed desperate to find a boy or a man and did similar things to them. It was OK for her to flirt, but not for them to want anything of her. She was very critical of her mother, but she wouldn't have lasted one day without her mother. Her mother did all the work of mailing her boxes of food and clothing as she needed it. I don't think the girl did any research into the matter whatsoever. 

Anyway -- the book - both the writing and the character are incredibly frustrating, and the only reason I read it was because it was about the Pacific Crest Trail. Now, something else significant happened in her life, and she wrote a second book. I'm intrigued, but the book is NOT at the library. I want to read it to find out how many other silly choices she made, yet I don't like to acknowledge this person. Sigh............

Like all things - you can't have your cake and eat it too, but this girl seemed to think it was her RIGHT to have boys and sex on her terms only. 

Well, one more series of French presentations is in the bag! I finished that one up last night, and I have a light week this week - only three presentations, but the rest of the time is filled with other things. And I'm trying to get in one quilt a day for the next couple of weeks to get caught up. So far, so good. 

I quilted this quilt a couple of days ago. Lots of spider webs on it. I love to quilt the spider webs with invisible thread, but my machine did not like the invisible thread, fleece, and batting. I used purple thread instead, and it looks great. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Should I mention the fact that the backing was only about 2 inches larger than the quilt top? Basically, I will be trimming away only the selvages on this one. It's not ideal, but it can be done. DO NOT send me quilts like that -- I won't like you anymore!

Here is the quilt from yesterday. Lots of room along the sides on that one! It's crazy with fleece -- it's supposed to be 60" wide, and the useable part is 60" wide. But they have this 2" selvage on one side with all the copyright information! That saved me with the Halloween quilt! 

Customer quilt - DONE

OK -- I confess that I've never heard of this NHL team, but then, I never watch the sport. But we found a lovely anchor pattern that matches their logos, more or less. It looks good on the quilt. And now that I know how to shift one row at a time, I could offset the quilting pattern slightly. Offsetting helps with not leaving significant spaces between the motifs. 

Anchor pattern

Some quilting patterns are designed to interlock so that you wouldn't know where one row ended and the next began. Lots of patterns, especially novelty patterns, seem to have been designed willy-nilly, with no regard to the rows below or above. That drives me crazy, but I'll get over it. I would never buy one of those patterns, but some customers love them. 

It was a glorious day yesterday, and I hope that everyone got out for a walk. I'm reading a book right now on hikes around the world, and the first part is about walking and how walking used to be the thing to do. With the advent of the car, walking for pleasure or for errands took a nosedive. I know I used to be that way. Now I walk everywhere that I can. I mostly use my car to go to the gym! And I plan my errands around my walk.

And no matter how busy I am, I go for that second walk in the afternoon. It clears my head, it gives me exercise, I get to check out the neighborhood, see crazy things along the way, like this. I saw a crane in front of a house and wondered what they were doing. Hmm -- what is that? 

A precarious-looking load of shingles on a roof

OK -- so it looks like this house is getting a new roof, but seriously - that massive bundle on the peak of the roof looks like trouble!!! 

And Murphy and I spotted these leaves in the forest in the morning. Wow -- that's a peculiar coloring. There must be something chemical happening in this bush to make the leaves turn this way. 

Unusual fall leaves

I also completed my applique block for the center of the Schoolgirl Sampler quilt. It was supposed to be done for the class last month, but alas, I didn't get it done. Applique usually slows me down, and the quilt would become a UFO. I'm determined to NOT let that happen. And I have to remember that if I start something, I have to finish it - I can't let it become a UFO. All that is left now is to sew the center block into the quilt and add borders. I have until Saturday to make that happen. 

My center block for the Schoolgirl Sampler

I have a bit of homework for one of the ongoing quilts. I have a few blocks to catch up on, and I don't know why I can't get myself motivated to get that done. There's a virtual retreat this weekend, so my goal is to work on that quilt top. It needs to be done! October is almost over, and that means next month is November, and that's the SHOW and TELL of our FINISHED quilt tops. Technically, that's five tops! I'm very close to finishing tops on four of them, so that's good. One good day of work should complete most of them. Perhaps I can do that at the virtual retreat. 

All of the homework assignments are done - well, those are getting done. I have one lecture to follow up on, and I'm caught up!

Hey -- I hope to see some new faces this weekend. Summer is over, cottages are being closed up - it's time to sew!! So what will you work on during the Virtual Retreat?

Here are the links. 

Saturday, October 23   From 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, October 24, From 10 AM - 9 PM)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

Be sure to check us out! It's going to be loads of fun as usual. And seriously, if you just want to come and say HI, you don't have to stay. But it's always fun to see who is working on what and where people are from. I've made so many great friends from the Virtual Retreat.

And on that note, I'm off to spin class this morning. My usual bike is reserved, my knee/leg feels great, I've eaten my protein bar - I'm good to go!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!