Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a good motivator! A number of us have signed up for the One Block Wonder using a panel at Thimbles and Things. Not that I needed to make one, but it was on my list of quilts to make so now seemed like a good time. 

I found those small panels in my stash so I didn't even have to buy anything. I also found some coordinating fabric for the binding, backing, and the filler along the edges. I attended the class two weeks ago and today is class number two. We are supposed to have all our hexagons sewn. 

Hmmm -- I'm a wee bit behind. I still have THREE of five strips to sew together. Well, first I have to cut them into triangles!

Three strips still to cut and sew into hexagons

However, I don't really care about the class today -- I mean, it's not critical to have the homework done. BUT a few of us are getting together tomorrow to discuss placement of the hexagons and help each other out with the overall visual look, so guess what I'll be doing later tonight? Yep -- I'll be sewing hexagons. 

It's always fascinating to see the three different orientations you can have fore each set. I didn't get too scientific about it -- for many of the hexagons, I just laid them out and sewed them up!

Option One

Option Two

Option Three

Here's my stack of hexagons. I'll have 60 in total and 24 of them are sewn. That shouldn't take too long. I had started sewing them as enders and leaders, but I don't have a lot of sewing gong on, so I started chain piecing them yesterday. I'll be chain piecing the rest of them once they are cut. 

Twenty-four hexagons so far

Today is a bittersweet day -- our company is going home. I'll be dropping them off at the airport in a couple of hours. The visit is always way too short, but then you want to get your life back to the normal routine. They just need to live closer so we're not limited to the occasional visit! But I refuse to move to BC just because she is there. You never know when your kids will move. No - I would move because that's where and when I want to move. And that's not reality at the moment!

However it meant that I had to get my butt in gear as they are supposed to take a quilt back with them and as at yesterday morning, the top was done and that was it. No binding made, no backing made. However I got it quilted. It's going to be nice and cozy as it's flannel on both sides and there's batting inside. 

 A quilt to be gifted - DONE

The binding got made and appliqed this morning. Thank goodness for machine binding! What ever did we do when all we knew was to sew it by hand? It took about 70 minutes to cut the bindng, trim the quilt and sew the binding to the quilt. All tasks that I could do in my sleep. 

Sewing the binding by machine

And there it is - ready to be packed. I didn't put a label on it -- it has my little tag and well, that's good enough. 

The finished quilt

I'm not sure where they are going to pack it. My child does NOT pack light. Not my problem!

I did have to laugh when I was qulting that quilt. Guess what I found? Yep -- a gold thread! Now where did that come from? 

A piece of gold thread

We are sure gonig to miss this cute little guy. Although he does have his issues with bathroom behavior. But he sure is cute!

Mr Bear -- off the cuteness scale

I have to walk him several times day or "force" him to the backyard. The hazards of apartment living for a dog! He does love to go for a walk -- but he is so slow. My gosh -- he has to check out every tree and leaf and blade of grass. 

Bear on his walk

There's more fun to be seen at QUILTsocial today. I'm continuing with the tote bag and using some decorative stitches on the handles. Be sure to check it out. Even if you don't have the embroidery machine I used (Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90), there's still loads of great information there. 

Wait until you see what is coming! Lots more excitement to end the week and don't forget to check out the Facebook Live with Carla and me TOMORROW. 

Be sure to come and check us out!! I'll have all the projects to show you in person and you get to ask questions. I find that people don't ask enough questios. Maybe they don't understand, or maybe I've already explained the technqiue to death? But come and ask questons - whether it's about these projets or something else with the Husqvarna Viking machines. I'll have the Designer Ruby 90 on and we can take a tour if you want!

I'm happy to report that I got some paperwork done and that felt great to get it off my plate. There's still a "bit" to go through, but the next couple of days are quieter. Well, relatively speaking. I have two presentations today, both in English and one class to attend. But that sort of takes up the entire day!

And I said that the weekend was free. What was I thinking? Sunday is free, but not Saturday. I have one class and a club! Oh boy -- that means I"ll be doing some homework prep on Friday and Saturday. 

Remember the quilt worn at the MetGala?  Well, it turns out the quilt was a find from a thrift store? It looked too gigantic to be an actual quilt. But here's a picutre of it on a bed. Hmmm --- so who was the designer there? 

The fashionable quilt - if only grandma could see it!

Anyway -- that's it for today. I've got to finish the editing here, get Little Bear ready for his walk - Murphy is NOT going to be happy as she will have to stay home. And then off to the airport and back home to do a presentation. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I should stick with my quilting

 

I was all excited yesterday. I would set up a series of rules for my e-mail so the appropriate e-mails would be filed and it would be easy to find them. I've used rules before but haven't set them up in a while. So if you signed up for a class and cursed me when I asked that you send one e-mail per class, it's for that reason. 

I set up the rule and hit APPLY. Oh - I think something went wrong. It moved all my unread e-mails to the new folder. Oops! Then I thought I had lost everything, but no, that didn't happen. And I should state (although you probably already know this) that I have a LOT of e-mails. Many of them need to be deleted, but there's no time for that. All the e-mails are back in the right spot. 

I got rid of a folder that I didn't need. It was called Important and basically created a duplicate of everything that came in. I don't need that. I Googled it, and it's gone. Then I realized that at Noon, my e-mail stopped receiving. I can send e-mails, but I can't receive them. I was online with support last night, and she said my password needed to be changed. Well, I didn't get a notice about an issue with the password. 

I won't bore you with all the details. Let's just say that I can send e-mails, but I still can't receive them - at least not on my home computer. Sigh............   I'll be back with the support people this morning after the walk. I know it's not because of that folder I deleted - there's something that's preventing the e-mail from coming in. GRRRR!!

Needless to say, that entire exercise took way longer than I had planned on, and I only got the UFO group organized. I hope to get the rest of them done today. I learned a few tricks about Outlook yesterday, so that was good. If I get the e-mails coming in, I'll be golden!!

For this year, that's another goal - to get my e-mail under control, including the number of e-mails in the inbox and what e-mails I have signed up for. It's going to happen! I swear these e-mails that get sent daily and with the SAME thing for sale drive me nuts. I know - UNSUBSCRIBE. It's going to happen. Why can't these companies send ONE e-mail per week? That would be perfect - then more people would open them. 

The other thing I need to get under control is the mess in the office. Well, no more talk - let's get some action going here. Here's the tabletop - yep - a bit of a mess there. Lots of paper, but I'll get through it. My goal for the moment is to try and get everything off the floor. 

Crap on the tabletop

Here's another trouble spot. There's a box of electronic waste. I must find out if the recycling depot is open to take that. There is a coffee maker that we take to our sewing retreats, as well as some coffee. It doesn't need to be here, so I moved it downstairs and put it on a shelf. YES - I had a spot for it. Now I just need to remember where it is. I think I'm going to make a note on my calendar to remember to pack it and where it is. Done -- I made the note, and so I'm good, and this little corner is going to be clear soon. 

Another trouble spot

I'm trying to get rid of the boxes of donation stuff in here. I need to schedule a pick-up, and I'm not sure they are doing that right now. But I have to get another box from the garage (all tucked up in the huge overhead shelf, so they are nice and neat) to put everything in. 

I have a few things that I don't want. If anyone wants them, they are yours for free. These are various sizes and versions of decorative dress forms. I kept one, and it sits on the shelf by the long arm. I don't need all these. They will be donated if no one wants them. The tallest one is about two feet.  

Decorative dress forms

I also have three of these large ceramic buttons. I no longer have room for them, and they are up for grabs as well. There's a black one, as well as a red one, and a white one. There are about 8 - 10 inches in diameter. 

Ceramic decorative button

So my goal this week in the office is to get rid of the boxes for donation. Then I can move onto another step. Soon enough, it's going to be dealing with boxes of paper, and well, I'm in the mood to get rid of them. It already looks better in here, and that's all I care about!

I don't know about you, but it's tough to find magazines these days unless you have a subscription. This is the latest issue of Quick + Easy Quilts (February/March). 

Quick + Easy Quilts

.

Yep - I have a quilt in there. Actually, one quilt (made with a panel) and a second one made for a different colorway - because I couldn't choose between two amazing panels. I see that Patti Carey also has a panel quilt in the magazine. I also have an article on panels - so if you get a chance, check it out. 

Contributors page

Speaking of magazines, here's an article in Chatelaine magazine about quilting and the pandemic. 

I got so wrapped up in the e-mail issue that I forgot to take photos of Studio U. This morning!!! 

But the one package got picked up by UPS to go to the US, and I walked the second one to the post office. But I did take photos BEFORE I boxed it up. Here's the quilt that I'm gifting. It's actually a HUGE panel that I bought at Fabricland many years ago. 

Hmm - can I technically count this as my third finish this year? I did sew the label on the other day. That sounds like cheating a wee bit, but I'm including it on the list!

.

Spiderman panel

I quilted it with invisible thread in a spider web design. 

And it's all fluffy because I washed it before it went. 

Puffed from being washed

I even had Spiderman flannel for the back. 

The backing of the Spiderman quilt

The recipient is a 6-year old boy with a Spiderman lunchbox. I think he's going to go crazy!!!

And yes -- I walked that box to the post office. I could have taken the car, but why? The box wasn't heavy, although it was big. The post office isn't that far away, and I got my afternoon walk. I haven't started the car yet this year, but I will tomorrow as I have some errands to run and they are a bit too far away to walk and besides, who wants to carry a huge bag of dog food home? 

As I passed the paint store near the post office, the front of this brochure caught my eye—spools of thread for color inspiration. Of course!!!

Spools of thread as color inspiration

I don't think I got any sewing done yesterday at all. However, I did some this morning as I have a couple of blog posts to get ready. But look at this huge distraction. Now that I'm close (well - it looks close, but it's not), that darn puzzle is calling me!! I snapped this photo this morning, but I put a few more pieces since the photo was taken. I should just finish it and get it out of the way! I might just do that, but only after my e-mail is working again. 

Progress on the jigsaw puzzle

Well, I've got a lot of work to do today. I need to get all those groups organized, and the e-mail needs to be fixed, and I've got sewing to do!! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

First and second finishes for 2021

 I PROMISE to get the photos of Studio U to you tomorrow! It's dark up there at the moment, and so you won't see much. It's best to wait until it's light. 

Mission accomplished - the magazine article was approved by the editor, although I had to scramble to get a wee bit of information to her. No problem - it's done! Already thinking about the next topic. I'll let you know when the article gets published.  

The other magazine quilt is done! I didn't get a box out yesterday, but now I have two quilts to package up, so I'll be doing that today. And yes - I promised you a picture of the one that I'm gifting. I'll do that today! Hmm - a few pictures to take today. 

Today is going to be about paperwork. A lot of the clubs will be starting in the next two weeks, and I need to get the distribution lists together, figure out the homework for the year, and let the students know what they can expect. I do hope to get some quilting done, but we'll see how the paperwork goes. 

Oh boy -- this book - The End of October by Lawrence Wright. The one about the virus, written in 2017. Pretty scary, and well, I knew this, but the current pandemic is NOTHING when compared to the previous pandemics the world has survived. But all the talk about the virus and how it works - it's interesting. Compared to the virus in the book - our virus is nothing! The virus gets spread at Mecca during The Hajj so you can imagine what's going to happen when they shut down that city to prevent three million people from spreading it around the world. I'm right at that point!

After Monday sewing, I decided to take some time and work on that darn puzzle! I want to start another one, and well, I can't move forward until this one is done. I'm happy to report that I finished the darn sky and the trees, but not before I had to move a bunch of pieces around in the border! Yep - those pieces fit in multiple places, and that makes it tricky! All that's left is the grass and a wee bit of trees. Easy! HA!!

Progress on the puzzle

Last night when I was doing "hand" stuff, I dug out this pile of string pieced blocks. I had used newsprint from the yellow pages as the foundation, and so all of it had to be ripped away. I plugged in the audiobook, and away I went. 

String pieced blocks that need the paper removed

And now all those blocks are clean of paper and ready to sew together. I did add it to the current projects pile as it is a UFO, and I'd like to get it finished. This year!

All the blocks are now ready to sew together

Here's the bucket with the garbage. Gosh - I love that I'm focusing on some hand stuff in the evening. I just never seemed to get around to it during the day, but now that I have a dedicated spot, I seem to be on a roll. 

The papers from the blocks

Here's the rest of the hand stuff that needs to be done. 

The pile of handwork

No need to panic. While the tub is large, there are three crochet rugs to be worked on, and they take up most of the space. And one quilt that needs to be handstitched. I'll start that soon. 

But now I have a problem. There was a lid to that tub. It didn't fit when I heaped all the hand stuff into it. So what have I done with the lid? At some point, I'll want to use the tub for other things, but where oh where is the lid??? I'm sure I'll find it being used as a tray, but I've searched downstairs, and I don't see it. 

I had started to sew some of the green string blocks together. I think it's going to be a nice quilt. 

The green string pieced blocks

I did a bit more work on the blue string quilt. I didn't get any blocks finished, but I made good headway on all 80 blocks. 

One of the blue string pieced blocks

I've shelved it for the moment as I need to get some stuff ready for upcoming classes and blog posts. When I have a free minute or need something mindless to work on, I can dig it out. 

It's not far away - I tucked everything under my new stand for the laptop. 

The laptop stand

I'm not convinced that this is the best laptop stand on the market. The concept is great - you can adjust the height and the slope. The front lip is not very deep, so the angle can't be too steep, or the laptop will slip off. And it's not the sturdiest one, but for what I want it for - it works. Let's just say that it's way better than the cardboard box that I was using previously! 

The adjustable laptop stand

I got the binding on the blue table runner, and now it's ready to be moved upstairs to the finished pieces. This is my first finish of 2021. Ooops - that's a lie! This is the second finish. The magazine quilt was the first one. Wow - I finished TWO things in one day. Hmm - I guess I should write that down!! But it's a UFO that's done - well, technically a quilt top that's now quilted and bound. 

Finish number two for 2021

So I joined up with a local group that offers marketing to local businesses and services. Seriously - I'm getting myself off the list. It's very explicit what I do, and do you know how many times I've received e-mails asking if I sell craft supplies or this one. I guess people can't read or don't care. I don't even respond to them. Quilters Quilting Quilts is my business name, in case you're wondering! 

Oh well. 

On that note, I'm out of here. There's so much paperwork to do, my head is spinning. But I'm going to tackle it one piece at a time. That's all I can do! And oh my - I've got an urge to purge today! I better take advantage of that while it's there!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Learning to drive

I had TWO appointments yesterday. One was to drop some stuff off and pick up another quilt for Quilts of Valour. The other was a porch drop off.

The lady doing the porch drop off was also looking for some solid red fabrics. I dug out what I had. She brought swatches for matching, but it's darn hard. I offered her to take the four different reds home to see which one would work best in her quilt. You got to love it - we're all in this together and we're all here to help each other.

But for me to do the drop-off, I had to get in my car and drive. Drive? What's that? A gear shift? How does one operate that thing? It was very pleasant to be out with little traffic or less than normal. But once everyone is out on the roads? I fear it's going to be downright dangerous to be out. I may continue to stay at home until people get accustomed to the chaos that normally exists on the roads.

I decided to stop at Tim's for a treat. I LOVE the fact that the payment terminal is now on a stick. They put the stick out the window, you tap with your debit/credit card and that's it! Super simple and hopefully other drive-thrus have done the same thing. No need for their employees or me to touch the machine. The cinnamon fog tea was heavenly along with a peanut butter cookie. I know - gasp - all that sugar and calories. I'm allowed! I just don't indulge often.

I could never work for the City or any place that has rules. Cities need rules to prevent chaos and to let people know what they are supposed to do with garbage, parking, etc. Don't get me started on the garbage/recycling. I'm sure my blood pressure is off the charts on most garbage days as I see what and how people have put their garbage/recycling at the curb.

We also have recycling and garbage bins in the parks. Yesterday, I was almost home when I saw a car park on the side of the street close to but not at the entrance to the park which is where the garbage/recycling bins are located. A young person (let's say 20-30) got out of the car and started to walk to the entrance of the park. At first, I thought she was bringing a bag of garbage to place in the containers which people do. Why? We have curbside garbage pickup. Anyway, as I continued toward her, I realized she was taking off a pair of gloves and she proceeded to throw them in the RECYCLING bin.

Seriously????  And then she walked back to her car. I took a slight detour to peek in the recycling bin to see if I really saw what I thought I saw. Yep - there was a mask and a pair of blue gloves in the recycling bin. As I walked around the trees by the bins, I saw her getting a small white dog out of her car and putting the dog on a leash. As I walked by, I couldn't help myself - I told her that she put her GARBAGE in the recycling bin. She gave me a totally blank stare and said "OH - next time, I'll put them in the garbage." 

I don't get it. Who wants to touch her germy gloves? And why was she wearing gloves in the car anyway?? Whatever germs were on her gloves are now all over the car and unless she wiped the car down before she drove away - well.......   I just won't go there. Of course, I don't know the entire story, but some people are just NOT thinking. So now whatever was in the recycling bin is contaminated. But that's not new - most people cannot tell the difference between the bins although one is BLUE and marked with big letters - RECYCLING.

I finished The Hypnotist last night. It certainly took a completely different turn from what I was expecting. I even had to listen to it on my evening walk or I wasn't going to get it finished. That was weird - I hate headphones when I'm walking. But it's done and now onto the next book which is due in three days. It just worked out that way! Thankfully - it's a very short book so that won't be a problem.

I was a busy little bee yesterday. I decided that it was time to clean up the computer desk. While it wasn't in too terrible of a state, there was a lot of junk on it and it hadn't been cleaned (dusted) in a long time.

And there's a wee bit of spillover on the chair beside the desk. But at least that chair isn't piled high with stuff like it normally is.

Computer desk

What I didn't like is the extra extension cord on the work surface because the power bar was full and cords here and there and just a mess. Look at the back of the computer. Just a junky mess of stuff.

Behind the computer

I got busy and unplugged all the electrical stuff and took it off the table. Wow - look at the dust.

A wee bit of dust

Also on the computer desk is a white shelf which obviously hasn't been dusted in a LONG time. Oh boy!!!

A wee bit more dust - cough - cough

I found four E's. I think every time I went to Micheal's, I'd look at the letters and buy a new one. I have a ton of them in Studio B. TONS. I decided that I could live with fewer letter Es. I did keep the pink one - I've never found an orange one. OH - I might keep the gold one as well - I just thought of a good place to put it. The others are in the giveaway box.

Can I buy an E?

And then the desktop was totally clean and dusted. I was tempted to give the desk a 90-degree turn, but there are pictures on the wall and I don't want to move them. So the desk stayed put.

All the surfaces are cleaned off and dusted

Now it was time to rearrange all the computer stuff. I love my computer - it really just looks like a big tablet. It's a touch screen and can go flat like this.

My computer monitor in a flat position

Or like I mostly use it - in the upright position. But I do love that you can tilt it - I should experiment a bit more to see if I can get a better angle on my camera when I do presentations. It's just that it sits high so it looks down on me when I'm sitting on my chair and I can't stand up unless I'm far back.

The computer screen 

Yep - I found the usual bits and bobs of stuff. This is the stuff that we have no idea what to do with it and it accumulates and becomes clutter!!!  I see two remotes. What are they for?? No idea. I'll have a better look today and they'll likely end up in the e-waste bag. This is the stuff that I have to REFUSE to pick up in the future. Just say NO - I don't want that.

Clutter stuff to deal with

I also found this journal. Of course - it wasn't full. Not by a long shot. I used it in 2012 and 2013 for some dates. I found out that it was in 2012 that the Monday sewing group moved from The Hobby Horse. That long ago?? I can't believe it's been that long ago. Anyway, I'll keep it by the computer and perhaps fill in random dates. It's kind of fun to just flip through and see what's going on. Instead of a 5-year record - mine will be more like a 50-year record by the time I would fill all the dates.

A five-year journal

I did keep a few trinkets to put on the shelf. In the back is a crocheted hat that I bought as part of a fundraiser at the CreativeFestival a few years ago. The theme was Alice in Wonderland. (The mad hatter tea party). I should find a mannequin head so that you can see the head better. I did find one in M's room - I might steal it. She'll never know. 

My trinkets

I have an OTT-lite on the desk. It needs a new bulb. They are NOT cheap and I can get it at Micheal's. It hasn't completely gone, but it's on its way out.

The light comes with a HUGE and heavy base or you can use this clamp. I've never used the clamp. I've decided to toss the clamp. Seriously - it's just one more thing to get dusty and clutter up space.

The clamp for the light

After several attempts at fixing up all the cords, this is what it looks like behind the computer. I switched the power bar for a TOWER. A flat power bar is fine, but a lot of those plugs are big and would cover extra slots. Now they all fit around the tower and I have TWO USB slots still available. I also got rid of the radio. I now have an assistant in my office - Alexa is there to help me with my every request. I also tied bundled up all the cords. I love it!!!!

Behind the computer

I don't keep anything on my computer hard disk. It all sits on two external hard disks.


Here's the new space. I have some paperwork to go through that was sitting in my "pending" box. How long does something need to sit there?  So that paperwork needs to be dealt with today.

The new look for the computer desk

Notice my notebook which is doubling as a mouse pad since the mouse goes crazy without it.

I also accomplished a LOT in the sewing department. The sleeve got sewn to this quilt and I hung it up above the "to be quilted" rack in Studio B. It looks awesome and so nice to be able to enjoy it.

The sleeve got handstitched on 

Here are the blocks for our Vintage Christmas sew-along. This one is from the previous week, but the hand embroidery hadn't been done. Now that block is complete.

Skate block from Vintage Christmas

This was one of the blocks that was due yesterday. I had to hand embroider the antlers and the eyes. Those are done! We've now completed 18 blocks of 42. Slow and steady pace. What I'm loving is that I'm totally UP TO DATE.

The deer block from Vintage Christmas

The other day, I came across a laundry basket FILLED with scraps. Seriously??? Like how many scraps does one person need? 

I went through part of it this morning and I found all this yardage. They are going in the community projects bin. These pieces can be grouped together and made into quilt tops. I'm going to need to get down there and get some things organized as I've been putting stuff in the area as kits come back to me or as I find stuff. I doubt it would take more than an hour or so to get things back in tiptop shape. But not on my priority list for the current moment.

A huge stack of yardage to make community project quilts

And I found a huge pile of yellow fabrics. Again - those will be great for backings or kids quilts.

Yellow yardage

I remember going through my stash years ago and pulling out stuff that I would never use. It was supposed to be cut into strips. I did cut some fabric into strips. But a lot of that is still sitting around so cutting into strips is NOT for me. I like to keep it in yardage format and then I have maximum control over how it gets used.

The most important thing is that this stuff is getting sorted and put into useable piles and that's all that counts. I do believe this is the last basket of scraps. If I find more - well - I just hope that I don't. Wait - I know there is one more bucket of scraps in the community projects area. I should dig it out and just deal with them all at the same time. Imagine what's it's going to be like when all this sorting is done. I'll just be able to sew and not worry about sorting and labeling. I can't wait. I'm so close!!

Also in the laundry basket are bags of scraps that will have to be sorted by color and put in the appropriate bag. I found this. I can't believe that I was so desperate for scraps that I BOUGHT a bag of them. Just shoot me!!!!  That's on the worktable in Studio U so I can sort it later today. I want all the scraps sorted by the time we go to retreat at the end of the month. OH - I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I BOUGHT a bag of scraps???

And I found this panel in the laundry basket. I've no idea where it came from. It's for a GIANT Christmas stocking by Mary Engelbreit. That is the width of fabric so you can see how big it is. It's up for grabs for FREE should anyone want it.

Christmas stocking panel

Let's see - I also finished cutting the fabric for the magazine quilt and making good progress on getting the blocks sewn together. And I FOUND a home for that wild and bright fun fur - the green and yellow. It's going to be used for kids fidget quilts. Yeah!!!!  I need to get some boxes of stuff packed up as it's found a home and I need to move it out of the office.

So things are going great. Just plugging away and keeping busy. I'd go stark, raving mad if I didn't.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!