And now back to sewing!

Yesterday was like a "vacation" with only one presentation, but I can't say I accomplished much. I did, but it wasn't what I wanted. However, I'm thrilled with what I made. Unfortunately, it's a gift for someone, so I can't share it yet, but I will. And it involved paper, not fabric. Imagine that! 

Wait - I took one picture to share with you. 

Cutting paper on the Singer Momento

Yes, that is the Singer Momento digital cutter, and I love it! I had fun manipulating an already-made design in the software and using some cool accessories. Everything worked according to plan! I need to use it more! 

WAIT -- I did use it more. I had several sessions on the Momento last week, and I was cutting fabric, which it does like a knife through butter. The beauty of that digital cutter is that it's 24" long, so it will cut a fat quarter if you are using the larger square mat. 

Fabric on the Momemto 12" by 24" mat

During my demo, I cut a lot of triangles, so I'm using them as enders and leaders as I sew. Yes, I know—I have several ender/leader projects, but this one is small, and I might as well get it together. 

Oh, and I found a picture of when I cut the fabric, so you can see that long mat in there! 

Cutting the fabric on the 24" long mat

Here are the triangles I cut. 

Triangles of fabric cut on the Momento

I had no specific plan when I started, so I may have to cut some more. But I sewed the triangles together and got a 6½" unfinished square. That was cut into quarters, and now I'm making this. How big? It won't be very big, but I hope to get two or three blocks square. This is half of one block. 

Half a block of my "new" project

I need to start a project in the mySewnet Quilting Software, cut it on the Momento, and quilt it on my embroidery machine. I'm doing that, but it wasn't planned, so that's another project on the list. 

You know what - it doesn't matter what I sew - it's just the fact that I actually got some sewing done! 

Wait—I did more! This is another block for the Chatsworth quilt. I managed to get some of the components together, and it's ready to assemble. I hoped to do that this morning, but since I didn't have anything pressing, I decided to spend a few more minutes in bed, just contemplating life—a luxury I haven't had in quite a while. 

A Chatsworth quilt block

So, it was a pretty productive day, but more happened in the house. 

Here's our TV and that *&^ subwoofer (NOT Murphy - she's a BIG WOOFER!) in front, which I've told DH numerous times doesn't need to be there. It could be in a more discreet position. I was informed that it needs to be in front. And when they came to install our modem years ago, they didn't bother to fish the wires behind the shelving unit, so all kinds of cords were hanging in front, and it looked awful! 

The bookcase looks like a mess with wires

Last week, DH splurged on himself and bought a new TV and sound system. It's about time because I hated those floor speakers and all those wires. Yesterday was set-up day. The Geek Squad arrived around noon, giving us time to dismantle the massive mess of wires. 

Of course, I came to the rescue of untrapping the caught wires under and behind the bookcase. We're not going there. There was loads of dust in the back behind the bookcases. The cleaning lady happened to be here, and he said, "Let's get her to clean the dust." Good grief—I can get a dustcloth and make quick work of it. I swear that man is unable to do anything! 

A little dusty back there

All the unnecessary equipment is gone. The shelves on top were built around the equipment we had at the time—a DVD player and whatever. I don't profess to know—I don't really care. It's not my thing. Then, we struggled to figure out what to do with the modem. I wanted it moved from where it was (in front of the books on a shelf), but those top shelves were too short. When the guys came to set it up, we realized that the shelves were moveable. DUH!!! 

Getting ready for the new

So now I have a 46" plasma TV on my kitchen counter, and the surround sound stuff is also hanging out there. Does anyone want a TV? There are no offers on Facebook Marketplace. Although the sound system can be trashed, it works fine, but I'm sure someone would want the TV. Apparently, they do not make plasma TVs anymore. We only need ONE TV in our house, so this goes! 

The old plasma TV 

And now look at the bookcase. There are no wires and no subwoofer. It's just the way I want it—nice and clean! That only took 20+ years to solve! It looked so messy before - it was embarrassing, even to me! 

No wires! 

When the guys asked where we wanted the new subwoofer, DH said, "Put it in front of the bookcase." The guys said, "OH NO - you need that in the back!" Nuff said! They meant where we wanted it, at the back of the room! The shelves have been moved so the modem sits on top, the large floor speakers are gone, and I LOVE the clean look. 

This has got me thinking about this entire room, and well, who knows—there could be more changes coming. I may need to call the junk people, but not before I scour the house to see what else can go. I want to make it worthwhile if I call for a bin. It's spring cleaning time, after all! 

Hmmmm - this next picture. Are those numbers for the day? Or average for the week? What good is a metric if you don't know the time frame? I'm not surprised by Libby, as I listened to an audiobook and read an ebook this week. But the other two? I can't be spending that much time in one day. This must be the week? No - those numbers do NOT make sense at all. But I try to keep my screen time on my phone down. I have other things to do! 

Screen time on my phone

Well, today will be a bit crazy with more presentations, and I booked a massage as well for some reason. That was dumb! 

Don't forget to check out the QUILTsocial posts on the Husqvarna Viking Jade 20. 

Day Three - 

The Etobicoke Quilt Show is on Friday and Saturday, so if you are around, be sure to check it out. And BLAST—the weather forecast is not good! Let's hope the water people were just throwing darts again! 

On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Hidden in PLAIN view

Oh, FARCE!!!!! If you read yesterday's post, I mentioned how men overlook little details. So imagine my dilemma when I couldn't see a box of fabric if it hit me in the head! 

I was looking for a new UFO to work on. I knew where the project was, so I dug out the basket with the supplies. My goal for this month was to get myself organized, so I went for this project: Farm Girl Vintage. 

The basket for the Farm Girl Vintage project

I had some free time yesterday afternoon, so I decided to get organized and start early on the UFO. 

According to my list, I taught this twice as a class, and the blocks are in the well-used book. 

Farm Girl Vintage

I have bought backing for the quilt several times over. Why? Because I spotted a farm-themed fabric that was just PERFECT for it. I think it's time to make the quilt so this doesn't happen again! 

Several backings for the quilt

I also found a large tractor block and one of the pinwheels in the basket. Will I make this quilt? I don't know, but I have made ONE pinwheel block. Remember, I aimed to check out everything in the basket to get organized. The book has multiple quilts, not just the one on the front cover. 

Part of another quilt from the book

However, there seemed to be one major component missing. Where was the rest of the fabrics? Not all the blocks are made, so I need the fabric to make more blocks. Sigh - I taught this quilt twice, and not all the blocks are made? How did that happen?

I swear it must be back in the tubs of UFOs under the long arm. So I dug through three of them, looking for the box of fabric. We won't even go there. Let's hope I start sewing faster on the UFOs and always finish what I'm working on so it doesn't get added to the UFO pile. However, the good news is that I should never have to start or buy another project in my lifetime! And these are all lovely projects that I still like today!

A tub of projects - one of several

But yikes -- thank goodness I have faux wooden floors. I cannot imagine removing the dust and dirt with carpet on the floor. It's so easy to whip the Swifter in there to get rid of the mess. 

Dust and dirt! 

Alas, I did not find that box of fabric. Now, where the heck could it be? So I grabbed the clipboard with the list of items in those tubs, and it showed the fabric box was in one of them. But I couldn't find it. Hmm -- I must have removed it when I pulled out the basket with the other items for this quilt. That was a few years ago, and it's been sitting under a table in the corner for a while. 

The list of projects

I found another Lori Holt project ready to be assembled, so I may have to substitute Farm Girl Vintage for Vintage Christmas. I'll keep that on the back burner to see what happens in my quest. Yesterday, I got a small "lecture" about some of the projects I'm working on, and you know -- they are absolutely right. More on that another day, so these two projects may come in handy for fulfilling that need. 

Blocks for Vintage Christmas

I found a great project to use as an ender/leader. I'm mostly sewing those little half-square triangles together for enders and leaders, but then I see Linda, who shared her ender and leader quilt for 2025, and she has already finished the top! Now - how can that be? She sews a second project together as her ender and leader instead of making units like I do. 

So when I spotted this in one of the tubs, I knew it was PERFECT, so I pulled it out. Yesterday afternoon, I experimented, and it will work perfectly. I'm not sharing it yet - I'll wait until I get some of it together. The fabric strips on the left are hideous, but they'll look pretty good in this project. But if someone were going through my tubs of UFOs, they would NEVER have associated the box of fabric with the bag of fabric. Good thing I found it first! 

An ender and leader project to sew

Well, I've got a substitute UFO project and an ender/leader, so that quest wasn't so bad. But where the heck could that box with the fabric be hiding? I decided to leave it, and perhaps it would come to me. 

Then, I needed to prep for one of my classes later today. I had the Momento (digital cutter) working, and I needed to move the power bar out of the way of the mat. OH MY GOD!!!!! There's the missing box of fabric!!!!!

The Momento

Good grief -- it was exactly where it was supposed to be. I had lifted it onto the table as I was digging deeper for the basket with the books and I guess in my mind I assumed everything was in one container, forgetting that the fabric was in fact in its own container. I have NOT gone through the box yet, and I'm not sure what I'll find. That's a job for later today. But sheesh --- how can I "complain" about men not seeing things when I had the darn box in my hand and still couldn't see it! FARCE!!!!! 

The missing box of fabric

This so reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbs cartoon. I have one of them on the bulletin board above my cutting table about a FARCE and it makes me smile every time I think of it. Oh great - I just checked, and the strip is about CHANGE, not the farce one. But that got me thinking, and I just dug out my Calvin and Hobbes books. I LOVE them, and I should reread them. This looks like an interesting read about Calvin and Hobbes. Such a fantastic cartoon series. 

Let's hope that today goes better in terms of finding things! But it wasn't all in vain - I discovered that ender and leader project and ended up finding what I needed, so all is good!!

I'm off to spin class this morning. I can feel a productive week ahead of me, although I have presentations all week, but lots to prep for, and there's a virtual retreat this coming weekend, and I have lots set aside for that. 

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!!

The gamble paid off!

I received a very exciting text and email early this morning. I only saw them while making my breakfast, and I rarely looked at my phone until 9 a.m. However, I'm UPGRADED to business class for my trip! At least the way there—I still don't have a ticket home yet. Yeah, the flight is late at night, and I get a flatbed. Life is good! Now, what will I do with the $1,200 I saved? 

I finished the binding on the 10th donation quilt. Yeah! That goal is done. 

The last binding is on!!!

All ten quilts are now in the Pony Express staging area, and arrangements for a drop-off have been made. There is one last item that I need to get ready: the books for donating to the book sale. The drop-off is on Tuesday, so I still have a day or two. 

The Pony Express staging area

Yeah -- this is a great system, and we've done very well as we learn to make it work! There's so much coming and going at my house that I needed an area, and this works like a charm. Lexi is happy to donate the top of her kennel to the cause. And she gets a few treats because she's such a good girl!

I was sorting a bucket of paper yesterday and came across this book. Oh yes -- this is one of the BEST half-square triangle books around. It's OLD - published in 1995 or something like that. I'm putting it with my buckets of trimmed HSTs so when I want some ideas for patterns, I won't have to look far! I swear that the older books are the best! 

A book on half-square triangles

I have figured out why I've been tired lately. I'm pushing the envelope as to when I go to bed. I need eight hours of sleep, and I haven't been getting that much, so of course, I'm tired! I had a nice nap in the gazebo yesterday, and it was glorious! The surroundings, the waterfall, the gentle breeze—you can't beat that! And for being in the city, it's pretty darn quiet! 

The view from the gazebo

Then, it was time for another task. I finally brought all the components for this shelf upstairs from the garage, where it's been sitting in pieces for a couple of months. Well, maybe not quite that long, but it's been a while. The shelf is 48" wide by 18" deep and if you have ever put one of these together, it's a two-person job. However, I did it myself. 

My unassembled shelf

Let's say there were a few "moments," like when half of one clip flew off the shelf and over the railing or the shelf got askew and was now jammed in place. The lower shelves are the hardest, and it gets easier as you get closer to the top. 

The bottom shelf in place

But soon enough, the shelf unit was assembled. And the BEST news? It fits through the doorway. I didn't think it would, but that was a super bonus. It's on wheels, so I can move it wherever needed!

The shelf fits through the doorway

Now, what's going on the shelf? You have to wait and see. I started, but I didn't finish yesterday. 

I got a lot of paperwork done in the morning, so that was good. There are still a few emails to write, and I should have just enough time to do that. Can you believe that I'm actually excited about doing paperwork now? Exciting might be too strong, but I don't resent it like I used to. 

We had a Virtual Retreat last night. What the heck was I going to work on? I decided I better get to work on my UFO. It's not due until September, but we all know that time flies!!!

I managed to finish the stitching around the bear. There are a lot of bumps on its perimeter! 

The applique bear

Here's a close-up of the stitching. I used my double blanket stitch, which I love, but it takes a bit more thought to avoid messing up the stitching. It wasn't a good thing to do while talking, but it looks just fine. 

Detail of the stitching

Then the question was - do I keep working on the one wall hanging, or go to the other one and do the same thing on it. Since my thread was chosen, I decided to go for the second bear. So it's also done. If you don't believe me, look at the purple paw prints - they are different!!!! 

The second bear applique

Of course, I had a helper. I discovered a huge hunk of Murphy's hair by my foot pedal. I probably dislodged it as I tried to sew, and she was trying to lick my feet. That dog has a thing for feet. 

A clump of Murphy's hair

Without having a quilt to load or prep for the long arm, I need something to do! So I have a project for the digital cutter and I  managed to cut out two blocks this morning. 

Cutting applique shapes with the digital cutter

Cutting out the shapes is as easy as pie if the SVG files already exist. I could do it blindfolded - well, maybe not, since having the fabric in the correct position is essential. You have to love the scanner to make that happen. I would like to get the remaining nine blocks cut, so let's see what happens. I also have a LOT of applique on those two quilt tops, and I said I would have them both done for the next UFO session. Hmm - I might have to rethink that! 

Let's hope that today will be as good a day as yesterday. Well, technically, the upgrade news came today. 

Someone asked where I'm starting this year. For the past two years, I've flown to Paris and taken the train to Saint Jean Pied de Porte, near the French/Spanish border. Let's just say that this year, that is not happening. I cannot imagine flying into Paris at this time. The security and whatnot would be insane. So I'm not flying to Paris! Hence, I'm starting somewhere else; you'll just have to wait to see where! It won't be long now! 

On that note, I should make a list of everything that needs to be done so I don't forget anything. I sort of have a list, but I might be missing a couple of things. I just remembered two things that need to be added. 

I've been walking up a storm, and my new daily required average is 12.5 km, down from 12.7 on July 17. That is great news. Yep, I continue to walk in the afternoon even if it's hot. Did you know that a wide-brimmed hat can make you feel cooler? Yes, it keeps the sun off your face and neck, so you can actually see instead of squinting. I used to think hats were overrated, but now I wish I had started wearing one sooner! 

If you didn't spot it yesterday, I put out the list of what I'm teaching in the fall. You must wait for the stores to put out their lists, and that's OK. You at least know of one project. My little experiment worked, but I had to open Outlook to trigger the rule that sends the acknowledgment. I hope that opening Outlook on my phone will trigger the rule. Oh - you'll get an acknowledgment when I'm back and open my desktop version. Outlook works in mysterious ways. 

Remember, we have a Virtual Retreat today starting at Noon. 

Here is the link. 

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

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

See you there!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Guilty as charged!

Here's an update! I could take a picture like this where you can't see what's inside, and it looks good! At least nothing is spilling out of the top, but it's not empty!

The basket of scraps

I'm definitely making a dent in that basket and watching some episodes of The Quilt Show. So all is good. 

I've made a dent!

I can do about 30 minutes before I get tired of standing. Hey, I can be moving all day, but I'm not good when I stand in one spot. It's boring, I suppose! 

But my shoulder was throbbing, and I needed to lie down to settle it. I have an ultrasound on the 24th or something like that, so let's see what happens. There are days when I think a sling would be good so the weight of my arm doesn't put pressure on the shoulder. 

I'm not sure how gracefully my body is going to age. I feel arthritis in multiple spots. That darn left leg is not a happy camper, and I suppose my knees are not all that happy, either. Getting old sucks! But I'll do what I can, and I refuse to stand still just because I have aches and pains. How positively boring that would make life! 

Let's focus on the shoulder for the moment. The new shoes seem to put the left leg in check, but I know that's only a placebo effect because I can feel it twinging in the background. 

But let's move on to happier things. 

I seem to spend a lot of time managing my scraps. I'm using up the batting leftovers to make them large enough to put in a quilt. At the maximum, I have to join four pieces to create a batting, so I don't deal with small scraps here. I'll use the smaller stuff for smaller wall hangings or table runners. 

Joining batting

Another flannel quilt is done. I've trimmed this one and will put the binding on it later. 

Community projects quilt - DONE

For the life of me, I could not find that binding. I searched Mount Projects and couldn't find it there, but I got a good overview of what's on the table. I finally found the binding in the laundry basket designated for these quilts, so all is right in the world. 

The next quilt is loaded on the long arm. I will finish this one, and then I need to take a break for one day to catch up on all the trimming and binding. Then, I can get back to customer quilts on Monday. 

At one point, I returned to the long arm, and the thread had run out. I checked the bobbin thread, and it was OK. Oh, great. I forgot that I had put an almost empty spool of thread on the machine. I totally forgot to watch that. 

Top thread --- DONE!

Speaking of small bits, as I mentioned, I seem to spend my entire day dealing with the small bits I save. I made good progress in my bag of fusible fleece scraps, joining them together to make squares that I use on the back of projects instead of stabilizer or batting. 

Making bigger squares

There is something therapeutic in doing this. I don't know what it is, but I'm guessing it's twofold. First, I'm excited about NOT adding to the landfill issue. Yes -- it takes time to deal with the small bits, but guess what? Am I in a rush to make more quilts? Nope! Do I have deadlines? Nope! Working like this helps me learn about patience and perseverance. Many of you would never consider this, but you should try it!! 

Why is everyone in such a rush? Just slow down, and you'll be amazed at what can happen. I created seven squares, so I have enough to work with this coming week. I certainly do NOT sew for the sake of sewing. I couldn't care less if I ever made another quilt. I certainly do NOT care about the latest sew-along or fabric collection, and I have zero FOMO for what others are doing. I sew for ME. And I honestly think if I didn't have such a large pile of crap to fill up, I'd stop sewing. NO -- that's not true. I'd still sew, but it's no longer my focus. I'm having way more fun dealing with the bits.  

I have to sew because it's my job, but if I didn't have to sew for work, I'd probably never start anything new and only work on what I have. GASP!!!! Don't worry - I won't give it up, and I look forward to starting the two new projects in the fall! 

Today, I must get started on my projects for QUILTsocial. I have everything laid out, so things look messy, and I'm OK with that. As I finish, it'll get put away. 

I also noticed my Fitbit was dead yesterday, as I had forgotten to charge it. Imagine my surprise when I went to plug it in. I used my power tower, and WHAT?????? I've had those towers for several years, and only yesterday did I realize they are NOT the same. 

A square design

An octagon design

That is hilarious and shows that if you make a mistake in something, how many people will notice? I cannot believe I didn't see the difference. I use both of them, but this was the first time I had plugged USBs into the second one! 

Both of my boxes arrived. One of them is still sitting, as I didn't have time to unpack it. I turned it backward, so you can't see the picture on the box! What do you think it is? 

A mystery box

The second box was filled with books. I know -- I do not need more books, but these are books for the Scan and Cut. I had purchased a book before and found it extremely useful, so I decided to buy more from the same author. Yes, there is YouTube, but I have to say that NOTHING beats a good old-fashioned book with pages. These were printed on demand from my favorite online store, so I had to buy there. You can't buy them anywhere else. I have to say I LOVE print on demand, and the quality is pretty darn good! 

Books for the Scan and Cut

Now I have a LOT of learning to do!!! 

I hope to get to some of that later today. No garden work happened yesterday as it was raining in the evening, and I wasn't excited to weed in the rain. This is a job that I can tackle later today. 

OH MY GOSH --- I'm also reading another hilarious book. 

Declutter your Data

The book isn't that long (150 pages), and the author spends time at the beginning describing what she will tell us and what digital clutter is. The author is Canadian!!!

The book was written in 2018, and at that time, she estimated that the average US household had 41.5 Terabytes of digital clutter. Can you imagine what that number is now? 

Before you go - that's ridiculous, think about it. How many camera cards do you have? USBs? Online storage or storage on your devices - smartphones, tablets, computers. Don't forget all the apps you use or have downloaded. 

I laughed when she said that most people tackle the problem by buying more storage—guilty!! And that only the truly diligent delete as they go. What is in the digital clutter? Email, photos, videos, presentations. Guilty—guilty—guilty—guilty!!! 

Thankfully, the book is short, so I should be able to breeze through it. And I hope to learn new strategies for controlling this mess. DELETE DELETE DELETE

Angela Crocker has also written another book, which I want to get. It's called the Digital Legacy Plan. Click on that link to read about it. Here's a sobering thought: She predicts that in 100 years, there will be 1 billion dead people on Facebook! I doubt Facebook will still be around, but you get the idea. What happens to your digital presence on the internet when you die? 

I get notifications of someone's birthday on Facebook, and they have been dead for years. That's something to think about, so I'll get the book and read it. 

They have the book at my local branch, which might be my errand today. I also saw the new library catalog, which isn't new but came up to alert me the old one won't be around forever. I have to log into the new one and will do it later. I need to verify the status of my account before I waltz in there and try to borrow a book—just in case!

I got part of one of my car errands done yesterday! CRAP!!! But that's OK; it just means I have to do both by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Let's say we are one step closer to firming up my fall schedule!! Yeah!!! It has to be nailed down soon, and as soon as I know, I'll tell you. I'm trying to focus on things that will help you work smarter, not harder, and there are only TWO new projects should you choose to go that route. 

That's it for today. I have one Zoom this morning, and then I'll be hard at work! I sincerely hope you continue to work on cleaning out those drawers. OH -- remember that person who told me about the seven drawers she found in her living room? Tomorrow, I'll share with you what she found. I got a good chuckle!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

How small is too small?

Some of that euphoria popped out of me yesterday as I attempted to play with some technology! I almost gave up technology at that moment! 

So I have a couple of digital cutters and I needed to cut a file using one specific one. I turned it on and went to connect it and NOTHING, despite the fact that it said it was connected to a network. Why??? I was frustrated! 

Then I went for a walk, and when I came back, I realized that this cutter had never been used by me! It appeared to be connected to the last network it was connected to. I've no idea, but that's what it said. Once I got it connected to my network, it worked like a charm. 

When troubles hit, take a walk! 

I finished my project last night while chatting on the Virtual Retreat. I'll share it tomorrow, and it involves more learning. Why is there always something new to learn? 

Remember that little bag of HSTs that I unearthed? Well, look at their size. And a couple of them are sewn. 

MICRO HSTs

I opened up one of the sewn ones. Seriously? What was I thinking? That entire bag is now in the pet mat scrap bin! 

How small is too small?

In chatting with others last night, I found what people keep and throw away amazing. I know we may not want something, but it seems a shame to throw good stuff away. I do NOT want to become a broker for scraps, but if you have scraps that you don't want and they are of a reasonable size, PLEASE let me know. I'm sure there is a reader who would be interested. School groups love scraps (although this is the wrong time of the year), and I bet there are people on fixed incomes who would LOVE to get a bag of scraps. 

DO NOT fill the landfill with your "good" scraps! Someone would love to have them. OR -- they can be recycled through a textile recycling program, which I'll share once I do some research. 

Also, as you are sorting through your stuff and finding homes for everything, be sure to check if that tool/supply is still useful! Look at this dried-up glue stick! It's a good thing it's dried up because I know I have a spot for glue sticks, but I wasn't sure yesterday. This is now in the garbage!

Dried-up glue stick

What was the new project that I could finally remove from Mount Projects? It's the backing for a Quilts of Valour quilt. These are leftovers from other backings, and in total, I think there'll be enough to make a new backing. YES—there are people who would throw this away because it's too time-consuming. Good grief—I have all the time in the world, and to me, it's like a puzzle. 

The bits to make a pieced backing

I pressed all the pieces and squared them up. Now, I need some quiet time to match up the pieces and sew them together. I will NOT be doing that today during the Virtual Retreat. 

The pieces are pressed and trimmed

I had several things sitting on another table (I'm going to call this one the Puzzle Table because I have a jigsaw on it that I want to work on). But in the meantime, I had put stuff on it that I could easily do without thinking or making a mistake during the Virtual Retreat. 

My project table for the Virtual Retreat

I got all the threads on the pet mats taken care of. Those took up a lot of visual space, and I completed my project, which involved HAND STITCHING. 

Pet mats ready for delivery

There is more stuff on that table, which I'll tackle today. My goal is to have it clear so I can open the puzzle. 

This was the cutting mat in the morning. There's the quilt that needs the backing, some stuff for the digital cutter, which is gone, and some bits I'm collecting for the next blog posts for QUILTsocial, which I hope to write next week. 

The cutting table is exactly how I want it!

I needed to look for a zipper, and it's your lucky day when you open the box and find the color and size you want right on top. 

My zipper box

Once I got that digital cutter working, I had to update it, which happened with zero issues. I LOVE technology, but only when it works. In this case, it was not connecting, and it was a total operator error! 

Updating the digital cutter software

I showed this before, but it's time to let it go. Is anyone interested in locker hooking? I have books and supplies. If not, they're going in the giveaway box. 

Locker hooking books

Locker hooking supplies

Something shocking happened yesterday, and well, I'm still stunned. I know for most of you, this would NEVER be an issue, but for me, it's always an issue. I got a reminder email the previous day to renew my driver's license. It expires at the end of August, so it's a bit early, and I would leave it. Sometimes, I renew it in mid-September. But NO—because I'm on the ball, I renewed it yesterday! WHAT? 

And I responded to all the emails that needed to be sent. WHAT? I probably missed one or two, but I was making invoices and responding to emails, and well, it was a good morning! Actually, there are two people to whom I need to send a message!

There is usually something in the day that makes me chuckle. A sense of humor is a precious thing, but some people think they are funny, but it falls flat. I hope people think I'm somewhat entertaining, but no worries. At least I can see that humor is a lot of things, and that's entertainment for me. 

When I work on the long arm, I need tape as a marker. In some instances, I need to remove the marker before I start the machine, so I stick it on the bar. How many times have I returned to the long arm to find the tape missing? I've learned that if it's missing from the long arm, it's on MY ARM!!! 

The missing painter's tape

Do you see the green painter's tape on  my red shirt? Yep --- that's where it was. I had to look hard for it yesterday as it was really stuck and on the back side of my sleeve. I guess as I'm working, it grabs my clothes and sticks! 

We have a cardinal in our backyard who is pretty insistent. He's loud, and I guess he's saying that he wants me to fill the bird feeders. He's pretty cheeky!

Hey LADY! Fill the ^&^% feeder - I'm hungry! 

It was raining when I walked the girls, so I had boots and an umbrella, and we survived. But look at the deep rut in the path. OK, so they need to resolve this once and for all instead of coming back with the SAME methodology to fix it. I might do some research and send it to the city. Or they pave it! 

A deep rut!

You couldn't miss me in my bright pink umbrella. 

My bright pink umbrella in the rain

It's hilarious because Lexi often lies outside DH's office, and I caught Murphy lying outside mine! The better to keep an eye on my movements!!! Those girls are so silly!

MOM -- just doing my guard dog duties!

I have two presentations this morning, and they are mostly ready. I have one more picture to take and then rearrange a few slides. I've got loads of time! 

Here's the link to the Virtual Retreat today. Oh boy -- we had some interesting conversations yesterday. We recapped Quilt Canada, driving trips across Canada, how guilds handle Zooms, and much more!! Be sure to stop by. 

The times are EASTERN, in case you didn't know that. I know some people tried to log in early, but I was busy, and perhaps they got the time zone mixed up. 

Sunday, June 30 - STARTS at NOON EASTERN

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

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636


On that note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!