Quilt Canada - Day Two

My throat is parched! Not only is it terribly dry in the convention center, but I've almost talked myself out! Is that even possible? 

So many people have stopped by to say hi, and then we're chatting to others about sewing machines, which is really why I'm here! My aunt and cousin drove here, and I had a quick visit with my aunt. My cousin isn't into sewing, so she went shopping for other things! 

I was on my own for the morning walk, and I walked across the pedestrian bridge again but turned in a different direction than the previous day. I was watching the clock, as I had to be back, so it was perfect timing when I reached what looked like a long, steep hill—it was time to turn around! 

Long, steep hill! 

This is part of the Trans Canada Trail. I've walked parts of it in several provinces but wonder if I've walked any of it through Ontario. Come to think of it, I'm not sure where it goes in Ontario. AH—it looks like it follows the lake shore, which isn't that far from me, but it's not a place where I walk. 

The Trans Canada Trail

I meant to mention the other day that the lilacs are out! Even if you focus on other things and don't see them, you can smell them. Ours have been done for a while, but then we are much further north here and definitely in a different growing season. 

The lilacs are in bloom

When I arrived at the Convention Center and was going to take the escalator to get back up the hill, the door was locked! ACK!!! OK, so I can walk back to the outdoor stairs where the funicular is. I knew it opened at 7, and it was only about 6:30. 

Then I spotted a set of stairs on the other side of the convention center, and I decided to be a risk taker since I wasn't sure I could get all the way to the street. So it wasn't a surprise when I got close to the top and spotted this sign. 

NO ACCESS to Jasper Street

In case you can't read that, it says NO ACCESS to Japser Street. So I had to go back down, walk to the other step, and then back up. But you would think they would say that at the bottom of the steps, not near the top. That was cruel!!!

I had to chuckle at the staircase beside the funicular. One person was pushing his bike up the rail on the stairs, meant for that purpose, and then someone else was walking up. Both of them were in front of me. Two people were sitting at the top of the stairs, and I had a feeling that the young girl had had quite the party night. So she's yelling encouragement as the three of us progress up. As each person reached the top, her comments moved to the next person. 

So when she shouted, "Come on, granny," to me, I almost choked! But then she said, "Auntie," which is a term of endearment for the indigenous people, so I hope granny is as well. I power-walked up those stairs, and my heart was pounding when I reached the top. 

I trooped off to Tim's only to find it was closed! ACK!!! It didn't open until 7 AM, so I waited almost ten minutes. Each morning since we arrived, the morning temperature has been warmer, and even before I reached the stairs, with my power walk pace, I had my flannel shirt off. 

I sponsored one of the youth challenge participants, Shay. She was at the show yesterday, so I got this picture of her and me beside her quilt. She won the prize for the online voting in her category. They will be awarding the prize for the in-person viewers' choice today, and I have my fingers crossed for her. Way to go, Shay!!!!

Myself and Shay with her quilt

I want to shout out to some of the quilters of Mississauga—I hope I don't miss anyone—Heather B, Heather P + Steve, Jane S, Cheryl, Mary Ann (who sadly passed away this past year), Jane C (not from Mississauga), and, on my gosh, who else? Some of those people have moved away from Mississauga, but over the years, they have become faithful volunteers at Quilt Canada, looking after the Trentex Challenge, the youth Challenge. They have become a fixture at the quilt show. I was in tears as I read their beautiful tribute in the Trendtex booth for Mary Ann. 

I want to say THANK YOU for all you do. You really are an asset to the Canadian Quilter's Association. I wish I had the time to commit to the same level that they do. And we do NOT thank people enough for all they do. If I have forgotten any of that group, please forgive me, but let me know so I can add their name to that list. 

It was a steady day of visitors to the booth, and everyone was having a look at the items that I made from the clothesline. I may have to make some more when I get home, as I have a "bit" of that cord, and it would be nice to use it up. 

I've created a few embroideries I can use when I get home, but I haven't done anything on the items I brought. I knew that I wouldn't, so I'm not sure why I threw them in my bag. I just don't want to get involved in something when there are many interruptions during the day. I have ONE thing I would like to do today, and it'll take just a few minutes, so I must get that done. 

I managed to get out of the booth and looked at the Trendtex challenge pieces. There are some fantastic pieces; people are so darn creative with five fabrics. I'm always in awe. I bid on a few as I need to add to my Trendtex collection. The bidding closes at 2 PM today, so I'll walk over there and check it out at about 1 PM. 

I stepped into the Emmaline booth, which is just beside us. Hmm—there are a few things that I may bring home with me. I'm OK with buying something I don't have, but I refuse to buy more cotton, and I've decided I do not need more thread. But faux leather that feels as soft as butter? I don't have that!

We sat outside on the patio for dinner last night, and there was a section that was closed for a private party so we could watch the hockey game from a distance. It was relatively quiet, which was good; I didn't need more noise after all we experienced at the show. I'm sure the crowds were going crazy on the other side of the hotel, near Roger's Place, where the game was being held. 

Relatively quiet on the patio

There is one game to go, and who will win? 

When I got back to my hotel room, I tidied up. Good grief—I've never been this messy, so the things I don't need are back in my suitcase. The desktop is pretty clear, and it won't take long to finish packing up things tonight because we have an early morning flight. Let's pray that there are no delays or cancellations. I know some are heading home on that early flight today, and they got notifications of potential disruptions because of thunderstorms. 

I hope to get out early this morning to check out the quilts and take pictures of some of them for our Monday sewing. I've been helping people thread their machines for the classes in the morning, so that has consumed some of my time, but today is the last day—I must get out!! 

I feel highly motivated to get back to the sewing machine. I think there are nine Zooms (most of which will not require a lot of work on my part), and I'm able to shut down for a couple of months, which I'm looking forward to. There'll be a lot of ME time where I can work on whatever I want, and as I mentioned, I feel very motivated to get something done. Let's see how that goes!!!

Hopefully, everyone is still opening and cleaning out drawers. Just because I'm not home doesn't allow you to slack off!! LOL. It's tough to keep cleaning and tidying, but we must get it done, and I'll tackle some areas when I get home. I hope to tackle those last piles of UFOs sitting out, and I might leave the drawers for the fall. I NEED to get everything off the tables, once and for all, and the next three weeks will be my chance to do that. You'll get before and after pictures, and I want them done! How hard can that be? A few customer quilts need to be done as well, but while I'm babysitting the long arn, I can be cutting binding or whatever. 

Two things to note: There is a Virtual Retreat next weekend, so we can get together and have loads of fun! Stop in (the links will be posted later this week). Second, I'm not sure there'll be a blog post tomorrow. We have an early morning flight, so there won't be a post unless I write it before I go to bed. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I'm meeting Claire for the morning walk, and then we need to get to the convention center to thread machines, upstairs to take pictures, and then into the booth for 9:30!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The 11th anniversary

So, while it was a fantastic day at Quilt Canada, I have something to share that was even more amazing. 

TODAY is the day eleven years ago that I and 23 other brave souls set out from UBC (the totem pole park) to ride our bicycles across Canada. We were accompanied by Adam, our fearless young driver, with whom I stayed in touch. He was amazing, already with a quip when the going got tough, and there to support 1000%. When asked a question, his favorite saying was, " It's on the whiteboard!"

I did not know anyone before leaving on the trip, and while I had done some long-distance cycling, the most I had done was three-week trips in 2010, 2011, and 2012. This was the year to do something crazy and go for ten weeks. 

I was fortunate to meet Neil, who became my riding partner for the trip. We rode together, more or less, every day, through the good and the bad. We just seemed to click. 

Neil's wife, Susan, was there at the beginning, the end, and one stop in the way as we rode through their home province of Alberta. I've remained in touch with Neil through Facebook and am always in awe of his fantastic photography. His photos are absolutely stunning. 

I was so engrossed in making Quilt Canada samples that I forgot about Neil living in the Edmonton area, so he contacted me. Could we meet? OH MY—YES!!!!!

So the three of us went out for dinner last night, and it was like those eleven years had never existed. He brought some photos along on his phone, and it was fun to browse through them. OH MY -- I had quite the tan at the end of that trip. Gosh -- I feel teary-eyed as I think back about that trip!

Here's a photo of us on the eve of our big adventure. 

Me and Neil on the eve of our big adventure

Did you notice what's in my hand? A Corona!!!

Here's a picture of us last evening after dinner. 

Neil and I - eleven years later

Yep, I had a Corona last night. We should have tried to recreate that first photo, but we only thought of it once we were outside the restaurant. 

Thank you to Neil and Susan -- it was a wonderful evening, and I enjoyed every minute of it. WOW --- so many memories - I can't wait to return home and review my photos. YES -- those photos were on that hard disk that I paid gobs to recover. I'm so glad I coughed up the cash!

I need to be more responsible with precious memories like that, and they really need to be in a book so I can look at them when I'm in the nursing home and can't remember a thing. At least when people come to visit, we can talk about my book!

OK—I have no idea what's going on this trip, but my hotel room is a disaster. I'm usually very neat, packing things into my bags before leaving for the day. I always have a "do not disturb" sign on my door—I do not need my bed made daily, and I certainly do not need fresh towels. 

This time, my room looks like a very untidy person is living here. Here's just part of the mess. 

The debris in my room

I'll try to tidy up a little later, but there's no need. I just don't want to leave anything behind, so I'll put a few things away that I won't need. But since I pack so sparingly, I bet I'll need most of what I have. 

Claire and I went for a walk in the morning and found a pedestrian walkway under the public transit bridge. 

The pedestrian walkway under the transit bridge

Then we ended up downtown, going to find Tim's for breakfast. Along the way, we passed this sign: Tonight, it's going to be insane in the downtown area. 

Look how little I am!!!!

Then, we made it to the convention center to help thread machines and set them up for a couple of classes. I then went up to the booth, where I grabbed one shot of the PFAFF booth and spent the day. 

The PFAFF booth

People were enthralled with my rope bowl making—so much so that I had zero chance to sew any more on the unfinished one. I didn't even get a chance to get my thread out!

But I met up with some fantastic people. A HUGE SHOUT OUT to those who read the blog and stopped to say HI!!! I may not know you, but I appreciate you following along! And YES -- the dogs are taking over. Everyone loves Murphy and Lexi. OK -- let's be honest, Murphy is doing a considerable share of the entertaining when it comes to the dogs! Lexi had better step up her game if she wants to be part of it! Just kidding, Lexi, we love you, and you are my sweet girl!!! 

Lots of people I knew stopped by to say hi. I have never met some of them in person, but I know them quite well from Zoom! It's pretty funny since some of them live close to me, but we had to travel to Edmonton to meet in person! 

I've met up with other people I met on Zoom but have previously met in person, and then I have the gaggle of friends from home that I have known in person for many years. 

There are just so many people! I love you all, and thanks for being a part of my life! I couldn't be who I am without you! I think we take a little bit from everyone we meet but also give in return. That's what friendship is all about - giving and taking! 

So yes -- if you are at the show, stop by and say HI!!!

The last amazing thing yesterday was the daily door prize donated by PFAFF. This is our top-of-the-line sewing machine (creative icon), and let's just say that it's an excellent price. Well, the young lady on the right is the lucky winner. She is a wonderful person, and I had the pleasure of walking her through a demo of the machine and what it can do. Her mother was with her. 

Pam with the door prize winner

I love that she was thrilled and saw how old she is!!! She said she's not as young as we think, but I said - we were old enough to be her mother - that makes her young! She and her mother went home thrilled to bits. I was so excited for her. 

Well, that's just too much excitement in one day. Today will be a bit quieter, and I hope to get out a little bit and check out some quilts or some of the vendors. I know—I must be diligent as I do NOT have a lot of room—weight-wise or space-wise. I never got out of the booth until lunch at 2 p.m. and didn't see any vendors or quilts. Not seeing the vendors was probably a good thing! 

It's time to get moving so I can be ready for a walk this morning. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

 

Twas the day before Quilt Canada - also known as SET UP DAY!!!

 And that's a wrap for set-up day! I have to say that with a great team, the day progressed very nicely. 

In addition to our giant booth, we had to set up two classrooms of sewing machines, so with the help of a paid laborer and a volunteer, we got the rooms set up in pretty short order. But not before arriving and not finding any machines waiting for us. And I get it—they are busy, and well, I've learned that the squeaky wheel gets the job done. 

So I marched off to the loading dock and spotted one of our palettes of sewing machines sitting there like a lost, forlorn child. I spoke rather pleasantly to the people standing there, and the next thing I knew, those machines were on their way. 

I've done the same thing at the big show in Houston. I remember hovering at the loading dock to find some missing pieces from our booth (when I worked for the fabric company). It works because I got that moving that day as well. It's all about RESPECT and being super POLITE. How can they refuse?

We arrived at the base of the escalator only to spot our other palette going in the wrong direction, so I leaped off the escalator (OK, so it wasn't that daring). We got those machines in the proper room, and the other arrived shortly after that! 

Then, we returned to the booth, where the rest of the team worked on unboxing machines and running electrical cords. 

By that time, it was time to get out the samples. With some pre-planning and coordinated efforts (the three educators), we soon sorted the samples into piles and found spots for them on the walls or the tables. I forgot to take pictures before we left yesterday. 

I have no idea how many shows I've set up over the years. I'm sure it's nothing compared to some long-time vendors (at any show), but I always seemed to be in the booth that was the last to leave the hall on set-up day and was more likely the last one to leave on tear-down day. But yesterday? We were smoking, and we were out of there by 4:30! I think that was a record for me, and I was ecstatic. 

I only took one picture of our booth because I sent it to M. She travels with me often!! LOL. 

Two of my samples in the booth

But for those coming to Quilt Canada, be sure to visit us. OK, I get it—you may not want to buy a sewing machine, but come on into the booth because we have MANY techniques displayed. We'll be demoing the new digital cutter, Momento, and you're bound to learn something. So do not be shy!!!

Here's something very important to know about the SVP Canada booth. We sell Husqvarna Viking PFAFF, Singer machines, and the Momento digital cutter. Unlike the other sewing machine booths, we have TONS of samples in our booth. You have access to the three (amazingly talented) educators, you have access to a couple of dealers, tons of samples, and many, many techniques. So come in and look at the techniques and ASK QUESTIONS. As I said, you may not be in the market to buy a machine, but hopefully, you're in the market to learn a new technique!!!!

We even got to go to the awards ceremony last night. Since we were sponsors, we were able to get seats in the front row. 

Waiting for the awards ceremony

And I chatted with a few old friends. I ran into Kathy Bissett, which is funny because I thought of her the other day when I ran across a quilt top that I made using her Magic Tiles pattern. When I was home, I couldn't remember her last name for my life, but she was sitting beside us, and her name popped into my head! I chatted with Luana from eQuilter.com, who was there to congratulate some winners - she always sponsors a category. I love her travel plans and her quilt plans. Paul, of course, was flitting around, and we grabbed a selfie. He's quite the social butterfly. 

I got up to accept an award on behalf of Shay in the Youth Challenge. I had sponsored her quilt in the youth challenge, which I posted a link to a while back when the online voting was on. She won in her category—16 - 19. The win was well deserved. I haven't seen the piece in person, but close-up details show it's amazing. I think we should watch her as an artist—she'll go far if she wants. 

Now, for anyone at Quilt Canada, there is a viewer's choice for the Youth Challenge, and you could vote for hers!!! But pick the one you like the best - her talent will speak for itself!!! 

I haven't seen the quilts because our well-oiled team focused on getting that booth together. I must say how impressed I was with how well we worked together. All of the team!!! Kudos to the SVP team -- you all rock!!!

In the morning, I went out to explore. OK—whoever thinks the prairies are flat is sadly mistaken. I have only been to downtown Edmonton ONCE, in about 1974. I did not remember the hill! But we're on a hill overlooking the river, and the convention center is also built on that same hill. 

I started by finding the staircase and the funicular to get down the hill. The funicular wasn't open, so I walked down the steps. These are the steps in the convention center to get back up the hill. 

Lots of steps in the convention center

I'm very happy I did not bring my orange jacket. I would have looked like a tourist. I spotted many locals out in t-shirts and shorts. OK, that was a bit much, but it must be a "dry" cold because it really isn't cold. I was comfortable in my plaid shirt, but my hands were sometimes cool. Thankfully, my plaid shirt has pockets! 

Look who I spotted loitering on a bench near the square where the hockey game will be on Friday. Yep -- they were hogging that seat and wouldn't budge an inch. 

Bob and Doug McKenzie

Let's say that they were very realistic!! But that brings back many memories of Bob and Doug McKenzie - EH!!! 

Once I found my way from the river, I did an Adventure Lab. How could I not? So that sent me wandering the streets of downtown, which isn't very big. There are lots of beautiful murals on the walls of buildings. 

A mural

There's the Rogers' Place, which will be the scene of much activity on Friday when the hockey game is happening. I don't think I'll be near the place. It's a short walk from where we are but not as close as the Minute Maid Stadium when we were in Houston. 

Rogers Place

There is lots of ironwork around, and I took this picture to show my dad so he could make something like it with his plasma cutter. 

The metal railing around an outdoor cafe

At lunch, I spotted this bag in a gift shop across the street at the food court—a bag with bicycles on it. I did NOT buy the bag. I do not need a bag with bicycles on it—I could make one if I needed to —I have a ton of bicycle fabric. 

A bicycle bag

WAIT -- I must remember to leave my credit card at the hotel. We have Wonderfil on one side of our booth and Emmaline Bags on the other!!! 

We are much nearer the land of the midnight sun, and the summer solstice is happening today or tomorrow. It's not dark here, even early in the morning (4:30). When I was in bed last night, I saw the sun and ran to the window. This is what I saw!!! Should I call this Edmonton Henge? 

Edmonton Henge

It was hilarious, as the sun was just at the right spot. It was a great moment to be sure to have a camera in your hand. 

On that note, I must prepare for a walk this morning. Oh my—it's a heat wave (sorry to all those in the east), but it's 8 degrees this morning—double what it was this time yesterday! I might not even need my plaid shirt!!!

Oh, I wrote this on my Facebook page last night. It was as far as I could go before I was too tired to think. 

Twas the night before Quilt Canada, and all through the hall

Not a quilter was stirring, no one at all

The samples were hung in our both with great care

In hopes that lots of people come to visit them there

With me and my colleagues all headed to bed

Great waves of excitement danced through our heads

Now I have to come up with the rest of it tonight!

Have a super day -- again, come into the booth to say HI if you are here. 

Ciao!!!!

Travel DAy

It was an interesting travel day for our group. We all flew at different times, and we all had delay issues with our flights. However, no one's flight was canceled. 

The airline was 30 minutes late with our flight, but then there was something going on with one of the passengers, and it took about 45 minutes to get him organized in his seat. He needed some medical equipment installed under the seat - oxygen? It couldn't have been oxygen, as when I Googled that, the airlines do NOT provide medical oxygen. Hmmm -- I wonder what was in the big box? 

I wonder if the airline knew that this box was needed because it could have been installed BEFORE the passengers got on the plane. Oh well, we are here! 

But let me pop back home first. I was making breakfast and happened to look out the window. WAIT A MINUTE!!! A cheeky squirrel was taking a tree branch into the top of the gazebo. We used to have a squirrel nest up there, but they have ignored the space for the last 10 years. This enterprising squirrel was tired of getting wet in the trees, so he was looking for a dry spot. 

Branhes left by an enterprising squirrel

He managed to get two branches into the small area but missed a few times because there were quite a few smaller branches on the ground. 

Branches dropped by the squirrel

Luckily, one of Murphy's long sticks was handy, and I poked the branches out. I must remember to watch that so it doesn't become a nest. 

The forest was so beautiful in the morning, and Miss Lexi and I enjoyed our walk. However, when we got off the main path, the mosquitos were brutal. 

Forest bathing with Lexi

Before I forget, these desks in hotels must be made for giants. My feet barely touch the floor when I raise my chair high enough to sit properly. 

I made significant progress in the morning on my list of things. All that needed to be done before I got home was done. There were a few things that I could bring with me to work on, so I packed those. But it was a good morning and very successful. When I packed the last of my stuff in the sample suitcase and weighed it, it came in at 48.4 pounds. Perfect!!! 

I wish I had packed my orange jacket. Shoot, I knew it was cold here, and I wanted to walk. I will have to walk fast, as it's only 5 degrees this morning, which is hilarious because yesterday, at this time, it was 22. Could we not spread the warmth across the entire country? 

Poor Murphy, she's not good with me leaving. She's become clingy, and I must escape from the house when I have suitcases. I feel bad, but she can hang around with Dad for the week. It won't be long, Miss Murphy!!!

Thank goodness for HOV (high occupancy vehicles) on the highway, as there was an accident, and my Uber driver was able to whip past without having to slow down. I arrived at the airport, printed my luggage tags, and was through security quickly. But people need to pay more attention. There was a jam when I arrived at the security and got a tray to put my stuff in. OH --- two people before me had put their tray on the conveyor, but it wasn't seated properly. And no one noticed. Seriously??? So I shoved it on the conveyor, and all was good. I was going to mention it to her on the other side, but I decided to keep my mouth shut!

Driving by in the HOV lanes

The cost of travel these days is insane. I bought a ham and tomato sandwich at the airport, along with a bottle of water and a small bag of chips. It was $23!!! Thankfully, I had a $15 coupon, so I ended up only paying $8. I noticed in the hotel room this morning that a bottle of water is $4. Seriously? I could buy a pack of 24 for that price. I won't be using their water. 

What to do on the plane? I decided to check out the movies, and oh my—The Beekeeper was on the list. I had wanted to watch this movie, and because of the delay, we all got free headphones. You usually have to buy them. It was a movie about good and bad, and the good won, so to speak. But it was a bit violent!

Then, I could see the map on someone else's screen, and the terrain looked bizarre. Where the heck are we flying? So I checked it out. That is the weirdest flight path I've ever seen. Most of the time, you fly in a mostly straight line. This was NOT a straight line. 

The flight path

And then I arrived at the airport, where everything was Edmonton Oilers, as they are in the Stanley Cup playoffs at the moment. They won last night! It will be insane here on Friday when they are in town. But it could be no worse than being in Houston, near the Minute Maid Stadium during baseball—whatever the big thing is in baseball. I could see the stadium from my hotel, and I could hear the noise. The size of the barricades to direct people was HUGE. OH -- it's the World Series -- what do I care about baseball1 Sorry to all the fans - I'm just not into sports much. 

Arrived at YEG - Edmonton!

Thank goodness for communication. I realized that TWO of my colleagues were arriving 10 minutes after I landed. So I waited for them, and we took a vehicle together to the hotel. I'm not sure what kind of vehicle but look at the rearview mirror. It was a camera of what was behind us, not just a mirror!! 

The rearview mirror is a camera!!!!

I'm not sure what time we arrived at the hotel, but with the time difference, it was late. Well, it's late for me, with a two-hour time difference. But look at that view. I'm in a corner room with two windows—one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom. 

The view from my room

Since I'm in a different time zone, the blog posts will be a bit late. And I hope it has warmed up a degree or two so I can walk. Never mind, I need the steps, so I'll hustle to keep warm. 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The "to be quilted" pile

Yesterday was the complete opposite of the previous day. I accomplished lots, and I went to bed, exhausted but happy, after walking over 20,000 steps.

Quite a bit still needed to be put away, so I got out my audiobook and got to work. I also had to start packing for Quilt Canada in one week, so as I was sorting and putting away, I pulled out the samples I needed for that show. 

Stuff to put away

Of course, my faithful companion was right there with me, lying in the middle of the floor space. It doesn't matter how wide the opening is; she knows to plunk herself right in the middle, so I can't miss her! That table on the left needs to go once I get it and the cutting table clear, so we won't have this issue going forward!

MOM -- can you see me? 

Although this was NOT on my priority list, I tackled the "to be quilted" tubs. Some quilts needed to be put away in the correct tub, others were not necessarily in the correct tub, and a couple of tubs needed to be inventoried. 

A mess in the "to be quilted" area

So, with the help of my inventory list, I tackled the tubs. I went through every tub (21) and checked off the quilts. Almost everything was in the correct spot, so that was good. The ones I removed for the last filming were returned to the proper place. The final two tubs were inventoried. I'm happy to note that at least five quilts were removed from the list because they were quilted, given away, or sold. 

I have removed SIX quilts from the tubs I want to quilt in the next few weeks. I must also type up the new inventory lists and update several other pages so my book is up-to-date. Making that inventory list was one of the best time-savers I've done in Studio B. 

The "to be quilted" area finished

I seem to be very good at producing quilts but not so good at quilting them. My purpose is to make the top, as I don't really need another quilt. I already have a huge inventory of finished quilts. However, I did a quick tally. OH! Should I even tell you how many quilt tops there are? Let's just say that if, on average, it costs $100 per quilt, it would cost over $30,000 to have them all quilted! 

I know -- that number sounds totally incomprehensible, but it's right! I need to get myself together and try to get them quilted. That will be a slow process, but it can happen if I can focus. Let's not forget the 300 (totally random guess) that Diane made for community projects. It would take almost two years to clear the backlog if I did one a day! I need to take advantage of the long arm NOW, as I may not have one when I need to downsize! And then what will I do with them all? There are quite a few in my pile that I could donate, so I may focus on those. I'm not sure how I'll tackle the piles. 

Wait—what about those underneath the customer quilts? That's probably another 40, at least. Sigh.  However, the backing and binding are made for all of mine, so worst case, someone could just pay to have them quilted. 

Speaking of quilting, here is the latest customer quilt. I was working on the inventory while working on this quilt, and it's done!

Customer quilt - DONE

So today, I'll be quilting a community project quilt and I needed to make the backing. Hmm -- this backing took almost as long to make as the quilt top! 

The backing

But the back is loaded, and I'll load the top later today. It's tricky because the backing is not much wider than the top, and I suspect the batting will be the same. So, I'll be watching that one like a hawk. 

My list of quilts to quilt is set up, and I've got a plan! It includes customer quilts, community projects, and some of my own. Slow and steady, although the days when I quilt mean there isn't much time to do anything but putter. Thankfully, I have a lot of puttering to do, so I'll keep at that. That cutting table needs to be cleared!

While searching for some samples to pack, I came across a Trend Tex challenge piece from several years ago. This was when Quilt Canada was in Newfoundland, so that's about 10 years ago. The date on the back of the piece is 2008.

Quilting on the Edge!

It's adorable and called Quilting on the Edge! by Judy Morningstar. I had someone bid by proxy for me, and I had to pay a lot to get that one. So I should be enjoying it!!

I walked to the mall in the afternoon as I had some things to look for. I found part of what I needed but I will have to drive to Staples later today or tomorrow. 

There was a really nice view of the center of Mississauga, but part of that is gone now, as new buildings take over. 

The view from the mall

That's progress, I suppose! Housing for more people. The biggest problem with housing is the distribution of the rooms. If we were to count the number of bedrooms in this city, I bet it outstrips the number of people. The problem is that many people, such as myself, live in a four-bedroom house, and we use only some of those bedrooms. Or we use them for other things. So the rooms are there, although they are not available for those in need. 

The weather is pretty sketchy these days—will it rain or not? I took an umbrella with me, but I didn't need it, and the sky looked ominous—although there seems to be a more blue sky than I remember! 

Storm clouds

I see that Murphy has murdered another animal in the backyard. She has two bears out there, and one of them is probably a lot skinnier than he used to be! I wonder why she does that. Well, it's common for dogs to rip out the stuffing, but Lexi couldn't care less. She won't even touch a toy. That's beneath her! 

Murder by unstuffing

I have one software presentation this morning, so there's not too much to prepare. Then, the rest of the day is mine! But I have that quilt to quilt, bindings to put on, quilts to trim, some applique, and more puttering to clean up. It's a never-ending circle, and that's not even piecing anything. Yep—it's all this before-and-after prep work that takes so much time. 

And if I didn't have to manage my crap, I'd have a lot more time. So it's important that everything is dealt with, and once that's done, I suspect I'll have more time. But I also suspect that I'm my own worst enemy. I think as I see an empty space, I anticipate the next project so that it gets put out on display! 

I haven't really done that, but one or two pieces may have slipped through the cracks! Then, if I don't deal with it, it becomes clutter! So I must put a stop to that. I should only bring out something when I actually have the time to work on it. 

I must also finish off the spice drawer, and I brought out the label maker, so that can happen today as well. How many hours are there in the day? Not enough!!!

I marvel at people who can watch TV or video stream when they sew. I am never in the same place long enough to make that happen. I couldn't even listen to a radio or audiobook if it wasn't through headphones because I'm here and there all day. As a result, I can walk up to 5,000 steps a day or more in the studio alone.  

I have some drawers in Studio B that I could tackle, but before that happens, I have another area I should deal with. I won't go there yet, as it's going to make a big mess, and I can wait until I have a bit more time. 

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!