How to make a scrap quilt

 It was another successful Virtual Retreat. We had a few more people pop onto the call to check out what's happening, and welcome to all of YOU! We're not a scary bunch at all, and basically, the chitchat is much more exciting than sewing by yourself. And if you happen to finish something -- you've got someone to share it with. 

The diehards show up every month and stay for most of the day, and others just pop in to say HI; both work. My circle of friends has grown enormously through the monthly Zoom calls, and I've gotten to know others much better. And the range of knowledge and expertise is VAST, and I learn so much from the others. 

But the MOST important thing that has happened from Zoom is it cut down my therapy bill! OK - so I was never in therapy, but you have no idea how happy it makes me feel to know that I'm not the only one with a particular issue or experiencing something. If you don't talk to someone, you'll never know that you are NEVER alone in a feeling or situation. That comforts me! 

I never feel the need to go deep into my issues with the online group, and no one does, but there are lots of us that have things going on in our lives, and just knowing that someone else has something similar -- well, that's worth the price of these sessions. 

So a HUGE thank you to everyone who comes and shares their joy, sadness, frustration, and successes. I'm so glad we've created a SAFE environment for people to do so, and I think it has saved my sanity during the pandemic. 

The next one is scheduled for February 26 and 27 if you want to mark it on your calendar. 

Sometimes, I find all the chitchat distracting when I sew something complicated, so I dug out a bag of scraps to see what I could come up with. It was a coordinated bag of flannel scraps. 

The big bag of flannel scraps

This is a fabric that keeps coming back to haunt me. I purchased a kit many years ago and, of course, had some leftovers. Then I think I bought another kit to make a quilt for someone. Then another, and I think along the way, I received scraps from someone else who also purchased the same kit. Anyway -- now there's this bag of coordinated fabric. 

I opened the bag and found some binding scraps, so they got set aside. 

Binding strips

I found some cutoffs from making a diagonal join for the borders, and those all got sewn up into half-square triangles. 

Triangles of fabric

Then I sorted out the larger pieces that may get cut into blocks, and the last pile was all the bits. 

Sorting through the scraps

Oops -- potty break for the little guy! It was warmer yesterday, so he ventured out a bit further than he has done in previous days but never forgets to come back in! He's just tall enough to peek in the back door. 

AH -- let me in!

I am busy "making" fabric. I have to say that this is a very freeing exercise, although it does take time. But that's OK. It's like sewing a puzzle together -- how can you put all those bits together to create something new? And what's hilarious is that the modern quilters of the world have a favorite technique -- improv quilting. Guess what?? Our pioneer sisters created that technique!!! It's how quilting started. 

Improv piecing

At one point, I had to sort out a smaller pile of scraps to get similar lengths and am starting to sew those together. Like I said, it's a great thing to do while on Zoom. 

Sorting scraps while on Zoom

I ended the day with 20 blocks, which will get trimmed to 8½". So this is pretty exciting. I plan to make 56 blocks and have a small border around the edges. I still have some larger pieces to deal with, and there are still enough scraps to make - well, I would say at least 10 more blocks. 

I still have the large pieces that I haven't touched -- it's always best to deal with the smaller stuff first. I'll continue to work on the quilt at Monday sewing, and then I might put it away. NO -- I want to get this finished to take it to Diane, and she can sew the blocks together. That would eliminate this big bag of scraps, and anything leftover will go with the rest of the flannel scraps. 

I know that many of you might be shaking your head. Why would I, who has tons of projects on the go and all those UFOs, spend my time dealing with this? It's the satisfaction of making something with nothing. I don't need to make another beautiful quilt from fresh yardage. I have so many now; the quilts are totally NOT important to me. It's the process of creating and sewing that is what makes me tick. 

And I seriously think that if I didn't look at my stash again but continued to sew from the scrap boxes and complete what I've started, I'd be a happy sewist for many years. The only new projects I'm really starting are the sew-alongs, and I do those because they make me happy sewing with a group. I LOVE to see what others do with the same pattern, especially when they use the opportunity to grow outside the box. 

So it all works out just nicely. Will I ever get rid of the scraps? Well, the situation is a whole lot better than it used to be. There are still scraps to deal with, but now that I'm getting that under control -- I feel much better about it. As for the boxes where I store my cotton scraps? I bet there are 30+ quilts in those boxes. Yep -- you'd be shocked at how small a dent that making a scrap quilt results in those boxes. I don't know why that is, but it is!

Here are some of the blocks that I made yesterday. 

Scrappy blocks

More scrappy blocks

I have to say that I'm thrilled with them, and I have some cotton "strings" to use up, and I may do this with them. Just random sewing together. They look fantastic, and I can't wait to see the quilt together! Actually, this would be the perfect thing to do at retreats (which I did at the last retreat) and Monday sewing and the Virtual Retreats. Then I can save the more complicated stuff when I'm not on Zoom. 

Well, guess what time it is? It's not even 6 AM, and I'm writing the blog. Why? Because the gym is open again, and I'll be on my way to spin class shortly. I had to find my shoes, cycling shorts, and a few other things necessary for spin class. I can barely wait to sit in the steam room afterward and spend a few quiet moments reflecting on the day!

We also had an exciting session for our creativity class yesterday morning. Oh boy -- I saw some creative projects being worked on yesterday -  they were that inspired, and some were finished by the end of the day! That makes my heart sing! I contemplated making a new project, and I think I will. It's a great way to unleash the creative juices and so easy to get inspiration from anywhere (well, for me at least). But don't worry -- I do have some mental blocks as well. Yep -- I have a couple of orphan blocks that fit the requirements, and I need to find those and use them. 

After Monday sewing, I have a list of things that need to be finished up from the weekend. And, of course, there is the paperwork that needs to be done. But I'll get through it -- it's a pretty quiet week, although DH is away on business, so I'm on my own for meals! ACK! But I have company in the form of M and Little Bear. OK -- so that was bad timing - I could have had the house to myself for a  week. 

I'll be looking for class ideas soon, and rather than start any new projects, I want to teach TECHNIQUES. So if you have something you'd like to learn, let me know. I have a free motion class this weekend (part one of two), and there are oodles of people in that class. I hope they are prepared to do homework! 

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day and if you're near me -- enjoy the much warmer weather!

Ciao!!!

Using up the fabric stash for community project quilts

Wow --- I'm running out of time, and I've just started to write this morning. 

What a fun time we had at the Virtual Retreat last night. When I left at 9 PM, quite a few were still on the call. I was tired and had to get to bed. Then I slept in a wee bit this morning and still had to prepare the last presentation for this morning, so I was a wee bit behind. However, ALL is good. 

I started two new sew-alongs yesterday, so that's pretty exciting. I'll share those with you later this week. And we had a great discussion on Good Sewing Habits. Some of the discussion was scripted (from my notes), and a lot of it answered the attendees' questions! It was great fun. 

That lecture was through the Hobby Horse, so if you missed it, you want to make sure you are on their newsletter as that is where the Zoom link was. The next one is March 26, and the topic is tools. I'll demo the proper way to use a seam ripper and use the stiletto instead of pins. I'm going to show you how to get the most out of your rulers and chat about some specialty rulers. So get on their mailing list as the link is published in the newsletter the day before the lecture. 

And if you are struggling with choosing quilting designs, I will host a lecture/demo (with the Hobby Horse) on February 26. We are making small table runners, and then we'll have a good chat about how to quilt them. The quilting is the most critical part of the lesson - the table runner is secondary. I'll cover ruler work, free motion, and walking foot designs. It should be loads of fun. Check it out at The Hobby Horse. 

I'm not even going to apologize for all the dog pictures lately. They are such a huge part of our daily life - well, sometimes, they take over. HA - sometimes -- ALL the time. 

It was a glorious sunny day, and I walked into the living room to see all THREE of them enjoying the sun. Can you spot all three???

Dogs enjoying the sun

And then, at one point, Little Bear was on the sofa with DH. He's a snuggler, to be sure!

Just hanging out with grampa

But from time to time, he needs to go outside for his business. And he's a good dog IF you make sure to put him out. He knows that he has to do it outside, but if no one lets him out? Well, that's another story. And you have to watch him because sometimes, he tried to get back in without doing the business, and I shoo him back. He knows! 

Outside for some business

And M stayed at a friend's last night, so the little guy was a bit lost. Where's my MOM???? I took him upstairs, and this is where I found him. 

DON'T LEAVE without ME

After the classes, I got some work done. Barely! I got two pet mats finished. 

Two pet mats - DONE

And in an effort to clean up some stuff that had been lying around forever, I used up some upholstery samples and made the covers for NINE more pet mats. I think I'm good for a while. 

The covers for NINE more pet mats

While the cutting table is not too messy, extra stuff still needs to be put away. It looks much better than this, but I still have things on it. Mainly from the sew-along, so that's easy enough to put away. 

The cutting table is getting clean

I trimmed and put away more of the hourglass units. Yep, I will have to start sewing those together as the boxes are getting very full. 

More trimmed hourglass blocks

Diane needed some more fabric to finish off some community projects, so I dug through the fabric bins to see what I could find. And I found something for ALL her needs. 

A project for Diane to sew

So FOUR projects are waiting for her when she needs more sewing. 

More community projects to be sewn

And can you tell me why quilts are magnets to animals? I put this quilt on the floor, and Lexi was all over it like it belonged to her! I shooed her away so I could get my picture. Silly girl!!! Of course, Murphy wasn't far behind. 

Quilts are PET magnets

Here's a stab in the dark! Does anyone have the 11th pattern of this quilt? It's The Village Mystery Block of the Month by Pearl Louise Design. I'm asking for a friend -- she has the entire pattern MINUS part 11. So if you have it -- send me a note, and we'll see what we can come up with. elainetheriault@gmail.com. 

I love that while we are all starting new projects, we are also digging out those old UFOs and getting them done. 

I'm going to try and play catch-up this coming week. I have ONE class this coming weekend. It will be interesting -- it's a two-hour, HANDS-ON class for free motion. The class is on Zoom, and it's very full. The rest of the weekend will be mine! What a concept! But it's all good, which means I'll be able to start working on all the homework for February. 

If you get a chance to stop by the Virtual Retreat today, it would be awesome to see you. It starts a wee bit later because of our Out of the Box class this morning. I bet they are all quaking to see what "fun" assignment I have cooked up for them! 

Virtual Retreat  - Sunday, January 30  STARTS at 11:30 AM EST. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Tula Pink Butterfly quilt

 Well, it took a bit of planning, but I'm ready for today! Actually, the first class of the weekend was last night, and we're working on The Butterfly Quilt by Tula Pink. 

I had purchased the original pattern years ago, and well, it had never been out of the package until yesterday! 

The original pattern for The Butterfly Quilt

I knew that some of the students had the old pattern, but most would have the new one, so I had to get the new one. 

Version 2 of The Butterfly Quilt

Here's MY take on the updated pattern. Of course, the fabric collection (Tula's) for the first quilt was long gone. She had requests from many people on where to buy the fabric, and once that pattern went out of print, she still had MANY requests for the pattern. So she decided to redo the pattern and, of course, in new fabric collections, but more basics that will have some staying power. 

The pattern was originally going to be released as a PDF, but then it became a physical item. And yes, it's pretty and glossy, and costs $40!!!! But that didn't deter any of us from buying it!

Anyway, I compared the two patterns, and with the addition of a big colored diagram of half of the quilt, the rest of the pattern is basically identical. Yes -- the coloring on the diagrams changed, but the diagrams did NOT change. I will give them credit -- it was an excellent way to generate new sales rather than republishing the old one. But that's what the world is all about these days. 

So our first class was last night, and I think I'm getting really good at putting these presentations together and covering ALL the bases - or all the information they could possibly want in a class. The best news? I sent the follow-up last night before I went to bed! Yep-- that's a first for me. 

I added this quilt to my Facebook group for the Tula Pink Sew Alongs (we did the 100 block sampler quilt last year). I just need to zip into Photoshop to make a composite photo of the three patterns (last year, and the two from this year). The big question will be -- do I remember how to do that? It's not urgent, but the banners on Facebook pages just look weird if you dump in a large photo. 

I swear that FreeSpirit (who makes Tula's fabric) has made a killing on her Line works collection. I was surprised at how many of the class will use those fabrics. And a fair number used it for the last sew-along. And I know of one person who is using the leftovers from the previous class to make this one!

While I really like both versions of the quilt, I don't want to make the same quilt. So I looked in my stash and spotted some stuff that had got pulled from the closet. I left it on my cutting table for a morning while I contemplated what to use. What to use? What to use? 

Sometimes I think about what color my existing quilts are. Have I done this color combination before? If not, that's a good one to try. 

So when I pulled stuff out of Pandora's Closet, I found two bundles of this fabric, and I decided to go for it. 

Pink and green for the EXOTIC butterfly

Yep -- those pinks and greens are BRIGHT!! I added a few more from my stash, and I'm good to go. OH -- I did remove all the ones with white in them. My background will be white, and I don't want any white in the butterfly's body. I don't have the background yet - well, I don't have enough whites, so I'll start with what I have and just buy more when I need it. I have no qualms about doing that. If I were using a specific print, I might be a bit more cautious, but I'm using a variety of white prints, so who cares? Throw caution to the wind, which the pioneers used to do. Use what you have!

I am determined to NOT buy anything if I can get away with that. I have to buy stuff from time to time, but seriously? I can't support my local quilt shop to the point of bankrupting myself, and what can I do with the stuff? My stash room is near exploding. Well, not that bad, but now that all the extra fabric is being moved in there, it's been an eye-opener, to say the least. So I support my local shops within my budget - both money and space. 

Here's the start of my quilt. 

I made some green blocks. 

Green blocks

And there are pink blocks as well. 

Mini pink blocks

Pink blocks

 

I also have some fabrics that are pink AND green, and those are going to be used in the middle to blend the two halves together. Fingers crossed that it looks like I envision! 

It will be loads of fun, and I can't wait to see all these quilts come together as the year progresses. 

Today, it's all about two more sew-along projects and a demo. I'll be sharing those projects with you later this coming week. They are both gorgeous quilts, and again, I found enough stuff in my stash to make them. I was a bit worried about backgrounds, but nope -- I found enough for the backgrounds! How did that happen? 

It's almost the end of January, and I was looking at my completed projects for this month. Wow -- NOT much got done. Well, a lot of complex stuff got done, but quantity-wise? Not so much. That's OK. I'm just happy with the progress that got made on other things. 

You know what they say about letting sleeping dogs lie. Well, look at these pictures. First, we have company, and said company doesn't remember to put the cushions back in their strategic spots. I walked into the living room, and WHAT???? Murphy -- you are NOT allowed on the furniture. 

But MOM -- it's so toasty warm here! 

Remember the discussion about the window seat for Murphy? Well, I've lined up someone to make it, and I purchased the dog bed that will sit inside it. I threw it on the floor yesterday, and guess who took it over? 

GRAMMA -- this bed is just right!

And then you have Lexi. While the other two lollygagged in the sunshine, Lexi is outside in the shade, in the snow. 

MOM  - I know you're there, but it's too cold for me to untuck my nose

What I don't get about Murphy is that she doesn't like to be hot, so why is she laying in the sun, curled in a chair? This usually is her sleeping pose. Tummy exposed on the cold tile floor. 

Murphy's usual sleeping pose

And Little Bear is a good helper when he's not stealing Murphy's new bed. He was helping me sew log cabin blocks the other day. OK -- I bribed him with a treat!

Little Bear keeping me company

Don't forget the last day of the QUILTsocial posts. I insert a zipper and finish off my appliqued cushion cover. 

And today is the first day of the Virtual Retreat. Yeah!!! I've been contemplating what I can sew. I haven't come to any conclusion yet, but I'm sure I'll find something to work on. Maybe that hexagon quilt. 

Here are the links. 

Saturday, January 29  - starting at 6 PM EST.

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

Sunday, Januyary 30 -- starting at 11:30 AM EST

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

And on that note, I'm out of here. It's going to be a busy day!! But I hope you can drop into the Virtual Retreat to say HI later today. It's always loads of fun, and where I live -- it's just too darn cold to be outside doing anything. So stay inside and sew. Of course, my girls think this cold weather was made for them, and so I'm getting ready to take them out! The little guy will lift his paws when outside for less than a minute. My girls can be out for hours, and there is NO paw lifting! Nope -- we've got rabbits to flush out!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Storage containers for quilting

 Let's start with a wee bit of math. Don't worry -- it's easy! 

The other day, I had to gas in my car. It's a RARE occurrence these days, and this was the first time this year. Don't worry -- I'm driving it enough to not seize up the brakes, but there are not many places to go that I can't walk. 

When I had filled up, I glanced at the screen, and WOW -- I saved $1.32 because my credit card is linked to my bank. I saved THREE CENTS a liter, which got me thinking about the price fluctuations. 

So let's just contemplate that for one second. We moan and groan when the prices go up -- yep -- me included. And we all know that in my neck of the woods and probably everywhere else, the gas price is always higher first thing in the morning than it is later in the day. And then, from time to time, there's a big price jump, and we usually get notification of it, and then the gas stations become gridlocked. The big question is - is it worth your time waiting in line when you get a notice that the prices are going to increase at midnight? 

Let's imagine a worst-case scenario, and you have a 100-liter tank on your vehicle. OK -- I just checked, and the average gas tank on a car/van is between 40 and 70 liters. So let's say our gas tank is 70 liters. And for the sake of argument, let's assume that your tank is absolutely EMPTY when you get a notification that the gas is going to increase by TEN cents at midnight. That's a very rare occurrence that it increases by that much. 

So, if my 70-liter gas tank was empty and I could save TEN cents per liter, I would save a MAXIMUM of $7.00 by waiting in line to get gas. Is that worth it to you? It's not worth it for me - the tank in my car is about 45 L, so the cost savings is even less. 

The next time you fret over missing the increase and decrease in gas prices, think about this! However, I did note last week on our way home that the difference in gas from where we were to the price in the city was a whopping TEN cents difference. That's totally insane!!!!

OK -- so let's look at the storage containers. 

This is the scrapbook box. I LOVE these containers, and as mentioned yesterday, they can be purchased at Micheals. I'm sure you can get them somewhere else, but that's where I've always bought mine. 

Scrapbook box makes good storage for quilt projects

Here's the label - the brand is IRIS. 

The label on the scrapbook box

And if you want to know the size --- here's a close-up so you can see. A 12½" block fits beautifully into these boxes, as well as books and oversized patterns, and I LOVE them. 

Dimensions of the scrapbook boxes

I started off with pizza boxes that I purchased by the case at a packaging company. As they wear out or the plastic ones get empty, I'm replacing the pizza boxes with the plastic ones. OK -- that hasn't happened yet, but my plan is to eventually eliminate the pizza boxes. OK -- to be realistic about that -- I'll be downsizing in 20 years, and then I'll be forced to get rid of the pizza boxes! But I'm making progress!!!

Here are the plastic shoe boxes. They literally are the size of an average shoebox, and they are 13" long, 8" wide, and 5" high - more or less as they can vary by brand. 

Plastic shoeboxes

This particular one is by Sterilite, but there are many other brands. I noticed Rose mentioned that you can purchase them at some dollar stores. 

Plastic shoebox brand

They are great for storing my fabric scraps, projects, and supplies.

I would be totally lost without my storage containers. And I much prefer a rigid container rather than a plastic bag as they don't stack well. BUT if you don't have enough things to put in a shoebox, put the items in a plastic bag and buddy up several plastic bags into the shoe box. Label it, and it will sit much better on the shelf. 

And here's another container that I've been searching for. A spray bottle! I could only find giant ones, but yesterday at the mall, I found these ones in the garden center for $1. Yeah -- it's now filled with coffee, and I'm going to use it for journal making. 

Coffee in the spray bottle

I had some errands to do in the car, and one of them was a stop at Chapter's, and I don't think I showed you this before. This is the current issue of A Needle Pulling Thread. 

The current issue of A Needle Pulling Thread

And there's my table runner! I created it with the mySewnet Embroidery Software! I LOVE working with words, and I love how the words became the center motif for the table runner. 

My project for A Needle Pulling Thread

Diane is sewing up a storm, and I got back FOUR quilt tops the other day. OK -- I MUST get my act together and start quilting some of these. I have a couple of customer quilts to do first - I needed a break after that intense session a couple of weeks ago. Time to get back in the groove. 

Four quilt tops for community projects

Good grief -- I also saw this at Chapters. An inflatable toboggan. I bet that thing is super stable and what happens to it when you go over a rock? They had pink and blue ones, and I thought we were over the pink and blue thing? 

Inflatable toboggan

OK -- I'll finish up with a couple pictures of Little Bear. He is a good boy -- I put him out and tell him to do his business, and he does. But it's cold out there for the little guy with not much fur. He wanders around a wee bit, does his business, and comes back in. No lingering!

Bear exploring the deck

He's learning BAD things from the girls. He's sniffing in the trees where that darn rabbit runs. 

Bear's butt in the trees

And running along the paths created by the girls as they attempt to chase the rabbit from its hideyholes. 

Sniffing the rabbit trail

It was a bit day for him as he got a new sweater and a treat and kept me company while I sewed. 

My sewing companion

He's pretty darn cute and looks so sophisticated in his new sweater. Oh boy -- what a crazy dog!!! A little guy with a BIG attitude!

Little Bear in his new sweater

I've got four classes and one lecture this weekend besides the Virtual Retreat, and I guess I'll be on Zoom the entire weekend! But most of the homework is prepped - or at least the sewing part. I just have to throw the pictures into the presentations, and away we go. I need to send out some confirmation as well -- that's a job for this morning!

Check out the QUILTsocial post. It's all about applique today. Some AMAZING tips on machine applique - raw edge using a blanket stitch, as well as a satin stitch. 

Here are the links to the Virtual Retreat

Saturday, January 29 starting at 6 PM 

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

Sunday, January 30, starting at 11:30 AM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

Well, it's time to get the day started -- so much to do, so little time!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Mad as a hatter

Torry asked a question about the size of the plastic containers. OH -- I'll get those sizes for you tomorrow. But I mainly use two different plastic containers. The flat ones are designed for scrapbooking, which are large enough to put a 12" piece of scrapbook paper (quilt block) in. They are about 3" high. I saw them for $6 each at Micheals the other day, and sometimes they go on sale. 

I like them because if my pattern is large or I'm using a book, it fits easily into those containers. I mostly buy clear ones, but you can also get them in colors. 

The other boxes I use are similar in size to a shoebox, which is about 12" long, 5" high, and 8" wide. I'll post more on them tomorrow as I don't have time to run downstairs to get measurements. Those ones can be found at Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart, or other big box stores. They are much more economical to purchase as you can buy them in bundles of 5 or something like that for relatively inexpensive. 

Watch for more details tomorrow. 

So now that we've had that big tidy-up, what's the status of your cutting table, sewing table, and ironing board? I'm in pretty good shape -- I just can't seem to keep the cutting board cleared up, and I know that's simply because I'm trying to do too many things. So I need to focus a wee bit, and then I'll be good. Now that I have a bit more room on the current project table, I can actually clear the cutting table off, and I'll be good. 

The most important thing is that NOTHING on any of those surfaces is sitting there because it doesn't have a home. It's there because I need to do something with it. There's a significant difference between the two!

It was another glorious day outside, and I went for a long walk. I even had to take my hat off at one point because I was sweating! I had to make a stop at the post office to mail off a couple of things. One of them was the envelope that was returned for insufficient postage. Did I mention that? 

So I mailed a pattern to someone in the US. She had sent me an e-mail to say she had not received the package. Oh no! Then I got home from the retreat, and there was the envelope with insufficient postage. Seriously? I took it to the post office to find out the required postage!! I originally paid $1.90 for postage, which was short by $1.25. What irked me was that the lady said -- I hope they honor the previous amount I put on and she actually called someone to check. 

HEY -- you better honor the first amount -- it was NOT my mistake. And they did, but still. 

Anyway -- I ended up with over 15 KM yesterday. Good grief! I've walked almost 400 KM this month -- the coldest month of the year, and most of that is outside. I'm mad as a hatter!! If you don't know the history behind that, check out that link. But I love walking, and when the sidewalks are clear, and the weather is nice -- I'm out! Even when I took the girls out in the morning -- it was cold - well, only minus 16 or something like that, but if you are dressed for it, there's no problem. 

I did get some sewing done, and I worked on my scrappy hexagon quilt. Yep -- everything looks great when we look at this picture. 

The scrappy hexagon quilt

But I needed that end design board in a hurry one day, so I tossed all the blocks on the floor, and that's where they remain! 

Part of the quilt is on the floor

However, I'm happy to report that the top two rows are together. Oh god -- I'm mad because I twirled the seams on those first two rows, and that almost killed me. But now I have the pressing pattern, so it should be easy to do the rest. I hate pressing seams open, as we would typically do with this kind of quilt. 

And look at those points, and I'm not matching them but letting them fall where they fall. 

Nice intersections

In between that, I used my hourglass units as enders and leaders, and I'm trying to trim them up as I sew them. I start with pairs of half-square triangles. These are NOT a pair, but there's a pair of blue ones and a pair of brown ones. 

Two pairs of half-square triangles

These pairs of half-square triangles are sewn together and pressed, ready to be trimmed down to the appropriate hourglass unit size. 

Hourglass units ready to trim

And I got some of the units trimmed. Yep --- all in a day's work. 

Trimmed hourglass units

I could have done more, but it was just one of those days where I had some issues to deal with, and not as much sewing got done. Plus, it took forever to get those seams twirled, and that's OK. 

Don't forget that I', blogging on QUILTsocial this week. Lots of great tips for applique and quilting this week. Be sure to check it out. 

And it's Virtual Retreat weekend. I hope to get lots done -- OH -- I always say that! But here are the links. 

Saturday, January 29 starting at 6 PM 

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

Sunday, January 30, starting at 11:30 AM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

OK  -- I'd better a certain someone outside. I don't know why the rabbit insists on staying in our backyard. I did block the entrance that Murphy got into, but they just can't let this rabbit be. They pace the backyard - gazebo to the deck, to the shed, back to the gazebo. I've no idea where the rabbit is, but he's brave!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!