Be OPEN!!!!

I can breathe a huge sigh of relief this morning. There are two one-hour Zooms to do this morning, and everything is prepped - even the follow-up emails. Well, they are as prepped as they can be until after the class. My jacket is done - as much as is needed to wear it. We won't tell anyone! And there are 9 items left on my to-do list. I've been on fire this morning!! 

But let's start with yesterday. We started the day with the Color My World class. Here is my quilt so far. 

My version of Color My World

I still have a bit of appliqué in those center blocks along the edges, and there are two more blocks to stitch for the left-side corners. I made the Big Ben block in the top right as per the pattern, and can you believe I still have loads of millennium fabric, and I found a clock face there. That was suggested by Barbara Black when she ran this quilt as a Block of the Month for The Quilt Show. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have remembered those fabrics. 

My Big Ben clock face

OK -- I confessed, and it's not the first time, that I was MAD to collect every piece of Y2K fabric I could get my hands on. I've used a very small portion for the backing of a quilt, and the rest sits in the basket. I may have an idea for that fabric! Oh yes --- I must dig it out and put it with the rest of the fabric I'm amassing for an upcoming project! 

However, it sure came in handy for this project!! But I could always have made a clock face, used a flower, or something else equally creative! No need to HOARD Y2K fabric just to have a clock face 26 years later! 

One of the blocks in the Color My World quilt was the One World Trade Center in New York. I have not seen the building in person, so it doesn't mean anything to me. I choose to substitute that block for the CN Tower. There is no pattern for the CN Tower, so I drafted my own. And I wasn't certain what color to make it, since the rest of the quilt is bright. We all know they light up the CN Tower, and I even took liberty with that color. 

The top of my CN Tower block

And yes, the right side looks a bit wonky as I think some of the lines weren't quite as straight as the left. Who cares --- it's done! I'm just darn proud of myself for "building" the pattern so I could paper piece it. 

Here are my two corner blocks. 

Big Ben

I just looked this up online because I thought it was called The Clock Tower with Big Ben being the bell inside the tower. Not so. Apparently, in 2012, Queen Elizabeth renamed the Clock Tower to Elizabeth Tower. 

My CN Tower block 

WOW --- I cannot believe how creative the participants have become with their quilts. Their corner blocks, which they have been working on for months, are so creative, and some blocks are so personalized to their lives. I'm blown away and can't wait to share their finished tops in June. Great job to everyone working on the Color My World quilt. 

Then it was on to the jacket class, and OH DEAR -- I had so much to say that I went over the hour. I rarely do that, but it happened. We had a lot to discuss, and there was a lot of show-and-tell. I've decided to run an extra (and free) class for the group. It will be open to anyone who wants and will be on Zoom. 

There is a series of videos for making the Tamarack Jacket by Grainline Studio. The videos are amazing, and I learned a ton. But there are some things in the videos that I would do differently, and I wanted to discuss those. So that will be the topic of probably TWO free sessions. If you are interested, hang tight - I'll be posting the information on how to get signed up when I'm back from vacation. 

The dates, if you want to see whether they work for you, are May 23 and June 27. 

Now is that darn jacket done? Well, yes, it is. There are no buttons on it, and the sleeve/shoulder seam isn't finished, but no one will know! It is a cropped jacket with long sleeves. I added embroidery to the sleeve ends and the back. Since this photo was taken, I have top-stitched around the edges, so it lies much flatter. 

The jacket front

OH GOSH—ignore my poor posture. I took this picture myself, and I keep forgetting to stand up straight. Is it any wonder that DH left an article from The Globe and Mail of one person's journey as they attempted to correct their posture? It will make me look like a million dollars if I can get it under control. I'm anxious to read the article. As we age, it's so important that we keep that posture under control. 

The jacket back

I'm very happy with the jacket, and it fits beautifully. It will look better when there isn't a T-shirt rolled up under it! 

The homework involving partially completed or finished jackets in class was amazing. It's crazy how many of us (yes—myself included) are deathly afraid of making garments. Why is that? We used to do it all the time. And then, when we make something, we don't think it's worthy enough to wear. That has to stop. I am encouraging everyone in that class, or even you --- make a jacket and wear it all the time! If you want a comfy jacket to wear in the house, then make a sweatshirt jacket. That is much nicer than wearing a plain sweatshirt!!! 

But the participants in the jacket class came through, and the homework just popped out of the woodwork. Great job to everyone who made a jacket, and we all learned so much from each other. I would not be nearly as smart as I am if I didn't teach. It's amazing what you can learn from others!!! 

I will admit there are times when I "resent" a comment or suggestion from a student. How dare they interrupt my class? But when push comes to shove, those comments and suggestions often turn into wonderful ideas, and all we need to do is keep our minds open and realize they are NOT criticizing but offering a different point of view. We all learn differently, and sometimes their suggestion hits home to another student, where my point of view may fall flat. 

Be open!!!!

I will have the potential list of classes ready for you tomorrow. 

And I want to remind you that there might be a blip in the blog posts while I settle into a new time zone, but since I'm going ahead of you by 5 or 6 hours, that shouldn't be a problem. I have NOT found that darn keyboard, although the minute I woke up this morning, an idea popped into my head. I looked, and it was not there. I've decided to take my iPad. 

I also did something yesterday that I typically do NOT do. But I'm packed! Why so early? That's what DH asked me! I had a few minutes to spare, so I dug out my clothes and threw them in the suitcase -- it's a small carry-on and doesn't weigh much. I don't need a lot—shorts, shoes, underwear, etc. I still have the toiletries to pack, but that won't take long, and I may have to zip to the drugstore as I don't think I have a travel-size toothpaste! 

Most of the remaining tasks for this afternoon involve the computer, so that shouldn't be too bad. I should be able to get everything done, and what doesn't get done can wait. 

I always lament that going on vacation is a pain because of all the prep work I need to do. However, if I look closely at the list of things to do, it all could have been done weeks/months ago, and now the crunch time is here. So I have no one to blame but myself. I'm getting better, and that's all that counts. I'm not stressed - I don't stress about things like this. Just keep moving! 

The girls are going to be in a tizzy when we leave. They were already getting excited when KU and her friends left yesterday. We are on the same flight but one day later. 

Phew -- just took a few minutes and completed one more task. The more I can complete before the UFO group, the less I have to do after! All is good. I sure wish I could find that keyboard, but I'm not going to waste my time looking for it. I'm not hiking on this trip, so the weight isn't a big deal, but I sure hate to take that iPad with me. One expensive thing to lose. 

On that note -- have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!!