Buy quality, not quantity!!

Just because the manufacturer says you can't cut the grey mat doesn't mean you can't! You should send pictures!!! 

Well, yesterday was a total write-off when it came to sewing. In fact, I haven't touched any of the sewing machines in days! And that seems to be typical for me. I have things to sew, and hopefully that will happen today and tomorrow. 

Most of the demos are prepped - I might have said yesterday that everything is in order, and that would have been a lie. I had to open my appliqué demo box to get some things, but I didn't have time to sort it, and it needs sorting, as does the box for binding things, which I am opening this morning. 

Then I think all that remains is to pack the quilting samples back into a suitcase and I am done! Ready to leave bright and early on Saturday morning. 

If anyone is in the London, Ontario area, I'll be at Stache Fabrics on Saturday doing a bunch of demos. We start at 9 AM with tips for getting the perfect seam allowance, and there is a new demo each hour, with the last one at 2 PM. I've got loads to share, and these are a bit different from other demos I've done in the past because I'll be using a sewing machine (and my samples) to show you exactly how it's done! We'll start with seam allowances, then move on to decorative stitches, appliqué, walking-foot quilting, free-motion quilting, and, lastly, binding! 

Even if you've been around for many years, there is always something to be learned in a demo! At least in my demos! 

On Sunday, there is a morning session on learning a sewing machine's functions and how they differ depending on the level of sewing machine you have, and the afternoon will be all about quilting with your embroidery machine. You need to sign up for the two on Sunday - you'll find the link for the sign-ups here. 

OMG—did you hear the news?? 

Apparently, they have NOT publicly announced this yet, but it is public. OH MY ---- I guess that's another magazine that bites the dust. So this one ran from 1983 to 2026. Well, it's about time that I started this journey with this title and got the issues out of the house!!

First, I want to tell you my rotary-cutting story. How often do you change the blade in your rotary cutter? I never remember, so I decided to mark the date on a piece of tape on my cutter. 

The dates I change my rotary cutter blade

You probably can't read those dates, but I started marking the date on October 2, 2024. Then I next changed it on October 11, 2025. Hmmm—I still haven't changed the blade in 2026. Why? I don't cut a ton of things, but I trim quilts, etc. with that cutter - it's a 60 mm cutter. BUT I take care of the blade. There are no nicks in it because I continuously clean my cutting mat. I do need to change the blade now, but haven't had the time. So before any cutting session today, I MUST change that blade, and I'll indicate the date again. 

While going through that quilting basics box, I found these. 

Paper relating to Olfa cutters

Three printouts from the Olfa website dated 2005, and a brochure on how to use the Olfa Cutting System, including one that shows the order of disassembling the blade to change it. Honestly, it pays to buy QUALITY—I would not buy any other cutter, and I have a "few" Olfa cutters. I never need to buy another one. Nor do I likely need to buy blades again either, as I have a small stash, but maybe not the 60 mm. I'll check it out later today. 

Here is the timeline of the Olfa Story. Click it to enlarge it. 

The OLFA story

The first snap-off cutter was invented in 1956 - that's similar to a box cutter. The rotary cutter was created in 1979. OH MY -- I went to the OLFA site to try to find that diagram, but I couldn't; if you ask Google, most of it comes up if you can't read that. But they have projects on their website! Who knew? 

Anyway - I am set for rotary cutters forever and do not forget that they have a LIFETIME guarantee. Yes—I have had them replace two cutters: one that literally wore out, and the other that a student broke (a circle cutter). Buying quality means you don't have to buy quantity!!!

I've been dying to share this photo all week, but kept forgetting to take a couple of pictures. Here is the photo, and it's a bunch of fabrics (a kit) that you could purchase from Quiltmaker. 

A fabric kit from Quiltmaker Jan/Feb 94

Does your eagle eye spot anything? Probably not, unless you had purchased one of those fabrics. Well, it turns out that the top fabric in column three and the third fabric in column three are from the Jinny Beyer Eyelash collection. 

One thing to remember: fabrics did NOT turn around as quickly as they do today. I believe the eyelash collection was a staple (blender) and was reprinted over and over again. Again—if you bought quality (more money) and used it, instead of buying quantity, which was crap, you would have been better off!

So, it's no wonder that in 1999, when I bought fabric for my VERY FIRST OFFICIAL quilt, I used that eyelash fabric. This was the result of the first quilt class I took. I was HOOKED. I made two quilts prior, but I really didn't know a thing about quilting then. 

My first quilt when I started quilting

Shoot - I should have taken a close-up- the medium fabric - the stars and the inner border were made of the fabric in the top row (third column). Hilarious. 

I must have loved it or purchased a ton of it because I also used it for the backing. 

The backing is eyelash fabric.

But wait - the story gets even better. Remember the fabric that I recently ran out of for the block borders on my 40 Shades of Grey quilt? That is also eyelash!!!

Shoot—I can't find that photo this morning, but it's also from the eyelash collection. Sadly, I can't find the deep purple version that I need, so I guess Plan B comes into play. I'll figure out Plan B later. 

In one issue, I spotted this ad. 

Sewing tote

An ad to buy a travel companion for your quilting. A bag to hold all your supplies. And we all know that there are a plethora of patterns that you can purchase to make your own bag. It always makes me wonder - which came first: the idea from a reader/quilter (like the rotating cutting mat we saw the other day), or a company created it, and then the masses make patterns because it's "cheaper" to make your own. 

It's not cheaper, but it's a lot more fun to make than buy, and you can personalize it! That's the fun. When making anything by hand, NEVER factor in the cost. You can't compete with mass-produced items. 

And did you know that back in the day, Bonnie Leman (the founder of Quilter's Newsletter and its sister magazine, Quiltmaker) and the editor of Quiltmaker were on a PBS show called Sew Crative? I believe this was in the 90s. 

Sew Creative quilt show on PBS in the 90s

Quiltmaker magazine had great segments on using alternate colorways, which I think was amazing. I know many people who needed and still do - make the quilt in exactly the same color and even the same fabrics as in the original pattern. That's why people buy kits when they see a sample in a store. I confess that when I first started, I also needed to make things in the same color and, in one instance (Piecemaker Calendar), I "needed" to use the same fabrics. I quickly got over that! 

This was a blurb from one of the magazine designers, and her comment was: "The more you play with color placement and block combinations, the more fun you will have." YES --- 1000% yes!!!

Play with color and design - have fun!!!

Here was another comment that I loved. This was from the editor, and you can't read that, so here is the comment: "If you stretch yourself a bit, you'll find that your skills will improve the more techniques you try." 

Editor's comment - mentioned above!

OH MY GOODNESS --- that is what I keep telling people. You have to grow with this hobby - there are so many wonderful things to explore, and the options are endless. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone --- OH MY GOSH -- that reminds me of one of my quilts. 

OK -- found that picture quickly. I truly believe this quote!!! The world is at your feet - it's up to you to take the first step. 

YES --- this is me!!!!!

Here's a great example of color options. Look at how the same block changes depending on the block's coloring (and values). It's hard to believe that it's the same block. 

Same block - two different colorways

Again - another option for color options, and you can see the original color in the top right. They encourage people to use plaid and NOT worry about the lines. Yeah!!!! Life is way too short to worry about whether the lines on plaid are straight unless it's a garment! 

More color options

Guess what? There are two more days of these magazine treasures before I can move on! Good grief—so many cool things I found and wanted to share. Hopefully you are enjoying my little adventure. If not, I'm documenting them, and that makes me happy. 

I will share the cell phone story tomorrow because I need to read something first, and I don't have time this morning because I'm off to the gym to meet Brooke. 

But here's my dentist story. I knew I was in trouble with a tooth a couple of months ago when I could feel the filling wasn't right. It felt like Swiss cheese with holes in it, but I wasn't feeling any pain, so I was OK with that. 

I kept meaning to make an appointment with the dentist, but September and October were busy months, so I put it off. 

About two weeks ago, I was eating something and all of a sudden, I was trying to crunch something very hard and realized that my filling had come out, or at least part of it. Yikes—there was now a large gap in the tooth. It's a molar, so you couldn't see that. Again - no pain. 

I had a cleaning scheduled for next week, so I was going to wait for that. My dentist texted to ask if I could move my cleaning to this week, and I said yes since I had time. I also mentioned the filling that fell out. 

It was a glorious day yesterday, so I put shorts on and ventured out to the dentist. I can walk there, and it was beautiful. 

Despite flossing more than usual, the hygienist reminded me to floss and brush better. And the amount of digging she did - well, obviously, I'm not doing something right. But that's OK. I didn't get the lecture per se - she didn't even ask me how often I brush or floss, which is usually the first thing they ask. 

I was expecting the worst news about the tooth and had visions of $$$$ running through my head to fix the problem. They took an X-ray, and the dentist came in and looked at it. He said there was enough good tooth to fix it, but there was a second filling in that same tooth, and a cavity had formed under that filling, which is likely why the first filling fell out. 

Then he starts talking about freezing, and I was like, WHAT?? He said that they had booked time to fix the tooth right then. Did I have time? Well, sure -- I'm here - why not!!!!

That sneaky receptionist! She didn't tell me that, but I truly appreciate her booking the time because now the tooth is fixed in only one visit. The entire bill was covered by insurance, so i walked outof there a happy camper. Don't get me wrong—we LOVE the dentist receptionist, and I teased her about doing that without telling me! OH - I need to tell you the toothpaste story, but I'm running out of time!

But I need two crowns replaced, and that is going to be $$$$. So I hope to get that done before the end of the year. 

All I can say is that dentistry has changed since I was a kid. Pain? They didn't care how much you hated the pain; they were torturers!!!! Thankfully, I'm good at the dentist now- the only thing I dislike is a needle in the palate, which is very tender. But enough about that. 

Then I watched some online videos for three hours, and I'll have to share that story tomorrow. So now you know why I didn't get any sewing done! 

It's time to get moving and get to the gym to find out what torture awaits me there!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Where I write - checking out QUILTsocial

You all know that I write, but here's some information about what I write and how it can help you. 

I've been writing QUILTsocial.com blog posts since June 2014. I remember the very first post was all about the Husqvarna Viking HClass sewing machine, and I was out in my gazebo having a grand time. 

Here's the link to that first post if you want to check it out. 

Oh -- how times have changed. That was NOT the top-of-the-line machine, but a great little travel machine. And well, 400+ posts later, I'm still going strong! 

However, I have an issue! I've written so much material, and it seems like no one knows it's there! How can that be? 

I did a Q&A for the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 3 last night, and I'm sure most of those people hadn't checked out my blog posts to learn more about their fantastic sewing and embroidery machine. 

This isn't an ad for Husqvarna Viking, as many features of that brand's machines are also found on others - let's not fool ourselves. They might do it differently, or they might do something less or more. I still wish I could pick and choose features from various sewing machines and put together MY sewing machine. 

But here's the deal --- I write tutorials, I give plenty of examples, and loads of information that applies to ANY brand of sewing machine. There is USEFUL stuff on that site, and yet, it frustrates me to no end when people say they have never heard of it, or they get information from somewhere else. HELP!!! 

What can I do to change that up? Do I need to do videos? All video? Shorter videos? 

Having said that, I wrote blog posts that got published this week, and here they are for you to review. This is all about the BRAND NEW Husqvarna Viking Topaz 55Q. I will say that this is primarily a review of the sewing machine and not much in the way of projects, but still -- it's great to know what's out there! Then, when you want a machine, you have some idea how the market is advancing. 

Plus, in these posts, you'll find tips on how to load thread onto your machine --- don't laugh --- there is a science to it! And what about spool caps? Do you know how to properly use a spool cap? Yep -- there are right and wrong ways. If you have read your User's Guide, you already know this; otherwise, I'll tell you. Also, tips on winding bobbins. All super simple stuff, but if you don't do them the correct way, you can run into issues. 

Day One - Unboxing the Husqvarna Viking Topaz 55Q

Day Two - Discover the Smart Touchscreen Features of the Husqvarna Viking Topaz 55Q

Day Three - Accessories and threading tips for the Husqvarna Viking Topaz 55Q

Day Four - Sewing with the Husqvarna Viking Topaz 55Q

Day Five - 

Oh shoot -- I can't get the link for Day five -- I'll do that in a bit. 

But seriously --- regardless of the sewing machine you have, the possibilities you can do with it are amazing, and you'll find all kinds of inspiration and tips in my posts! Be sure to check them out!

I'm just compiling a list of all the blog posts for the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3 - can you guess how many I've written? THIRTY!!! That's a lot of blog posts!!!! And if you are the owner of an EPIC 3 and sat at your machine and followed my posts? Guess what? You'd be as smart as I am, or even smarter, when it comes to operating that machine!

OK --- I must tell you about my experience at the dentist. The hygienist lied! No, she didn't lie to me; she lied for me, and there's a huge difference. I now feel obligated to her. 

As I sat down in the chair and she started cleaning my teeth, she asked the usual questions - how often do you brush and floss? I said, "I do the best I can." How's that for a very vague answer! I could tell that she wasn't too impressed as she cleaned because it seemed to take forever for that little vibration tool to clean the plaque off my gum line. And my teeth seemed more sensitive than usual. I KNOW - I KNOW -- I should be doing this for my own good! 

She did NOT say anything to me, except that I should keep trying my best. When the dentist came in, she told him I was brushing twice a day and flossing once a day - trying to do my best. Is that a new code at the dentist for "this patient is doing a crap job?" I'm not sure, but now I feel like I owe that hygienist something for not berating me, and I actually felt like she was encouraging me. Perhaps they read my blog, maybe they have had sensitivity training. 

Anyway, I've got my floss out (I have a lot of it), and I have a brand new electric toothbrush that I'm going to crack open. My plan? Well, I'll do my best! Will it make a difference? I don't know. I guess my biggest fear, and I heard her say it to the dentist, is bone loss! For whatever reason, my bones don't seem to be doing well. Even with my bone density medication, which I now take every Sunday morning - it's part of my routine! I may have to step up that game. 

Oh my --- I am a stubborn person!! Which brings me to an audiobook that I am reading - it was recommended to me, called Women Who Run With the Wolves. While I totally get the gist of what she is saying, I'm not a fan of her writing style. The book is only two hours long, but its pace is slow, with a lot of repetition (dramatic in a speech, less so in a book). Sometimes, her examples don't quite fit the point she is trying to make. But the underlying gist? I like it! It basically says that girls are taught to be tame, while we need to unleash our wild side! 

I've never had a problem with that. Wait -- I did, but I changed a long time ago, and life is all good. It's an interesting read, but I think this one might be better as a book, not an audiobook. Since it's only two hours long, I'll listen to it in its entirety. And then I have another Nancy Drew audiobook waiting! 

I'm down to 221 pages left in the other book, with three days to read it. I should make it. It's weird - just weird. I think I'll take a break from recommended books and return to my favorite genres. Not that I don't like the recommendations --- it's good to be well-rounded and I appreciate going in another direction from time to time. 

I would be remiss if I didn't post a couple of pictures. Does this surprise you? I received this message several days ago, likely because I had many windows open on my computer, as usual. 

ACK!!!!

I made a serious effort to close a bunch of them the other day. That meant ordering some stuff and reading or watching a video. But I notice this morning that there are over 20 windows open! ACK!!!!!! But some of those will disappear quickly as I grab a few pictures and other stuff, and then I can close them. I'm a busy person! 

We're not looking to sell our house, but I still keep an eye on the listings in our neighborhood to see what's happening. The prices have dropped significantly, and houses are now selling below the asking price. It's definitely a more realistic market, and that's a good thing for home buyers. 

I live in a very diverse area (I think most areas are like that these days), and a house came up with an asking price of $3 million. Hmmm --- what does a $3 million home look like? I almost died laughing when I saw this. This is NOT an AI-generated picture. This came from a house listing. Try to enlarge that picture if you can, but that's what I call a throne!!!

The throne

However, you'll notice that the seat is just a regular toilet seat!! And those pictures look a bit underwhelmed in that space. I would definitely rip that out if I bought the house. 

The last two days have been filled with people coming and going, dentist appointments, shopping, and other activities. I need some quiet time! I have to pick something up today, and someone is dropping off and picking up! It never seems to end, but we're making progress and getting things moving quite nicely!

On that note, I'd better get moving! I MUST start flossing my teeth after my breakfast. All those little seeds are not doing my teeth any good, and I want Vanessa to be proud of me! LOL

DOn't forget that we have a virtual retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, October 18 - Starts at 6 PM EDT

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

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, October 19 - Starts at 3 PM EDT

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

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

No one to blame but myself!!

I say that with tongue in cheek! When bad things happen, I always try, very hard, to pass the blame onto someone else, but several things happened yesterday that - well, there was only me to blame. I'm good with that. Let's say that I had a few laughs over it and let's move on!

I was back to the dentist yesterday. Three weeks in a row! I hope that's the last of the dentist until my next cleaning in six months. This time, it was to get some work done on two teeth. Not really cavities, but areas that needed some build up? I can't really explain it, but anyway, I needed freezing. Of course, they tell you not to eat anything until the freezing comes out, or you'll chew up your lip. Right? My appointment was at 10:30, and I usually eat lunch at 11:30. By 12:30, I was getting hungry, so I thought it was OK to eat some soup. OK - so I had some cheese and crackers as well.

Well, as careful as I was, I managed to gnaw on the inside of my lip! So, while my teeth, where the dentist worked, feel fine, my lip is sore today! Yep - I should have listened!

While I was at the dentist, I asked a fundamental question. Should you floss before or after you brush your teeth? I had heard them chattering on the radio last week that you should floss BEFORE you brush your teeth. I wanted confirmation. I had to chuckle at the dentist's response. He said, "I'm happy to get people to floss, never mind that they floss and brush in the right order." Or something to that effect.

I said to the dentist, "If I'm going to put the time into flossing, I need to do it right to maximize my effort!"  So, I've been flossing before I brush my teeth to dislodge all the crude and well - I want a glowing report at my next check-up. I'm going to call them in advance to order champagne and balloons!!!

Maybe, I'll even start flossing and brushing twice a day! I'm determined. Of course, this is all a little too late. Well, not too late because better late than never. I just wish it was a habit that had been instilled in me when I was younger. Let's move on - we can't go back in time.

I cut out the blocks for the Vintage Christmas homework that is due today. I'm happy to report that the blocks are sewn together, and I'll be writing up the homework shortly. However, I did such a poor job of cutting. I would cut ONE of each piece and then realize after that I needed two or more. It was the worst cutting job ever! I must have been totally dreaming about the backyard at that point. The blocks are done - let's move on!

That's one advantage of having deadlines. If you goof up, you have no choice but to fix and move on!

I did NOT go in the backyard yesterday. No - that's a lie. I did eat lunch and dinner out there, but I did not go to the gazebo. That's just deadly!!

I did snap a picture of the pond with SEVEN flowers. Those lilies are flourishing with no help from me.

Seven flowers in the pond

Thanks to Pauline, I realize that the way my Mom pronounced "daylias," rather "daalias" is the British way rather than North American. Which makes sense as my grandfather was from London, England, and an avid gardener!!!

Here's a customer quilt that I quilted the other day. I still need to trim it so the customer can come and pick it up. I hope to get to that today. It's very dramatic! I believe this is a paper-piece pattern by Violet Craft.

Customer quilt - DONE

 I puttered to get some small stuff done. These are the flower buttons that I wanted to put on my Mom's quilt. Yes - I need to get that quilt in the mail. I spoke to her yesterday and told her it was coming.

Look at that huge shank on those buttons. That's just not going to work on my flat quilt.

A large button shank

I used the wire cutters and snipped off the shank. The little shanks from the four buttons went flying. I'm sure I'll find them around Studio B someday.

The flower button with NO shank

I used hot glue to attach the buttons to the wall hanging. The bird got a bead (sewn on) for an eye, and the heart button got sewn on one of the birdhouses.

The summer mini-quilt

The back is done with TWO labels no less. One with the story and one is my signature label. The two hanger triangles are on, and this one is DONE.

The back of the summer mini-quilt

I just need to find a box for it and walk to the post office. One thing that I'm noticing is that places that I used to think are far away to walk to are really not that far once you do the route once or twice. I've started on a new route in the evening. It's a HUGE block around my area. It takes me 1 hour and 15 minutes, and I'm going at a good pace. It's over 5 KM. I should actually measure the distance someday.

So, there I was back at the long arm and quilting the last of the Quilts of Valour quilts that I'm prepping for this month. I got ready to do the last row and NO WAY!!!!!!  I made the backing for this quilt, and I made it too short!!!!

Not enough backing for the quilt

Well, that put a damper on my positive attitude! Let's just say that I said a few choice words. And then I said a few more choice words. Then I just got the fabric out and cut more and added it.

I decided to try something different. I used the long arm to sew the extra piece to the existing backing. Let's say that was a challenge, but it worked. I must see if there's a YouTube video to get some tips. I know that if I pinned the two pieces together, it would probably have worked better.

Sewing some extra backing to the existing backing

Soon, I was back in business. So what happened? When I did my calculation, I cut 20" of the extra fabric to add on. Then instead of cutting a second piece that was 20" to add lengthwise to the first piece to make it long enough, I cut the 20" in half and then joined the two 10" pieces end to end!!!  Oh boy - my brain was in another world that day. No matter - it didn't' take that long to fix. But here's a lesson learned - before you put the quilt on the machine, just do yourself a favor and check to make sure the backing is the right size!!!!  After the air cleared, I did have a chuckle and thought - YEP - even you make mistakes! Well, we knew that anyway.

Now the backing is large enough for the quilt

And there's the quilt - DONE. It also needs to be trimmed. Amazing how that pile of quilts to be trimmed just seems to grow!! But once they get trimmed, I need to do the bindings! For most of the quilts these days!

Quilts of Valour quilt - DONE

I got the binding on this small wall hanging. I love the bright green. It really pops.

The binding is on the Christmas wall hanging

And there's the back. This one also got the little triangles in the corner for a hanger.

The back of the Christmas wall hanging

Someone asked me how this system works. Well, you take two squares of fabric and fold them in half on the diagonal. Baste them into the top two corners of your quilt. I would only do this for a small quilt. Then you can insert a dowel or a flat lathe into those pockets and hang the quilt on a single nail hole.

The triangle hanging system 

I joined Costco the other day. I went to get the membership and two things. I got 11 items, and that cost me almost $200! Oh well - it's stuff I need and will use. I didn't buy anything frivolous. BUT I saved three dollars (from my local grocery store) on a huge watermelon. Oh my - I'm enjoying that watermelon. It's delicious. I'm the only one who eats watermelon in our house, and I'm perfectly OK with that. No need to share!!

My watermelon snack

While I was working on the homework for Christmas Vintage, I managed to use my snail's trail blocks as my enders and leaders. I now have four blocks completed. Yes - I'm counting the one with no contrast.

Snail's trail blocks

Gosh - that bugs me. I can live with the one on the bottom left, but the one on the right? I may just take the silly thing apart and fix it. It drives me nuts.

Another box of goodies arrived yesterday!!  I won't need this for a month or so, so I'm not even going to bother opening it. OH - I should, just to check that it's the right thing.

Box of goodies

Oh - let me tell you how much I wish it was the box of fabric that I'm expecting. I double-checked the delivery date. I thought it might be the next day like the first package they sent me. Oh no - they put it on the slow boat, and it's not due to arrive until June 24th. The day I'm supposed to leave for a couple of days. Good grief. That means I'll work like a dog when I get home to get the quilt sewn and quilted in two days. It can be done, but just a pain to work that fast.

Add in several Zoom meetings with customers (including M) and that about rounded out the day. I swear, keeping up with all the paperwork is a challenge. But I'm doing OK.


Well, it's going to be another wild and crazy day at my house. Let's hope that there will be no blaming of anyone today! My lip feels better today, but it's going to take a couple of days to heal. Oh - I just shake my head!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I passed or did I?

I got a lot accomplished yesterday, although it wasn't exactly what I thought I would get done. Funny how that happens! But a few phone calls here and there, a few extra e-mails, a couple of errands, and well the day was totally shot!

I had another visit to the dentist. This was for my regular cleaning, which was initially scheduled for June 9th. The original appointment got canceled and then got rescheduled as the dentist is back in business. They've added plexiglass around the reception area. You still have to wait outside to get the OK to go in. I had to laugh because the receptionist said that people drive up and remain in their cars. They don't let the dentist know they are there! It's all new to us! We're all learning, but it's so weird.

They took my temperature, and we had to sit on hard chairs in the waiting room - 6 feet apart and no magazine to browse through!

Of course, I walked there. It's not far from my house. My last cleaning was in December. I vowed to show the dentist that I could floss every day and well - I did. I might have missed a day or two, but I was diligent. So did it make a difference? Did I pass? NO bleeding gums, so I was not asked to rinse during the cleaning. NOT ONCE - so that was good. Although when I did arrive and was seated, I was asked to rinse with a peroxide solution. It wasn't awful, so I didn't mind.

And the hygienist didn't spend tons of time picking in between my teeth. Nor did she ask me during the cleaning process how often I flossed. So that was all good. HOWEVER, when the dentist comes in, I hear there was slight plaque - well slight is a HUGE improvement over the previous visits. I was asked how often I floss and how regularly I brush. Once a day for each. Well, perhaps I could brush twice a day.

Seriously??? Where's my GOLD STAR??? Where's my pat on the back? Dentists need to learn that we want that recognition! I want a gold star!!!!

My personal grocery shopper wasn't able to get to the grocery store, and I needed some supplies for breakfast, so I decided to venture out myself. It was my first time in our usual grocery store since everything got locked down. I was going to drive, then I thought - what? I don't drive to the grocery store. What was I thinking? So I got my trusty backpack, and my mask, and I was off. Of course, I wasn't allowed to take my bag into the store, so I left it in the entranceway on a shelf.

I got my groceries - it's all good - just weird and kept forgetting to follow the arrows on the floor. And at one point, I reached over an employee (who was wearing a mask and so was I) to get something, and you would have sworn by his reaction that I had just pulled a gun. Oh well - I didn't get any turkey bacon! I just walked away.

What I "love" about wearing masks? We can't see it when others smile!!!  So when you smile - you have to smile BIG, so it comes out your eyes!

Anyway - the cashier asked me if I wanted bags. I said, "not really as I was going to load it all into my backpack." She said - put the groceries back in the cart and then load them in the backpack. So I did that. No plastic bags were sacrificed on my grocery trip. I must be out of practice as that backpack was heavy on the walk home.

My grocery backpack

I don't feel like I bought lots, but that milk and fruit was heavy! It's good to get back into a routine!

What I bought!

Speaking of routines! I was invited to attend an online meeting for a quilt guild. Just as a guest. The meeting ran from 7 - 9 PM. Hmm - do I want to attend? At first, I wasn't going to, but I wanted to - just to see how it was run. And to touch base with some of the others that I hadn't seen in quite a while. Part of the reason I didn't want to attend was that I'm enjoying my absolutely free evenings. I have dinner, go for a walk and read or whatever. It's a routine that I'm really enjoying.

Can you believe it? I have to admit that being in lockdown (or whatever you want to call it) has me really enjoying scheduling my own time!! Anyway, I went for half of my usual evening walk and still had time to log into the meeting. I'm glad I did. I fired up the sewing machine and sewed while I watched everyone show off their sewing spaces. Holy --- I have NO REASON to complain about my area. Some people are sewing in unfinished basements next to the washer and dryer. I'm in sewing heaven in my space. Although some people have taken over their living rooms, which I might consider should I ever be on my own!

I bought this metal sunflower for the backyard last year. One of the petals had fallen off, and Shelly fixed it for me. I finally got some wire attached to it and hung it up last week - a great addition to the metalwork in the backyard. Best kind of flowers ever - no watering and they are always there! I know - not good for the bees, but they can play in the water lilies.

Sunflower in the backyard

Here's a pet peeve of mine. Why does a certain company NEED such HUGE plugs???  That would be the white one. And now another colossal company that also starts with A decides that their devices also require these giant plugs. So a 6-plug power bar can only accommodate four items. Why is that?

A power bar that can't be filled because of HUGE plugs

I did a lot of puttering yesterday. Got the rest of those huge chunks of orange backing fabrics measured and on the shelf. Did some trimming of half-square triangles that I use as enders and leaders.

Half-square triangles

More half-square triangles

My goal is to trim as I sew. That's the only way - otherwise, I'll be trimming for days!!!

I had a wee peek at my retreat laundry basket to ensure things were prepped. I decided to change one thing on my backpack, so now I have to find more fabric so I can make different straps. That's a job for today.

I did get all those diamonds (tumbling blocks quilts) marked with the seam intersections the other day when I was on a call! And while I listened to the guild meeting, I sewed some more on my paper pieced blocks (muted, of course!)

I also got most of the quilts trimmed yesterday. I have to send out e-mails today to notify everyone that their quilts are ready for pickup.

And I had to get more kits ready for Diane. She's a machine! As fast as I get the quilts quilted and bound to drop off for Quilts of Valour, she's whipping up new tops! I'm giving her FOUR more kits today. That should slow her down a bit, but I think she's dropping off three completed tops! Here's the thing - if you like to sew and you don't need/want another quilt - sewing a community project quilt is a good alternative.

And I have to say that almost NOTHING is sacred in my personal fabric stash these days. As I'm rifling through the baskets to find coordinating fabrics, I'm mentally getting ready to let more go. I've flipped through the pink basket a couple of times in the last couple of days and seriously???  Most of that just needs to be bundled into a kit (or two or three or four) and be made up and given away. Oh, yes - this is HUGE. I can't wait to get rid of what's already set aside so we can move forward into getting rid of more stuff.

Now, I could donate these fabrics to someone else, but what's the point of that? I still get the pleasure of working with my fabrics, and I get to see the final quilt, and I get to decide where that quilt goes. I bought all that darn fabric - I want SOME enjoyment out of it!!!

Speaking of which, I got another quilt done for Quilts of Valour yesterday. Yeah!!!! I think (but not 100% sure) that this is the LAST quilt of the shirting. NO - it's not the last, I know of one more, but it's not large enough for Quilts of Valour.

Quilts of Valour quilt - DONE

 Guess what I found this morning as I loaded the next quilt onto the long arm? Yep - a gold thread on the fabric leader. God - that stuff went everywhere!

Gold thread!

OK -- so I have to show you my position on the map on my walk between Saskatoon and Regina. Susan - this one is for you! I'm the closest to you that I'll ever be on this walk. So I'm waving! Can you see me waving?

My position on the map between Saskatoon and Regina

The reason I shared that is because of this picture that Susan shared with me last week. Do you know what this is??? It's a WILD BOAR! Yes - this area has wild boars, and they are very dangerous! They were "introduced" into the area several years ago, and they run wild through the fields. Thanks for the heads up, Susan!

Wild boar

On that note, I've got food for today, no appointments, no phone calls, and a ton of things I want to get accomplished. It's going to be a focused kind of day - just like every other day! Don't worry - I do get enough free time to keep me happy although I haven't sat in the gazebo for a day or two! But I walked over 18,000 steps yesterday, so don't worry that I'm stuck in the house and sewing all day!!!


Don't forget the Virtual Retreat tomorrow and Sunday. This is the link for SATURDAY. I'll post the Sunday link tomorrow.

Here's the link for Saturday, June 13th   The Retreat starts at 9 AM EST and runs until 8 PM EST. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82795140672?pwd=U1Zqb2d1UStZVzBCZW1VemRaY0wzQT09 Meeting ID: 827 9514 0672 Password: 928966


Feel free to drop in for a few minutes to say hi or stay for an hour or stay all day. Your choice and it's free for you to participate. You don't even have to be sewing - just come and chat. As I said yesterday, it's very close to being right there with everyone. It's a lot of fun. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Work work work..................

Yep - it has been one of those weekends - yesterday, I had my two one-hour classes to start the morning - got lots of show n tell which is scheduled to post later this week. In the afternoon I had three very lucky students in my free motion class. There were only three and so it was very individualized for those three.  They went away with their head swimming with ideas, but I was very impressed as one of the students has really taken to free motion and she did a LOT of practising since the first class a month or so ago.  That warms the heart for sure!!!!

When I got home, it was time to tackle the long arm. I'm not in bad shape numbers wise, but there are a couple that need to be done. OK - more than a couple, but you know what I mean.  I have lofty plans on the "to do" pile of customer quilts - let's see how December progresses.

I had loaded this next quilt in the morning before going to class.  Not that I hate that job, but it is so nice to just start quilting, rather than having to load the quilt.  Guess what quilt????   Yep - that would be Misty Pines. Yes - everything has been cut, (hey - I still have a kit - pre-cut no less if anyone is interested), kits distributed, people are sewing. Hopefully we will only see finished quilts from now on.

Misty Pines - customer quilt - DONE

I'm very hapy with the end result.  It wasn't too difficult to choose a thread color - brown or grey?????  I think the brown won out and you can't see the thread on either the light or the dark.  I LOVE that. You can see the texture, but not the thread.

Brown thread

Brown thread - still doesn't show

We talked a LOT about thread colors for quilting yesterday in all three classes.  Thread color is so very important.    Oh - do I see a tutorial in thread color????


As I quilt each quilt - I have a lot of time to think about the next quilt, the list of quilts remaining, deadlines, etc.  I have a very tight schedule this week coming and so I decided that I would load the next quilt last night so it would be ready to go today.  Ah heck - it isn't that late, so I went ahead and quilted that one too. It was just a tiny one after all.  A tad of a pain since the backing was the EXACT size of the top.  OK - maybe there was 1/4" on each end, but that was it.  I know - most long armers would ask that teh backing be made larger, but I loaded it and quilted it.  It just means that the edges may not be as pretty as they would be if you had more space.

The edges look pretty good.  However - this should not happen and requires extra care, so don't try and send me a quilt that is short because the next one - I will refuse!!!!

Customer quilt - DONE

I think I finished about 9:15 PM which is perfect timing as I still got time to read before going to bed.

I pushed the quilting yesterday because I have a play date today and I didn't want to be up to all hours tonight since tomorrow is a work day.

For the play date - I needed 5 one half meters of fabric. I have to say that I sort of panicked - I walked into the stash room and immediately walked out - thinking it would be way faster to shop at the local quilt shop.  Then I gave my head a BIG shake and said - are you kidding me????????  

I also wanted to make it out of Northcott fabric. I know - I have to stop with that mentality.  But I shopped among the bolts of fabric (we won't go there) and then I grabbed some recent Northcott yardage that I am making some other projects from and VOILA - my project is prepped and ready to go.

Fabrics for my project

Never in a million years will I be able to put a dent in that stash.  But at least I am trying or I had better try harder to use it up. No more of this shopping anywhere else for fabric unless I need it to finish a project. And STOP me from bringing fabric home from work!!!!!   At least I only bring home stuff that is slated for a project.  Imagine bringing home one meter of each new fabric that came in?????  I'd soon need a warehouse.


I think I mentioned the other day that I went to the dentist. Yes I got the mini-lecture aabout flossing and I just can't seem to floss - it just isn't in my routine. I could make it in my routine, but I just can't.  The other day, Deborah and I were chatting about dentists and she brought these little gizmos to my attention.  

Interdental picks

She said that she uses them in the car - oh my!  I bet Mark is going to be impressed if he sees someone using these in the car.  Best to NOT use them on the GO train in case Mark is watching!!!!!

Anyway - I tried using one in the car and they are FABULOUS.   It's like a toothpick with a teeny brush on one end. Whether it does the same job as flossing, I don't know, but I bet using them is way better than not using anything which seems to be the scenario right now.  You can only buy them at Shopper's - they are Life brand.  I bought some others from GUM, but they are not disposable and well - they could get pretty gunky pretty quickly.  I like the idea of using these in the car. I'm in the car every day - I may just end up with plaque free teeth at my next dentist appointment.

On that note - I have to get ready for my play date.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!