Do men take notice of details?

OH my -- I always get a chuckle from the comments, and I need to get back to answering them individually. I'm not a math nerd, so I don't calculate how much batting cutoffs get used in a year, but it is shocking when I see people throw those batting bits away. I "glue" them together for smaller projects like table runners, bags, placemats, etc. I am working my way through the batting cutoff closet, and once April is here, I plan to be on the long arm to try and finish up some community projects where I use lots of cutoffs and customer quilts, where I do not. 

Did you know the textile industry (garments and quilts) is a HUGE contributor to the landfill issue? Here's a link to an article about FAST FASHION. That article relates specifically to clothing but quilts, and how quilters responsibly or irresponsibly deal with their waste contributes to pollution. 

I'm certainly not into fast fashion. I'm still wearing clothes that I bought decades ago! I know - sad but true. But why do I need something new if it isn't worn out? I don't get bored with the clothes I wear. They are basic stuff; T-shirts and jeans never go out of style, and I'm happy to wear those 20-year shorts to the gym instead of needing the latest fashion from some costly store. It works for me. What I wear to the gym is NOT out of fashion - it's just old. Who the heck cares? 

DH and I were chatting about this at dinner last night. While he says he wears what he wants, he is married to fashion. He just doesn't realize it, like many other things. 

Last night, there were two male waiters, and on Fridays, they are usually women. DH commented that the guys just walked past the table without checking in to see if we needed something, and apparently, the guy behind us was complaining that the service was slow. I said that's because guys ignore their surroundings. 

Case in point - on the drive to the restaurant, we passed a house with some patio stones at the curb, with a couple of orange cones on top of the stack. DH commented that it was a weird time of year to make a patio. I responded that those stones were the remainder from when they installed a new driveway LAST YEAR. This house has been under renovation for over two years after being gutted by fire. I saw every little bit of the house emptied and then rebuilt! Even though we passed that house every week on the way to the restaurant, he had NO CLUE! 

Then, we saw a man struggling with three dogs. I commented that the third dog must be his daughter's, but his daughter has been living in the house for a while, so maybe they got a third dog. DH asked me how I knew that? Well, I observe and occasionally chat with people in our neighborhood! 

So, if the male waiter didn't bother to ask us if everything was OK? That's just a guy thing! 

The weather app was wrong! It was a bit rainy in the morning with no sun. But then the sun came out, and it was nice in the afternoon, and yes - I was out in the gazebo with just a sweatshirt on. My old sweatshirt! I think I will need to purchase a new Patagonia down sweater. I will need something warm for an upcoming vacation, and that one, after 13 years of extensive use and one significant repair, is due to be replaced. That's pretty slow fashion, and I will hang onto that jacket because it's so lightweight and warm, but it just doesn't cut it in the coldest weather. Mind you - it's a down SWEATER, not technically a coat! 

As I sat outside in the gazebo and chatted with my parents, I saw Murphy bury her bone. 

Murphy is busy burying her bone

This was after she had buried it in another place in the morning, also outside. 

Burying her bone the first time

And that was after she had tried to bury it in the house. I found it tucked into this corner. So I helped her by putting the blanket on top and adding the bear. She sat there for a long time, protecting it from Lexi. The funny thing is that Lexi couldn't care less about the bone. She would never touch it in a million years. Not her thing. 

MOM - nothing to see here! 

Lexi is a princess and would rather be in the house than outside. Unless it suits her to be outside. 

DAD - let me in the house! 

On the other hand, Murphy loves to be outdoors, especially if someone is with her. 

MOM - can we play?

I don't know what was happening, but this giant hawk was in a tizzy. It circled around and around for quite some time. It was over the forest, then over the houses. I don't know if it spotted a small dog or another animal. I never saw if it caught anything, but it was a good thing Little Bear wasn't around because the hawk would have loved to carry him off. It's kind of scary, but I never thought of a hawk as a predator for a small dog; but yes --- they will take it off if they can get close to one. 

Hawk soaring the skies

I decided it was time to tidy up more of Diane's stuff. I have two extra tables at the bottom of the stairs, and I'd really like to get rid of both. I can probably manage one now, but the other won't go until my film area is packed up, which won't happen for another couple of weeks. 

Extra tables at the bottom of the stairs

I found a partially pieced project. It looks like all the bits are there, so I'll have a better look and start to sew it together another day. It can be used as a donation quilt. 

One of Diane's UFOs

I found a bunch of knitted dishcloths. Those are always handy, so I'll tuck in the loose end and put those in the drawer. I also found some yarn, but not the kind to make dishcloths from. 

Dishcloths and yarn

There were two full skeins and then two very messy ones, so I took some time and wound them into a ball. Now, this bag is in the donation box. 

Yarn in the donation box

I found a couple of other projects, and one seems to be missing a few pieces. So, I'm hanging onto that until I can review the remainder of her stuff to see if the bits are there. If not, then I'll figure out Plan B. I had a large tub filled with supplies - like freezer paper and fusible web. I integrated those into my stash as one can always use more of those products. 

I will check all the bags in the garage and sort out all the scraps/projects/etc from the fabric. The fabric can stay in the garage, but all these bits and pieces must be dealt with. It's funny because most people think of the fabric when discussing cleaning up our sewing spaces. Hey -- the fabric is the EASIEST to deal with. It's all the odds and ends that no one wants or knows what to do with them, and that is the issue! So I'll try to get a good handle on that and then move to the fabric. 

So, as you are going through your stuff, do NOT set aside those odds and ends to deal with them another day. Put them in a box or a pile and pick out one or two or more each day so you can deal with it. That kind of stuff is tough for a non-quilter to know what to do with. You should deal with it now - donate or trash it, but don't hang onto it because you don't know what to do with it! 

I've done a good job setting up my little studio at one end of Studio B, and I feel pretty accomplished that I could make it happen. I have two tables and my computer stand, which I LOVE! I now keep both large sewing machines in that area, so it's easy to swap them out as needed. I'm sewing with a different machine in the other area. There are two video cameras on tripods, although I might get a third video camera on a moveable arm that clamps to the table. I have a document camera I can move around, and all three cameras are connected to a switch box. So I select 2, 3, or 4 on my switch box, and voila - the view to the audience switches. It's so fast and seamless. I absolutely LOVE it! 

I use my iPad as a monitor to watch what's happening, as it can be tricky to show people exactly what you want them to see. The only thing missing is a stool on wheels, as the two small stools are not the best. Tubs under the tables hold samples by topic, and a small cabinet in one corner holds smaller supplies like needles and scissors. OH - and there's a TV table in there to hold some extra things. YES --- I love the area. It's bright and works very well. I need to make sure that I document the setup so that when I need it for the next time, it'll take just a short time to set it up! 

Looking into the film area

I know it doesn't show well on the camera, but if you could see the mess of cables that run to each item and the power cords to power everything, it's interesting! Yes -- I might have a better look today and see what other changes I could make to reduce the number of cables or at least their proximity to where I sit. Improvements can always be made! 

The film area

Before I go, you have to check this out. It's a machine embroidery company that made the NEWS. It's a short clip, but it's fascinating to see the designs being created. I love the announcer's comment at the end of the clip! Watch it --- even if you're not into machine embroidery. 

And on that happy note, I'm out of here! We have UFO club this morning, and the presentations are primarily ready, so I have to walk the girls, and then it's show time! 

Have a great day! 

Ciao!!!