I HAVE to cook!

 ACK -- I'm a bit behind in responding to your comments! I need to do that every day as I love to get comments from you all, and I feel bad when I don't comment back because often, that's the only way we get to stay in touch; otherwise, it's a one-sided conversation! 

Can you believe it's the last day of September? I've felt a bit "nostalgic" all week as this would have been the week I would have arrived in Santiago! I've been thinking about the people I met and figured many would be arriving this week. Well, it wasn't meant to be this year for me, so let's move on! 

In the meantime, I wisely used my downtime and quilted a ton of quilts for community projects. Here are two more for Quilts of Valour. 

Quilts of Valour #9

Quilts of Valour #10

That leaves one more to complete the goal of eleven quilts for Quilts of Valour. I'm happy to report that I got the backing made, I joined some batting bits, and it is ready to quilt later today. 

The eleventh quilt on the frame

Can you believe that all that Oh Canada fabric was in my house? The eleventh quilt is also made from the Oh Canada fabric, and there are FOUR more quilts in the "to be quilted" pile. Plus, we should have one scrappy quilt with all the leftovers. That's OBSCENE. 

I was able to get seven backings from that pile of black flannel. This is all that remains, and it is likely enough for backing a small quilt when I get back to those. 

Leftover flannel from the backings

I had two batting bits from the other Quilts of Valour quilts, and rather than cut a brand new piece, I searched my batting bit closet and found a piece that would make that last batting. 

The batting bit closet

There are a LOT of batting bits in the closet, and I'll be using that for the NON-Quilts of Valour quilts when I get to those; plus, there are two partial rolls of batting for those smaller quilts. I shouldn't run out of batting for a while. 

And that leaves this much of the batting roll for the next eleven. I think I did very well at being conservative with it. There's still quite a bit on the roll. That is good, as I wasn't sure how many quilts I could get from the one roll. It's back in the plastic bag to keep the dust off and labeled so it doesn't get used for something else. 

The current status of the Quilts of Valour batting roll

Finding the right size of batting bit is so easy, with each piece being labeled. Labeling will save you so much time for anything you do!! I never used to be a label maker, but I'm pretty OCD about it now! 

The other thing I'm OCD about is cleaning up the bits. The bits of backing and batting are all sorted into their respective home. I try to have that all cleared up before going to bed, and I usually watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show (Masterclass) while I do that. I'm almost at the end of those episodes, so I will have to find another way to entertain myself. 

I am listening to an audiobook and reading a physical book simultaneously. I always have a physical book on the go, but not always an audiobook, which can be tricky when you are trying to sew something or need to do some calculations! Both are good books, and I hope to finish the physical book tonight. I'll give you the name tomorrow -- it's an interesting story. 

So DH was away last night, and I had to forage dinner myself. He was all worried that I didn't have anything to eat. Good grief --- I know how to cook -- he just chooses to not like what I cook. Our neighbor had given us some kale from her garden the day before, so I went to the grocery store to pick up some supplies and made a yummy stir fry. I also used some red peppers our neighbor gave us that needed to be used up! I thought it was quite tasty!

My kale stir fry

Murphy is the weirdest dog around. What has she done now? She loves rocks! And she loves to bring those rocks into the house. Look at the little collection she was accumulating on the floor in the living room. Murphy! -- Rocks stay outside. Sigh................

Murphy's rock collection

Lexi was beside herself last night. Her Dad wasn't home, and how could she sleep on the couch? She won't do the stairs, so she decided to lie on the mat in my office. Silly girl!

This is NOT the same as the couch! 

Yesterday was a glorious day, and I hope you all got a chance to be outside for a bit. I'm back to walking (well, I never really stopped) about 12 KM a day. And when I get back from the afternoon walk, I have a snack. My schedule is so routine that it throws me into a tizzy when I travel! I sat outside (not in the gazebo) and read my book while the girls entertained me, and I had my snack! But it's pretty cool in the shade these days, so I didn't fall asleep!

A glorious day

Don't forget to check out QUILTsocial, where today's topic is tips on raw edge and invisible machine applique. You can never have too many tips on that. If you have the right tools and supplies, this can be a deal breaker if you do applique. 

And I'm off to a quilt show this morning. I'll be at the Brant Heritage Quilters Guild show. I must remember to bring CASH for the entrance fee. Gosh -- when have I used cash last? It should be fun to get out and see some quilts and vendors. I don't need anything as I've found what I needed, but there might be something there to peak my interest. 

Regarding the quilting marathon, by my best count, I completed 41 (possibly two more -- not sure -- I lost count) of the smaller quilts -- the largest being 50" by 60" and the smallest being 37" by 37". I quilted one for the RCMP; after today, there will be eleven for Quilts of Valour. The grand total is 53 (possibly 55). I started on September 7, so that's just over 2 quilts per day for 24 days! I think I can take a break! 

I still want to do another eleven quilts for Quilts of Valour by November 11, but it's a lot of work to get the backings made and prepare the batting, so I need to give that a rest for the moment and focus on customer quilts! I have no idea why I became obsessed with this quilting project or where the discipline came from to continue day after day! But it did, and that's all that counts. 

It proved to me that I could actually get all those quilts quilted in a relatively short time if I put my mind to it. Was that the purpose of my Camino? To prove that I can focus when I need to? We'll never know, but it has been a great experience, and I'm happy with how the events turned out. 

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

My BLUE shoes

We all have them -- those lazy days! I had one yesterday. I had a chat with my boss, then I had an errand, and it was much later than planned by the time I got home. So I wasn't motivated to work on quilts, but I did get one quilted. This is number EIGHT!

Quilt for Quilts of Valour - DONE

That leaves THREE more to do for this grouping of 11 eleven quilts, an incentive set out by the Quilts of Valour group. I got the binding on this one as well. It would appear that I did NOT take a picture even though I put the quilt on the cutting table to do so. I get so easily distracted! 

The next one is loaded on the long arm and ready to go today. I have one errand that hopefully won't take too long. Errands in the car usually involve chatting with someone, and I get caught in the conversation! 

Am I running out of steam for the long arm? I'm nearing the end of my downtime, and I have a timer in my head that says -- you need to get back to the day job! And I have to make backings for these quilts, which isn't a fun job as there is a bit of creative piecing required to make that happen. 

The last two quilt tops and their backing for the first groups of eleven

So here are the last two quilts and their bundle of flannel for the backing. Neither will be that big of a deal; it's just getting to it! After these, I'll take a break for a few days and then get started on the second grouping of eleven. 

I also thought of this quilt as I was working this morning. This is a quilt that I designed for Quilts of Valour, and I have already made two of the quilts. You can buy the pattern on their website. Just scroll down to see it -- It's called Beads and Baubles, and you can use a panel or piece the center. Anyway, I was in the process of making a third one using a panel when COVID hit, and the quilt has been sitting there ever since. 

A partially completed quilt for Quilts of Valour

I want ALL of this Oh Canada fabric out of my house! So I will finish the assembly of this quilt, and it'll go in the second grouping of eleven quilts. The backing is even here, and I might find enough of that red to bind the RCMP quilt? It'll be good to completely use up a fabric category (Oh, Canada), and well, I won't be buying more anytime soon. 

Here are the other two quilts that have been sitting here to be donated to Quilts of Valour. I've pulled them out, and I'll make some inquiries today. Hopefully, they can be dropped off when I drop off the batch of eleven next week. Yes, I anticipate getting all the bindings on and out the door next week. 

Two more quilts for Quilts of Valour plus some batting leftovers

There were also some scraps of batting left from quilts I quilted before COVID for the Quilts of Valour -- the batting came with the quilt kits I received from them. 

I've been doing pretty good with the roll of batting, and this is what remains of the roll. 

The Quilts of Valour roll of batting

I should have enough batting for one more quilt with the extra bits I found and the two pieces on top. Then I'll pull off the batting for the last quilt from the roll. I might be able to get both groups of eleven from one roll, which would be FANTASTIC!!! It's all about using one's resources carefully! 

So that is coming along nicely, and I'll also start binding those smaller quilts next week. It all needs to be done and would make a dent (not a significant dent), but a dent in the mess of quilts and fabric at my house. Actually, it does make a significant dent. The entire space is much more organized and neat, and tidy. So yes --- all this hard work is paying off! I'm getting my stash used up, and seeing the results makes me happy. I could have donated the fabric and called it a day, but I didn't want that. 

However, I walked to Diane's yesterday and picked up three more quilts, and they are now in the appropriate tub in the storage room. 

Three more quilts to quilt

I took some time in the afternoon to sort through my Superior Bottom Line thread collection. When this collection first came out, there were 50 colors. I don't remember the opportunity, but I ordered ONE spool of each color! Five new colors have been added. So I sorted what I had and didn't have, and I'll get some new spools in a bit. The missing ones are probably NOT missing -- they are stuck in a project box somewhere. There were six missing from the original 50 and 5 new ones! 

Sorting one of my thread collections

Well, I like my new BLUE shoes, but gosh -- they are bright! They look like boats, but that wider toe box is excellent. My little toe on the right foot seems to be happier, as it's no longer getting squished! 

My new blue shoes!

But I must remember to remove the last tag! 

Ooops -- forgot to remove this tag

And yes -- fall is coming. The leaves, which have been falling for a while, look pretty on the pather! 

Falling leaves

If you have a Husky, you know their eyes can be very creepy. Look at Lexi. She is so lazy, and when she's on the sofa, she is NOT budging. But she follows you with those eyes, and you can see her tracking you because of the light color! What a dog!!! DH thinks Lexi is in love with him, but I think it's only because he lets her sleep on the sofa and gives her treats, which he is NOT supposed to do. Sigh..........

MOM --- I can see you without moving my head!

I have a bit of e-mail to catch up on, but I might wait a day or two and try to get these quilts done. Then I can focus on e-mail this weekend and then plunge right into work next week! I'll see how the day goes!

Don't forget there is a quilt show in Brantford tomorrow and Saturday. It'll be fun to get out and see a show, although I was just at one last week. If you haven't seen the Fibre Art show at the Queen Elizabeth Center in Oakville -- you should go. It's free, and so many creative pieces to view. The show is on until October 14. 

And check out QUILTsocial today as well. It's all about achieving those perfect ¼" seams! And a great little sewing machine for retreats or as a second machine. 

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

How to keep a quilter happy on vacation!

 Gosh --- I'm getting positively dull, and I'm getting bored! 

I finished two more quilts for Quilts of Valour, which makes numbers 6 and 7; only four more to go to finish this group of eleven. 

Quilts of Valour #6

Quilts of Valour #7

I think I need to take a break after these eleven quilts are done. I have until November 11 to complete the second group of eleven, but I'm starting to feel pressure to work on other things. I have classes starting in October, and I have things to prep for. So even though I wouldn't be home until Sunday, I should finish the quilts by Thursday, and then it's time to get to work. 

Not that sewing is work -- but I need to switch gears a bit, and hopefully, I can start binding those smaller quilts as well. 

These larger quilts are a bit more work -- not really to load them, but most of them do not have backings, so I have to find something in the stash that works. I found a lot more black flannel and larger pieces of flannel that should work for backing. I washed most of it last night and have already made one backing for the quilt now loaded on the long arm. 

Washed flannel for backings

I think I have enough backing washed for the remaining three quilts and hope to get them prepped later today or by tomorrow. Making those backings will rip through copious amounts of fabric, and I'm jumping up and down about that! There's still a lot of flannel in that storage room, so I will need to sort it out, but I just want enough for these next three quilts. Then I can sort it out another day! 

I'm pretty happy with my progress and that it offered me a great way to get comfortable with the new software. I'm still in panto mode, but I don't care -- these quilts are perfect for using pantos for quilting them. 

As you know, I'm teaching some ongoing classes that start in October and run until June next year. I made a video for the pre-cut class yesterday. Oh, what fun I had as I pulled EVERY pre-cut I own (well, almost every pre-cut), and this was the result. 

The set for the pre-cut video

OK --- I know I am NOT the only one with this kind of mess on their hands! Let's face it --- we all have pre-cuts. But I already have plans for at least three of the pre-cuts! I can't wait to get started sewing on those. 

Well, check out the video I made and then CALL The Hobby Horse and get yourself signed up for this class. We will get over the FEAR of opening those packages up and using them. I've got loads of ideas mulling in my head, and I can't wait to share them! Oh shoot --- the video is too large for this forum. Well, check out the Facebook page for The Hobby Horse, and you'll see it there. You may have to scroll down. 

Look at the Princess!! She was lying quietly, and I had to cover her up, which she hates. Look at her eyes!! So I took it off right after I took the picture. I swear she was dancing in DH's office the other night because she wanted him to get on the sofa with her! Talk about spoiled!!!!

MOM -- get this thing off me!

There's a new blog post for QUILTsocial this morning, so be sure to check that out. I learn so much from all the writing and research I do. It doesn't matter which sewing machine or software level; there's always something new to learn! 

Oh my --- when I went to get the link for QUILTsocial, one of my previous posts came up. In the summer of 2015, I did a lot of traveling around Canada and came up with 50 ways to keep a quilter happy while on vacation. It's a hoot, but I had a lot of fun!!! If you scroll to the bottom of that post, you'll get to see the other posts! Check this out! 

I kept those New Balance shoes I purchased and wore them for my walk in the afternoon. Yep -- they are comfy, but all those hours at the long arm are very tiring on the legs! Maybe that's why I'll be glad to give it a rest. How do people stand on their feet all day? 

There's a quilt show this weekend in Brantford, Ontario, so check it out! I promise I will start doing something more interesting than just quilting another quilt -- give me a day or so! 

On that note, I'm out of here! Places to go today, people to see, more batting to pick up!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Miss Fix- IT!!!

I have been totally neglecting my e-mail. Once I check it on my desktop computer first thing in the morning, I glance at it on my phone throughout the day, but I rarely respond to anyone. Then when I try to sync the desktop the following day, it takes a LONG time for the e-mails to go through, including the one where I've e-mailed myself the pictures for the blog. Sigh..............

It is supposed to sync automatically throughout the day, and not sure why that isn't happening anymore. I think I have figured out how to force it to sync -- well, force is a strong word, and how to initiate the sync might be a better way of saying it. 

So a bad thing happened the night before. I was finishing up one of the quilts and broke a needle because I wasn't babysitting the machine at one end. It broke into three places and pulled the end of the needle right out of the needle bar, which had never happened before. Since the long arm now stitches left and right, I seem to get caught right at the end on the way back, and I need to pay more attention. It doesn't do this all the time, and I will confess that my backing was on the skimpy side! 

This happened because I was chatting on the Virtual Retreat and forgot to go back and check the end. It was my fault, but fortunately, the quilt was not damaged. So that was a learning lesson for me. Make sure the backings are LARGER, or be prepared to babysit more. 

However, the thread kept breaking when I went to stitch the remaining stitches. I managed to stitch the last bit of that quilt and prayed that it would fix itself overnight. Alas, that did not happen. When I basted the quilt to the backing, it stitched with no problem. The minute it had a curve, the thread broke. 

Hmm --- could be a couple of things. So I got out the Maintenance Manual to have a read. 

When in doubt -- read the manual

It looks like the needle plate got a burr when the needle broke. Do I have anything to file that down?? It doesn't look like much, but there was enough that when the thread changed direction, it caught and broke! 

The burr on the needle plate

As I explained the situation to the Monday group, I remembered this small filing set I found while searching in my scrapbook supplies a while back. It had been sitting on the cutting table so I could use it for something else. This will be PERFECT. I didn't want to bother with it during Monday sewing, then I went for a walk, and when I returned, I got myself to work. 

Scrapbook filing kit

Before I knew it, the burr on the needle plate was gone. Yes --- I scratched the surface a bit, but it was tough to get at the burr. The scratches don't matter!

The burr is GONE

As I was reinserting the bobbin, I felt a rough edge on the bobbin casing, so I filed that down as well. I might as well, rather than testing it after the one burr was gone. You can't see the burr here, but it was on the side. And YES --- I need to clean the bobbin case before I start this morning. 

The messy bobbin case

Then I hit start, and away the long arm went -- happy as a clam. One more quilt for Quilts of Valour is done! I was going to do another one last night, so I could do my two of the day, but it was dinner time when I finished this, and I was too tired. The next one is loaded on the long arm and ready for this morning. 

Quilts of Valour quilt - DONE #5

So what did I do during Monday sewing? I put bindings on quilts! When I started, my sewing table was covered with quilts that needed binding. 

My sewing space at the beginning of the day

And by the end of the day, this is what I had. 

Binding on quilt #1

Binding on quilt #2

Binding on quilt #3

Binding on Quilt #4

I seem to be missing one photo as all five of the Quilts of Valour quilts I quilted are now bound. NO --- I think I showed you that fifth quilt yesterday. I still have to do the RCMP quilt, but maybe I can get around to that one today. I'm making excellent progress, and hopefully, this will encourage me to do more along the way, so I can get up-to-date with what needs to be quilted. 

We had to have our alarm system serviced, and they were here for several hours while all that happened, but now everything is back in good working order. Lots more technology for me to mess up! I have located the second WiFi booster, which needs reset by the provider, so I must call for that today.  

Security panel back in operation

Speaking of technology, do you use the Libby App for your library books? There are a number of us in the Monday sewing group who use it. We have some features we would like to change, and I learned some new things yesterday. It's incredible how collectively we can teach each other, even at our "advanced" age! 

And sometimes, people get frustrated with things in an app, but once you know why those annoying things are happening -- you can prevent them from happening. Someone complained about getting a notification that X number of people are waiting for a book. That ONLY happens if there is a waiting list and you are NOT reading the book (i..e have not started or you haven't touched the one you are currently reading in more than 24 hours). So it doesn't just pop up randomly --- it's a gentle reminder that if you aren't actively reading the book, perhaps one of the waiting people could read it!! The 24 hours is my guess -- I'm not actually sure what the time frame is. 

Speaking of books, I stopped at Indigo on my walk because I like to check out the books and magazines, and I needed a fix. I did NOT buy anything as I mostly shop with my eyes now. 

Oh my --- a Bob Ross Cross Stitch book!! That's too cute! Oh -- I didn't even open it up to look inside! 

Bob Ross cross stitch!

But on the entire crafts shelf, there were TWO books on quilting, zero on scrapbooking, and tons on knitting, crochet, and drawing. Times have sure changed!!! The two books on quilting -- one by Kaffe Fasset and the other by Jackie Gering. 

The crafts section at the book store

So much of that store is now gift and homestyle items, where it was strictly books and magazines once upon a time. 

Well, the princess is moving up in the world. I caught her sleeping on the couch without her Dad, as he had to get something, and she was pretty happy to stay put! Oh, Lexi --- you little princess!

Sleeping on the couch -- solo!

I have some e-mail to take care of today, but I'll be on the long arm for most of the day. I need six more to finish my first grouping of 11 quilts for Quilts of Valour. Then I think I'll get the following 11 ready, and I have until November 11 to finish those. I'll take those a bit slower as I need to hit the sewing machine for classes soon. Although technically, I'm still "on vacation" as I wasn't scheduled to arrive home until Sunday! 

OH --- it's my week to blog on QUILTsocial, so be sure to check that out. I'm taking a new sewing machine for a test drive, and if you need a small machine for a second machine, this is a good one to look at. 

That's it for today ---

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Double up!

The woes of the internet! For whatever reason, my e-mail doesn't want to sync (yet again), so I may or may not have pictures! I sent the e-mail hours ago, and I've restarted the computer TWICE, and still nothing! GRRRR!!!! I must call Microsoft and see what that's all about. I can see the e-mails on my phone, but not on the computer. 

And while I can do a send/receive, it won't sync, and that's what needs to happen for the e-mails to download. OH --- good --- it just synced. Why does it work sometimes and then nothing? It had NOT synced all day yesterday. 

I was back at the longarm. Good grief --- will this madness never end? I'm almost to the point where I want to focus on something else! But I managed to get TWO more Quilts of Valour quilts quilted. So that makes numbers 3 and 4 of 11. 

Quilts of Valour Number 3

Quilts of Valour Number 4

I should clarify that the quilts for Quilts of Valour do NOT have to be made from the Northcott Oh Canada collection. It just so happens that I had a bit of that fabric, so Diane made these quilts from the collection. But once this grouping of quilts is done, the rest are from other fabrics. 

I had to make a back for yesterday's quilts, and I "cheated." I had just enough fabric to make an extra wide back, so I could do the first quilt (sideways), and then there was enough backing to load the second quilt, so I didn't have to reload the backing. That saved a bit of time, although I'm getting fast at pinning quilts. I can have a large quilt on the machine now in short order. 

See that white line -- that's where one quilt ended and the next one started! I hope to do more of that with some of the other quilts. It saves a lot of time and also saves fabric! But works best when the quilts are the same length, which is why I'm sorting them by size as I pull out which ones to work on next. 

Two quilts loaded on the same quilt back

I had to join the batting, which was super easy to do on the long arm. I use those strips of fusible tricot, and my iron and the bar served as the ironing surface! That also saves on the amount of batting if you can quilt two quilts one after the other. 

Fusing the batting together

One thing I realized was that when my quilts roll up as they are quilted, they do NOT interfere with the amount of workspace I have as the quilts are rolled UP and behind, so I don't lose any space. That was good planning by the engineers who created this table. Other brands will have the quilt rolled up on the first bar, which can affect how much room they have to work!

No wasted space in my work area

Anyway --- all that to say that two more quilts are done! Then I made a backing for the RCMP quilt, which got quilted. I had a tester who checked it out and gave it her 100% approval! I guess I have to wash that one as well before it goes! I should get the binding on today and wash both! 

The quilt tester

All three are trimmed, and the bits are taken care of. I even managed to fill several pet mats with all the scraps, and I need to serge those shut. 

I did NOT get to any binding as I was too tired. 

We spent all afternoon and evening on Virtual Retreat, which is always fun! I spent a bit of time just chatting and doing nothing! That's because my day starts way before their day does, although they go to bed later than I do!

We have a municipal election in one month, and until yesterday there have been no signs. Then between the morning walk and the afternoon walk, it was a mushroom garden. Signs sprang up everywhere! 

So those girls of mine are pretty funny. Lexi is so cool --- I do NOT need to be next to my Mom, but Murphy has to be as close as she can possibly get. 

Mom -- My sister is an IDIOT! 

However, that Princess is right up on the sofa when her Dad watches TV. She has no qualms about it any longer -- why should she? She doesn't get punished or pushed down -- I'd say she's settling in rather nicely! What will she do when he goes away for business? Who is she going to cuddle up to then? Oh, Lexi --- you are a Daddy's girl for sure! 

Mom -- I'm cuddling with Dad! 

But then Dad doesn't discipline her, so who is to blame? I've given up that couch --- they can make it as dirty as they want -- as long as they are happy! 

It's Monday sewing today! I hope to get more quilts quilted ---there's one on the machine already and the second one is pressed and ready to be loaded when the machine is clear. I said I was going to do 22, and we have until November 11 to do so. I may slow the pace down after the first 11 as I want to finish some other stuff! 

Anyway -- back to Monday sewing. We have a show and tell at 11 to see what each other is working on and interesting stuff we see along our daily travels. That show and tell is so much fun!! I have created a very eclectic mix today and can't wait to share it with the group! 

If you're looking for a quilt show, there's one in Brantford this coming weekend. The guild is the Brant Heritage Quilters Guild. Check it out -- I'll be going; I just don't know which day yet. It's on September 30 and October 1. Check out the link for more details. 

On that note, I've got to get those girls out for their walk! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Efficiency is the name of the game!

I'm so amazed at what I'm accomplishing. I have ZERO ideas about where the drive comes from, but I'm so happy that I found something creative and useful to do in this "downtime." Technically, I could be working well ahead on my homework projects, but that will come later, and then YEP -- I'll be in a mad panic, but then where would the fun be without some panic? 

I know one way I'm able to get so much done is to be EFFICIENT. Make every movement or step count, and I've been getting in many steps these days with all the prepping and whatnot happening in the quilt world. 

I had nothing prepped when I started yesterday, so I had to press the backing, which had a lot of seams --you'll see that in a bit. The top wasn't pressed, and the batting was still highly compressed in the plastic bag. 

The roll of batting for Quilts of Valour

I wanted to keep the bag in case I don't completely use up this roll for my 22 quilts, and then I would have something to store it in. So I had to disrobe the batting of the bag by pushing it down until it was free. That was a workout all in itself!

Removing the batting from the bag

Then I laid it out to measure the piece I needed, and look how straight that is! NOT!! The fold is toward the bottom of the photo. I wonder where they measured from? I've never seen an end-of-roll this wonky before. Sigh..............

A wonky end-of-the roll

Then I looked through the quilts to see what was there and how big they were. 

Sorting the quilt tops

I spotted one without a size on it. WHAT??? Diane never forgets, and then I realized it was a top I made. Oops!! How did I know I made it? It was serged! 

A serged quilt top

So the backing and the quilt top got loaded, and away I went. 

Quilting the first quilt of the day

And while that one was quilting, I was prepping the next one. The floor looked like a disaster zone (at one point, it was way worse than this!), but it's all tidied up this morning. I am so fortunate to have all that space. 

The floor is a great temporary holding space

And this was a HUGE quantity of black flannel that I found in my stash that I washed to use for backings. 

A large quantity of black flannel is on its way to being washed

And here's the next quilt waiting its turn on the long arm. 

The next quilt is prepped

The first quilt is done. 

Quilts of Valour quilt -- DONE

I spied this next quilt in that pile, and OH -- this quilt will NOT work for Quilts of Valour. The RCMP and the Military are NOT the same branches of law enforcement. So I have pulled this one. However, in my generous mood of getting rid of things, I spoke to a family member who has contacts with the RCMP, and they can find a good home for it. So it's now got a backing prepped, and it'll go on the long arm today (using my own batting, not the Quilts of Valour batting), and it will get completed and out the door by the end of this coming week. 

An RCMP quilt

While in that generous mood, I remembered a quilt I had designed and made several years ago, also using this panel. I don't use the quilt and thought someone else might. So I offered two quilts for the RCMP, and both will go to a good home. I have to wash this one as there is a bit of dog hair on it. Oops. 

A quilt that I'm donating to an RCMP member

And the second one went on when that first quilt came off the machine. 

Quilt number two is on the frame

And it's now quilted as well. 

Quilts of Valour quilt - DONE

Both quilts have crazy backs, but it was a great way to use up those panels created for the Sesquicentennial, of which I had a few. Diane did the piecing of the backs. There weren't many, so I'll be using that black flannel, and I found some other Canada-themed fabric in the stash that I had reserved for backings. 

A pieced backing for the quilts

There are NO untrimmed quilts, and all the bits are taken care of. I have labeled the more significant batting bits so I know who they belong to and they reside with the batting bag. Once I have enough bits, I'll join them to make a batting. I'm trying to get as many quilts from the roll as possible. 

Batting bits are labeled

I'm using the Maple Syrup panto for all of these quilts. And with the Power Panto, it's super easy. 

The Maple Syrup panto

For whatever reason, I find the new software is much easier and FASTER to use than the previous version. But on the first couple of days, I did have a couple of issues, which turned out to be 100% operator error. Now how did that happen? You MUST not touch a button twice or mess up the sequencing. Ask me how I know that? There are messages (almost like a step-by-step) that you can turn off, temporarily or permanently. I turn them off the first time they appear, and one just needs to touch them in the correct sequence. Once you do that -- all is good. 

And the other thing I like is being able to size the panto to fit precisely at the bottom of the quilt. This has always been an issue, and we had to manually fudge that before. Now you don't have to. So if you look at the picture above and see the space between the bottom of the pattern and the green line --- that is what would have quilted beyond the bottom of the quilt. Now it quilts right (or almost on the line). Why does this happen? Because the quilt gets scrunched up when rolled and how much depends on the batting, the seams in the quilt. It's no big deal, no one would know, but it happens. 

Here's my pile of scraps that need to be dealt with. There's no time! I can barely keep up to the long arm as it quilts, and I'm pressing and prepping! Thank goodness for automation, or I would still be quilting the first of the smaller quilts. Well, not exactly, but you know -- I couldn't have worked at the same speed. That automation software was worth EVERY penny I paid for it. 

Cut-offs from the quilts

Last night was the virtual Retreat, and I had a great time chatting with everyone. I seriously love Zoom and being able to stay connected. The internet connection seemed to be fine, except once it completely cut out almost at the end. But while I was chatting, I was working! It's time to get quilts bound, and I'm working on the Quilts of Valour ones. I hope to keep up to date with the binding. When I left at 9 PM, there was still a merry band of sewists online. I'm sure they stayed on quite late!

Swing on binding

One quilt is completely done, and I'll work on the other this afternoon. Virtual Retreat starts at NOON today. 

The first Quilts of Valour quilt is completely done!

As I was having lunch, I flipped through the flyers, which I never do. Did you know you can buy Tim Horton's ice cream? Apparently, they have used some of their donut flavors???? Who knew? 

Tim Horton's ice cream

I see the applications for the windrow snow clearing program are open. However, I do NOT qualify for it, but when I do -- I'm applying. Once they see the mess they make and how big the mess is, perhaps that will change someone's mind about how this street is plowed! 

Applications for snow clearing!

And this is a sobering fact that I spotted in the local paper. An average of 12 pedestrians are killed each year in our region. How much is the pedestrian's fault versus the driver's? I bet it's a bit of both! Probably more drivers or car passengers are killed each year, so walking is still safer!

OH --- remember our rental neighbor that moved out recently? Well, they moved reluctantly and needed a little push from a lawyer to be removed. Let's just say that the house is a mess and will require MUCH tender loving care before the house is sold or someone moves in. However, I was reassured that it will NOT be rented again, at least not by the current owners. How sad that someone doesn't take pride in where they live, whether they own it or not. We've just lost all respect for each other and things. 

OK -- so that sounded a bit of doom and gloom, but it's true. Most people are still quite respectful, but it's a huge issue!

I see it's raining outside, and I bet those girls will still want a walk. Sigh..............

On that note, I hope to see you at Virtual Retreat today at NOON EST. The links are in a separate blog post so check it out!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!