Cutting it close!

Oh my --- we seem to be having some PASSIONATE discussions on our Zoom calls lately. Yes -- I am pretty opinionated, and well, some of those discussions come onto the blog, as in the cost of those fabric kits. I have another issue about that, but no time this morning. 

I will say that we are all still friends and have no hard feelings. We did have a great time at the Virtual Retreat, and we met Debbie again, who has walked a Camino! That was exciting, but I didn't want to bore the rest of the group to death, so we'll have to discuss it separately at some point. 

And I learned that others are walking in hiking sandals and liking it, so those are a definite buy. Thanks to Nina for suggesting that NOW is the time to buy them since they will most likely be on sale, and yes, they are, so I need to make a couple of purchases. It's probably too late to wear them now, although the last couple of days have been super hot, so you never know. And GASP -- I might start wearing socks and sandals for winter! 

Anyway --- I'm off to spin class this morning. I've barely been for almost two months, but after this week, I hope to get back regularly. 

It was foggy yesterday morning and very eerie outside. A fire truck and an ambulance passed me, and within a few hundred meters, their flashing lights were lost in the fog! 

A foggy morning

If you think Murphy is deprived of toys and I should buy her new ones, think again! This is a brand-new toy that she finally decided to play with. She had one like it and destroyed it, so she got another one! No -- this dog is not deprived! And she's darn cute, to boot! 

MOM -- is this my toy? 

I didn't get a picture of it, but Lexi spotted Wednesday in the forest on our walk. Wednesday is a boy Husky. Well, she flipped out and had me running as quickly as I could through the woods so she could meet up with him. She NEVER does that for other dogs. Well, they had a good time jumping around and sniffing each other. What a silly girl! 

I finally managed to turn on the sewing machine and get something done! It feels like it's been forever since I did that. 

The giant quilt got loaded on the long arm, and I got to work getting it quilted. 

Quilting on the long arm!

It is now quilted and trimmed and ready to put the binding on. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And lucky me, I get to put the binding on for this customer. Yes - I do it sometimes if they want. I wasn't sure if there was enough binding fabric, as I had to take a little strip off to fix that short row, but I got lucky. There was just a tiny strip left over. I think I may have one extra binding strip, but better to have one more than not enough. That was cutting it close because I didn't have a Plan B!

Not much left of the binding fabric

The binding is now made and ready to put on during Monday's sewing. 

The binding is made!

I think I will try and push to get another eleven Quilts of Valour quilts done by November 11. Is that going to be possible? It's a lot of work as I don't think the backing is made for any of the quilts, so while one is being quilted, I'll have to prepare the backing for the next one. To my knowledge, only one has the backing. But it would be nice to get another eleven out of the house. I'll see how it goes. 

I'm going to focus on Project Linus (or older youth quilts) in December, and there are about 30 of them I would like done by the end of the year! I have to try and catch up to Diane! 

Speaking of bindings, I managed to get the binding on ONE of the Project Linus quilts. One down and nine more to stitch to the front of the quilt. Then there are still 20 quilts to bind! And I want them out of the house by the end of November. It's all doable! I can't let these quilts pile up like I've let other things pile up. So even if my work gets delayed, there is a lot of satisfaction in getting these done, and the amount of space I'll free up will be enormous. It's all good! 

A Project Linus quilt - completely DONE

I decided it was time to sort my threads to assist with the binding process. This is all my 50-weight thread. Well, it's not all my 50-weight, but all you will see today. It started out being all contained in one drawer, but I now have two overflow baskets -- the orange ones in the photo. The problem is that some colors were in the drawer and the baskets. So while we were on Zoom yesterday, I decided to sort them. 

Sorting threads

It's not perfect, but much better than it was, and it should take less time to find the appropriate color. 

I should go through the remaining FIVE drawers of thread and sort them as well. They are a mix of everything and stuff I'm not using because I don't even know what I have. Perhaps a project for later today once that binding gets put on. 

There is much work to be done, and there seems to be so little time. It's all a question of prioritizing - new classes have started, new clubs will begin in January, and I have so much to learn and experiment with. But that keeps me going - if I had nothing to look forward to each day, I don't think I would ever get out of bed. Let's hope that my brain still craves the challenges I deal with every day (and I don't mean significant challenges); sometimes, the challenge is as tricky as finding the right color of thread!

On that note, I'm out of here. I believe I will have to scrap the windshield this morning, and I must make a note to turn off the outdoor water tap. 

Mark your calendar for the next Virtual Retreat -- It's November 26 and 27. We had a blast, and always fun to chat with whoever comes on the call! They were still chatting when I left at 9 PM. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The right place at the right time

It's 6 AM, and where are my retreat friends? Most people know that I go to bed early, but I've been known to stay up later -- I just don't always say that. But I'm pretty consistent on when I get up. Last night, I was working on something (you'll see it later today) that needed to be done, so I stayed up a bit later than usual. As a matter of fact, I was the one that closed the call last night. 

And then I was up early this morning and have already got a lot of work done. I don't think those retreat ladies are up yet! 

So my nose behaved yesterday but felt all stuffed up. I'm still stuffed up today, but it's probably no wonder with all the dust in Studio B. Let's see how the day goes, and I'm trying to keep myself hydrated!

Lexi was so cute yesterday morning. Halloween decorations are appearing, and those giant inflatables are interesting. As we were walking down the street, I spotted something that made me wonder how the girls would react. When Murphy and I passed, she stopped and barked. Of course, that is Murphy. 

But when Lexi and I approached, this was her reaction. 

MOM -- something scary!

Oh my gosh --- I was killing myself laughing. It's like Lexi was trying to hide behind the tree. And she gave those little AARF barks that she does, not the big throaty ones we get from Murphy! 

And what had them so worked up? A giant inflated cat whose head turned from side to side. 

MEOW!!!!

She warmed up to it and even got close enough to sniff it. That's my Lexi -- EVERYTHING must be sniffed. 

WAIT -- it's a FAKE cat!

Later in the afternoon, I walked to the mall, and there was good progress on the new Cineplex building. But no work has been done on the inside yet, so it'll still be a while before we can go. Wouldn't it be nice if it were done in time for our annual Christmas Day movie date? We could even WALK there! Well, I could walk; DH will take the car!

Progress on the movie theatre

Let's get down to some talk about quilting. We had THREE very successful classes yesterday. The first one was on Pre-Cuts -- what are they? How to work with them? Why do we have a love/hate relationship with them? While the group does not have to make a quilt (yet!), they have homework, and it's tough. Some of them will find it very hard to do, so let's see how brave they are!

Then in the Scrap class, we had a blast as we checked out some areas of concern in sewing spaces. Oh boy --- some of them, well, they will be a challenge. So again, they don't have to make a quilt (yet), but almost all of them have massive amounts of homework ahead of them! 

And the last class was the table runner class, where the focus was on choosing quilting designs. I should post those pictures at some point. I'm so happy with the work the students are doing. This is one of those classes (well, all classes are like this), but the more you do, the better you get. And they are ALL doing the most fantastic job. KUDOS to everyone! 

It's all about taking the tools you have, learning to use them, and improving your skills. I have one more session this morning -- Out of the Box and NOPE -- the presentation isn't done. I haven't even started, but it's at 10 AM, so there's loads of time to get that prepped. Besides, I had other stuff to do this morning. 

I sometimes sit in front of a Zoom meeting and have nothing to do, and I know many people do handwork. I have a small Sue Spargo kit that I thought would be fun to work on. So off to the project closet to find it. I'm not sure where that went, and it's small. I will find it, but in the meantime, I found this hand-quilting project. It's a panel about 12" by 18", with the quilting motif stamped on it. I could do this -- it would be perfect. 

OK -- so where's the thread? There was no needle or thread with it. I dug out my hand quilting thread, and OH BOY -- none of them matched the weight of the thread I initially used. 

Thread weight is NOT the same

 

The original thread seems thicker -- it's the one on top. So I'm tempted to use one of the others and keep going. Or should I rip out what I've done and start over? I haven't done much, so catching up wouldn't take long. My thought is to do some with the different threads and see if there's a difference before I start to rip out the other part. 

Only a small portion has been quilted

Knowing me, I'll have to rip it out. I know -- I can't help myself!!!

So this is what has been waiting for me to work on for weeks, and I've ignored it until the last possible moment. It's a customer quilt, and I owe the owner a HUGE favor. 

Customer quilt

She is new to quilting and had issues with the piecing, where one of the rows was almost two inches shorter than the others. Yep, the seam allowance is the first thing one checks, and honestly, it appears equal across that row. This stumped me, so I did some finagling last night and strategically added two inches to the row. If I didn't tell you, you would never know. 

But as I stood there looking at the quilt to ensure that I was adding the last two rows in the correct spot, I realized that FOUR blocks within the quilt were rotated. ACK!!!!! 

Usually, I wouldn't be piecing or fixing a customer quilt, but as mentioned, I owe her a big favor, and all the turned blocks were in the same row, so this is what I did last night. I removed the part of the row that was incorrect. 

Surgery on a quilt top

Then I took the blocks apart and put them in the proper orientation. Like a busy beaver, I was up this morning and got the entire quilt back together, and it's lying over the ironing board as it needs to be pressed. 

The quilt top is in one piece

The backing is loaded on the long arm, and my goal is to get it quilted today, so I can put the binding on it tomorrow, and it will be gifted this coming weekend. Yikes!!!

So you all know I'm trying to get rid of most of my stuff. Yes -- even my quilting stuff. Well, in a strategic way, and indeed, I'm not just giving stuff away, but you never know when an opportunity will arise. And I will say that I would NEVER have considered doing this in the past. 

During our Virtual Retreat last night, we got talking about GO! Cutters and the Qubes. Someone has several of the Qubes, and she uses them! I have a 6" set, which she did not have. Guess what? I gave it away! It was a mistake that I received the darn thing. Several years ago, GO! told me I was one of their ambassadors, and the next day, they realized that I was NOT an ambassador, so to compensate me for the mistake, they sent me the Qube set. 

6" Block GO Qube

Not only did I get the Qube set for the 6" blocks, but I was also given the Companion set. 

Companion Set

Both boxes are now sitting in the staging area in my living room. The cellophane is still on both boxes -- they have never been opened. 

A present for someone

I would not feel right selling those as they were given to me. So they will now go to a good home where they will be used. 

When I went to take a picture of the shelf this morning, I found this book. The book goes along with the Qubes!!

A pattern book for the GO! Qube

And now I have some space on that shelf. I could tuck more stuff in there to get it out of the way. I play Tetris with my space and if I can put a labeled box in there to take something else off that current project table or to bring something from upstairs down here, then so be it!! 

Room on the shelf!

So you never know what can happen. I will never give away something just because someone wants it. But if I know someone will actually use it, and I will never use it, then I'm happy to part with it - either selling it or giving it away, depending on the item and how I acquired it. It's all about paying forward, and that's how it goes!! I hate to say this, but some people will appreciate a gesture like this, and others will not. I will NOT give things to those who won't appreciate them! 

It was definitely a Win-Win for both of us!

Well, I see it's time to go. I'll post more information about my classes at Stitch by Stitch in Kingston tomorrow morning, but there are two for Husqvarna Viking -- Beyond the Basics with Quilting and a second one for embroidery. On day two, there's a beyond the basics with Quilting for PFAFF and then a discussion on mySewnet and all that it entails. So be sure to check out the calendar to get more details. 

And today, starting at Noon, is Virtual Retreat. Be sure to stop by -- we met Debbie from Victoria last night, and she's working on many cool projects!!!

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

There's always homework!

I took MANY pictures yesterday, and I have nothing to share with you today! OK -- that's a lie because I always have something to share. But while I spent the entire day immersed in quilting stuff, I have NO quilting pictures to share. 

However, if you are part of my Pre-Cut or Scrap class today, you'll see TONS of stuff. I have a lot to say about pre-cuts and scraps and how we have a love/hate relationship with both. But I LOVE putting it down on paper. Finding just the right picture to show what I'm trying to say, I always learn something from that exercise. As a matter of fact, I might get the class to do some of the research I did! YES - I'm adding that to the list of homework they have to do! 

Wait -- homework? Some of them say they signed up because they didn't have to make a quilt. And that is true, but there's homework? There's always homework! And just like that, I added another line to their homework list!

I have three presentations today, and I had one last night. I spent the ENTIRE day working on them. Taking pictures, taking screenshots from the computer, and saving photos they forwarded to me. I must say that my computer is NOT happy these days. I have rebooted it multiple times, so the memory should be clear, but it takes FOREVER to save individual pictures, yet I can do a group save, and that's moderately fast. Or I save something, and it doesn't actually save. So that was a total pain. 

It probably wouldn't hurt to take the computer in for service as it's been a long time, and perhaps I can upgrade the RAM? I like this computer and don't want to buy a new one. But they all have a lifespan. So I could use my laptop and take this in. OK -- I'll think about that, but not this coming week. 

I wonder how long it will need to be in the shop? Something to check out because it's so S L O W, it's crazy!!!

So I'm officially a member of Coutrepointe Quebec! I got my membership number the other day, and I'm so excited about that! I had the option of English or French for written communication, and I chose French. I might as well jump in! All the members I've met so far are lovely, and I can't wait to see what exciting things they offer. 

OH --- so can I share the homework for the class we had last night? I could, but I'm going to wait until next month when the Tula Pink Butterfly quilts are DONE, and we can see them in all their glory; although the darn quilt is so big, I'm not sure how or where we will get photos. I'm going to have to give up finding the original whites I used for the background and use some new ones. And hopefully, I got the border worked out yesterday. 

I took this picture yesterday. While many other trees are bare or have lost most of their leaves, this one is almost still completely intact. And the colors are pretty different, and I wonder why that is? 

Unusual leaf color

When we returned to the house, Murphy thought I was working too hard and tried to distract me by disturbing all the papers on the floor, not that they were in any particular order. But where or where is that clipboard for my classes? I thought I had one, but maybe the paperwork is on my "todo" list clipboard. That's the trouble when making routine changes; you must remember what the new system is! 

MOM --- come play ball with me!

When I told her we didn't have time to play, she sulked away and went to lie in her bed. Of course, I felt guilty, so we had a good wrestling match, and she was happy! That sad face just kills me every time. 

Mom doesn't LOVE me anymore

MOM -- are you coming to play with ME? 

MOM -- I LOVE you!

I don't know what was up with my nose yesterday, but it was running like a broken tap. It's so red today, and it hurts! But so far, so good on the running situation, but I feel all stuffed up because of it. Let's pray that it was a 24-hour allergy attack and that I can return to life today. It's no fun running around with a box of Kleenex in your hands. 

I walked to the grocery store to get bananas and always go through the self-checkout. WOW --- more people are starting to use the self-checkout, but they are NOT efficient. OK --- if you place your OWN bag in the bagging area, the checkout knows that! Nope -- so many people, DH included, scan their groceries, and once they have paid, they bag them rather than scan and bag them simultaneously. GRR!!!!!!  

I wish the attendant would teach them how to use the scanner properly! And there was a young girl who had a cart and was scanning the groceries. Of course, she looked at each item before scanning it, which took forever. I'm not sure what was going on there, and not sure she paid for everything in her cart!

I had to laugh as I was supposed to attend a meeting later this afternoon. Partway through the day yesterday, I knew I wouldn't make it. I have a lot of work to do and am so tired and dehydrated after the nose fiasco that I asked if there was a Zoom option. Within an hour or so, I received a reply that the majority of people wanted Zoom, so we got a link! It's not that I don't want to meet these people in person, but the time I'll save by being on Zoom is huge. And no gas and no having to drive home in the dark! You have to love Zoom!!!

Well, I'd better get myself organized for the day. The first link opens at 9 AM, and I still have to walk the dogs. But at least ALL the presentations are ready to go! 

Don't forget that TONIGHT is Virtual Retreat. And it's all day tomorrow as well. 

Saturday, October 29, STARTING AT 6 PM

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

Sunday, October 30, STARTING AT NOON

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

And if you are in the Kingston area, I'll be at Stitch by Stitch this coming week. I'm there on November 2 and 3. I'll post more details tomorrow about those events. Hopefully, this link will work, and you can click to see the events. 

OH -- has anyone ever tried one of the Wasgij jigsaw puzzles? Not that I need another one, for sure, and there used to be a hobby store near me that sold all kinds of puzzles. I wonder if they are still open? I don't think the store is still open. Did you know that Wasgij is jigsaw spelled backward? 

Have a super day, and hope to see you TONIGHT on the virtual retreat. 

Ciao!!!

You know you're in trouble when................

I admit that my grammar is not my strong point, and I hated English in school. All those rules about dangling participles or whatever they are called and what verb tense to use, and let's not confuse worse and worst! I admit that my grammar (hopefully) has improved somewhat with all the writing I've done over the years, and I have to thank Grammarly for that. 

I would say the most significant error for me is being too verbose! I add words like "do" and "that" and others that do not add value to the sentence and make it harder to read! 

So is it any wonder I was reading a book last night and hated the writing style? I seriously don't think there was an editor. Here's an example: I do not mean to pick on this author -- it's just me. 

"As mentioned, Wasgij are a specific challenge as they don't show an image of the completed puzzle on the box, instead you are required to use your imagination, with hints on the boxes ranging from showing you an image with a few of the objects in the puzzle included so you know their placement, or telling you the image is based on what a certain person on the box can see."

While I understand what they are saying, that is a mouthful! Here's how I would rewrite that sentence. 

"As mentioned, Wasgij puzzles are challenging, as the image on the box shows parts of the puzzle but not the final image. Along with that image and several hints, one must use their imagination to complete the puzzle. 

Anyway --- it's all very interesting, and now I wish I had been more attentive in English class. I might not need Grammarly! Despite the language, I enjoyed reading about jigsaw puzzles and learned a few things! 

We had another great day at Sew Productive in Acton. Melinda is a wonderful person and so enthusiastic, but like any new venture, she's got a lot to do! And I realized when I got home that I had only snapped one picture of the store! The serger thread rack, but look at all those rainbow colors! 

We had an excellent turnout for the sessions yesterday on quilting and embroidery! And it was great to see so many people from classes in the past. I also managed to find the PERFECT fabric for an upcoming project for A Needle Pulling Thread, and I picked up the perfect backing for it as well. Now I need to get myself in gear and get working on it. 

If you haven't stopped by the store yet, be sure to do so to check it out. It's called Sew Productive, located at 47 Mill Street in Acton. Technically, the entrance is on John Street, so when you get to the leather shop, go down the block partway, and you'll find the door! 

There are lots more stock coming -- threads, fabrics, notions, etc., so be sure to check it out and keep returning. This is the only way we can encourage new stores to open and for them to become viable businesses in the community! She's also a Husqvarna Viking dealer so if you need something for your sewing machine or want a NEW one, pop it! 

I don't usually travel with two large suitcases (it's a long-standing joke with my colleagues), but I took two suitcases on the first day. Mainly because one was still packed from the guild talk a couple of weeks ago, and the other was still packed from Salon Quebec. Before I left yesterday, I had to unpack and sort them. No need to take loads of stuff -- just take what you need. But I still had one large suitcase and lots of tote bags! I have no problem taking loads of things in the car, but I'm conscientious when I fly!

Packing "light"

I get to do it again next week when I make my way to Stitch by Stitch in Kingston. Watch for more information, or go to Stitch by Stitch to find out what I'm talking about there. 

Today, I get to stay home. I have a class tonight, and I'm not done with the quilt. I'm still hoping the background fabric will jump out at me, but I don't think that will happen, so I'll just grab another white fabric to finish it off. I HATE when that happens. And the moment I cut into the new stuff, the old will appear! It's supposed to be in the project box, but it's not, so what could I have done with it? 

Those girls of mine are such characters. I don't usually walk them together, but I've had to the last couple of days. Yesterday when walking, I heard Murphy give a YOUCH that she was in pain. What the heck? It appears that Lexi's retractable leash got caught in the fluffy hair on her tail, and it must have taken five minutes to get it untangled! 

Lexi's leash in Murphy's tail!

Of course, they were not interested in sitting down to wait, so it was "fun" to make that happen. Today, we're back to two walks, and I'm not sure who will be happier -- them or me. 

I almost lost Murphy amongst the leaves! 

That's a bit hard to do with a black dog! 

And I swear Lexi has become a Princess. OK -- so she was always a princess, but now, she thinks the sofa is hers! Yesterday morning, she was curled beside the table, and DH did not put it in the right place, so the skittish husky has zero issues getting up there. 

NO pictures, please -- I'm sleeping

And she jumped up without a second thought when I went to have a wee nap after dinner. DH called her a traitor. Yep, she cares about the sofa, not who is on it! 

Lexi getting a snuggle

On the other hand, Murphy is quite happy to lie in the flower garden. I've no idea why she plunked herself down here, but she did and was happy as ever, with her ball beside her. 

HEY --- I'm a messy dog -- I love the dirt!

Or she's busy watching TV. When she hears her favorite commercials, she comes running! 

I LOVE watching TV

Well, I'm off. There's a lot to accomplish today. I have FOUR presentations to prepare, but I've already made a good stab at two of them, and the others won't be as bad. I'm excited about our two new classes that start tomorrow -- using pre-cuts and scraps. Oh boy --- I think we all have SERIOUS issues! I can't wait to see where it goes!

Don't forget we have the Virtual Retreat this weekend. If you're new -- this is just a fun place to gather on Zoom and chat. We've met so many interesting people over the last couple of years. 

Saturday, October 29, starting at 6 PM. 

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

Sunday, October 30, Starting at NOON

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

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Can you afford this?

So we all know the price of everything is on the rise. Interest rates, house prices, gas, food -- you name it. And let's face it -- we have an expensive hobby, and the fabric prices are on the rise, as is everything else we use. Thankfully some of us have a stash, and hopefully, we still like what's in our stash! Mine will keep me going for the rest of my quilting life! But here's something that caught my attention recently, and quite frankly -- I'm still in disbelief!

I'm sure this situation happened with other designers, but I only give you one example. 

I'm sure everyone has heard of Tula Pink? It would appear that her fabric has become a license to print money! I'm not saying that any of what I'm about to share is wrong, but we need to ensure that we are not becoming followers but choosing fabric because we LIKE it!

Toes in the Sand is a pattern by Jaybird quilts initially published 10 years ago. The fabric choices are perhaps not the best, but it's still an attractive quilt. 

The original Toes in the Sand pattern

Ten years later, the pattern gets republished in Tula Pink fabrics, and I'm sure it's exhibiting a revival. As a matter of fact, I'm teaching this class. Not because of the new coloring, as I purchased the pattern 10 years ago and still want to make it. My principal reason for choosing this pattern is the triangle shape of the blocks. It's different, and I try to change what I teach each year. 

The NEW pattern for Toes in the Sand

I will say that Julie (from Jaybird) very kindly put out a pdf (10 pages or so) for those with the original pattern of the changes in the new book, so we didn't have to buy two books! Thank you, Julie!!!!

Does anyone remember the Tula Pink Butterfly quilt? Well, that was published 10 years ago, and YES -- I have the original pattern. 

The original butterfly quilt pattern by Tula Pink

This pattern was redone with Tula's basics, so people could make it from fabric that would be readily available. If you look inside the patterns, they are pretty much the same graphics, with a few things added to the new version. Those new pages were NOT made available as a PDF (to my knowledge) for those with the original pattern. The rewrite took EONS, yet most of the inside is the same. 

The NEW Butterfly quilt pattern

Both the original quilts were very popular, so why not refresh them with new fabric to keep the sales momentum going. I'm OK with that. 

And I'm sure there are more instances where a pattern is released or rereleased with Tula Pink fabric to drive sales. Why not? Especially if you like Tula's fabrics, which are available through Free Spirit Fabrics. 

But this next situation is quite disturbing. I removed the shop's name because I believe this pattern is likely available from more than one place, and I didn't want to point fingers.  

Here's a new quilt called Queen of Diamonds. It's beautiful and, you guessed it, made from Tula Pink fabrics. 

Queen of Diamonds

When you read some of the literature, you think that it was designed by Tula Pink. NO  --- check the bottom of this screenshot to see that it is designed by Pink Door Fabrics. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that! It's pretty straightforward if you read the fine print. 

So far, so good. Now look at the size of the quilt -- it's a nice lap size at 60" by 73 1/2". Yep -that's great. 

Keep reading. This quilt was designed using EPP (English Paper Piecing) and endorsed by Tula Pink. Here's the kicker --- it used 91 (NINETY-ONE) different fabrics, with 137 fabric cuts in the kit for a total of 31.14 yards (YES --- that is NOT a typo) --- THIRTY-ONE yards or for those who like meters, that's 28.47 meters. 

WOW --- I've had a close look at the picture, and in almost all cases, you need a couple of pieces of each fabric. I don't know what the cut sizes are, but you have better like Tula Pink a LOT to buy this kit. 

Personally, I find this outrageous. I know some designers tend to add extra yardage to the requirements, but to purchase over 31 yards of fabric to make a lap-sized quilt? Who the heck are they selling to? 

Wait --- I didn't tell you the price. This is in Canadian dollars. 

If I convert that to USD, the total is $630, depending on the exchange. Did you notice the PLUS sign behind the amount? Well, there's a fabric kit, the pattern, the English paper piecing pieces, AND an acrylic template set that you can purchase, and each of them runs close to $90 CDN. 

I don't know about you, but I am very frugal with my quilting budget, and I could not / WOULD NEVER spend that kind of money on ONE quilt. I don't care how much is left over. 

I'm sure some people will purchase this kit- heck, they will also buy all the bits. I think this has gone too far and is a blatant money grab. 

And after looking at the patterns in those diamonds, guess what? If you have the Hex n More ruler from Jaybird and her Toes in the Sand book? You can make MOST of those blocks with piecing on the sewing machine. 

I think it's shocking, and we need to speak to these designers. How will they listen to us? STOP buying these outrageously priced kits. Everyone needs a stash, but you had better LOVE and worship Tula before you buy this kit. Personally, I don't think any designer deserves that much love. This is a trend/fad -- whatever you want to call it, that has gotten out of hand! Again, this is NOT a Tula Pink design, so don't yell at her! 

Will there be FOMO in my house? I barely have any Tula Pink fabric as I'm not a fan, and I HATE following what everyone else is using. I want my quilts to be MINE, not a mirror of the original, but that's just me. I make mistakes with color and value ALL THE TIME. But if I didn't do that, I would never learn how to work with them. So I step outside the box, make mistakes, and relish when it happens! Thankfully, I don't make as many mistakes as I used to, but I still goof from time to time. 

The shop opening went very well -- I"ll update you tomorrow once I've done my two events today. If you stop by the shop, the entrance is around the corner on John Street. If you're in the area, stop by to see the events. Lots of samples to share with you! 

Quilting 101 event

Embroidery 101 event

Someone asked about the hiking sandals versus Tevas, and here's a picture of each so you can see the difference. 

Tevas are very comfortable sandals but don't offer much support, and the toe area is quite open. 

Teva sandals

However, with some of the steep descents, I'd be afraid that my foot would slide too forward, so this is an example of a hiking sandal, which is also open, but has a bit more solid toe area to protect the end of the toes. 

Hiking sandal

I will look at a pair of something similar and try it out on some rocky terrain around here in the spring. We have the Bruce Trail, which is not the same terrain but can be very rugged in some areas, so I'll be out for some extended hikes with running shoes, trail runners and open sandals, and my CHEAP athletic socks to see what's going to work for me. And if you don't wear socks at all, guess what? Less laundry and less stuff to carry!

I don't think it's so much about the sock, but the shoe's fit that is more important! I've walked MILES in those cheap athletic socks and only started having issues with blisters when my right foot grew, and I was in denial and didn't get a larger pair of shoes in time! That happened just about two months before I left for my trip, and I didn't clue in. So I bought larger hiking shoes, but I only went 1/2 size larger, when with the fancy socks I had bought, I needed to go a full size larger. Sigh..............

OK --- that's it for today. I've packed my samples for the two lectures today, and I have to take the girls for their walk, and then I'm ready to leave. 

See some of you at 9:30 today for the quilting lecture or at 1:00 PM for the embroidery session. 

Don't forget the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, October 29  (starts at 6 PM)

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

Sunday, October 30 (starts at NOON)

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

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!