An almost full super moon

I'm happy to report that I slept well last night. I even "slept in" so that is great, but I still have time to get this blog posted in the right time frame. 

I know I say it all the time when I'm at retreat, but this is truly the place to strengthen friendships. While I'm a Zoom person and happy with Zoom, there is nothing like an in-person event to make me very happy. You can't go for a walk with someone on Zoom! But you can in person. While I'm also a get-in-and-out shopper, it's fun to shop with others. We were four yesterday, which is almost unheard of in my world! But the laughs, the shared meals -- you can't beat that. And at one point, something happened at retreat that hasn't happened before, or if it did, it is rare. At one point, the house was empty as everyone left to go shopping!!! 

For those on my retreat list, I'll be sending an email to give you the lay of the land for 2026 and 2027, so you can plan your schedules accordingly. There will be fewer in the future, so they will be even more precious than this year. 

OK -- enough about that! What got done? 

I managed to get 120 six-inch blocks for one flannel quilt in the "blue" theme. So that was good. And as I mentioned yesterday, it got bagged but will not be sewn until I investigate the rest of the scrap piles. There are eight more flannel quilts to quilt with bright flannel backs. Then I'll evaluate the other colors and see if it makes sense to make this quilt. Actually, this might be a good task for my SIL? It's flannel, so a bit tricky, but I'll see. 

120 six-inch blocks for a flannel quilt

Then I worked on the five-inch blocks. I needed more of those - 168 to get a decent-sized quilt. That was an easy job, but it still took all day, and I didn't have 168 blocks until the evening. Well, actually, I found some snowman panels in the flannel pile and decided to add a frame to them to make them the size of FOUR of the five-inch blocks. So that worked, and sped up the progress.  

Blocks for the second flannel quilt

Most of the flannel in this one is winter themed, so technically this one would be good to sew together now.

But by then, I was getting bored with working with the flannel scraps, and it took a while to complete all those blocks. Time to move to something else. 

I still have this much flannel to deal with. It doesn't look like much in this photo, but it filled a bag. I estimate there are at least TWO more decent-sized quilts here. That's obscene!!! But I'm doing something with it. I must leave this out when I'm home and make a few blocks each day! I'll see how that goes -- there aren't many "free" moments in my days. At least not this coming week!

Flannel scraps still to deal with

I brought a couple of "new" projects, ones that aren't scrap-related, so I dug one of them out. AHA—it's a set of placemats. Good grief—I vaguely remember buying this as a kit. How many years ago would that have been? No idea. And will I use them? Nope -- they will go in the placemat donation pile. I've said this before, I'm not so much about the finished item - I'm more about the making! I would sew anything, like scraps, and enjoy it as much as if it were brand-new. 

A set of placemats

Some of the pieces have been cut, but I just didn't want to start this last night, so that's on the agenda for today. Four placemats! 

I also finished that one bag of half-square triangles from my Barn Star Sampler quilt. This pile is all the ones I sewn and trimmed here. No sense sewing them and not trimming. That's a new rule I have, and it really doesn't take long to deal with them! 

The half-square triangles

So I'll keep these together in a bag, and one day I'll dig them out and figure something out for them. 

The collection of half-square triangles from Barn Star Sampler

Don't worry -- I have another bag with me, so that is sitting by the sewing machine and ready to deal with. What's crazy is that half the bag is sewn and trimmed, while the other half isn't. So why do I leave half-finished projects everywhere? Well, that's a problem for all quilters, and we need to stop that!! Do it now!!!! And here's another turned photo! I can't fix it, but you get the idea. 

The next bag of half-square triangles

And if I happen to finish that, there are more bags of them. This is NOT a great photo, but at the bottom of my retreat bag, there are two more bags of half-square triangles to sew. These are the cutoffs from flying-geese units left from specific quilts. That will keep me busy for a while, and I'm OK with leaving them in the retreat bag and working on them while I'm away. Trust me, I have more at home. The ones at home are the random ones. These bags are "collections" from specific quilts. The bottom line is that I have a plan for them, and that makes me happy. 

More bags of half-square triangles

I kind of got obsessed with the puzzle, and as it got dark last night, I needed to move a light in to work on it!! 

Burning the midnight oil!

By the time I left it alone last night, I had this much done. 

Close to the finish

YES -- I am almost done. Yeah!!!! Hey—it's our retreat, and we are allowed to do whatever we want! Don't worry -- I have another puzzle of mine that I want to finish here so it can go home with someone else. 

Did I mention I've been watching this girl with the most annoying voice who talks about assembling puzzles? Always with a stopwatch. That would not be fun! But one of the things she does, and I know other people do it as well, is to sort the pieces into colors. So I broke down and bought a set of puzzle sorting trays, which is also in the picture above. I'll break that out when I work on the small puzzle that I have next. 

I also had company during the day when I worked on the puzzle. This cardinal was pretty persistent and kept hanging out on the windowsill. I don't know if there is a bird feeder, but Mrs. Cardinal was looking for food!!! 

HEY -- is this a fly-through window?

Someone is making a "few" of those children's fabric books, and there are cutoffs - the instructions. I've asked for them as I have plans. So if anyone has instructions from any project that looks like this, I'd be happy to take them off your hands instead of them going into the garbage. I should check whether I have enough to get started on a project. 

Instructions from fabric books

I noticed this morning that the two people on the other side of the room have totally crossed the middle line of the table!! I'll have to bug them this morning!!! I have packed up the stuff that I had spread on the table on the other side of the room and put it in a bag under the cutting table. 

Ooops - retreat spread!

I've already got one bag of stuff to put back in the car. It's so much easier to pack one bag at a time when you're finished with it than to wait until the end of the retreat when everyone is trying to leave at the same time. When it's time to pack up, I usually have one bag of projects, my sewing machine, and whatever food is left. The rest is already done! Efficient!!!! I'm also a neat freak (don't laugh), so it makes sense that I do that. 

Helen Anne and I went for two walks yesterday. It was a glorious day -- not cold, but brisk-- and we soon warmed up with the walking, and at one point we stopped to look at the moon. I spotted this cornfield and hadn't paid it any attention. But it never got harvested!! And it was interesting to see that all the cobs were at the same level on the stalk. I've never noticed that before!!!! 

The cornfield in the winter

I didn't have my phone with me, so Helen Anne took these pictures at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Yep -- that's the moon!!!! It was super visible and quite large. The full COLD MOON is on December 4th, so let's hope we have clear skies tomorrow. 

The almost full super moon

Did you know there are three or four super moons in a year? A super moon occurs when the full moon is at the point in the moon's orbit where the moon is closest to the Earth. And there you go -- another fun fact. Did you know there are FOUR supermoons in 2026? I think there were only three this year. 

Well, it's time to get myself organized. I have a puzzle to finish, I have knitting to explore, four placemats to sew, a couple of videos to watch, and some paperwork to deal with!! Mostly emails. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!!

The art of learning and staying connected in the quilt world

It's time for a reality check! I did say that there was NOTHING in July; however, that is false. I have a LOT of writing to do in July. I love writing, and I can do it on my time—even in the middle of the night if I want. So yes, I will be busy in July; there just won't be classes. That's why we have editors—they remind us of our commitments and keep us on track! 

Today is going to be a traumatic day for our house. Miss Lexi has to get some dental work done. In preparation for her surgery today, I had to administer a mild sedative last night - well, two meds and then she gets two more this morning before they call for her. She gets so freaked out that they are calling us 20 minutes before they need her, so she can go directly into surgery upon arrival. Now - I didn't think she was that hyper - it's only when they try to stick needles into her. 

I had to walk down to the pet store last night to get pill pockets for her to make it easier for her to take her meds. She loved the pill pockets and gobbled the pills down. One fell out as she ate, and because it now tasted like peanut butter, she grabbed the pill and ate it! Oh, Lexi! The poor thing. She just got up and is wobbly! She's confused, so she needs some extra love before she goes! 

All should be OK, but it's still a worry. Miss Murphy will be beyond herself as she will be home alone—well, not alone, as DH and I are here, but without Lexi. 

As Murphy and I passed the roadkill, I spotted the turkey vulture on a nearby roof. It's big and ugly! But it sure wants the rest of that rabbit. By the end of the day, there wasn't much left. 

The turkey vulture is still there! 

On a prettier side, Miss Lexi and I spotted an iris! It was so pretty, and this one was HUGE!!! 

A giant iris

We had Monday sewing, which is always fun and a way to celebrate our successes and support each other with our problems. Yesterday, I wondered why some people sign up for classes or clubs and never participate. Attending the Monday sewing is better than a class or club because it's a wide-open forum. People just chat or listen, and there is NO GUILT attached. You can let Zoom be on in the background, or you can participate in all the conversations. We also have a show and tell of our work, or stuff I find online. 

It's a super forum for people who want to connect with others. Let's face it - many people are alone, and being at home alone can be lonely. I am often alone at home, which I used to find boring, but with the girls and so much to do, that's not an issue. Still, I look forward to the Monday sewing group, as it's the ONLY time I connect with my friends. Many members of the group do not live close to me! 

There is also the Virtual Retreat once a month. That happens on a Saturday and a Sunday, and again -- it's open. There is no cost; you only have to grab the link from my blog. I try to keep the conversation going so there's constant chatter. People can come and go as they wish, you can stay in the background, or you can participate. But the best part? There is NO HOMEWORK, no purchases necessary (fabric or pattern), no commitment, you can ask questions and ALWAYS get an answer, and there is zero guilt. 

If anyone is looking for a social outlet via Zoom, both options are much better than signing up for a class and not participating. That's my personal thought. However, if you sign up because you think you'll do something, that's OK. There is so much FOMO (fear of missing out); seriously, FOMO leads to guilt, and you remember what I said about the bad side of quilting for our mental health. 

If you want to see what it's all about, come to the Virtual Retreat (June 28 and 29). We don't bite, we are friendly, and if you have a quilting question or issue, we can help! Then, if you think you like the concept, let me know, and I can send you an invite to the Monday Sewing, which happens once a week. 

You do not have to be part of everything. Life is too short to fill your calendar and claim you are busy. I'd rather have a long, lazy day ahead of me. Having zero time restrictions is the best day ever!!! That is a prize-winning day for me. I still want things to do, but on my time! 

I've been binge-listening and watching a YouTube/Patreon/IG/TikTok content creator. I'm almost caught up, and as I listen to her and her partner, I've come to a realization. First, you can make a ton of money if you are good. I don't want to monetize anything I do, which is why I keep my blog ad-free. 

Anyway, I realize I wear many hats, but if I had to choose a title for what I do, I would call myself a content creator! I should improve at creating a site that links to everything I've done because some content may be hard to find. Maybe I can work on that in July as I continue to create new content for various sources!!! 

Here's a mystery that, if anyone can solve, I'd pay money to learn. Why does everything seem to take forever to do? I have several projects on the go, and I'm sewing, which is a treat! But at the end of the day, I only see this when I look at what I did. 

My sewing for the day

There are four blocks in each grouping, and I made a few flying geese, but that was the extent of my sewing. Seriously? That doesn't seem like a lot! But then I forgot I had to cut everything before I could sew it. I trimmed two quilts. And I went for a walk, and it all takes time! 

I'm not upset about it—all I can say is that I made progress on my project, which makes me happy. This should be a wake-up call to remind me that with all the UFOs I have, it will take years to complete them or get them to the "to be quilted" stage. That is why I am significantly reducing the number of projects I start or teach. There's just too much to be done. 

I know people who cull their UFOs because they don't like the fabric or the project. That is NOT the case with me. I picked good fabric, and I want to finish these things. I'm working on it, and that's progress in a positive way. I'm happy! 

I also got another customer quilt quilted, and the next one is loaded to work on later today. 

Customer quilt - DONE

It was a good day, but you think you are going to have loads to show, and it's often not much. The long arm takes more time than I think. But all is good! 

I spotted this quote the other day, and I think it sums up what I'm trying to say about my technique clubs. I want everyone to think about this as they evaluate their work daily.

Reading the manual to learn a new sewing/embroidery machine is not enough. It's about sitting in front of it and pushing all the buttons. What does this do? How does this work? Oops—I made a mistake. YIPPPEEEEEE!!! I know never to do that again, or guess what? Now I can write that down and ask when I attend a class or see someone I know who can help me! There is a delete button on most things. 

And here's the other thing I hear from people: I don't want to make samples because it's wasteful. ACK!!!!!! I just cringe when I hear that. Let me ask you a question. Did you send your children to university or college? How much did that tuition cost? How much did the materials or textbooks cost? When you make samples, you are LEARNING—that is your education. 

Remember this about your quilting. While you may pay a class fee, you are not paying anywhere near what a university/college tuition is. And the textbooks or lab fees? That is your material, stabilizer, etc. And I will bet that each of you has some excess fabric in your stash, or cardstock for a digital cutter, etc. You can't take it with you --- did you hear me? YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS STUFF WITH YOU!!!! Pretend you are returning to school, because that is what you do every time you take a class. 

• Do not be afraid!!! Make mistakes - that is the ONLY way we learn! 
• Get hands-on!! While you may retain about 10% (if you are lucky) when you listen, did you know that you retain about 75 - 90% when you do? That's an incredible difference in learning and retention! 
• Realize that everything you attempt may not be to your liking. If so, don't be afraid to give it away, throw it away, or find a home for it outside your house. Do NOT keep it because you are weighing yourself down with guilt. Yes, you spent a lot of money on it—get over that and move on! 

I'm unsure where that came from, but it's important to get a grip on it. This is YOUR life we are talking about. Take charge of it—only you can do that and make changes so you enjoy each and every day that we have. It's amazing how fast time flies, and then we are too ill or physically or mentally incapacitated to enjoy it. USE THE GOOD DISHES TODAY!!!! 

I now have a list of things I'm searching for in Studio B. And it involves these pattern boxes. Oh boy --- I need to cull as I sift through those patterns. Why did I buy so many? I felt I needed to rescue them if I saw them on sale. What the heck was I thinking? There are hundreds of patterns, and while I've made a lot, I've probably touched less than 10%. The big question now is what to do with them? YES -- I am getting ready to purge books and patterns. Well, maybe not 100% ready, but mentally, I'm purging. It's now a question of how to go about making it happen. 

Sorting through the pattern boxes

Speaking of successes, I thought I'd share my walking journey so far this year. Here's my map of my virtual walk through the US. The plan is to finish this in 3 years. If I planned everything correctly, I'll be walking through every one of the contiguous states. 

My virtual walk

In addition to my daily walking, I'm adding my spin class distances, as the total distance of 15,432 KM is too much for me to walk in three years. I'm a little ahead, as you can see, but I won't be doing many spin classes this summer, so that'll likely put me on par. 

It's fun to track my steps, and seeing the distance I've walked so far this year makes me smile. I mean walking, and spin class distances - from Detroit to somewhere in Montana! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. This morning, I must address a few "urgent" emails, drive Miss Lexi to the vet, have a follow-up doctor's appointment, make phone calls, and finish a quilt. I doubt I'll get any sewing done. 

Have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!!

It's all about the birds!

 It's funny how you have an entire day to sew, yet I didn't get much done! How does that work? I was on the phone for two lengthy conversations. I took both calls outside, and neither had issues hearing me. Was it my lucky day? Or are things looking up with my cell phone? 

I've noticed a heron flying overhead several times while walking the dogs. Is it flying to my house? I want to run home to see, but I'm pretty sure that with their large wingspan, it wouldn't feel comfortable coming into our backyard. But you never know. I have spotted them sitting on my neighbor's roof contemplating the space down to my pond! 

However, I was walking through the forest yesterday with Murphy when something rustled in the trees overhead. I thought it was a squirrel jumping from one branch to another, as they love to do. NO—it was a bird. It was a big bird, so I suspect it was a hawk waiting along the path for some little rabbit or squirrel to be its victim. It was a large bird—I didn't get to see it, but you could tell by the movement in the trees. My first thought was - that is one giant squirrel!

In the last few weeks, I've spotted large hawks soaring above the area. Thank goodness Little Bear is not here because he would be a target. But what really freaked me out about birds yesterday was this. Notice how I use those new zoom buttons on my phone, yet I rarely used the manual zoom. That's just laziness on my part! But the new settings are great—thanks to Samsung for adding them. 

A very LARGE bird

I spotted this giant bird feasting on road kill ahead of me while walking Murphy. From a distance, it appeared black, and I thought it was a crow. As I approached and it moved to the sidewalk because of the cars, I was surprised at its size. It was HUGE. Then it flew to the nearest rooftop. That was no crow - it was a turkey vulture! I've seen them in the country, but do not remember seeing them in the city. Maybe I just missed ever seeing one. 

Yikes -- the day was for the birds! 

But nothing compares to the video my SIL took when they were on a quick weekend vacation on Bowen Island in BC. OK- this is gross, and while I saw the video, I am not sharing it, but it is the circle of life. A snake swallowed a frog! Knowing that an amateur photographer got that was the most incredible thing. He was in the right place at the right time, and neither reptile nor amphibian was interested, nor could they slither/hop away. Totally gross/totally fascinating! 

Let's talk about nice things now—pretty things and some progress. Here is my 60-minute-or-less project from the other day. Technically, it didn't come from those buckets, but it was for Dear Jen, and I was happy to make it happen. One block needed some appliqué. I used a wide satin stitch to go around it. It was very fiddly, but it's done! 

AppliAppliqué Dear Jen block

Speaking of abandoning a quilt project, I found this in my stash. I have a bundle of odds and ends of solid black fabric, which I used for my Dear Jen's sashings. When I opened up this big piece, I wondered for a minute about the lines. Then I realized the lines were most likely drawn to help position a stained glass project. 

I was happy to find that in this fabric stash, not in a UFO stash. It's now cut up and used for sashing. Well, technically, it's a frame, not sashing. 

I'm happy to report that all 25 blocks for Dear Jen are framed. But not before I had to take two of them off. Good grief—the framing had to be in a certain orientation to avoid butting seams when it joined the next block. That's what happens when you don't pay attention! I rearranged the blocks as best I could, calling it a day. I don't think I took a picture at the end of my framing session. 

The Dear Jen blocks

Then, the question was whether I should trim down the framing. I cut 1½" strips, although the quilt I used for inspiration used 1" strips. Well, it's better to have them too big and cut them down than not big enough. And I think I was using the bigger pieces to make the quilt larger quickly. 

However, one of the ladies used the smaller-sized framing, and it looked amazing. I got out the square ruler and the rotary cutter, and off with their heads! I LOVE the look with the narrower framing. YES, this is the way to go, and I completed the entire first row and part of the second. 

Which framing size do you like? 

Isn't that an incredible difference? I was blown away. The larger sashing makes it look like a traditional sampler, while the narrower one makes it look funky and modern! That's the difference a ½" can make. I was pleasantly surprised and am excited to continue with it. Before I decided to chop the blocks down, I measured the size needed to go over the sewing machine, and the smaller size works better than the larger size. That was the deciding factor! 

I didn't make a ton of sewing progress yesterday despite having a free day, but with those phone calls, the walk, and the snack break, it all adds up. Plus, I quilted a quilt, and that takes way more time than I think it does. Yes, even with a computerized long arm. 

But here is the latest customer quilt. 

Customer quilt - DONE

If you think that is the same one I showed you last week, it is not. I have one customer who loves this fabric style, and she brought me five quilts, four of which all use the same fabric. I have two more of hers to quilt, but I have to shift gears this week as I have a couple of quilts that are higher on the priority list. I'm doing great, keeping up with the customer quilts—there are fewer than ten in the queue, and I want to keep it like that. 

That brings me to a subset of my discussion yesterday. I've had to rifle through a lot of my projects in order to find a couple of things. Come to think of it, I'm constantly rifling through the projects for samples, or a quilt top, or whatever. I have loads of samples everywhere, including the "to be quilted" pile. And yes, I have my list of what quilt is in what tub, but holy, that entire corner of the room is one big mess. 

WAIT -- it's not a mess in the sense that I can't find anything, because it is very organized. But there are so many tubs (22) and each one holds MANY quilt tops that need to be quilted. I need to focus more on those quilts than I have in the past. 

ONE of the tubs in the "to be quilted" area

Yes, some quilts have come out and then been quilted, and I'm trying to quilt more tops as I finish them, but the amount being added is greater than the amount coming out, which is NOT good. I also need to consider the tubs in the storage room of the tops that Diane made. 

WAIT—I am not complaining, and I am not asking for help. It's all a matter of switching priorities in my life because I like using the long arm. I like the process of prepping and loading the quilt. I love seeing the quilt come to life; it makes me happy when I pull it off. It's just a lack of time that prevents me from doing more. 

June is somewhat quieter from a class perspective (8 one-hour Zooms, Quilt Canada (4 days), a quilt retreat (4 days), and the Virtual Retreat (reduced hours this month - starts at 3 PM on Sunday). The rest of the time is mine! Although there is a bit of class follow-up and some prep work involved, it's relatively quiet. July has nothing, and I want to use my time wisely. WAIT -- there are two 4-day quilt retreats in July. Don't ask how that happened. But if anyone wants to come on a quilting retreat, I have space in early July!! Just shoot me an email for more details. elainetheriault@gmail.com

When fall comes, I will have less class prep and more ME time, and I'm trying very hard to keep it that way. As some people very sneakily say, "What about this?" I am adamant—I am NOT adding anything new. Thanks for the suggestion, but you take the class my way or the highway. There will be no adding something just because. I am NOT doing it! I'm not even tempted to break my rules! 

I even warned one of my groups that it'll likely hit the chopping block because of a lack of participation. Perhaps you can explain something to me if you are one of these people. You attend a Zoom class, which is strictly show and tell, with a few tips and tricks thrown in as we discuss the issues people had. Why do people attend and never show anything - EVER? Yes - you are learning, but are you? What are you learning if you never apply the knowledge, or have never used this tool, and thus have no clue what is being said? 

It's not like this is a social event, as no one gets to talk unless they have a sample. That mystery has come about with Zoom calls that I do not understand. If someone can help me know that, I'd be grateful. Anyway, with the drop in participation level, I'd rather spend that time (and the preamble, the potential overtime, and the prep time) doing something for me! 

I apologize if that seems harsh. I understand that some people are busy and can't participate every month. I'm totally aware because the same happens to me. But if you NEVER participate, then what's the point? 

Anyway, I'm off to spin class this morning, and then we have Monday Sewing. I hope to continue working on my Dear Jen, plus there is a bit of tidying on the cutting table to do. All is good. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

When you hear PLOP!

Oh boy—this paperwork is going to be the death of me! I spent the entire morning at the computer, and I swear the desktop doesn't look cleaner! Emails and phone calls got done, but I don't think any physical paper disappeared. I'll try again this morning, but I also have a lot of sewing/embroidery to do, and I need to be downstairs! 

But any progress is progress, and we just keep moving forward. I tackled a few more CDs, and the pile is almost gone. What did I find? I found three photos that I wanted to keep. The rest of the stuff went in the garbage as there was nothing of any value on the CDs. That's so bizarre - I kept that entire stack, yet nothing was important! 

That happens when things get put away and become invisible. 

Here are the pictures that I transferred to my hard disk. They are of a quilt that I made years ago and sold. I LOVE this quilt! I'm glad I have pictures of it. 

Blowing in the Wind - a quilt I made

I used yarn for the dandelion, which was perfect! Gosh, I made this quilt many years ago, but I always remembered it! 

A close-up of the quilting

The yarn detail

Someone sent me this quote, which is fantastic. While I'm happily doing the first one and have to say I'm working well on the other two, this month will drive people mad. I knew people who would stop sewing for the entire month so they could prepare their house for Christmas dinner. That's a bit much—at least at my house! 

Great quote

Again - some of those traditions become invisible, and we don't realize that even though we're doing the same thing because we HAVE to, we don't have to! I was talking with someone yesterday who threatened her three adult children to come home for Boxing Day (they all live close to her) because none wanted to go for Christmas. Not that that is sad, but it shows that our children move on, and it's OK to change what we do!

I was getting ready to take Murphy for her walk when I noticed a box at the front door. Oh my—it was largish but extremely light. Could this be my running shoes? Yes, my three identical pairs of running shoes have arrived. 

My running shoe stock for 2025

I stacked them sideways in the hall closet, and I'll dig the first pair out on New Year's Day. The pair I have right now are perfectly fine until then. 

Stored discreetly in the closet

Several weeks ago, I bought new bird feeders, and it was time to get them out. I also have a new stand, which I need to install, and since it's warm out, I might try for that later today. This is the suet feeder. It holds two things of suet, and it's supposed to be squirrel-proof! I haven't seen anyone visit it yet, but it might take a day or two for news to travel. I've not been a good birder, and I'm sure I've been taken off the bird-feeding route!

My new suet holder

DH is getting into the swing of decluttering as well. If you think my desktop is bad, you should look at his. It's like a tornado went through. There are stacks of business cards for people I'm sure are no longer alive! He has a two-drawer filing cabinet, as well as two portable boxes. He emptied one of the boxes, which basically had NOTHING in it. He needs to empty the second one and then go through those two drawers, and whatever he doesn't need must go!! I do NOT want to be saddled with going through his crap! And I told him so!

Empty file box

I will hold onto the box and the hangers for a bit. I aim to empty that four-drawer filing cabinet in my office, so I may need a place to put files. This box takes a lot less room than the bigger cabinet! 

I was standing at the long arm, prepping a quilt, when I looked up. Good grief—that girl is like an Elf on the Shelf! And she just sits there and watches! It's kind of creepy sometimes!

MOM -- it's me! 

I'm running between the long arm and the sewing area as I try to prep something for later in the day. I hear PLOP, and oh my - what happened? Ah - the spool of thread was near the end, and it popped off the stand and onto the floor. That was an easy fix, and nothing happened to the stitching. I babysat that until the row was done, as near the end of a spool, the thread sometimes "sticks" to the plastic cone. 

The thread fell off the machine

I had just enough thread to finish the row, but only after the bobbin also ran out!

I won!

The community project quilt was done, and it's partially trimmed. I'll finish that later today. 

Community project quilt - DONE

I'll load the next one later today and get to work on that. Then, it was over to the embroidery machine to work on a project I'd wanted to do for a while but couldn't get my act together. 

I read the instructions, which is a good thing. I did not print them out but kept them on the computer, which sits by the sewing machine. Gathering all the threads, fabric, and other tools consumed much time. 

The supplies

And then it was time to start! I will share what I'm working on once it's delivered, but it's super cute!!

Starting the embroidery

And after close to 20K stitches, the first part was complete. Only three more parts!

The embroidery is done!

I will try something slightly different with the next part, and we'll see how that goes! 

I'm off to spin class this morning, and let's see if I can reach the water bottle. The constant stabbing pain has abated, but that doesn't mean I'm out of the woods. The pain is still there, just a lot more manageable, and that's good enough for me—for the moment! I want it fixed, but what if it can't be fixed? We won't go there. 

It will be another day of total chaos with loads of stuff to do. But I'm relaxed, and I do what I can. Let's say I go to bed exhausted, which is good because I'm sleeping through the night like a log. 

Good luck with the decluttering in your house. Remember, this is a new lifestyle you're trying to build, and it will take time! But also look at your schedule - how crazy is it? Are you overwhelmed? If so, you may want to cut back! While I'm busy, I'm NOT overwhelmed, and I'm not running or doing things for others. If I don't have time for this project, it won't get done, and that's OK. The presentations are coming along nicely. One is complete except for adding student photos as they are posted. The second one should be done today, leaving two to complete over the next couple of days. I'm good! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The Coronation and packing up!

I'm completely here today!! Yesterday I was blogging while watching the Coronation, and I had to finish my presentation at 10 AM. 

We all chuckled when one of the ladies at the retreat wondered if anyone would think her weird to watch the Coronation. Heck no! That's a historic event, and we're all going to watch. Everyone was up bright and early to watch, and we watched until the end. I think my favorite person was Prince Louis! I love his facial expressions - he has a "dark" look about him. 

We were good to go with our hats, games (thanks to Ronda, Shelly, and Laura), decorations, and English breakfast. Let's say that it was a memorable event. You know, one of those when you say -- "hey -- what were you doing when.....?" So I'm glad we got to experience it as a group, as I would have watched it at home alone, which would have been boring!

The whole day was topsy-turvy because of the Coronation, and we were all tired, but of course, when I went to bed, I was wide awake! I have a feeling I'll be in bed early tonight. We had our Zoom class in the morning - the timing was perfect - the Coronation ended and it was time for Zoom! There are no classes this morning -- I planned for that and pushed a couple of things to next weekend. 

We went for a walk in the afternoon, and I went from wearing my winter jacket to needing shorts. What a wild week for the weather. We finally had a nice day! Can we hope that the warmer weather is here to stay? It looks like it's going to be warm but wet today. Yippee!

It's surprising that more people don't walk. It's a simple exercise that takes no special equipment, and yes -- it rained a wee bit, but Maryke and I never got "wet" on any of the walks, and we walked for over an hour each time. 

I will not go on about the benefits of walking, and YES - I understand that some people can't walk, but when you have the ability, why wouldn't you? You sleep better, feel better, your mental health is better -- and you get FRESH air! I guess it's just in my nature now, and I'm happy it's part of my day! I do NOT need or want to sew all day and certainly do not want to be cooped up in the house all day. I'm just a bit weird, it seems! 

In most cases, there is one other person who will walk, so I have a walking buddy who changes it from things at home, and it's incredible how much you get to know a person or solve the world's problems when you walk! Walking is therapeutic whether you do it at home or away; no one needs to walk as far as I do or as fast. 

I'm a bit disappointed in my Sonos Roam (portable Bluetooth speaker). It worked just fine initially and is now a very unreliable device. I will contact the company, but I'm doing everything I'm supposed to, and it doesn't work. I've unpaired it and reconnected, and still nothing. GRRRRR

My mouse for the computer also died the other day, and I don't have spare batteries with me, and what a pain that is. I really do NOT like the touchpad on the computer. Batteries must be added to the backpack!

We haven't seen much wildlife, but many birds are around the house. Someone discovered a nest on their window sill, and baby robins were in it! 

And we spotted these woodpeckers on the big tree out the window. There is a handy pair of binoculars at the house, so we got a good look at them. I think they are Northern Flickers. While most woodpeckers would be pecking the tree -- these two seemed to be having a fight! They reminded me of a long-time married couple that bickered with each other. It was cute to watch and easy to make up the dialogue. "George, I told you to take the garbage out!" "Mable, I told you, I just want to eat bugs from the trees!" 

Northern Flicker Woodpeckers in the tree

They were sneaky as they perched on the tree right behind a branch, and it was hard for me to get a picture. 

The day before, I decided to head out for a geocache. It was a bit of a way to walk, but I was OK with that. And I see no traffic until I get to the cache, and I'm wandering in the ditch! Of course! But it was an easy find, and then I walked back. 

A geocache

There are loads of snails around here. That log was covered with them. 

Loads of snails

I was going to walk closer but noticed there were loads of them in the grass, so I left them alone. 

Snails in the grass

I did some serging at the beginning of the week but then switched to the sewing machine and pretty much sewed everything I brought. I really messed up with the cutting, so I was missing a few components to finish everything I brought. But I've spent the last couple of days ripping out some quilting. Don't ask! I hope to finish it today, but it is taking much longer than I thought. It had to be done, so I will try and finish it this morning. 

Here's a random shot of the farmland around here. 

The beautiful farmlands

Soon it'll be time to pack up the car and head home. I bet the girls will be thrilled to see me, especially since DH left last night (don't worry -- we have guests in the house), and I don't think they are that comfortable with dogs, so the girls will be happy. Of course, they would be glad to see me even if I went to the mailbox! Silly girls!!

Then tomorrow, it's back to work. So much that I want or need to get done; I should take a walk this morning and sort that out in my head so I'm ready to hit the ground running when I get home. And there's some travel this month and next, so that timing must be considered! 

Well, I'm off to continue my task of ripping! Yeah!!!

Have a great day!

Ciao!!