A GOOD NEWS day!

Oh my goodness — everyone was in such a chatty mood last night, it was hard to get a word in edgewise! But that is great! We had some fantastic discussions, and I always learn a great deal from them. Remember, the Virtual Retreat starts today at 3 PM. Pushing back that start time is another way for me to recover some time for myself! I can always open the call earlier if people want, but I won't be there until three. 

I'm getting back into the swing of things, only to have my schedule turned upside down again in the coming days. But that's OK - the important thing is to work when I'm motivated and relax guilt-free when I'm not! 

I laughed when I wrote today's blog title. I mean MY good news. Is there ever any good news in the real news of the world these days? I'm not sure. 

But let's have a look at my good news. OK - my socks look very geeky at that height, but you can see my new hiking shoes. I LOVE them. They were a bit roomy when I first put them on, which is good because I'll be wearing thicker socks and possibly double socks in them on the hike. But as my feet warmed up, they were just fine! 

Hoka hiking shoes

It just goes to show that your feet expand, and I'll never wear shoes that are too tight again! A big lesson was learned on the Camino. I should have known better, but I digress. 

The other thing I LOVE about those shoes is the Quick-Toggle lacing system. At first, the shoes felt very loose, but then I tightened them up using the elastic laces, and oh my goodness, this is amazing. Everything that I was skeptical about proved me wrong. 

Would it be easy to get my foot in the shoe? YES -- just slide the slider down, the shoe opens up as if it had laces, and my foot went in like Cinderella's glass slipper. Then pull up the laces and slide up the slider; voilà — nice and tight. I LOVE the system and will definitely incorporate that into all my shoes going forward! I will see if I can find the lacing system online and buy a couple to put in my other shoes. 

And they said "old" dogs can't learn new tricks!!!!

Speaking of old dogs, I don't consider my dogs old, but they are certainly older. And it's hot, but not unbearable in the house, although the humidity level is high due to the rain yesterday. Murphy is good to sleep downstairs, where the dehumidifier is working effectively. But poor Lexi, with her big fur coat that I am constantly brushing off her, has some issues. 

Here is a dog who is very skittish about anything, and look at her. I think we need to turn on the AC to remove the humidity for her. Last night, when DH went to bed, he turned her small black fan off! Why??? I turned it on, and that's where I found her this morning. I'm not even going there! 

MOM - that black fan is mine - right? 

Even though it's hot outside, they are never lacking in enthusiasm when it's time for a walk. They both want to go at the same time, and that isn't happening at our house! 

MOM - I'm first, right? 

And can you tell me why Miss Lexi loves bushes? It's not enough to sniff them from afar, but she has to get right into the bush to get a good sniff. I suspect she likes the feeling of the leaves on her coat and might love a rubbing post! 

MOM - I love walking in the bushes! 

And when DH leaves, they flock to the window to see the action! Silly girls. 

MOM - where's Dad going? 

Yesterday was a day of finding things. First, here is the thing I saw at the hardware store that I didn't know I needed. A pantry moth trap! Yes -- we have an infestation of the pests, and I've cleaned and washed the pantry and kitchen shelves and drawers; thankfully, the infestation has lessened considerably. But we still get them occasionally, and it drives me mad. I just checked and there isn't a single moth in either trap, but I haven't seen one flying around or stuck on the wall either. 

Pantry moth traps

Then I needed to find my new fitness tracker. I knew I bought one and I put it in a safe place, but where was that? Then at last, I spotted it under the small shelf right beside the computer, so I must get that organized. Now, why couldn't I see that small box on the bottom right when I was looking for it before? I think I was looking for a larger box. But no worries - I have it, and all I need to do now is pair my current FitBit to the new phone, grab the data, and then switch over. 

The missing fitness tracker

However, something unusual happened with the Fitbit. Although it hasn't synced with the phone for the fitness numbers, I'm still receiving notifications from my phone on it. Could you please explain why that is happening? It just started sending me notifications while I was away last week. Speaking of notifications, I've turned almost all of them off on my phone. Good grief - I don't need to hear that constant pinging! People are too addicted to that ping, and it drives me mad! 

The other thing I found yesterday was the cell phone holder for the tripod. I had taken it off for some reason, but do you think I could find it? Nope -- gone. I searched where it should have been, and it wasn't there. And not on any of the three tripods. That sucks, and I was going to buy a new one. Then, as I sat at my computer last night during the Virtual Retreat, I glanced to the left and there it was. Black, like the stand my laptop sits on, and I couldn't see it! Yeah!!!!! It's now on the tripod! 

Cell phone holder for the tripod!

I still haven't found the plastic templates I'm looking for, and I really thought I should give it a try last night, but I didn't. Perhaps, today, I'll look in the two other spots where I think it might be. 

Speaking of being efficient with errands, I had a list of things I needed from the drugstore and some questions for the pharmacist. I got my questions answered. While they can supply and administer the two remaining shots I want, I have to get a prescription for both. Crap -- maybe if I can call the doctor on Monday, it can be done on Friday. I hate that we have to VISIT the doctor for something like that, and hopefully I can persuade her to do it even if I don't come in. 

I got the other items on my list and came home, only to realize that I missed buying one thing! Crap! I should have made a list, but I didn't think I needed a list. Obviously, I did. But then I already had five things on the list, and DH added one more, and that bumped one thing from my head. FARCE!!!!!

I spotted this detergent while waiting to pay! Everything is an inspiration for a quilt. Actually, this reminded me of the Postcards from Sweden quilt. 

Laundry detergent inspiration

We have lucked out with our backyard. There seems to be something blooming constantly. Here are the two flowering shrubs that are currently in bloom. 

Pink morning glory

White morning glory

I'm not sure if there is anything else to bloom. I think this is it. Our lilies in the pond didn't seem to last too long this year, or maybe I missed it all. Next year, I want to stay home and enjoy the backyard more! 

I finally got this quilt quilted. It's been in the "to be quilted" pile for probably 20 years or more! I know. It's not dated at all, and I have kept pulling this quilt out to use for trunk shows. I won't have to do that any longer. I've crossed it off my master list of "to be quilted" quilts, and it needs to be trimmed and have the binding put on. This is NOT the panel. I cut and pieced that thing! Which got me started on a long and costly journey of collecting novelty prints. 

My I Spy quilt - quilted! 

I have another UFO that I'm working on. These are not official UFOs for the UFO club, but I might substitute these ones for what I put on the list. Anyway, there's a long story behind this quilt. It was a group quilt, and I had shuffled it around for eons. I had the top done, but I wanted to do more with the top, but it never happened. It's going to be at the Buckhorn show in September, so I figured I had better get to work on it. Some of the quilts at the show will be new, and some will not. But you need to come and see WHY I chose those quilts for the show. There is a theme!!

Thankfully, after meeting my friend last week, who participated in this group project, I remembered that I had made a book for the quilt, and I remembered during our discussion where the book was. It was right where it was supposed to be, but I had forgotten about the book. But I laughed when I saw the cover. There are TWO notes on saying, "the finished quilt pix goes here!"

I suppose a picture of the finished quilt would be appropriate here. 

I took a look at the book to determine the date we worked on this. OMG!!!!!

OHHHHHHH

TWENTY-FIVE years ago!!! That's bad!!! The quilt is still current (no dated fabrics), and I'm anxious to complete it. I even found a label in the book with the signature of each participant. WOW!!!!! 

I was about to press the quilt top when I remembered the temporary hangers on the quilt. For anyone who remembers this far back, I really wanted this quilt to hang in the Mississauga Quilters' Guild quilt show many years ago. I would say that was 2004 or 2005 when I was the show convener. The quilt never got quilted, but I hung the quilt top. I'm sure many guild members were mortified! I didn't care. 

Temporary quilt hangers for a quilt top!

So I made the backing yesterday and loaded it on the long arm. When I went to press the quilt top, I discovered that several appliqués were fused on, but not stitched. Hmmm - can I live with those appliqués not stitched in place? I could have, but I didn't want to, so last night during the virtual retreat, I appliquéed two shapes. I found another smaller one, so I did that as well. 

Stitching the appliqué in place

As I scoured the quilt top, I discovered FIVE more appliqués with no stitching. DRAT!!!!! So last night, I grabbed the five thread colors I would need and left them out. I've already stitched two of the shapes this morning, while the other machine did embroidery, and all is good. I'll easily complete the remaining three this morning, and I might even get it quilted today. I'll share the top with you, but you'll hear a lot more about this quilt later on. 

Thread colors for appliqué

Between the embroidery and the appliqué, I have many boxes of thread piled on the table. I LOVE these storage boxes for thread. When I want a color, I grab a box. I can't imagine having my thread in a drawer or cabinet where it couldn't be removed. That's not efficient in my books. But we each work to our own agenda. 

Some of my thread boxes

The big topic of discussion last night was the towel on the ironing surface! When I first spotted that at a quilt retreat on their ironing surfaces, I thought the owner was trying to protect her ironing covers. But NO --- this is the best discovery in the pressing world! 

A beach towel on an ironing surface

You want a beach towel with no ribbing or fancy stuff on it! I would love to find a plainer one because I often take pictures on the ironing board, but no worries! Bright it is! And it looks way more cheerful than the stained one that was there. However, I think I'll try to wash that stained one today. Just to see what happens. It is just a canvas cover that is NOT attached to the pad. 

At some point, I'd like to add elastic to the corners of the towel to prevent it from curling up when ironing large items, such as my quilt backing or a quilt top. But otherwise? I wouldn't press anything without it! Try it and see!!!!

Additionally, I completed one writing assignment and began the second. Yep -- I'm on a roll and this one should be much faster. 

On that happy note, I'm fired up and have already had two machines up and working this morning. I have laundry to do and a lot of work to complete before the Virtual Retreat starts at 3 PM. See you then!!!! There were many interesting discussions and a lot of fun!

Sunday, July 27 - Starts at 3 PM

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

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Machine embroidery marathon

The blog is a bit late today, as I was at the gym with Brooke. Oh boy—what an eye-opener it was this morning. When I had my massage this past week, Misty mentioned that my right leg was significantly more muscular than the left. I mentioned that to Brooke, so we did some testing. EEK!! Both legs are very weak, but the left one is worse! It's almost embarrassing to say this, but I've let my legs weaken.

Yes - I walk a lot, but it's flat urban walking, and well, I'm not sure I get any benefit from all that walking except a good mental break and the knowledge that I'm reducing my carbon footprint. 

Guess what happens when your leg muscles are weak? It leads to significant instability in your knees. I need to get this under control and hope to get to the gym or find some strength exercises for my quads at home. The other thing I've noticed is that when I stand up and sit down, I lead and often put more weight on my right leg than my left. 

Am I favoring the leg because of its issues? Probably, and I bet I do the same thing when I walk! "Well, we'll get that figured out next month after my MRI, and then we can figure out how to proceed. I do NOT want to lose my mobility. That is my biggest fear, so I will keep at it! I've already seen a HUGE difference in my mobility and stability. Stairs are easier, getting into and out of bed - is much more manageable, and going to the washroom is definitely easier! And it's only going to get better! 

This is what Lexi thinks of my paperwork! It's a good place to lie down, so Mom can't see it!! Good dog, Lexi! 

Mom - I'm hiding all your paperwork

On the other hand, Murphy just barrels in and walks all over it with her wet feet. 

Mom - it's better to destroy than cover up!

Just got up to let Murphy in the house. Remember to push more with the left leg than the right! 

It was a big day for me in the embroidery world. After doing my chores, I went downstairs to see why the embroidery machine had stopped. Oh dear, there was a slight issue with the top thread, but there were no broken needles, so a quick fix got it back in business. 

An issue with the spool of thread

Oh dear, then I ran out of top thread, but luckily, I had another spool, so I'm back in business again!

Ran out of the top thread

Good grief - am I ever going to get this embroidery done? I now ran out of bobbin thread! But I'm happy to report that the embroidery is done! 

No bobbin thread

I was on a roll, and as one project was stitching, I was prepping for the next one. 

The next project prepped

And while that one stitched, I got two more ready. 

The following two embroidery projects are ready

And then I added a third one. 

And one more project to stitch

I really should have fired up both embroidery machines, and I think I'll do that this morning as I still want to complete a lot by 3 p.m. today! That will be my last embroidery lecture for February! At the beginning of the month, it looked like a daunting task, but I got through it, got great feedback from everyone, and learned a lot. 

Yep - even though I'm the person giving the lecture, I'm constantly brushing up on my techniques and knowledge, and then I, in turn, pass that along to the groups. 

I'll share the stitching another day. I have threads to tidy up, trim, and so on before they are presentable. 

I keep looking at my calendar to see if there is a mistake, but this weekend is mostly free. Two almost entire days with zero commitments? How did that happen? 

It would have been the same in February, except for the machine embroidery retreat, which messed things up, but all the fun we had was worth it. I have a lot to catch up on, and I'll be up early each day. 

Yesterday, I completed more paperwork, but one urgent task still needs to be completed. The draft is complete, so proofreading shouldn't take too long. Once that is done, some of the pressure will be off. But it's all about being slow and steady. 

There's that Murphy girl. She just can't resist those two toy boxes, and every day, I'm finding more and more toys out of them. Then, I have the pleasure of putting them away for her. She really should learn to do that herself! 

Mom - Best toys ever!

And what was up with the gas price yesterday? When I first walked by, it was 151.9, and it continued to drop throughout the day. It's just weird and a lesson to everyone who buys their gas before 7 a.m. Don't! Buy it in the afternoon, when the price is always much cheaper! 

Fluctuating gas prices

Well, that's it for today. First thing in the morning, I have a meeting and then some writing, and then I can get to the embroidery machine. Wait—I can start the embroidery machine and do my work while it stitches. And if I'm smart, I'll get both machines going! That will save a lot of time. 

And yes - I voted. That was my "errand" for the day, and I walked there. It wasn't far. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

More organizing

With a little bit more focus and NO priority, this is what happened yesterday. 

Yep --- I was at the embroidery machine and trying to get as much of the border on Green Tea done as I could. OK -- I wanted to get all the two flower motifs completed. 

And while trying to achieve that goal, I emptied three spools of thread and three bobbins. Well, that happened throughout the last couple of days. 

Using up supplies!

I spotted this on the floor at one point on the Monday Sewing Zoom. Seriously? How many times have I passed the Swifter and missed this? The big question is, how long has it been on the floor? I haven't broken a needle in a long, long time! 

The tip of a broken needle

It's challenging to embroider on something significant like a quilt, but it can be done. The trick is NOT to let that quilt fall off the table. And because of how I have to hoop the quilt, that can be a challenge. Because of the embroidery arm size on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3, I now use it pushed back on the table - at least the embroidery unit, so it sits on an angle. That gives me more space at the front to hold the project. And there's another table behind it, so everything is good. That quilt is going to need a good press when it's done! 

Embroidering the border

So, did I accomplish my goal? Yes, I did! All three-flower and two-flower motifs are complete! 

The machine embroidery on the border is ALMOST complete!

That leaves eight of the single flower motifs to finish off that border. OH, the quilt is sideways in the photo, but for the border, that's OK. One single flower motif template is pinned in the bottom right-hand corner. I am going to try to finish the quilt top this week. It would be nice to get it out of the queue so I can move on to the next unfinished project!

I thought I might add a few random leaves between the motifs, but I don't think I'll have any leftovers. The big question will be: Do I have enough leaves? 

Then I dug my heels in and got all my stuff ready for today's in-person events. I'm at Sew Productive in Acton, where I'll chat about Husqvarna Viking Accessories. There are two sessions - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If you live in Windsor, Ontario, I'll be there on Friday (Thimble Quilts and Sewing). I'm also talking about accessories and quilting, so be sure to pop into the store and get signed up. I know --- no advanced warning! If you're on the store's distribution list, you should already know about the events. 

So here's the saga of that shelving unit I purchased a while back. It was still in the garage, as I needed DH to help me bring it into the house. 

On the weekend, we got it into the house from the garage. Remember, he has a bum shoulder, so I felt guilty, but being the "tough" man, he helped. Note Bear and Murphy, who were also trying to help. 

The shelving unit is in the house

There are now a few scratches on the wood floor steps, which is OK as the wood floors in our house desperately need to be refinished. But will I do that with the girls around? Nope—we have to wait a few more years to get them refinished. Anyway, there are a few marks on the wall (more on the bulkhead of the staircase) and scratches on the steps. The shelf is in Studio B. If the unit would have had wheels? Well, we could have taken it down sideways, not height-wise. There would have been no issues with the bulkhead or the steps. Well, it's too late now!

The shelf is in Studio B

I had the perfect spot for it, and it fit exactly!! How good was I at measuring that space visually? Of course, I didn't take a real tape measure to it—I knew it would fit! This is tucked over near the long arm. YES, there were a few things sitting in that spot, and I had to find new homes for them. 

The home of the new shelf

There are two tubs and a box of memory stuff that I've carried with me since I left the farm many years ago. I think it's time I went through those boxes and likely ditched most of what's in them. 

Memory boxes to deal with

Because the unit may be uneven and the floor slopes, I had to find something to put under one leg. Off to the garage, where I found a chunk of drywall!  There are no scraps of wood at our house—they are all gone. 

A scrap of drywall to level the shelf

So, what's going on the shelf? Well, I have accessories in larger boxes for the embroidery machines. It's time to get those in the same area. So, most of what's on this table needs to go on the shelf. 

Machine embroidery accessories

Then, this is the area where I store more machine bits. Those need to be walked over to the shelf. 

More sewing machine accessories

Let's remember the cutting mats for the digital cutters—now there are three cutters and MANY mats. Some have been stored on the floor, along with some vinyl I had purchased to cut up. 

Cutting mats stored on the floor

There were mats on the long arm and more mats in a drawer. 

Mats "stored" on the long arm

I purchased such a large shelf -- it's 24" deep, 48" wide, and about 5' high because I wanted to accommodate those big cutting mats and the embroidery arms, which need a 24" deep shelf. Currently, the mats are on the top shelf, and the accessories are filling up the next two. The bottom one is reserved for all my video equipment, but I'm going to buy a couple of plastic totes to put the stuff in, and I need it for a big event in the middle of May, so it'll all stay up until then. 

I thought of hanging the mats or the embroidery hoops along the outside edge. Does anyone hang their cutting mats for their digital cutter? It would free up that top shelf! 

Did I actually clear any space? It doesn't look like I did. I need some more tidying time to get things how I want them so I can have more room to bring out even more machines (don't ask) and to get all the cutting machines set up with room to work. I'm getting there! It's hard to find time to sew and do some tidying! 

I managed quite a bit while embroidering the motifs on Green Tea. Since I had about two minutes per motif, I worked in two-minute bursts and accomplished a fair amount!

Remember that photo of the shelf with Bear and Murphy? They are like peas in a pod. Whatever Murphy does (and I mean everything), Bear copies! They are so cute together. 

HEY -- we peed like you asked, and now we want in! 

OK, so I need to get myself organized and pack the car to leave on time! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

It's a GOOD day!

OMG --- For real, I'm back! So much to say today!

I have to tell you about this strange phone call I got. I was about to call someone in a different area code when I received a call from that area code. It wasn't the store I was about to call—it was neither of the two stores in that same area code that I needed to contact. There was no name, and although it said "verified number," I didn't answer. 

Funny enough, I received a voicemail, so I listened to it. "Hey Muhammed, I was hoping to blah, blah," the caller said, identifying himself as working for the County of Blah." That sounds like a legit wrong number, so I called the person back. When I told him he had the wrong number, he said, "OH -- I thought he gave me a phony number." Good grief --- how did my cell phone get listed as a phony number? 

I had a horrible sleep last night, but there was a good reason for it! Excitement at what happened yesterday. I can live with that, although I didn't like missing my two most productive work hours of the day, as I had to sleep in to accommodate the missed hours. 

After a dull morning of paperwork, phone calls, and doing some prep work for SIX events next week, I was good to get downstairs. Then all heck broke loose. 

I am trying to work on my Heartfelt Sampler so it can be ready for show-and-tell tomorrow. Not only do I have to sew those scrappy squares together, but I also have to do some work with the digital cutter, several software packages, and finally, the embroidery machine before I can call those borders done! Wait—you'll see. 

This is why I get stumped occasionally, and my brain shuts down. If one of those things doesn't work how I want it to, that frustrates me, and I am not good at coping with frustration! 

Let's say that yesterday, I managed to get tons of pictures and information for the digital cutter, machine embroidery, and embroidery software classes! So it was a "kill four birds with one stone" kind of day! I love it when that happens, and I love it when my experimenting works out. And I learned a couple of things. Wait until you see my Heartfelt Sampler on Sunday morning! You are going to love what I did! 

Now that I have THREE digital cutters, I simply move to another when something doesn't work on one. When it still doesn't work on the second one, it's time for Plan B. That was a learning thing, but I won't bore you with those details, and I still need to figure out the why on that one. 

But in the end, I cut this fabric, and everything went well. 

Cutting shapes on the digital cutter

I ended up with a couple of piles of shapes that needed to be embroidered onto the quilt border. I won't bore you with the details, but if you're in my classes, you'll hear all about what happened. 

Shapes cut and ready for machine embroidery applique

I started at 7 p.m. last night! I would be lost without the clock on my Designer EPIC 3. HEY—I have to be like those Bernina people. Have you ever noticed that if someone owns a Bernina, they have to say, "I stitched this on my Bernina." They never say, "I stitched this on my sewing machine." Why is that? 

7 pm start time

Let the machine embroidery process begin! It was tricky because the design needed to be centered from side to side and top to bottom! I have more lessons for the machine embroidery club, and I have to say that I was out by maybe 1/8" across the width. I had to measure it to see! Yep -- I did an AMAZING job! 

Let the embroidery begin

But not before Studio B became a complete shambles. I threw my fabric on the floor to get it out of the way; drawers were open as I searched for tools and supplies. It was looking awful! 

It's a work session! 

The Little Guy tucked himself under a table to keep out of the way!!!

Grandma -- I'm hiding out of the way!

My tables are still set up in a U-shape. The computer is in the middle, the digital cutters to the right, and the embroidery machine to the left! It worked for me, and I didn't need to get up to get stuff! 

My workspace

Two of my three digital cutters were in action yesterday. 

Two of the three digital cutters

I used a metal hoop to do this embroidery, and I can't say enough about using a metal hoop! When you're doing things that need to be exactly positioned in a long row, like lettering on a border or any design on a border, and using placement stitches, those metal hoops are the BEST. The longest one that I have is 240mm by 150mm, and it's perfect for many of the lettering tasks that I do, but honestly, I could do with a longer one! 

Metal hoops are my favorite!

I was so excited when I finally got everything working that I wasn't paying attention to the speed of my embroidery machine. After a bit, I realized that it was going super slow. I know that using some hoops or special designs will slow the machine down, but there didn't seem to be a reason for that to happen with what I was doing. However, I ignored that fact until near the end. 

Then I happened to touch the speed slider (which was in the top speed position) and the machine just speed up! Something must have jarred it inside? I've no idea, but things went much quicker after that. 

The speed control was out of whack! 

If I had done that sooner, I may have finished BEFORE 10:30!!!!

Finish time! 

Then comes the moment of truth. Hang the border on the wall with the quilt and see what it looks like! OMG—it's EXACTLY how I envisioned it! I LOVE it, and let's say that the result was well worth the hassle I had to get there. Plus, I learned a ton, which I will share. Let's say that this quilt is going to travel with me because there's a HUGE lesson in it. 

I don't care about the finished product; I care about what I have learned. I don't care that it took forever, especially when the result is perfect!!! I don't mean perfect in the work, but perfect in what I was trying to portray!! Yep --- it's all good! 

Can I get the remaining three borders done today? I will push for it, and now that I have the speed thing fixed, there should be no problem. 

While waiting for the machine to stitch, I couldn't go far since I had to keep "feeding" it, so I did some tidying. 

This is the digital cutter I will use today, so the table is cleared off and ready to go. 

Digital cutter ready to go!

It's incredible how quickly the dust bunnies collect behind cabinets, under tables, and everywhere. So I got out my Swifter, moved furniture, and cleaned. I also have a cordless vacuum, which I use to sweep up the small debris and dirt. 

Clearing out dust bunnies

Yes, when I get in the cleaning mood, things happen!! I now need to get that shelf downstairs because I need to clean up the tables. One of my cutters is now on the floor because I've run out of table space. 

The floor is a mess! 

We were talking about those robot vacuums the other day. There is NO WAY one of those would work in my space. The amount of stuff I'd have to move would be obscene. Nope -- it's so fast with the Swifter and the cordless vac. I might work on a small section each day or do the entire place (more or less) while waiting for an embroidery. 

I would NEVER have carpet in my house. The two houses we owned in this city both had carpet and the first thing we did when we moved in was to ditch the carpet! 

But here's something monumental that happened yesterday. Let it be a lesson for everyone who has hoarding tendencies. I keep most small scraps because they can be used for little bits. And I had visions in my head of a digital cutter being wasteful. Yes --- it might be a bit more wasteful than if I cut by hand with a rotary cutter or scissors. 

After my playing? I'm over that! I had some fabric from cutting my shapes without fusible on the back. And look where it is -- in my fabric scrap box!! 

Scraps in the scrap box. Look

And I had some scrap that had fusible on the back. Look where it is!! Yep, in the garbage. 

Scraps in the garbage

OK- that took some effort not to cut off the larger (?)pieces, but then my brain kicked in and said, "Are you CRAZY? Throw that out --- those pieces are too tiny to do —it took some effort not to cut off the larger pieces, but then my brain kicked in and said, "Are you CRAZY? Throw that out—those pieces are too tiny to do anything with!"

It was a fantastic day, and even though we had rain, I dodged it to go for a walk. Between physio and a massage this week, I'm feeling pretty good, although how the heck can one's calves be so tight? OMG—I thought she was going to kill me when she touched them! So I need to get myself a stretching program, and I need to do it every day! I have some areas to work on, and I need to prioritize them. 

I could slow down my embroidery machine and do the exercises while I wait for it to stitch out. That's a thought! 

On that high note, I'm out of here. I have big plans for today. I see one meeting on my agenda, but otherwise, the day is wide open, and I'll be downstairs after I take care of a bit more paperwork this morning. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!