Doing what you think you don't like

OH MY --- someone mentioned in the comments about Mary Ellen's book -- "It's OK if you sit on my quilt." Indeed, there were NO quilt police for her! Mary Ellen was quite the spitfire - I heard that from the shop owner where I used to hang out. And definitely, there were no quilt police in Mary Ellen's life. It's a great book. All three of her books that I have (well, technically, now two) are amazing. The amount of detail, flexibility, and freedom she gives is refreshing. 

We need NEW books like that. Books that give you permission to play, meat to sink your teeth into, and not another book filled with patterns. The good stuff came in the old books! Which is why a lot of my books are the old stuff! 

I'm working on the items from the handwritten to-do list. I just can't work with the list on the computer. I have no idea why -- it's just not in my blood, but I'll keep trying. I'm great with audiobooks and ebooks, but not my lists! 

This weekend is the Color My World class, and I still have some appliqué to do on the house blocks I made earlier. I seem to have a mental block about appliqué. I have no idea why. I have a good machine that does great appliqué. I have lots of stitches that work amazingly well for appliqué. The machine has zero issues and is easy to switch between piecing and appliqué, and I have all the proper tools and plenty of thread. But the thought of stitching out appliqué just doesn't sound appealing to me. Why is that? 

Well, I need to get my butt in gear and make this happen, so this morning, when I woke up and lay in bed contemplating what I would do today, that appliqué popped into my head. It's Tuesday, and I need this done by Saturday. 

So I got everything prepped, which took about 1 minute, and then I started. I also connected my audiobook. And before an hour had passed, I had completed all of the fiddly bits and only had seven pieces left to stitch down later this morning. 

Four house blocks that need appliqué stitching

So, can you tell me why it's not my favorite thing to do? All that remains is to stitch the two pieces of tree down (one tree is already stitched in place, which is why there are seven left) on four blocks. Then I'm done and only have this month's homework left to finish. Finish? Who am I kidding - I haven't even started it!

I have other appliqué to do as well, and I really should just leave the machine set up and continue. It's not hard, and I'm good at it! Mindset change!!!!

Yesterday was Monday sewing, and we had a great time. There is a lot to be said for being close to an amazing and extremely supportive group of women. What I love about Zoom calls that you will not get in an in-person group is that if you are seeking information (that's me every week), EVERYONE usually has something to offer. While they are listening, they can continue working. This DOES NOT happen in an in-person sewing session. 

While people like to get together in person, and I agree that I like that as well, I will NEVER give up my Zoom calls. Learning to take turns talking, actively listening, and participating is something you will NEVER get in an in-person group. OK—depends on the size of the group. But Zoom? Something very good came from the pandemic. 

A HUGE thank you to the ladies who answered my many questions yesterday; I feel much better about a lot of things. And you know what? People like to share information, and they typically have a ton to share. Some people need a bit more encouragement than others, and I find that the ones who usually talk are happy to talk over the quiet ones. WAIT!!! Let person X respond, since I asked THEIR opinion, not yours! I find I have to do that frequently in the Zoom calls. But it's a "trick" to engage everyone - ask questions. It's not just about YOU! It's about everyone! I don't always do a good job, but I try. I think that's why every casual Zoom call requires a moderator to keep the conversation going and to encourage everyone to participate. 

While they were chatting and answering questions, I had something important to work on. 

M is getting married in just over three weeks! Oh my --- how did that date come up so quickly? And she is following the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. We also added the phrase about the penny for the shoe. And thanks to Jane, who found a penny for the year she was born. 

She had taken care of everything, but needed something old. I couldn't think of anything, but she remembered this little pinafore that I made for her when she was tiny! We have a family photo of her in the dress. She drooled on the embroidery in the yoke, and I don't think she ever wore it again. It's been hanging in the closet for 30 years. I'll take a picture of the dress, which doesn't have quite so much work on it. 

Pinafore for the dress

The dress and pinafore went out to BC with a friend of hers and then came back. She asked if she could use the lace along the bottom to wrap her bouquet in. At first, I was resistant, and then seriously! I gave my head a shake. If she remembers this dress from when she was a babe, the least I can do is let her use the lace. I must remember to learn from my mom what not to do! 

As we chatted yesterday, I attacked the bottom of the ruffle using the seam ripper. 

Time for some ripping

Not wanting that lace to ever come off, there were two rows of stitches - of course, there were, and because of the ruffle, there was almost 4 meters of lace. OK -- it's technically eyelet trim, not lace. I had staystitched the bottom of the ruffle, then stitched the trim onto the bottom of the ruffle, and then topstitched it in place. 

That's a lot of stitching.

It took FOUR hours to carefully remove the trim, but it's off! I just have to remove all the threads from the trim and give it a good press. Amazing how much it has yellowed in thirty years in a dark closet. I'm not washing it -- that's the concept of OLD! I must try to find a new picture of her in the dress - the one that's been sitting in the living room for 30 years is quite faded. 

The trim is off the pinafore.

If the trim comes back in good condition, I can restitch it to the ruffle. Why? I don't know because who the heck would ever dress their kid in a dress like that? Unless it's for a photo! Perhaps if she has a girl someday........ But mission accomplished. Now I have to resize a bowtie for Bear, and I'm waiting for scraps of wedding-dress fabric to arrive so I can make a ring-bearer pillow. 

I'm waiting for my outfit to arrive, as I broke down and just ordered one online. I have to rent a car, check the Hullo ferry schedule, and then I'm done with my wedding plans! 

I also completed another community project quilt! 

Community project quilt - number 5 of 11 - done!

I'll be very happy to get these done, but I also have another grouping of ten of my quilts slated for community projects, and I need to dive into those. I must make some kind of dent in the pile this year, or I'll never get them finished. 

It's definitely a treat to work on something where the backing has already been prepared. But I'd better learn to "like" that task, because there are about 250 community project quilts with ZERO backing or binding. Yippee!!!!

Here was the quote in my tea the other day. OH!!!!

A great quote to live by

I cannot express this fact often enough, and we need to encourage people (quilters) or any other person to embrace this philosophy. We NEED to make mistakes, we need to fail, we need to embrace all those so-perceived negative things. Because if we become used to the negative things, we don't feel bad when something really bad happens. We will have developed coping mechanisms to get over it. Today, the youth do not have those abilities (not all), and it's hard for them when something goes wrong, and they develop anxiety! 

Can you imagine being shielded from failure all your life, and then going out into the world and facing failure for the first time as an adult? You'll have a meltdown! 

The section in The Celestine Prophecy I am currently reading is about children, encouraging them to grow, and giving them your full attention. OH boy -- if the author could see the world today, where parents are walking their children to school, and the parent is on the phone. Why are other people on the phone more important than the little one in front of you? 

I really think this book could be rewritten as a "self-help" type book. Outline the nine principles and forget the story. Although the story helps illustrate each of the nine principles. Actually, when you look at it from that perspective, the storyline is pretty clever. While the storyline is so contrived, I'm enjoying the book and really, really believe in these nine principles. It's about self-awareness, energy, and how to get it, and living in harmony with each other and the planet. But I'm curious why the author feels it necessary to give each character the main character meets an age?  

Perhaps I'd better take the lesson from the dealing with children section and apply it to Murphy. I was on the phone for quite a bit yesterday and sat in the gazebo to make the calls. 

Of course, she wanted it to be all about her! And this was her adoring face, only because I took her ball away from her! 

Mom - give me the ball, I'll be good! I'm a good girl!

It's almost like the instant I sat down, she grabbed a ball and threw it into the pond. Her acts are so intentional that you can't help but smile. But then, when I don't pay attention to her, she barks! And she doesn't like to be disciplined, won't be quiet, and you can't catch her. Indeed, one very naughty girl! 

MOM - the pond is a magnet for the ball!

At one point, she finally got the message that we were not playing ball, and she lay like this - staring at the ball. 

MOM - My ball is beautiful!

If the ball comes close enough to the edge, she can pick it out. But it's more fun to have someone throw the ball! 

The rabbits in our neighborhood are pretty bold. They hang out along the walk, and for the most part, Murphy can contain herself, but she can get hysterical. Lexi just wants to play with them. 

The rabbits are bold in our neighborhood.

After dinner, I attempted to work on the jigsaw puzzle. While my butterflies and birds are more together, I'm still a long way from being finished. I need to start moving those pieces into the proper position in the puzzle. I love having the puzzle on the end of the table like this because I can swing my chair around and work from THREE sides! All the pieces are on those boards, which are out of the way. But notice how many pieces I have lying in the puzzle. And I can't find homes for them. Yet............

Progress on the puzzle

This morning, as I walked by (the puzzle is too big to be completely covered by the boards), I noticed that I'm getting a lot of work done in the bottom-left corner. Notice how the corner is floating; it's not connected to the left or bottom border! 

A floating corner!

The cleaning ladies are coming today, so there are a few things I haven't finished (sorting books I don't want), and I must take care of them this morning. It's a good thing to have a cleaning service because it forces you to deal with the "junk" that has accumulated since they last came by! 

I'll have to tell you the story of the cleaning lady another day! I have a few things to put in the garage so they can be packed in the car for the upcoming quilt retreat, and I have things in the kitchen which will get plunked into the office, which is why the office is never clean and tidy! One day!!!!

There is a virtual retreat this weekend. Saturday evening, starting at 6 PM, and Sunday, starting at 3 PM. I'll post the links later this week, but in the meantime, you can add that to your calendar if you want to attend. It throws the Zoom security computer into a tizzy if I post the links on a public blog! Remember what I said about our Monday Zoom -- the information sharing and the way it makes you realize you are not alone in any aspect of your life are priceless. 

And on that happy note, I'm off to tidy up a bit and get a LOT of items checked off the to-do list. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!