I'm on a ROLL!!!!!

 OH MY GOSH --- someone else calls that fabric FORTREL!!!! They must be from the west, but what a great idea to make quilts for the homeless. That fabric cannot be destroyed. And now I have two boxes to deal with! But at least I know what to do with it! 

You are going to start saying that I sound like a broken record, but this new system of mine is working like a charm. As the number of projects in that blue box diminishes, I am so tempted to walk to the current projects table and pick up a couple more things. I have even grazed the table with my eyes, spotting what can be pulled next. BUT I am resisting!

The point of this entire exercise is to train myself not to start something "new" until what I am working on is complete. Now there will be times when I have to take a break to work on my writing assignments, and that's OK. But I MUST finish what's in that blue bucket before moving on. And I also have to contend with the long arm simultaneously, as I have several customer quilts and some more community project quilts to finish before the end of the year. 

I counted -- OH GOSH - I couldn't help myself, but there are still six projects in that blue box and I NEED to get them done. One of them is a brand-new small wall hanging that I just purchased the pattern for, and I might treat myself to a NEW project once the UFOS in the box are done. The pattern is in the box. I've pulled two small things to work on today. And I still need to purchase that white flannel. 

So I am learning, but it's hard! But it's so worth it, and here are a couple of reasons why. 

I needed to lay out some fabric for a quilt backing. This UFO was in the blue box and had been languishing on those current project tables for a couple of years. All I had to do was place the blue box onto the floor, and the cutting table was clear. Now, is there anything more satisfying than having a clear, LARGE work surface in two seconds? Absollutely NOT!. That's what I keep telling myself: do not add to that blue box until it's empty. It's going to be a huge reward to go to the current project tables and select the next handful of projects to work on. And it's going to happen soon! 

Lots of room to work on the cutting table

And here's another reason why having a clear cutting table is glorious. I had some quilts to trim, and it was a snap with all that space. 

Trimming quilts on the cutting table

So, I'm going to keep resisting and keep my three main workspaces (cutting table, sewing table, and ironing station) neat and tidy, only containing what I am actually working on. The rest of the stuff? It's on the tables. If you don't have that luxury, large tubs will work just as well. Trust me, when I'm done with those tables, there are a few tubs that can easily refill the table. But I plan to keep the UFOs in the tubs out of the way. 

I'm happy to announce that the quilt backing and binding are made for that quilt. The reason it didn't get done before was that I had to sew more than one seam to make the backing large enough. How long did that take me? I'm tired of my own silliness for setting aside simple things. No more! 

Backing, top, and binding

The second quilt for that backing that was on the long arm was completed, and I pulled both quilts off the long arm. 

Dog quilt - Number One

Dog quilt - Number Two

Both are super cute, and I used the same paw print quilting design for both. 

Paw print quilting design

But not before I had to join a piece of batting to complete the second quilt. I knew I would have to do that as the batting was 108" wide and the quilts were approximately 58" each. I happened to have a long, narrow piece of batting (it pays to keep all those cut-offs), and soon I was on my way again. I have a system for joining batting on the long arm. 

Joining batting on the long arm

I use a small, portable pressing surface that I can place between the bars. Then, I have my black fusible interfacing strips precut, and I lay the two pieces of batting together and press them with the iron. It's awkward, but it works like a charm. 

Both quilts are trimmed, and I need to determine what to use for the binding. I did NOT make binding for any of those eight quilts. I was thinking of using the leftover backing strips for two of them. It's busy, but that's OK. 

I need to figure that out today, so guess what's on my cutting table this morning? 

The work for today!

Yes - the two quilts have joined the mix and see - if I had a lot of other crap on that table, this would just look like a nightmare. Instead, it's welcoming! The next quilt is loaded on the long arm, but I need to piece some batting bits together. I may just go ahead and make the batting for the remaining six. I'll see how it goes, but I need to sort the batting by size to make this a bit easier. I have a feeling it's going to be a wild mess in Studio B later today! And the batting closet may be empty!

I also finished cutting all the sashing and cornerstones for my quilt. Yeah!!! Now to find some time to piece! 

Sashing and cornerstones are cut!

Not only do I have to piece the battings for those remaining six dog quilts, but the backings need to be made as well. The fabric is pulled, but the backings are not made. I suppose that will be my project for next week, and I would love to have all eight done by next weekend. I don't think that is realistic based on a couple of things in my schedule, but we'll see how it goes. I'm going to push to get them done! 

It was a windy, blustery day, and this leaf got stuck to the kitchen window! The backyard, which was relatively clear of leaves in the morning, is now covered in leaves! I won't touch them until all the leaves are down. And there are still loads to go. 

This leaf wants in!

Look at this beautiful girl! I signed up for a course on using the camera on my phone, so be on the lookout for new and creative photos. But I haven't had a chance to start yet. However, even taking a picture from a different angle can be significantly more interesting than a straight-on view. 

MOM - I am NOT impressed!

She loves that dog bed now. Wait -- someone asked me for the name of the bed, and I took a picture, which I don't think I ever posted. Well, that was silly of me. Here's the link to the dog bed - it's on sale! I think it took her some time to get used to it because the bottom is canvas, so it's not solid, but she loves it now! Why does she have that face? I told her she had to share her bed with company, and she was NOT pleased! She will be happy when he gets here! 

Since Lexi is a snuggler, but only to furniture, she loves the side rails on that bed. If it were open, I don't think she would sleep there. 

Well, I did it again! I bought a new fitness tracker, and this time I went back to my old standby (FitBit), even though I realize that it may be discontinued soon. The entire line (brand) might be wiped out, but I didn't like the Samsung watch. WAIT --- it worked perfectly fine - absolutely nothing wrong with it, except it logs steps, not KMS. I know -- a ridiculous thing, but I like to see those KMS. So I wore both yesterday and will wear them together today to see how they compare. Then I need to set up the FitBit with KMs showing, and then I'm good. 

What happens to the old one? DH wanted something to track his sleep, so he will get the Samsung! I wasn't going to buy a new one unless I had a home for the old one. 

TWO fitness trackers

There are days when I wonder how I am still alive. I seem to struggle with taking health matters seriously. But I'm trying. I got a letter from the government yesterday saying that I was due for a FIT test instead of a colonoscopy. OK - the test is much easier than the procedure, so I called my doctor to order one. Then the receptionist said, 'We have the flu shot.' I don't want the flu shot! 

But I did say I needed the shingles shot. So I went in yesterday afternoon to get that. I wonder about my doctor because I can call in the morning and get an appointment in the afternoon. She must not have many patients. Anyway, when I got there, she said I had already had TWO shots for shingles. Seriously? Apparently, she gave me one two years ago, and I got one from the travel doctor this summer. That can't be right - I told that travel doctor I didn't want a shingles shot from him. 

He was giving me so many needles that day that I have no idea what he gave me. And I forgot my yellow vaccination record at home yesterday. Well, I got a third one, so that is it -- NO more shots for shingles! And while they tried to persuade me to get the high-dose flu shot, I refused. If I were prone to getting ill, then in a heartbeat I would. But until I reach that point (I know --- you are saying I could avoid getting to that point), I don't want a flu shot! 

I still have loads of pictures to share, but I don't have the time or space this morning. But here are two. When I was at my parents', I was helping Dad get some of their income tax paperwork squared away, which meant going into the closet to pull the folders off the shelf. One of the sharp-edged folders fell right on my nose, and it bruised! I didn't even notice that until I got home! And I almost have the start of two black eyes! Good grief!! It wasn't a hard hit, but it was direct! It's all gone now! 

A bruise on my nose!

I was recently in a place where I heard a presenter discuss threads and the reluctance of people to purchase multiple colors of thread, particularly in the machine embroidery world. What? That is next to impossible, as everyone loves to buy, and the more threads you have, the better. 

This is my cotton and polyester thread drawer, which I use for sewing, not machine embroidery. You can't just have ONE blue - you need many blues! 

My cotton and polyester blue thread collection

And now that all my threads are organized by type and colors, I can find anything in a flash! 

I think that having my sewing things organized, where I can readily find them, has helped me to get my brain organized. I am determined to make the most of my sewing time, and this week, I'm on a roll! 

What kills me on the paperwork is the follow-up. I have two pending calls and am waiting for an answer! 

On that note, I have a list of paperwork items to accomplish this morning, and then I'll be back in Studio B this afternoon to see what I can get done. If I keep this dedicated, I might even take the weekend off! Well, I have an adventure tomorrow and two sessions on Sunday morning, so I won't get much done on Sunday afternoon, and that's OK. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

PRIORITIZE FOCUS WIN!!!

That feels better—I was off bright and early to meet with Brooke. My legs have been so tired since my last trip, but after my stretching and compression pants, they feel so much better! 

Well, I am loving this relaxed schedule and certainly want to take advantage of it for as long as I can! I have two trips, a quilt retreat, and one guild lecture to round out the last two months of the year, so that should be pretty easy. It's giving me lots of time to tackle those current project tables, but as we all know, everything takes longer than we plan. 

However, I managed to eke out a few things yesterday. The quilt is trimmed and ready for pickup! 

Then I loaded the next quilt and realized I had the backing for TWO quilts here. Remember the dog-themed quilts I made in September? I need to get those quilted, so one of two is done on this backing. 

The first of the two quilts for this backing is quilted

I won't unload this, but simply add the next quilt to the backing and away I go. It's pressed and ready to load this afternoon. The batting is wider, but not quite wide enough for two quilts, so when I get to the end, I'll add a strip to the bottom. 

Here is a better picture of the L stitch as a reference point when advancing a quilt. 

The L stitch as a reference

I was wondering how easy it would be to remove it, and after timing that other quilt, I quickly removed the reference stitching. It was super easy to remove, and I think I just found a new way to mark my quilts while quilting. This reference mark will always be there in case something happens. It takes a few seconds longer to stitch the mark, but it is well worth the extra time. I'm a believer! And I'm sure there are many other little tricks that I could learn about that software to make my life easier. 

Thanks to the APQS dealer out west who helped with that one. 

I also got the backing completed for that other quilt, so now it's in the "to be quilted" pile, and I have done the three things on my list for the afternoon. That quilt had been languishing on the floor under a table for several years! 

The backing, the binding, and the quilt top

Now what? I looked in the bucket on the cutting table and picked the next project, which was a quilt that needed the sashing cut. Actually, I needed to cut the cornerstones as well, and I had enough fabric scraps to do so. 

The cornerstones and the remaining fabric scraps

All the scraps are now compiled in a plastic bag. I finished with all the fabric except the background, so it all went into the project container, along with backing and borders, and the book for Vintage Farm Girl II. 

The leftover fabrics for the next quilt

The backing and borders won't fit in the box, so it went on top, and that project box got put on the shelf. 

This box went back on the shelf

The old me would have left that box out because I might want to start it. Well, the new me says NO -- I will pull it out another time, but now is not the time to work on this. My goal is to complete the top, backing, and binding of the original one. And this is how those tables are going to get clear! 

I still have more cutting to do for the background and borders, and that is on today's list. This is a larger project and I can't finish it in one day, but I can set myself a goal for each day. 

What is nice is that these projects I'm working on are ones that I committed to myself and the Many Blocks and UFO Clubs to get done. YES -- PRIORITIZE FOCUS WIN! 

And yes, before I shut things down last night, I had everything prepped and ready on the table for today. Notice how the blue box is NOT overflowing at this point. Yep --- there are still a few projects in there before I need to fill it up again. But so far, this is all working just great! 

The cutting table is ready for today

I seem to have this need to know that something is waiting for me to work on, but I overwhelm myself and my space by filling it with things I am sure I can accomplish in a day. If I can continue in my new way, I may just make this routine a habit! And dare I say I see some progress on the current project table? There was a basket of fabric on the table for the second Farm Girl quilt, but since I decided to set that aside, the basket is gone! 

I had purchased this book a while back, and it was in the blue box as well. I read the book last night (cute story), and it's on the shelf with the other children's books about quilts. Should I ever be blessed with grandchildren, they will know all the quilt storybooks by heart!

Storybook about the little ghost quilt

You know me and the wonderful world of technology. Well, for the most part, I email photos to myself -- and if you need to email pictures to someone, you should be aware that you can CHANGE THE SIZE of those photos. Many people don't know that, but it's a great thing to learn. However, there are times when I need to download pictures, and I have a data cable to do so. I have two of them. 

My data cable

However, something had happened, and the cable transfer wasn't working. OH, great —now what is the matter? I tried both cables and different USB ports, but NOTHING. And I really needed to upload a video because that was on my list of paperwork things to do. 

Hmmm -- I wonder if Google has an answer, and YES it did! I switched my phone in July, and for whatever reason, there are new settings for the Samsung 25+ phone. Of course there are—thank goodness people make videos about these small techie details. 

The phone has to be unlocked—that I learned many years ago —but you also have to allow it to transfer the data—that setting is new. Once I did that, all was good again! So if you want to watch the video and haven't seen it yet, here is the link. It's the video of my quilt show as the featured quilter at the Buckhorn Quilt Show back in early September. It's all about machine embroidery on quilts—from embellishing quilt blocks to making entire quilts with embroidery, quilting, and making labels. It's a great show if you want to check it out. 

The bottom line is that I fixed a problem I was going to need an answer to next week, and another crisis is averted! 

I also had some paper from packaging that came in the last couple of days that I wanted to cut up, so it was on the cutting table, and it's now cut. I want to try my hand at making this IdeaBook, and they used brown paper for some of the pages. 

Some of the pages for my IdeaBook

I ironed the pages after cutting them to remove some of the wrinkles. No steam!

The pages are ironed

If you want to know what I carried home in that suitcase of mine, I dug it out yesterday. When I stopped by the farmhouse, I had a quick peek in my old room, and there was the FORTREL (crimpoline) quilt on the bed. I had planned to make one, but why make one when there is one that is just going to be left behind? 

With a sleight of hand, I removed the quilt from under the crap that was on the bed. ICK!!! It smelled like a non-housebroken animal had slept on it, and I found a mouse nest with skeletons in it. They were probably smothered by the polyester! I found a plastic bag to put it in because not only did it smell like urine, but it also had that musty, old-house smell. GROSS!!!!! I was NOT putting that in my suitcase unless it was encased in plastic! 

I laid it out in the backyard yesterday, and of course, the girls were extremely curious to see what it was all about. I checked it, and there are NO holes front or back—the mice probably broke their teeth trying to chew through it. It's back in the plastic bag, and I'll wash it this weekend. I will likely never use it, but it's a good quilt to have -- these were keepers back in the day. And besides, Victoria Finley Wolfe has one that her grandmother made! My mom would have made it. 

My crimpoline quilt

My girls are too funny—they do NOT want to be caught sleeping together. Lexi is outside, Murphy is inside, and they are happy. 

This is how we sleep close to each other

When they were both out at the same time, Lexi was sleeping by the door, and Murphy was by the gazebo. You would think they didn't like each other. 

When they sleep outside together

Look what I found at the dollar store - those sheets of laundry soap! I didn't check the price against what is in the grocery store. Are these the same products? 

Sheets of laundry soap

And OH MY --- GO JAYS GO!!!! They won last night, which is very exciting. I was listening to a group of employees from the radio station, and many of them had NOT been born when the Jays last won the World Series. I can't say the same thing! 

And that's it for today -- the pile of paperwork to process is set up, and the list of things in Studio B is ready to go, and I'm fired up!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Three things is back!

Today has not gotten off to a good start. I had a bad night and finally fell completely asleep at about 3 AM, so I'm late! But that's OK. Thankfully, that doesn't happen often. I missed spin class—big deal. 

I will not show you a picture of the office. The new computer is in here, along with a sewing machine box and those two bags of quilts. What amazes me is how much paperwork there always is. I don't even run a business (well, I manage my own things), but it's not like running a company where people need to be paid (oops - I have to make up invoices), and I have to order things, and I need to follow up, but it's just me. 

Anyway, I had a great morning yesterday doing paperwork and following up on the notations in the Notes app on my phone. I have a limit, though -- I work on that until lunch time, and then in the afternoon is sewing and walking time! So while I accomplished a lot, there are still hours of work to get caught up. A little bit at a time-that's all I can do!

I'm trying to figure out why this "new system" of storing the current projects is working. It's not like I've done anything significant. But I suspect the one thing is that the workspaces are clear—the ironing board, the cutting table, and the sewing table. Hmm -- it can't be that simple - can it? I know some of you are in the same boat, and I just piled the stuff up on a table or put it away. It's wonderful to have clear walking and working space. It makes my heart sing!

I don't have any fires to put out, which also helps, but in that case, I would simply have to put the current stuff aside and work on the urgent stuff. It is really helping me, and while I don't always accomplish what I want that day, there is not a lot staring me in the face. 

I am also (finally) learning my limits. LOL - I am trying to be mindful of how much time everything takes, so I'm setting a goal of THREE things per day. That is NOT a fixed number, but a general rule. What that does is make me keep working, rather than caving in and letting something sit until the next day. Although I have no issues with doing that. 

Do you want to see what was on the plate yesterday? There was a quilt to be trimmed, and that got done. I also had a quilt to quilt. And that's done, and I'll trim it later today. 

Customer quilt - DONE

That was TWO of the three things I wanted to cross off the list yesterday. The third was to make the backing and binding for a quilt. The binding got made, and I called it quits for the day. By this point, it was after dinner, so I think I had a decent day. 

The binding was made for a quilt

And before I turned out the lights, I made sure the cutting table was ready for today. There is one more quilt on the long arm and three things sitting out. What's nice is that most of the stuff I'm working on these days is UFO-based -- there is NOTHING new, so when the UFO Club comes around, I will have completed everything on my UFO list and more! Work SMARTER, not harder! Remember - the stuff in the blue box is my "what's next," but doesn't need to be done today and can easily be moved off the table if I need more room. 

The cutting table is prepped for today

But I'm a dolt! I had to go to Fabricland yesterday to find some buttons, and I forgot that I also needed some flannel, so I have to go back today! I need the flannel for a project I want to make for my Dad, and I want to get it done for him later today. DUH!!! 

I hate to say this, but I think part of my sleeping problem was that I was excited to get back to Studio B, and as a result, sleep eluded me!

As a mini bonus for the day, I had four half-square triangles on the cutting table, and they are now trimmed and put away. 

Trimming half square triangles

I thought I would try something different on the long arm for marking the quilt when it's time to advance it. I've got caught, but I know how to recover when my tape marker accidentally falls off or has to be moved because of the pattern placement. When I was at the Saskatoon show, there was an APQS dealer there, and we chatted about that, and she suggested I use the STITCHED marker, so that's what I did yesterday. It takes longer, but is more secure. 

The L marker on the long arm

It works, but I still used a small scrap of blue tape because I can't see the marker at the end of the long arm as the quilt advances. I suppose I could move the foot pedal for that, but instead, I placed a piece of tape over this mark to visually see where it was. Then I can advance to the tape, remove it, and then fine-tune the placement. YES -- these marks will have to come out, but hopefully it will be easy. And I think this is how the embroidery machine should do reference marks, as sometimes they come out way too easily. These ones are anchored in place by a couple of small stitches. 

So that worked like a charm, and well, sometimes change is good. I will NEVER have to worry about losing my mark again if I keep doing this. 

Since I was clearing out the pile of quilts for Project Linus, I decided to clear out the quilts for Quilts of Valour as well. There are eleven quilts there—again, I hoped to have more done, but seriously, get these out of the house so someone can use them and start a new pile for 2026. There are also 12 placemats, but I might hang onto one of the ones with the border print in case I ever need a physical sample. Those quilts are also now in the office, as I must remember to make arrangements to drop them off. 

Quilts for Quilts of Valour

While I was out and about, I stopped in at Indigo - how can I ever pass up a bookstore? I love the title of this book, because that was me this summer. Good lord—I was trying to transfer funds to Kenya, but instead of looking for the COUNTRY of Kenya, I was looking for Africa. How silly of me!!! 

Indeed - Africa is NOT a country

I had to pop into Michael's to pick something up, and OH MY --- remember these honeycomb Christmas ornaments from years ago? They are back!!!! We had big red and green bells, and I remember setting them out each Christmas. I did NOT buy any!

Honeycomb Christmas ornaments

And when I was at the thrift store (did not buy anything), I spotted this project. That's a lot of work to make a quilt - it would probably be faster to sew the darn thing together. But all the squares were tied together, with LOTS of knots. And the fabric was fleece on one side, but very thin and not soft on the other. No wonder it ended up at the thrift store! 

A kids' kit to make a quilt

Well, there is loads to share still, but I've no more time if I want to somewhat get back on track for the day. The key, especially in the paperwork, is to try to end the day on a positive note —meaning I get more done than gets added to the list. That would be a bonus, and since nothing new was added yesterday, I'm going in the right direction!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS -- The other reason I think this "new" system is working for me is that I don't have a lot on my plate, but more importantly, I WANT to get this stuff done, I have a plan, and I'm going to make it work! Wanting to get it cleared up and saying I want to clear it up are two different things. Actions speak louder than words—well, it's incredible what one can do in a day with a bit of focus. 

PSS -- And how about those Blue Jays? A very tough win after the long game the night before. 

Detective work!

It is incredible what technology can do, and YOU are amazing as well. 

Do you remember the pictures I posted from the McNally Robinson bookstore? Here is the first one—the double wedding ring quilt. 

Double Wedding Ring quilt

Soon after posting the picture, I got an email from Tammy, who did a Google Image search and found that the pattern came from the American Quilter Magazine in July 2015. The link she saw was on Etsy. Of course, this got me thinking about why someone was selling this pattern when it wasn't theirs, but when I clicked the link, I saw that American Quilter was selling it. Copyright crisis averted!

Then I got another email from Cathy saying that she thought that pattern came from a Judy Martin book. Not only did Cathy mention Judy Martin's name, but also the pattern's name— Monet's Wedding Ring. 

Keep those two thoughts in mind. 

Well, I was now home and had some time to "kill" while chatting with the Monday group, so I did a PHYSICAL search in my reference library. Because I had moved the tables away from the bookcase, it was so much easier to search them. The magazines are sorted by title and in chronological order (for the most part). Anyway, it took me all of three minutes to find that particular issue of the American Quilter magazine. And it took that long because I was only looking at those in 2015, NOT July 2015. 

The American Quilter Magazines

And VOILA --- there was the pattern in the magazine. This is only 45" square, so I think the maker of the version I saw made it larger. 

The pattern in the magazine

My first search was for the Judy Martin book, but for whatever reason, I was looking for Judy's Log Cabin book. After I searched the titles, I asked myself: Why would there be a Double Wedding Ring book in a log cabin book? 

So I went back and quickly found Scraps by Judy Martin —look at that quilt on the cover! 

Scraps by Judy Martin

I quickly opened it up and OH MY GOD --- Cathy was right (not that I ever doubted her). Judy's quilt is called Monet's Wedding Ring. I have emailed Cathy to find out how she knew the name of that double wedding ring quilt. Notice that the center blocks in the one I saw are different from both patterns. 

Monet's Wedding Ring by Judy Martin

This one is 90" square, and I don't remember the one in Saskatoon being so big, but it was hanging up, so it's quite likely it was that size. It looks like a double wedding ring quilt in this picture, but in real life, with the coloring, it doesn't look like one at all. 

And here are the two of them side by side. 

Two double wedding ring patterns

WOW—collectively, we are a brilliant and resourceful group. Now that I have the pattern, what do I do with it? Do I add it to my pile? Do I set it aside for my scrap quilts? It's NOT an easy quilt to cut, especially if you want the rings in colors as in the magazine. 

WAIT --- in case you are wondering how the magazine reprinted Judy's pattern, Judy is mentioned in the article, so I think they just republished it in the magazine, but changed the size. I haven't read the story that came with it. 

The second quilt I spotted was this plaid quilt. 

A plaid quilt

And I got TWO responses from people. Susan and Ellen gave me the links to Kitchen Table Quilting. The quilt is called Plaid-ish. 

I think you can download the tutorial from her blog. But there is also a MINI version of the pattern for sale. 

Apparently, there was a Plaid-Ish quilt at the Buckhorn Quilt Show, but I didn't take a picture of it. 

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came to my rescue! Those are very cool patterns, and well, I can see myself perhaps making both! I do NOT need another project on my plate, though—at least not yet. I need to be responsible and keep working on clearing those tables. 

Speaking of getting some work done—look what I accomplished yesterday. After Monday Sewing, where I wasn't too productive, I grabbed my headphones and my Nancy Drew book and listened to the entire book while I worked. 

TWELVE quilts bound! 

Yep—all 12 of those quilts are completely bound. They are DONE!!! That was a huge job, but it cleared a lot of space. 

They are now bagged with the four that were already completed, and I'll need to contact the Project Linus lady for a pickup! 

Project Linus quilts - ready for pickup

What a relief to get those things done! 

And I even swept the floor, vacuumed up the dirt the Swifter misses, and prepped the cutting table for today's projects. 

The cutting table is ready to go for today!

I have one quilt to trim, a backing and binding to make, and then the rest of the stuff on my radar is in the blue tub, which is easy to put on the floor if I need more space. So far, this new setup is working like a charm. The work tables are clear, and I want to keep them that way. Well, that's not entirely true, since four machine embroidery projects need to be finished —those are beside the embroidery machine —and my Mom's quilt is also on the table. 

But all is good, and I am resisting the urge to grab something new and put it on the cutting table until I am ready to work on it. 

I also did a whole lot more yesterday, but I've run out of time! 

I struggled a little bit to get all those bindings done. I was only going to do four, then I thought I'd do one more, and then one more. I grouped them by the color of the backing and binding threads, and the next thing I knew, I was done! But it was almost 8 PM. 

OH -- I think I mentioned this before, but my new favorite foot for putting the bindings on is the PFAFF Bi-Level Foot. It's so amazing, and with the stronger PFAFF creative icon 2, it went through all those layers of flannel like butter. And being able to use the IDT (built-in walking foot) is a dream! 

The PFAFF Bi-Level Topstitch Foot

And here's the front and back of one of the bindings. 

The front and back of one binding

Do you remember that I was worried about the blue quilts and whether that rainbow-striped fabric would work? Well, I think it's perfect for both. 

One of the blue quilts

One more blueish quilt

And on that note, I'm off to walk the girls, then paperwork, and then I can get back downstairs! I am DETERMINED to make this new system work, and I want those THREE tables clear! Only I can make that happen. PRIORITIZE, FOCUS, WIN!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!