Be flexible!!!

 It's my final morning in Montreal - at least for this trip, and I have to say that I'm looking forward to going home! I love going away, but the day I go home is always the best! I have two lectures to present today and then an evening flight. 

I see I got an e-mail regarding the weather and my flight. Snow flurries later today, but hopefully, all will be fine, as I would very much like to get home tonight, as I have a full day planned for tomorrow. If I don't, well, I'll figure something out. I'm flexible!

That's the word of the day -- be flexible, and don't let them see you sweat. Let's just say that I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be because, in my head, I had a different lecture than was actually planned for the day, but by being flexible and having samples, it all worked out! I have to laugh, though -- it's easy to laugh after the fact. This was the presentation that was bugging me the most. Then I arrived and wasn't as prepped as I would like and had to present it for the first time in French! Of course! 

I didn't rent a car, and I'm relying on UBER to get me around, which is fine. Don't tell DH that because it took forever for me to try UBER, and now that I have, I'm sold on how easy it is to use the service. It's all done on an app on your phone -- you request the ride. they have the address where to pick you up and drop you off in their GPS, and you don't need to tell them anything. Even the payment is taken care of through the app. 

So super simple, so if you do NOT use UBER, try it. I'm probably paying the same as if I had rented a car for these two days, and I don't have the hassle of driving in the traffic. 

Did I mention that the fellow who picked me up saw that giant suitcase of mine and put it in and out of the van, which was great since the darn thing weighs 50 pounds, and I hate lifting it! I hate traveling with that suitcase, but I have no choice when I do classes or lectures! It stayed overnight at the store, so I don't have to worry about it this morning. 

The only thing that is "complicated" here is that there are no license plates on the front of the cars. While you have the make and color of the car (that's in the app), the best way to check you have the correct ride is to check the license plate! Oh well --- I'm going from the hotel to the store -- I doubt there will be a rush on UBERS arriving simultaneously at either location. 

Being at Club Tissus is like being a kid in a candy store. They have everything, but at the moment, they are down in the fabric, and signs say they are making some changes in the store. That's probably a good thing since I won't be tempted, but I found a lovely stretch twill that I will buy to make a pair of pants. 

With all the talk of making garments these days and having access to a serger and a Ditto, I'm going to venture down that road -- at least to try more seam finishes, techniques, etc. 

The presentations went well, although there are still so many terms that I need to learn in French. The group was very helpful, as was the store employee who sat in the presentation. I always explain that French is not my native language - just so they know. One person even said that my French is pretty good, and I suppose it is. However, there are some tongue twisters, to be certain, and if you want the correct pronunciation and accent, it takes a moment to get it out. They were all lovely and patient! 

When I lived here, I'd practice certain words in the car while driving so no one could hear me! I will have to start that again, but on my walks! You only realize how many terms there are for sewing, quilting, and garment making once you have to say them in another language!

Now my embroidery software and phone have been converted to French, which takes some time. But it all works out in the end. 

I got back to the hotel close to 6 PM and debated on the walk. I had not done many steps in the day, so I got my jacket and walked. I would have been mad at myself this morning if I didn't. It was pleasant enough, and I'm happy I went. I'm a wee bit behind the daily goal at the moment, and I suspect I'll fall further behind today since I won't have much time to walk, although I'm going out in a few minutes. It's easy to make up a KM or two, but more than 10 KM and only 25 days left -- I have to keep on top of it. 

When I mention that Club Tissus has everything, look at this. They have several riveting machines in the store, and I imagine they are there and can be rented - or rent time. This would be super handy as there are times when I want to put rivets on, but I don't have a heavy-duty machine to use, so I try something else. 

Rivet tool

And all patterns are labeled "in English only" if there are no instructions in French. 

English only

I could fit right in this French world and not blink an eye, and within several months, my French would be much better. Perhaps I need to do a "co-op" here! Surprisingly enough, the majority of guests at the hotel speak English. I got in the elevator last night with several people and asked for "trois." They looked at me with a blank stare!

I hoped to stop by the bakery last night, but it was closed when I went by. But the chocolate and the baking look amazing! Perhaps the next trip!

The bakery and chocolate shop

This was a pedestrian bridge across the highway to a park on the banks of the St. Lawrence seaway (river), and there was a lookout at the end, but it was closed. 

The walkway

And there is downtown or Centre-Ville de Montreal with the mountain to the right. I remember when Place Ville Marie was very prominent, but it's now lost amongst the other buildings.  

Downtown Montreal

The infrastructure for cycling here is fantastic -- bike paths are everywhere, and they are BIG, or wide. Oh well -- -we are making inroads back home, but I doubt it'll be the same as here. 

I'd better organize myself as I have to pack a few things in my suitcase, go for a walk, have breakfast, and then get to the store this morning. 

I just checked the weather forecast, and it's in Toronto, where we have snow today. Please don't let it affect my flight! 

Remember to check out QUILTsocial to see the progress on the collage journal cover! Such an excellent way to try new techniques or use up odds and ends of stuff in your house! We had a good chat about that in one of the lectures yesterday, and there are so many ways you could do the same thing -- journal covers, wall hangings, cushions, fidget quilts for adults or children, tote bags, etc. Get your stuff out and start planning! Well, I don't plan; I just do!

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Adventure Lab adventures!

OH --- what a slug this morning. Thankfully, new beds do not bother me, so I've been sleeping well. However, I had noisy neighbors last night, and then during the night, the temperature dropped, and the wind picked up considerably. I could hear it howling all night and creaking the window and walls. As a result, when the alarm went off, I decided I would not walk in that weather - I would for the girls, but not me. I lazed in bed for quite a while before I got up!

The final day of meetings is over, and all went well. I now have two days of events at Club Tissus in St. Hubert. I got a huge bag of samples to show, and my presentations are prepped (OK -- so there's still that one that is not entirely to my liking!), and I'm ready to go. Sadly, I don't think I have room to buy anything! Although I might squeeze something into my backpack. 

Yesterday morning when I went out for my walk, the temperature was much nicer than the day before, which was good. Sorry to chat about the Adventure Labs, but otherwise, I wouldn't have much to tell you. The people who created them here are tricky, and each answer became a puzzle. This area has loads of history, with many buildings built in the 1800s, and one was built in 1799. 

I arrive at the first spot with a signboard explaining the building. Usually, the answer to the question is directly on the board, but not in this case. So I crossed the street to look at another sign board, but nope -- no answer there. Hmm -- am I going to have to abandon this one on the first question? Then I went back across the street and looked at the sign again and the building. OH --- there's the answer on the sign on the building! I don't have my glasses since I lost them, but I could still read the information. I answered the question, and I was off to the second one. 

At some point, I arrived at this house, which was built in 1799. 

A beautiful example of a stone building from 1799

A cute little house with very thick walls, I suspect. That's one of the reasons I love Quebec, as the history here is amazing. OK -- I know there is lots of history across the rest of Canada, but I love Quebec's history and architecture, which is pretty much unique to this province. 

Again, the answer wasn't on the sign board, but I figured out the solution after a quick circling of the house and using my calculator on my phone. In another spot, the answer was on a plaque outside a cathedral, but you had to find the plaque. 

But the real mystery was at this statue. It's a war memorial to those who died in the first and second world wars. Who made the sculpture? Oh gosh -- this was NOWHERE to be found at the site. 

A war memorial

So I had to Google that one and found it. It's amazing how you can find specific things on Google. That completed this one Adventure Lab. The next Adventure Lab was too long for me to do. I would have had to walk MILES, and well, I wasn't going to do that, and I didn't have time. Remember that all of the questions and answers are in French. But I've got the written accent thing down, no problem!

Then once we finished the meeting and I had loads of time and was short on steps for the day, I decided to head in another direction and look at two more Adventure Labs. 

It was a LONG walk to the park where the next two were located. But the sidewalks were clear, the temperature was nice, and I had nothing else to do. 

This next one was even trickier as it wanted you to use the tools on your cell phone to get the answers. ACK!!! I had to decipher a code, use the camera to scan a QR code, use the selfie camera to get a picture so I could then answer the question, use the compass (I guessed at that one since there were only three choices), and the last one I was supposed to measure a tree and figure out how old it was using my calculator. I confess I randomly guessed that one since I could not find the tree in question. 

There was a beautiful sculpture in this area, and the park is quite large, with loads of people there with their kids or walking, even with snow-covered paths. 

A sculpture in the park

So let's check out the second adventure in the park. I arrived at the first stop, only to find the sign was gone. Well, the sign was there, but it was completely blank. There is a lot of white-tailed deer in this area, so tame they didn't budge when I walked past. 

White-tailed deer

The question was - what are they commonly known as in Quebec? Oh boy --- that could be anything. I tried a few Google searches, but nothing came up, and it was getting late, so I decided to abandon that one. 

While the park was riddled with paths, most were unclear, so we were walking on granular snow, which was "fun" to walk on. 

Granular snow

Let's say that my shoes  - at least one of them got a bit muddier, but at least my feet were dry. I stopped at the grocery store to get some lip balm, which I always forget when traveling, and I need to leave one in my backpack! 

I love this little residential area. When I first saw the houses, it made me think of the Painted Ladies in San Francisco. 

Square San Francisco

And sure enough, the area is called Square San Francisco. 

I love walking when I'm traveling, as you never know what you'll find, and seeing interesting little spots like this always makes me smile! 

I need 150 points before Monday, so I should be able to get some more at the airport tomorrow, and the rest will have to happen on the weekend. But I have a hectic weekend, but I have to make it happen. 

It was almost 7 when I arrived back at the hotel, so I had a late dinner and went to bed! How many steps did I take? It was loads -- I clocked in at 25,000 steps for the day and am back on track with my walking goals. The fact that I'm not going out this morning will put me back again, but hopefully, this afternoon, it'll have warmed up, and I can go out and get my walk in. Yep --- it'll be significantly warmer this afternoon! 

Another day of QUILTsocial to check out. I had so much fun with the journal cover and all the embellishments. If you make one, be sure to share!!!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!

Geocaching in the mud!

It was Day Two in Monreal, and all went well yesterday. My French must be used more, especially in the sewing environment, to become proficient with all those terms, and I MUST make more effort to make that happen. 

Someone posted this on Facebook and forwarded it to me, and I thought it was hilarious. 

I know that I say this all the time, and I don't like that I say it. I'd like to be busy all the time, but NOT stupid busy. Now, how the heck am I going to do that? Can I be better prepared? Try to space out things that get booked? Cut out some things? Hmmm -- I'll have to contemplate that on my walk this morning. 

OK -- so the walk yesterday was interesting. Since I need to get some geocaching points before Monday, I decided to get myself in gear and incorporate some caching into the walks while I'm here. 

I found a couple of Adventure Labs (part of Geocaching) in a cemetery near the hotel, so that sounds like a perfect place to go. Near for me is a KM away, so that's very close. Let's just say that the running shoes are now christened! You guessed it -- a muddy cemetery -- new shoes -- still not completely melted. I did not bad considering the circumstances, as only one shoe got muddy! And I have to say that it was at the LAST question that it happened! 

The new shoes got christened in the mud

But this cemetery was a bit weird. I also found a great bicycle path that runs for quite a distance, so that was cool, and no need to walk on the sidewalks. 

The bike path

I arrived at the cemetery from the back (I didn't know that), so I was trying to find the gate. There was no gate along the side I walked, so I returned to the bike path. 

I had to walk along that cemetery's fenced perimeter, only to find the entire front open! Now, why is that? Then I had to walk back to the very far corner to get the answer to the first question. 

The entire front of the cemetery is open

So with Adventure Labs, you must find a particular spot and answer a question. Since I was in a cemetery, all the answers had something to do with a gravestone. Let's not forget that all the descriptions, questions, and answers are in French. 

There were two adventures in this particular cemetery, so that was good, and twice I stopped at this grave. That is THE Jean Beliveau from the Montreal Canadiens. 

Grave of Jean Beliveau

So I'm doing well at deciphering the questions and finding the answers. However, I came to one headstone that almost did me in. The answer was easy to spot; it was etoiles. Etoiles has an accent on the e (I don't think I can achieve that on my laptop keyboard as I do not have a numeric keypad). Let's say the answer NEEDED that accent, or I couldn't go to the next step. 

How does one do that on the phone? I tried changing the phone to French. Nope, that didn't help. Can I switch the keyboard to French? That didn't help, either. But after about 15 minutes, I finally found out that by holding down the KEY (in this instance, the letter E), I get all kinds of options for accents. Who knew???? 

I typed in etoiles with the accent, and away I went. I managed to get both of the Adventure Labs complete and find one more regular cache before it was time to head back to the hotel for breakfast. 

Yep -- I"m behind on my walking again, but the others are leaving later today, and I'll be on my own for the next couple of days, so I hope to make up some time in the afternoon. 

If you have a good memory, you'll remember the plane in the hotel's atrium. OK -- so I didn't remember the plane until I got here! 

A plane from WWI in the atrium

I took a quick walk before dinner last night, and here's a closer view of the Olympic Stadium across the river on the main island. I'm on the South Shore. 

The Olympic Stadium

I still have some work to do on one of my presentations, but I'll attempt to finish that off tonight. Then everything is ready to go. 

And when I get back home, I have ONE more week of craziness, and then it's over. Well, I"m still busy, but the traveling will stop for a bit, so that's good. I'll be home for THREE weeks -- I can hardly wait. 

Here's the link to QUILTsocial for the next step in the collage journal cover. I hope you're all following along, as there are so many fun techniques you can try, and it's a great way to use up odds and ends around your house. 

And on that note, I'm out of here to get that walk-in and see what adventures I'll have today!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Travel to Montreal

 Yesterday was a travel day, as I'm now in Montreal. I worked on my presentations in the morning, finished packing, and was off. The girls weren't too happy, but they currently have a dog sitter, so they will have many privileges they wouldn't usually have. They won't miss either of us a bit! Lexi was quite comfortable lying on the couch! 

It was not a good day as I lost my glasses! UGH, and I have no one to blame but myself. I barely wear those glasses, so I should have safely tucked them in my bag. But no, I insisted on putting them on my face, and when I got to the airport and went to print my bag tag, I put them on my head. They are stretched and loose, so this was going to end badly. I got my stuff printed and took the bag to the bag drop, and I bet while heaving the suitcase onto the belt, I didn't even notice that they fell off. 

The next time I thought of my glasses was on the plane; they were long gone by then. I put in a claim, but the chance of finding them INTACT will be a miracle. They really did need to be replaced as the lenses were scratched from when I face-planted in the middle of the street with the girls about 4 years ago. 

Thankfully, I don't need them, but I am supposed to wear them while driving; however, I can get by without them, and I have my prescription sunglasses. So I'll cope! But darn it all -- I hate when I do stupid stuff like that! 

So I will have to get a new pair when I get home. Thankfully, the craziness will slow down, so I'll have some time. 

They have a new baggage sizer at the airport, and I was asked to put my bag on it when I walked past. I can't believe they asked me to check my bag since it's SMALL. What about those larger bags? Oh -- those people just walk right on through. And can you believe that when I was about to board the plane, they asked me AGAIN to put it in the metal sizer? I get it, but why are they focusing on my SMALL bag when I saw much larger suitcases on the plane, and the width of mine just fits in that sizer thing. Do I look like an easy target if my bag wouldn't fit? Meaning I wouldn't put up a fuss to check my bag.

Anyway -- the plane wasn't full, and I had no one beside me, so that was good. Lots of room to search for those darn glasses when I remembered them. If only I had put them in my pocket. No room for regrets -- just move on. 

You have to love the forecast which I took from the plane. DREARY!!! That sounds so positive!

Dreary forecast

And there's a view of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. I'm surprised that thing is still standing! I forget the year the Olympics were in Montreal - oh - that would be 1976. 

Olympic Stadium from the plane

I have a corner room at the hotel with a great view of the city (I think). It's dark, so I'll check it out later. 

We set everything up last night and are ready to go this morning. But I'm going for a walk shortly. It's almost the end of that geocaching event -- 5 days left, and I still need a lot of points. I was going to just let it go, but after looking at the app last night, I discovered TWO Adventure Labs at the airport, which are easy to get 100 points. And there are two more Adventure Labs close by in a cemetery. Guess where I'm headed this morning? 

I also wore my new shoes. OK -- so they look huge, but they are pretty comfy. I swear I was walking on those cushioned floors and even checked to see if the floor was cushioned. I think I'm going to like them. Let's see how well they wear! 

And that's a wrap for today. 

Oh -- remember to check out QUILTsocial. I'm working with the Husqvarna Viking DESIGNER EPIC 2 and using all kinds of fabulous embellishments to make a collage journal cover! It's a great way to learn a lot of excellent techniques. Be sure to check it out. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

You'll get a charge!

 A travel day -- always my favorite day of any trip. Well, only when things go well, and yesterday was a great travel day. 

My flight was at 10 AM, so I left the house at 8:30 AM and was at the airport by 9. You have to love Uber and HOV lanes, which make it super easy to get there even in rush hour. Since I was already checked in and had only carry-on luggage, I zipped to security. There were no lines, but I still went through the NEXUS line. 

The biggest challenge was a couple who seemed to have never traveled before, although they were young and looked like they would have traveled. They took forever to empty weird stuff from their carry-on, including a clock radio! Go figure. 

But soon, I was on my way to the gate. Oh -- should I mention that I got through security even with my tiny little box cutter. I had thrown it in my bag, and as I stood there and watched so many bags get pulled for a secondary check, mine did not. Despite everything, that couple took out -- their bags still got pulled for a hand check. 

OH -- and I should mention that the Air Canada staff was making people put their carry-on into that rack and tagging it for carry-on. My bag is so small it fell into that rack, so there is no danger of it being too big. However, I noticed that several people did NOT check, which means, of course, that their bags are too big! I hate that -- if you want a larger bag -- then check the darn thing!

And so when I got on the plane, even though I was fairly near the front, there was no room for my little suitcase. But it fit under the seat, and the steward put my backpack up top, which was fine. That loading by zone is a pain since I was in Zone 5. But it's all about status and who pays what fare on the plane, not where you sit! 

I remember when I went to Spain, people were milling around to board, thinking that if they had Zone 5, they would get on before Zone 1. Think again!!! 

I should take a picture of my suitcase. I have an extra pair of shoes, three pairs of pants, five tops, a sweater and what else do I need? I have no idea what people carry in those larger suitcases? Seriously??? Even the taller carry-on? What could possibly be in there? I even have some fabric in my suitcase, and I could still have put a lot more in. And yes -- I have socks and underwear! There's almost no need to bring a ton of toiletries -- most hotels have them, and they are a pain to deal with at security. I bring my toothbrush and toothpaste. It's all about being a minimalist! 

My colleague Michelle picked me up from the airport, and my boss rented a car. It's a long story, and I won't go into it. It was lunchtime, and we stopped for a bite to eat. OH MY --- we are super close to where I used to live, so I made Michelle drive me past the house. 

Did I mention where I am? Montreal!! So the flight is only one hour, and that was nice. Up and down!

Destination - YUL

Here's my house, and good thing I checked it out on Google a couple of months ago because I would have been shocked. I don't have a picture of the original house with me, but of course, when I left 32 years ago, there were NO trees around the house, so it looked pretty bare. The room has been changed to a black metal roof -- that is brand new this year. The window frames are black, which I really like, and the front door has been changed. But what is really different is the addition over the garage. There was NOTHING over the garage when we built it! 

My old house in DDO (Montreal)

We designed the house with an architect, and I HATED her. I wanted that window over the front door to be bigger, but she said NO -- it would throw the symmetry of the house out of whack. I also wanted a room over the garage, and again, she said NO -- that wouldn't be safe with fumes from the car. Well, whose house is this?? Anyway -- it is what it is, but it was also a weird design inside because it was on a corner, but I liked living there even though we only lived there for a couple of years. 

That room right beside the garage on the bottom floor used to be my office, and it had the most amazing view out the window! I loved that room, and it would be my sewing room today! 

Then we were off to get organized for setting up the show. We managed to get in a bit early (the official setup day is today), and we got some of the bigger and fiddlier stuff set up, so I feel good about that. Otherwise, today would be a very long day!

Oh shoot -- I forgot to upload the picture of the center we are in, but we're in St. Hyacinthe, which is east of Montreal, and because there are not a lot of hotels, we're staying in Beloeil, which is about 20 minutes away. Not ideal, but it is what it is. 

Courtepointe Quebec!

This show is a bi-annual show, and because of COVID, it hasn't happened in 4 years. All the quilts were up yesterday, and we ran around the show's perimeter, taking a quick peek. I had just mentioned to my sewing buddies that I'm about done with quilt shows and had no interest in looking at more quilts, but I think I will enjoy this one. There is a wide range of quilts and some interesting displays, and I have four days to view them. 

My boss rented a Ford vehicle, and the navigation system makes me drool. It's this HUGE screen in the car, and it's so easy to connect. I can only sigh that my car just doesn't get it. Why? I will be checking with Toyota when I get back home to see if there is any upgrade that can be done. I NEED Android Carplay in my car. Toyota, at the time, said -- OH -- we only need Apple CarPlay. WHAT????

The navigation system in the car

OK -- with all the traveling, one needs to be careful of what cords you pack. Do you have the laptop and the power cord? The Fitbit charging cord, etc. I have TWO charging cables for my phone, and when I got home from Spain, I couldn't find either, even though I had only taken one of them with me. Hmm -- where could they be? 

I checked all my cords, which are NOT labeled, and found a short one that would work for the phone. I've no idea where that one came from. I didn't even know I had it. Then one day, I had to dig out Murphy's ball from the small cabinet beside my computer in the office. And what did I see in the wall? 

One of the missing chargers!

I do not remember putting it there, as I do NOT normally charge my phone in the office. Oh well, I was happy to find the longer cord. 

Then when I was hit with those new blisters in my running shoes, I decided to try my hiking shoes. And when I went to put one of them on, guess what I found inside? The CHARGING cord that I had taken to Spain, and I had coiled it up and put it in the shoe for safe keeping. So now I was back to my two charging cords, and I had a third short one. 

The missing charge cord for my phone

So can you tell me why I didn't bring it with me to Montreal? I thought I did, but when I went to plug in my phone, I realized that this is the charger for my HEADPHONES. Sigh...........

Fortunately, the front desk had one that I'm borrowing. It's LONG, but it'll save me, at least. And I should label the darn things when I get home. Or wouldn't it be nice if all devices had the same charging end? That would make things way too simple! 

I'm not sure if the girls are impressed or not when they are required to go for a walk together. I was short on time yesterday, so they went together. Maybe they like it -- but I do NOT! While they look so cute together, one wants to go 100 KM a minute, and the other wants to sniff everything. I think you already know which is which!

The girls on their morning walk

I don't think they are too impressed when Mom goes away because they do NOT get walked at all. Not my choice, but they will live. They get out in the backyard, but they are always super excited when I'm home because they know what that means!!!

Well, it's time for me to get out for a walk before the day starts, and we're off to set up! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The LONG way home

Travel is always such"fun!" So many people think it's glamourous to travel, but it's not. Perhaps if you travel for pleasure, there's a bit more fun in it, but I don't think it's fun to be shuffled around in cars, planes, and trains with your possessions in a bag or bags. However, I won't say no if I have the chance. And I wouldn't say NO to a trip to Montreal. 

Once I'm done with my task, I want to get home. So we finished the sessions around 4 PM, and I had a flight booked for 8:30. Everything got packed away, and I caught an Uber to the airport. I was a bit worried about the traffic as it was raining and the time of day, but I had a very skilled Uber driver, and we made it in less than one hour, so that was good. 

Here's the view from my hotel room. Very dull, when the river and the Olympic Stadium were on the side! 

View from the hotel

But there was a plane INSIDE The hotel. I'm not sure about the connection with the hotel, or maybe the owner loves planes? 

Inside the hotel

Here's a picture of the Olympic Stadium. Not bad when you consider it was taken from a moving car! It was built in 1976, a few years before I moved to Montreal. 

The Olympic Stadium

I didn't get a chance to get out and walk, which was a shame since there was a walking path right by the river. There was a lot of rain, and I didn't even have a jacket, let alone an umbrella. Besides, we didn't really have time. I'll just have to make up some extra miles this week. 

So while the trip to the airport was uneventful, getting through security was NOT. I didn't choose the priority line as the regular line wasn't busy. It amazes me how long it takes some people to put their belongings in those trays to go through the X-ray machine. Perhaps some people don't travel much or have forgotten over the last two years. But the laptop comes out of your bag and goes into its own tray. Take your jacket off, and everything then goes into the trays. Super easy. I know -- some people haven't traveled in a while, so patience is required! 

Then I walked through the machine and BEEP. And it was a LOUD BEEP. The guy points at my watch -- I take it off and hand it to him. Walk back through - BEEP. Good grief --- this never happens to me. My hairband? Nope. So he directs me to stand aside while he calls over a female security person. 

In the meantime, my stuff has come through, and I made an effort to collect it. Then everyone was yelling at me to stay put. "DO NOT MOVE and DO NOT TOUCH anything." OK OK!!! But I always worry that it's super easy for someone to pick up the laptop sitting there in the open. But no one did. 

The female security person comes over and proceeds to wand me. Everywhere it beeps, she touches me  -- she did warn me. So under the arms, my button on my pants, the sides of my waist. I had to show her the bottom of my shoes, she swabbed my hands, and I had to show her my waistband, and she proceeded to feel inside the front of my pants! WAIT A MINUTE --- we are in a full public display! Now she didn't reach far, but still! I didn't mind the rest, but that one? 

I suppose some people smuggle all kinds of stuff in all sorts of places. So we never did find out why the thing beeped, I had NOTHING out of the ordinary, and I've walked right through those X-ray things in the past with the same watch and headband and NOTHING. 

Is that one overly sensitive? No idea. The plane was full, but that was OK. It's a short flight. But people have forgotten how to get off a plane. The aisle is FULL, yet the lady next to me stands up and tries to get her suitcases out of the overhead bin. Now, where exactly will you put that suitcase, when we are already packed up. And she was with other people, and she tried to butt in front of me. Since I was alone, I was NOT waiting for them to organize all their stuff. I made her go behind me! Sigh.............

Toronto is a HUGE city and flying in makes you realize that, especially in the dark. And it's small compared to other cities in the world. But it seems to go on forever! If you look right under the wingtip, that's downtown. It looks small from the air. 

The big city at night

But I'm always fascinated to see it. Shoot -you can't really see it in the photo, but you can see the blackness of Lake Ontario, and we were able to see the lights of Buffalo, New York, on the other side of the lake! 

DH was going to pick me up, but he was in an Uber coming from downtown. OK -- so this should work. However, I have no idea what was happening last night, but the pick-up area was a PARKING LOT. Cars were parked three and four deep outside the airport, and it was a total nightmare. The TWO lanes of traffic to get to that area were jammed. And I'm outside with only a sweatshirt. OK -- so I didn't pack well!

I was chatting with a fellow who had just come back from a cycling trip to Majorca. He was pretty upset at all the traffic and went on and on! But it was frustrating. People just parked, waiting for their peeps to come. There is a cell phone parking lot, and you circle around - you don't just sit and wait!! The entire length of the airport building (domestic and international) was jammed! 

Thank goodness for cell phones -- I managed to walk to the beginning of the mess and got in the car, but it still took time to get through the mess, but at least we were moving. The vehicles that were caught at the curbside were stuck. There was a parking/traffic person, and she should have been sending those cars on their way. This system works if people do it properly! Then no one has to wait. Sigh...............

Needless to say, the girls were pretty excited to see me. And probably not because it was me, but because they will go for a walk this morning! Silly girls!

I'm glad I came home last night, although it was late when we arrived. But now I'm here, and that's a good thing because I have a ton of stuff to do, and once the girls are walked, I can get right to it. 

Did you love those pieces from the Out of the Box challenge that I posted yesterday? I love how everyone is so darn creative and how everyone interprets the same color and message in such a totally different way. 

It was my Dad's birthday yesterday, and I finally got a chance to call him while waiting for the flight. He's 89 and still going strong! 

Don't forget the Virtual Retreat this weekend. With the weather being so cool, especially in the evenings, this is perfect. Sew and enjoy each other's company!

Saturday, April 30 -- 6 PM - -9 PM 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, May 1 -- 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

It's time to get moving -- I have to finish my Cherrywood Challenge, and I have stuff to prep for three classes this weekend. It's going to be a busy day!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Out of the Box Show and Tell

I'll share my french stories with you tomorrow! But what fun to be back in the swing of two languages. I loved that when I lived here years ago and I still love it now. I really think it would serve me well to return to Montreal to live. It's one of my favorite cities in Canada. Isn't that crazy? The English farm girl from out west? 

Cycling is better here, languages are more fun, well --- I'll think about it. I doubt DH would be too crazy since he knows not a single word of French. A place to retire!

But enough of that, let's have a look at the show and tell from our Out of the Box challenge this month. OH -- I just called it a challenge - I hope no one goes crazy with that, but each assignment is essentially a challenge! People tend to freeze up when you say the word "challenge!"

I asked the group to make things using blue and yellow and at least ONE accessory foot for their sewing machine. Oh my --- I was so thrilled to see how much work they put into the project. Feet they have never used before got pulled out, and techniques in the machine were researched. It brings so much happiness to me to see that. I was very excited!!!! 

Let's have a look. OH -- I should mention that people have all different brands and types of sewing machines and their skill levels are all different as well. It didn't matter -- each person found a way to create something that was a great learning tool. 

Cathy started by learning how to make buttonholes and used some decorative stitches to finish off the edges of her applique. That is very challenging to do and she braved it with a highly contrasting thread. I love it!!!

Cathy

Dana had never done applique before, so she took on that challenge and created a zen garden in fabric. This is such a simple piece, but it's very effective, and look how straight those lines of quilting are? This was the theme from February -- black and white and one extra color. 

Dana

This is Dana's piece from January where the theme was the log cabin block and favorite colors. She used a curved ruler that we learned in a class last year to make roses! What a neat way to finish off the log cabins. 

Dana

Diane made a piece representing the people and the war in Ukraine. It represents a torn flag and the broken lives of the people. She couched (I think that was the foot she used) to add some lace to the edges of the flag. 

Diane

I used bits of blue to make a crazy pieced background in various shades of blue. This is one of my favorite techniques to use. Then I quilted it with the IDT (built-in walking foot on the PFAFF) in a circular motion. And lastly, I couched cotton yarn using the three-hole yarn foot and a contrasting thread. I still need to trim the yarn off and bind it. 

Elaine (me)

Gillian used the overcast stitch on her sewing machine along with two T-shirts she picked up at the thrift store and made herself a scarf. WOW -- that was creative!

Gillian

Gillain

She also completed her black and white with one other color from February. It started off totally abstract and resulted in this piece. WOW!!

Gillian

Heather experimented with the four-way stitches on her machine. You don't turn the fabric, the stitch will change direction and stitches left to right, then top to bottom, then right to left, then bottom to top. It takes a lot of skill to be successful with this. She did a great job with MANY lines of stitching. 

Heather

Helen Anne used the Curve Master foot to sew a perfect curved seam with NO pins. That's very impressive. 

Helen Anne

Jackie used bits of a zipper and her zipper foot to artfully insert zippers into her scrappy background. A great way to add texture to a piece with bits of zipper!!

Jackie

Katheleen used her beading foot and added beads (pearls on a string) to the center of this piece. WOW --- it looks awesome and is such an easy way to add beads. She also tried the tricky Tims Caveman style of curved piecing for the curved seams. 

Katheleen

Kathi used a couple of rulers from another class to get those crazy angles used in the block. Those units are NOT easy. And then she used her open toe foot to create the circle of decorative stitching in the center. 

Kathi

Linda used her couching foot and tried various lines of couching with one, two, and three strands of DMC floss. She turned her piece into a journal cover.

Linda

Lucy had lots to show but wasn't able to attend, so I'm saving her pictures for next month after I hear her story of how she used two different techniques. And I LOVE the fact that those manuals are coming out so people can really learn how to use their tools!!!! Way to go Lucy!!!!

Lynn went rogue! Well, not really, but like Linda, she wanted to make something she could use. Recycled denim became the cover of her stitch book. She sketched out the hummingbird and used applique stitches to decorate it and core the edges. 

Lynn

Inside she started a stitch book with stitches from her machine. Oh --- this is such a great idea and gives you an idea of what stitches you have available to you!!

Inside the stitch book

Margaret used various couching feet for her machine and a flower maker accessory to make this piece. Wow - that flower maker is pretty cool. I believe it turns a regular sewing machine into somewhat of an embroidery style. 

Margaret

She also made a coaster on the embroidery machine. 

Margaret

Maria made an abstract piece with various angles. She is moving towards something specific and using these pieces to learn. I'm not sure if she used a specific foot on her machine. I've forgotten. 

Maria

Mary used her buttonhole maker to create a small pocket to put money in. She made two small mug rugs. What a neat gift. 

Mary

Monica pieced a block with regular piecing techniques, then added some decorative stitches. I love the look as it looks very much like lace has been added to the piece. This is such a great idea and a super way to decorate solid fabrics without really adding lace!

Monica

Morgan also had something to share but wasn't on the call, so we didn't hear her story. We'll save that for next month. 

Sharon created this cute little "dress" with her overcast foot. She used decorative stitches on the bodice of the dress and used the overcast stitch to add the lace on the bottom. It's adorable!

Sharon

And Wendy used her button sew-on foot to sew on the buttons that hold the yo-hos in place on this piece in honor of Ukraine. It's gorgeous and I love the sunflower fabric she used in the yo-yos. 

Wendy

And there you have it -- the Out of the Box show and tell this month. All I can say is that the group blew me away with their creativity and their level of commitment to learning a new technique. But even more important to work with something that they're not familiar with. Maybe blue and yellow isn't their thing or learning a new foot isn't, but they embraced it. 

The object of this class is to work out of your comfort zone. That's why the pieces do NOT need to be finished, they are experiments and they don't need to be large. Just try something new and see what happens. That is how we grow as artists!!!

I'm so impressed and I can't wait to see what they dream up this month. Oh yes -- they have a "fun" color to work with this month. Actually, all colors are fun -- it just means you have to become creative to make them work. There are NO mistakes in this class. How can an artist make a mistake? 

I have to go -- this internet here is very slow and it is making it very challenging to write. 

Before I go, don't forget that this weekend is the Virtual Retreat. So if you're looking for some company while you sew, be sure to stop by. We'll be sewing on Saturday evening and all day Sunday. I have so much to catch up on, I don't know where to start. 

Here are the links:

Saturday, April 30 --- 6 PM -- 9 PM (more or less) 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, May 1 -- 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

On that note, I'm out of here. It's going to be a long day as I have a plane to catch tonight.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao! et Bonne journee!!!