To-Do Lists

I see I am not the only one who pushes the long arm to the limits! Yes—you can get away with minimal excess on the backing, BUT only if it is your quilt and you are the operator! It's fiddly, and you must babysit that thing along all the edges! And sometimes things happen, like when the pin (I no longer use clamps) that holds the elastic grip on the side gets caught on the machine bed. I had to do a wee bit of ripping yesterday. But not a big deal because I was standing there and could press STOP. But if I hadn't been there? It would have been a big mess!

Have you ever noticed how so many little things accumulate on your "to-do" list? Just things around the house that need to be put away, fixed, or whatever. It drives me mad, and I finally had to write out a list (a long one) this morning so nothing would be forgotten. I hate having a long list. 

Here is the next community project quilt - done. This one was tight along the sides, and I had to join a small strip of batting on the end. But it's done and trimmed! That is number four of eleven. 

Community project quilt - number 4 of 11

And then I spent quite a bit of time making the backing for the next one. There are three different fabrics in this one. Some of the fabrics were strips, so it took some time to join them. It looks just fine, and it's helping to use up those flannel bits that are hanging around. The batting is also pieced and ready to go, but this one will get quilted tomorrow, so I'm ahead of the game!

The backing for the community project quilt #5

While I'm babysitting the quilt, I'm also trying to clear up those tables - yet again. This is a constant job. Anyway, I have the Trendtex challenge sitting there. I came up with an idea pretty much before I ordered the kit. I missed the April 30 deadline for the quilt to be judged. And I knew the deadline for it to be in the auction was coming up. I checked that date yesterday. Hmm -- May 20. I guess I won't be making a Trendtex challenge (for Quilt Canada in June). You know what? I'm OK with that. I took all the fabrics, put them in their respective color baskets, and tossed the paperwork. 

The Trendtex Challenge kit

I removed the Trendtex challenge tag from the Visual To-Do list and wrote on the back that I did not complete it. Am I upset? Not in the least. Things happen. I find that with this particular challenge, the fabrics are always very difficult to work with, not only in the type of fabric (the one on the left is a heavier weight than the other cotton ones), but also in the colors. 

Personally, I'd like to see a more cohesive coloring that would make it easier to blend (you can't add any extra fabrics), and perhaps more people would participate. Well, they typically get close to 100 quilts, so maybe they don't need or want more people to participate. Bottom line -- it didn't happen for me this year, and I'm OK with that. 

I typically participate in two challenges a year: Trendtex and Cherrywood. I'm not always a fan of Trendtex's fabrics, and the Cherrywood is getting so expensive. I think I might refrain from doing them in the future. I like making challenge quilts, so I may decide to make my own challenge. I'll have to think of a theme and go from there. Hmm --- what could the topic be? Or the fabric? 

Then I found this small table mat that was hanging around. I had used an orphan block (from a raffle quilt for the Brampton Quilter's Guild - many years ago) and tried a new edge finishing. The piece is completely done, and why is it still hanging around? So it went in the binding sample box, and one more thing off the table. 

A small table mat is complete.

And I stitched the final two half-square triangles from that group I was working on the other day, and those are now put away. 

The final two HSTs from a group

All these little things take up a lot of time and mental energy! But I wanted to get back to those two winter quilts. I decided to bypass the appliqué for a bit and settled on the next two blocks, which required a TON of half-square triangles!

This is what I accomplished last night. I finished an audiobook while I was working. If the book is good, that keeps me sewing. If the book is long and boring, then I struggle to stay focused! I know - abandon those books, but I can't!

Working on HSTs for my quilt

But I know why I work in groups of four! I start with a group of squares for the half-square triangles and sew one side of the pairs. And while you can't see it in this photo, the projection setting on the PFAFF creative icon 2 makes it so fast, with ZERO marking! I love that and will never (hopefully) be without a sewing machine with that feature! 

Sewing one side of the squares for the HSTs

Then, so it isn't totally boring and repetitive, I turn the row around and sew the second seam on two squares. Then I cut them apart, press, and trim. 

Working in a group of four

Last night, I finished one book and started another, and I thought it was going to be a bore, but it's quite interesting. I'll tell you a bit more in a minute. So I was on a roll, sewing, pressing, and trimming to my heart's content, and continued this morning.

Lots of trimming of HSTs

I also decided to tackle one more group of HSTs that had already been sewn. So, while I worked on four HSTs for my project, I pressed four of the other HSTs and trimmed the two sets simultaneously. 

And look how many of this group I got trimmed!! I was pretty pleased with my progress. And before you know it, I will be done with this group. 

Trimming another group of HSTs

As for the HSTs for my block, I got this many done! I'm over halfway done, and I should be able to make short work of those. I certainly can't count, though. I had to manually calculate how many squares I needed, and I ended up cutting way too many! 

Progress on the HSTs for my winter quilt

I'm determined to use up these meds that the doctor gave me. The one that requires me to take it at least 30 minutes before eating. The boxes had been sitting on the cutting table all week. And last night, when I closed up shop, I put the container right in the middle of the cutting mat. So it was easy this morning to take the pill, and I consolidated all the pills into one box, which I will leave on the cutting mat. It's now so ingrained in my head that if I forget, well, let's see what happens!

I remembered to take the pill!

Last night, I took some time to work on the puzzle. I find this is a tough one, and with lots of birds and flowers, it's going to be a challenge. I still have not found all the border pieces! But slow and steady! 

Progress on the bird puzzle

I was going to work on the table assembly, but the first step of the instructions, which I had not looked at before, said to lay the tabletop upside down. Oh— I guess I need to bring the tabletop downstairs. A job for later today. 

The other job I had to do was clean the printer's print heads. The blue one is clogged, and I need to print something that requires all colors to work. 

Trying to clean the print heads

I Googled it to see what I could use from around the house, as I don't have an official cleaning kit. I used rubbing alcohol, and it didn't work the first time. So I soaked the heads again, and we'll see what happens. If that doesn't work, I'm just buying a new printer. This one is quite old, and I can't connect the app to my new computer, so it may just be telling me it's time. I hate to get rid of it since it still works, but not the blue ink, which is OK for printing text but not for anything in color. The problem is that we don't print much, so of course, the print heads are going to get clogged. Hmmm -- I need to figure out something, even if we get a new printer, the same thing will happen eventually. 

The print heads

Do you think Murphy is trying to tell me something? She just looks so dejected. How could you not grab the ball and throw it a couple of times? 

MOM - I'm so bored!!!!

And then when she decides she needs a nap, it's RIGHT where I need to stand when I'm on the long arm. Oh, Murphy—we love you, but you can be a bit too demanding!

MOM - I'm exhausted from playing ball

I swear that children would be less of an issue than she is! But we love her to death! 

When I went for my afternoon walk, I spotted some lilacs that were just coming into bloom. I love how they smell! It started off as a warmish day, then it rained, and we did get some sun, but it never got to the point where you wanted to sit outside. Which is probably a good thing, although I have several jobs that can be done anywhere, so I won't mind sitting outside. 

Lilacs in bloom

Let me tell you about the audiobook I started yesterday. It's called The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure by James Redfield. I'm not sure where I got the recommendation to read this book, but it's been on my HOLD list for well over one year. It's kind of a philosophy/spiritual book, but it's a novel, and I was a bit apprehensive as I started to read. Yes -- it's very contrived, but it does have some very good messages (about life and the earth), and I'm actually enjoying it a lot! Who knew! It's better than women suffering at the hands of their husbands or fathers. 

I was very curious about the book because of the long wait, and I just had a peek at its reviews. There are a lot of cheesy things about the book, and as I mentioned, it's very contrived, but if you look past that, there are a lot of good messages about our planet and how we interact with it. And without saying anything like "forest bathing," he talks about the energy one gets from nature! I couldn't agree more! 

After this one, I have two more audiobooks on my shelf, and then I can release something that is on suspend hold, or I might just get that murder mystery and enjoy the break! 

I have two things to take care of on the Visual To-Do list, which shouldn't take long, and then I'll share a before (January 1) and after (now). I've made good progress, but I still have a lot of things to do this year. I truly believe they are all doable this year, and I shall continue to work on them. It's been a great tool to allow me to focus. 

I didn't see the fish at all yesterday, and I'm starting to remove more debris from the bottom of the pond. There is a LOT of dirt and leaves in the bottom of the section without the lilies, and I am determined to get most of it out this year. Trust me, I'm checking very carefully that I'm not accidentally scooping up one of my expensive fish! 

Well, I'm off to tackle that massive list of things that need to be done. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!

Challenges

Excellent --- thanks for the comments about the light. It appears that I'll be switching to LED light. I'll get to work on some research when I get home and find myself an electrician. Thanks!! I know I had purchased different replacement bulbs that are relatively expensive, but I don't remember the details at the moment. So more on that over the next week. 

Did anyone watch the video I posted last week about Ricky Tims and his quilt, entitled 'The Visitation? His artist statement referred to the use of AI in the design of the quilt, although he did not use an actual AI design (that's an oxymoron) for the quilt. He used the AI-generated designs as inspiration. Anyway, you can check it out if you haven't looked at it before. Start watching at the 4:00 mark, where he discusses how he utilized AI to assist him. 

So, just for fun, I threw in some parameters for the Trendtex challenge into A. I did not ask for an image; I simply asked for a suggestion. OMG!!   I am shocked by the results that came back. I received a two-page document with written suggestions on designs and colors. I am STUNNED!!!! I printed it off and threw it in my portable office bag. Will I actually look at it? I took a cursory glance at it before I threw it in the bag, but I haven't had a chance to really read it.  

I might just for fun. And I must confess that I spotted a couple of words that got me thinking while walking the girls before I left the house. I think I may have a plan based on two words!!

I am not a fan of AI, as I think it will take some of our creativity away in writing, creating photos, quilts, or other forms of art. BUT, if we use it to add to our pool of inspiration? Well -- it might just become a new helpful tool to use. 

I'll keep you updated on what happens. 

The drive to Kingston was uneventful, although I spotted many OPP cars along the 407 and the 401. Some of them had cars pulled over, and others were waiting to nab someone. Google Maps would pop up every time to alert me that police were ahead and ask if they were still there. I knew they were going to raise the speed limit on the 401 to 110 KPH, and since I keep my cruise control at 120, I knew I was OK with many cars speeding past me. 

There was a lot of traffic on the road, but what drives me mad is when people hang out in the passing lane or the next rightmost lane and drive 100 km/h. Move over, as you are messing up many lanes of traffic when you do that. 

I made one pit stop to use the washroom, and then I arrived in good time. 

But wait -- what did I use to entertain myself on the drive? Good old Nancy Drew. Oh my goodness — it was such a hoot to listen to the audiobook. They added music at the end of the dramatic chapter endings - just like on those old radio programs. I was cheering Nancy on as I drove. It was hilarious!!! 

OMG -- the things you can learn when you search the internet! Do you know what year the first Nancy Drew book was published? Take a guess!! Nancy Drew is older than my parents! That first book was published on April 28, 1930. GASP!!! I did not know that. It was also rewritten in 1959. Read this story to get more information. I found it fascinating. 

Nancy Drew books

The Pony Express is always working, and I met with someone yesterday - I had items for her, and she had items for me. Mary is always fortunate in finding good deals in the local thrift stores, and look what she spotted. 23 Nancy Drew books for $70. I'm going to pass - I love the audiobook version, and the version I read was the 1959 version. Wouldn't it be fun to track down the 1930s version?  

Nancy is still under copyright laws, but in the US, it will become public domain in 2026. That's interesting -- it's all in that story. 

Good grief -- there are over 620 Nancy Drew books in 13 different series! The last one was published in 2003, if I recall correctly. I loved Nancy when I was a kid, but I read more of The Hardy Boys because my brother got them. I didn't have access to Nancy when I was a kid. 

Wow -- who knew all that about Nancy? Now I have to find The Hidden Staircase - just because!! OMG -- I just downloaded the audiobook version on Libby, so guess what I'll be doing on the drive home! My drive will be split into two segments as I have demos at another store on the way home. 

It was easy to unpack the car because there wasn't much in there. The technician was waiting for the machine when I arrived. You have to love being able to make appointments for servicing! 

Then I unpacked my samples and had two excellent presentations - one in the afternoon and one in the evening. It's interesting because, as many times as you go over the presentation in your head, there are always different ways of presenting that go through your mind as you do so. However, that's OK- there are many alternative ways to achieve the same result, and I'd like to redo a couple of samples or add to the existing ones.  

I have a free day today and will be at the store, where I hope to stitch out a couple of samples or design a few new ones. Sample making (and learning NEVER ends).  

Speaking of challenges, Stitch by Stitch in Kingston is one of the few Canadian stores that stocks the Cherrywood challenge. I debated whether to purchase the bundle, as it is not cheap. You can buy FQs or half yards. 

Cherrywood Challenge display

We discussed the challenges at Monday Sewing, and while no ideas came to mind while we chatted, it was niggling in the back of my head. Oh my --- a thought just popped into my brain while I was walking the dogs, and I was hooked! 

I picked up the half-yard bundle, and I'm getting the FQ bundle for a friend. I also picked up the floss, but they don't have any of the optional Sketchbook bundle in stock, so that is on order. Anyone back home want a half-yard bundle? 

What idea came into my head? You will have to wait. However, here's the thing about challenges — first off, I think some of my best work comes from taking on a challenge. And this is something I have wanted to do for a while, and here is the perfect opportunity. So even if it doesn't get accepted, I like this piece!! Now that I have the bundle, one of my priorities (just add it to the list) is to get it designed, and then I can start to work!! 

Let's just say that I have many things on my plate that I want to accomplish, and now that my work time is going to be somewhat reduced, I'll be able to do some of the things I've been wanting to do. I can hardly wait!!!! 

Here is the list of events over the next couple of days, including links to the Virtual Retreat scheduled for the weekend. 

September 25 - Store Opening: Sewing Machine Magic, Cobourg, Ontario. This store sells PFAFF sewing machines, and I'm excited to present a series of demos that day. It's all about the magic!!!!

    Floating stitches

    Ribbon/yard/bead embellishments with the embellishment attachment

    Circular attachment

    Sequence creator

    The NEW Decorative Fringe Foot

    Maxi Stitches

September 27 - Colour My World (Online class hosted by me) at 9:30 AM. I need to send out an acknowledgment to those who have paid. But you have all the information you need. No supplies required for the first class. 

September 27 (Saturday) - Virtual Retreat - Starts at 6 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

September 28 (Sunday) Virtual Retreat - Starts at 3 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Zoom does not like it when I post that link publicly, and I receive an email from them after every Virtual Retreat meeting warning me not to do so. It's for security reasons, but I've never had an issue, and I can remove anyone from the meeting if they shouldn't be there. It's never been an issue. 

I'm getting hungry and need to go downstairs for breakfast. I had to chuckle when I checked in last night, as the woman at the desk asked if I had ever been here before. I said YES. She said she recognized me. Nope - she recognized the orange flowers in my hair, I bet!!!

And get your thinking caps on for those quilt challenges — they are the best for letting your creativity run wild! And if you are struggling, would you dare ask AI for help? 

OK -- I have to run. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS -- In case you wonder how good AI is, there are times when my Grammarly editing software goes beserk. It will catch things like leaving an extra space after a sentence - it should be one space, not two. But there are times, like this morning, when it removed the LAST LETTER of every sentence instead. Seriously??? And there are times when I write "okay" and "OK" and Grammarly wants to make them consistent, which it attempted to do this morning. But seriously? That correction process this morning was painful, so if you spot something that looks odd, blame it on AI, not me.