Travel Day

 Instead of getting stuff ready for tomorrow or getting some sleep, I'm instead sitting at my "computer" and blogging. Don't worry - it's as much for me as it is for you!

I had an over night flight from Toronto to Madrid. I was extremely fortuate that my ticket was upgraded to Business Class, so I got the use of the lounge before I left and the flatbed for the flight. 

Theh flight was 10:55 PM and we pushed away froom the gate at 10:55 PM. Last year, my flight to Paris was delayed and was loading right beside a flight to India. It was chaos. This was quiet and very civilized. 

We had dinner on the plane, but I wasn't hungry as I had something to eat in the louge and I wasn't really fond of anything on the menu. I really wasn't hungry. I grabbed the eye mask as soon as the seat belt sign was off, I was in dream land. It was a pretty comfortable bed and I only got up once to go to the washroom. 

It was quiet as a mouse on that flight. I woke up when I heard them serving breakfast and found they had already arranged my tray table as I had asked. I had asked to be woke for breakfast. Good thing I had breakfast because I didn't eat much the rest of the day. 

I had to check my backpack because of the walking sticks, but all was good and I was soon on my way to get to the Madrid train station. Although I had been there before, I had forgotten how to get there. 

Oh yes --- take a bus to Terminal 4 from Terminal 1 and catch the train. So I got the bus to Terminal 4. Then I had to remember how to get the high speed train. That train station is still under major renovations on the top floor, but at last I found the place. I saw there was a train a 13:03, but it was 12:50 and I wasnˋt going to make it. 

The line was long, and I asked a young girl. You can buy online she says, so she set it up on my phone and soon I had an electronic ticket for the train which was leaving at 14:58. 

So I had a two-hour wait when all I wanted to do was sleep. The train station was noisy, hot, and crowded. I spotted a man with a Camino sign on his packback but he didn't speak english, but he was on the same train, so we stood together. 

But not before, I tried sitting on the floor for a bit. I tried reading, I ate the yogurt from my breakfast. OH - I threw in one last minute packing item - a spork. There are times when that comes in handy. I'm glad I threw it in, as it would have looked a bit off if I had licked the yogurt from the container!!!

When taking the train, you must wait to see what platform you need to get on. The first year I was in Europe, that threw me off. But I got the hang of it now. However, the departure time came and went and no train. As a matter of fact, there were NO trains. And the crowds got bigger and the station got hotter. I just prayed no one fainted, After about 40 minutes, a platform was announced and we all rushed to the gate. 

Now can you tell me why when there is this narrow passage and people have been standing around for at least an hour, that people decide they need to wade upstream through the crowd? Go around for heaven's sake. 

The ticket agents were on the platform and one lady decides to avoid them. No idea why - the young female ticket agent didn't any flake from the older woman and yelled at her to stop, which she did. Good grief - we have assigned seating!!!!

That train ride was about two hours long, but now late and we arrived in Leon shortly after 6 PM. I gathered my things and started to walk to the old part of Leon, where the cathedral is and where the albergues are and where the Camino passes through. 

I found an albergue and I swear, it is not busy!!! They have a dormitory and rooms for three. I got a room for three to myself (paid extra) because I think Iˋm going to need a good nights sleep and itˋs very hot, with no AC, so Iˋguessing clothing and covers might be otpional. Not that you wanted to know that, but itˋs a reality on the Camino. 

Sleeping in the dormitory requires a bit more decorum. And I can get all my stuff  organized so itˋs easy to find. 

I also have my own bathroom, so thatˋs good. I better enjoy this day of luxuries because tomorrow I walk and itˋs going to be hot!

I walked to the cathedral and there are loads of people. I wanted to get a photo in front of the LEON sign, but there were too many people sitting on it. Oh well. 

Then I went to find a place to eat. There are loads of restaurants as this is a very tourist area. OK -- so ordering off a Spanish menu is interesting. I saw the words salmon and salad and that was fine with me. Only to discover it also contained a cold poached egg. ACK!!!!! Thank god I ordered bread with it and I managed to eat it. It actually wasnˋt nearly as bad as I though it would be!!!!

I also had two cokes. They were small, but very refreshing. I will endulge for the duration of the trip and then Iˋll be off it again. I did not spot those pastries yet, but letˋs see what the mmorning brings. 

Travel days are always interesting and full of learning experiences. What did I learn? If you don't know something - ask. I find the Spanish train stations are filled with people to help and even if they speak broken English, it's enough to get you to the next step. 

I've learned that patience is important. If you get angry or frustrated, you are only ruining your day, so let it go My goal was to arrive tonight and I did, just a bit later than planned, but it didn't change anything. And lastly -- you must enjoy the moment. I am the one who wanted to do this trip and if I get mad or frustrated at everything, Iˋm only ruining my vacation. 

Those little things are character buildiing and they make me a better person. 

My one sentence for my Happiness Journal: Business Class travel is great  -especially for a night flight. A long travel day, but only one major delay which today is GOOD. 

I donˋt have a spell or grammar checker and itˋs very hard to go back and edit, so hopefully, you can make sense of what I wrote. 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

What I did before I left

 As I write this, I see stormy clouds outside the window. The flight is on time and expected to leave in 5½ hours. Let's pray that it stays on time. Last year, the flight was delayed and it was exhausting. But at least I'll be in the Maple Leaf lounge, which helps. 

There are pros and cons to leaving first thing in the morning or last thing in the day. On long trips like this, I'm good to leave at night and hopefully get a good sleep on the plane. So, if all went well, I should be across the ocean when this gets published. 

Just a couple of notes: The internet has always been great on the Camino, but there might be a time or two when I can't find reliable Wi-Fi. If that happens, I won't be able to blog. If there is no blog, don't panic! I have good communication (What's App) with the people I need to stay personally connected to. If I don't put anything on What's App, we all better start worrying!

My plan is to post to Facebook daily—probably in the afternoon after I've arrived at my destination for the night. You'll be able to track me and see where I am, and there will be pictures. I'm unsure how easy it'll be to post photos to the blog. I'm not going with any expectations. I know what I want to accomplish, but the first year sort of squashed those plans. I now know that you do what you can, and if you get to the end, you get to the end. If you don't, there's always another year. 

I have nothing booked except for a flight home near the end of August. Oh, and there is a 6-hour time difference. So when it's 7 AM in Canada, it's 1 PM in Spain. There will be a slight disruption in the time the posts get published, and a day or two might be missed.  

Anyway, it was a good thing I left at night because I ran around like an idiot getting everything done. The bags of mulch were "planted" in the garden in the morning before it got hot. In the afternoon, I spread them as best I could, but not before I had to do some weeding.  

The bags of mulch planted in the garden

The books have been dropped off at the book sale location. They conveniently had shopping carts to get the books from your cart to their office. 

Dropping off the donation books

The ten quilts are also dropped off for Quilts of Valour. There are only two things left in the Pony Express staging area; one will be picked up in a couple of weeks and the other in about one month. I'm impressed that I was able to clear that area. 

The Pony Express staging area

I made a quick trip to the post office to mail off one small item. That was my daily walk. It was short, but I met my walking quota for the day with everything else. 

While I was tidying up the garden, pulling out a few weeds, and placing those bags of mulch, Miss Murphy had a moment. She grabbed one of her teddy bears; he is now a flat teddy bear. 

MOM -- I'm frustrated and the bear gets it!

I stopped and got dog food for her. She goes through the bags of food twice as fast as Lexi. I also bought her a small swimming pool. The other one is in the backyard, but I think it's probably got a hole in it now. So it's now filled with water, and I think Lexi was more interested in it than Murphy. 

MOM -- we got a new pool!!!

I bought two pairs of shorts, but I'm only taking one pair with me. That's to replace the sarong I've worn in the afternoons in the past. I decided I wanted something a little more sturdy, so shorts it is. They are sports shorts and good grief, so many pairs have a liner in them. I don't want that extra layer, and I found two pairs without it. 

I think almost everything is packed in the bags. Technically, I have three - one that will get checked. I know -- the least amount of luggage, and I need to check it. That's because my walking sticks are in there and are NOT allowed in the cabin. Sigh.....  Then there's my little backpack for the plane. This will be used in the afternoon to go to the grocery store or wherever, although I also brought my lightweight folding bag. If I have to have my backpack forwarded, the folding light one doesn't work well to carry my daily supplies. So this small backpack works great to be worn as a small backpack. And it looks a little more elegant in business class than my red nylon bag! 

And then there's my flat waist belt. Together, those three things weigh 14.8 lbs. There are a lot of coins in the waist pack, which adds to the weight, so I plan to spend them first! But I'll be wearing that, so it doesn't count as weight for my back. I'm guessing the total weight in all three (I have to add my phone, glasses, and hat) will be 13.5 lbs. I'm OK with that since it will be distributed, and some will disappear quickly, like those coins. I added my sweater, and the darn three items weigh 14.8 lbs. That's still manageable, but a bit more than I wanted. However, since some weight is in the waist pack, it's not going on my back. 

Packed and ready to go

We had an interesting discussion the other day about how much we carry in a day. Do you use a purse, cross-body bag, or waist belt? I'm all about carrying the LEAST amount of stuff that I can. I used to take a huge bag of crap to work every day in the event I needed something. I never needed it, and all I got was a bum shoulder! The good news is that my rotator cuff is not torn, but it hurts like mad, especially after all the lifting and carrying I did. Pills! I need pills! I didn't get the details from the doctor, only that there is no tear. So there must be a sprain - a strain or tendon issues? 

I'll get the rest of the information when I'm back. 

As I was working in the office, I looked out the window and spotted this squirrel. 

A squirrel aiming for as much breeze as possible

Seriously?? He was flat on his tummy - the same way Murphy lies. I guess he was hot and trying to stay cool. I'm going to miss those two fur babies!! Murphy is just a big goof, and yes -- she was perched on the rocks, and as soon as she let the ball go, it rolled into the pond. Now, how did we know that was going to happen? 

Mom - I'm going to need help!

Well, there you have it --- hopefully, all is well and I'll be sleeping in an albergue. Yeah - bunkbeds!!!!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Pack ONLY what you need

Where did all this humidity come from? I don't mind the heat, but the humidity can be a killer—it makes everything feel damp! 

But I continue to walk—it's good practice for my upcoming trip. One thing that I'm very much looking forward to is that most of that walk will be done in the countryside or small villages, and there will be no cars or very few. The idiots in this area are, well, idiots! TWICE yesterday, people came whipping around a corner, looking left as I stood on their right! 

One must be vigilant and NEVER trust anyone. I'm not afraid to yell at them! 

It was a great day, as we had Monday Sewing, and I tried to focus a bit more. So what happened? I'll show you in one second, but all I can say is there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

The eagle is done. This was the only applique on one of the borders, but it involved many fiddly turns. This applique would be a breeze if the edges were straight or somewhat straight. But with the double blanket stitch, it takes a bit of thought as I'm stitching, especially when turning the corners. 

The sky borders are done! 

It's not perfect, but it's perfect enough for me!! 

Detail of the stitching

Once the applique on that border was complete, I stitched it to the central part of the quilt. YES --- I can definitely see the end, even though each quilt has FOUR more border sections and a LOT of appliques. Slow and steady!!!

Quilt Number One

And there's the second quilt with that one border stitched in place. 

Quilt Number Two

This morning, I went back to cutting out another applique project on the digital cutter, but I forgot to take pictures. This one will have the applique stitched using the embroidery machine. It is much faster but less relaxing. Or is it faster? It's certainly not cheaper! While finishing the edges might be quicker, it takes a lot of time to set it up so you can do the machine embroidery. 

Someone asked me why I didn't convert the patterns in Cabin in the Woods to machine embroidery. Well, I could have, but at least I used the digital cutter to cut them out. Sometimes, it's just way more hassle to deal with technology. And quite frankly, doing some stuff by hand is extremely important. Those kinds of things teach patience, and we all know that everyone in this world needs more patience. 

So, instead of focusing on the technology, I go within my brain and dream up other things while I'm stitching those appliques. I have zero issues with it once I get started! 

Well, I was going to take pictures of my stuff, but then I packed them in the backpack and forgot the pictures. Let's just say there is NOT much going in the backpack. My goal is to have that backpack weigh no more than 12 lbs. Just for fun, as I was packing, I decided to weigh the categories to see how much they weighed. The backpack itself weighs 2.2 lbs. The walking sticks weigh .9. My two pairs of shoes weigh 2 lbs. But I'll have one pair on at all times, so I won't technically carry all that on my back. My clothes weigh 3.1 pounds (still one pair of shorts to be added), but again, I'll be wearing part of the clothes, so I won't be carrying all that on my back. 

I reduced the medical supplies to the bare minimum—scissors, pills (just pain meds—which I hope I won't need), tape, gauze, and some small packs for bandaging open wounds like blisters, which I hope I won't need. 

Toiletries are also at a minimum—a small bar of soap and a tiny bottle of shampoo, along with toothpaste and a toothbrush, a comb, clippers, and maybe one or two other small items. One does not need much. 

The electronics are packed as well: three chargers, a keyboard, and a power converter. I'll wear my Fitbit, and I'll carry my phone, money, and all the important stuff in a small, flat waist pouch. 

After taking out the clothes I will wear when I leave, I weighed the backpack. Can you guess how much it weighs? 10.8 lbs. My snack bars are even included in that total! WOW -- I did excellent at the packing. I've seen people carry all kinds of optional stuff on a walking trip. Bottles of lotions, potions, heavy clothing, books, journals, etc. And while some people may feel they need those things, they all become super heavy when you carry them for 30 KM in high heat. 

It makes me chuckle when I think of packing for a regular visit somewhere—I try to put everything in a carry-on, and it usually weighs about 22 pounds. When I pack my sample bags, I'm trying to keep them under 50 lbs. And my little backpack is less than 11!!!

If there is anything I've missed, I can buy it there. I have to laugh because there is that last-minute panic-packing when I go on a quilt retreat. That NEVER happens on a walking vacation, and everything is something that I will use. I was contemplating throwing in an actual book, but I won't. I have an e-book on my phone and can download more if needed. 

I still have emails to send and errands to run, and there are still bags of mulch in the garage. Oops—I forgot about those. So it's going to be a busy day, but I have time, and I'm not in a panic. 

I have a couple of interesting articles to share with you. The first one is about an Olympic quilt, which is very cool. 

The second one concerns Quilter Tattoos. There are many other interesting blog posts on this site (Quiltfolk), but I still need to check them out. 

And that's a wrap for today. 

Have a super day!! Don't melt!

Ciao!!!!

Where do you store your quilts?

Energy! I'm not sure how much energy I'll have later today. Sleep eluded me last night for some reason, and I'm sure I'll take a big nap later. But that's OK. 

Oh my—these pens do actually run out of ink! This is a promotional pen, but it must be a deluxe one because it really is the best pen around. It writes nicely and feels nice to hold, and I love it. Thank goodness I have several of them, as this poor one is done! There is some satisfaction in having a pen run out of ink rather than losing it! 

Bye-bye pen!!

Do you want to see why I bought a second metal shelf? The first one is going to stay in the garage, and at some point, I need to get in there and start getting rid of stuff, but that's not for this week. As you saw yesterday, the shelf is assembled and upstairs. 

I had been to the dollar store and picked up pieces of foam core, which I sliced in half, and two pieces went on each shelf. 

Foam core sheets on the shelf

Then it was time to load it with quilts!!! Yep, there were quilts in a lot of places upstairs—on the floor and on the chairs—and it looked extremely untidy. So I refolded all of these quilts and put them on the shelf. I could fit a few more on, but this made me happy. 

A rolling shelf of quilts

I don't know how many quilts are on that care, but over 50, so getting them "out of the way" is huge! The fact that the shelf is on wheels and fits through a doorway means I can put it anywhere I want upstairs and it's tucked out of the way!! 

This bookcase was crammed with quilts, some of which are now on the rolling shelf. 

Quilts in the bookcase

Some smaller quilts are sitting in this bookcase. 

More quilts and tote bags

There are still some in one of the closets. 

Quilts in the closet

And a few on the other side of that same closet. 

Another shelf of quilts

And then there are those still hanging on the railing, although I managed to remove a few from there as well. 

Quilts on the railing

I put the quilts in some order for the trunk shows or ones I want to keep personally as they have special meaning. And then there's the rest. I NEVER wanted to give my quilts away—well, never is such a strong word, but I made them as class samples or for a magazine, and there was never any intent other than that to make the quilt. And each one is like a baby—you don't want to get rid of it. 

But as I work on the rest of the house, it's time to get rid of some of these quilts. WOW -- that is earth-shattering! Next thing you know, I'll be selling fabric! In the fall, my goal is to pick ten quilts that I never use in any trunk show or that I want to personally keep, and they will be donated to QOV. I'll probably be starting a pile for Project Linus as well, and I should set a goal of donating ten to each organization before the year is out. I may need to quilt one or two for Project Linus, but those are smaller and faster to finish. 

Here's a mind-blowing thought: If I finished one quilt each week in my Community project pile and my own "to be quilted" pile, it would take TWELVE years to clear the backlog! WOW!!!!! So I'll be scheduling some weeks where I can get five done in a week or something like that. Setting out the numbers is a great motivator to get things done! I don't want those quilts hanging around for twelve years!

Getting that shelf was the best storage solution for the quilts (at least for me), and it only cost $100. Yes, I could potentially have gone through and donated a good portion of them now, but I'm not ready! The storage unit at least keeps them off the floor and is easy to move. One day, I want to arrange that railing so they are not heaped on each other. It's all about moving forward, even if the steps are small. 

Mentally releasing those quilts is actually a HUGE step forward, and I'm quite excited about it. If you didn't guess, the foam core will prevent the quilts from getting indents from the shelf. The sheets don't completely cover the metal shelf, but they do cover enough that I think it'll prevent them from getting marks. It was a very cheap solution, costing less than $10 for the entire shelf unit. The proper shelf liners were going to cost $200!

I got some stitching done at the Virtual Retreat, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. However, I'm happy to report that this is what I accomplished. Again, I could have done more, but I made leaps and bounds, and progress is what it's all about. 

The two deer got done. And there were loads of fiddly bits on these guys!!!

Two deer are appliqued

Look at those antlers!!!! 

Lots of fiddly bits

And the deer on the second quilt are also done!!! 

BOTH quilt tops are at the same stage

That means that all the applique on the big center panel is done. The rest of the applique is on the borders, so turning on the sewing machine will be easier. We have Monday sewing today, and I'll work on one of the borders. I hope to get the one border for both quilts done today. 

We finished up the Virtual Retreat early last night, and I managed to complete the last two deer in one hour. It had taken me all day to complete the first two! I'm not productive on Zoom calls. 

And then I packed the quilt shelf last night after the Virtual Retreat and started to pack for my trip, which was probably not a good idea either. Too much excitement? Anticipation? 

Anyway, I sorted through everything that I had taken out of the closet. Oh, I see that it was exactly the way it was when I took it out of the backpack when I got home last year! Well, the clothes had been washed! 

Here is my meager stack of belongings for 30 days! It's hard to grasp how little there is. I should spread it out on the floor so you can see. Three T-shirts, one sweater, one pair of shorts, one pair of pants, three pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear, and two bras. I hope to buy a pair of shorts instead of wearing my sarong. But it's amazing how little one needs. There is a small bag of toiletries, medical supplies, and entertainment (pages ripped from a Sudoku book). OH -- and the bag of electronics, as I plan to blog when I'm away and need to keep things charged. 

My stuff for the trip

As I pack the various things into the backpack, I'll take pictures so you can see how little there is. 

Yep—and hopefully, it will all weigh 12 pounds or less. That's my goal. 

I accomplished a lot more paperwork in the morning, and there's still more to do today, but I've got things under control. I'm not trying to run around and do thousands of things before I leave later this week. The number is only in the hundreds! Just kidding!!! 

On that note, I'm off to spin class!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The gamble paid off!

I received a very exciting text and email early this morning. I only saw them while making my breakfast, and I rarely looked at my phone until 9 a.m. However, I'm UPGRADED to business class for my trip! At least the way there—I still don't have a ticket home yet. Yeah, the flight is late at night, and I get a flatbed. Life is good! Now, what will I do with the $1,200 I saved? 

I finished the binding on the 10th donation quilt. Yeah! That goal is done. 

The last binding is on!!!

All ten quilts are now in the Pony Express staging area, and arrangements for a drop-off have been made. There is one last item that I need to get ready: the books for donating to the book sale. The drop-off is on Tuesday, so I still have a day or two. 

The Pony Express staging area

Yeah -- this is a great system, and we've done very well as we learn to make it work! There's so much coming and going at my house that I needed an area, and this works like a charm. Lexi is happy to donate the top of her kennel to the cause. And she gets a few treats because she's such a good girl!

I was sorting a bucket of paper yesterday and came across this book. Oh yes -- this is one of the BEST half-square triangle books around. It's OLD - published in 1995 or something like that. I'm putting it with my buckets of trimmed HSTs so when I want some ideas for patterns, I won't have to look far! I swear that the older books are the best! 

A book on half-square triangles

I have figured out why I've been tired lately. I'm pushing the envelope as to when I go to bed. I need eight hours of sleep, and I haven't been getting that much, so of course, I'm tired! I had a nice nap in the gazebo yesterday, and it was glorious! The surroundings, the waterfall, the gentle breeze—you can't beat that! And for being in the city, it's pretty darn quiet! 

The view from the gazebo

Then, it was time for another task. I finally brought all the components for this shelf upstairs from the garage, where it's been sitting in pieces for a couple of months. Well, maybe not quite that long, but it's been a while. The shelf is 48" wide by 18" deep and if you have ever put one of these together, it's a two-person job. However, I did it myself. 

My unassembled shelf

Let's say there were a few "moments," like when half of one clip flew off the shelf and over the railing or the shelf got askew and was now jammed in place. The lower shelves are the hardest, and it gets easier as you get closer to the top. 

The bottom shelf in place

But soon enough, the shelf unit was assembled. And the BEST news? It fits through the doorway. I didn't think it would, but that was a super bonus. It's on wheels, so I can move it wherever needed!

The shelf fits through the doorway

Now, what's going on the shelf? You have to wait and see. I started, but I didn't finish yesterday. 

I got a lot of paperwork done in the morning, so that was good. There are still a few emails to write, and I should have just enough time to do that. Can you believe that I'm actually excited about doing paperwork now? Exciting might be too strong, but I don't resent it like I used to. 

We had a Virtual Retreat last night. What the heck was I going to work on? I decided I better get to work on my UFO. It's not due until September, but we all know that time flies!!!

I managed to finish the stitching around the bear. There are a lot of bumps on its perimeter! 

The applique bear

Here's a close-up of the stitching. I used my double blanket stitch, which I love, but it takes a bit more thought to avoid messing up the stitching. It wasn't a good thing to do while talking, but it looks just fine. 

Detail of the stitching

Then the question was - do I keep working on the one wall hanging, or go to the other one and do the same thing on it. Since my thread was chosen, I decided to go for the second bear. So it's also done. If you don't believe me, look at the purple paw prints - they are different!!!! 

The second bear applique

Of course, I had a helper. I discovered a huge hunk of Murphy's hair by my foot pedal. I probably dislodged it as I tried to sew, and she was trying to lick my feet. That dog has a thing for feet. 

A clump of Murphy's hair

Without having a quilt to load or prep for the long arm, I need something to do! So I have a project for the digital cutter and I  managed to cut out two blocks this morning. 

Cutting applique shapes with the digital cutter

Cutting out the shapes is as easy as pie if the SVG files already exist. I could do it blindfolded - well, maybe not, since having the fabric in the correct position is essential. You have to love the scanner to make that happen. I would like to get the remaining nine blocks cut, so let's see what happens. I also have a LOT of applique on those two quilt tops, and I said I would have them both done for the next UFO session. Hmm - I might have to rethink that! 

Let's hope that today will be as good a day as yesterday. Well, technically, the upgrade news came today. 

Someone asked where I'm starting this year. For the past two years, I've flown to Paris and taken the train to Saint Jean Pied de Porte, near the French/Spanish border. Let's just say that this year, that is not happening. I cannot imagine flying into Paris at this time. The security and whatnot would be insane. So I'm not flying to Paris! Hence, I'm starting somewhere else; you'll just have to wait to see where! It won't be long now! 

On that note, I should make a list of everything that needs to be done so I don't forget anything. I sort of have a list, but I might be missing a couple of things. I just remembered two things that need to be added. 

I've been walking up a storm, and my new daily required average is 12.5 km, down from 12.7 on July 17. That is great news. Yep, I continue to walk in the afternoon even if it's hot. Did you know that a wide-brimmed hat can make you feel cooler? Yes, it keeps the sun off your face and neck, so you can actually see instead of squinting. I used to think hats were overrated, but now I wish I had started wearing one sooner! 

If you didn't spot it yesterday, I put out the list of what I'm teaching in the fall. You must wait for the stores to put out their lists, and that's OK. You at least know of one project. My little experiment worked, but I had to open Outlook to trigger the rule that sends the acknowledgment. I hope that opening Outlook on my phone will trigger the rule. Oh - you'll get an acknowledgment when I'm back and open my desktop version. Outlook works in mysterious ways. 

Remember, we have a Virtual Retreat today starting at Noon. 

Here is the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

See you there!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Classes for the fall

YES -- it's about time I got myself together to announce the classes for the fall. 

The big news is that I'll teach Spice Market, a pattern by Wendy Williams. I LOVE the quilt, and I might be influenced by the colorway. But I'm going to change up that colorway just a bit!  

Spice Market quilt pattern

This quilt offers many great techniques to learn or perfect, including triangle shapes, circles, log cabins, pineapples, and much more! The pattern includes colored photos with quilting inspiration and close-ups of the blocks. 

Size:84" by 85". 

Fabric Requirements: Requirements are given by block, making it a great quilt to use scraps. You'll need 2¼ yards of the main color for the filler areas and the border. Pick a colorway and curate your scraps! Use solids, prints, or both! 

 Cost: $30 for NINE one-hour Zoom lectures (payable to myself via e-transfer). There's no need to send money now—it's a bit early. 

Pattern: The best place for Canadian shopping is hyggeligt.ca. And look at the pretty packaging the pattern comes in. $48 (includes free shipping)

Dates:  

October 26, 2024

November 23, 2024

December 14, 2024

January 25, 2025

February 22, 2025

March 22, 2025

April 26, 2025

May 24, 2025

June 14, 2025

Time: 9:30 AM EST 

Each class will include show-and-tell, which is the best part. We get to see how others change up their blocks to accommodate their skill and follow along with their colorways and adventures in creating their version of the quilt. 

The Zoom sessions will be recorded, and you'll have up to 30 days to watch. 

If you can't wait until the next session, there will be a Facebook group where you can share your photos and ask questions. 

A copy of the slides will also be made available. 

These online Zoom sessions are an incredible learning experience, and I've received fantastic feedback from previous classes. 

How to sign up: Email me (elainetheriault@gmail.com) and include Spice Market in the subject. Once you send me an email, you'll receive further instructions. Please note that you MUST have a copy of the pattern to participate in the class. 

If you have any questions about the class, send an email, including Spice Market in the subject. I will be able to answer specific questions until early September. Review the information above - I've tried to be very thorough. 

I look forward to a fabulous year working with YOU to make this fantastic quilt. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Continuing clubs:

The following clubs will continue until the end of the year. In November, I'll announce what's happening in 2025 for the clubs. 

• Embroidery 
• Digital Cutters 
• UFO x 2 
• Many Blocks 
• Out of the Box

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Offerings at other stores - if you are interested in what I'm teaching at the following shops, please get on their mailing list so you don't miss the information. All my classes will start in October, with the exception of The Hobby Horse, where the classes start in September. 

The Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe (Georgetown, Ontario) (in-person and on Zoom)

Thimbles and Things (Orillia, Ontario)  (on Zoom only) 

Stitch by Stitch (Kingston, Ontario) (on Zoom only) - mySewnet Embroidery Software

Needleworks Studio (Cochrane, Ontario) (on Zoom only) - mySewnet Embroidery Software

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to thank everyone who took a class or attended one of my lecture/demos. I appreciate all the wonderful feedback and all your support. It's people like you, who make me want to continue to teach. You make my job loads of fun and "coming to work" each day is blessed by your presence! 

Thanks again! 

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!!

The Pony Express is alive and well!

And there was yet another learning curve yesterday, and I succeeded! It has to do with email. I almost have the blog post ready that lists my classes for the fall. Writing the post was easy, but finding the dates and times took work! For one of the classes, you have to sign up with me, and I know people like to receive an acknowledgment of their email. I won't be able to do it for a couple of weeks. However, I can set that up via email, and I did. I tested it, and it seems to be working. 

The process was not without issues. I Googled the instructions, which were straightforward; however, the directory where the email needed to be saved was hidden. So I had to manually type in part of it, and then the appropriate folder popped up. Why is that? While help is helpful, it's sometimes more complicated than solving the problem. 

So yes, I can make email work better for me. I just have to learn what tools are available. That second blog post should go live, hopefully, before lunch today. 

This is not in the blog post, but if you're wondering how many new projects I'm starting, there are two and possibly a third—if I can find a couple of dates. Both projects start in October and end in June, so they are long projects. The other one will only have two or possibly three dates if we go ahead with it. The rest of the classes/lectures I'm taking are all about learning, finishing, or perfecting. No new UFOs to create! 

I'm trying very hard to practice what I preach, but it's still fun to start something new—but only if I intend to finish it. I will NOT begin something new just because! My goal is to finish! 

The Pony Express is alive and well. This was the staging area at my house in the morning. Well, except for Lexi! She gets to stay!

The staging area for The Pony Express

Two people came to pick up stuff, and I dropped off some stuff; it looks different this morning, but the large stack of quilts is still there. I have to make arrangements to drop those quilts off. I MUST do that this morning. (E-mail sent!)

I sure like those flat-rate boxes from Canada Post. I had two quilts to mail, so I went online to check the dimensions of the large box. Then, I folded both quilts so they fit that footprint. When I got to the post office and got the large box, the two quilts slipped into the box like a hand into a glove. 

A perfect fit

The box should be delivered by Thursday morning. M is excited to gift the quilts to her new niece and nephew—well, new by upcoming marriage, not new babies. I'm excited because two quilts are gone!

Then, it was down to the long arm to get that last quilt done. This is the 10th community project quilt, and it's done. It's actually a gorgeous quilt, all done in red flannels. I'd keep it, but I do not need another quilt. 

Community project quilt - DONE

It's trimmed, and I'll put the binding on it later today. Now that I don't have another quilt to load or quilt or make the backing or the batting, I will have loads of time on my hands today! Which is good because I have a bit of sewing and applique that MUST be done. I want to finish it, so I'm a bit ahead of the game. 

Sometimes, when I join the batting, I don't always get it as secure as it should be, so I keep the iron on the floor by the long arm. I only burnt my leg once! 

Ready to secure the fusible tape

The binding is on my small quilt, so that's good. And leaves only the red one that needs the binding put on. 

A binding on my quilt

Keeping on top of that process is enormous. Making the backing, finding the batting bits and joining them, trimming, dealing with the leftovers, and adding the binding consumes a lot of time. I was going to continue with a couple more of my quilts on the long arm, but I decided to stop and get some other stuff done. It will be a pleasure to focus on one thing and not have to babysit the long arm while trying to sew. 

I have my snacks organized for my trip. These are 12-gram protein bars.

Snacks for travel

Yes, I know they have food in Spain, but they eat at unusual hours, and sometimes, you won't find a cafe open until late in the morning. I need something in my stomach before then. Last year, I found some bars at the airport before I left—the flight was delayed, so we got a food voucher. I spent it all on bars, probably two or maybe three. But they came in very useful. 

Sometimes, a rest stop isn't where you think it is. I remember the first year I ran out of gas, and when you hit the wall, it's not pretty. So, having something like this on hand does the trick. They are small, and I'll only need half a bar or a bite or two at a time. Also, they are light in weight! 

I need to get my medical kit and toiletries in order today, and then I'll shove everything in the backpack. Then I'm ready to go! I just have to wait for the plane to take off. 

Should I say, I'm playing the lottery with my ticket. I still need to book a ticket home, and I need to do that before I leave. Air Canada will love me before the end of today with all the flights I have to book. Anyway, I booked my flight to Spain on points. So, technically, it didn't cost me anything. I have a Premier Economy seat, which provides more room and a better chance at upgrading to Business class, where I can have a flatbed, which would be excellent for the flight. I am waitlisted for the upgrade, and 13 seats are currently available. DH is encouraging me to cough up $1,200 for a guaranteed seat (his take is that it's cheap since I did NOT pay for the seat to begin with). Or do I gamble and go for a free upgrade? It's all about how many people like myself are on the waiting list and where I fall within that waiting list. I don't get an upgrade if I'm number 14 or greater. I will know that 24 hours before leaving. Hmmm.... These upgrades are fun, to be sure!

And now, the story of Murphy. She is always getting into trouble. Yesterday, I was sitting at the computer when I heard some water turn on. At first, I thought it was DH having a shower. But it didn't sound right, so I went into the backyard and found the hose running. Thankfully, it was pointed at the pond. 

Who turned on the water?

We installed a new tap earlier this year to make it easier to turn the water on and off. Murphy accidentally turned it on as she ran by or was foraging for rabbits she suspects are under the deck. Sigh.

The lever tap

Thankfully, I was home and could recognize the noise. It would have taken DH a long time to realize the hose was running. 

I completely forgot about the Olympics, but DH turned the TV on, and I watched a wee bit of it. Murphy was fascinated. 

MOM -- the Olympics!!!! 

It would appear that she does not sleep. Early this morning, I was downstairs working, and she started to bark. Now what???? I came up and saw her peering intently out the front window. 

MOM -- there's something out there!!!

At first, I didn't see anything, but then I spotted this. That coyote has no issues about walking down the center of the street like he or she owns the place. And we only see one, never more than one. 

A nocturnal visitor

The mound of paperwork to tidy up before I leave is getting smaller, so that's a good thing, and I hope to get a good portion of the rest done today. Some stuff has to be done before I leave, and some can wait, but it would be nice because I hate to say this, but the minute I get off the plane on my return, it will be insane for five very intense weeks! It's just how it worked out; my schedule seems to be a feast of famine! I have enjoyed the relative quiet of July and will continue to shut things down in July and August every year, regardless of my travel schedule. I might even leave September open, which was great for this year and what is coming. 

I'm so excited because there are no classes this weekend—not today or tomorrow. But there is a Virtual Retreat, and I've got loads to sew while we chat. 

Saturday, July 27 - starts at 6 PM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, July 28 - Starts at NOON EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Come on by to say hello. We'd love to chat with you.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!