Almost a disaster with the Cherrywood Challenge

I had a thought when I was out walking yesterday, and Tammy confirmed it with her comment. If you were a doctor and you wanted to help your patient, wouldn't it be great to see their sleep history? Or see their heart rate history? And other trends? 

I totally get that different brands track things differently. That was evident when I had the Galaxy Watch for a while, and I hated how it tracked steps slightly differently from the Fitbit. But it's all relative if you only look at your data! 

Speaking of data, I did NOT get a good sleep score last night. I didn't get much sleep. It was one of those nights where I was fast asleep, and then I wasn't. I'm not sure why, but my brain would not turn off for hours. I contemplated getting up many times, and I did once, but well, I think it's going to be a nap day today! And I'm OK with that. I almost got up a second time, but had a wave of vertigo, so I quickly lay back down and decided I didn't need to get up!

I think part of the issue with my getting back to sleep was my Cherrywood Challenge. Oh -- I accomplished all the quilting, but didn't trust myself to trim it last night. And it looks amazing, or does it? You see, I did a very bad thing. I had to use chalk to mark the quilting lines, and then, before I removed the lines that remained, I gave it a press FROM THE BACK - thankfully. 

So those lines were not easy to remove. I tried a wet cloth, which usually works, but I think the heat of the iron sort of made some of that chalk permanent. That has never happened before, and I don't typically use Cherrywood fabric either. I went to bed a bit disheartened and would deal with it in the morning. 

However, my subconscious woke me up and said, "Get down there and fix that problem." I used a kitchen scrub brush to remove the chalk, then a baby wipe. Most of it is gone and very hard to see, but I'll repeat that exercise one more time today.  

Aside from the chalk removal, all that remains is to trim and bind it, then take pictures. The due date is tomorrow, and with nothing else on my plate, I should be able to accomplish that. However, I will probably forever see those chalk lines on that quilt!

Speaking of the to-do lists and, in particular, my visual one, I have a category called "Quilts for Others." It happens to be the largest category, with seven projects. 

Quilts for Others category on the Visual To-Do list

This is a bit of an agonizing category for me because there are some quilts in that category that are long overdue, and I need to get them done, which is why I put them on this list. I may or may not tell you the details about them. Yes—it's embarrassing, and I might need some help. 

Well, do you remember that day in Hawaii last year when we ran into M, and it was totally an accident? All because we made a very definite decision to walk down that aisle in the market. That happened to me yesterday at the grocery store. 

I do not typically go down the aisles in the grocery store, but only along the perimeter, but yesterday, I had to look at something, and when I got to the end of the aisle. I turned the corner, and there was Marla, the mother of a girl M had gone to elementary school with. OH MY GOD!!

You see, many years ago, I made a quilt for Marla's mom, and although faded, it still hangs in her mom's house. It was a photo-transfer quilt featuring pictures of all the grandchildren. She had wanted me to make a family tree quilt for her stepfather. 

Well, that got started and then abandoned. And it's been sitting in Studio B for many years, and surprisingly, I had it on the Visual To-Do list. 

Marla's quilt on the Visual To-Do list

And here is the box where the quilt pieces reside; it was UNDER that newly cleaned-off table. There is a small stack of things I haven't found a home for, so it wasn't hard to find, although it should have been on the current projects table. I knew exactly where it was. I have moved the box to the top of the table and will look at it next week.

The box containing the bits for Marla's quilt

I promised Marla that I would contact her next week, after reviewing the box, and see what can be done. Whether we abandon the project or, hopefully, make something much smaller than her initial desire, it would be nice to get it done. I'm going to do it for free as I feel guilty as heck about that whole thing. 

There are two more projects similar to that on the Visual To-Do list, actually three, and I'm going to have to dig deep to confess the details and how the quilting projects can be resolved. 

Do not judge me -- I get it --- totally irresponsible for taking on a project and then abandoning it. Stuff happens, and I just couldn't wrap my head around it, and I was too "weak" to talk to the owner about it. Meeting her in the store was a sign to get one of those "quilts for others" done! 

I have one of those large ironing boards, and I had to flip it upside down to see what the heck was happening. I swear it had a definite slant to it. What is up with that? After checking, it appears that one of those bars with cutouts isn't sitting properly. I tried to position it correctly and then hold it in place while putting the ironing board back on its feet, but it seems the support bar between those wave-like ones is bent. 

Hmm -- we have a problem with the ironing board.

Plus, these little bits came out. It still seems pretty sturdy, so I hope it doesn't collapse on me! I'll check again next week to see if I can pull that bar straight so it seats into those cutouts properly. At least, it's straight now!

Little bits from the ironing board

I decided to tackle that little box of half-square triangles when I needed a break from the Cherrywood Challenge. I got quite a few trimmed, and there is a stack of ones that need trimming. I even found little squares that weren't sewn together yet, so I moved them to the tray beside the sewing machine. And I made a ton of half-square triangles for the pink-and-green border. Sewn, but not pressed or trimmed until I know which direction. 

Working on half-square triangles

I think I have a rhythm for making those pink-and-green blocks, so I must continue while it is still in my head. It makes it super easy to keep the adjoining one beside me while I make the new one. Thank goodness for mini design boards, as I can carry this border from the ironing board to the cutting table to the sewing machine.  

I'm thinking of making a "fancy" two-color binding for the Cherrywood Challenge, and I'll decide later this morning. 

Even with the melting from the sun we had yesterday, no water came in through the window. That doesn't mean it isn't dripping behind the walls, but not through the window. So that is good, and we'll see what happens. I've put the bug in DH's ear that this may be a lengthy, costly fix. Let's hope I can find someone to help fix the problem, then we can get to the cosmetics in the house. 

As the snow melts, the girls seem fascinated by the pond. We have a heater in it, so a small part of it is open. But as you can see, there are many tracks on it! 

MOM -- there's something here!!!

I spotted Murphy standing on it yesterday, but didn't get the camera in time to get a picture. Hopefully, they are smart enough to stay off when that ice softens. I do not want to be rescuing a dog from a fall through the ice! And if a rescue is necessary, it will be with Murphy for sure!

MOM - I'm guarding the pond!

I think I mentioned this a while back, but that big quilt used to be on the living room floor, and the girls loved sleeping there. There was also a dog bed in that spot. Then I moved the quilt and the dog bed to the family room, where no one slept on it, and Murphy was happy to have her ball rolled up in the blankets. 

The quilt is now back in the living room, and this spot belongs to Lexi, although Murphy hijacks it from time to time. And now Murphy sleeps in the big bed in the family room. What is that? 

MOM -- this spot is MINE!

But the two of them are having fun chasing each other in the back yard, and when they've had enough, they come to the door to beg to be let in. I even spotted Lexi doing laps in the backyard - something she rarely does because she's so lazy! But she doesn't have an ounce of fat on her, so I'm not going to yell at her! They are very entertaining to say the least. 

MOM - we're exhausted - can we come in now?

I don't know what's with the weather, but we had snow last night. Not much, so it won't take long to shovel, so I'm good with that. But all the sidewalks and the driveway were clean and dry, and now they are not! I won't complain - the temperature is decent! I see we have a potentially significant snowfall later this week. No worries, I have lots to do in Studio B, and I don't need to go anywhere. 

Yep -- as soon as I'm done with the Cherrywood Challenge, I need to get to work on my UFOs for next weekend (yes -- there was an issue with the date in my calendar), and I have two classes next weekend as well. Having all this time to work on things at my pace is amazing!!!!

As I was standing at the front window admiring the then-clean and dry driveway, something big flew overhead. A hawk! And it landed on the street light. It may not look so big in the photo, but when they are flying, they are huge! Good thing Little Bear isn't here! 

The neighborhood hawk

Well, I must go and send a couple of emails this morning, then I'm downstairs to work on that Cherrywood Challenge. I'm so close, and I can do this!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Canada, EH?

The countdown is on for this trip, and I'm pretty much organized. I packed my small backpack yesterday - the important one with my protein bars, all the medication, and a few other things, like three pairs of glasses! I have a few other small things to pack, but it should easily be under 10 lbs. 

I got a chuckle as we've heard many times about small planes that you need to get from one destination to another, which we have to take for parts of this trip. I believe the maximum weight per passenger is 20 KG, and the agent was EXTREMELY clear that DH needed to talk to his wife to ensure that I was within the weight limit. His response? "I don't think that will be an issue! I'll be under 20 LBS, let alone 20 KG. 

And there's a weight restriction on how much luggage you can take into the national park for the climb. So, carrying less is a big deal, and no hard-sided suitcases as they don't fit well on the smaller planes. 

I'm not an expert on adventure trips, but I have taken many of them, including a 10-week bicycle trip across Canada, as well as at least four other three-week bicycle trips. Semi-backpacking (not hiking) in Europe and Mexico on several occasions, as well as three years of hiking in Spain. OK - I guess I have enough experience to talk about it, but I'm not an expert. You are on vacation. This is not about carrying all the luggage you have at home. Taking less is one of the most freeing things in the world. You not only left the worries of home behind you, but your LUGGAGE (literally) as well. 

I lead a simple, uncomplicated life at home (except for that darn calendar). I don't need a ton of clothes - I need one to wear and one to wash, which makes for some calm vacations. You can turn on a dime if you need to make alternate travel arrangements. I can't understand how people need so much stuff. 

I'll try to get everything packed later today, so that I have a couple of days to remember any other items I need to pack. I'm still looking for my toque, but where have I put it? I have two different places to look, and I had better find it because where am I going to get an athletic toque on such short notice?

I finally found this extra battery bank that I can use to charge my cell phone on the mountain if needed. It was in the office somewhere! But it's found and charged!

Charging the power bank

I charged my keyboard, but I must remember to pair it with my new phone before I pack it. 

Charging the keyboard

Here's my small backpack that will carry all the essential things. When we move around, I'll have this one on my front and the larger one on my back. 

Carry-on backpack

Someone asked where I got my waist pouch, which will carry all the essential stuff, like passport, money, and phone. It has two zipper openings and a velcroed pouch. I use the velcro pouch to store my hair supplies, such as elastics and clips. It could also be used for coins, but I HATE having coins, or it could be used to hold half a protein bar. 

The small zipper section is long enough to hold money (bills) and my three cards - debit, credit, and travel insurance. And the top one is tall enough for the passport and my phone. It's a bit wide, but honestly, I would NEVER travel without it. It is flat and sits under my shirt or under the straps of my larger backpack. If someone even knows it's there and attempts to remove it, then they deserve to have it! Plus, all the essential stuff that you need at the border, airport, security, etc, is right in front of you. Because there is little in there, it's easy to find anything. Hands-free!!! 

My travel waist pouch

I found it on my favorite online store, and there are many different styles to choose from. I get the slim one that is very SLIM! It's as wide as whatever you put in it, so mine is as wide as my cell phone. 

I went to the bank and the mall on my errand run. I found a new store at the mall. It's probably not new, but I don't usually go on the upper level. Speaking of bears - look at these guys. This store is filled with Canadian stuff!!!! It's called Eh Canada. 

Bears at the mall

Are you looking for those iconic red Canadian mittens? They are here! And yes - they have toques, but that is NOT the kind I want. I want one made of a tight-knit fabric that the wind won't penetrate. 

Iconic Canadian mittens

Look what followed me home. A red and white shoe for Canada to add to my mini shoe collection. It's a soccer shoe, but better than nothing. And I found a small keychain with a two-sided Canadian flag. 

My Canadiana collection

We all went out to dinner last night and discussed some of the details. Oh boy --- this is going to be an adventure. I don't think DH is quite prepared for this kind of travel, but we'll just keep an open mind. He's used to business travel where the concierge does everything, or he travels with his rolling suitcase. No concept of adventuring in his vocabulary, although this is not a "roughing it" vacation, at least for him, but a lot of moving around. 

I bought the flag because people in other countries tend to be very friendly to Canadians, and it's fun to identify your nationality when abroad. He thinks it's silly. I don't care! 

When I was working downstairs, I found something. An ultra mini shoe as the zipper pull on my pencil case! I forgot that was there. I've had that thing for years and have no idea where it came from. But I love that it has mini laces!!!

My ultra-mini running shoe

The Pony Express works! Another item was delivered to Sudbury from here! That's so exciting to see things go to the right place with just a little creativity and a bit of asking questions! It all works! I got a chuckle the other day when someone else started sending things around through friend connections rather than in the mail. They said not to tell me in case I charged them franchise fees!!! That was hilarious! 

Speaking of which, my staging area is getting pretty empty. Actually, at one point yesterday, it was this empty, with only a few things on the ledge on the left. 

The Pony Express is almost empty

I had to add this quilt to the area, and it'll get picked up this coming week. It's much neater than it has been for a long time! 

The start of the next batch of deliveries!

The other day, we were chatting about the type of craft books you can find at the bookstore. There are few quilting or mixed-media/scrapbooking books. I don't even think anyone is publishing them. BUT if you are into quilling - that seems to be a big thing! There were six books about quilling!!

Books on quilling

I see the quilting magazines have been moved to the front of the magazine rack, which is good! Maybe that will entice some new quilters to take up the hobby. 

The quilting magazine section

And if you have not tried the towel on your ironing board, you need to!!! I was pressing some fabric that I had washed, and looked at the mess. 

Tough wrinkles from the dryer

I used steam and the towel, and this is what it looked like after a quick swipe with the iron. Even the back was nice and crisp!! 

Wrinkles are gone! 

We asked the owner of the retreat why she put a towel on he ironing surface, and it was basically to keep it somewhat clean! Well, it's fantastic and I won't press without one. The large, inexpensive beach towels work best, and one that covers the entire surface. Do not use white - it'll pick up all the discoloration from the iron. And don't use one with a decorative band on it! I love it and it's easy to clean. I'm going to add some kind of tie or elastic on the corners so mine won't roll when I press large things. 

At one point in the day, I checked my two fitness trackers to see how in sync they are. Hmmm -- that's pretty darn close. 8,707 versus 8,743. 

Monitoring the fitness trackers

Those girls of ours are pretty funny and very particular! Spoiled? Oh yes - they are spoiled. 

Miss Murphy and I discovered a bench near one of the entrances to the forest. I guess it's not ready to be used yet. 

MOM - Can I sit up there?

And her ball and the blankets. I wrap her toy in three blankets and leave it for her to unravel when she needs something to do. She won't touch it when I'm away because there is no one to put it back. But when I'm home, she attacks those blankets to find the ball. It's hilarious to watch. I think I do it more for my entertainment than hers! 

MOM - I'm savoring the anticipation before I attack it!

MOM -- I got the ball!!!!

And that Princess Lexi - well, she's a diva for sure. She has her new nice dog bed with several blankets in it, but it's been a while since she slept in it. I threw all her stuff in the washing machine and then spread it all out like a princess' bed would look. 

When DH sat down to watch TV, guess who jumped into her bed? 

MOM - I HATE dirty sheets!

And this says it all!!! 

MOM - I'm so comfy - thanks! 

I completed the next writing assignment. A quick last read through after walking the dogs, and it'll be gone! Remember - when writing these assignments, I actually have to do the work before I can write. I won't be around to alert you when those posts go live, so you'll just have to watch QUILTsocial all month. I think it'll be the third week of August, but I'm not sure. If you are going to take one of my classes this fall, you'll be very interested in these posts, and that's all I'll say. 

I have two more posts to write, which should be easy enough. Time is very tight, but it'll all work out. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!



































 

Quilting as usual!

I'm back! Drinking water to rehydrate - I'm sure some would say it's still not enough, but I'm working on it. NO naps required, which was great! I did a slow, puttering pace all day, and that worked just fine for me. Did I make progress? Well, I didn't turn on any sewing machine; however, I'm working through that pile of stuff on the cutting table. 

Here's the cutting table in the morning before I started. YES - I remembered to take a before picture! So much stuff to deal with. 

The cutting table before

The work tables are a mess, and I didn't get a chance to touch them. Hopefully later today. 

The work tables are a mess

The ironing board had crap on it as well. More on that in a minute. 

The ironing surface is a disaster

Here are a couple of pictures from before Quilt Canada that I didn't get a chance to post, but since they involve decluttering and organizing, they fit right in for today. All the yardage in the storage room slated for backings for the community project quilts has now been measured and labeled. The pile on the left is quilt backings that are already made. They are labelled, and I suppose it would be more efficient if I folded them so the labels faced outward! And yet another small organizing task to do! This is why you don't want a lot of stuff - you spend forever sorting and organizing it. 

Yardage for quilt backings is measured and labelled

I took my green folding wagon to Quilt Canada, and when I opened it up, look what I found! A spool of bobbin weight thread and a needle. Hmmm -- that would have been used at the last show in Toronto, in 2017. Yikes!!!! Well, it's nice to find something I didn't even know was missing. 

A cone of black bobbin weight thread

There is just one wee issue. The drawer with all my bobbin thread supplies is jam-packed. I know - why have some bobbin weight thread when you can have lots? I must confess that this is primarily black and white - the actual spools of colored bobbin weight thread are located in another area. But that's OK - I know where it is and that's all that counts. After some Tetris moves, I managed to make it fit. 

The cone of thread won't fit! 

I mentioned that Diane's fabrics are all gone. What a relief, but I sorted through them and picked out all the smaller bits and scraps. They are now stored in this giant tote, and I'll cut them up into squares and make an ender/leader quilt. A box like this can last a long, long time and is perfect for sewing at retreats. Scraps also take up a lot less space than yardage. OK - that's a lie, but I can dream! 

A box of Diane's scraps

These were the three fabrics I purchased while at the retreat. The bottom one is measured and resides with my quilt backings. The middle one is in the beige fabric basket, and the top one is on the table, as I'm trying to get an inspiration for a quilt I have to make. 

Three new fabrics added to the stash

Thank you to everyone who brought me a little something while at Quilt Canada. It was so unnecessary, yet each gift was so thoughtful! 

Thank yous from Quilt Canada

As I distribute them, I'll share more. They are now on my kitchen counter waiting to be put to use. Thank you so much!!!! 

Oh dear - I found another virtual challenge medal! I did this short one a while back because they were retiring the medal. I thought they were retiring the challenge. Nope - it came back with a new medal. I'm not redoing it. It's like a large company that retired its VHS movies into the vault. And then POOF - they were back out again. 

Another virtual challenge medal

Let's take a look at the ironing board. My cover is pretty disgusting. I should try to wash it, and it amazes me how water can stain so badly. I guess it's technically not water, but the crap in the iron. 

My stained ironing board cover

While we were at the retreat, I noticed something about the ironing boards. Both were covered with a fresh towel. Hmmmm -- I don't think I'm going to like this. It's going to shift and move, and it's going to be a pain. And you know what? I LOVE it! At the end of the retreat, the owner can toss the towel in the laundry - yes, the towel has marks on it from the iron! It kind of reminds me of homes that used to put plastic on the furniture to keep it clean.

This morning, I found a jazzy towel in the linen closet, and it fits my ironing surface perfectly! I'm looking forward to ironing something later today to see how it works! My towel is not quite as fluffy as the one at the retreat, but that's OK. I'm excited, and my ironing board looks fantastic. I have a second towel just like this one!  

A new cover for the ironing board

Nothing beats pressing fusible products onto fabric like a steam press. Yes - I was pressing the fusible fleece onto the back of the panels I made for the Midi Bag. I think it's the Midi, rather than the Mondo. Same design - different size. And all was working just fine until I had a wee incident. An operator error incident, of course. It doesn't work so well when you put the fusible directly on the ironing surface! Crap! 

Fusing the fusible fleece to the lining sections

And now that I think of it, a towel would be perfect for this surface as well, to protect it. I need to find a new towel! And I have to cut a new piece of fusible fleece! I cut the fabric for the handles this morning, along with the Decor-Bond for the interfacing, and I'll fuse the bits this afternoon. Then I'll trim everything, and it's ready for the final touches. I don't have the pattern, or maybe I do. I'm searching through my external hard drive to see if it's there. I know I don't have a physical copy of it. This bag will get done! 

As someone said at the retreat, I may like the inside better than the outside, and it's not too late to switch them! That's hilarious! I'm not a fan of this fabric, but this scrappy version looks awesome! 

I've trimmed a couple of quilts, and they are all ready for pickup. It was nice to have some room on the cutting table to actually work. The Mondo/Midi bag is spread out on the left, and I need to continue working on the other items. That table must be clear! 

Progress made on the cutting table

Here's a customer quilt I quilted before Quilt Canada, but didn't get a chance to share with you. There was a minor incident with this quilt - again, not with the quilt, but with the operator. I'll share that story tomorrow. I have a couple of other quilts I quilted before Quilt Canada, and I'll share those tomorrow as well. 

Customer quilt - DONE

This is the quilt I quilted yesterday. I quilted it with an edge-to-edge design, and it looks fantastic! It has a flowery pattern indicative of Hawaiian quilts. It needs to be trimmed today. The next quilt is loaded on the long arm. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I have received some additional customer quilts, so I believe there are now ten in the queue. I've decided that any more quilts that come in will be done in September. I have some quilts to quilt for myself, and I want to finish the batch of community project quilts that I've had sitting around for a while. I also want to have some downtime! I also need to perform some maintenance on the long arm, including replacing the leaders and reattaching all the screws. 

I was outside in the gazebo, aiming for some peace and quiet, but Miss Murphy had other plans. She just sits there and insists on barking when she wants you to play with her. It was hot - I didn't want her running around in the heat. I scolded her and told her she was a "bad" dog. She didn't like that and went and sulked in the bushes beside the gazebo. 

MOM - don't yell at me - I'm a good dog! 

Poor thing, but seriously? The neighbors and I don't want to listen to a barking dog on a lovely afternoon! 

As for that massive To-do list, I got more things checked off yesterday. I hate making the lists, but when there are too many things to do, it's so easy to forget something. So I have a list! I also swept everything off the desktop onto the floor. It was becoming a real mess. I don't know how this happens. Everything is neat and tidy, and then it's not! Where does all the paper come from? 

We had a grand time at the Virtual Retreat last night. There's another one later today, so be sure to pop on and say hi! We saw some new faces and got to catch up on all things Quilt Canada, vacations, school, and so much more!!

Here's the link. Please note that the link starts at 3 PM. The attendance was a bit low at the beginning of last month, and I have a lot of things to do, so a later start time seems to work better for everyone.

Sunday - June 29 --- STARTS AT 3 PM. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838




And on that happy note, I'm out of here! I have a lot to get done today, and I need to start with an hour of paperwork. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!