On being productive in the sewing room!

Go Jays Go! 

I'm not a dedicated fan (no Jays sweaters or other merchandise for me), but I do like to see "our" team win. Unfortunately, I can't stay up to watch it. Besides, we don't have a working TV at the moment, but I could watch it on my phone. But I do check the score! Go Jays Go!

Yesterday was UFO Club, and you all know that there are three tables filled with stuff that needs to be done. In the past, I've focused on larger projects that take months to complete, but I'm going to switch tactics. I'm going to assign myself a bunch of smaller things, so I can see the results (empty table space) much quicker! 

So, this is what I showed for Show and Tell. At last, the binding is on my Chatsworth quilt. Yeah --- the binding had been stitched to the back of the quilt, but needed to be appliqued to the front. It's DONE! 

The binding on the Chatsworth quilt - DONE

I was supposed to get the border on my Tula Pink Butterfly, but I'm still undecided, so I grabbed Toes in the Sand instead and added the two side borders. I know, I know. How long did that take? Not long! 

The top of Toes in the Sand - finally done! 

And you've seen this little guy. Technically, he's not a UFO since I started and completed him just recently, but I bought the kit many years ago, and that qualifies as a UFO. 

The happy witch ornament

And for next month, I assigned myself a bunch of smaller tasks from those tables. In the pile are two quilts that need the backing and the binding made. One of them already has the fabric pulled, and I found something perfect for the backing of Toes in the Sand last night. Completeing those two task shouldn't take long. I said I would complete the binding on two of those quilts that have been in the pile for almost a year. There's also one more small ornament that is almost complete, and a cushion that needs an invisible zipper and then serged together. 

My UFO projects for next month

None of those jobs will take very long. But yet, I get caught up in other things. I WANT to change that, and I can, now that I don't have as many classes to prep for! This is now the time to put my money where my mouth is! 

Well, after our UFO Club yesterday, I was fired up! So many things that people have accomplished, so many exciting projects, and well, I decided I was going to get myself in gear and do something. We also had Virtual Retreat yesterday and for some reason, the way I have the camera/mic and my sewing machine set up, it works. So I was able to sew while I chatted, and I accomplished a LOT. 

First, I retrieved a tub from the storage room to organize my November UFO projects, ensuring they wouldn't get lost or forgotten in the mess. Then I'm resolving to get those done NOW rather than waiting until later. 

Next, I grabbed the first quilt that needed binding and put it on. OK -- this isn't the second quilt in the UFO pile, it's another one. Once I got the first one on, I decided to grab the next one and do that as well. I mean - from the pile still on the table, not just the two I pulled for UFO. 

Working on binding

And so I kept going. I had to make binding for most of the quilts in that pile, and I have a hunk of that diagonal striped flannel, which works perfectly for these bright children's flannel quilts. And soon, I had a stack of quilts with the binding stitched to the back. 

A stack of quilts with the binding sewn to the back

I still have four more quilts to add the binding to. I'm not stitching it to the front yet. I'm getting the binding on all of the quilts, and then I'll change the presser foot and threads and start appliquing. My new goal, but don't tell the UFO Club this, is to get the binding on that entire stack of quilts!

I switched fabrics for two of them, since the quilts were predominantly purple and pink, and found a hunk of flannel in the storage room. Then I have these two blue ones and thought I should get a blue flannel, which I don't have, and then I decided there is enough color in some of the blocks that the rainbow binding will work for these, and I still have a huge hunk of the rainbow stripe. 

Two of four quilts still to make binding

What I love is that there is absolutely NOTHING else on my sewing table. The machine is happily sewing these bindings on as if they were butter. Nothing to fall on the floor, I can glance up and see the Zoom group on the large screen to my left, and it was a fantastic sewing day!!

And to keep you in the loop on my cutting table, this is the state of it last night. The first pile is the backing and the Toes in the Sand quilt, which will require an hour of work, so I hope to get that done today (Monday Sewing). There is the rest of the pink flannel, in case I didn't cut enough strips, the rainbow fabric at the end to finish the blue quilts, DH's golf towel that needs a minor repair, and one small project that I'd like to finish today as well. 

The cutting table with current stuff on it!

I just needed a little bit of focus, and for some reason, everything came together yesterday. If I can be as productive in the future as I was yesterday, I want MORE virtual retreats! It was fun to chat with everyone, and yet I accomplished a lot. I need to make the most of these sewing days. I know -- if I don't get it done, it's not the end of the world, but this stuff is easy and a bit of focus doesn't hurt anyone. 

Besides, it's going to be so nice to have a big empty spot on those tables, but I'm sure I'm just going to fill it with all the stuff that I had to store on another table for the jacket-making class. BUT this is huge. I'll take the productive moments when they happen! It would be amazing to get all of those children's quilts out of my house by the end of this month. 

I cannot say enough about these Virtual Retreats. They are a lifeline to the world. OK -- that sounds a bit desperate, but I get the opportunity to chat with friends, learn new words and concepts, understand how various tools work, and we get to share and commiserate with each other. I would NOT trade those virtual retreats for the world. And they are easy. Don't get me wrong - I love going to an in-person retreat, but they are expensive and I can't do that once a month! 

In case you are interested, the next one is scheduled for November 15 and 16. I can't wait!!! I had to move it because of my travel schedule. Yes, there is some travel required for November, including a major Pony Express pickup, a guild lecture, and customer events (the number of days is still being confirmed, hopefully today), as well as visiting family. So it will be somewhat busy, but not crazy! 

A note that tomorrow's blog will likely be delayed by a couple of hours, as I'm traveling late tonight and might have a sleep-in. I'll see how it goes. Plus, I'll be in a different time zone. 

And now, I'm off to spin class. And then we have Monday sewing, and I'm excited to pick up where I left off last night. I've got bindings and quilt backings to make today, and I'm on a roll! Look out, world - I'm coming through! 

WAIT --- I mentioned that I learned a new word yesterday. I was describing the narrator's voice in this audiobook I just finished, and TWO people called out a word. WAIT -- what? Apparently, there is a word for that type of speech. The kind of speech that is littered with lots of "s" or "sh" sounds. In this book, I was NOT a fan. 

Sibilant. Seriously? I had never heard of that word! So then the joke became - how to make a sentence using the words sibilant and confluence. How about - the confluence of sibilant voices in the church was like the sound of the wind rushing through the tree tops when a cold front is moving in! Does that work? 

On that note, I'm off to spin class now. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Chatsworth Show and Tell

I was at the thrift store yesterday and came home with a few things, which I'll share as time passes. Most of what I bought was to make samples of different stitching types. I had been there a week ago and needed to check if I had some specific books, and I did that, but didn't get back to the store until yesterday. Surprisingly, most of what I had looked at last week was gone! Yep - even the books. So that means there is a turnover at the thrift store. And why does someone else want the same puzzles and books I like? 

Lots of other things happened as well. Remember what I said about making noise while DH is away? Well, there I was last night at 9:30, washing samples in the washing machine! It was a late night for me, but after my productive day and the need to continue writing, I needed to get those samples washed. 

Here's one thing that I found at the thrift store that I did NOT purchase, but I thought it was neat. There were two tea towels, and this is what was on them. 

Great saying on a tea towel

How cool and appropriate is that? I don't need more tea towels, so they stayed at the store!

Well, Microsoft Word and its AI have become extremely annoying. Now, when I open a blank document, there are FOUR prompts about what I want to write. I do not need a prompt. I only open a blank document when I need to write something, so why do I need a prompt? Good grief! 

AI prompts in Word

Anyway, I've realized how important it is for me to document the quilts I teach and make, so today is all about Chatsworth, a quilt that I taught and was hosted by the Hobby Hose Quilt Shoppe. We started in January and were supposed to finish in April, but I extended the class so more people could finish the top. 

Chatsworth quilt by Doug Leko

Here's an FYI for you: If you want to make the quilt, you don't need the foundation papers that are available for purchase. The instructions are in the book and very easy to sew together without the papers. However, if you like foundation piecing, by all means, the papers work very well. 

The foundation papers

And having said all that, let's see the show and tell. I'm not going to comment on each quilt as I don't have time, and well, that's what attending the class is all about! Sit back and enjoy the show. Some people didn't quite finish the tops, and that's OK. Sometimes, life interferes, and we do the best we can. Some people did much more work, but I only grabbed ONE of their photos. 

Tracey

Shirley

Monica

Karen

Elaine (not me)

Diana

Catherine 

Catherine - back

Catherine - scrappy binding

Cathy

Kathi

Joyce

Renee

Andrea

Louise

 

Maryke

Shelley

Mary

Donna

Connie

Elaine (that's MINE!)

And yes -- did you notice that the quilt is quilted! I used Kansas Troubles for my quilt, and it just begged for feather quilting. That day, I purchased about 10 feather patterns for the long arm as I didn't have any. I really love how it turned out with the scrappy backgrounds. 

Bountiful Feather quilting pattern

It's been a long time since I've used the same fabric for the background of a quilt. And there are several reasons for that. 

1. I often don't have enough of one color, so I use multiple fabrics. 
2. That prevents me from ever running out of fabric, as adding a different fabric is a simple matter. In some blocks, I didn't have enough fabric to complete a block, so I just added more of a different fabric. In the scheme of things, who is going to care? Not me! 

There were twenty people in the class, and here's the breakdown:

1 quilt is completely done

1 quilt - quilted but not bound

10 quilt tops complete

7 partial tops

1 no-show and tell

That's a pretty good turnout. The quilt is easy to assemble, and several mentioned they will likely make it again! 

It's a challenge when there are new people in any quilt class. They are not confident and often second-guess their color choices or their skills. I get that—I was once there. But I wish I could communicate to people that it's OK to mess up the colors. It's OK to make mistakes—that's how you learn. I have several quilts where the colors are wrong. I say, "Get over it, and don't repeat the mistake!"

Well, it's going to be another busy and productive day. I can feel it, and I must get started. 

I'm off to spin class. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Why are hospitals like a maze?

That was easy, and I got home about 12 minutes later than I anticipated! Thankfully, the hospital where the MRI was done was only 15 minutes away, and I arrived in plenty of time to find parking. Not that the parking lot was full, but I had no idea where it was (in the back), and then I had to walk around to the front to enter through Emerg since the hospital is locked up at 5 a.m. Then, the big question was how to find the Diagnostic Imaging Department. 

Thankfully, that was a non-issue as it was clearly marked on the big dots on the floor. I didn't even have to ask anyone, which is good because I didn't see a soul, except for a few patients waiting in Emerg. 

A path of dots to direct the way

Even within the DI department, markers were on the floor to indicate where you needed to go for each test.  

More dots on the floor

But it kind of begs the question—why are hospitals like mazes? Can they not have a central hallway, and you walk down one hall to find everything? It's like they started with one building, then added many more, and each one has twists and turns. However, this dot system is brilliant! 

AHA -- Now I get why there is a longer wait for MRIs. If you've ever had one, you know. I got on the bed, and the guy was arranging my feet (he said he was tying my legs down!), and then they put this weighted thing on my stomach. And you get a call button and earplugs. Imagine my shock when he said the test takes 20 - 25 minutes!!!! I didn't remember it being that long the last time I had one, but it's been almost 10 years. WOW! So, if they can only process two patients an hour, that takes a lot of time, and you can see why they don't want anyone to miss their appointment. 

So, off with anything metal, and while changing, I learned something else. Did you know this was a thing? 

Magnetic lashes

It appears I lead a very sheltered life! Well, no worry about removing my magnetic lashes! I'm not claustrophobic and didn't find it a super tight space, although I mostly kept my eyes closed. Although the noise is crazy -- beeps that sound URGENT like an alarm. That alone could set someone off! Towards the end, but I didn't know that at the time, this beeping started again. I decided to count the number of beeps, but I got bored around the 60 mark, and it continued. About that same time, I could feel my throat get dry, and you were not supposed to move. Yikes! 

I didn't want to use the call button. That would be wimpy, so I did what I do whenever I need to get away. I just zoned out. You just relax and drown out any of the noise and discomfort. I've done that with severe asthma attacks, childbirth, and whoever else I've needed it. Our minds are MORE powerful than our bodies, and if we let our minds take over (in a positive way), they can defeat much of the pain and discomfort. And I'm darn good at it now. I think part of it has to do with being patient. 

Anyway, after many beeps, the machine finally shut off, the table moved out, and I was done! There was no waiting, and all was good. I was back in the car and out of the parking lot before 6 a.m. Now, that's how I like medical appointments to go, and if it means going for an MRI in the early morning or even in the middle of the night, I'm in!

The screening said left hip, but I sure hope they got some of the back area so they can see if there is anything wrong. I had to stop in to see my doctor yesterday to get that prescription renewed, and I reminded her I was going today. She said she thought it might be bursitis. NO—I know it is NOT bursitis. That is a very focused pain, and what I have is NOT focused. Hopefully, I'm going to get the information I need. 

Speaking of the prescription, I walked to the doctor's office and got her to give me a year's worth of that bone density medication with one renewal. Yeah! But then she whipped that prescription off to the drug store before I could say boo. I would have the receptionist change the pharmacy, but she was gone for the day. I caught the doctor before she grabbed the next patient, and she said I could get the pharmacies to talk to each other. I hope so. 

This pharmacy that I'm not a fan of takes forever to fill a prescription, but I thought, just in case, I should stop by since it was on my way home. I talked to the pharmacist, who looked up the information. Oh yes -- she says, that one just popped up on my screen. Did that mean, she was about to fill it? I didn't even bother to ask. I told her I'd get the other pharmacy to call them and transfer it. I'm going to do that in person. I don't trust people on the phone! Am I old or what? 

So, all is good in the medical field, and now I have to wait about two weeks for the results. Let's see how bad the damage is and what, if anything, can be done about it. I'm not holding my breath - I think we just have to realize that there is some form of disk degeneration, and not a lot can be done. The discomfort can be eased but not eliminated. Hopefully, my pessimism will pay off, and they might say we have a cure for that! What I'm experiencing now is NOT nearly as bad as it was at Christmas time. I could NOT live with that pain. Although my situation is not right, I could live with this discomfort. 

I had not been down this way in a while, and I see there is some new building going up. This is where a restaurant once resided, but it burned down several years ago. It's nice to see something going up—and not a condo! 

A new restaurant? 

So, there's more good news at the house. The tray tables for the new chairs arrived. Now it's just like at the movies! We have two—his and hers! 

The new chair tables

I got some more sewing done, so that was good, and I got all the sashing strips cut from the fabric. All is good, and I'm not going to share with you what happened to that quilt until after I share it with the group at the beginning of May. 

My sashing strips for Chatsworth

I also need to work on this quilt, which is different from the one I'm working on for Many Blocks. That one is also by Lori Holt, but it's Farm Girl Vintage. This one is Vintage Christmas. 

Vintage Christmas

I'm trying to keep my calendar relatively free and book only one thing each day at the most. So today's appointment/event is already over, so I can move on. There is NOTHING else on the calendar for the day, but that doesn't mean I have nothing to do! There are loads! 

I finished that audiobook yesterday—The Inmate by Freida McFadden. Remember I talked about a twist? Yep, I did not see that one coming! Her books are so creepy from the perspective that someone can have some very evil thoughts! 

We have some crazy weather here, but I've been so lucky. Last week, when I had two back-to-back guild lectures, the first was in person, and the weather was beautiful. The next day, the weather was crap, and the lecture was on Zoom! 

This morning, as I was driving home from the hospital, they said the driving was terrible, and the entire east side of the city was icey. Thankfully, I live on the west side, and it is as dry as a bone! 

And that's it for today! I have an entire day to myself—it's positively dreamy! I hope I don't freeze with no deadline to deal with. Oh, I have deadlines, just no appointments. I need to work better with that!

Have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!

List making is fun!

I love lists! Lists make me feel in control! This little apple did not fall far from the tree. My mom keeps tons of information, but most of it is useless, like tracking the amount that the telethon (they still have those out west) raised over the last 50 years. Now, that's a list I can do without! However, I have to say that having a list like that and keeping track of it for 50 years is a feat! 

My most extensive lists are book-related! 

Back in the day, and I could not find an exact date, there was a website called FictFact. You could keep track of the various book series you were reading and check off the ones you had read. Then, it would spit out a list of the books next in line for each series. It was a beautiful reading list and made knowing what book to read next easy. 

Sadly, that site closed down when the big names started taking over the book world. FictFact also shut down, as I suspect licensing the information from the big guys became too costly. I miss that website terribly, but I printed a list of the next-in-line titles before they went. 

I've hung onto that list for a number of years, but I figured it was time to deal with it. So I started with Page One, checked the books I had read, and crossed them off. I made a list of the next in a series I have not read yet and indicated where the book is located—Hoopla, Libby, my shelf, or to be added to the shopping list for used books. 

And then, because the information was handwritten on that FictFact list, I made another list of the books I own in the various series. 

So now I have three book lists: one for the next-in-line books to read in a series, one for the series books I own, and one for missing books not available at any online library sources. I only own some books in a series because they are no longer available at the library. 

Of course, there are the books I've read, and I have two different websites to track that information. One tracks only novels (my choice), and the other tracks everything. 

I only went through one page of the FictFact list, and there are six more to go! Yes -- I love reading book series! 

Page one of the FictFact list

It did NOT take much time to sort through that, and it will make it much easier to find the next book to read in a series. When I want to find the next book in a series to read, I have to check my read lists to see the last book I read. I read so many series, and I may only read a book from a series once a year or once every two years, so I need a list. Then I check on another website, which is the next book in that series. Then I go to my shelf to see if I have that one. If not, I must check the library resources to see if one is available. It is not an easy process, which is why FictFact was so perfect! 

But there is a workaround for everything. Too much trouble, you say? Nothing is too much trouble if you believe in it and it works for you! When you are passionate about something, nothing is work! So it takes a bit of time, but now that I have my personal list, at least the unread books from the FictFact list, finding a book to read will be easier! 

And yes, once I was finished with that page, I put it in the recycling. There is no need to keep useless paper. Of the 17 books on the first page, there were five I had not yet read, so they are on the new list, along with where to find them. I had better read those quickly, as some books I had marked as in the library are no longer in the library! 

I'm pretty excited, and it's nice to have some downtime to do some "fun" paperwork. No - I did not do any real paperwork yesterday, but I'll try to make that happen today! 

I noticed a tree at the end of our street is in bloom, which seems a bit early. But I guess not, as I see crocuses, tulips, and daffodils pushing up through the ground. Soon, the REAL spring will be here. 

A tree in bloom

Here's a role reversal at our house. I caved and moved that second half of the couch back so Murphy could have a couch bed, just like Lexi. DH says, "I thought you bought the chairs to remove the sofa." I did, but the dogs? They need to be part of the family! 

The girls 

We watched a movie last night, and I LOVE the new chairs. They are pretty comfy with the adjustable positions, and I was as snug as a bug with my quilt. I like action movies, but sadly, this was a disturbing movie, almost an action farce, and I didn't enjoy it. However, I stayed there as promised. Lexi seems excited by the blue lights at the bottom of the chairs! She was hovering around trying to figure out what they are and she is NOT a curious dog. 

Now I know why I don't watch many movies and certainly not TV. What a total waste of time, and if this is called entertainment? I'm speechless. 

We had our Chatsworth class yesterday, and here are my blocks so far. 

There are twelve big blocks and twelve flying geese units. All the big blocks are done! And I think nine or ten of the flying geese units are done. Could I be so bold as to say they will be all done by the end of today? I did some sewing yesterday, and it was fun to get back into it. I needed the inspiration of the class to get moving again. 

I have two more presentations this morning, and the rest of the afternoon is mine! I have 50 pages in a novel to finish, so it can be returned to the library, which I'll do right after the presentations. Then I'll be back at the sewing machine. 

I have my silly pill to take when I take my vitamins later this morning. My doctor thinks I'm going insane as she actually asked me if I "forget" to take the pill, as in losing my memory. Good grief --- NO. I'm just not a pill taker. I called the office to renew the other day, and the receptionist said NO - I needed to come in. 

My MRI is this coming week, and I dreamt last night that I missed the appointment. Good grief - I don't want to miss it! I have good days and bad days with the leg. But I'm not about to let it change my life until I can't handle it any longer. Thankfully, the acute pain is gone, but the dead feeling in that leg is not fun, and I would never trust myself to run as I feel that leg would give out at any time. It's so weird, and hopefully, the MRI will provide an answer. 

I strongly suspect they will find bulging disks, which is not what I want to hear, but at least we would know what the problem is and hopefully how to "cure" it or at least do something to improve it. I will say the increased exercise and stretching have helped enormously with the issue. And my mobility is fantastic! My muscles are still extremely tight—like guitar strings! So I must keep working on that, and I need to stretch more. 

And on that happy note, I'm off to walk the girls! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!