The writing process!

 NO --- that was NOT pieces of sod I spotted the other day. That is artificial turf!!!! I get that sod has seams and it comes in rolls, and pieces are identical. No, if you look closely at the picture of the "sod", it's in big chunks and will not grow. But my thought was - do they know that? Unless this is a new kind of sod! 

ARTIFICIAL sod

Another fun and productive day at the retreat house! I'm having to do some paperwork and prepping for the next writing assignment, and the clock is ticking until I need to get on a plane, so I have no choice. But it all works out, and things are moving along just nicely. The first of five blog posts is done! The prep work for the second is complete, and I'm ready to work on day two writing and day three prep.

I'll just push through on this, and before I know it, it's going to be done! 

Let me explain something about the writing process, or at least how it works for me. I start a week of blog posts, with a vague idea of how it's going to play out. I have a project in mind, but how will it work out? What will the breakdown for each day be, and so on? Those details are usually worked out as I'm walking the dogs. 

Then there's the gathering of supplies, and we always need to rely on a third party to acquire some of the tools and supplies, so some of the planning needs to be done in advance. I'm not always good at that part, but I've been doing great so far. 

Next up is converting the mental plan into action. And some of the prep work requires research, reading, and lots of other details that you won't ever know about, but it increases the integrity of the blog post. Let me just say that I've expanded my knowledge of many things 1000-fold since I started these blog posts for QUILTsocial. Can you believe I've been doing them since 2014? I have no idea how many I've written, but it's a lot! 

And if they were as easy as the ones I write here, then life would be grand. But they take a lot of preparation and thought because I am trying to make things easy to read and follow along, not cause confusion. Overall, it's a great "job" and I wouldn't change it for the world, even with the sometimes crazy time constraints, which are 100% self-induced! 

Shoot -- what I was trying to tell you with all the preamble, is that as I'm writing and down to the final editing, fact checking, link connections, etc., as I read through, I feel a great satisfaction about what I've written. It all comes together, and I'm excited. 

I don't see how I could get AI to do this task and feel the same level of satisfaction. I just can't. I get that others may need AI, but to me, the writing IS the part I love, and why would I offload that to something else to do? 

OMG --- I just flipped back into my blog and we were here at Retreat at the Farm on July 28, 2021. They were spraying for potatoes early one morning, and I pulled that photo in from that post. 

Spraying potatoes on July 27, 2021

 

So I wasn't surprised yesterday (July 29, 2021) when they were spraying. Do they have a date in their calendar (July 27 - 29) - spray for potatoes on crop X? Hilarious. 

Spraying for potatoes on July 29

That picture almost looks like it was done with AI, as the tractor seems very small and not connected to the background. But trust me, I took that photo out the window!!! I have others to prove it in case you do not believe me!!! 

There is good news for the trip. The insurance is complete, and you will all be happy to know that I have travel insurance!!! Thankfully, DH has an excellent plan from work, and we are covered. The hike trip people are delighted, and I learned something I never knew we had. What do I care? I make things up as needed!!!! But all in all, it is a good thing to be aware of. A broken leg on a mountain could be expensive! 

I'm still trying to arrange those two extra shots for Friday, and that's my goal today. I may not be getting as much sewing done as I typically would, but I'm accomplishing a lot, and that's all that counts. 

I was "forced" to do the handstitching on my midi bag instead of leaving it when I got home. So that bag is completely done!! And it's already full of things that I can put into the car! 

Hand-stitching the opening in the lining

I assembled another quilt top, but it still needs an inner border added, which I'll do today. Then, I need to find a fabric for the outer border, which I hope to find at home. But it's going to be on the back burner when I get home, as I have to get this writing completed ASAP. 

I promised pictures of my portable offices so you can visualize me when I'm writing away from home. 

This is my portable office when I take my laptop. Oh, you can't see the mouse on the right. But it's basically a laptop, and there are usually tons of cables or charging cords sticking out on either side. It could be for my Fitbit, an external hard disk, or whatever. But it works. 

My portable office

However, it's too heavy to carry when traveling on vacation, although I cannot believe that on my first trip to the Camino, I contemplated taking it. What a dolt!!!

So this is my mini portable office. It consists of my cell phone as the computer/screen and a Bluetooth folding keyboard for input. It's crazy, but it works. I haven't tried uploading a photo to the blog with it, but I'm going to try this year. I'll need to pair it to this phone later today. 

My mini portable office

There is a quilt show that you all need to check out. It's at the Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum about the red and white quilts. It's a small show compared to the large one that was in New York in 2011. Do not miss this show. Thankfully, it's on until the end of September, so I'll go when I get back. Although my September (until the 21st) is ridiculous. 

I swear, if the last three months of this year are not quiet, I'm not sure what I'll do. I keep saying that I just need to get over these next two weeks. My friends no longer believe me when I say that. I'm trying to say NO and I'm canceling or moving things, but sometimes, events come up that you can't say no to. But so far, October, November, and December seem to be relatively quiet for me! 


Remember, there is another blog post on QUILTsocial, so hopefully you are following that. And aren't you impressed with what you can do with technology? The fact that all of these things are connected is the beauty of it!!! 

QUILTsocial - Day Three. Today, it's all about creating and cutting appliqué shapes.

And that wraps it up for today. I'm off to get some more prep work done, and I may get a very rough draft put together so I can work on the final draft tomorrow morning. 

I needed a long nap yesterday to compensate for not sleeping well the night before. I slept very well last night, so hopefully, no nap is required!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Retreat at the Farm - Day One

Thanks for the vinegar tip! I need a spray bottle for the vinegar to make it easier to apply. And I know where to get a great one. I've heard that before, but never got myself organized to make that happen. 

Shoot --- something bizarre happened in the morning and I was going to tell you about it, but it's gone! Maybe by the time I finish writing this morning, it'll come back to me. Anyway, I finished getting everything ready and packed it all into the car. There actually wasn't too much this time. Some items are not coming home with me, and I shouldn't be bringing anything extra home. 

MOM -- again? 

So why did I need to find those flat clips? Well, the one I was using was on the right, and I think the non-claw edge is what caught on my headphones and ripped the material. Too bad, but I never even thought of the consequences. I needed something else anyway and went searching for the flat clips, which I LOVE as they don't dig into my scalp. But there was an even more important reason for those flat clips. 

Flat clips versus a claw clip

It's a challenge to put that claw clip under my hat and have it fit comfortably. So the flat clips work like a charm, and I'm a happy camper! I can continue to use the claw clip at spin class. 

My Tilley hat

To save some time, I decided to take the toll highway, only to discover a slowdown ahead. OH!!! That turned into a delay, but fortunately, I was able to get off the highway, do a U-turn, and get right back on. There was a significant accident between the off and on-ramps of that road, so that worked, but it still cost me time. I was the first to arrive at 10:30, which is a very late start! But all was good, and it didn't take long to unload the car. 

There are always goodie bags waiting for us at Retreat at the Farm, and one of the small gifts from a local store (Creekbank Sewing Center) is small bundles of fabric. OK -- I confess, I peeked into each of the others' bags (our names are on them) to see what each person got. We have been known to switch things around when someone hasn't yet arrived. 

This was a lovely curated bundle of black, white, and yellow. I like that! 

Black, yellow, and white

Someone else got black and orange, and a small strip of green. OH -- they didn't have a larger piece like the others? Anyway, this could be a nice fall theme. 

A great fall theme bundle

Someone else got a nice bundle of blue/grey neutrals. 

Blue/grey neutrals

I got these two fabrics in my bag. Both are a bit bright, but then I like cheerful, so I can't complain. 

Bright fabrics in my bundle

But wait -- where's my third fabric? I laughed so hard at this one that I couldn't switch with someone else. I thought - how fitting that I deal with another brand, and yet, I get this fabric!!! I know someone who can use that, so I'm not worried about getting rid of it. Only they would have branded fabric. Actually, I've seen other branded fabrics, so they are not alone. 

Look what I got in my goodie bag!

Eventually, the rest of the group arrived. We are a small group, and it's so quiet and peaceful! I threw this project into my bag as I was surveying Studio B before I left. It's been hanging out on the design wall for months. The final border was mostly pieced, but it wasn't sewn on the quilt. Well, the quilt top is done! This is Vintage Christmas by Lori Holt, and it is one of the projects we worked on as a long-term project. I didn't bring the binding fabric with me, so I can do that when I get home. The bottom line - the top is done! 

Vintage Christmas quilt top - DONE!

Then I got to work on another project that I really wanted to finish at this retreat. It was started at this same small retreat four years ago!! The other three finished their bag at that retreat, but not me! Oh, I wanted to use scraps to make the lining, and that hadn't happened. Well, those pieces were made at an earlier retreat this year, and I thought it fitting to bring this back here and finish it with the group. 

At the other retreat, the others said that my scrappy pieces were more exciting than my original outside, and I agree, so I swapped the pieces. Here's the outside of the bag. I believe this is the Midi Bag. 

Side One

You need to make four rectangles for the inside and four for the outside. And yes, although it took a long time, I really do like the new outside. It has fusible fleece on it, which is what I usually put on the outer pieces of a bag. 

Side Two

The fabric is leftover bits of a particular designer, and I want to get rid of it because I'm not fond of it. 

Side Three

These are leftovers from the Urbanologie (Sew Kind of Wonderful) quilt. And yes, one section was more white than the others, but that's OK. 

Side Four

This was the original outside, which was the same fabric, but just squares!! The only thing left is to close the seam on the inside where I turned it inside out. I like the bag so much that I'm going to hand-stitch that closed this morning. It was too dark to see last night. Well, not too dark, but my eyes were tired! I'm going to use it as a retreat bag. Even with fewer retreats, it'll still get used.  

The inside of the bag

I went for a walk after dinner last night, and it was glorious. It was mainly shaded, and I got warmed up as I walked, but it wasn't bad at all. I'll be heading out after writing the blog to beat the heat, although it's a bit cooler in the country than in the city. 

A shaded walk last night

There's always a creek!!! 

The local creek

You'll want to follow along on QUILTsocial this week as I play with some very creative tools in the Creativate Digital Toolbox. 

Here is Monday's post --- What is Creativate, and what's included in the digital toolbox

Here is Tuesday's post  --- Using the Creativate Crafting software and the Singer Momento to cut

And on that note, I'm out of here. I have a big job ahead of me today. I brought my next writing assignment with me, and I'm editing and working on it today. You'll see that one in August. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Quilt Retreat - Day Two

Significant progress is being made at the quilt retreat!! Thankfully, the temperature is dropping, so it's much more comfortable. I don't think any building was comfortable the previous day. Yesterday, we were nice and comfy, and with lower temperatures today, we may not even need the AC. OK, so that's me, but the others may feel differently. I actually felt slightly chilly in the room this morning!

Shoot, I meant to take a picture of the sewing room, but I'll save that for tomorrow. 

I started the day (after several hours of sewing) with a walk. Of course  - I like my morning walk. But where to walk to? I just started walking on the road and went where it took me. The big question is, when should I turn around? I ended up walking to this little spot. 

My destination on the walk

Back in the day, I'm sure that was the spot for a little community, a school, a community hall, or something. Sadly, there is just this sign left. 

I was watching my FitBit to see the steps/kms I was taking, and the darn thing was lagging. Let's just say that I got almost my daily quota in that walk—it was close to 9 km! Thankfully, there was some decent shade for about half the walk and a breeze on the way back. And the temps were still lower. It was all good! 

But it was a two-nap day! I was just tired, and I don't think it was from the walk, although I'm sure that didn't help. But with all the pressures leading up to Quilt Canada, and now having "nothing" to do, my body just said - I'm tired! So I listened and had two naps. I'm perfectly OK with that. 

I didn't bring many projects, so the goal will be to touch them all! OK—I'll do what I can. I have this Mondo bag that I started at another retreat. I've brought it to several retreats since. My goal this time was to finish improv piecing the lining! There were four sections, and I'm happy to report that all of them are done! You saw section one yesterday. 

Section Two

Section Three

Section Four

Someone said I may like the inside better than the outside. The pieces are the leftovers from Urbanology. OH—I said that yesterday. Well, no worries. I still have a small bag of scraps, which I'll throw in the retreat bag for next time. I'll piece them together to make a zippered pouch or something. It seems a shame to let them go to waste. 

Yes, I know many of you wouldn't touch those small scraps, and that's OK. We each have our idiosyncrasies—I LOVE little pieces. Trust me, when I have to downsize, I'll be using those scrap boxes of mine, and they will keep me busy for many years. Should I ever get dementia, give me a bag of fabric scraps of various colors, and I'll spend all day sorting them. Then mix them up and give them to me the next day! 

I pulled out the next project. This one belonged to Diane. It is a nice geometric quilt, and the columns were sewn together, but I have to say they were not well sewn. So I decided to rip one of the columns (there are 18) apart and check if they were cut properly. I don't have a 60-degree ruler with me, so one is apart, and I'll check the cutting when I get home. 

Ripping apart some triangles

If all is good, I'll resew the column together. If not, I'll recut the triangles to a consistent size and sew them together. I sorted and folded all the strips, which thankfully Diane labelled. 

Ripping those columns apart and recutting (if necessary) would be a perfect job for a Virtual Retreat. There is one this weekend! It's Saturday night from 6 - 9 PM and Sunday from 3 - 9 PM. 

Diane's geometric quilt is sorted

Then it was on to another project. This one belonged to Barb. Yes, I know—I come to retreat to sew little scraps together or work on someone else's project, and I'm OK with that. It all has to be dealt with, and this next one is easy. Patience is a virtue!!!!! 

The next project

I made the half-square triangles for the blocks in the border. This morning, I added two small borders and made the pinwheel blocks. There are two more borders to add, and the binding is cut, and I'll work on that this morning. I hope to use all the excess fabric for the backing, and then that can be done and added to the "to be quilted" pile. It will be donated to Project Linus. I already asked, and they will take this kind of quilt. 

Also, in my retreat bag, I had some half-square triangles (enders and leaders) that needed to be pressed and trimmed. I take a wee break, press four, and trim them. 

Trimming half-square triangles

There is only one large project left in the bag—more scraps! Two bags of triangles (enders and leaders) can easily stay in the next retreat bag. I did very well packing for this trip. How many retreats did it take for that to happen?

And here's the sunrise this morning from the sewing room! 

Sunrise

It's a bit different being a guest at a retreat instead of the one who did all the organizing, and I LOVE it. When the group has questions, they ask each other! I'm free to do whatever I want and I can leave whenever I want—not that I want to leave early—but it's great fun! This isn't the first retreat where I'm a guest—I did attend a large one in the US many years ago! 

I took a quick trip to Lindsay yesterday to pick up lunch supplies. I can't believe I forgot those supplies, but no worries! 

Well, I must finish the blog, and then I'm going for a walk. I will not be going as far as I did yesterday—I'm only going one concession, not two! But this road is busy—school buses, cars, and municipal trucks. But all is good, and they give me a wide berth! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

Quilt Retreat - Day One

I got up bright and early (OK—the usual time) and prepped to come to a quilting retreat. I know—the timing wasn't the best, so soon after Quilt Canada, but it is what it is. I had an opportunity to visit a brand new retreat house, and well, when opportunity knocks, you need to take advantage of the situation. 

I used those packing skills I learned at Quilt Canada to put everything into the car. 

A few things for the retreat

I have probably brought the least amount of stuff ever to a retreat. A sewing machine, two bags of projects, my office bag with nothing besides my computer, clothes, and some food. That's it!!! The fan is NOT mine. 

My meagre pile of sewing projects

My two bags look small in the corner, but that's OK. I know I have enough to keep me busy while I'm here! And because I don't have a huge variety, I'm "forced" to sew what I brought. 

So, where am I? This new place is called the Fabric Loft Retreat House. This is the house, and it looks intriguing. The sewing room is in the front over the garage. 

The new retreat house

This is a wonderful older farm house that has been completely renovated on the inside. The sewing room is large and bright, although we've been sewing with the curtains/blinds closed because of the sun. We are trying to keep the heat out! Although we do not have central air, standalone units in the bedrooms and the sewing room make for comfortable sewing. I find it cool this morning in the sewing room. 

My favorite thing about this house is the sewing tables!!!

The sewing tables

They are sturdy and adjustable! Oh my --- I love them so much that I might replace two tables at my house—the ones that I use for my embroidery machines. There is ZERO bounce on these, and even though I have wooden banquet tables at home, these are much better! 

I didn't measure the tops, but I believe these are 2 feet by 6 feet or something like that! 

My neat sewing station

The owner, who is very sweet, came over last night to see how we were making out. OH—the house is located on a farm near Lindsay, Ontario. This is good because in the morning, when I packed, I brought lunch for yesterday, but completely forgot about lunch for the other three days! DUH!!! 

We love the adjustable tables, and I found a handle under my table. OK, but how do we adjust the height? No wonder I couldn't spot the mechanism because it was covered with my scraps. 

My scrap pile

If you move the scraps, guess what? There's the handle! You can buy mechanized ones, but seriously? How often are you going to move it up and down? I lowered mine by about an inch this morning as I felt my neck and shoulders tight—probably from not sewing at all for weeks! It feels much better. 

The handle to adjust the table

Now, if I were smart, I could search and find some of these online and have them delivered by the time I get home! 

Some of these pictures need to be rotated, but that's not going to happen—I'm not sure how to do that here. Anyway, these are my enders and leaders. This is what remains from the blocks I got from Barb when she downsized. I have a full set of blocks made, and these are the leftovers. AH—the leftovers—there are always leftovers! 

My enders and leaders

I had made 120 six-inch blocks, and for the first project, I pulled out the bag and sewed them into four-patches. 

Sewing the blocks into four-patches

Then, I sewed the four patches together, and by mid-afternoon, I had a quilt top! That makes me very happy. This quilt top will be quilted and donated to an organization! 

The first project at the retreat

Then, onto the next project, a Mondo bag that I started several years ago at a retreat. I am working with some Tula Pink fabrics, which I'm not really fond of, and I certainly don't need another tote bag! Hence, it has languished in the retreat box for a while. Well, it has to be done as I don't have much else to do. 

The outer part of the bag is done, and I need to make the lining. In an effort to get rid of the small bits, I'm piecing them together. These are actually the cutoffs from the Urbanology quilt I taught several years ago. YES—there are curved scraps, and I'm determined to use them up! You know me - make something from nothing! 

The scraps for the lining

Here is one of the four panels required for the lining. One down—three to go! That is progress!!

Panel one of four is complete!

After dinner, I went for a walk—actually, it was about 8:30. While the temperature was 31 degrees with a humidex of who knows what, there was a bit of a breeze, and the sun was behind the trees, which was very pleasant. 

Walking along the road

I'll be out for another walk as soon as I finish the blog. Let's walk before the temperature goes nuts, although today is supposed to be several degrees cooler than yesterday! 

This is how Miss Murphy stays cool. I put some water in her pool. The only problem is that I usually use the larger pool, and when she attempted to lie down, that wouldn't work! 

MOM -- the pool is too small for me!!!!

I slept like a log and heard nothing all night, so that was great! It is very quiet and the house is quiet - there is room for six people and we are six. 

And on that note, I'm out of here!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!