Can I ask a question?

Oh, shoot! I set yesterday's post on a timer and realized I still needed to change the time when I hit Publish. So it got published late. Sorry about that!!

Today it's live from my hotel room in Rochester, NY, or actually, we're in a small town on the east side of Rochester. 

And there are no pictures today. Sorry -- I took a ton of pictures, not nothing to share with you. WAIT -- that's not true. I'll share many of these pictures with my embroidery club, but only as I make samples. OK -- I caved -- I added a couple of pictures later! 

Let's step back and tell you why I'm here. As you know, I'm an educator for PFAFF and Husqvarna Viking sewing and embroidery machines. I'm one of three Canadians, and we travel across Canada to get people inspired. We have a team in the US who do the same thing. And I had the opportunity to shadow Karen Charles, who is our BEST educator by far. Sorry to the other ladies, but Karen is an artist and isn't afraid to show it! She uses her sewing machine like a pencil and can make it do all sorts of things you wouldn't think possible with a sewing machine. 

As I mentioned yesterday, if you aren't watching her Facebook Lives -- you should! I've known Karen for four years, and she is a gem. Her personality in real life is - well -- it's larger than LIFE. I love her!!

So I got to shadow Karne for two days as her events were very close to me, and I'm so happy I have this chance. 

I'm also here today and going home after the end of the event. 

I've already been up early this morning and written tons of notes on how what I saw can improve how I do my events (do not want to copy), but I want to change up some of my stuff and making samples? I'll be heads down for months! That learning thing -- it never ends!!!

We're at Sew Creative, an amazing store with fantastic staff. There are so many fabulous samples around the store, and I NEED A sewing/embroidery machine right now! I want to create! And yes -- I did a little bit of shopping. I tried to restrain myself, and as someone in my Monday group said -- if you're going to use it, buy it! If you're not, then don't! 

I did not go crazy and mostly picked up some thread, one pattern, and some weird materials to work with! So all in all, I was very good. 

Did you ever realize that asking questions is the best way to learn anything? I don't like to talk about myself -- who cares about me? But I LOVE to ask questions because people want to talk, especially if they are passionate about something. That's something to think about next time you're in a conversation. No one likes to hear others talk about themselves or their problems unless it's that kind of a conversation. But in a group setting or Zoom? Nope -- ask questions -- you'll be amazed at what you can learn! I'm shocked at how fearful people are of asking questions --- ASK!!!!!

I asked a lot of questions during dinner. And along with my observations during the day, I wrote several pages of notes this morning! 

Are kids being taught to have proper conversations these days? With all their social media and short attention spans -- we shouldn't be taking what we are given -- we should learn to have others give to us by answering our questions. And you need OPEN-ENDED questions, not those that can be answered with a yes or a no!!

But I digress. 

Then Michelle and I went to Hobby Lobby, where we were pursuing the cutest little pie dish ever. It's individual pie sized, and I WANT one!

Cutest pie dish ever

Anyway -- we did some quick shopping as I knew what I wanted -- well, I didn't, but I managed to find something after the disappointment of not finding the pie plate. It was a Thanksgiving item, but we hoped to find a similar one for Christmas. 

I bought some yarn and beads on a string. All were on sale, and I spent less than $20, and it's all got a purpose! Some of the stuff I bought doesn't have an immediate need, but when I make samples, I'll need these supplies!

I could have bought a sewing machine cover -- but seriously??? If I need to buy something that I can make? That's not good! NO -- I want to use some techniques and fabric that I have available to me -- there is no need to buy one of those. Isn't that an oxymoron? Buying a cover for your sewing machine?

Sewing machine cover?

My roaming finally kicked in -- almost 24 hours after I arrived. Although I rebooted my phone and turned on the roaming, it didn't like that. So I shut off the roaming and turned it back on, which seemed to do the trick. I plan to get out this morning and do at least one geocache, and it's in the parking lot of the store. Now, how convenient is that? 

I have the best job in the world! I have access to some incredible toys and the time (OK -- so I'm lying about that) to make samples. I just need to put these samples on the priority list. This is the kind of job that works for the curious (that's me). Why does this thread work better than that? What does this tension dial do? I am amazed and likely will be until I die, but people are AFRAID of the tension dial on their sewing machine, and yet -- it's one of the machine's BEST features. It allows you to be so darn creative with so many products! I've known that for years!

You just wait --- I'm trying to put together a class that deals with tension and thread!! My biggest issue is how to deliver it, as I need to get a kit to the students, as I'm working with a thread company. I might try a small group on Zoom. 

Did I learn anything new yesterday? Although I wasn't here to learn anything (because I would hope that I know how the PFAFF creative icon 2 works, I did learn one thing that I needed to be made aware of! I am mostly here to observe and to get inspired. My brain about exploded yesterday and today's a new day! But I got confirmation that I know my stuff, which was equally important. I may have learned that a different delivery of the material I know might benefit me when I teach! 

Well, enough of me rambling on. It's time to get moving!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

On the move!

You guys have the best suggestions!!! I never thought about using the pockets on my new sewing machine cover to put things like the cord and the foot pedal! Yes!! 

I got zero sewing done yesterday as I had some e-mail to send out and things to finish before I left in the afternoon. All my machines were nicely shut down and the tables neat and tidy so it was good. 

That darn e-mail is a challenge to keep on top of! But I'm trying, however I have no idea what has happened to my phone now that I'm in a different country. Even though I have a US/Canada plan and I'm roaming and now connected to the hotel Wi-Fi, it doesn't like to download or send e-mail. HEY -- that's actually a good thing. I can still get e-mail on my computer at night and that's just fine with me! But the geocaching app will bring up the maps, but NO geocaches. Something is wrong. And I tried to make a phone call and that didn't work either.  

I did have time to do some moving in Studio B. I'm determined to get that table set up and get that machine going. But I had to laugh as I kept looking at the table and thinking that the floor was super crooked. When I moved it to the new spot -- same thing. Then I realized that one side of the legs was NOT in the same spot as the other! Oh silly me!!!

So my intend was to move the shelf that was in the main sewing space into the storage room. I was going to find a home for all this, swing the shelf around that is right beside it and add the new one. 

Stuff to move to make room for a shelf

However, when I started to pull the unit into the room, it became apparent that it's too tall!!  It fit in the door, but there's a drop ceiling in there (it's just below that multi-level laundry room of mine) and with some heating vents as well, this shelf is NOT destined to fit in that room. 

Oh shoot -- the ceiling is too short for this shelf

Now a smart person would have measured before, but I didn't feel like sewing so I forged ahead! And see what a mess that shelf unit is? It's a diasater. It's the last area that has not been sorted and I'm sure there's a lot of stuff on that shelf that could be pulled apart or sorted better or whatever. 

So it's currently sitting in the middle of the floor. I'll deal with it when I get back. I've often said that I'd like to move it out of that space. 

The other option and I think it's doable, is the stash room. I have two shelves and a bookcase in the middle of the room. I could bring that shelf in and add it to that island and still have room to walk around. The height will work as well, but that's going to involve a wee bit more moving and sorting. Do I want to go there? Well, I think I should. It might be time to go through the two shelving units in the stash room and deal with stuff there as well. 

Oh boy -- a can of worms just got opened, but since this is the last space, why not forge ahead and get it done!!!!

Where that shelf used to be

That big shelf sat in front of this other shelf which I access from the other side. That one holds some of my scrapbooking stuff. OK -- let's not even go there. It's a secret and I'm not ready to talk about it. But this is the perfect spot for that table and it won't stick out in the room.

A home for the quilting table

I think the legs are still cockeyed in this picture. Good grief --- why didn't I see that when I was setting it up? Then there is room to the left to put a small cabinet that I'm going to purchase on my way home. More on that as it's going to be a super place to store thread! Thanks to my friend Margaret for that tip. And I'm going to hang a quilt behind the table to get hide the back of the shelving unit. 

Oh yes --- Studio B is an evolving space, but hey -- if I want to get maximum functionality from it -- one must be constantly on the lookout to make that happen. Since the floor is clear and not carpeted, and many of my furniture is on wheels or can be folded down and moved, it's a snap to move things around. Once this last bit is done, I'll have to concede that the space is at 100% capacity and nothing more can be added unless something gets removed! 

The girls are hilarious as usual. I went to the door because Murphy was doing her little "please, let me in bark" going on. Yes -- she know not to bark like an idiot to be let in. Only to find one dog out and one dog in. It appears she wanted me to let Lexi out so they could play. Seriously??? Yep -- Lexi went out and they played together. Smart girls! But Lexi is such a princess that she can't ask -- she'll just sit there and wait? 

Mom -- Lexi wants to come out and play

So I got in the car and made sure I had clothes (always the last thing to pack), snacks (popcorn), passport, money and I was off. I'm in Rochester, NY which DH tells me is the HQ of Kodak. Remember them? What do they do now? Anyway -- I'm actually on the east side of Rochester in some small town. I'll be attending a sewing machine event today and tomorrow. Sort of as a helper, but mostly to observe and learn. I think a whole lot of learning is going on as the teacher is one of our BEST educators. She's so knowledgeable, it blows my mind!! 

If you have ever watched Karen on the PFAFF or Husqvarna Viking Facebook Lives -- that's who I get to spend two days with. I love watching her videos. If you haven't watched them you should. Her level of energy and creativity puts mine to shame and I'm pretty high up on both areas. 

And you have to love Zoom as I did my Zoom class last night from the hotel. So have a computer and Wi-Fi and you can do anything from anywhere! I LOVE it!!!

On that note, I'm off to have breakfast. I'm not sure I can do any geocaching here as my phone doesn't seem to work for everything.. Now why is that? 

No Grammarly today -- hopefully not too many errors! Sorry1

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

Done, Done, AND DONE!

 Yesterday, it was all about getting things done! I think it was one of my most productive retreat days ever! And how did that happen? I seemed to spend a bit more time sewing and a little less time chatting! 

But I still got to chat with everyone, and I still say that I have the best friends and we have the BEST time at Virtual Retreat! It's nice to know that we can laugh and chat without physically being with each other! And we solve all the world's problems! If quilters ruled the world!

OH -- here's something to be careful of. I noticed this at one of my Zoom sessions last week and yesterday. If you have a NEW iPad, be aware of the camera. ALL iPads now and some Macs come with the Center Stage camera, which TRACKS your movement in the room, and it's an ULTRA-WIDE ANGLE lens. Yep --- it's hilarious and creepy, so if you're on Zoom and move around the room -- that camera watches your every move. So be aware, but you can disable it!

And now to what I got done yesterday. 

Oh, I noticed a bit of plaster on the steps and then realized that when the picture fell off the wall, it took a chunk out of it! Ooops!! The walls need to be repainted anyway!

A chunk out of the wall

The binding is now completely on the first of eleven Quilts of Valour quilts!

Binding on one quilt for Quilts of Valour

Then I pulled out this small wall hanging that was trimmed and ready to put the binding on and noticed the edges were getting frayed from being carried around (an example for machine quilting), so I dug out some fabric. It's now bound and has little folded corners on the back (top) to use as a hanger. I did not take a picture of that. 

Small wallhanging - DONE

Then someone commented that I said I was going to work on my sewing machine cover. So that got pulled from the pile of stuff on the floor. I may have to deal with all that since to find a good home for my new machine, I want to move a relatively large shelf, which I'm sure when repacked properly, would hold a lot of space for more projects. So that involves a whole lot of moving and shuffling, but it would be nice to get that cluttered shelf unit out of the main sewing space. 

Let's just say there is stuff where I want to put the unit. So I will have to play Tetris a bit to make it work. That's not going to happen today or this week, as when I'm back later this week, I have quilts that need to be done! And they will be the focus of the next two weeks. 

The sewing machine UFO

I pulled out all the pieces of the sewing machine cover. This is the main body. A two-way zipper in the top can be opened up to access the handle. And the zipper was in, and the embroidery was done. 

The main body with the zipper installed

The two end pockets were also embroidered and done. 

The end pockets

The front and back pockets were also done! Oh yes -- another project that I had made good progress on and then abandoned. I know why I abandoned it! I didn't like how the lining was put in, so I left it. 

The side pockets

But yesterday was the day to tackle it, and so I did. The pockets were attached to the main body, and I tested it for size! Yep -- this fits perfectly on the smaller body sewing machines. 

The cover fits like a glove

As I was working on that, I contemplated how to put the lining in. Don't forget there's a zipper at the top, so you can't just whack in the lining. 

I chatted and listened, and before I knew it, the lining was in! I was going to leave the last bit of stitching around the zipper for this morning, but I decided to forge ahead, and now it's completely done! 

The COMPLETED sewing machine cover

It's quite pretty, but I'd rethink my choice of colors next time. I was trying to use lightweight linen from a particular company, and the colors were extremely limited. I will admit that I HATE that lightweight linen, as it frays like mad! 

The top of the sewing machine cover

And it seems to look different than the original. Their pockets didn't go all the way around, but who cares! It's done, and I like it. 

The side pocket

See - there are pockets all the way around. 

Nice big pockets all around the cover

The back

The opposite side

I need to find more UFOs like that to work on for the UFO club. I got that done in a couple of hours! But I will say with the UFO club that I'm tackling HUGE projects that take way more than a couple of hours, and that's good because those need to also get done! I might save smaller ones for Monday sewing and Virtual Retreats. 

And sadly, this will go on a sewing machine in my storage room, so no one will see it, but I don't care -- it's no longer a UFO, and my sewing machine will have a cover while in storage. The sewing machine in question is my Designer 1, which will become my travel machine for retreats and workshops. That sounds good to me. And now I have to make a couple more covers (four to be exact) to cover the machines that sit out in the workspace. Those larger machines are just too heavy to carry to retreats. 

However, the other covers will NOT be this fancy, and I won't put that zipper in the top, although I like the idea of having an opening in the top. I will quilt up some yardage (I like the small layer of padding around the machines) and make some quick ones. I have to think about the pattern for that!

I don't know why I didn't get a good sleep last night. I could go to sleep but couldn't seem to stay asleep. Now, why is that? I'll be having a little nap right after lunch! But I'm off to spin class!

Then it's Monday sewing, and I have another binding on the table ready to go. I like cleaning off the table and closing the machine every night. It doesn't take much to open it up and rethread the needle when I sew, and it keeps the machine and the area neat and tidy if I'm not working. Oh, shoot --- the under-the-desk drawer- tomorrow!

OH --- I forgot to mention that a retired librarian (Elaine) was on the call, and she was a wealth of information. Thanks to her, I found a WEALTH of resources in Hoopla, so there'll be more on that another day! WOW!!!! I'll never want for something to read or something to browse with that service available for FREE to residents of this city. It's almost like we have TOO many resources and can't keep on top of them all. 

And here's the last post for QUILTsocial. Check it out --- so cute. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

It's all about the pre-cuts!

Oh, shoot -- I forgot to get a picture of the under-the-desk drawer situation. Something to look forward to tomorrow!

More great classes yesterday on using pre-cuts and scraps. I've got my share of pre-cuts, and I need to use them up! The class (hosted by The Hobby Horse) runs until June, and if you didn't sign up, I think you missed the boat. The discussions we've had so far have made me WANT to use these things up, and I'm getting ideas on what to do with the pre-cuts. So this is what I'm tackling during the class. 

My box of pre-cuts

This project box is filled with pre-cuts from Tim Holtz. I have three small bundles of squares; however, I have lost one, or there was one square missing; I seem to have 29, not 30. I have two small jelly rolls for a total of 36 strips (or something like that), a Fat Quarter bundle of about a dozen fabrics, and some yardage. My goal for this sew-along is to get that used up! 

This is what one project looks like. 

One project cut and ready to sew

However, I'm sad to say there's likely enough fabric in the box to make three, if not FOUR, quilts. Then I have one more jelly in blues and greens that I want to use up during the sew-along. 

The next jelly roll to use up!

And I have three of these smaller jelly rolls in my favorite color, and I also want to use those during this sew-along. 

One of three small jelly rolls

So as the group struggles to find suitable patterns for their pre-cuts, I'll be with them. Stay tuned to see what we come up with for creations. Some pre-cuts are super easy to work with, others - well, not so much. 

And there's the scrap sew-along as well, and all I can say is that this group is motivated to get their scraps in order. I can't believe how much sorting and organizing was done last month! Soon -- they'll be choosing a pattern to work on! 

I'm so impressed!!!! I can't wait to see what they create now that they know what they have for scraps!

We had our reveal for the Tula Pink Butterfly class the other night. I'll share those photos with you this week. I managed to complete mine, but I'm not happy with those big borders. They are heavy and don't do a thing for the quilt. So they will get ripped off, and something else put in its place. It's a shame because I cut up perfectly good yardage to do that border, and well -- I guess it can be used in a scrap quilt! It may still end up in the border but in a different way. But the color just seems wrong as well. Sigh.............

Tula Pink Butterfly

This is the pile of stuff I'm supposed to address during the Virtual Retreat this weekend, but at the rate I'm going, I'll be working on this pile for many days. However, there's a box under the orange quilt that needs to be moved to another location, so it's not as bad as it appears. 

Stuff to address during the virtual retreat

And there's the quilt that needs to be bound. The binding is, and it's attached to the back of the quilt and ready for the topstitching this afternoon. 

A quilt to be bound

And I have some giant quilts to quilt and others that need to be done before Christmas, so I got to work yesterday, and this got accomplished. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And during the retreat, I fixed the half-square triangle in my orange quilt. It was twisted, and while I could have left it, it didn't look right!

A repair job

So this is what it looks like now. It's ready to be quilted!

All better!

I decided it was time to get that skid unpacked that's been in the garage for weeks. It was very warm, and I wouldn't have to freeze as I worked in the garage. It took forever to get the shrink wrap off, and then I contemplated how to deal with the two big heavy boxes. DH was away, so this was the perfect opportunity to get it in the house. SHHHHH!!!!! 

I opened the first box and brought the contents downstairs piece by piece, and there was no way I would be able to lift it. 

The first box

The other one? It was equally heavy and huge. But I managed to angle it up the three steps from the garage to the laundry room. Then up three more steps into the house. Hey - if the Egyptians could build pyramids out of massive stones, I could move this large box. It's all about angles and inclines! 

I scooted it across the floor to the stairs and carefully guided it down the stairs as I let gravity do all the heavy work. And there it sits. I haven't had time to unpack it -- it's not easy, so I'll see how it goes today. 

The second box is downstairs

I may have added a mark or two to the wall on the way down, and oops -- picture flew off the wall, but nothing got broken! And the box is downstairs! 

A mark or two may have got added

What's in the box? If you want to know -- you have to look it up. 

What's in the box?

I got the table set up, which was in the first box. 

The table

It needs to be leveled before I go further, as the floor is uneven in that corner. A sewing machine sat in that corner on a portable table. I may have a buyer for that sewing machine, and I'll store the portable table in the storage room. I mean -- how many sewing machines do I need? I'm not sure this is the right corner; I don't like that it's blocking the bookcase, and once the machine is on the table, it will be cumbersome. I'll be thinking about that today. Perhaps I could collapse one of my other tables? I've got some thinking to do. 

I popped into Homesense on my way home from the mall and spotted this cushion. What a cute idea; however, if I filled this with treats, the girls are NOT patient enough to wait for one treat a day; they would rip the pockets off and eat everything at once! 

A dog cushion advent calendar

And can you believe the title of this book I found when I was looking for something else? What is our world coming to? Sigh...................

I've got 40 minutes left on my audiobook, so I may listen while I walk the dogs so that I'm done. Another good read, but I might take a break for a week from this series. I don't usually read a series back to back, but these stories are so different from each other that it's doable. 

And here's the last day of QUILTsocial. I just LOVE the final project!!! I don't see the final day on the website, so this may be a repeat of what I posted yesterday. 

And don't forget that it's Virtual Retreat weekend, so from NOON to day until whenever, we're online sewing. And while I may not get as much done as if I were sewing myself, it's a great chance to share ideas and realize you are NOT alone in anything that goes on in your life! We share the joys and the sorrows, and it's great therapy! 

And here's the link to Sunday, November 27, starting at NOON.

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

The dates for the Virtual Retreat in December are the 17th and 18th since the regular date would fall on Christmas Eve, and well, I don't know how many people would attend! I'd be there, but likely by myself! I may have a short retreat on Christmas Eve since some of us won't be doing anything! So watch for that. 

WOW  --- the days are just whizzing by, and there's so much to do! One more short trip this coming week, and then I'm heads down at the long arm. It won't take long to get back on track, so if you have a quilt waiting to be quilted, it WILL be done soon. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I am NOT a thief

OK -- so this happened yesterday, and it's not about Murphy!

I went to the mall - OK -- so I went to check out the flip phones, and I thought I'd also buy some yarn. I know -- I do not need more yarn, but this gorgeous chenille yarn is so fun to use with the embellishment attachment for my embroidery machines. The day before, I had seen white, which I didn't have. 

As I entered Walmart, I noticed someone had called me and thought I'd call them back. I did NOT have earbuds with me, so I had to hold my phone to my ear. 

I got to the craft section and wandered around, looking at everything while chatting. Then I hit the yarn and started looking at all the options. I'm still on my phone. I must have been on the call for about 10 minutes? I didn't check. I finally hung up and, by this time, had decided to get white and light pink. 

Chenille yarn

I turned to leave and spotted not one but TWO security guards ambling toward me. Oh - I never thought much about that. 

Then I'm going down the store's central aisle to the cash, and an employee with a cart breathlessly asks me, "Do you need help?" Seriously??? No one asks if you need help, especially when walking through the store. You can never find someone when you want them. 

OH NO!!!! I bet they thought I was trying to shoplift, and people popped out of the woodwork to see what I was doing! Yikes! 

And I wasn't hard to spot in my BRIGHT ORANGE jacket and orange headband. Think about it, people - if I were going to shoplift, I'd wear a hoodie and sunglasses! In hindsight, some people wouldn't care what they wore if they were going to steal. I made it through the self-checkout -- I don't even know if there is any other kind at the store these days. And through the buzzer at the door - it did NOT beep. And I was good! 

At least they were on the ball, but I wonder if they would have stopped me and looked in my shopping bag? Can they do that? Or was just their presence enough to "scare" me? I guess I did give them a reason to pause since I was loitering in the store while on my phone! I bet they get a lot of that, and I'm going to guess that's why I got the reaction I did! 

And I thought it was only Murphy who got into trouble!

I never even thought that it was Black Friday. The mall was busy but not crowded, so it never even crossed my mind. 

However, I did see a few people waiting to get their picture with Santa, who was now sitting on the fireplace!  

Santa at the mall

The display at the mall is really quite pretty. 

Christmas display at the mall

Back to the phone thing. I'm tempted to get rid of this phone, but I won't! I'm too cheap, and it doesn't happen all the time. However, I'm not alone in having dead spots in my house, or my phone cut out. I need to investigate what could be causing the interference. But they now have deals that you can lease your phone for $5 a month? Seriously?? I need to call about my current contract. That's practically stealing the phone! 

Why would you buy a phone if you can lease the latest for $5 a month? I bet they jacked up the cost of the service to compensate for that. 

I laughed at this sign about fire prevention close to the mall. 

A fire prevention sign near the mall

On its own, it's not a big deal, except it's right beside a restaurant that burned down a couple of years ago, and nothing has been done with the space! I thought it was ironic! 

The birds are back in town! I've no idea how those birds know that seed has been put out, but they seem to sense it. Now to see who comes -- I've got suet and bird seed, but I need to find some sunflower-only seed for the cardinals. 

One of the bird feeders

And here's the front windows - barricaded for Murphy's safety and to prevent me from buying a new window. See those small tables? The vents are under the tables, but she still managed to pounce on that one I had to repair the other day. 

The barricaded windows

And the bike prevents her from jumping on the big window. I HATE when people walk by with their dogs, and Murphy is going mad, and they stay there, thinking it's funny! Seriously -- move on!!! I'm tempted to put a big sign out there. $10 to stop and watch my dog go mad or get your butt and mutt moving!

I'm down to three hours and a bit on The Storm Sister. OK -- so the characters in the book are as frustrated as I am with decisions being made. So there better be a good reason for all that before I finish! I will admit there is one problem with an audiobook -- it's hard to go back and find a particular spot. Or they need to have a chart someplace with the main characters listed, or you have a discussion with someone about the book. Many characters' lives are intertwined, and the names are hard to catch, as they are Norwegian! 

There's another QUILTsocial blog post for you to check out. I'm so excited about what I made this week and how easy it was to do!! I've got many other ideas rolling around in my head. 

OH --- and if you want to get the latest issue of QUILTsocial magazine, you can check out this link. 

Don't forget it's Virtual Retreat tonight and tomorrow. Remember --- ANYONE can join our shenanigans. It's just a bunch of us from around the country (and the world) to share our love of sewing and keep each other company. It sure beats sewing alone!! You can pop in to say HI or stay all day! It's up to you! And some people come and go as permitted in their schedule! I've got a HUGE stack of stuff to take care of this weekend. Mostly fixed things that I didn't like about a project I recently finished! More on that tomorrow!

Here's the link to Saturday, November 26, starting at 6 PM. 

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

And here's the link to Sunday, November 27, starting at NOON.

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

The dates for the Virtual Retreat in December are the 17th and 18th since the regular date would fall on Christmas Eve, and well, I don't know how many people would attend! I'd be there, but likely by myself!

And now I must go as I still have one more presentation to prepare for this morning. Oops - I should have done it yesterday, but I did not. 

No time to tell you about the under-desk drawer, hopefully, tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

 

Progress in Studio B

OH MY GOODNESS - Tammy --- you're the best! Tammy just saved me a trip to IKEA and money! Instead of buying a desk with drawers, did you know you can buy a drawer unit that fits under your table? I just Googled them, and there are MANY options, so that looks like an excellent idea for ALL of my worktables. I might buy one to test it out and then see how that goes! Thank you, Tammy!!! It looks like I'm only going to find them at my favorite online store. So be it! 

And the item that I wanted and couldn't find, but Heather managed to find, should arrive by December 1. Imagine having to buy an English game in Quebec. I bet no one else thought to look there! And I'm surprised it didn't come up in the Google search! It is SOLD OUT everywhere, but not in Quebec! 

I have some very resourceful friends/readers, and I appreciate all the advice and help I've received over the years. 

Oh, I should mention that Cathie told me that using a hair dryer to heat the labels will melt the glue, and they peel off easily. Now I must find another sticky label and try that! And then to find a hair dryer! 

And for whatever reason, my nose is running like mad this morning. Well, that's not true, but it's stuffy and running, and I know it's because of allergies or this house or the dogs or something. I've popped a pill, and let's hope it kicks in!

Although I got lots of sewing done, I didn't make it downstairs to sew until late in the afternoon. Why? I had a massive paperwork job that HAD to be done, which took hours! But I found everything I needed and got a system going, and it was done. There is much more paperwork to do, but that was the worst job, and now it's over. I hope to get back to the paperwork in the morning and sewing all afternoon routine. 

The ironing board is clear, as I needed to press some large seams. 

Clear ironing board

The cutting table is clear, which is good as I needed it to add a border. 

Clear cutting table

The sewing tables are clear except for a quilt that will be bound - well, no, I don't have time to bind a quilt today, so that will get moved. 

But I was using the worktables last night as my conference area, and I watched a webinar on my iPad and Googled stuff on the computer. 

Gathering information

There's so much information out there that you could NEVER tire of finding something to watch. And rather than watching an entertainment show, I'm watching information-gathering shows. Oh my god -- I've turned into my DAD!! He watches YouTube for hours! Not for entertainment, but to learn stuff!

OK, let's see what I accomplished in the sewing department. I got the backing for my orange quilt. 

The backing for a quilt

OH -- I never showed you the orange quilt, and I finished it for UFO and never posted it here. Or did I? Well, here it is again. 

My chunk of the month quilt top - DONE

I didn't get the color gradation quite right in the orange, but honestly -- I'm thrilled with it. I'm thrilled to pieces since it's been a UFO for almost 10 years. It's my design, and I intend to redo the pattern and make it available to you. The old pattern is on my desk, waiting for its turn in the paperwork! 

The binding is also made, and this quilt is now in the "to be quilted" pile. 

Binding for the orange quilt

If you wish to see what the Mississauga Quilter's Guild members did with theirs, check out this link. 

I cut the missing piece for my Tula Pink Butterfly quilt, and that's all I will say about that. The final reveal is TONIGHT! 

The missing piece for the butterfly quilt

I'm up-to-date with all the blocks for Toes in the Sand. This is a sew-along hosted by Thimbles and Things and taught by me! I love the colors! A mix of Kaffe Fassett and my stash. 

My blocks for Toes in the Sand

I laughed when I finally got downstairs to sew. I opened my little box and found the magnetic pincushion was stuck to the lid. That's OK since I rarely use the pincushion, I don't need it, and it conveniently got itself out of the way!

My little toolbox

I added the items on the cutting table to the items on the floor. Yikes-- this is getting out of hand. But I aim to assign time to work on each project (or more or less commit to doing it now) or find a home for the stuff in a closet. Or there's an empty bin in this pile that could be used to "hide" the stuff -- make a list of what's in it and tuck it away, so things don't look so unruly. I know I can find a home for most of it quickly. YES -- let's do that today -- WAIT -- I have homework to prepare for two classes tomorrow. Then I can tackle this and the current projects table. They need to be addressed before the end of the year. 

The stack of stuff that needs to be addressed!

Can you see the slobber and dirty paw prints on this window? This is the FRONT window. And Murphy has a bad habit of jumping at the window if she sees something of interest outside. So we've had to block the window off with a wrought iron bike to prevent this from happening. I imagine her breaking the window, and it wouldn't be pretty! When they test windows, I bet they didn't try an excited dog repeatedly banging on it!

Dirty paw prints on the window

It's hard to judge in the photo, but those prints are pretty high up as that is a large window. Yep - she would stand in her bed and pound! Sigh............. 

My phone is getting very annoying. It's cutting out regularly now, and I do NOT want to buy a new one. I can get a new one for $300 through the insurance plan, the $300 being the deductible. My current one is so unreliable - I'm starting to hate it! I may walk to the mall just to enquire, and I can look at the flip phones!

I see that Torry is also reading The Seven Sisters series. Oh my --- this book is heartwrenching. Just when you think things are going well, they aren't, and some of the decisions made by the characters? Honor and love? We don't have that kind of honor and love in today's society! I know it's only fiction, but there are characters I've wanted to reach out to and strangle! Just over six hours left to read in four days. I'll make it, and I see the next one is available at one of our joint libraries. Should I get it now? Well, I'll wait until this one is done -- no need to waste a couple of days, and I see it's shorter -- only 19 hours!

I see it's time to get moving. The temperature is very out of whack these days! It's so warm -- I wore a vest on my afternoon walk and almost died of the heat! 

Don't forget there's another day of QUILTsocial to read. This week, I did actual projects, and you will love them. 

And it's Virtual Retreat weekend!! 

Here's the link to Saturday, November 26, starting at 6 PM. 

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

And here's the link to Sunday, November 27, starting at NOON.

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

The dates for the Virtual Retreat in December are the 17th and 18th since the regular date would fall on Christmas Eve, and well, I don't know how many people would attend! I'd be there, but likely by myself!

And that's a wrap for today! I've got loads to do -- quilting and sewing. Unpacking and paperwork! All in a day's work!!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!