Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!!

It's Christmas!!!! While we don't do a lot for Christmas these days because it's just the two of us, we still have traditions! They are just different. Like all of you, I have so many Christmas memories, but one in particular that I'm sure my parents will never forget. 

I was pretty young and was fast asleep in my bed when something woke me up. Likely, my mom was putting out the presents. I sprang from my bed and ran into the living room, shouting, "he's here, he's here!" Yep -- I thought Santa had arrived and I wanted to meet him. 

Sadly, I was told that Santa had not yet arrived, and somehow I managed to go back to bed and fall asleep! 

With M, our bedtime story on Christmas Eve was reading The Night Before Christmas. It's the same book we read as kids on the farm. The poor book is falling apart, but I still have it! I sent her a text last night as she celebrated with her adopted family! 

DH made onion soup (and croutons) from scratch last night, so we ate like kings and queens. Only once yesterday, and I don't even know what made me think of it, did I think of all the Christmas candy and cookies that I have eaten over the years. Did I miss it? For about 10 seconds, and then I was over that and thinking about something else. 

Christmas doesn't have to be all fuss or over-the-top. Christmas is about spending time together, chatting with loved ones, and doing something that you enjoy! It's about PRESENCE, not presents! And that's what happens in our house!

I decided to tackle the jigsaw puzzle in the morning, when I can open the blinds and let in some natural light without the sun glaring on the pieces. This is what it looked like after my morning session. Santa is starting to take form. 

Progress on the jigsaw puzzle

Then after I walked to the grocery store (again!), I ate my snack and worked on the puzzle instead of reading. Oh my --- the natural light sure makes a difference, especially for this puzzle. It's still NOT an easy puzzle as each piece appears to be a completely different shape. And you can't just identify a shape and find a piece to match, because sometimes, that opening requires two shapes to fill it! But I"m making good progress and I think I'll tackle it again this morning after I walk the girls. 

Even more progress

Last night, we decided that we NEEDED to complete that EXIT Game that has been languishing on the table for weeks. We were basically stuck on a puzzle, so we decided to look at the clues. There are three clues for each puzzle, and we had figured out everything they mentioned in Clues One and Two. But when we got to Clue Three with the answer, we still had no clue how they got to that answer. NONE!!

The current EXIT Game

There is a guy in the UK (I think) who films all the puzzles while he and someone else solve them. So I looked up the episode. Hmmm --- Just a random thought got them to the answer. But I wonder how much of the film is edited out. How long did it really take for them to come up with that? These games have 10 puzzles, and we were totally stumped on TWO of them. But it's done and will get passed along. 

Now the big question is - will we start another one right away? 

Yesterday, we had a Virtual Retreat, and some of us stayed until 3 PM. What a great way to spend time with friends, even if they just popped in to say Hi. It's such a great way to stay connected, and it kept me motivated to do a mindless job. 

Oh shoot—I forgot to take a picture of the quilt I was working on. Well, you'll have to wait until I get more work done on it. But I had a lot of flying geese to make. I calculated the square sizes for the no-waste method and cut a bunch of squares. But only after I did a sample to make sure they would be the correct size. 

I hadn't really paid attention to how many squares I had cut, and so I was hoping that when I finished all these, I would have enough. I think this is where I ended last night. 

Making flying geese at the Virtual Retreat

And this is how many I was able to finish with what I had cut. I was short by ten units. 

96 flying geese units

Well, I'm sure slacking on taking photos this morning. I did get all 106 made! Yeah!!! But then I realized this quilt has FOUR borders! Well, the worst one is the flying geese one, and I've made tremendous progress on it! I can't work too fast - this is on the list of things to complete in 2026, and I can't possibly finish it BEFORE! 

I see my large spool of thread is almost finished! Time to dig out a new one. There are no worries: the bucket of neutral thread contains multiple spools of thread from various brands, so it's no big deal to get a new spool started. But I haven't run out yet!!

Going to need a new spool of thread

As I was working yesterday and this morning, I'm planning and prepping the next small project to write about. And I needed some buttons. Actually, during our Monday Sewing, someone asked if anyone had anything suitable for a snowman's nose. WAIT -- I have buttons. Well, when I dug out my extensive button collection (of course - it's extensive - I used to buy a lot of buttons), I found FOUR bags of snowman nose buttons. I sold one bag to the person who needed the noses, leaving three left. 

Part of the button collection

Well, imagine my surprise when I dug back through the button boxes this morning for different types of buttons and found ONE more package! Good grief - I'll never have to buy button noses again! 

FOUR packs of buttons, after selling one! 

So if you're ever looking for a random button, ask, because I might just have one I can spare~ I am NOT actively getting rid of the buttons, so don't ask if you don't need one! 

I picked up the mail yesterday and got my copy of A Needle Pulling Thread. I've been preparing a project for them for quite some time. This is the current issue - Number 71.

A Needle Pulling Thread

The theme for that issue was to remake one of our previous projects. Someone had suggested a quilt that I had made, and I was all excited, but for some reason, no inspiration came to mind. It just wasn't going to happen. So I rethought the project and picked this one instead. A fabric tub made from recycled wool that came from Eaton's!!!

My first idea from Issue 50

I kept with the recycled theme, but this time I used denim. And instead of making a fabric tub, I made a fabric BOX!!! 

My fabric box

The tub had machine applique on it, the box had machine embroidery - a technique called FRINGE Embroidery. I LOVE the box - it's so bright and cheery and perfect to put stuff in that sits on the sewing or cutting table. I hope to swap the tray with the half-square triangles and such for the box when it arrives back home. 

I love being able to create ANYTHING that I want. And this had some tricky spots, but I McGivered it to work, and I show you how in the magazine article. If you don't want to purchase the magazine (in Chapters/Indigo, or online), you can also just buy the pattern. And if you don't have an embroidery machine, why not embellish the box with hand embroidery, applique, or whatever you wish? But the box is very sturdy, and it's gorgeous!!!!

It's the time of year when every service you use is sending you a recap of the year. I got this from WeTransfer, which I use to transfer large files. I'm not done with all my transfers yet this year, and there's still a week, but here's what they sent in the recap. 

Of course, there's the total amount of GB, which is quite a bit, I suppose. 

Total amount of data moved

Which, I guess, it is, when you see it broken down like this! 

HMMM -- now that I can relate to!

But this is the one that gets me. I use the free version of WeTransfer and don't think I send many files. But they make me feel important by saying I'm in the top 5% of users. Hmmm --- is that for real, or is that a marketing gimmick to make me feel like I should buy a subscription to the service? 

Am I really in the top ten?

Oh well, I'll never know! 

OH -- the good news, I found a CANADIAN company that I can purchase the KAM snaps from! It's incredible how much I can learn by asking questions at the Virtual Retreats!! Someone out there knows the answer to everything! 

Remember, we have a Virtual Retreat on Saturday, December 27th, starting at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

And on Sunday, December 28th, starting at 3 PM. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

And on that note - enjoy your Christmas Day, whether you are with family or friends, or choose to spend a quiet day at home. Eat cookies and chocolate today! I'm going to the movies, mainly for the popcorn! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!

It's almost Christmas and the elves have arrived!

I totally get the hungry feeling after eating oatmeal. I have tried hemp hearts, and they work, but they are sometimes hard to find. And then my big question is, do you want whole hemp hearts or ground hemp hearts - which one provides more nutrition? I'm going to use my protein powder because I have it and need to use it up! But first, let's use the carbohydrate powder. It's time to clean the cupboards! 

So many choices!! I laugh about eating oatmeal for breakfast, because when I was chatting with my aunts earlier this year, most of them will NOT eat oatmeal. It was a staple when they grew up, and they were "forced" to eat it because it was the only thing available. I get it! We ate porridge every morning as well -- at least my Mom cycled through the flavours -- oatmeal one day, then Red River (flax, wheat, and rye), Cream of Wheat, and, hmmm, there may have been one more. But I like oatmeal! Even though, as a kid, I hated it because that was what "poor" people ate. The "rich" kids got to eat boxed cereal laden with sugar! 

Now that my gift has arrived and opened by the recipient, I can share what I made. 

These are two elves (a boy and a girl) that I made on the embroidery machine. The legs are one hooping; the arms, then the body; and the head is also one hooping each. So when assembled, they are about 2 feet tall. They are adorable, and I had loads of fun experimenting with various materials to make them. 

The girl elf

The boy elf

I still have one pair of legs left, and I think I'll make the elf girl for myself using the legs. You can't let a pair of legs go to waste! The instructions called for buttons to join the pieces, but I used my KAM snaps! And they worked like a charm. KU took the items with her, and I just barely finished them before her flight! M picked them up yesterday and sent me a note that they like them. Dillon is a nut about Christmas, so I'm sure they will be hanging up by now! 

The pattern is from Designs by JuJu. 

Thank goodness, I like these, because somehow I seem to now have a pattern for a witch, a snowman, a nutcracker, and several other door-hanging people! How did that happen? 

The same way that it is now Christmas Eve. Where did the time go this year? Slow down - we need to slow down and savor every moment! I have loads of memories from 2025, so I don't feel like time totally slipped away on me. 

We had a big snowstorm the previous night, so when I went out, I decided to wear my new winter boots. Oh my -- what a joy to put on boots that didn't squish my feet. No wonder I never wore winter boots before! OK -- I'm an idiot, and I know that! I detest shopping for shoes, which is probably why I had so much difficulty on the Camino. But the snow was wet, so the boots helped to keep my feet dry. 

Murphy approves of the new boots

And all was good on the walk, until Lexi and I came to Tim Horton's driveway. A car pulled out as it was going to merge right into the traffic. She was on the sidewalk, but I was watching the traffic, and a lot was coming, so Lexi and I forged in front of her. Lexi was on the OTHER side of the car - the driver's side, and I was RIGHT on her front bumper when she decided to move. Let me say that I'm sure the entire neighborhood heard me yell! I hope it scared her! She rolled down her window to apologize, and well, I let her have it! I was fuming. 

Yes, I know that pedestrians should make eye contact with drivers, but her windows were tinted, so I could not do that. So I watched her like a hawk. She didn't look right when turning right, which is a HUGE issue. The only thing people care about is merging with oncoming traffic from the left. She didn't even sense me in my bright orange coat, even when I was right in front of her! How could she miss that? She only stopped when I yelled. At least she wasn't on her phone that I could tell. The rest of the walk was uneventful! 

Miss Lexi, after the excitement

Here's the saga of my two girls. The Husky wants in - too much snow, while Murphy is lying flat out in it! Sigh.................

MOM -- I need to come in—too much snow! 

But Miss Muprhy likes the snow because she is hot and likes to cool down in the snow! 

MOM - I wish we lived where there was snow all year round

But it was peaceful with the snowfall, and as soon as I got back from walking the girls, I shoveled the driveway. Our sidewalks were plowed, and I think the guy struggled with my stakes - I have no idea why - just drive beside them. We live on the corner, but the curve is very gentle. He ran over my neighbor's small walls by the side of his driveway. Thank goodness, we got rid of those several years ago. Silly things! 

And when the plow came later in the day, I watched how they avoided putting windrows at the bottom of the drive. Holy - that sure slows the process down a LOT. There was only a little snow in my driveway, so after he left, I went out and removed it. I know -- I can't help it. And then I laughed when I returned to the house to see all the dog hair on the floor. 

Walking through the forest with the snow

In the afternoon, I walked to the grocery store to do DH's groceries. I guess he didn't want to tackle the madness that was the grocery store. Just because the store will be closed for ONE day, why was it total chaos? I have no idea, but I carried two bags home, and all was good! I wore my running shoes because by then, the sidewalks were clear and dry. Only a bit of snow in the forest. Did I mention that the snow was wet, so it was very heavy to shovel? 

I did my shopping in the morning, and OH MY— I got pie!!! Somehow, this ended up in my shopping bag. I swear I didn't stop at Michael's, but when I got home, there was pie! The crust is broken, but no big deal. I want the dish, not the candle! Someone was with me the day we bought those pie patterns, and perhaps she will like the second dish. Or I might just want to keep both! 

A pie candle

But Michaels' wasn't busy, and everything Christmas is 60% off. It's been 60% off for over a month. Then I went to Fabricland, and it wasn't busy, so I quickly got what I needed. 

Then I went to Staples to get three things done. Good grief - that place was a shambles!!! Many of the copy machines were down, and one of three photo printing machines was down. They also have new instructions for using the copiers, which didn't make sense to me at all. Apparently, they didn't make sense to many others either. 

I also wanted to get that book coil-bound, and I was sure I would have to leave it. Nope - the job was done while I waited, which was amazing!!! Now I can transfer my notes from my book to this book, and I'll be set!! I'll have to keep the book beside the digital cutter, so I'll know where it is when I need it. Hmmm -- I should make a cover and put a pocket in it to hold this book! 

My book is now coil-bound

I will confess I struggled to get my documents printed, and it was entirely my fault. I don't know what is happening to my brain. I think because so many people were frustrated and waiting for machines, it rubbed off on me. Let's hope it was that! 

I asked for help. I nicely told the staff member that I was frustrated, and she helped me! But the changes they are making have come about because many people go with things to be printed, and it's on their phone. When I go, my stuff is on a USB. Nothing has changed for printing from a USB drive, but I thought it had, which confused me to no end. Anyway, now I'm good for the next time I need something copied or printed, and I might try printing from my phone, but I don't know. All these new-fangled ideas for technology!!!! It tests the senior brain for sure! 

However, I got all the pictures printed (my home printer needs some TLC) for my 2026 goals, so I hope to get them organized today! I'm very excited to be getting some of this organization done! And it's not even the end of the year - I still have one more week! 

But I also got some writing done (about time!), and my plans for the rest of the writing look good. I'd love to get that off my plate ASAP, since I've been procrastinating about it. 

I sat in a chair in the living room to read last night, and guess who was there? Her thought process was that if the left side of the chair doesn't work, let's scoot around the back and try the other side. That dog is insistent!!!

MOM - I WOOF you!!! A LOT!!!!

Meanwhile, this is Lexi hanging out beside DH's chair in the family room. Sigh......... Why do I get the hyper dog? But she is dang cute!!! They are both adorable! 

Lexi just quietly hangs out with DH

Then I headed upstairs and thought I would drop in on the crazy puzzle. As you can see, I've got a few more pieces added along the bottom. The colors are very dark and similar in tone, so it's hard to tell what is what. I'm mostly going by shape! I guess I'll be working from the bottom up. I've tried to isolate some sections, but can't seem to make head or tail of that like I could on a "regular" puzzle. But that's OK. A little bit every day and I'm good! 

Progress on the jigsaw puzzle

There was no spin class this morning, and while I could have gone myself, I decided not to. Lazy!!! But I'm OK with that! I should do some stretching later this afternoon. 

Remember, there is a Virtual Retreat this morning - we start at 10 AM and go until at least 2 PM. If you are with family, that is good. Many people don't have family nearby, and rather than sit alone at home, we can all gather together and sew. Here's the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88421755791?pwd=alembPc4qQybCv1ElwMvrqc400FolX.1

Meeting ID: 884 2175 5791
Passcode: 720274

Zoom will be sending me another notice that this is NOT a good idea, but what do I care? I've never had an issue, and I can kick out someone who isn't supposed to be there! 

Well, I'm off!!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Making a journal cover

As promised, here are the links to the journal cover tutorials I've written over the years. Note the date on these tutorials - July 2014. This is the SECOND set of tutorials I wrote for QUILTsocial. I'm sure my writing style and grammar have changed significantly!

This is the basic tutorial on making a journal cover. I think the method of adding the lining is clever, and there's no reason to leave an opening along one side to turn it inside out. 

Making a collage journal cover. Perfect way to use up scraps or create a personalized cover. 

Loads of inspiration to use different types of fabric and paper to make a journal cover. 

Here are two more tutorials for making a journal cover from your sewing/machine-embroidery experiments. This set of tutorials was written in March 2023. 

Gathering the supplies

How to make fabric (journal cover base) from scraps

Ways to search your embroidery machine for techniques to embellish the cover

Adding decorative elements to the journal cover in sewing mode. I used the THREE-HOLE YARN foot! 

Adding piping and completing the cover

And here is the link to the Virtual Retreat that is scheduled for December 24 (tomorrow!) from 10 AM to 2 PM. It may go longer —who knows—that will depend on how many are on the call. This is for people who are sitting at home and feeling lonely or alone! If you are with family or traveling, then you are one of the "lucky" ones. It all depends on how you look at it. I feel fortunate to be home alone, as the holidays can be a very stressful time of year. So I enjoy the solitude!

Zoom link for Virtual Retreat - December 24 --- starts at 10 AM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88421755791?pwd=alembPc4qQybCv1ElwMvrqc400FolX.1

Meeting ID: 884 2175 5791
Passcode: 720274

However, you look at your personal time - that's up to you, but if you're around and want to drop in, there's the link!

The next virtual retreat will be on the weekend, the 27th and 28th. 

So I ran around the house yesterday, taking pictures of the projects I want to put on my visual To-do list for 2026. Oh my — I may be a bit overambitious, but I hope not. I have a wide variety of things, and I was surprised to find out which is the largest category. Can you guess? Of course you can't! But the biggest category is making or dealing with quilts that belong to OTHERS!!!! Yes -- I have some things for my Mom to make as well as a couple of other people. 

The biggest issue on that list is three quilts that belong to others that I need to deal with. I've procrastinated over them for far too long. I'm not going to share them with you at this point, but my goal for 2026 is to deal with them, however that happens. It's time to "grow up," get a backbone, and make them disappear from my life! Actually, there is a fourth quilt in that same category, but I'm not sure where it is at the moment. I'll keep it in the back of my head. NO -- I will add it to the visual "to do" list -- even the name of it will trigger that memory. 

I'm sure many other things will come up on the list as the year goes on, but these are the ones I would love to cross off the master list. Once I get them all cut out and on the rack, I'll take a picture. Then we can see at the end of next year just how far I've come or not come! 

It'll be an interesting activity! I'm OK with that. I'm not in a rush. Whatever I do, I want to do it so I enjoy it, not rush through just for the sake of getting it done. I will never forget the guides' advice from Kilimanjaro: you can rush up the mountain and be out of breath, or you can walk slowly, enjoy the view, and not get out of breath once!

 There is some truth to the way of life in other countries. I wear my POLE POLE (slowly, slowly) bracelet every day, and my motto in life (as much as I can) is to live slowly, and savour each and every moment left! I'm not dying—I just need to remind myself that slow is good!  

But I remember a bit of anxiety as we approached that mountain - I can get out of breath climbing a set of stairs fast, but not ONCE on that entire climb was I out of breath. NOT ONCE -- goes to show you that fast isn't always the best route. Think the turtle and the hare! I'm the turtle. 

I think that's why I like walking in my neighborhood for errands. It would probably be much faster to take the car, or would it? But I enjoy the walk - I get some exercise while I do my errands, and I get to see what's happening in my neighborhood. I had to chuckle yesterday because we were talking about specific places of worship, and I mentioned one right beside the grocery store. 

One of the ladies on Monday Sewing, who lives very close to me and shops at that grocery store, had never noticed what that building was! The sign is very subtle and on the building, not on the street! There are MANY things I've experienced or seen by walking or cycling. I won't give that up - I don't care how slow it is. Don't they say that life is all about the journey, not the destination? I'm trying to max out my journey! Life isn't about how much you accomplish, but HOW you accomplish it! I guess we each have our own agenda! 

And now back to reality - my dishwasher. Yep - I got another F11 error, and it's this little part that causes the problem. Or should I say, this is the area that captures the most debris? It's super easy to clean, but I think I'm going to need a new one sooner rather than later. The little rubber gasket on the end is starting to get chunky. Now that I have a picture, I'll try to contact the company and order a new one. Someone suggested I add the dishwasher's serial number to ensure we get the correct part. Good idea! 

My little debris catcher in the dishwasher

The third Canadian puzzle landed at my door the other day. This one is Ottawa. They are beautiful, hand-painted puzzles. Let's just say I shouldn't even consider buying another puzzle for a very long time. 

Ottawa puzzle

Speaking of puzzles, guess what? I ignored the current puzzle until just before bed. I managed to find all the pieces for the bottom border. Let's just say that these are NOT regular-shaped pieces. I swear each piece is different, and I'm not sure if I'm missing a piece on each side of the side borders. I never measured, and I'll just plod along and see how it goes. I even managed to get a few other pieces in along the bottom. I went strictly by the piece's shape, then by color! All the pieces are darkish, so it's hard to pick out colors and work with just one. 

The status of the current puzzle

In my mad quest to take pictures of some projects for 2026, I stumbled upon the pattern for the embroidered pie top! Remember that I purchased that candle in the pie dish!!! OH ---I could go to Michael's and see if there are any Christmas ones left. They will be on sale!!! It's a super-cute little pincushion with a pie on top! OK—I do not need it, but it's cute!!! OH -- I just found it on their website, and it's ON SALE!!!!! WAIT --- there's ONE left at my store! You would think I have a shopping problem!!! 

The pie crust machine embroidery pattern

You know how I always say I hate change, but that's not true. I like to make a big deal about it - just because I'm a rebel! But I embrace change. I needed to change up my breakfast routine! I have a bowl of steel-cut oats in the morning, but I found that that isn't enough. I'm hungry and can't wait to dive into my 9 AM snack with my cup of tea. How people can miss their morning meal just baffles me, but our bodies are different, and it's what you get used to! I NEED breakfast! 

Heck -- I'm extremely regimented in what and when I eat! No denying that! 

I usually put a spoonful of seeds into my oatmeal, and I was running low on them. I popped over to Bulk Barn the other day to find some, but they didn't have what I was looking for. It's getting harder and harder to find. BUT I spotted containers of protein powder on the shelves. Hmmm -- I have protein powder at home that I'm not using. 

Well, what a difference. I wasn't even hungry for my 9 AM snack until almost lunch time! I know my body is lacking in protein, so this is a good thing. I dissolve the powder in the milk before putting it in the cereal, and I'm good! That was day one. Let's see what happens on Day Two. When I was monitoring what I ate, protein was my weak spot.

Oops—the container contains a carbohydrate powder, not protein. I'll finish this container off, then move on to the protein powder I also have a tub of. Either way, I didn't feel the need to eat as much! Each scoop of the carbohydrate powder is just over 100 calories. Not that I'm counting - I don't count calories. I'm trying to count the nutritional value. 

Here are those two girls of mine. Miss Lexi was very focused on something outside. She didn't even look back when I took the picture! 

MOM -- I'm the caped crusader! 

And Murphy? She's just a goof. She slept with that bone between her legs for a long time, while I read my ebook. 

MOM - can you move the bone for me?

I have FOUR ebooks in my reader right now, which is rare. I need to switch from the novel (but it's hard!) to the non-fiction book since that one expires first!!! I must be more diligent about that going forward. It happens rarely, so I can't complain, but it's annoying to have too many books to read. 

I love reading (SLOWLY) because it allows me to visit other worlds and people in the comfort of my chair!  

Here's a quote I borrowed from the internet. My world has expanded so much by reading, even if it's a novel! 

I exceeded my reading goal of one book a week, and that works for me. I have always loved to read, and it takes me to other worlds. Now that I've opened up my world to different genres, well, the world is my oyster. I read ferociously as a kid. I was sickly, and reading was a good outlet. 

And at last, I got busy on the writing assignment that I need to finish. I sorted out the white bin with all the supplies. I rejigged some of my original plans and searched online and in person for supplies or patterns I would need. The pictures are downloaded for the first writing session, though I think I'll add a few more, and I'm pumped to get to it this morning. 

But first, I now have THREE things to do at Staples and one errand at Fabricland (again), so I'll be making a trip this morning as soon as the stores open! That errand is a car errand as the stores are about 6 KM away. Yep -- I could ride my bike, but I choose to drive. 

So this week is all about quilting and writing (and reading and puzzle solving), and it's going to be a glorious week. No more Zoom presentations to do for the rest of the year - just a wee bit of follow-up! Yeah!!!

On that happy note, have a wonderful day!!!! 

Ciao!!!!

A doozy of a puzzle!!!!

Yesterday was a special day, and I almost missed it until I saw someone post about it last night. And someone mentioned it on the blog yesterday. It was Winter Solstice Day. While this means winter has officially arrived, it also means that each day is a little longer. Well, the day isn't longer (don't we wish!), but the sunlight is a little longer. I don't care if the daylight is only a few seconds longer— soon it will be summer! Don't worry -- I like winter, and as long as you dress appropriately, it's not cold outside. 

And thankfully, someone mentioned that Christmas doesn't end on December 25, but instead on January 6. Thank goodness for that, because that Christmas puzzle? It's a doozy!!!

I opened up the blinds, although the light gave off a terrible glare on the puzzle pieces, but no worries - I was really only trying to get the pieces face up on the table, and to sort out the border. This goes MUCH faster when you stand up and use two hands! 

I'm ready to start the puzzle

Then I spread out all the border pieces - it seems like a waste of time to put them in the sorting tray and then replace them on the table. I'm still figuring out the sorting tray thing. 

The border pieces

But see what I mean by weird shapes! These are the BORDER pieces. 

Bizarre shapes

Obviously, I haven't discovered all the border pieces, and I'm not even sure that all of them are in the right spot. Thankfully, this one is only 500 pieces as it's going to be a challenge! But when I need a break, I can zip upstairs and attempt to put in a few pieces! 

The border is almost done

AHA -- I was certain that I had purchased a "recipe" book for cutting things on the digital cutter. 

My "recipe" book for the digital cutter

Each material you cut can have its own two pages, where you can check off the type of mat, blade, etc., you use, and there's a spot for notes. I'll transfer my notes and samples into this book, but I think I'll see if I can get it coil-bound first! Once you start to put some samples in there, it's going to be a challenge with the glued spine. I bought this book from my "favorite" online store, and it was printed at their print shop! I think that's kind of cool, even though I'm not a fan of buying from them. The ability to print on demand is enormous. 

The recipe pages

Now that UFO Club is done for this month, I can share some of the work I've been doing. Wait— I can't do that, since some of them haven't been gifted yet. 

I had a Halloween quilt that I made at a quilt retreat in September. It needed a border added, and the backing and binding had to be made. That is done, and now this is moved to the "to be quilted" pile. 

The quilt top, binding, and backing

I also made the backing and the binding for my Green Tea quilt. That binding was a challenge as I used one piece from the fat quarter bits I had left. So there was a lot of cutting and sewing. But there were enough pieces to make a multicolor (multi-fabric) binding, and this was also moved to the "to be quilted" pile. 

The quilt top, binding, and backing

I completed this journal cover. It had been sitting with the front cover pieced, but that was it. So I finished the embroidery on the front and added a tag with my name. The journal cover was an exercise to learn the new features on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3 when it was released several years ago. I was a tad behind, although this is my second one. I know - why make one when you can make two?

The front of my journal cover

Here's the back of the journal cover with some floating stitches. 

The back of the journal cover

Here's the inside. I changed the method for sewing the journal cover. This is my favorite way, and it's super easy to turn inside out, and the inside is completely covered. Here are the instructions for making journal covers my way, and you can decorate them however you like. They make a great personalized gift! There are other blog posts linked to that one (right at the bottom) with different ideas for embellishing journal covers. Oh shoot—I don't see the links. I'll try to remember to post them all tomorrow. 

The inside of the journal cover

I also finished my Halloween ornament. I know -- a wee bit behind, but guess what? It's done and ready for next year! I hand-stitched those buttons on!!!

Halloween ornament

But for the moment, I'm enjoying it along with the heart I hung up the other day! Notice the small green quilt covering the embroidery machine? As I learned yesterday with the digital cutter, it's a good idea to keep covers on all your machines. You would be shocked at how much dust and lint are in the air. And if you don't believe me, take a cup of water, tea, or whatever into your sewing space and leave it to sit for an hour or two. Yep --- you'll find dust and lint on the surface!

My latest ornaments!

Also, as part of my UFO this past month, I had not one, but TWO (why?) of these small denim totes from the Teach The World To Sew day back in September. Good grief! I could have simply sewn the tote bags together, but NO - I wanted to add some interlinings and quilt them. I have a machine - why not use it? And even though the denim was heavy, I like a bag with lots of structure! 

For the first one, I used a triple stitch on the PFAFF creative icon and quilted through the denim and the fusible fleece. I did a 60-degree diagonal line and used the Projection feature to stitch the lines. I marked one line in both directions with white chalk (chalk-o-liner - the ONLY marking tool I will allow in my space!). I fused Decor-Bond to the lining - the red and white polka dot fabric behind the denim, and rather than making fabric handles, the pattern called for webbing, so I got some of that the other day, as I did not have red. 

Denim tote bag number one - ready to sew together

For the second one, I wanted something different to quilt/decorate the outside of the bag. I LOVE my Three-Hole Yarn Foot and use it wherever I can. One of the Fons and Porter Love of Quilting shows that I taped was all about the Three-Hole Yarn Foot. It is such a fantastic accessory. I hadn't had a chance to stitch the lines before the UFO Club, but everything was prepped. I spaced the lines a bit further apart and decided to mark them all with chalk. 

Preparing the second denim tote bag

So yesterday afternoon, with NOTHING to do, I got myself organized and started stitching. Did you know there are built-in stitches on your SVP-branded machines (Husqvarna Viking and PFAFF) that work with the Three-Hole Yarn Foot? Check them out!!!! And I use the START/STOP function, rather than the foot pedal, to stitch these long lines of decorative stitches. Those long seams can be boring (a great time to problem-solve some other issue), and I find it hard to keep a steady pace with the foot pedal. START/STOP is the way to go! 

Using the three-hole yarn foot

And before I knew it, the lines of quilting were done! For this one, I also used fleece, but it wasn't fusible. I didn't stick it in place. The piece isn't large enough to worry about that. I didn't even pin it. Sometimes I iron the two layers, and the friction from heat and steam is sufficient to hold them in place. I also fused Decor Bond to the lining. More on this one another day, as it's directional and that lining was cut in ONE piece - well, according to the instructions. 

The outer part of the second denim tote bag

Here's a close-up of the stitches. That yarn has a wee sparkle, and I used a matching 40-weight thread on top. If you have NEVER used the three-hole yarn foot, then you should get it out! I LOVE it. 

Detail of stitching yarn using the three-hole yarn foot

And now here's my cutting table for today. I've moved the UFO items that I didn't complete this month to the top of the blue bin, so there's more for me to get done this month. But slow and steady, and I must start on January 1, instead of procrastinating until the final week! 

There are a few things to put away this morning, and I might just take that book down to Staples to have them cut the spine off. But I also want to print some photos, so I could do both in the same trip. 

The cutting table is prepped for today

There are THREE new small projects on the table to the right that I want to make, so I need to add those into my schedule! And then, I put the white bin with the projects that need to be done this week. Technically, that is overdue, but I just couldn't handle it before. 

As I move forward into the new year, I'm going to try very hard to keep up with time management. It won't be easy, but I'm learning every day how to manage my time better. And I'm learning NOT to get stuck on the fiddly bits. Just forge ahead, and they will be done!!!

By the way, and this is not to put anyone into a panic, but is anyone interested in me teaching an ONLINE class through Thimbles and Things? I don't want anything significant, but could handle perhaps a one or two-part lecture or technique class. If you have a topic, let me know (elainetheriault@gmail.com), and I'll contemplate it. NOTHING BIG!!!!! 

I also promised the scrap thing - maybe I can do that through Thimbles and Things!!! That might work. 

And on that note, I'm off to spin class!!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!