When life gives you scraps - USE them!

It was a bit of a train wreck day, but I still managed to get three things done! Remember, I mentioned I had the shingles shot the previous day? Well, about dinner time yesterday, it hit me, although my arm had been sore for most of the day. It didn't help that I had done a lot of upper arm work with Brooke, and I could feel that in my arms as well. 

I had a slight fever, accompanied by a chill, and I was exhausted. I went to bed with a hot Magic Bag and fell into a deep sleep. I woke up a couple of hours later feeling much better, and today? I'm back to my old self! 

Good thing I didn't get the flu shot as well! I know those symptoms are an indication that the vaccine is working, but I hate that part!

The first thing I did was to grab all the batting bits from the lower section of the closet and sort them by size. Anything in the 60" range went in one pile, 70" in another, and so on. The sizes range from 40" to over 100". This way, it's a lot easier to find like sizes and group them to make a backing. 

Half of the batting bits

I still have the top section of the closet, which is a different batting type, and I guess I should have grabbed that one first, but it all has to be used up, so it doesn't really matter. There are still four more dog quilts, eight of my community project quilts, and approximately ten that I offered to do as a favor for someone. I doubt there will be any batting bits left by the time I'm finished. Wouldn't it be nice to get all this done before the end of the year? 

My November is a bit of a mess, so we'll see what happens. I'll do what I can! It's not that bad - not as bad as September, but there are a few trips, some work events, and some writing thrown in as well. 

So I joined the batting bits for the quilt I was quilting yesterday. And all was good. 

Joining the batting bits

I joined three pieces together, and that middle piece was JUST the right length. I think I've mentioned this before, but I've had offers from two people to help quilt the pile of community project quilts. There is so much work involved in preparing these quilts, especially in preparing the backing and batting, that it isn't worth it. I'd have to spend days prepping and then see it all go out. Nope - I'd prefer to work on one at a time, slow and steady, and that works for me. I'm usually doing creative things with the batting and the backing, and to do that for days to give it all away? Nope -- I get that done, while one quilt is on the machine. 

I thank those two people for the offer, but I'm happy to work alone. Then I don't have to be overgenerous with the backings or the batting. 

The middle section of batting was JUST the right length

And there is the quilt of the day. - DONE! The backing for this one was sewn at the retreat, so once the batting was made, it was easy to complete. 

Dog quilt - Number Three

While that one was being quilted, I got the batting made for the next one. Then I worked on the backing. Remember, those strips that I might have used for the binding? Well, they got cut and pieced together to help make the backing for the next one. Let's say there are a "few" seams in that long piece, but it's now wide enough for the backing. What is nice is that when I'm done, there will be very little of this fabric left. I had a roll of it and well, three quilt backings and poof - it's gone! You can't take it with you, so use it NOW. 

Working on the next quilt backing

However, that section is not long enough, but I have enough of the darker dog fabric to make it longer. 

Fabric to make the backing section longer

I have a knack for assembling this type of backing. I don't plan - I just measure and wing it. Thankfully, I have good spatial aptitudes, so it all works just fine. Once this quilt gets quilted, I'll see if I have enough of any combination of those fabrics for a binding, but I don't think so. No worries --- there's always Plan B because making the binding of this fabric was never my plan. It was just a thought. 

I thought of making the backing for the next one, but I didn't get there yesterday. I need to finish the one I'm working on.

However, everything is now ready to assemble, so I'm going to proceed with quilting the five remaining quilts this week. Hopefully, I can also start working on the binding, but I need to start writing and preparing for several upcoming events, so "free" time will be harder to come by.

I managed to sew a few half-square triangles, but I was unable to press and trim them last night, nor did I trim the quilt. My body just gave in, and I needed some sleep. 

Half-square triangles sewn

Here's the one thing that our non-quilting friends don't get. Quilting is a physical hobby. For me, I had to make several trips upstairs to Studio U to get all the batting bits. They will not go back upstairs since I now have plans to use these bits in the immediate future—at least for those four remaining quilts. 

The remaining batting bits

There are all the steps back and forth to the long arm from the sewing machine, the cutting table, and the ironing board. Loading and unloading a quilt. It's really quite a lot of physical movement, and I swear I want to be like my quilting aunt, who just turned 86; she is still teaching for her guild and remains pretty active and mobile.

I do NOT put my ironing board or cutting board close to my sewing machine. I need to move. Yes - my knees hurt like mad these days and my legs feel like they are made of rubber. Why? I've no idea, but it's not pretty. That doesn't stop me from doing things. I suspect it's the change in the weather? Even pills aren't helping these days. But if I sit in one spot, I'll seize up like a rusty engine, and I won't be able to walk. I can't let that happen. 

While I was standing at the long arm, I glanced at the photos on the wall. Oh my -- it seems that all four of them are askew. How did that happen? They are right beside the thread cabinet for the long arm, but there's no reason for me to touch them! It's like my life - topsy turvy! I'm not even straightening them -- this has happened before, so this is how they stay! Life is way too short to worry about things like this. 

The pictures are askew

Amazing what one day can do. The leaves came down in torrents, and I had to laugh because the city had gone by three days ago and blown all the leaves off the path. It's as if they never did it! Miss Murphy just blends right in. 

MOM - I'm hiding - can you see me? 

Look at this poor leaf! They are sticking to everything! 

Help - let me in - it's cold out here!

And that Murphy - I love when she sits or lies outside the window to Studio B. She needs to be out, but wants to keep an eye on me! Notice the bare shelves on both sides of that window? Oh, yes — when I did my tidy-up a while back, I removed some items that were up there. I am making progress in getting rid of things. While there are still things outside the picture that are up there, it's all coming together. 

Miss Murphy is standing on guard for me!

But look at her paws when she did come in. What a mess! The muddier she is, the happier she is. I have tried on numerous occasions to schedule an appointment with the groomer, but I've received no answer. I must try again. It's annoying, and she looks like a very shaggy dog. 

MOM - I LOVE mud!

While my sweet Miss Lexi is happy to snuggle on the deck. Her nose must be cold as it's tucked under her tail. But she loves the cool weather! 

MOM - I'm busy sleeping

I had to walk to the grocery store yesterday, and all the pumpkins were free! They still had quite a few, but some of them were quite interesting! Those are not your typical orange pumpkins!

Free pumpkins!

And someone in our house had a birthday yesterday. It was casually mentioned at the restaurant, and this is what arrived once the meal was over! I love going to the same restaurant every week. They get to know us - we get to know them. It's good. It's like Cheers! There was no fanfare, no singing! 

Happy Birthday!!!

I have such good groups - I have two sessions tomorrow, and today is a bit of a wash, and not because I don't feel well. You'll see the adventure tomorrow. But I wasn't going to have a lot of time to get their pictures into the presentations. So, I sent a note, and almost everyone has already sent their photos, which are now in the respective presentations. There will be a few stragglers, but that's okay -- I can handle a few. I wasn't going to have time for many! 

Thanks to everyone who sent in their pictures early. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

Fall Retreat - Day Four

 I'm so sorry to be an enabler, but it's not often that a pattern comes along that I NEED to make, so I'll see how we can work those Elizabeth Hartman patterns into the schedule. Remember -- if you are pressed for time, make the SMALL version of the quilt. It's all about choices and making priorities. And if you can't do the sew along with me, there'll be another super cute pattern next year!

I'm so excited -- I was showing the short Amazon tour video to the retreat group, and then I decided to try to sign up for an in-person tour, and guess what? I got in!!! Since everyone here knows my feelings about shopping at Amazon, they were all waiting for the rejection e-mail, but NOPE -- I got a confirmation! I truthfully answered the question - "how do you feel about shopping at Amazon," and responded with the worst rating. I'm honest! I don't think the warehouse near me is one of the robotic ones, but that's OK -- it'll just be fun to see how it all works. 

In the link above, you can sign up for an in-person tour, a live virtual tour, or watch the 10-minute video. None of this will change my mind about shopping there, but I'm fascinated by how it works. 

I accomplished a lot again, and here is my "completed" Section Three. This is as far as I can go until I finish the missing block. OK -- so I haven't even started it yet, and I need some filler fabric for the bottom row. This is the Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt by Jen Kingwell.

Section Three

This quilt has some checkerboard sections in it, and I had randomly made a bunch of two-patch units. I "stole" that square for the block from this tray of pieces the day before. This is what I started with to make the checkerboard pieces for Section Four. 

Checkerboard pieces

And this is what was left. I guess I overshot the number of units needed. The first time I had TOO much of something at this retreat. Notice the little white square above - that was the partner to the square that I stole. However, I needed an extra white square for one of the checkerboards, so it all worked out perfectly! 

The remaining checkerboard pieces

Here is Section Four. Two blocks are missing -- those are the last two blocks to be assigned, and I need some filler fabrics for this section as well, and I still have to finish the applique. But all in all, considering our final reveal is in December, I think I'm doing pretty well with this quilt. There is still the applique border to add, and I have some of the bits prepped, and one of four vines is stitched on. But my focus is to get the quilt center done at least for December and perhaps ONE side of the border. I'll see how it goes. 

Section Four

Of course, with all the sewing, there are enders and leaders. I brought a huge bag of them from a quilt I made years ago. 

Enders and leaders to sew

And a HUGE thank you to Lynn, who added all the blue and white ones. Just what I needed -- more little bits to sew together. But that's OK -- I like little bits. 

Lynn's contribution to my enders and leaders

So I'm trying to press all the sewn units before I close down for the night.

The pressed but not trimmed half-square triangles

And I've managed to keep on top of it. There's a nice bag of squares that need to be trimmed. It would be great if I could trim them as I go, but that's not going to happen! 

Waiting to be trimmed

We are listening to CHFI, one of the radio stations from Toronto, and they have a contest with secret voices, which is quite entertaining. Ronda was trying to focus on the voices in hopes of recognizing any of them. I've been listening to that contest for months and know how it works, but can you believe that someone, who shall remain nameless, CHALLENGED what I said? So I texted the DJ, who confirmed the rules, and the nameless person lost the challenge. Let's just say this is a very passionate group, but only ONCE did someone have to shout a "change topic" warning! 

Ronda focuses on the radio contest

Did you see Laura's Postcards from Sweden quilt in the background? This is half of it, and now it's all together, but I did not get a picture of it. Nor did I get a picture of anything else. Oh well. 

I finished quilting my small project, which was a bonus. Let's say I'm rusty on machine quilting on this small machine I brought. It's for my UFO group, so I saved another $10 penalty. You'll get to see it later. 

We had company once again -- this time, there were three deer who ambled through the backyard. They are just so curious about what is going on in that window! But these ones did not linger, and they were soon gone. 

Deer in the backyard

I walked back to the lake and down the cottage road. This walk entails two fairly significant hills, and I'm happy to say I can "march" up them and not huff and puff too much. Definitely no stopping. It doesn't take long before you get in the swing of things with the walking. And ZERO feet issues, other than they are still peeling, and I need to have some cream for them, but I forgot to put it in my bag. 

The lake view

Here's one spot that was just spectacular, and it's part way up one of those hills. I must say in the photo that it looks quite flat, but it's NOT, and the hill continues around the corner! 

The fall colors

And how about his for a BURST Of fall colors. It's so pretty to walk around here. 

A BURST of fall colors

I've been fortunate with the weather. While we did have rain the last two days, I've been able to time my walk perfectly and didn't get wet once. I wore EACH of the three outerwear pieces I brought, so that was good planning. 

About an hour after I arrived back at the house, it poured buckets!!!

A downpour

Then I pulled a project out of the retreat box. This was the largest bag in the box, and I would like to get it done, although I won't finish this retreat. But I'll leave it out and work on it at home. It's a flannel quilt and is the leftovers from another quilt I made. 

My current retreat project

I do NOT understand why I always think that if you make one quilt, you should make two or more of the same thing. These squares are three inches, so it takes some time to sew them together, and I added a strip that was six squares wide down the entire length of the quilt.  

However, I still have all these squares left, and I aim to use them all to make this quilt larger. It's 20 squares wide, so that makes it 50" wide. 

The remaining squares

So I need to add four more squares along the sides - probably two squares per side and then, since the quilt is only 50" long, it needs to have eight more rows added. Well, that doesn't sound quite so bad as when I was laying in bed this morning, I thought the squares were 2 1/2" inches, and I needed to add double. Phew!!! That is doable to get done in the next couple of weeks. 

I think I will have some squares left over, and if I were smart, I would make four patches and then add them to some solid patches to cut the work in half to use up those squares. I'm sure I'll find some flannel at home to make that happen, and I want all this flannel to be used up and no more flannel quilts. 

I guess I will have to search through all my UFOs to see if any other flannel projects are lurking there.  

Well, it's the last day of the retreat, so everyone will make their way home. Everyone else carpooled, but I drove alone. It's time to get back to reality. I have two classes and a lecture tomorrow, and for the most part, everything is prepped, but I have some pictures to add, so I'll be running around doing that when I get home. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Fall retreat - Day Three

I have to laugh as I've been checking Instagram and Facebook in the last couple of days; there have been tons of pictures with fall colors! The leaves are spectacular and OK -- so I have two more for you today. 

OK -- I had my schedule planned out for next year - I was reasonable in what I was going to sew, and then BAM -- I spotted this adorable quilt by Elizabeth Hartman, and all reason left me. I WANT to make this quilt. 

Check out this link for Fab Farm and The Produce Section. Both are super cute, but my preference is Fab Farm. I'm even thinking of hosting a sew-along starting in January. Oh -- just shoot me now! But you have to admit they are cute!!!

Over the years, I've tried different containers for sewing stuff I need when away from home, and I ended up with several of the darn things, and well, it was just taking up space and making clutter. So several retreats ago, we made a list of things that one would need at a retreat. I had this box, and I filled it. 

When I was putting the borders on that quilt the other day, I used pins, but they were in a small folded needle holder, and I lamented that it would have been easier to put them in a pincushion. Well, when I put the pins back in the toolbox, I realized there was a pincushion in there!! It appears I'm way ahead of myself and not even realizing it. 

My well-stocked sewing away-from-home box

The container is not large but has all the tools I need. I bring rulers separately and any other supplies (like thread) in a different container. I mean thread for applique, quilting, or whatever, as I keep extra piecing thread in the toolbox. So this works like a charm, and the size is perfect - NOT huge. When you come to a retreat, I've learned that you do NOT need to bring a lot of stuff, and I only bring out what I'm working on! When I'm done -- it's now whisked into the car!

Ronda has been busy with her Cricut and trying fun things. Etching, vinyl, foil, puffy vinyl -you name it -- she has tried it! I don't have a picture of anything she finished, so I'll try to get a picture or two today. 

Ronda with a Cricut project

Yesterday was all about getting caught up on Green Tea. I knew I couldn't complete the entire project as I did not bring the fabric for it, as I only brought the blocks that were cut or needed some applique. 

So I spent a good time working on the applique for four blocks. I did these four blocks with invisible machine applique, which turned out really nice. They were all prepped, so all I had to do was stitch them. 

Machine invisible applique

Then I had one block, raw-edge applique, and I needed to do a satin stitch around the shapes. I missed bringing two thread colors, so I could ALMOST complete the block, but not quite. That seems to be the theme for me for this retreat. I get close to finishing something, but I can't quite. But I'm way ahead of where I was when I came, and I'm motivated to get it done when I get home. 

Satin stitch applique

So here are the blocks that I stitched for applique. All done, except for three ovals on the bottom block. 

Applique blocks for Green Tea - almost done

I also had one pieced block to finish sewing, so I started on that. Things were going well until I realized I didn't have the little square of fabric for the very center of the block. Seriously???? Did I lose it, or didn't I cut it?

The center blue square is missing!

Then I got fortunate! I checked another mini design board with bits and found some two-patches for the checkerboard, and I could steal a square from that and finish the block. 

All the pieces are ready to sew together!

And so that block got completed as well. 

Piece block - DONE

I had to add corners onto one of the applique blocks, and now all my blocks for Section One of the quilt are done. That Section was partially sewn together, but I wanted to finish it last night. So I started sewing. I made a couple of boo-boos as I was getting tired. I was going to leave it until this morning, but I persevered. So here I am, sewing the last seam for Section One. 

The last seam for Section One

I am absolutely THRILLED with this. I managed to sew Section One to Section Two, so the top half of the quilt is together, and I'm absolutely THRILLED with how it turned out. 

Sections One and Two

I'm glad I didn't put those hexagons over the entire block, as it would have made it seem heavy, like the two blocks in the top right. But I can live with the occasional heavy bit. 

I have one more block that was assigned but that I haven't even started, and there are two more blocks to assign for next month, and I need to get working on those when I get home. 

I decided to lay out Section Three last night, and I'll sew as much together as possible, which won't be much until that missing block gets done. 

Section Three missing a block and filler pieces

I need some bits of background fabrics as well as fillers, so I can't sew too much together. I'll also sew as much as I can with Section Four, but again, with two blocks and the filler fabrics at home, I won't get far with that. 

But I've made HUGE progress while here, and I'm so happy. The last thing that needs to be done while here is to finish the quilting on a small wall hanging. So that's on the agenda for today, and then I get to dip into the retreat box and find something to keep me busy for the rest of the retreat. That will be good to advance some of those small things that haven't been touched in a long time! 

I had a presentation to do for a guild, and it went very well. It's my scrap quilt presentation which is one of my favorites. The internet was decent, although it did go down once; it was back up before I could even blink, so that made it all work well. You have to love Zoom!!!

After that, I walked to the lake and had a phone conversation up and down all those hills! But I couldn't resist sitting in that chair by the lake and contemplating life. It's just so darn calming and relaxing. And yes -- here are the requisite fall photos. 

The first one was taken at the lake with the sun shining through one of the trees. 

The view from my lawn chair

This one was taken in the yard of the retreat house. It's amazing how different the colors are. 

One of the trees in the yard

We had some rain yesterday, but it wasn't heavy, and I got lucky as I wore my raincoat when I went out (I brought a raincoat and two different vests -- one heavy and one light!). I took the raincoat off as it stopped raining and it was warm. 

The rain started last night, although we didn't seem to get the gusty forecasted winds. It's raining again this morning, so I may or may not get out for a walk. I don't mind walking in the rain, but not in heavy rain. We'll see how the day goes!!

So think about those Elizabeth Hartman patterns. I do NOT need them, nor do I need to make them, but I WANT to make them. They are so darned cute!!! Let me know if you're in for a sew along! The pattern arrives in November. And don't blame me for being an enabler! I can't help myself. 

On that note, I'm off to finish sewing up Section Three. 

Have a super day! 

Ciao!!!!

The Fall Retreat - Day Two

I'm amazed at how focused I am here and how much I have accomplished! I even managed a long walk. Anything can be accomplished when there are no distractions and you are motivated. Now, if I had brought all that missing fabric, I wouldn't be quite as far ahead, but I would have some more finished projects, but that's OK. 

I managed to finish one of my UFO projects (due on Sunday), so I've saved myself a $10 penalty. I won't show you the homework yet, but suffice it to say that it's made of 2 1/2" squares, and YES, all the seams are twirled on the back. 

The twirled seams on my homework

There is one more section to complete, and then that quilt top is done. It's been hanging around for almost 10 years, so I'll be happy to see the end of that one. 

Then I dropped that in the car and got the next project. This one was completely cut and sitting on the current project table. Because of the incentive to finish the Quilts of Valour quilts, and this is a quilt for that organization, I wanted it done. 

I designed the pattern for this one, and you can find it for sale on the Quilts of Valour website. It's pretty easy to do -- really making some hourglass blocks and adding borders, but the overall effect is pretty cool. You can use a panel, or the pattern has a substitute for the center. The pattern is called Beads and Baubles. 

I was determined to finish the top last night, so it was a bit late when I went to bed, but that's OK. I was cutting the length for the final top and bottom borders, and this is ALL that was left. It was meant to be!

The leftover from cutting the last two borders

And here I am sewing the last seam. 

Sewing the last seam!

And here it is!! This finishes at 60" by 72", which is my generous lap-size quilt, and I have to say that it went together like a dream, and everything measured out exactly as per the pattern, but trust me, I measured each of those borders as I went. The hourglass blocks were ALREADY prepped. 

The finished quilt top

I have the backing fabric, so I'll make the backing today and the binding, which can go in the "to be quilted" pile when I get home. WOW!!! I was so excited to see a project from the current project table get completed! 

There is one more project in the car, and I also have a small quilting project that is part of my UFO and then I'll hit the reserve bucket of projects in the car. There are enough small fiddly things to keep me busy for the rest of the retreat, and it'll be nice to get some of those done. Who knew I'd fly through the projects so quickly?

We had entertainment out the window of the sewing room AGAIN. This time there were four deer, and one was quite close to the house. Apparently, they were also eating in the front garden right by the front door!

A visitor

It's hard to see, but three deer are on the edge of the forest. The glare of the window makes it hard to take a picture. 

The deer in the backyard

They are so curious about us!!!

Hello! 

After they left, we were then entertained by a squirrel. I think he was jealous of all the attention given to the deer. As I grabbed my camera and told him I would take his picture, the darn thing sat up and posed! Oh shoot -- I didn't grab the right picture -- well, that's OK. 

The lone squirrel trying to entertain us

Thanks to Maryke for the delivery of Tim's. She lives relatively close by and made a stop to visit with us! Great to see you, Maryke!

I was on dinner duty last night and had brought NOTHING, so I was off to pick up something and then back. Then it was time for my walk, and I had brought four books to donate to Steve Little Free Library, which is just over 3 KM away from the house. Before I left, Lynn looked at the books and kept one, so I went with my three books to swap. 

There were lots of things to see along the way -- a bunch of cattails along the road, but I was smart enough to not get too close as they were in a big ditch, and if you looked closely, you could see the water! No wet shoes for me!

Cat tails 

While the leaves are past their prime viewing, there are still pockets of brilliant leaves. It's just stunning to walk along the road and see and hear the leaves falling. This is one of the reasons I like living where I do. I like to see the changing seasons, and perhaps this is a higher beings way of saying, yes, the cold is coming; here's a little treat before that happens!

The fall colors

There's a donation or return box at the little library- it's quite a civilized free library, and all the books are sorted by genre. I donated my three books, one of which is a best seller I bought for my plane ride home from Spain, so that should be a hot commodity for the next visitor. 

The donation box

And here's the little library. They converted the school bus shelter into a library; everything is so neat and organized. I found three books (thrillers) that seemed intriguing, and I walked back. It took me 1 and 1/2 hours to get there and back. I walked at a brisk clip and had ZERO issues with my feet. More on the feet another day. Suffice it to say, they are still peeling like mad! But after fixing those new blisters, which are now healed, nothing new has happened. 

The free library

Oh -- here's another tree shot on the way back. 

Beautiful scenery along the way

And this beautiful leaf on the pavement was calling my name to take a picture. 

This is the sign at the gate of Seams Appropriate. It's made of wood and very beautiful. 

The signpost at Seams Appropriate

Ronda decided NOT to bring her sewing machine; she brought her Cricut instead and has been having fun making stuff. Let's just say that there's a lot of experimenting going on, including hair spray and glitter, in making holiday stuff. No glitter has been unleashed INSIDE the house. 

Ronda's Cricut station

What are the others working on? They are sewing -- I didn't take pictures. That is their job to share with you what they are doing. But let's just say that everyone is working at their pace -- sometimes fast, sometimes slow. That's OK as, like the Camino, everyone has to make their retreat - THEIR way. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I have a guild presentation to do later today via Zoom and realized that I did NOT bring anything other than T-shirts. Oh well, I'll figure something out -- Hey - I'm on retreat; they'll understand. 

OH GREAT --- it's pouring rain, and I'll soon need to make a trip to the car. I should have switched out things last night!!! We have rain for the next two days. I may or may not go for a walk; it depends on how hard it rains. 

Have a great day, and I'm off to get that backing and binding made. 

Ciao!!!