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!!!!

Geocaching while on vacation

Someone had asked me a while back if I was excited about this trip. It's hard to get excited when there is so much work to be done and so many things happening between now and then. Even now, when the departure is fast approaching, it's hard to get excited. I'll be excited when I step on the plane. 

Yesterday was a very long day, but I'm happy to report that the project I was working on is done. Or I should say complete enough that it looks done. There's a wee bit of hand sewing left to do. The rough draft is written, the pictures are taken, and all that remains is to proofread the document and send it off this morning. 

I have one email about Colour my World to send - I'm in the process of compiling the distribution list, so that should go out by noon. I have added a few names to the list that I received yesterday. If you haven't received an email from me by the end of today and are considering the class, please send an email, and I'll do my best to get the information to you. It likely won't happen until the end of the month if you send it after 12 noon today. There is no rush as the first class won't happen until September 27th. 

Needless to say, I fell into bed exhausted last night. But we are very close to getting everything completed, which is good because the flight time is fast approaching. 

Whatever doesn't get done will just have to wait. 

I'm going to be going solo now. The old Fitbit died yesterday, so it's all on the new one to keep track of what's going on. I need to figure out how to convert the steps into KM. I'm sure there's a way to make that happen. But I had to turn off all notifications on my phone because the darn thing keeps beeping and buzzing. I'm sure I'll find a happy medium, but I really don't need or want notifications from my phone to my watch. 

Out with the old and in with ONLY the new

Some of it is interesting, but I kept getting notifications of an event that I couldn't dismiss. What a waste of battery power for that. I need to preserve battery time - it has to last six full days without a charge!

Miss Muprhy was up to her old tricks. She takes unwrapping the toy in the blankets very seriously, and there was no end to the entertainment from her as she did so. 

Moom - are you enjoying this? 

She triumphed, and there was the ball. Now it was time to rest!

MOM - I need a rest. That was hard work!

And what was this all about? I was downstairs working when all I could hear was SQUEAK SQUEAK. And there she was with her OUTDOOR toy in the house. She looked a little possessive over the thing if you ask me!

MOM - I swear the fish swam here! 

It feels like The Night Before Christmas this morning. The backpacks are packed, and the hat is attached to the backpack. The last of the visas came through overnight, so all the paperwork is in order. That took over a week to get, and we had printed our application and payment forms to confirm it was complete. Good grief - it's a five-page document!

The meals for the plane are ordered, and we are checked in for the first flight, which means we leave in less than 24 hours! GULP!!! So much planning - whatever isn't done, we either throw money at it or plead ignorance! Just kidding - I think we are good! I have my "bribe" money in my waist pouch! I will charge up my fitness tracker and phone just before leaving the house. The ebooks are downloaded and hopefully actually downloaded. I couldn't find the one that I wanted, so I downloaded two: a mystery thriller and The Covenant of Water, which is a very long book. I had started to read it several times and had to stop both times. Now I have a very long flight - I might just get through it, or I'll watch movies the entire way! More on the flight stuff after they happen!

I also printed a few more geocache information sheets. I said yesterday that the "scientific" knowledge was interesting. DUH -- I meant to say geological information is interesting. Oh well, I think you knew what  I meant. I swear, if for no other reason, geocaching is an exciting hobby to do while traveling. You can learn a ton of interesting information about odd things at almost any destination in the world. If you are nerdy, the earthcaches are the best because they identify geological details on certain things, like the lava cave on Kilimanjaro. Besides, the geocache at the top is rated a difficulty of FIVE - the hardest, and I don't think I have a five yet! 

Most people would walk past the lava cave and not even know it's there. I wonder if we have phone reception on the mountain? I'm not sure, and I don't want to drain my battery, so I know where these special items are located (more or less), and hopefully we can explore them on the way up, or they are near one of the camps. I'm sure the guides know all about these places. But apparently, we will only see the guides or porters at the beginning and end of each day. They take our gear up and probably run up the mountain while the rest of us trudge up. The word of the day is SLOW and STEADY, as our bodies are not used to the high altitude. 

So, a few more things to get done today, and all will be good. It's also Monday sewing today, but I doubt I'll have too much time to spend with the group. And I'm off to spin class in a few minutes. I know -- one more for the road. OK -- I'll be honest, I haven't seen Joseph (the instructor) in a couple of weeks, and I wanted to get his good wishes for the trip. He's so supportive and loves to hear about all the crazy things people do. He's from France and is the best instructor around! 

Here's the lay of the land for the next four weeks. I will blog when I can. I have my mini-portable office with me, which is simply a small folding keyboard. That's it! No mouse - I simply connect the keyboard to my phone via Bluetooth. So it doesn't add a lot of weight at all. I'm sure I could find an even lighter one now, as this one is several years old. It works well, except there is a fold with a ridge in the main section, and it's annoying for typing certain letters, like F. So I won't be typing a lot of words with F in them. LOL. 

I know some of you will miss the daily blog, and I'll do what I can, but I'm giving you a heads up that there likely will not be a blog tomorrow. We have two long flights to get to our destination. But if we have time somewhere along the line with Wi-Fi, I'll see what I can do. I know those two flights will have interesting things to share! 

OH -- while I'm not a fan of Facebook these days, I'll be sharing photos on Facebook, so if you are my friend, you can see the images, and I'll try my best to learn how to download them to the blog. I believe the issue is the size. If I load them to the blog at home, I have resized them, but if I load them directly to the blog from the phone, they are HUGE. So I'll see what I can do to add at least one photo a day to the blog. 

Not a fan of Facebook? I LOVE Facebook, and the original idea for which it was created. The fact that they have become so powerful and are meddling in world politics? That doesn't impress me. And the fact that they can pay a brilliant young man S250 Million to help them conquer the AI world? Well, that means they have way too much money and power for one person (Mark!). 

Be sure to follow along as I do my best to blog. It's my way of letting off steam, keeping my sanity - I need to write, and blogging is a form of journaling that I share with you all. My mother and father both kept or are still keeping journals or diaries, and I need to do the same. Hmmm - now that I think about it, I wonder if my mom is still keeping a diary. I haven't heard her mention it in a long time. 

WAIT - there's another reason to write every day. I'm keeping my brain active and trying to prevent the dementia thing from happening. I think it's a very good thing to write every day. It's like anything - if you don't use it, you lose it. The situation is getting even worse when people only use texting with all the abbreviations to communicate, or they just verbalize everything. The ability to write is a brain skill, and I'm not losing my ability. The more I write, the more I need to write and the more I want to write, and the better I get at it! 

On that note - bon voyage!!!!! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!