The visual to-do list

Tick tock -- the end of the year is creeping closer and closer. Am I ready? Yep - pretty much. I have my schedule more or less organized for the first 6 months. WAIT --- that's at least as far as the things that I can control go. I have a couple of lectures to add and am just waiting on a response from someone before I schedule them. That's the sessions on scrap quilts. There will be one in February and one in March, so that's not an overly onerous addition to the schedule, and the prep time should be relatively minimal. OK—who am I kidding—that will likely be a one-day prep for each lecture. 

The only thing missing is what happens with my "day" job. That's a free-for-all, and I'm at the mercy of those who book as to what happens. I'm going to be pretty adamant that I don't want the same chaos as last year, as that almost killed me! While it was fun, it was a considerable task to prep and present up to three Zoom lectures in one day!

And my visual to-do list is prepped and ready! Doesn't it remind you of "caged" projects, and once they are done, they will be released from the cage! I can't wait to release the first one! Which one will it be?

My visual to-do list

There is a small title at the top or side of each category, followed by a picture of the things I want to accomplish in that category. Yes—it appears to be a lot, but it's all doable. Nothing on that list is a super large task, and it would be amazing to get them all done. I believe that most of that, if not all, is sitting on that current project table. Imagine how empty it will be if all that can be accomplished? I would like to thank M for leaving this amazing wall art behind when she moved out! 

So I'm going to keep my eye on the prize: a totally blank to-do list, except for the titles! I've already started on some of the things, and I'll hit the list with a vengeance on January 1! Getting that completed was a big task. 

I have a bit of paperwork to clear up before the end of the year that relates to the few clubs I'm running in 2026, and I must get that done as well! For anyone in those clubs, and you know who you are - I'll be sending out guidelines and dates before the end of 2025. 

I'm trying to burn those pie candles out! And I use books of matches to light the candles. Do they even make these anymore? Remember when they were a thing? My brother used to collect matchbooks, but this one goes in the recycling. It is VERY OLD - I would have got it in 1979. OK - that's not that old, but still! It was from a vacation I took to Cancun! WAIT --- I must dig it out of the recycling. This would be perfect for my junk journal! OH GOD -- it's small, it must have fallen to the bottom of the container. Now I have this massive mess of paper on the floor as a reminder to find that thing!

A matchbook from Cancun

I had to make some pet mat bags because there was a paper bag of fabric bits that needed to be dealt with. I'm trying to get the "bones" of Studio B back in order before the new year. So I had the serger out to make the bags. I use pillow cases and simply cut them in half, while sewing a bottom into the top half with the serger. One seam, and the pillowcase is cut, and the top half has a bottom! Does that make sense? It's so easy! 

Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S600

I didn't even notice that I had run out of upper looper thread. You can see the empty purple spool in the picture and the lines of needle stitching, but no looper thread around the edge of the seam allowance. I see my right needle is going to run out of thread soon, too!

Oops - running low on thread!

Now, usually, this would be a big ordeal, and it would take hours (OK - maybe not that long) to rethread the machine. Actually, there was a white thread on the serger when I turned it on. Notice - I just had to turn it on - it was ready to go, not tucked into a closet! I keep a small quilt on top of the serger to keep it somewhat clean. The amount of dust and lint in Studio B is crazy! But I need to vacuum it out later today. 

However, because it is an air threader serger (Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S600), it was easy as pie to get back up and running. You do NOT have to rethread all the needles and loopers, only the one that has run out! That is just beautiful! And I went from three-thread overlock to four-thread overlock, which isn't a big deal - simply had to add an extra needle! 

Air threaders!!! LOVE!!!!

I love the fact that I am pretty knowledgeable about what a serger does and how to make it do what it's supposed to. Did I take a class? Of course not, I simply sat down and experimented. I am not an expert by any means, but I know how to make it work, use all 26 stitches, and why! Just want to remind you that, as an educator for a sewing machine company, we get very little training. We get the tools and the machines and total free rein to see what we can do with them. I will forever be learning something new! And I LOVE it! 

Here are some tips if you have a serger and you have no clue what it does or how it works. First, try to find a home for it somewhere in your space. If you have to haul it out of the closet each time you want to use it, that's not good. But the real tip (for me) in learning what all those threads were is to buy FOUR different colors of serger thread in the same colors on the threading paths. Thread each path with the appropriate color thread. Then when something doesn't look right, guess what? You now know which thread you need to deal with! It's a brilliant idea (not mine), and it helped me enormously to figure out what was what! The four-thread overlock is pretty straightforward, but some of the others are less obvious! And I found a fantastic book at the library, which I later purchased because it helped me enormously on my learning journey. 

And then the BIG tip would be: get an air threader with auto-tension, and all your problems will disappear!!

Then I had another project basket that had been pulled from the closet with those little ornaments in it. There are a few ornaments that are almost completed, and some that are in progress. I took a few things out of the basket, put them in the right place, and then put the basket back into the closet. I'm not sure where the basket came from, but I found a spot in the closet. 

Sorting another basket

There is also a massive pile of small squares that I cut because I was going to make kits for these small ornaments. What was I thinking? Now the question is what to do with a bunch of black, white, and other-colored squares? Anyway, it's not on my radar list at this time. Maybe as a bonus UFO, if I finish the four projects on my list, I can bring this out and truly deal with it. 

The Designer EPIC 3 requires a hoop adapter for legacy hoops, since there is now a very nice clip mechanism for the new hoops. I LOVE the new connection! But I was forever putting a hoop away with the adapter attached, and then I couldn't find it. I'm happy to report that I'm now in the habit of returning that adapter to the accessory box, and no danger of misplacing it! It's all about things becoming a habit! 

The hoop adapter on the accessory box

The Globe and Mail publishes a diversions section just before the holidays. Every year, there is a giant crossword, and it's gone untouched. That section is for DH to unwind over the holidays, and this year, he tackled the crossword with a vengeance. Every time I come upstairs, he's back at the puzzle! I LOVE crosswords, and that used to be a big pastime of mine, but there is no time at the moment. I'll get back to it when I give up sewing, which might be never! What you see is one quarter of the puzzle.

The giant crossword

For the moment, the jigsaw puzzles are for me. I made a bit of progress before bed last night. But I might just sit down and have a go at it this afternoon. As with all Dowdle puzzles, this one is busy, which can be good or bad! 

Progress on the current jigsaw puzzle

And Miss Murphy is on the hunt again, while Lexi couldn't care less. There is definitely another rabbit in the backyard. Look at how intent she is. 

MOM -- there is a rabbit on our property again! 

And look at her face when I tapped on the window! 

MOOM - nothing to see here! 

It was funny on the Virtual Retreat last night. Lots of people on the call, but very quiet! I was distracted by getting things done and didn't have much to say. WHEN has that ever happened? 

And we have another one scheduled for New Year's Eve starting at 3 PM. I will NOT be staying up to ring in the new year -- but if anyone else wants to, I'll leave the call open. 

Here is the link for that Zoom. 

Wednesday, December 31 - Starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86965821331?pwd=QwdKXQA5i2iuYHkVZbtjQ5tboL7dGG.1

Meeting ID: 869 6582 1331
Passcode: 423224




On the writing front, progress is being made. One more is out the door, all the pictures are ready for the next one, meaning I got another project completed yesterday. That one was a total experiment, and well, it turned out pretty darn good considering I had no clue what I was doing! Actually, two projects were completed, and most of it was new stuff. You'll get to see the results in a couple of weeks. I'm going to make a big push today and tomorrow to try to get it completely done. I need to move on to other things. 

What about that weather yesterday? It rained like mad. I don't think we've ever had such a rainfall in a very long time, and certainly not in winter. The pond is quite full this morning. Last night, the rain was coming down so hard that, with snow still on the roof, the eavestroughs couldn't handle it, and it just spilled out on all sides of the house. I could hear the rain coming down hard at the window in the stash room, which was a little disconcerting, but all seems to be OK this morning. 

 It was a bit slippery when I went out for a short walk at lunch. Why tempt fate? 

It's warm this morning, so I'm off to spin class, but when the temperature drops, it's going to be a nightmare out there! Stay safe!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

A sign of good organization - everything in its place

LOL --- you are so right! Facebook seems to be the worst for getting you in an algorithm loop! Just keep on deleting! But now I'm hooked on Sean The Sheepman, so if you get sheep reels - it's because of me. Sorry! 

It's also a shame how many popular videos are hijacked by someone with a similar name so they can get the likes and the money! For instance, someone has hijacked Sean's Instagram page and called themselves sean the sheepman. What's the difference? No capital letters and no watermark on the video. Beware, and don't feed the scammers!!

I noticed something peculiar when I sat down at the computer this morning. My monitor sits on a hinged stand, and the stand is the computer. There is no big box. And the hinge that attaches the monitor to the stand is tired! The monitor won't stay in place. I've had this computer for many years, and I guess it eventually wore out. I will not replace it because of a tired hinge, but I may want to prop the monitor up slightly. 

All three presentations for yesterday went off without a hitch! Everything was as prepped as it could be. OK - so I didn't have time to make any blocks for Dear Jen, but I went through all the homework. I sometimes do that when pressed for time. I know how to piece them - I don't have to make them. But I do want to, but that won't happen until April when the chaos of my calendar is gone. 

The three presentations for today are done despite the stragglers who sent pictures late last night! 

The big question of the day is: Did those cushions and pillow shams get done? Wait, and you'll see. 

As soon as I was done with Zoom, I hopped in the car to get those invisible zippers. But since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped at two places to find a longer cable to connect my video camera to my switch box. I couldn't even look online since I didn't know the one connector. AHA - the helpful people at the camera shop informed me that it was a MINI-HDMI, and the other end was HDMI, which I knew. I should know that - DATA is what you need for a video stream. 

They did not have the cable at the camera shop, but Best Buy had it. And it was in the CAMERA section, not the computer section. I had to ask, but someone helped me, and everything was good. This one is 8 feet, giving me more flexibility in positioning the cameras. 

Mini HDMI to HDMI cable

When I stopped at Fabricland for the zippers, I ran into two staff members I knew, so I had to chat! Something caught my eye when I reached the cash register with my zippers and matching thread. The lady showed me where they were, and I bought one. Shoot, there were two colors: flesh tone and black. I wanted black, but none were left. What does it look like? 

The rolled-up mat

It's a mat to put under your sewing machine. The bottom has a rubber surface to prevent the machine from moving. My machines are big and heavy and don't travel, but this mat looks nice. 

A sewing machine mat

When I was prepping my work this morning, I had to clean off the two sewing machine work tables. They were a mess, and I couldn't do anything. I needed to get the serger up, and hey - this mat would be perfect for the serger. 

Clean work tables!

The serger fit beautifully on it. It was nice to have my open space back! Don't those machines look fantastic? They match in color and style. 

Matching serger and sewing/embroidery machine

See how the serger fits perfectly on the mat. 

The mat is perfect for the serger

Even better, the colors match!!! 

The colors match!

The other fabulous thing was that everything I wanted was in its place and organized in a plastic bag. That means I'm doing something right, and things will be even better once my time crunch is over. All the samples and other stuff will get put away. 

When I wanted my invisible zipper foot, I went to the drawer of presser feet. All the zipper feet are in a plastic bag. 

Bag of zipper feet

When I wanted my needles to weave in the serger seam ends, I found them in a plastic bag with the serger supplies. 

The needles for weaving threads

When I needed the corner template for making cushions, the template was in a labeled plastic bag on the pegboard. 

The template for the cushion corners

That made my life much less stressful this morning as I worked on my projects. The key to that is to put things away when you are done. WAIT - first, everything needs a home, and then you can put it away. I've done a decent job; this morning was proof of all my hard work. 

Oh - I should mention something about my schedule. It's not so much the chaos of all the events. It's more when I have a project hanging over my head with a deadline that makes my brain shut down. The decorator is coming to pick up these items today, and that pressure just shuts my brain down and often prevents me from working, which doesn't help the situation. The same happens when I have a writing deadline. That can put me in a funk, and I can't do anything else because the task is hanging over me. It's so weird - if I were to focus and do the project, I'd get along better with everything else! I'm trying!

Let's talk about pillow shams. It was a beautiful day, and I took advantage of the open space in Studio U to cut the pillow shams there. The front of them is quilted like a quilt. I quilted extra fabric so it would all be done once. 

Cutting the pillow shams

Of course, I had a helper, and she wanted to watch out the window. Oh boy --- I'm sure some neighbors got a chuckle from that view! 

MOM - the view up here is excellent! 

While I was on a roll, I cut the fabric for the accent cushions as well. I wanted to get that done before it got too dark, as the lighting in that room isn't the best. 

Cutting the accent cushions

Once they were cut, I was done! I just couldn't face the sewing machine or the serger. So, I got the presentations ready. 

This morning, bright and early, I was in Studio B and hemmed the back of the two pieces for the pillow shams. 

The pillow sham is ready to serge together

Then they were serged, turned inside out, corners poked out as best I could, and pressed. 

The completed pillow sham

It's hard to see in this photo, but a 3" flange is stitched on all sides. Both pillow shams are DONE!!!

The flange

Then, it was onto the accent cushions. After trimming off the corners to prevent dog ears, it was time to put in the invisible zipper. I know how to do it; I've done several but had a mental block. But there was no time to dwell on it, so I forged ahead, and those zippers went in like a duck to water. 

Sewing in the invisible zipper

The first side is always easy - the second one requires more care, so the two pieces are the same length. Mission accomplished. 

Invisible zipper 

One of the cushions is completely done. The second one needs serging on three sides, turning inside out, and pressing. I could have completed it, but I was getting hungry and had already worked for a couple of hours, so I'll get it done before the Zooms or right after the second one this morning. There's nothing like leaving it until the last minute! The third Zoom is later this afternoon, so I have some breathing room.

The accent pillow

They turned out pretty OK. A touch smaller than requested, but the pillows are not that puffy, so I'm sure it will be OK. I'd rather a tight fitting cover, than one that's floppy. 

And how does this happen? 

Where's my slipper?

As I shut the machines off and was ready to come upstairs, I realized I only had one slipper. And it was the right foot. What happened to the left foot? I couldn't find it downstairs. When I came up, I found it at the bottom of the stairs to go to the second floor. I had made a trip up there, obviously with one slipper, and took it off (too dangerous on the stairs), and good grief - when I came back, I left it there. 

All this happens without my even thinking. I never know where those slippers will be. It's a good thing neither of our girls is a chewer! 

What a whirlwind day! But things are getting done. I still have a few emails to send out as follow-ups and many emails to prepare for this week. That's the job for this afternoon, in addition to embroidering some samples I need tomorrow. Yes -- the merry-go-round just keeps getting faster! 

There are more classes to prep for this coming weekend. There's also a virtual retreat because I'm away the weekend, so I would usually host it. That weekend away has put a considerable money wrench in my calendar, which is why many things got shifted around this month. But all is good!

I don't know what's wrong with the girls, but they've been asking to go out for the last hour. We had a lot of snow last night (one more thing to do today - shovel!), and I think they want to go and play!!!

On that note, I''m out of here!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!

How to remove the stitches from an overlock seam

Scroll to the bottom to see the overlock seam thing. 

I have failed miserably at something! Taking that weekly pill. I've set a reminder on my phone - it doesn't work. I see the reminder, and then poof --- I don't remember to take the pill when I'm supposed to. The problem is that you are to take it without food and so for me, that's first thing in the morning. Sigh!!! So now I have to come up with another plan or talk to the pharmacist to see if there is another way to take this drug. It's to increase bone density, which I have a hard time believing is an issue, but according to the test, it is. Maybe that's why I can't get into taking this drug. 

I just thought that instead of setting my reminder 24 hours in advance, I set ANOTHER reminder ten minutes after I get up. Let's see if that works. I swear, there are times when my brain just doesn't function and others when I'm firing on all cylinders!!! Why didn't I think of that before? 

The daily quilt got quilted. 

Community project quilt - DONE

Let me tell you about the backing for this quilt. I had some larger pieces of fabric set aside for backings, and rather than start with the bolts of fabric, I decided to try to finish those up. I still have a lot of yardage left, but that will have to wait for another time. 

While the quilt wasn't huge, I didn't think I had enough fabric. But I got out the pieces and started to play Tetris with them. I used to draw a diagram on a scrap of paper, but I'm just as happy to actually play with the fabric to see what happens. 

Trying to puzzle together a quilt back

Yes, I used the serger again to piece the backing. It's so fast and very accurate. 

Using the serger to piece the backing

Before I knew it, I was done!! Here's the backing. It might be hard to see in the photo, but part of it was from a different dye lot as it's darker, but it all works. 

The backing for the next quilt

Here's the wrong side where you can see that different dye lot better. But you can't see the seams!!!

The wrong side of the backing

I had to join pieces along one side, and since the fabric is directional, I had to keep that in mind when I pieced it. 

The joined sections along one side

This is all I had left, which works for me. Yep -- with a little bit of imagination, I was able to quickly get the entire backing from that piece. I seem to have an innate sense of making this stuff work, or I have excellent spatial relationship skills. 

The leftovers from the backing

It loaded flat onto the long arm, and I was ready. And yes, there are seams in all directions, yet it loaded with zero issues. 

The backing loaded flat

It might be hard to see in the picture, but there was not a lot of backing on either side of the quilt, but enough that I didn't have to babysit it too closely. So that was also good. 

Not a lot of room to spare, but enough

Once that quilt was being quilted, I got to work on the final quilt in this group of ten. I might as well prepare it while I was in the groove. And let me say that the computer for the long arm was one of the best investments I ever made. I would never look back at doing it manually, but that is mostly because of the sheer volume of what I have to process. 

I try to at least color coordinate the backing if I can, and there was nothing in the right size or color to accommodate the final quilt. Rather than go to the bolts of fabric, I went to the stash of yardages reserved for backings. Remember that all my yardages are labeled with the amount in yards, so picking one was easy. Then I decided it wasn't the right color and found something else that worked perfectly. 

The backing stash

As I find large yardage pieces in my stash, I measure and label them and put them here until there is room on that shelf for them. It works for me. 

Yardage waiting for room on the shelf

I also joined that backing with the serger. Instead of cutting off the selvages and then sewing them, I trimmed and serged in one pass—super fast!!! And YES -- it loaded flat as well. It's on the long arm ready to be quilted this morning. 

Cutting off the selvages and joining the backing pieces

Oh dear - some long-arm quilter won't be happy as I did not match the print on the back. Seriously? We're going for speed and NO WASTE. If it were a heirloom quilt, I might take the necessary time and extra fabric. I took this photo to show that if the tension on your serger is good, you will not see the stitches on the front of the join. Also, think about what sergers are mainly used for -- sewing clothes, and those seams take a beating! So, if the seam works for clothes, it'll hold up for a quilt back. 

The front of the serged seam

The batting bits got joined using those strips of fusible interfacing. 

Joining the batting bits

I lay the strip on the join and fuse it in place, but this is not a strong fuse because the interfacing is sticky, and if you leave the iron on it for a long time, it will goop up the underside of the iron. 

Fusing the batting bits

So then I take a press cloth (a hunk of muslin), place it over the strip of fusible interfacing, and press it with the iron. That makes a good join and won't come apart when I'm quilting. 

Using the press cloth for the final fuse

I do a lot of problem-solving while walking the girls, and yesterday, I was thinking about all the quilt tops that Diane (and others) made over the last couple of years and how I was going to get them all done. I've tried doing them in groups of ten, which works, but it's time-consuming, and I can barely get anything else done during that little marathon. 

If you do the math, the number is a bit overwhelming. I'm not sure how many tops were completed, but this year, I think I've tackled 30 of them. That's about 10% of the total. I don't want this stuff hanging around for ten years! 

I decided that I could fit ONE quilt per week in my schedule. I could easily piece the back and the batting, load it on the machine, and get the binding done in a week. So I went to the storage room and pulled another twenty quilts out. My goal is to have those twenty done by the end of the year. 

The next group of twenty (with fabric for backings)

I'm working on the flannel kids' quilts, and yes, there are twenty of those. Plus, I have significant yardage to make the backings. All I need to do is bring down more batting bits so I'm not running up and down. I think I should be good. So today, I should officially finish that first group of ten, and tomorrow is the start of one per week. 

Remember what I've been saying about breaking something down into manageable bits. If something doesn't work the way you want, try another way - just like those darn pills! There is a solution to everything; it may not have come to you yet! 

This is what remains in the storage room. And yes -- those two big tubs are filled to the brim with quilt tops. 

Tubs and a stack of community project quilts

In addition, these boxes, the basket, and the piles on top are community project quilts that need to be quilted. 

More community project quilts

Now wait- before you think this is insane and ask how I will ever get that done, or you want to offer to help. I am HAPPY as a clam working on these quilts. I LOVE finding the proper backing, piecing the pieces, and assembling the batting bits so there is little waste. This is my happy place, and I love it. Do I resent the time? Absolutely not -- how could I resent the time when I'm using up my stash and love the challenge. So, if it takes me another five years to clear that up, it takes five years. As I mentioned the other day, this is like my volunteer work, and I'm happy to do it. No politics involved; I can set my own schedule, and I'm delighted!

One of my goals in life now is to use up that stash. And that is NOT an idle goal—I make decisions about using it up every day (well, maybe not every day), and nothing is sacred. Everything is available for use—even the "good" stuff. 

In case you're wondering what I did with the scraps of owl fabric, I have a drawer for all the scraps of novelty fabric. 

The contents of the I Spy scraps

And YES, it's labeled!!!!

The label on the drawer!

I'm going to go back to the serger for a minute. I used to be deathly afraid of the serger. I didn't understand it; I didn't know how to rip out a seam or fix the tension, and, well, I had a whole lot of fears about the serger. I've since taken the bull by the horns and learned the ins and outs. Remember that saying from yesterday? FOMU - fear of messing up? Well, I've also learned that you can't mess up. If you goof, you just figure out a way to fix it. My brain thrives on that stuff. 

If you are using your serger and need to pull out the stitches, here's the FASTEST way to get rid of the serger stitches. 

I'm using a four-thread overlock stitch, which means there are two needle threads and two looper threads. 

This first picture shows the side with the two needle threads visible—the two horizontal lines of stitches towards the bottom of the photo (not the line across the edge of the fabric).  

The needle side of the serged seam

This side shows the wrong side, where only the looper threads are visible. 

The back side of the stitch

This seam only goes through one layer of fabric, which is short. You MUST work from the side where the needle threads are visible. Take your seam ripper and insert it where shown below. If I try to put my seam ripper at the bottom of the large loop (not the narrower part where my seam ripper is), that is the INTERSECTION of two stitches, and grabbing ONE stitch is challenging. But if you insert the seam ripper in the narrow part, which is the actual center of the stitch, it's easy to pull or cut the thread. You may need to clip that needle thread in several places if your seam is long or your fabric is bulky. Then, use the seam ripper to pull up a bit of thread on one side and pull it. The thread will easily come out. 

Using the needle thread to either pull or cut the needle thread

Because I was only going through one piece of fabric and my seam was short, that entire needle thread came out in one piece. 

The first needle thread is removed

Then, repeat the process for the second needle thread. 

Repeating the process to remove the second needle thread

Again, it came out in one piece. Notice what happened to the looper threads? They are now all loose because the needle thread is no longer holding them in place. 

The needle threads are removed

Then, you can easily pull away the upper and lower looper threads, and the thread is gone. No mess, no small bits!  

The serger thread is gone! 

Here's the thing -- I did NOT know how to do that, and whenever I needed to remove a serged seam, it was a nightmare. I didn't need to watch a YouTube video or get some instruction - I simply looked at the mechanics of the seam, and I tried MANY things before I realized what was happening. Now? It's easy to remove the serger thread. Remember, this is an overlock seam where the needle threads are visible. If you use another stitch, like a rolled hem, it might be easier to cut that off and start again!!!

We had fun at the Virtual Retreat last night. It was quiet, but we made up for that! 

Remember there is a Virtual Retreat again today starting at NOON. Here's the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Have a super day!!!! And remember to find something in your sewing room or routine that makes you happy. If you're unhappy, you need to find a new hobby!!!!

Ciao!!!!