How many years does it take to fix a mistake?

Someone posted a comment that all quilt stores are becoming the same, so what is the point of shopping at one versus the other? While that may be true to some extent, I think the "copying" goes back even further. 

The FABRIC is becoming the same, so shops don't have as much variety as they used to. And SADLY, what fabric companies make reflects what sells the most. We used to have easy access to categories like 30s and Asian, two categories I haven't seen in quite a while. That doesn't mean they are completely gone - I just haven't seen them. 

What we are seeing is so much of the same! I don't want to put a designer name in the blog so it gets flagged when someone searches, but I know of several designers - three of them come to mind immediately, and their collections are the same YEAR AFTER YEAR. The motifs might change somewhat, or the color might shift slightly, but over the designer's lifespan, they are the same! 

I remember back in the day when I bought a ton of fabric from one designer because I loved it (it's still sitting there untouched!), and when I looked into it, each of their 27 collections (at the time) was IDENTICAL in coloring; only the motif had changed. OK -- they may not be identical, but very similar. You could easily substitute one collection for another. 

Even other designers' collections are similar! And let's face it, that is what sells, or manufacturers wouldn't keep printing millions and millions of yards of fabric for each release. Of the MANY fabric companies out there, if each company released, let's say, 15 collections three times a year, that's a whole lot of "new" they have to create! The lookbook for one company I just checked just released NINETEEN new collections. 

Of the 19, many were similar to collections released in past years. Why would they come up with something new when people absolutely go nuts and buy and buy and buy? And if a certain style sells, then why not print more of that kind? It is US, the consumers, that are making the stores the same!! 

As usual, I've generalized a wee bit, but how many blue/teal watercolor collections do we need? At this point, there are probably 20 of them? The company releases a new one three times a year (I think). But the quilting community keeps buying them, so they keep on making them. All they do is change the theme - the look is very similar. 

Some designers are so popular that shops and consumers will buy those collections SIGHT UNSEEN. That is obscene. The only way to force change is to STOP buying, and then designers will have to work hard to find something new. 

Well, Miss Murphy seems to be hopping up onto her bed much more frequently these days. That means her legs are feeling stronger? We still help her on the stairs, and that is becoming routine for all of us, so that is good. 

MOM - I need a bath!!!!

I need to call the groomer and try and figure out a way to get her groomed. She desperately needs a bath. But she won't be able to stand for as long as they need. I'm sure we can arrange something like two appointments? 

Yesterday I gave her a wee taste of freedom. In the forest, we often walk off the path; well, it's a secondary path the city doesn't service. The forest is one huge squirrel convention at this time of year, and I thought I'd let her have a wee bit of fun. Given the condition of her legs, that may or may not have been smart, although she seemed fine all day and this morning. 

I dropped her leash. She went about 10 feet and then looked back at me. "MOM - something is not right." So I picked it up, and she immediately started pulling. So I dropped it again, and this time, she took off. But not super fast as she would have in the past. But she bounded around the forest while I walked on the secondary path. When I came out the other side, she did too, came to me when I called, and we continued our walk. 

She was excited, and I cut the walk short as I knew she would be tired. Silly girl, but she had fun with the squirrels. 

And then there is our lazy Lexi. She insists on lying under the table, a habit DH taught her. She can get pretty obnoxious while she waits for something. He eventually gave her some off the table, and then she ate the rest of her food. I wish he had NOT trained her to do that. Murphy, who loves to eat, never got food at the table, so she is elsewhere. 

MOM - just making myself comfortable while I wait

I had to clean my sewing machine because I ran out of "prewound" bobbins. Since I can't remember when I last cleaned the machine and changed the needle, I use five or six bobbins as an indicator. When the bobbins are gone, it's time to clean the machine and change the needle. It works for me. 

My indicator for changing the needle and cleaning the machine

Then I trimmed those two winter quilts and stitched the binding to the back of the first one. When I made the binding, I wasn't sure I had cut enough strips, and sure enough, I ran out. I need about 18 inches of binding. 

Not enough binding

However, I just made this binding two weeks ago, maybe three, and do you think I can find the fabric? I remember it in my hands, debating what to do if I was short, but where did I put it? I immediately checked the tubs of blue fabric in the stash room, but it's not there. OK -- so I only checked the top, but I can't imagine it got buried. I may have no choice but to go through that tub to try and find it. 

Then I decided if I am going to be serious about getting some of the projects off the Visual To Do list, then I'd better put my money where my mouth is. By the way, those winter quilts are on the list, as is this next project. 

I had prepared some appliqué blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. I cut out the shapes at the quilt retreat, so all I had to do was place the pieces on the background square, set up the machine for appliqué, and finish one block!!!

One more block done

When I'm machine embroidering, I keep stabilizer bits for embroidery or appliqué. A few small pieces were all I needed for this block. 

Using up stabilizer bits for appliqué

So I kept going and got a second block done as well. 

You can see how scrappy some of the stabilizer is on the backs of the blocks. I don't like the waste. So if I use every piece of stabilizer twice, that makes me feel better. Some larger pieces might get used a third time! 

More scrappy bits

And now two more blocks are complete. YEAH!!!! I thought I had about 20 blocks to finish, but the number might be closer to 30. It doesn't matter; if I can work on at least one per day for the next bit, I can easily finish by the end of the year. My goal is to have the three tops together by the end of the year. I'd better get moving! 

I finished two blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.

Appliqué can quickly slow people down, so here are a couple of tips. By the way, I'm doing a satin stitch around raw edge fused pieces. 

The first tip: find a good SATIN STITCH, not a zigzag stitch, on your sewing machine. There is a huge difference between the two. And use an open-toe foot so you can see what is going on. If you don't know the difference, let me know, and I'll see if I can find a picture. I don't have time this morning. 

Use an open-toe appliqué foot.

Secondly, know the functions on your sewing machine and use them. This is the function panel on the PFAFF Creative Icon 2. From the left: presser foot up and down; the needle threader (moved to the far right on the Creative Icon 3, which makes sense). Next is the scissors, which I don't really use because I prefer long tails when I'm doing appliqué. Next is the TIE OFF (extremely important for appliqué), as is the STITCH restart, and finally the needle up/down. 

The function panel on the creative icon 2

All of those are game changers for appliqué if you use them correctly. Another thing about this machine (and many others) is the presser foot that pops up slightly when the needle is down, so you can pivot frequently. That was extremely important on all those curves and those points. I've done so much appliqué in my life, I think I could do it in my sleep! I will NOT do appliqué without those tools and functions. 

OH - and here's another tip. When I'm done stitching, I press the block from the back using a wool pressing mat so I don't compress the stitches on the front. This is the only time I use a wool pressing mat. 

Pressing from the back on a wool pressing mat

So that is two more blocks done, and well, I'll take better count later on what is left. 

I'm almost embarrassed to explain what happened to the next block. But there is a Dresden Plate block in this quilt, and I have the pieces cut, and I've attempted to sew it at least TWO TIMES before, but it just didn't work. I couldn't get a circle, and I was frustrated. I've tried Dresden rulers; I've double-checked the pieces multiple times. But I need to finish this block, so let's try it one more time. 

I laid out all the blades on the sewing table so I could tackle it later today. 

The blades for the Dresden Plate block

It looks like it will make a circle - right? WRONG!!!!! 

I have 16 petals in my block, which is common. Then, for whatever reason, I had an epiphany last night and counted the petals in the book's block. OH!!!!

The pattern

Seriously?? Each quarter has FIVE blades, not four. So I am missing four blades!!! No wonder mine never formed a circle. 

The pattern instructions are correct; I just didn't read them right. And this thing has been an issue for how many years? I just shake my head in disbelief. BUT the important thing is that I have figured it out, and now I can cut four more blades and get this thing together. 

Depending on how my sample making goes today, I might be able to piece that. I'm trying to decide whether to turn the rounded end under before sewing the blades together or after. It might be easier to do it before; it will be fiddly as heck with those twenty blades, but then it will be easy to zip around and do some invisible machine appliqué on the turned-under edge. 

I can't believe I made a mistake like that, and that I didn't catch it even though it didn't make a circle!!! Life happens, move on and get the block done!

Here is my Halloween Trick or Treat bag. I embroidered this last year, and I sewed the bag back together because I didn't have access to a free-arm embroidery machine when I made it. 

Sample bag for Halloween

I rinsed out the water-soluble stabilizer, but it still felt stiff. So I threw it in the washing machine, and it is soft and beautiful!!! 

I spotted this saying on a video clip that someone sent me. 

"Be careful collecting things

Be reckless collecting memories"

You can't have too many memories, and you certainly don't want to not do things. As someone mentioned in a comment on the blog, for many events in our lives, "there are no do-overs," meaning the event happens only once! If you don't go, you will never have that memory. 

Think about that! If it's too much trouble, too emotional, too far, too many people, or whatever excuse you come up with, that event will NEVER happen again!! Don't say no to collecting memories, especially with family and friends. 

I need to get moving; it's going to be a busy day (as usual), and I also have a massage today. I'm a bit worried about my back, so I need to warn her about what happened with the physio a while back. Oh my, my legs are a bit sore this morning from my workout, but it's all good!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

What's OLD is back in vogue! That's not new!

Pepper on cottage cheese? OK -- I must try that. I'm away this coming week (AGAIN!), but I'll try it when I get home. I still have two road trips before the end of the year and one and perhaps two plane trips. Wait -- and a weekend quilt retreat. It's going to be silly. 

PHEW -- both presentations are done for this morning. I swear it's amassing my photos for the darn things that can take so long. Thankfully, I have a very good filing system for my pictures - NOT perfect by any means, but not bad. But it still takes time to find some of them. 

Sometimes I need to take pictures of things, so I have to find the samples to do so. In an ideal world, ALL samples, including details, would already be photographed, tagged, and sorted, so it would be even easier. But hey -- Rome wasn't built in a day. 

I have a task this afternoon: find a particular quilt top that hasn't seen the light of day in years, and while I have my master list of unquilted quilt tops, I'm not sure exactly which quilt it is. Sometimes my description on my master list is vague. Brown/beige doesn't really cut it when looking for something specific. BUT in going over the list, I found a couple of other quilts that sound interesting, and I will dig them out and see if they are picture-worthy for an upcoming class. 

Since I am away this week, I'll have to work on my scrap class presentation while away. That means I have to find/sort/take some pictures this afternoon. But the majority of what I need is already filed, either on the shared drive or my portable drives. 

I have to share yesterday's homework with you. The first quilt is Forty Shades of Grey. Some very neat color combinations are emerging, and it seems almost everyone is using scraps with a few purchased fabrics thrown in. Is this a sign of the times? Or is it our age and the realization that we, in fact, can't take all that fabric with us to the grave? Or have we finally just become scrap happy? 

Whatever the reason, scrap quilts are big these days. I've had several chuckles from my scrap class groups, as many of them perceived scrap quilts as UGLY. But they don't have to be ugly. Be careful when you choose your fabric, and you can make beautiful crap quilts too. 

Here are the recent blocks I made for Forty Shades of Grey, and you can see where I'm missing that Jinny Beyer Dark purple eyelash fabric. I don't think I'll find it. I did another search online, and I can't find anything, not in that color. So unless someone has it in their stash, I'll find a close substitute and use it to finish that block and the remaining blocks. 

My homework for Forty Shades of Grey

These are my blocks from last month. Yep, this isn't really a scrap quilt for me, as I'm very focused on green and purple, and I did pull yardage. I'm OK with that. 

September homework

The second quilt we did yesterday was Show and Tell. And I have to say that when I finished the first complete block and hung it on the wall, it's so darn cute. Here is a deer holding its half-square triangle quilt. 

Block one of the Show and Tell quilt.

OMG --- is that not adorable or what? I can't wait to work on more blocks, but I ran out of time to finish all three deer blocks, which is this month's homework. 

In case you are wondering, YES -- I did twirl all the seams on the back of the half-square triangle block. How could I not? And it lies perfectly flat. 

Twirled seams on the half-square triangle blocks

I grabbed a few bits of paper from the junk box and quickly sorted them into recycling, keep, and so on. While sorting, I found a card of someone who makes hand-cranked socks. OH MY --- I remember chatting with this person. 

Bits of stuff from the junk box

So now her card is attached to the manual for my hand-crank sock knitter. This picture was taken BEFORE I found the card. I don't get why we can't deal with this mess as it happens, instead of waiting months/years to deal with it. I understand that you can buy a NEW hand-crank sock knitter that is 3-D printed. Seriously??? Here's a site I found this morning. Remember the telephone receiver from yesterday? NOTHING is new!!!

Instruction book for the hand-crank sock knitter

I am taking a wee bit of hand work with me in case we get some free time from packing up a house. I needed a crochet hook, and I went through my meager stash and attempted to clean it up. I found one hook in a package with NO number on it. I added a piece of tape and wrote the number on the tape. The quality of this crochet hook is questionable, so it may not stay in the collection. However, I've had it for years and never used it, so I may never use it. 

Marking the size on a crochet hook

I didn't find the size I needed, so I went to the mall and picked that up. I dug out a little bag that I bought years ago, and it still had the tag on it. The tag is gone, and the bag contains my crochet. I'm going to add a small hexie project as well - I just need to find the thread and a needle. It's all set out on the cutting table to finish packing today. 

I've been to the mall two days in a row! It's a 20-minute walk from the house, so no big deal. The first day, I forgot my phone (camera) at home. There were a few things I wanted to take pictures of!! 

Look at this picture. The flowers are made with a commercial version of punch needle. 

Commercial version of punch needle

And did you know you can do some punch needle designs with your embroidery machine? This is one design that I made a couple of months ago. 

Punch needle by machine.

All the stitching was done with machine embroidery. I've done my share of hand punch needle, and I would be hard-pressed to see the difference between the two. I used to teach classes twice a year at the Creative Festival, and I hear it's making a comeback, too. WAIT --- punchneedle, NOT the Creative Festival!

Machine embroidery on a felt tablet case

A while back, I took a picture of some crochet flowers, and will I be able to find it? STOP!!!!!

OMG, I just checked the blog for the picture I was looking for, and I found a post dated January 20, 2020, about my meager crochet hook collection. LOL. 

OK -- here is the picture that I went back to the blog to find. This was from the end of March, 2026. Notice how full the buckets are. 

Spring crocheted flowers on display in a mall store window.l

The other day I passed by the same display, and this is what it looks like now. They are selling the flowers for $10 a piece. I was tempted, but what the heck will I do with it? I think there are more flowers on the inside as well. Hmmm -- maybe I should get the sunflower!!! 

All that remains of the floral display

And then I spotted these small crochet displays. Nothing came home with me, except slippers for DH, which is why I went to the mall the second day. Since I didn't have my phone the previous day, I couldn't ask his size. 

Little crocheted flowers

Oh, every time I go back to the blog to check out something, I get caught up reading or skimming through MULTIPLE posts. OK -- so I might be a bit biased, but so many interesting things have happened over the years, and it's always fun to go back and revisit some of those days!!!

Now I'm going to be late, so I have to close off. I still have a few more pictures to share for tomorrow! 

It is going to be a WONDERFUL day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Think before you Monetize!!!!

OH MY GOSH - I love the story about the chipmunks storing nuts in the car. Those little devils!!!! And YES - I need to change my search engine - old habits die hard!!! I MUST try and remember!!! Perhaps a sticky note on my computer—that will remind me!!!!

Guess what? While I can buy that puzzle I wanted online, someone taking the ferry this week just offered to buy it for me on the ferry. That will have so much more meaning to me than buying it online. Thank you!!!! I'm taking that person up on their offer. I'm excited, and I will get to see the gift shop without being there, as they were instructed to take a photo! Now I can take the seaplane across to the island. It's much faster! 

You have to love the trusted circle of friends. And yes—if you want something out there, we all know there are one or two that will do that whether you want them or not. That's where you can have some fun, but I won't go there this morning!

Gosh—so quick on the return of that other flight, I had another travel day!! 

For those of you who are not familiar, there are four levels of self-driving on a Tesla. The most aggressive is called Mad Max. Well, that was my Uber driver yesterday. He was pretty efficient and slightly aggressive, even though he was driving his Tesla manually. We were scheduled to arrive at the airport at 9:07; however, he managed to shave 4 minutes off that time, and it's only a 30-minute drive. Well, 30 with no traffic, and it was rush hour!

And I really, really wanted to touch the roof of that car. I don't know the model, but the roof is completely glass and looks very celestial, and the join between the roof and the top of the walls looks very surreal. Next time -- I'll touch it!! 

Before I left the house, I managed to clear my puzzle table, and there is the next puzzle. This one is for October, so I'm ready when I get home. 

The puzzle table is clear.

I also did one of those quick jobs before I left. I spotted this tote bag that had been embroidered many months ago, and at the time I had to open the side of the bag to stitch it out. Well, I decided it would be a great sample to have with me - not only because of the time of year, but also because we have a NEW embroidery hoop for the free arm, where I could have done this WITHOUT opening the bag. The new PFAFF free-arm hoop (200 by 260). So the seam got finished, and one more thing off the messy tables in Studio B. Yeah, me!!!!

My trick-or-treat bag

By the way -- the white is actually glow-in-the-dark thread! 


So while the drive to the airport was quick, the darn security line was a mess. There was hardly anyone there, but they were replacing the machines, so we had to use a different line, and I have no idea why it took so long. OH -- we had to remove our laptops from our bags, but still. It just seemed to take a long time. 

The skyline from the Uber car

I met up with my colleagues for a chat while we waited to board. Traveling with them is extremely stressful. Some of them get to the airport VERY EARLY, and then I feel like I'm late. I'm not!! Then I ran to Tim's to get in line for tea. What? There was NO lineup. This is unheard of. So I quickly got a tea and then boarded the plane. 

No line at Tim's

I got upgraded, but so did one of my colleagues, and we were sitting beside each other! So of course, I talked her ear off, and she probably just wanted to sleep. We had lots of time to talk, since we were pulled off into the deicing area and made to wait for almost an hour. I feel pretty lucky because that's the first time that's happened to me. Something to do with not getting a gate in Montreal, but usually we get to Montreal before we know there is a problem. 

Waiting in the deicing area 

This is the Montreal scene on the plane screens. I used to work at the spot where the picture was taken. This was the view I had from my window before our department was moved into the branch where the robbery took place. I ate lunch there many times. 

Place d'Armes

And then we arrived in Montreal. 

Montreal airport

I heard that getting to the car rental was a bit of an ordeal, and OH MY GOSH --- you had to walk for a very long time under the terminal and out the other side, and who knows exactly where we walked, but we finally got to a shuttle bus and then got dropped off. It's a bit of a zoo, to be sure!!!! Why couldn't the shuttle bus pick up at the terminal, as if we were getting a taxi? I have no idea, but if you have luggage or mobility issues, it's a huge problem. Thankfully, I got a cart so I didn't have to manhandle two suitcases that distance. I am being wise with my decisions these days. I'm feeling just fine - but taking it easy. 

  

At last on the shuttle bus

And we finally got to the hotel, where I noticed I am now Elite Gold. Only to realize from my colleagues that I am just the second level; there are two more above me!!! Oh well -- it doesn't matter. 

Elite Or level

Then we zipped over to the Salon Quebec location, found our booth, and did some minimal setup. Mostly, we got the tables in order and figured out which quilts needed to be hung first thing this morning. We have all day today to set up. All the show quilts were hung—the ladies and their helpers are extremely efficient. 

Here is the sneak peek I forwarded to my Monday sewing group. They were not impressed!!! 

Sneak peek at the Salon Quebec quilt show.

OK -- I hope I don't get into trouble with this next posting, but I stole it from M's Facebook page. 

Madeline Frances (on Facebook)

I AGREE with her 100%. EVERYONE is attempting to monetize their social media accounts, their hobbies, and their creativity!!!! They make pretty things not for the sake of making pretty things, but so they can make money from it. The competition is fierce, and the pressure is intense. 

I've been writing this blog for many years, and I intentionally chose not to monetize it. I did that for two reasons. First, I write for ME, and I get way more value from the writing than I ever would from money. Secondly, I had no idea how widespread my blog would go, and I still don't because I don't check the analytics. I write for me and only me, but the fact that some people found it and follow it—that makes me happy. Your comments and story sharing make me happy. But I want a safe place where you won't be bombarded with ads. Hopefully you don't get that, and I never see anything on the site. 

Just in the world of quilt pattern designers—how many versions of the log cabin do we need? Many designers design pieced animals - I know of four without even searching. And then designers make a fuss that someone ripped off their pattern. Why not enjoy the journey and stop letting the internet run your life? I don't have the answer to that question, but young moms use it to earn money while staying home. Again—I generalized, so don't yell at me—it's a much broader topic than I want to cover here. 

However you work it out - don't just monetize your HOBBY for the sake of making a living. Perhaps you can monetize something else, but not your hobby!!

Quilting is my hobby; however, I do make money in the quilting world, but I don't go above and beyond to monetize what I do. And I have other non-money-making hobbies like reading and puzzles. I will never monetize those. 

Thank goodness the person above me is gone for the day. I swear I always get the heavy walker above me, and they literally stomp, stomp through their morning routine!! Good grief—get a pair of socks on and glide across the floor. LOL -- I was awake anyway. WAIT -- they just came back - they must have been at breakfast!!

WAIT—I forgot to tell you about the fire alarm last night. I was in bed reading and all of a sudden (of course—fire alarms do not ramp up!), the alarm goes off. A brilliant flashing white light filled the room, plus loud beeps and whatever. Hmmmm --- do I get up? I got up and reached for my clothes—I was NOT going to walk in the hallway with no clothes on—I don't care how big the fire is! Good grief—since when am I so modest? It lasted only 30 seconds, and that was it! 

It's going to be a WONDERFUL day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

When life throws you a curve ball!

Thanks for the comments. Yes—I believe 100% that even though I am deleting, I may still need to do one more step to make Google recognize that I have deleted stuff. What is that step? I must investigate. And I have turned OFF photo backup on my phone. So that is NOT adding to the problem. 

Life sure has an interesting way of bringing you down to your knees and making you face reality! I was out walking two of the dogs yesterday when my phone rang. It was not even 8 AM, and NO ONE calls me in the morning. I hardly ever get phone calls, which I am OK with. 

I checked the caller ID, and it was my Aunt, who lives close to my parents. OH -- this is NOT going to be good news. I felt that immediately when I looked at the screen. So with great trepidation, I answered the call. 

It appears Dad had a stroke yesterday morning and couldn't get out of bed. He somehow signaled my mom to call an ambulance. His speech was garbled, so I'm not sure how that happened. She would not have been able to get to him easily since she wasn't in the room and needs a wheelchair to get around. 

He seems to be fine; his speech is back to normal, he can move his arms, etc., BUT upon examination, it turns out that he has at least partially or completely blocked arteries! That is NOT good—the man was given a second chance. So he was given five minutes to make a decision - live with the blocked arteries or go for surgery. They made a big deal about it (this is all according to my brother, who called me with details). Dad was whisked away to Saskatoon by ambulance and was supposed to have the surgery yesterday. 

I got an update later in the day, and he is still waiting for surgery - I guess there are more important cases than his blocked arteries. I get it—it's a crazy world out there. 

I had to rally my troops, make some phone calls to let other people know, and find extra care for Mom since she can't be on her own! Thankfully, Saskatchewan has an amazing Home Care operation, and we are trying to get her a respite bed. I'm waiting to see what the situation is, but in the meantime, we have extra care coming in during the day, and meals will be delivered. Mom is in a wheelchair and not super mobile. All of that happened with ONE phone call! How is that for making life easy?

I must have called her a dozen times yesterday to ensure everything was OK and to explain what was going on. 

BUT - I could still kill her!! I had requested that she have an assessment for permanent long-term care since Dad will NOT be able to assist her in any way when he gets home from the hospital. She agreed when I talked to her, but when the caseworker called her, she said, "I'll wait until we know what's happening with Stan." Seriously???? I could throttle her for that! 

We have discussed this topic many times, and she has agreed, but she is NOT willing to make that decision without Dad around. I plan to go there next week, and I'll drill it into her head that she can't stay in the apartment. We have no idea when Dad will be home. Will they keep him in rehab? No clue on timing, no clue on what will happen!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRR --- but life goes on!!!

I am not panicking, I am not stressed. YES -- don't get me wrong, this is a very serious situation - the man is 93 years old and as frail as you could expect for a man who has abused his body for all of those 93 years. There's even a chance he won't survive the surgery, but we don't need to dwell on that. I CANNOT change a single thing about the situation - I can only be a help from a distance, and what is the point of getting myself all worked up? Besides, if I did, he would haunt me. Dad is a NO FUSS kind of person. He's probably in the hospital telling anyone who will listen that he is 93 and still goes to work!! 

The other thing is that I have the first scrap class presentation this morning and then Teach The World to Sew in the afternoon. I had not really prepped anything for either!! So between phone calls, lunch with M and Yagana, and a physio appointment, I managed to get everything more or less done! What a smozzle!!!

I thought this was an appropriate quote in my tea yesterday! Everything we do should be conscious!!

Quote from my tea

Instead of doing the work I was supposed to be doing, the night before, I decided to finish the jigsaw puzzle. I know --- where is my priority filter? It's gone!!! It didn't help that I wanted to listen to that audiobook, which I finished last night while working on today's prep. OMG—right to the end, there was a plot twist, and I didn't see any of it coming! 

Anyway, I got the puzzle together, and DRAT—there is a piece missing!! AGAIN? So I went on a hunt in the morning and VOILA—there was the missing piece. I am going to have to find another tray or get smaller design boards because sometimes a piece bounces off. Thankfully, I found it. 

The missing piece

And there it is—my contribution to the September theme of a Eurographics puzzle. I need to take a picture with the required label and submit it. I have until the end of the month, and, well, things will be working out slightly differently than originally planned this month. 

The completed puzzle

So last night, after we got back from dinner, I started embroidering the labels needed for my kits! Don't worry—the kits the attendees will make are already at the store. I am making labels for the step-outs for my demo! 

Making embroidered labels

I managed to get four of eight labels made, and I cut all the fabric. It didn't take long. 

Then I had four more labels to stitch this morning, so I did that while I quilted the kits (simple!). I raised the table height for the embroidery machine, and OMG—this is wonderful. No need to worry about a chair; it was the right height for standing as I buzzed around. I'm very glad I have those tables. 

Table height for stand-up embroidery

And there are the bits for my eight step-outs. I'm not quite where I want to be, but after my scrap presentation this morning (at the Michaels store), I have a couple of hours to set up the machines, and I'll have some extra time to finish the kits. It won't take long. I'll be ready! 

My kits for Teach The World to Sew Day!

And on that note, I'd better get myself organized. I have dogs to walk and feed, gas to put in the car, and then I'm off to Michaels on John Street in Downtown Toronto - a place I rarely go. I think it's going to be fun!!!

It WILL be an awesome day - no matter what life throws at you. Remember, it is how you respond that determines whether you fall apart or not! 

Ciao!!!

Use the good china NOW!!!

Organiziation! It's so critical to how we work. Wait — it's critical to how much we get done, or how easy it is to get something done. Even if you love working in chaos, when things have a home, it's so much easier. 

Right now, if you looked at Studio B, you would GASP. I gasp because there are boxes of threads and stabilizers all over the floor. The cutting table and the ironing board are heaped with stuff, the sewing tables are strewn with embroidery hoops, and other "debris." It's in quite a disarray. BUT since everything has a home, when I am done stitching, it will take mere minutes to put everything back in order. 

I didn't quite accomplish everything I had planned to stitch out, but I made great progress. While there are loads that I want to stitch, I think I just have two small things left. The rest is icing on the cake and can wait until I'm back. 

I started the day with a walk with the girls - separately, of course. Even though Murphy is slowing down, I don't want to put any competitive pressure on her by her needing to stay ahead of Lexi. Yes - that girl is competitive! 

Lexi and I spotted more giant hibiscuses - white ones this time. Hmmm - I walk past here often, but never noticed them before. Why is that? Did you know that Rose of Sharon is in the hibiscus family? I should have guessed because they look very similar. Of course, you all knew that!  

Giant hibiscus

And then I had my morning tea in one of my two china mugs. I don't remember how long ago I pulled these out of the cupboard and decided to use them, but it's been years since I started using them. I bought them in 2015 or 2016, and they were relegated to the back of the cupboard, still in their boxes. Yes - they are fading from repeated dishwasher use, but guess what? When I can no longer use them, and someone comes to pack up my kitchen, they will say that those mugs were well used and well loved. And they would be right. Don't keep the good stuff for a special occasion. Life is short - EVERYDAY is a special occasion. 

My well-used china mugs

Then I was determined to find the error that I knew existed in that pattern I was testing. The number of pieces in the cutting instructions for one block was short by two, but which two? I know it's of no value to me to find those errors, but I felt duty-bound (OK - I'm a Virgo) and I wanted to find the darn errors. And I did - one mislabeling and two cutting quantities that were incorrect. 

Finding an error

I think there is one more error, and I know I shouldn't spend any more time on it, but I want to know where the darn error is!! I can't help myself. I did spend some time on it, but I didn't spot the error, so I will take some time later today to try one last time. 

DH left an article about travel on the table for me to read, but I found an article on ceiling fans in the same newspaper section, so I read that instead. I was a bit disappointed in the article. While I already knew that ceiling fans do not cool the room - they only move the air around- I found the article to be a bit on the negative side. 

Article on ceiling fans

Ceiling fans have a reputation for being ugly. Well, that has changed - my fans look just fine, and since they are white with a small light, they aren't even obvious. They circulate the air because we know that hot air rises, and so they can be used in winter and summer. They are quiet and no longer wobbly if properly installed. They aren't cheap, but the article mentioned they start at $800 for a nice one, and I certainly paid less than that for each of mine. But apparently, buying ceiling fans is in again! 

I could have written a much better article that was way more positive than the one in the paper. 

I needed vinyl for a couple of my embroidery projects, and well, I have a small stash of vinyl. It's all on rolls in the depths of the stash room. I pulled one tube out to get to the black and look at all the wonderful colors I spotted as well. What can I make with that hot pink? 

Marine vinyl

I cut the black into sizes that I need. I cut them upside down, so I can mark them and cut with scissors. I do this on the kitchen island. It's a tad short, but the space is much bigger than any of the tables downstairs. WAIT -- none of the tables are free downstairs, so this is my only option. 

Cutting vinyl at the kitchen island

And the suitcase is in the hall, and I've started packing it. My goal is to fit everything into the one suitcase. I'm not sure that will happen, but I'll also have room in my clothes suitcase for stuff. 

The suitcase needs to be packed.

I looked but didn't find the onesie or the blank cushion covers, so I headed to the thrift store to see what I could find. Oh my --- a Twister hopscotch game. Of course, I had to look in the puzzles and games section! I should have bought this to put on the rocks by the pond! I did not. But I spotted two puzzles that kind of went into my bag. 

Twister hopscotch? 

I managed to find three onesies that were not stained and didn't have anything on the front. That cost me $3.99, less 20%. Then I hit the mother lode in the cushion department. I found one cream cushion cover, two beautiful green ones, and two yellow ones. They all have invisible zippers and will work perfectly for my project - showing off the free arm capabilities on the PFAFF creative icon 3. 

I decided to start with a onesie. I will confess that I rarely do T-shirts. Have I ever embroidered on a T-shirt? There was a wee bit of a learning curve, but I managed just fine. No one will know that I had to do a major rip-out job about five minutes after I started! And we all know that what takes five minutes to stitch takes a long time to rip out!

Stitching a onesie on the free-arm

While you can embroider this type of thing without the free arm, it is so much easier with the free arm. There's zero danger of the T-shirt falling back into the hoop. 

The onesie is done!!!

I also wanted to do a tote bag, but do you think I could find anything that worked? I tried several that I had, and they were too big. But then in my "panic" to find something, I found this tote bag from Micheal's in my stash. It's one of their MAKER bags, and it was the perfect size. 

However, I swear I marked the center of that bag, and look—the design is off center. I finished that last night, and I was too tired to investigate the problem. That's a job for today. I may do the other side today, but centered!

The embroidery on my tote bag

I got three other things stitched out as well, and now, except for adding to my polar bear and one more stitch-out on vinyl, I think all that remains is to clean up the samples, which I can do at Monday Sewing. That involves removing stabilizer and clipping threads on the back where necessary. 

The rest can be done at a later date. 

YES -- I finished the puzzle, and I was not disciplined, and I did part of it during the day while I was waiting for the embroidery machine to finish stitching! Rather than tidying up! I didn't get a picture of it, but I will for tomorrow. OK - I finished it in the afternoon. Obviously, I wasn't desperate to get those samples stitched out! 

I am addicted to those sayings on IG from thought.minds. They are amazing, and I have several today. 

This is one that I would like to change. I am a bit of a lecturer, and I need to shut up and listen a bit more. I've improved a whole lot on the home front, and that makes things so much easier and better. As someone said, you don't need to comment on everything that you don't agree with. Just shut up and let it go. It's not the end of the world. 

M was the first person who made me realize I was a fixer, not a listener. And I've backed off so much. I still do lecture from time to time, and if you are on the receiving end of one of my lectures when you just want a hug? STOP me and ask for a hug. I'm not a hugger, but I'll give you a hug. 

This next one is so true, and that's how I'm tackling my decluttering. Slow and steady. I'll get there—in my own way —so it's enjoyable, as much as decluttering can be enjoyable. 

And the final one - I know there are so many good ones from yesterday. 

I was in bed contemplating going to the gym this morning when I spotted this. Oh my --- I'm going to the gym this morning. 

And on that note, I'm out of here. I'm a bit behind and need to step up my game to stay on schedule. Not that it matters, but I like to leave the house by 5:55 at the latest, so I don't have to wait at the traffic light. At 6 AM, the pattern changes and the wait is longer. How silly is that, but it's a tiny motivation to get me going before that changes. Hey -- whatever it takes. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!