Let's find a hobby - hurrah for craft kits!!

It's amazing what you can learn by asking perfect strangers! And even complimenting a perfect stranger is amazing. I've run into two instances where I saw someone wearing a garment that looked custom-made for them. The fit and the color were perfect. And I told them both - one in line at the grocery store, and the other in a restaurant. I think both were a bit taken aback that I would approach them until they realized what I was saying! 

Funny how we are reluctant to interact with a stranger even when they have good news! 

Well, I survived the time change. However, I had the most bizarre dream. I was dreaming in my dream - does that ever happen? DH woke me up to tell me to turn the electricity back on and set the clocks or something to that effect! 

Thankfully, we only have two devices that need to be set manually - the stove and the microwave. Easy peasy - it's already done. The rest change automatically, so if it weren't for those two appliances, the time change would be a non-issue in our house. I don't think "old time" or "new time" - I just think current time! 

I grew up in Saskatchewan, and I had a discussion (I believe I mentioned this on the blog) with someone and was shocked to realize that Saskatchewan stopped changing the time in 1966!!!! Who knew? 

I have more stuff from the magazines, but I have other stuff to share as well. It was the Family and Friends version of the virtual puzzling. It was NOT a competition and was not timed - thank goodness for that- but the first team to finish did so in 33 minutes!!! But there were about 5 of them, so that makes sense. 

The puzzle was cute and YES - it was a Halloween puzzle. But when I opened the box, I knew I was in trouble - the pieces were huge, and I didn't have enough space on my table. 

There's the box wrapped in the shipping label, and before we started, we were able to open the box and remove the plastic wrap. 

The wrapped puzzle

I think this was about the 33-minute mark when the first team was done! I was still working on the border. 

After 33 minutes

At 90 minutes, they called the event done! I think many people were finished, but then again, they were working in groups, and I was working alone. It would have been nice to work with a friend or family member, but hey—at least I was there. And the host said it was fun to work on a surprise puzzle. I agree, but you don't need to buy them this way - get a friend to give you a puzzle wrapped up, and then you have to work on that! 

After 90-minutes

After the Zoom closed, I removed all the pieces from the inside of the frame. It was driving me nuts. 

AH -- some room to work - this is better.

Later in the afternoon, I went back and finished the puzzle, and it took me 2:18 minutes. I timed myself, just for fun! That was 20 minutes faster than the cat puzzle. Both were 500 pieces. It was a Cobblehill with all the crazy shapes, which helps, and yet it doesn't!

The puzzle is done! 

I would have been much faster if I had clued into the picture. Most people started by working on the individual rooms, which I sort of did, but not with the vengeance that other teams did. Imagine if you have five people working on the puzzle and they each take two or three rooms—of course, they are going to be done way before me!!!

I also bought a third puzzle for a virtual event this coming weekend, but I won't be able to attend because of work. I'm glad I participated in the events, and I'm glad I finished the puzzles. It was interesting to learn the times, and I might do some timed "events" myself - perhaps redo these puzzles to see how I do. But speed puzzling? I don't think it's my thing. I love being able to spread out the pieces, take time to do the border, and enjoy the process. 

But I tried, and that's what counts!!

I had to pop out to Michaels for some paint, and while I was there, I browsed the shelves. They have tons and tons of kits, which is great if anyone is looking for a hobby. Everything you need is in the kit. They have their brand - Loops and Threads and seem to be ramping that up. Probably since Joann's is no longer around, they are filling the gap. 

Felting kits

They had all kinds of kits - felting, embroidery, punchneedle, etc. 

Other types of kits at Michaels

They also had some crochet kits. 

Crochet kits

Knitting was a huge deal several years ago, and I think it still is. But crochet seems to have stepped up its game. 

When I later went to Chapters (didn't buy anything), I spotted more crochet kits. 

Crochet kits at Chapters

I spotted this at Michaels - a banner bar. How cute for dressing up a room. So even if you can't "make" things, you can buy the components and make something. 

The Banner Bar at Michaels

And here are some of the components. 

Some components of the Banner Bar

Back to Chapters where diamond art is big, as are those 3D models. Diamond art is huge these days, and Michaels had a ton of it as well. 

Diamond art and 3D model kits

Chapters also had an "adult activity " table with adult puzzle books. And I spotted this sign in Chapters somewhere. 

Why we love hobbies

And this is why we have hobbies!!!! I love it, and it's a shame that some people never experience that. We NEED to encourage young people to get involved. STOP scrolling. 

Someone mentioned in a comment that I must have 30 hours in my day. Nope—I have several things that save me time. No TV- I haven't watched in over 16 years now, although I will watch some movies and mostly learning tools on YouTube. I was watching videos of this young couple rebuilding their house, but in the last video I saw, I think they were still putting the roof on. They have now been living in the house for ten months. Oh -- I guess I'm behind! 

This is a motto that I found in my tea yesterday that I love, and it helps me to be more aware of how I spend my time. 

A great motto to live by

Other areas where I gain time—STOP SCROLLING. I do scroll, but I do it consciously. I don't let the hours pass by. I get that it's fun to watch all the stuff and you can get sucked down a rabbit hole, but do I really want to live my life watching strangers make money because I'm watching them? 

While these people make videos for fun, they also earn a decent living from the number of people who follow them, like them, and watch their videos. I spotted a video the other day of a man posting about his wife who had some health issues. He was "pleading" for people to sign up so he could get 350K followers, so his wife could make some money and buy some things she deserved. 

At what point will that bubble burst? It will! And then what will all these content creators do? How will they earn a living if no one watches? 

While I enjoy scrolling, I keep it tightly controlled and am happy not to be watching the most up-to-date video. I don't care. 

I also NEVER go into Pinterest, which is a rabbit hole! I won't touch it with a ten-foot pole. My version of Pinterest comes from my head when walking the girls. I look at things, and I use my imagination to dream up ideas. And a single picture can be the starting point for me. I may do some searching (consciously) to expand on the idea, but I don't scroll just to be inspired. 

I wanted to share a couple of other pictures - I guess the magazine treasures will have to wait until tomorrow. 

This was the floor number on one of my hotels. This is made of a felt-type fabric. It reminded me of a young girl (not sure where she lives) who cuts up old yarn and other fibers, adds glue, presses it flat to dry, then cuts it up. 

The floor number

So the "2" shape gets cut from the blue as well as the grey. Then the blue "2" is popped out, and the grey "2" is inserted. 

There is no seam

There was the tiniest gap in this one, so I knew it was the same technique as I had spotted on Instagram. 

The insert isn't quite in position.

I don't want to give you someone else to follow, but here's a short clip of her work, and it's fascinating. I love that a young person is interested in saving the world by making things with recycled textiles. I think she mostly uses yarn, but I've seen others use shredded pieces of textile waste to make the same thing. Can you imagine the insulation factor in that material? 

Speaking of glue, I had to glue some appliqué last night, and I realized that this container of glue I bought MANY years ago is finally empty. So I set it upside down on another container to get the last dregs (come on—you would have done the same). The empty container is now in the garbage, and I have a full container to work with in the future. 

Draining out the last bit of glue!

How about these signs on the bathrooms at Tim's? 

OK—so I recycled one more magazine, but while I was initially searching through the piles, I also pulled this stack out. Some magazines regarding machine embroidery. Seriously??? Why wouldn't I be reading those now instead of waiting until I no longer do machine embroidery? So that stack is also sitting on the puzzle table - hence the small space available to do that large-sized 500-piece puzzle. 

Magazines about machine embroidery

And did you know that PFAFF used to have a magazine? I love the title—especially since the whole thing behind all the connectivity with SVP (Singer, PFAFF, and Husqvarna Viking) these days is CREATIVATE!!! I couldn't find a date on it. 

A PFAFF Creative magazine

And in the magazine, I spotted a flyer for a PFAFF store just a few minutes from my house! Actually, I remember visiting the store - it was inside Bouclair when Bouclair sold fabric. I was not a PFAFF person at the time, so I probably only went there to buy fabric. 

That is all long gone!!!!

Here are my two beauties "begging" to go to the grocery store with me. They stayed home. 

MOM - can we come to the grocery store with you?

After Miss Lexi fluffed up her quilt, she lay in the sun. And now you wonder why that dog sheds like mad!!! I brush her daily, but it does no good. 

Fast asleep in her little world 

We haven't put out Halloween candy in a long time, as our street is mostly adults only now. But we have a couple of new families with kids, so I thought I'd get some mini chocolate bars, and since we were going out for dinner, I left them in a bowl on a small table. That was at 5:30 PM. 

Trick or Treat

When we got home at 7:30 PM, five chocolate bars were left. At 8 o'clock, someone kept ringing my bell because the bowl was empty. I grabbed the bowl and my tea towel and shut off the lights. There were hardly any lights on our street, so I don't know why there were so many kids on it. YES—I know most kids probably took way more than one! That's OK. 

But the houses with kids that I expected to have lights on did not. So next year? I won't hand out candy! 

October was a bit of a crazy month - the weekends just filled up so fast. And there was no time for a Virtual Retreat. BUT there will be one in November - the dates are November 28 and 29. 

And there is no time left to delve into the magazine treasures, so that will have to wait for tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

A mystery is solved in the middle of the night

The other day I wrote about leaving my wallet at the store and thinking I didn't have access to any money, so I wouldn't be able to buy any food except what was in the hotel snack bar that I could charge to my room. I considered setting up a digital wallet on my phone so I could have access to my credit card and perhaps even my debit card. I really don't understand the wallet, so I have never investigated it. 

Then I realized I have a digital wallet with my Tim's app. When I pay for something at that restaurant, I use my phone, not a credit card. Hmm  - I would not have starved! 

I am HOME! But not for long, as I'll be leaving in less than a couple of hours for West Lorne, and I have two presentations on the PFAFF creative icon 3 at Heather Bell's Sewing Studio. That's exciting, as I love showing the new features and benefits. As I say to everyone, you don't necessarily have to be in the market for a new machine, but it's fascinating to come out and discover what is changing in the world of sewing and embroidery. 

I do that with competitive brands - not that I want to buy their brand, but I want to see what is happening in the sewing and embroidery world. 

It was an early-morning flight, and the first gas station I went to wasn't open, but it did solve a mystery. 

The night before, when I had walked to Michaels, I was mystified by this. 

The parking lot is a mess.

The parking lot was covered in bird poo and feathers. It looked like a massive explosion had occurred with a flock of birds. 

Well, imagine my surprise when I circled through the gas station to find myself facing this. 

AHA - the source of the mess

The parking lot for that entire plaza was covered with birds. I'm not sure if they were pigeons or some other bird, but they were everywhere!! They were not in the gas station parking lot, so I didn't disturb them when I drove through. I have never seen that before, but then I'm not usually in a parking lot at 3:45 AM either! 

I filled the car with gas, then headed to the airport, and everything went smoothly. I didn't have to use the automatic bag drop, so scanning wasn't an issue. 

The car rental place was open late when I needed to pick up the car, but it wasn't open for drop-off, which I knew, but it's not a big deal. There is a drop box for the keys and a small piece of paper you are supposed to fill out with the mileage and something else. Of course, I forgot to get the mileage, and I couldn't find a pen anyway, so I simply dropped the keys. I got my receipt later in the day, so someone got the mileage from the car. 

And while I attempted to clean the bugs off the windshield, someone will have a bit of scrubbing to do! Thank goodness for unlimited mileage - I didn't have to pay extra for that trip to the Battlefords! Just gas. 

My suitcase was a wee bit over the 50 lbs limit, but I didn't care! My status allows me to carry suitcases as heavy as 70 lbs, but who in their right mind wants to manhandle a 70 lb suitcase? Not me - 50 is bad enough. By the way, I made my 35K status on this flight, so I'm good for next year. If I make the next status level, great - if I don't, it's no big deal. That status allows me access to the lounge, which I would rarely have time for, so I won't miss that perk. And I'm certainly NOT going to the airport early just for the lounge. 

This plane was interesting. After I book my flights, I then have the opportunity to apply for an upgrade. I hadn't purchased the same level of ticket I typically do, and I thought that was why there was no chance to request an upgrade. BUT when we got on the plane, I saw what the "issue" was. This plane had NO premium economy or business class. All rows were economy! I've never seen that in a plane before. It was like getting on a giant bus! The plane was new as well, so that must be something they are implementing on some of the routes. The seat looked very uncomfortable, but it wasn't bad. 

I purchased a couple of things, which made my suitcase heavier on the way out than on the way home. There are two Halloween fabrics. Yes—I do not need Halloween fabrics, but they were darn cute, and one was on sale at the quilt store, and one came from Michaels. 

Left from the quilt store, right from Michaels

I also bought this panel which was on sale at the quilt shop. It's darn cute and would make a great quilt for a child with an up-and-coming green thumb!!

A cute panel from the quilt store

I knew it was raining before we landed as DH had let me know. But it was raining quite hard, and of course my luggage got wet. I have to laugh because as part of my status, my bags are supposed to go priority. That means they're among the first to come off the plane. The ticket agent even flagged them with the red stickers. But alas, they weren't anywhere near the front of the bags that came off the plane. But they didn't take too long to arrive at the carousel, so all was good. 

BUT they were wet, and that was concerning since one was filled with my samples. I don't bother putting them in plastic as that would be a hassle. I've only had issues with wet bags once before, and that was in Montreal, when one of my samples with a red binding bled slightly. 

So the minute I got home, I unpacked, and sure enough, water had penetrated the sample suitcase, but not much got wet and nothing was damaged. I am in the market for a new suitcase because one of the wheels on this one doesn't work as well as it should, and it's a hassle to push it anywhere. 

Everything got removed, sorted into what I need to take with me and what stays home. Then I sorted them into the groups I need for the new features. I have one small thing to add this morning and then throw the suitcase into the car. 

But my oh my --- there were two happy girls to greet me! Lexi now has selective hearing and didn't hear me come home, but when she realized, she was happy. Murphy? She was beside herself. Which, typically, I don't mind. However, she was WET from the rain, and she got sprayed by a skunk - again! Thankfully, it wasn't much, but she still stinks! 

And she wants to rub against my leg? I was instantly wet! 

MOM's home!

Yes, our crazy dog in her demented state seems to think it's fun to lie outside in the pouring rain. Then she comes in and shakes, and well, it was a disaster zone. But it has stopped raining, and the house is dry. She slept upstairs last night, and all was good. She doesn't seem to want to be alone by herself on the main floor, and even with the crazy storms we had, she is not interested in hiding in the stash room like she used to. Oh well—life changes for us, and it does for our girls. 

Currently she is curled up in her tiny dog bed in the office, which is something she hasn't done in a long time - since the beginning of the summer- so that is a positive sign. 

We are learning to cope, and that is all that counts. 

I wasn't ready to jump into sewing, and what else could I do? I started a new ebook and worked through a third of it, but I also opened up the next jigsaw puzzle, found all but one of the border pieces, and started on the sky. 

Progress on the next jigsaw puzzle

I was a bit hesitant to start on the sky, but as you can see, there wasn't a lot of it, so it was perfect. I don't think all puzzles put a date on them, but this one did, and it's dated 2008! Almost 20 years old. Let's hope that all the pieces are there - it's only 750 pieces, so it shouldn't take too long to put together. This will be a quicky to get me to the end of the month, although that is a week away, and then I can work on the theme puzzle for September. It's actually not a theme, but a brand - Eurographics! 

I'm not going to set a quota, but it would be nice to do one a week! I need to do one a week to work through my stash. I am not alone—I see pictures of people's puzzle stashes online and OH MY!!!! Puzzlers are hoarders, just like quilters!

The good news is there is a Virtual Retreat this coming weekend! Yeah!!! It feels like we haven't had a proper Virtual Retreat all summer, and I miss chatting with my "virtual" friends. It will be good to catch up. I'll post the links on Friday to try to keep Zoom off my back. They do not like posting links online. 

Once I'm back from today, I need to get myself working on the distribution lists for the upcoming classes, so be sure to watch for that. And if you are still on the fence about signing up, this is the last call. After this week, I should have everything set. If you or a friend are interested, then check out the list. Send me an email—the scrap class, by the way, is FULL. Don't even bother going to Thimbles and Things to sign up. That filled up FAST. 

I want to warn you that I may need to switch a date or two from what I published because of work, but you'll get that information shortly. I'm super excited to get started on our new projects!!!

I'll let you know when the emails go out, and if you don't get it, you can get in touch with me and see what happened. Everything will be in good time, but it all needs to be done by the end of this week. 

I will be hosting a Facebook Live on the new PFAFF creative icon 3 on September 9. I'll share more details later this week. It is only 1 hour, and my in-person presentations are 3. Hmmm—how am I going to condense that information into one hour? At least I don't have to make any samples—that is done! 

And on that note, I have to get the fabrics for my demos into the suitcase, then walk the girls, and I'm off. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Out with the old and in with the new!!!

Yesterday was a transition day. While I accomplished stuff, I was almost like a slug on a rug! I wasn't going anywhere fast! But that's OK. I don't really have any time-sensitive stuff to deal with, but there are always loads that I want to accomplish. 

I started by spending almost an hour in the backyard weeding and cleaning up! I decided to cave and call the gardener guy, who will come next week, but in the meantime, I'll continue to clean up so it doesn't look like a complete jungle. It's really not that bad at all - the beauty of having a backyard that is devoted to NO grass, and some areas are so dry that NOTHING grows there. It's a great space for dogs! 

Of course, I had a supervisor to make sure that all was going as planned. Why she plunks herself in the middle of the plants is beyond me, but seriously? I don't care. If that is where she wants to lie down, then so be it! I managed to get all the creeping vine (or I hope I did) out of that little space on the left. That creeping vine is the worst, and if you let it go, it just grows like mad. 

My supervisor while weeding

And we still have flowers in the backyard. Whoever planned the plants was pretty good (not me!) because we have flowers almost all summer long. 

Pink Rose of Sharon

White Rose of Sharon

Hostas

Hostas are funny because I have another one just on the other side of the path and it's not doing so well. Of course, I do NOT water my garden, and the other hosta gets more sun, so I suspect it's just too dry and hot in that location. I might think of replacing it with something. But what? Our garden doesn't need watering - it was intentional! 

I wanted LOW maintenance, and the only thing that needs to be done is the weeding and the occasional pruning, which is what will happen next week. I want to be able to enjoy that backyard without spending huge amounts of time maintaining it. And we got exactly what we wanted! 

I should mention that our neighbor got the waterfall in his pond working again, and it's louder than ours, so it sounds like we have this huge fountain in the back! Very hypnotizing!!!!

As I was trying to get myself organized in the morning, I attempted to clean up the remaining items on the puzzle table. I found a couple of containers of half-square triangles that need to be sewn, pressed, and trimmed. While I mostly use them for enders and leaders, I have MANY, so it wouldn't hurt to stitch some of these during the Virtual Retreat tonight. It's a mindless task, and I doubt I could make any mistakes!

A stack of triangles to make half-square triangles

I sewed and pressed two of them. 

Two half-square triangles

They were in this small tin, but the tin is now empty, and it's in the giveaway pile. I don't need cute little tins anymore. Hmmm -- it is cute - it could be used for some small supply. I might just rescue that. 

A now-empty tin

And I sorted some more triangles and put them on the tray beside the sewing machine. Good grief - I found another pile (the light ones in the top left) that are way too small to be spending time on, so they are now in the scrap bin. 

Sorting more triangles for HSTs

I even took some time to work in my gratitude puzzle book. There was a page for writing down the goals for the month, and I listed those. I may not refer back to that list, but it's great to write things down. It just helps to keep my brain in working order! And what I find is that if I am NOT in control (as in having lists), I get scattered and it's hard to function. A list? Perfect!!!

This was the puzzle I did yesterday - a maze. I have no idea why, but mazes are so much easier to do when you start at the end and work your way to the start. Why is that? 

The maze in my gratitude puzzle book

WAIT - I know. Because if you are doodling free motion quilt designs, they work so much better if you start at the bottom of the page (quilt) and work your way back!!! Trust me --- so much easier!!!

Then I was off as I had a couple of errands to accomplish. 

The first stop was to pick up my package that came from the US. This is a Dowdle Puzzle commemorating America 250!!!!! It was only available in the US, and so I had it shipped to my US address. Once it arrived, I filled out the paperwork and paid $20, including the HST (tax), to have it shipped across the border. No duty - just tax and shipping to Canada from Niagara Falls, NY. 

The America 250 Dowdle Puzzle

It is a beautiful puzzle, and I really wanted it. I haven't had a chance to really focus on all the detail, but there are loads of special items in the puzzle. That will be for the winter! 

I don't use that service much, but it's so convenient. What's even more convenient is that they now have a second pickup location in my city, and it's even closer to my house. It's right in the area where I shop! Perfect!!!

The next stop was Fabricland, and they were having a sale, and the place was PACKED!!!! What are all those people making? I wanted to ask, but there was no time. I let one person get her cord measured in the middle of getting my stuff cut. Then I was folding my fabric while the ticket got written up, and I helped with the large rolls of what I was buying! I can't share yet!!!! 

BUT as I got to the cash register, I saw something I NEEDED to have. I have found these burlap shopping bags to be the best bags ever. I had one from Stonehenge that eventually wore out, and now my Longo's bag is starting to see better days. 

My Longo's bag

The inside of all these bags has a plastic-coated surface adhered to the burlap. They are the right size, lightweight, and fairly inexpensive. I'm sure I paid less than $10 for that bag several years ago. I just love them. They are not worth trying to repair. I also asked at the grocery store if they still sold them, and the answer is NO. 

The plastic is breaking down.

Not only is the plastic coating breaking down, but the burlap fibers have broken down. And I'm afraid I may lose small things or that the bag will split open when I'm on the way home from the grocery store. I have one street to cross to get to the store, and I can imagine that it would be during that crossing that the bag would split! It was time to do something about it, but what? 

The corners of the bag are almost toast!

As I approached the cash at Fabricland, I spotted burlap bags!!!! No WAY!!!!! It's so pretty, and the price was right - it was on sale at $14.00 or something like that. SOLD!!!! 

My new burlap bag

The handles are a bit different from the Longos' bag, but the bags are roughly the same size. I was pretty excited, and I have retired the Longo's bag, although I am going to rescue the handles. They are like a soft rope and are very comfortable!! 

The new and the old

How was that for a great find? I'm good for the next couple of years, and then when I need a new one -- it will appear. It's like being on the Camino - when you need something, it will show up. You just have to be patient!!

Then I was off to Michaels, where I was stunned to see the Halloween stuff. Actually, I knew the Halloween stuff was out because I had been there last week or two weeks ago. BUT the amount of space the Halloween stuff took up was unbelievable, and there is every kind of thing Halloween-related you could possibly want, including an entire shelving unit with tarot cards and astrological stuff. 

One section of the Halloween decor

And so help me god, but when I saw the assorted collections of ribbons and trims, I caved. This is one of my favorite things, and OK - I confess, I bought a book of Halloween paper. I am not a Halloween fanatic, but I love the colors, and well, I just had to have the stuff. I hope to spend a bit of time this summer playing around and making a book or something and embellishing it with the ribbons, or I'll find something to make on the sewing machine! 

Halloween trim collections

WAIT -- that reminds me that I have three witches stitched out on the embroidery machine and they need to be made into something. I need to dig those out so they will be ready in time for Halloween and I can embellish them with the ribbons. I only bought two of the six collections. But I did find the other things I was looking for, except for the tool to set my snaps in my shirt! So I'm going to have to buy that online, and I found a store in Chatham that sells the tool. 

I'm also on the hunt for 100% cotton denim. Dark on the outside and light on the inside. NO SPANDEX please!!! I have a bit more investigating to do, but 100% cotton denim is becoming a very hard thing to find. Spandex messes up the felting process big time, so I need 100% cotton.

Then it was time to get to work. My brain wasn't quite functioning up to its normal speed because when I did some machine embroidery, I goofed. The first part of the stitching is felting and doesn't require a stabilizer. But once the felting is done, you need to flip the hoop and do the embroidery. AHA --- that is what is possible with the Special Techniques Hoop. It's a flippable hoop, and I LOVE it. 

ACK -- forgot the stabilizer

So while the arm wasn't so bad, I didn't like it, so I had to rip out those stitches, add stabilizer, and redo it! Sigh.................

No stabilizer - not good (not good enough!)

I'm doing some more of the same type of designs today, and I'm leaving the stabilizer right beside the embroidery machine!

I'm testing out some techniques with the felting, and I ended up stitching THREE of the snowmen in total. One you already saw, as I finished it and took it with me to Nashville. So I stitched two more of them yesterday. I will finish them off later this coming week, or I might even do some of it tonight. 

The snowman I finished last week

I have three more designs to stitch today, and I really hope to stitch a fourth one, but that might be pushing my limits. Well, not my limits - but these designs take time, and I only have one embroidery machine that will stitch them out. 

I'll do what I can! 

So while the embroidery machine is madly working away, I'm getting ready to test that quilt pattern that I promised I'd do as a favor for someone. OK - I wanted the pattern, and this is a good way to get it in advance without paying for it. OK -- that's a totally dumb excuse because the pattern isn't expensive and I will easily spend a lot of time testing it!! 

The pattern is on my iPad, but I had to print out the cutting charts. I'll have to ask if I can share the picture. You have already seen it, so it should be OK. 

The iPad is sitting there with the pattern.

This is some of the fabric I pulled for the pattern. I'm going to need loads of little bits as I work, but I'll pull them as I need them in the pattern. 

Fabrics pulled for the pattern testing.

And the cutting process has begun. There's a lot more fabric on that board right now, and I hope to get at least two blocks sewn by the end of the day. I dare not use up many of those design boards - those are what I use for my jigsaw puzzle as well. But I should have enough to share between the two tasks!!!

The cutting process begins.

I think I mentioned that Steve Summers (Dolly Parton's Creative Director) stated that he and his small group all had dream jobs. I have to echo that - I'm so dang passionate about what I do - I don't really care if I work 24/7 (I told my boss that and she thinks I'm a nut), but I'm so excited to get up and start to work every day that I'm beside myself!! And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Now don't get me wrong - I don't sew all day or sit in front of a machine all day. Hardly. I have the garden; when I remember to give it some attention, I love doing paper puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, and I read a lot! I've already read 50 books this year, both fiction and non-fiction. I'm excited to see that M has read 32 books this year. The apple didn't fall far from the tree!!! And I'm at the gym or walking to try and keep my body in shape. 

I love reading! So I get a variety of activities in the day, and there is the dreaded paperwork that takes up precious time, and often we don't have anything to show for it, but it must be done! 

Two things before I go --- 40 Shades of Grey. If you want to sign up for the class, please call the store (Out of Hand) or email them. I touched base with them yesterday, and I'm going to regroup on Monday, and then we're deciding on the number of patterns to order, with a few extra just in case someone missed the boat. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE --- if you are intending to sign up for that class, or you know someone who may be interested, send this information to them so they will not be without a pattern. 

I can provide you with the necessary information for a month, but I will NOT share the pattern, as that would be a copyright violation. It will be a great way to use up scraps or find a dedicated colorway. I can't wait to get started!!!!

40 Shades of Grey

And there is a Virtual Retreat TONIGHT. There is NO Virtual Retreat tomorrow because I'm off to wrap puzzles for the upcoming fall speed puzzling events that are held online. I think we have something like 1,100 puzzles to wrap and prepare for shipping!!! Oh my --- what have I got myself into! Of course, I will be excluded from the wrapping session for the three puzzle events that I signed up for. 

I hope there is NO opportunity to purchase puzzles tomorrow. Going to the Puzzles Canada warehouse is like letting a child loose in a candy store!! So many puzzles and so many new ones coming in all the time. ACK!!!!!! 

Here is the link for the Virtual Retreat. We start at 6 PM tonight. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

And on that exciting note, I'm out of here. I have a date with the girls and then my cutting table and the embroidery machine. I can hardly wait to get started. WAIT -- I started the day hours ago - I can hardly wait to continue!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!