Building a T-shirt

 I'm here at the retreat! We're back at Retreat at the Farm in Shelbourne. I arrived at 7 PM, and it's good to be back even if I have to work most of the week. Hey -- I have presentations to prep and samples to sew, but I can have more fun doing that while visiting with friends than being at home. 

I brought most things I need, and whatever I'm missing, then we'll make it up! There is one thing that I have a big issue with my phone charger. I have two, but again, I've misplaced the spare one. Now, how the heck can I do that? So I threw the main one in my bag, only to discover this morning that it was the charger for my headphones. Are you kidding me? 

However, I brought my data cable for connecting the phone to the computer, and with the block from the headphone charger, I'm in business. OK -- so this is ridiculous, and when I'm back home, I'm finding that spare charger, and it's going in my office backpack, and it will stay there. I'm also labeling the darn thing. It's a pain with all these chargers, and those ends look so similar, but they are not! 

However, I brought enough stuff to make it work! 

Yesterday was a lot of fun! Dealer training is always an interesting experience, and there are a lot of "COVID" dealers. These people came on board during COVID and have done exceedingly well in getting their businesses off the ground. That is super exciting to see. 

So we went through all the NEW products that are coming. Sorry --- not going to talk about it in more detail, but LOTS of cool new things and some of the exciting things we currently have and that you love are being brought to lower price points, which is VERY exciting. 

And then there is some BRAND new stuff and one of them we chatted about it Ditto. I love it but haven't had time to play with it. In case you don't know what it is -- it's the garment projection system. I won't have time to do much this month as my laptop, and I will have developed quite a relationship by the end of this month. I only use my laptop when I'm away, which should tell you about my schedule. The girls are NOT going to be happy. 

Neither will my steps. Oh boy -- I didn't make my steps yesterday. I still managed about 8 KM, but well below my goal of 12.5 KM or 13 if you go by my current virtual challenge. I'll try to make up some of that today, but it will be hard as I have two presentations to prepare and give. And I have to make a trip to the grocery store. 

However, one of the presentations is almost finished, and the second is well underway. I won't need much more time to make it happen. 

I'll be able to get out bright and early this morning to get in the first walk, so that'll be good. Two months make a big difference in the lightness in the morning, although that will change this coming weekend. 

Back to the dealer meeting. It was great, and hopefully, after they see the samples, the dealers will want us to come to their stores for events! Yep --- it's going to be a fun year. Oh shoot -- I'll have to share a photo of one of our projects. I'll add that to the blog tomorrow, as I'm not downloading another picture this morning. 

This was my car when I left the house. At the last minute, things just randomly got shoved in there. I had stuff for the dealer meeting, so that bag is gone. I have some things to give to others here at the retreat, so I'll have a lot less stuff on the way back and pack a little more carefully! 

Packed for retreat

Even the front seat got filled with stuff. OH -- see that bright turquoise color? That's part of the project that I'll share tomorrow. 

The front seat is also full

Yep -- I was full up. I need a NEW BIGGER car! I wasn't all that happy with all that stuff because I didn't really have a clear view for shoulder checking, so I had to be careful. 

Packed to the top!

When I walked into the sewing room this morning, it was BRIGHT. There's a full moon outside, and it is beautiful. 

The full moon

However, I've no idea what happened to my sewing table. It looks like a hurricane blew threw. I'm not usually that messy ever! But that happens when you randomly pack and then randomly unload the car late at night. I've got a few things to serge, so I'm starting with that. Then I'll put the serger away and dig the sewing machine out of the car. 

My sewing table - a MESS

So what am I serging? I'm finishing off my T-shirt. It was mostly done, but I needed to hem the sleeves and add the band to the top. I added the band last night, and I'll finish the sleeve hems this morning. 

My new T-shirt

I've made T-shirts before, but I'm still learning some of the ins and outs of the serger. I confess that I've had a serger for many years but never a cover stitch, which is new to me. This PFAFF admire air 7000 has a cover stitch, and it's a BREEZE to convert from cover stitch to overlock. And it's a breeze to thread with air threading on all three loopers. 

Plus, I've added the cover stitch hemmer attachment into the mix. But my cover stitch hem on the bottom looks pretty decent. Can you tell that's my first attempt? I know!!!!  OK -- I confess that the hem could be better where I went over the seams (more practice needed), but I learned a ton putting that on. 

The cover stitch hem

Even the neckband got a coverstitch treatment. I see that some commercial t-shirts have a band that covers the back neck seam. I've always wondered why, but it's to cover up the messy start and stop!!! Who knew? Now that's my guess, but it sounds good to me. My back neck seam is a bit messy. 

The cover stitch neckband

You can learn so much by taking things apart -- well, most times, you just need to look at the garments to see how they were constructed. You don't even need to take them apart. 

So it was a great day, and we're still missing one person, who will arrive on Wednesday. It was just a crazy week, but it couldn't be changed. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I need to get out for that morning walk to clear my head, go to the grocery store, and finish the presentations. Then I can sew. I won't get much sewing done today. But I'm OK with that. I knew that was going to happen. Today is probably the only "tough" day, and after that, the presentation prep is much easier or already complete. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

It's Zoom time!

 Oh gosh --- it's a good that I did some tidying up the previous day cause it looks awful this morning. 

I had two Zoom sessions yesterday, and while one was the same content (sergers) as I offered last year, it was in a different language from the previous time, so a few things had to be changed to accommodate that. The other event (applique) is brand new, and resulted in tearing the place apart, looking for specific pieces or examples of stitching. 

I've ripped the tubs of tops to be quilted apart to find one quilt. TWO tubs need to be labeled as to their contents, which is bad. So I must get that done because it'll save this from happening in the future. 

Looking for a quilt

However, on a positive note, I found this table runner. I was trying to find it for my presentation, but I thought it was quilted, so I wasn't technically looking for it in this spot. Nope -- it's only partially quilted. However, this is perfect for something I need to quilt for some pictures, so that was a good thing. The table runner is cute, and it's time it got completed! Can you believe I even found a label with it? This is one I can travel with, and I need it! 

My unfinished table runner

One of my events was to do with sergers; they were sitting on the floor as part of the stuff I brought home last week. So they got unpacked and put in place. 

The sergers in the "film" studio

OK --- I realized last night while setting up the sergers that I can use my three portable design walls to make a "studio" with blank walls. 

Yep --- you can see the bookcases behind in this shot. 

I love the "blank" wall look

These are the air-threading PFAFF sergers. My camera is on the left, and I thought I'd be brave and try a LIVE shot of threading them! I am daring, but I also know how trustworthy these sergers are. Did it work? You bet! On the first try. That's how beautiful these sergers are -- one shot of air. The one on the left (Admire 5000) is NOT computerized, but the one on the right (Admire Air 7000) is, and it's also a cover stitch. Since I'm becoming more familiar with sergers, that's my GO-TO serger. I WANT a cover stitch serger always!

I dug a few things out of the suitcase as well. At Verbeek Glass Studio, I purchased a few things from the gift shop. This is a cardinal, and I couldn't let it stay in the shop. They are so beautiful. It now sits on my kitchen windowsill. I don't like having a lot of stuff around, but this was too pretty to leave behind. 

A cardinal for the kitchen windowsill

I was supposed to have an event later today, but it had to be postponed, so that leaves me free the entire day. I'll be writing and quilting all day, and I have classes to prep for the weekend. It's still going to be a busy day, but I won't be running around taking pictures and making presentations. 

It was pretty easy to get back into the swing of things. Oh, and then I had a conference call on top of everything yesterday. That took longer than I had hoped, but all good information and some work came out of that one. But nothing I can't handle. 

I don't know about you, but I hope you get out in this glorious weather. Even the large snowbanks are disappearing quickly. The temperature is out of whack, and it didn't even go below freezing last night. So I'm outside walking without a hat, mitts, or scarf, and my jacket is wide open. Even then, when I got home, I was sweating, which was unusual! 

OH --- if you want to download the FREE issue of QUILTsocial, here's the link. I sure hope you all follow QUILTsocial. It's a free blog, and there is a lot of helpful information there, including techniques and projects. Carla has lined up some great talent for the blog posts, and they cover projects or techniques or whatever. From time to time, she will compile some of the articles into a digital download. I don't have anything in this issue, but that's OK because my stuff was dominant in one of the previous issues. It all works out, so be sure to check this out. 

And yes, it's Wednesday, and I'm off to spin class! Yeah! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Mom's home!

I'm HOME!! 

We said goodbye to the few remaining people on the sales team in the morning, and those who remained were off to work! What was that? Well, you don't need to know the details, but let's say we had a date with these. 

A big roll of purple fabric

A big roll of blue fabric

Those are rolls of fabric - as if you couldn't tell. While I could lift it onto the table, it was not easy. However, by the time we were done -- those rolls were much more manageable! Yep --- if you want this job -- you must be able to lift. No question. The machines are heavy, the fabrics are heavy, and well, there's just a LOT of product to be moved around! 

I don't know how many yards of fabric were on each, but I think I took the pictures AFTER we were finished. Oh -- I don't know, but they were heavy to start! 

As the week progressed and we were finished with things, I packed my car. OK -- so some people say they are OCD for certain things; I'm becoming OCD about neatness and tidiness. I know -- you're laughing when you think of my office, but as a general rule, I HATE messiness, especially in public. 

So every night, I tidied the room, put the garbage in the garbage, and cleaned the cutting mats, or whatever was needed. I couldn't help myself. And that also meant packing what belonged to me (that I could), and it got put in the car. There were still a few last-minute things to pack before leaving, and then I was off. 

When I got home, I had to unload the car. I offered to take my colleague to the airport. What the heck was I thinking? There was no room for her in the front seat, let alone her suitcases! 

I had a large embroidery machine, an embroidery unit, and THREE sergers. 

Machines that came home with me

My suitcase with samples and other stuff. 

My sample suitcase

My clothes suitcase and more goodies. I might have been able to pack a wee bit tighter, but there still wouldn't have been room for anyone else in the car! 

More stuff brought in from the car

I had a Zoom call last night, so I had to get prepped for that. It didn't take long, and I'm thrilled to see the progress of so many in our "remedial" Jen Kingwell class. It's for those that want to get any of the four quilts (sew-alongs) that I taught. We are 24 in the class, and several of us have more than one quilt to work on. But that doesn't matter. If we go at the rate we are, we should be able to finish by the end of the year. 

My goal is to be the only person in the December class. We'll all be there with our finished quilt tops and toast each other for all our hard work! Of the four quilts, I now have three quilt tops ready to quilt, and I want them quilted and bound by the end of the year. That leaves ONE more quilt to finish sewing the blocks and get it together. Then we can regroup and decide if we want any other Jen Kingwell quilts. 

I had checked the weather before heading out for my walk yesterday, and it was supposed to be nice. Well, it wasn't too cold, but it was raining slightly. I didn't have the right jacket, but that didn't stop me. I made my loop, and thankfully at the turnaround point, it stopped raining and was very pleasant. 

I'll be walking this morning with the girls who were very excited to see me yesterday. Murphy was a total pain when I was on my Zoom call and wanted me to have my arm around her at all times, but that was impossible. 

MOM -- we missed you!!!!!! 

And even Miss Aloof was quite affectionate, but on her own terms, of course! This is one of her favorite spots - under the kitchen table!

DAD -- did you know Mom's home?

I have TWO classes this morning. Both are follow-ups to classes from last weekend. One of the presentations is ready to go; I have to put the other one together. I have until 1 PM to get that done. It's not complicated, so it shouldn't be a problem. Then I have the afternoon to get some writing done, and I'll do some unpacking or at least try to get some of that stuff moved to Studio B. 

Yep --- there are a "few" classes on the schedule this coming week and much work to do to get them ready. But this is so much fun, and I learn so much while listening to the participants and prepping that it's all worth it. 

But I really hate when I wake up in the middle of the night -- completely wide awake and can't get back to sleep. Then when I do actually wake up for the day, I can barely move. Hopefully, by Monday morning, I'll be back in the complete swing of things. 

Things are back to normal at our house for at least a couple of weeks. Between DH and myself, there was only one of us here for the last three weeks. I haven't even looked at my travel schedule, but I believe I'm home for the remainder of this month. Yeah!!

Well, it's time to get to work! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Glass fusing -- before and after

 OK -- so I'm still at the hotel. A few left last night, and more are leaving this morning, but three of us are staying until this afternoon. We have MORE work to do! 

While it's been a lot of work, it's also been a fun week. We've been able to get to know each other a bit more, and we've learned a ton, and it was well worth the time to be here. 

I don't think I know how much I must do when I get home. I'm in denial. I'm always in denial when I travel. I forget about what needs to be done because there's nothing I can do about it when I'm sitting in a hotel room. Then I get home, and BAM! the totality of what I need to do hits me. 

Before I get home, I should write a list (I know -- I LOVE lists) and try to get myself organized so things don't get lost. I have some writing to do this coming week and a project to complete, and those two things are PRIORITY; then I can focus on other stuff. 

But I also have Virtual Events - I have three this week and then my regular classes, so yes -- it's business as usual, and we'll make it happen. 

As much fun as it's been, I'll be glad to get home. My car is mostly packed, but a few more things to add later today. I laughed as I offered my colleague a ride to the airport. I'll barely be able to get in the car as there's so much stuff in there. You don't want to know. But that's part of the fun of the job -- you get to play with toys -- LOTS and LOTS of toys. 

Despite the crappy weather yesterday, I still managed to get 12.5 KM in. How? I went for a long walk in the morning, and I got to the turnaround point when we started to get a bit of ice accretion. I wasn't wet when I returned to the hotel, but it started raining shortly after I arrived, so my timing was good. 

I've taken the elevator maybe twice since we've been here and always have to walk to the far corner of the hotel to take the stairs and then back to my room. So it's easy to get those KM in. This morning, it's nicer outside, so it shouldn't be a problem. 

My photo of the day on my walk? I spotted the GO train as it pulled to a stop. 

The GO train

After we got back to the hotel from dinner, I went to my room while the others stayed in the lobby to chat. I had not slept well the previous night and was tired. And the glass guy was doing us a huge favor and delivered our bowls. I got a text, so I went downstairs (in my PJs) to see them. 

OH MY --- they are stunning!!!! 

All the bowls/trays

And here's my bowl. 

My finished bowl

I absolutely LOVE it. It's beautiful, and seeing how the others turned out was fascinating. I'll post before and after pictures of each, but not today. 

My bowl BEFORE firing

So if you want to give your hand at GLASS FUSING, check out Verbeek Glass Studio. Layne is an excellent instructor; he loves his craft and will take good care of you. If you don't want to make fused glass, he has a gift shop, and I can't wait to get home and open up my treasures.

On that note, it's time to get moving for my walk. It's going to be another long day -- well, that's not true. It's going to be a short day but intense. So I better get some steps in to give me energy!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!!

And now for something NEW!

 Yep -- the blog is late this morning! It was a very late night- sorting stuff and playing Santa! Then I couldn't sleep, so I was late getting up, and based on the weather forecast, I went for my walk as soon as I got up. Good thing I did because when I reached the turnaround point, I felt a few sprinkles, which turned into ice accretion. Do they say that? 

Anyway -- I made my KM for the morning (not for the day, but close), and there was little rain, just those ice pellets. The roads were still in pretty good shape -- not super slippery, so I could make good time. 

I also don't have much to say. It was a work day -- lots of playing around, lots of discussions about upcoming events, and that was about it! A boring day as far as content, but exciting for us, affecting what we're doing for the entire year. Let's see how booked up my schedule is, and we can go from there. 

Here are two pictures from my walk yesterday. The moon was out when I started. 

The moon

And I caught the sun as it made a brief appearance through a slit in the clouds. Then it disappeared until the afternoon when I took a quick walk (several times) around the hotel in my sweater!! 

Sunrise

There will be no moon or sun pictures tomorrow, as we have heavy cloud coverage today. 

I need to make a list (which will be huge) of all the samples and other items that need to be made over the next while. Thankfully, I have two top-of-the-line sewing and embroidery machines (Husqvarna Viking DESIGNER EPIC 2 and PFAFF creative icon 2) and a top-of-the-line serger (Husqvarna Viking AMBER Air S600) to make that happen. And I will become a serger queen! I already feel confident with the serger, which is fantastic. But I still need to get more comfortable. 

But here's the thing about the Husqvarna Viking or the PFAFF top-of-the-line serger. In addition to serging, it does a fantastic cover stitch and is super easy to convert between serging and cover stitch. I didn't even need the manual to make that happen, and I got a beautiful cover stitch! Yep --- who knew that would ever happen from someone who hated using a serger because threading it was a pain. Not anymore!!!

And if you want to see something new (well, new to me), check out this video. It's coming, and notice the logo on the products and keep in mind that SVP -- includes Singer!!! And that's all I'll say for the moment. 

On that note, it's time to get the day started!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Geocaching in the dark

 Oh, I forgot to look for a geocache at the LOVE sign, and I bet there was one there. You have to understand, though, that when you're with a group of 8 other people, none of whom are into geocaching and they are hungry -- one doesn't take time to geocache! 

However, that didn't stop me from geocaching in the dark yesterday morning. 

I knew we had a heavy agenda for the day, and there probably wouldn't be time to get out for a walk. However, I managed to log 13 KM yesterday! Yep --- no cheating involved either. 

I started off bright and early. OK -- so it wasn't bright - the moon was still out. 

The moon on my early morning walk

While that sidewalk looks treacherous, it was absolutely dry and fine. I did experience a few spots of a nasty sidewalk, but it was mostly snow-covered, not ice, and I was able to make good time. By the time I sat down to breakfast, I was already over the 7 KM mark. 

I had checked for caches near the hotel and found one close. Should I get it on the way out or the way back? I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to get it on the way out. Down the alley behind a mall (yes -- I think of potential reasons I shouldn't do that alone, but then I forge ahead!). The cache is in some trees behind the parking lot of the building. And it's dark!

The cache

YES -- there is a cache hanging from the tree! I had to use the flashlight on my phone to find that, so let's say that I was NOT using stealth in my orange jacket (too dark to see) and my flashlight! But there was absolutely no one around, and I was good. 

Then I was back on the walk and spotted this in a new apartment building. Do you know what it is? It's a BIKE ROOM. Now that's cool, especially since there's a bike path right along this road. 

The bike room in a new apartment building

On my way back, I spotted the sunrise. It turned out to be a cloudy day, but gosh -- it was warm. I sure wish I could have made it outside, but I did not. The schedule did not allow time; however, I made 8 more KM in the day. 

Sunrise

My room is on the third floor, and it's in the opposite corner of the hotel from our meeting room. So every time I needed something from my room, I simply walked to the staircase close to our meeting room, and then I walked to my room. Yep -- even up the stairs. 

At one point, I couldn't find my room keys, and after getting another key from the front desk (more steps), I found my key on the bed. DUH!!!!

My room key

So with all the walking to and from the room, the front desk, moving things around in the room, or whatever, I managed to eke out 13 KM in the day! I know some people will not count the "daily" steps they take, but good grief -- those extra walks required time and effort, so do I count them? You bet! 

And you never know what you're going to spot along the way -- this grate is very cool, and I see some inspiration for something in there. 

A decorative grate

I won't go into specifics about the day except to say we had a blast. I swear that one side of our group was drinking in their meeting! Way too much frivolity, but it's been an excellent team-building event, and we still have the rest of the week. We're talking about products and different ways of using them or how to use them properly in the first place -- I learned some stuff last night that I'm anxious to get home and try. 

Yes - last night. If you think I'm having a "fun" time away from home, this is work, and we didn't get to bed until almost 10 PM. A little late by my standards, but it was all worth it. 

The best part is that the knowledge in the room is HUGE -- collectively - well, I can imagine many, many years of experience in this room. I won't even hazard a guess to protect our ages, but it's a lot. And it's like Christmas, with a goodie box set up for everyone, and it keeps getting fuller by the day. It's stuff to use to show consumers when we do our events and tools for us to make samples. 

I feel like Oprah when I put something in -- You get a car, you get a car, and you get a car! Except we're not talking cars here! 

When I go home, my head will be spinning, and I will have a lot of work ahead of me. I can only hope that we're going to have a super year and that we'll be on the road a lot. We have some great projects lined up to showcase the products, and we have a lot of knowledge to pass along. If you are a Husqvarna Viking or PFAFF consumer and live in Canada, get out to your local dealer and BEG them to host an event. Especially if you are in the market for a new sewing machine r a serger. It's a great way to test drive the new machines, including the sergers, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. And those dealers can always book me for a private class (not through Husqvarna Viking or PFAFF) to teach you anything you want! 

OK -- time to hit the road! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

There's snow in the forecast!

I'm excited to hear I wasn't the only one that loved the York Heritage Quilt Show. Sadly -- it's over, but there's so much in the quilt world to keep us entertained! The organizers should be very pleased as the show was well organized and had lots of entertainment. 

I'm back home. I finished up at Thimble Quilts and Sewing Company (Windsor) around 4 PM and headed home. In the SNOW!!! What's that all about? I heard it was supposed to snow yesterday EVENING, not in the morning. Around 11 AM, I went out to get my sample suitcase, and it was snowing. Thankfully, nothing stayed on the ground, and I made it home quickly. 

SNOW!!!!

A few snacks, my gruesome audiobook, a long phone call, and an in-person drop-off/pickup stop, and I was home! So with all that time in the car, can you tell me why I still have FOUR hours left to finish that audiobook? Maybe today, but I doubt it, as I have lots of writing scheduled for this afternoon. 

I made a few purchases which I'll share with you later this week. All within the guidelines, I set for myself -- nothing was JUST BECAUSE! OK -- maybe one thing, but it was for inspiration! 

Before I went to the store, I had to find a couple of geocaches. One I found in the middle of a big spruce tree, and the second one, I could not find. So then I was off to Sandwich (a part of town right near the water) and took a quick walking tour where I read many historical plaques. That was an Adventure Lab which is part of geocaching. A VERY history-rich area. 

Geocache in a pine tree

There's the Ambassador Bridge, which is the bridge to the US. Lots of traffic on it despite the icky weather! 

The Ambassador Bridge

Those geese are NOT fast, reminding me of the teens near the high school. Just sauntering along like they own the road! 

Slow down, lady -- this is OUR street!!

We've been talking a lot about Advent Calendars for quilters. While not an advent calendar per see, it's a great idea. I took this picture at Thimble Quilts and Sewing Company. By the way, the owner, Heather, is a wonderful person, and we had the most fantastic day chatting with customers and each other. Her very talented daughter was at the store as well, and some friends. I'm not sure who learned the most -- the customers, the store staff, or me!!!! 

An advent calendar! 

If you are looking for a quick advent calendar, here is one you can get. All the items are wrapped inside! What's inside?? 

BTW -- speaking of advent calendars, did anyone sign up for the one at Stitch by Stitch in Kingston?? If so, can you e-mail me?? elainetheriault@gmail.com, I have a favor to ask of you! It's not painful and won't take long. 

Advent calendar!

Here's a Merry Christmas banner that is quick and easy to make. It's on a panel, so all you have to do is cut the triangles, put a backing on it and attach it to the hanging cord!!! You could get that done in time for Christmas!! Yes -- it's at Thimble Quilts and Sewing Company. 

Merry Christmas banner

And I was working on some embroidery with the Designer Embellishment Attachment for the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 2. So much fun. I'll share with you what I made, but only after the embroidery club sees it this morning!

Working with the Designer Embellishment Attachment

I have to unpack and pack for ONE more date! 

November 15, I'll be at Pins & Needles in Listowel, where I'll be hosting two seminars on quilting, so if you live close by, be sure to get signed up for that!

And as if that isn't enough, I'm running a four-part ZOOM session on mySewnet (hosted by Stitch by Sitch in Kingston), which includes the software, Wi-FI connectivity in the embroidery/sewing world and explaining what it's all about as it can be very confusing. I had to have it explained to me at least three times before I totally grasped the concept. The first session is on Monday, November 14. Even if you are not in the market for embroidery or (GASP) own a different brand of machine, this is going to be loads of fun to discover how the industry has changed! 

Next week, watch for the list of clubs I will host in 2023. I know what they are; I just need to schedule dates in my calendar, and I hope to do that this weekend! You can refer to this blog post if you can't remember what they are. Scroll down to the end --- in reality, there are only four new ones --- EQ8, Digital Cutters, the Jen Kingwell remedial class, and the Many Blocks project. Others, like the UFO Club, embroidery club, and Out of the Box, will continue, and at this point, there are NO or minimal spots open for 2023. You'll get the info next week. 

Wow --- what a whirlwind time! And I have a few classes or lectures that I want to sign up for, and I'm putting together a list of classes that I'll teach at Thimbles and Things starting in January --- OH --- so much fun!! I can't wait to share those with you! 

And just so you don't think I've gone off my rocker, I have NOT submitted any quilts to the US quilt publications for months. I think I'm over that, so that's a lot of pressure off my plate, but I still have A Needle Pulling Thread, QUILTsocial, my education job, and teaching/running clubs. So I think I might be done with one part of my "career" so I can focus on these other things. It's not that I didn't like designing the quilts; I can still do that, but now there is a little less pressure, and I'm not waiting for an editor to say "yeah" or "nay!"    

Don't worry --- I have plenty of time booked off for 2023, so don't think I'm pushing myself. My vacation stuff is already on my calendar, and my freelance stuff will have to work around that! And who do you know who takes about FOUR months off each year? Oh yes --- my time is important to me!!! Those four months are not altogether, of course! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! The girls are waiting, and since they missed their walk yesterday, they are anxiously waiting!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

It's all about LEARNING

 It's a challenging world out there. What is more important? Making money? or having more likes? 

It's a tough choice for a lot of designers, makers, doers! Really - how do people decide how to distribute their content? And how do you choose whether you want to watch the free stuff or the paid stuff? I will say that you need to be careful whether the content is free or not. Just because someone has a video camera does NOT mean that what they put online is good information. Some of what I've seen is terrible. 

Not only the quality of the video, but in some instances, the content is not appropriate, not reasonable, not practical, and undoubtedly not correct. Sadly, some people flock to this kind of stuff and think it's the best thing since sliced bread - they get caught up in the hype and the "personality." So the next time you watch a "great" video, and you're about to do what they do, think about it -- is it really the best way to do something? Just because a "celebrity" quilter says "do it this way." there are often much easier ways when you think about it. They are trying HARD to make it work, and sometimes -- it's just too much. 

All this means there is a TON of free information on the internet and all we have to do is search it out. And there are some excellent resources out there. 

The best thing is that we can be entertained for HOURS and never run out of stuff to watch. Now I'm not talking about entertainment -- I MEAN education stuff. 

I've been spending HOURS and HOURS downloading information (well - that's not free information for you) but relates to my job. And I learn stuff; I'll be sharing what I can with my students. 

However, here are some places to go and get information. 

Should you have a Husqvarna Viking or PFAFF sewing/embroidery machine and have no idea what all those functions are all about - check out Sewingnastery. It's a fantastic site -- it's actually a sewing machine dealer in the US, and she has hundreds of videos on her site for many brands of sewing and embroidery machines. 

And be sure to read the story about how that site came to be. It's pretty funny. 

Yes -- even I direct people to this site as they can't learn everything in a class I offer. Other dealers refer people to this site! Check it out. 

I found two good Youtube channels if you want to watch sewing/embroidery/quilting in FRENCH. One of them is a quilt designer - Claire Haillot, and the other is a sewing machine dealer in Quebec. 

Once a week, the full-time US educators run a Facebook live for one hour. This is for Husqvarna Viking and PFAFF. Nancy, Karen, and Mickey are doing a fabulous job of showing how-to videos for various techniques. Loads of learning!! And it's all FREE. 

If you're into long-arm quilting and want some info, Tracey from Whirls and Swirls is now doing Facebook live, and the little bit I saw yesterday was excellent. 

I know there are tons of other sites as well, and if you have a favorite - I'd love to see it. I'm all about education rather than entertainment, and those sites have been filling my free moments. If you check out any sewing machine or long arm brand on Youtube, I bet they also have tons of FREE information, and when it comes directly from an official source (company or dealer), you can bet that it's the BEST there is to offer. 

Let's not forget the amount of FREE stuff out there - manuals, tutorials, quilting motifs, and gosh knows what else. With all the free stuff, it amazes me that people still want to sign up for courses! I LOE having access to any sewing machine manual, accessory guides, all FREE to download. My DAd is exactly like me -- he watches Youtube all the time, and is constantly downloading manuals, except his manuals and videos have to do with engines and CNC, not sewing machines!

We had our All in a Row Quilt class this past weekend. I'll share my quilt with you. It's super cute, and I'm happy to say that all of what you see is together! I have part of a second quilt done and working on a third, but those will have to wait. This has been a learning experience, even for me! I must say that I struggled a bit with value. 

All in a Row quilt minus the inner border sides and the outer border

I really wanted blue skies, and my blues were probably a bit too dark as some of my greens bled into the blue. Look at the trees above the camper row -- we can't see all of the treetops -- I could have used darker greens to avoid that. The same thing in the row near the bottom with the colored cross blocks -- there are green flying geese between them, and they don't show. 

And then this happened when I was trimming my applique. 

Usually, when trimming applique, you want to have at least ¼"  beyond the applique for the seam allowances. 

Seam allowance

I was very focused on getting this row to the correct height WITHOUT checking all the parts. So I had to whack off the tip of the owl's ear. I had already sliced into the background when I realized what was going to happen. 

Off with his ear

I put this in here not so you can feel badly about my owl or my green fabrics, but to realize that these are NOT mistakes and not to be lamented or worried about. I was a wee bit disappointed in the owl, but seriously people -- this is a quilt. It's a learning experience - even after 20+ years of quilting, I still make mistakes, and I'm still learning. When I have assimilated everything, that's it -- game over. Time to find a new hobby.  

No one got hurt, no blood was shed - only the tip of that owl's ear got nipped. A hawk bit the end of the ear off - that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. 

The values in the trees? Yep -- real-life learning lesson. I'm so beyond worrying about whether something is right or wrong. This is a HOBBY, and it's supposed to be fun. 

I know some students are PARALYZED about doing something for fear of choosing the wrong colors or making a cutting mistake. That doesn't sound like fun to me. Nope -- I just go for it, and if it doesn't work out -- that's a learning experience, and well - I can poke fun at myself for making such a silly mistake. 

The owls are whimsical, and in the grand scheme of things, if I didn't tell you his ear got nipped, you can't see that in the quilt. I mean -- really -- what does it matter? 

A wee nip!

Trust me -- when I started to quilt, EVERYTHING had to be perfect. I drove myself nuts. But I gradually realized that this is fabric and this is a hobby. NOTHING is perfect, and the more mistakes you make, the freer you become in what you do and the more fun it becomes. Make things like the pattern? I hardly ever do - I barely read the instructions - even when teaching a pattern. I teach it the way I think it should be done, not how the author wrote the pattern. Otherwise, what's the point of me teaching it? You may as well read the instructions and follow them!!!

Yep -- I'm a rebel, and I LOVE it. I relish it and hate to make my quilts like the book or pattern. What's the point? Everyone will have the same quilt. Nope -- I like to go out on a limb, and if my ear gets nipped, it's gets nipped. Put a bandaid on it and move on! 

It's going to be a busy day. Software club and two presentations. I'm almost ready for the software club. I think I need to change my laptop back to English. Or I move the second computer downstairs where I know the software is English. Or I bring up a backdrop and do the class from here. That might be way easier! Working in two languages can be a hassle since I can't have an English and a French version of the software simultaneously. It needs to be ONE or the other. That's a hassle. But I'll cope with it!

WAIT a minute  -- my computer desk is on wheels. I can rotate it and get a lovely backdrop. OK --- so I just tested it, and it works. Only to realize that the software club is NEXT week, not today!!! No wonder I couldn't find the link this morning. But it's there - NEXT week. I have some extra time this morning, and I'm all prepped for the club NEXT week. 

I got a LOT of sewing done on Monday, and I'll share the pictures later this week.  I think the groups I sewed the projects for should get to see them FIRST, and then you get to see it! 

On that note, I"m out of here! More videos to watch, more free stuff to enjoy!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Get up and dance!

OK --- so I don't know how people can function in a day if they don't move. I've been trying to be really careful with what I eat. OK - so I've not been careful and it seems like it's all about the desserts here.

A sampling of desserts from last night

Yep - we went out last night and we got desserts to go (part of the daily special). I've been very bad and let others influence me in that area. I've cut down the amount I ate in the day and I've cut down the dinner, but it's the damn sugar that is killing me. I feel like I weight 50 pounds extra with all the bloating caused by the sugar. STOP eating the damn sugar.

I have leftovers in my fridge for tonight - including leftover dessert which I should toss, but this is a special treat. Why? I've no idea. No mental strength to throw it away. 

I went out for a long walk yesterday morning. I managed to get over 5,00 steps so I was very happy about that. Because by the time I got into bed quite late last night, I realized that I was short by about 700 steps to get in 10,000 for the day. I lay there for a few minutes and couldn't live with myself and my stomach needed to get up and have a good rumble. I walked the halls after 11 PM last night until I reached 10,000. I need to get those numbers back up to get back on track with my virtual challenges.

I'm behind - not by much and a couple of good days at home will change that. It's amazing how few of us here are concerned about what we eat and how much exercise we get. The absolute worst thing they can do is eat lots and then sit. It's awful - I feel awful. So I'm trying with the morning walk to fix part of that.

Yesterday was another incredible day. We've had some amazing presentations with loads of information and inspiration. I'm beyond myself with ideas and things to do.

Now here's the thing - for those that know me, I'm all about passion. If I love doing something - then I'm one of the most passionate people out there. I passionate about things working properly and well - I'm not one to sit on the sidelines.

So there's something that I got very passionate about yesterday and it was also mentioned the day before. There's nothing like repeating the same concern multiple times and hopefully, the concern will sink in.

One of the big guys is coming back today to spend a bit of time about something that I've been pretty vocal about. We heard about that last night at 5 PM when we were on our way out the door for dinner.

After dinner, I spent several hours with a couple of my colleagues and had a few others provide some feedback via e-mail. Then I worked on the presentation late last night and I'll present it this morning. Let's just say that it was late when I finally went to bed. I've been up early this morning to polish and add a few more things. I'm excited and can't wait to present this morning. This is the kind of thing that gets me hyper excited. Whether it'll fall on deaf ears or not (as often happens in corporations - been there, done that), but the fact that he is coming back because of this issue - I'm excited.

That's the optimist in me - always look on the bright side. And if nothing happens - well - it's not my boat. I'm sorry that none of what we've seen this week can be shared with you. But that's OK - that's just how it has to be. But you're going to see a whole lot of exciting things coming up - whether it's from my personal creations or whether it's from the company.

We chatted about our upcoming projects for 2020 and well - I couldn't sit back there either! As a result, I've got to get my thinking cap on. Deadlines have been set  - let the creativity begin! And with my new found serger skills and a commitment to myself to become 150% proficient with the sewing/embroidery machines - well who knows what's possible.

One of the group lives in LA. She is the most eccentric (in a very good way) of us all and dresses so funky. She's the Miss Congeniality amongst us. Her husband is an actor. I would love to do a road trip to LA to visit her. Hey Quilt Posse????  Are we up for a trip to LA??? 

There is an amazing garment district in LA or a sewing district - I'm not sure which. Anyway - this is a button that Monica had sitting on her desk. I'm not sure if it's for someone. If she doesn't move it - I might have to steal it. But isn't this adorable???

Sorry - this is short and sweet this morning. My brain is running on steroids and I need to finish my breakfast and go for a walk to clear it out. My new longer path is the perfect distance. Just one small length that has no sidewalk and no shoulder. A bit harrowing, but I can manage.

On that note, I'm out of here.

Have a super day!!!  A really super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

How to walk 10,000 steps in a day

I LOVE Elle's comment from yesterday. How excited she is to see where I walked my 10,000 steps. Well, you're going to love this story.

First off - here are my WHITE shoes. They're actually not that bad once I started walking with them. They're comfy. And now they're mine!! Actually, they were pretty comfy - just the tongue of one shoe needs to be adjusted a wee bit.

My white shoes

When you're in a new location, one must start by checking Google Maps to see where you are and the potential for walking paths. Hmm - there are some potential roads around the hotel. I can walk those. Keep in mind that we are NOT in Nashville proper. We are in the suburb of Smyrna. The hotels are close to the interstate and we're in a somewhat new development of hotels.

I started off on the sidewalk that passes by the hotel. The sidewalk ended at the entrance to the complex. ZIP for sidewalks alongside the main road. Hmm - there's a sidewalk on the other side of the street, I'll go back up towards the hotel. Then I took another side road in this complex and thought I'd walk along the back along the smaller roadway on the other side of this complex. No sidewalk once I reached the smaller roadway. That's OK - I walked on the opposite side of the road facing traffic. Trees on one side and undeveloped land on the other. I reached the rest of the road system that I was going to walk - NO TRESPASSING and it was a muddy trail.

Seriously????  OK - so back to the roads with the sidewalks. There are more roads on the other side of the hotel. I arrived only to find that it was a gated community! Gates are closed - well, one gate was open. But again, big signs NO TRESPASSING and I wasn't going in if the gate was going to be shut when I wanted to come back out.

Next, I ducked into the parking lot of the hotel beside us and walked the perimeter of that hotel parking lot. Then I repeated that process several times to get close to 4,000 steps. The most interesting thing I saw????  These poor pansies.

Pansies - not frozen, but not warm either

Once the sun came out, it started to warm up pretty quickly. It wasn't cold so it was a pleasant walk, but I do have my orange jacket and a scarf. No hat.

Then I was off to meet my colleagues so we could drive to the office. I managed to get a few more thousand steps in during the day, but when I arrived at the hotel after dinner, I still had 1,000 steps to go. I was NOT going to achieve my goal for the day, so I decided to walk the hall of the hotel. Oh yes - it was crazy.

It's a long hallway. I took this picture from one end. I wonder if once along that hallway will give me 1,000 steps. WRONG!!!!

The hallway at the hotel

This hotel is a Hilton Home2 Suites mixed with Hilton Tru which are rooms. The room section of the hallway looks like this.

The Tru side of the Hilton hallway

And the Home 2 section looks like this. It looks all warm and inviting with the lights outside the door and warmer colors.

The Home 2 side of the hallway

Here you can see the break between the two which is near the elevators.

The two different sections

I'm on the third floor in the Home2 section. I walked from my room to the end of the hallway. Then I went down to the second floor and walked the entire length. Oh boy - not nearly enough steps. I took the stairs back up to the 4th floor and walked back the other way. I had to do that about 4 times to get 1,000 steps!!!  Oh my goodness - what we will do to keep up to a goal.

But I was glad I did. With all the sitting - I'm just not used to that!!!!

I had a crazy person above me or beside me this morning. They tromped around their room and made a ton of noise, slammed the door on the way out. Now it's so quiet!!!  They are HUGE signs around telling us the quiet hours are between 10 PM and 8 AM. OH shoot - there's still someone tromping over me. I guess I had two culprits.


Elle - NO exciting scenery around Nashville. Just trees and pansies!!! I'm going to take a slightly different route today to see how that is. It's partly where I walked the last time we were in the area. Hopefully, it works out.

It was a great day yesterday. We got to see all the educators and I think everyone is here together. They really are a fun and totally creative group and the level of creativity and knowledge is beyond my wildest dreams. There are times when I think that I'm not worthy to be in that group. I've got so much to learn and yet I know a lot. Sometimes, I need to jump outside the box a little bit more than I am. It just that there's not enough time in each day.

I'm comfortable knowing that there's enough learning to go on that I'll be busy for the rest of my sewing days and that makes me very happy. And the technology - it's not just about the sewing machines, but it's about how to hook up phones as cameras and projecting them and integrating it into a presentation that will wow the socks off the customers.

So I learned a ton of things in the morning. Then it was onto more learning in the afternoon. I struggled a wee bit after lunch. I don't normally eat that much for lunch - note to self - don't eat a lot at lunch. I had to get up and walk around the room a wee bit just to stay awake. It's not that the presentation wasn't interesting, it's just that I'm so not used to sitting for so long.

After that presentation, we got to do some fun stuff. Hit the sewing machines!!!  Margaret and I had opted to work on the sergers and we came super prepared. Between us (but mostly because of Margaret), we had stuff ready to try out the new decorative and utility feet for the Husqvarna Viking Amber Air s400.  Emily, who is the serger queen, helped us through.

Our samples waiting to be sewn

 Holy   -- it makes a HUGE difference to have someone like them sit beside you. I struggled a wee bit with some parts, but now I feel like I can do that all on my own. I got tips for threading the serger - not that I couldn't do it, but I wasn't doing it quite properly. This is where I should be playing more to find out why it isn't working just the way it's supposed to. Well, totally operator error all the way!!  Some of the others got in on what we were doing and it was great to get the feedback from everyone.

Lots of cool techniques for making finished edges on the serger. Stabilizing seams and a whole lot of other techniques. I've not sewn a whole lot on a serger and certainly, not a ton of garments. However, I want to try some of these techniques out. What am I going to make? I need to make samples!!!! 

We didn't get finished all the feet - we got about half of them done. So we're going to spend part of the day today, learning about the rest of the feet and a few more presentations. It's all very exciting and I'm so lucky to be part of this group.

On that note, I'm out of here. I'm heading out a wee bit earlier today as I'm not quite sure how long it'll take to walk my new loop and it's a loop - there's no cutting through. I can't be late or I won't have a ride to the office.

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!