Words of Wisdom

And so begins another crazy week. Who was I kidding when I said August would be quiet! It's been the opposite of quiet, but I have had a few quiet moments in the gazebo, just hanging around doing jigsaw puzzles, etc. 

Our weather has been so gorgeous here the last couple of days - the humidity was low, the temperature was moderate, and there was a slight breeze. I mean, what more could one possibly ask for in a summer day? The windows are open, and we're enjoying the summer!

Even though I was a tad busy throwing stuff into that suitcase, I decided to take some downtime and have a wee nap in the gazebo. 

The suitcase weighs just under 50 lbs in case you are wondering, and that's just darn right heavy in my opinion. I booked it as an overweight suitcase just in case I was over. Thankfully, I can take THREE overweight suitcases with no extra charge, so all is good. I still need to pack my clothes, and I'm checking that in as well. No sense in carrying it on the plane if I don't need to. My office bag is heavy enough with all my electronics in it. 

Anyway, back to the gazebo. It was just a glorious summer afternoon, and I enjoyed watching the fish. We really got lucky because those fish I bought had babies, which I've mentioned, but they seem to be growing like weeds. The two very visible ones on the left are the adults, but just in front of the black box, you can see an orange dot - that is a fairly decent-sized baby! And there are lots more. They enjoy hanging out under the lilies, so we never get to see many at a time. They are still skittish, so they disappear quickly when they spot us. 

The fish enjoying the pond

The setup in the pond is perfect - if the fish want to sun themselves, they have space for that, and if they need shade or protection from predators, they have that as well. It took a lot of effort to remove the lilies from that one side. They grow like weeds and threatened to take over the entire space. 

And that waterfall - you just can't beat the sound of the waterfalls. We have three, and with my neighbor's loud one, it's almost like being at Niagara Falls. OK -- so that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. 

One of our waterfalls

When I'm back, I need to take some time and scrub the algae off the rocks. It's not a big deal, but I see more Rock Twister in my future!!!

Good grief -- we had a giant daddy long legs in the house this morning. I grabbed a sheet of paper and gently took him outside where he belongs! Murphy wasn't too happy, as she had to wait for the command to eat while I removed the spider! 

A giant daddy longlegs

Speaking of food, look at all the new candles at Michaels! Yep --- those are all food items, but LOOK at the candle in the back left of each photo! That's a candle in a white pie dish!!! OK -- so I already have two of them. I do NOT need another, but they are so darn cute, and, well, I need to make what I plan for the two I have before I even consider buying more. 

Candles at Michaels

Someone mentioned during sewing this morning that I need a puzzle intervention! Yep—I do, but I'm packing three of the recent ones I have assembled into my clothes suitcase, and they will be delivered to various people on my trip. I sent two or three to my SIL that I had done, and two of them went back to the thrift store. So I am making them and not keeping them. I may just not be getting rid of them as fast as I am accumulating them. 

Note to self: NO more for a while. 

But.....

NO!!!

While I didn't get done everything that I wanted to do, I got all the important stuff done. As mentioned, the rest I was planning to do was icing on the cake. I will manage just fine with my 50 lb suitcase! And all my technology. 

We had a bit of company this afternoon, so I "wasted" some time visiting. 

When I got back to work, I managed to clean (or mostly clear) the three sewing machine tables. And all the machines have been put to bed. At least this will look a bit more inviting when I return home. The tubs of stabilizers and boxes of threads are also back in their appropriate spots. 

The machines are put to bed.

My trusty companion snuck down the stairs when I wasn't looking and joined me. Poor Murphy, I suspect she is headed for canine dementia, which isn't going to be fun, but we are going to make the best of it. 

My trusty companion

She may be a bit depressed as well since she isn't able to do everything she used to. She tries, but well, she isn't going to be running laps in the backyard any time soon. She can run, but not how she used to. But then, I can't run or walk like I used to. What's weird is that all this seemed to come about because of that slip on the stairs. It has freaked her out, and she just can't get over that scare. 

I'm sad, of course; I'm sad. But I'm not going to waste time worrying about it. I'm going to enjoy each and every minute I have with her, and who knows - she may surprise us and live for a very long time. At least we are learning how to cope with her situation, and she seems to be OK to sleep upstairs at night, which is a blessing. 

OK—they have to stop posting such good words of wisdom on thought.minds on IG. I see so many that it's hard to pick, and I picked three again. I'm hoarding the darn things!

We are all hard on ourselves and give excuses when we don't have a good day. Guess what? That is NORMAL. You have a bad day; tomorrow is another day!

Here's the one that I need to be more cognizant of. I will make comments about someone and I have no clue what's going on in their life. And I need to stop that! 

And this one? This is for any of the parents who insist that their extremely hands-on child go to university instead of arts school or a trade. Imagine if you are in the wrong job - how horrible is that to go to work every day and force yourself to do something you don't care about? If you are in that situation, you need to take a leap of faith and change your situation. 

As you can tell, I love these words of wisdom. I think they are great because they confirm how we feel and work, and they also remind us of things we could change. 

I did a bit more work on the pattern testing situation. I am determined to find the error. And I did spot two anomalies. Now I need to work out the math to see which is wrong. But I'm getting there. I know—do not yell at me for taking this on and pursuing it like a dog with a bone. This is the type of thing that makes my heart sing, and I'm in my glory. I think I could easily become a "professional" pattern tester if there was any money in it! 

I have tried MULTIPLE ways to find the error, and I finally had to break down and print a couple of pages of the pattern, get a highlighter, and start taking notes. I think I'm almost there. It might become a good task for the five-hour plane ride! 

Depending on when you read this, I'll be on a plane on my way to the other side of the country. I finally got my car and hotels all booked this afternoon. I know—I shouldn't leave it until the last minute, but I do. Thankfully, there are lots of choices. I don't think I'll get an upgrade on the long flight unless someone doesn't show for the trip. There are three empty seats in business class, and I'm number four on the list. That always seems to happen! 

Well, I need to get myself organized and pack a few clothes for the trip. I NEED to remember to pack my toothbrush, which I seem to forget every single time! I do have a spare in my toiletries bag, but I like my electric brush. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!!!

PS -- Remember if you are in the Langley, BC area - be sure to stop by Castle Sewing Center on Wednesday to see the new PFAFF creative icon 3

And if you are in Regina, Sask on Saturday, you can also sit in on the presentation at Northgate Sewing Center.  

While in Regina, on Friday, I'm doing a talk on the Creativate ecosystem and the Momento (24" digital cutter) 

Then on Monday, I'll be at Heather Bell's Studio in West Lorne, Ontario to showcase the PFAFF Creative Icon3. 

Phes - I'm exhausted, and I haven't even left the house yet. 

Even if you are NOT in the market for a sewing/embroidery machine, come check it out. It's always fun to see the new stuff and dream about what we'd do if we won the lottery. Plus, it's a good chance to meet new people! You'll also see some samples and get inspiration for things you can make! Inspiration is always a good thing. 

OMG—if I had stayed married to my first DH, I would be celebrating my 45th or 46th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Oh my --- that makes me sound very old! 

Use the good china NOW!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Giant hibiscus

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

My well-used china mugs

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

Finding an error

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

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

Article on ceiling fans

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

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

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

Marine vinyl

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

Cutting vinyl at the kitchen island

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

The suitcase needs to be packed.

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

Twister hopscotch? 

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

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

Stitching a onesie on the free-arm

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

The onesie is done!!!

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

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

The embroidery on my tote bag

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

The rest can be done at a later date. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Easing into the home routine

I am definitely a creature of habit, and if I go outside that world, I'm in big trouble!!!

I had pretty much packed my suitcase the evening before, so not much to do in the morning except have breakfast. But I thought I would give the wardrobe one last look. I checked the drawers - nothing. But when I opened up the hanging clothes area, there were THREE of my things in there. Good grief!!!!! 

I never, never, never unpack my suitcase, and so all my clothes are hanging around or in the suitcase in the room. That would not have been good if I left those behind, but guess what? I got them, so all is good. 

It was a bit squishy in my suitcase to put those last three items in, but it all worked. 

Getting that zipper closed!!!

And when we got to the airport, and I weighed my luggage, it was 45.4 lbs, about 10 lbs heavier than when I left. Yikes!!! I did buy 13 yards of fabric after all, plus a book, and some swag and three new T-shirts from the conference. It all adds up, but I was well within the 50 lb limit and certainly not even close to the maximum of 70 lbs. All was good!!!

45.4 lbs of luggage

Getting to the airport was uneventful. Someone else paid, so I didn't have to worry about getting my money out. And just for the sake of keeping up with previous pictures I've taken, this is the tile in the washrooms in the Nashville airport!!!

Washroom tile in Nashville

As we walked through the airport, I spotted this fake orange guitar in the candy shop. I didn't stop for candy, but I got a picture! 

An orange guitar! 

The flight was uneventful and on time, so all that was good. It was easy to get through customs with a NEXUS card; it really is worth the cost. No fuss, although with the ArriveCan app, it isn't a big deal to get through the other line either. Unless you say you are bringing a weapon across, but that wasn't my issue to deal with. Let's just say it is important to READ the questions and answer properly. Don't just assume they all need the same yes-or-no answer! 

And then the wait for the luggage. Air Canada now has a tracker on your luggage so you can see its progress through the various stages of loading and unloading. I arrived at the carousel, and some luggage came, and then nothing came. As one of the people standing around said, it was almost like they had one-armed luggage handlers! It was hilarious! NO, it wasn't! 

Where is the luggage?

My bag, which was tagged as priority, wasn't coming, and yet my two colleagues got their three suitcases out way before mine did. Hmmmm......... I wasn't impatient, but I really wanted to get home. 

It's hard to read the times, but the bag was unloaded at 1:12 PM. But it wasn't delivered to the carousel until 1:53 PM!!!!! I get that it takes a few minutes to get from the plane to the carousel, but almost 40 minutes? And the issue was that the luggage was coming, but extremely slow. Perhaps they did have one-armed baggage handlers. Something was amiss for sure. 

The history of my luggage! 

But I got the bag - that's the important thing- and then I was on my way home. Let's say that there were two very happy girls when I arrived. Lexi was very affectionate and wanted to be close to me, and Murphy wanted to be even closer!!! This was while I was having a late lunch. 

MOM - Don't ever leave again! 

Then I got the whole raccoon story. Apparently the darn thing was sitting on the little railing right outside the back door. It obviously wasn't well and was in trouble. No one thought to get a picture!! They had called animal services to pick it up, but it had ambled away by the time they got here. 

I decided to unpack the suitcase and the portable office because what else was I going to do? You have this restlessness when you arrive in the middle of the day. What to do - should I just dive right in and start to work, or do I ease myself in? I was feeling a bit out of sorts, so I decided to finish listening to my audiobook while I worked on the jigsaw puzzle. 

Another jigsaw puzzle bites the dust!

It's done, so later today, I'll pull it apart and get the next one started. HEY -- I have a lot of puzzles to do, and I might as well keep at it. If I can get two or three done a month, I'd be happy. I love putting them together, and now that I have a bit more time, I'm going to take advantage of that. 

Here is the yarn-dyed fabric I purchased in Nashville. I love the color, and I love the pattern. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but I have 10 yards of it. It was very inexpensive. 

Yarn-dyed fabric

And this was the piece of orange plaid cotton that I bought. I have 4 yards of that, and I envision GREEN on it. Not sure in what capacity, but I'll make something where I can add green. 

Orange plaid fabric

So Studio B is in pretty good organizational shape. Well, if we ignore the white elephant in the room, which is the three tables heaped with things to be done or finished. I'm very good at ignoring it, and when I need something to work on, I'll pull from those tables. 

But I had left some stuff that was still sitting out from my marathon of working on the samples to take with me. I had this pencil case filled with marking devices, and it needed sorting. Do all those markers even work? So I went through that and got things organized. 

Sorting markers

And I spotted a Singer-branded marking pencil! 

Singer-branded marking pencil

I'm happy to report that the table is now clear. The garments that need to be finished are hanging on that decorative rod on the tables. 

The work tables are clear!

I cleared some of this stuff off the cutting table and created a wee spot for me to work. I had some small items on the puzzle table that needed to be taken care of, or that needed to be done, so those got shifted to the cutting table, and I'm going to spend the next two days clearing that up. 

My assignment for the next couple of days

While I have some time, it's the perfect opportunity to work on clearing up some of those little items that won't take long, and that will be good to get done and put away. I will also need to focus on the office stuff for a day or two, but for the moment, I'll work downstairs. 

While I was away, I was getting notifications that things I had purchased had arrived. Two of them were delivered to the mailbox, and the third I have to pick up today from the CrossBorderPickUp depot. That's the place I ship things from the US when the shipping cost is exorbitant, or they will not ship to Canada. In the case of that one item, they would NOT ship to Canada. 

I had to pay HST on getting it across the border, so excluding that, the shipping was about $20, which isn't actually bad! I'll show you the item tomorrow. 

I got the rest of the wedding jigsaw puzzles as well. Well, some went to M in Vancouver, and those slated for people who live around here came to me. I have two puzzles to deliver. 

But I also got my copy of 40 Shades of Grey. I was one of the lucky ones who got a copy from Out of Hand. BUT I will be calling the store today or tomorrow to discuss the situation and figure out how many more copies we need. 

40 Shades of Grey

So if you are interested in taking this class from me, starting in September, be sure to send me an email (elainetheriault@gmail.com) and get your name on the list at Out of Hand. They have a NOTIFY ME when the pattern is available. Be sure to get your name in ASAP, so we will have the patterns in time for the class. If you don't have your pattern right at the beginning, don't worry. I'll make accommodations so you have access to the information, but I will NOT be handing the entire pattern out because that would violate copyright! 

Remember we have a Virtual Retreat tomorrow evening. That is Saturday, July 25 starting at 6 PM. Here's the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

I have one other note --- if you are a machine embroiderer and want to participate in a focus group led by me, let me know. WAIT --- if you are already on my machine embroidery list, I'll be sending you the information. It will be via Zoom, and I hope to host it on Sunday evening at 7 PM. I don't even know if that's a good time, but I need some information ASAP. 

So if you are interested, this is the type of information I'm looking for: what type of machine embroiderer are you? (As for the type -- we're going to make up categories -- casual, hardcore, occasional, etc.) What type of designs do you like to stitch, and what do you like to create with the embroidery designs? I'd love to hear from you. And if that timing doesn't work, we need to find another time or day. But I need it to happen fast. And if you can't, then send me an email and we can try to gather the information that way. (elainetheriault@gmail.com)

And a reminder that if you or anyone else is wondering what classes I'm teaching in the fall, be sure to check out this blog post. And I can confirm that the scrap quilt class at Thimbles and Things is a go!!!! Please forward that link to the class information to your friends if you think someone else might be interested in one of the classes. 

On that note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS --- Oh my --- we've gone from extreme heat to cool weather! But I'm not complaining!

Don't tell me that computerized machines do not provide quality craftmanship!

It was a rainy day in Winnipeg. I didn't go for a walk because I had to pack, and since I didn't sleep well, I decided to take a nap before the day actually started. How crazy is that? 

And now I'm writing late at night because I have an early-morning flight and likely won't have time to write in the morning. EDIT: I wrote the blog last night and am editing this morning. 

This was the condition of the room when I left near noon to go to Carellen's Sewing Center. I had one suitcase mostly packed and most of the stuff off the beds. So that was good. EDIT: Just had a shower and everything is now packed, except for the computer. Then I'm off. 

The packing process

I wonder if, after any major quilt show, the X-ray people at the airport question these "things" in suitcases. There are many spools of thread in one of the suitcases. While these are loose spools of thread, there are two boxes of thread in another suitcase! 

A pile of threads in one of my three suitcases

We had a great time yesterday and saw a lot of inspiration for quilting with your embroidery machine. There is so much to share, and I get so inspired myself that I can't wait to get home and get to work. There is so much to do!!!! I have a load of samples I want to make, and I need to make a list of the things I need/want to make, as well as the things I need/want to learn. 

And it was great to see Brenda. Brenda is part of my machine embroidery club, and it's nice to see the people in person! 

OH my -- I should tell you what happened at breakfast yesterday. I was sitting at a table, minding my own business, when I noticed four women nearby talking about Quilt Canada. One woman seemed to be dominating the conversation. I tried not to listen, but how could I help myself? 

She was lamenting that so many of the quilts in the show were NOT hand-made, and that her quilt, which she had spent over 5 hours hand-embroidering a small section, was NOT accepted into the show. Then she told the others that these machines have no craftsmanship in their end result, and all the makers do is push a button and walk away. 

I think she was in particular talking about the jacket that won first prize, I think. It was beautiful and machine-embroidered on silk. It would have taken weeks/months to do all the satin stitching by hand. I have a picture somewhere. 

OK -- so I couldn't help myself. I had finished my breakfast, and I walked over to chat with them. I identified myself as someone who works with computerized machines, and I politely gave them a wee lesson: people with computerized machines still need to worry about the impact of what they have done, which involves choosing the design, fabrics, and threads. We also need to be skilled at using the computerized machine. It needs to be set, we need to know how it works and how to solve the problems, and a whole lot more. WE do NOT just push a button and walk away. 

I don't think she was too impressed. I was very polite. She then started to talk about how she teaches children to sew. So I piped up that if she was doing that, why didn't she sponsor children in her groups to participate in the Youth Challenge at the show? OH -- she didn't know what to say to that. But then she agreed that it might be a good idea. 

I then suggested that she write an article or contact CQA to see if they would be interested in publishing one on what she is doing in her community. It's not about embarrassing these kinds of people or making fun of them. Just ask them why they aren't making a bigger impact!!!! That's partly because they live in small bubbles and are not exposed to other things! 

I didn't stay too long to chat, but enough to make them think. However, I think she was the kind of person who would continue to complain about the computerized machines simply because her handwork quilt didn't get in. 

People do NOT get it that submitting your quilt to any show, even with exquisite handwork, doesn't guarantee that it will get in. What other quilts is it competing with? Just because you do exquisite handwork doesn't mean the overall impact is desirable, and there are so many other factors.  And each person's definition of exquisite handwork may not meet the judges' standards. 

And people, the rejection letter they send is NOT directed to you. It's a canned letter - it has no reflection on your work. She was quite offended by the letter. And let's face it - if your pictures are crap, that is all the judges see, and your quilt won't get in. 

So many factors—you can be disappointed, but you can't criticize. 

But to complain so publicly about it and to put down the computerized machines -- well, that was too much to let slip past! BUT I was as polite as could be, praised her for what she was doing in her community, and encouraged her to do more! I am not a mean person. Just like to set the record straight and stand up for us techies. 

Later in the day, I ran into someone who complained about the show's layout. People—the show coordinators are at the mercy of the space they have been given. Some shows are big, some shows are small. I don't know if the number of quits was the same as in past shows, but it's amazing how people remember shows differently. Oh, when the show was in "city X," there were so many more quilts. It was better laid out, it was bigger/smaller or whatever. I wish I were better at remembering statistics (which I don't even know myself),  so I could prove a point to people. 

And it is a show—there will be lots of people; the booths are small; it is all about MONEY!!!! If you have accessibility issues, then DO NOT go during the busy times. I do not know how many times I need to repeat that -- go when the crowds are lesser (later in the day). Don't go when it's crowded and then complain! I'm not sure I could handle being a coordinator of the show -- the complaints would drive me mad. 

But the one issue with the facility was the stairs between floors 2 and 3. There was a slow elevator and one escalator that went up or down beside that set of stairs. I believe they had to swap the convention hall at the last minute due to an issue, and I'm not sure if the stair issue was the same on the other side of the hall. I don't know the details of that, but I do know that we were NOT in the hall that we were supposed to be in. 

For someone with mobility issues, taking the stairs either up or down could be quite the issue, or they had to wait for the slow elevator. Thankfully, I am very mobile, so I took the stairs up and down all the time. My knee wasn't always happy, but I told it to be quiet - I was in a hurry! 

The previous day in class, we were talking about donut shapes, and well, on the way to Tim's, guess what? I spotted this donut place and decided to stop in on my way back. 

OH Doughnuts!!!

I ordered from Tim's kiosk because the line was long. Then I was fiddling with my phone when I realized the line was gone, and I still didn't have food. One of the staff asked me what I was waiting for, and I said I had ordered at the kiosk. OH -- turns out my food had been waiting at the other end of the restaurant. Sigh............  I might get all this stuff sorted out at some point. They shout out the in-house orders to the customers, but not the orders in the pickup line. The kiosk qualifies as a pickup line. 

Ordering at the kiosk

So, on the way back to the hotel, I stopped by the donut place. OH MY!!!!! And yes, I had my cup of tea and several Tim's bags in my hands. Good grief. 

But look at those donuts!!!! OH MY -- they looked amazing. 

OH Doughnuts is right!

I bought the key lime donut, and let's say they weren't cheap, and I'm sure there were two days' worth of calories in each one. The lady asked me if I wanted a bag to put all my things in, and I said yes, because I had a lot of small bags from Tims.  

The donut was so thick I could barely get it into my mouth, and at one point, I had key lime pie cream on my chin and whipped cream on my nose. Thankfully, no pictures were taken at that time. 

Now that's a donut!!!

But oh my—it was delicious and well worth it. Not as good as if I had ridden my bike to the shop, but at least I walked there. 

I forgot to mention that after breakfast, I told the lady at reception that we had some excitement in the hotel earlier that morning. She apologized and then asked what room I was in. Later in the day, I got a text, and they gave me a slight discount on one night's rate. That was a very nice gesture, and it pays to talk to people!!! 

I'm back at the hotel, and I have everything more or less packed in the suitcases. I will have to carry a tote bag on the plane in addition to my backpack. Thank goodness for airline status, which allows for three 70-pound suitcases. Having access to the lounge? Useless for me. 

Hopefully, there will be no issues, such as flat tires on the plane, and I'll catch you when I get home!!! I can't wait!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

How NOT to do laundry

Phew—yesterday was a whirlwind of a day, although I certainly took my time doing things, and now I'm going to pay the price this morning as I finish the tasks that I was supposed to finish yesterday!

There is nothing like having several open suitcases and mad packing! Actually, what I love is being able to change the number of suitcases I bring—I'm bringing samples—lots and lots of samples, so I have three suitcases. Two with samples, and one with clothes, which I still need to pack, and I'm leaving in three hours! 

There are loads to be said for black pants! Anything goes with them. A few shirts, a couple of casual things, and toiletries. DONE!!! The thought of taking multiple pairs of shoes that match each outfit makes my head spin. Keep it simple!

To top it off, I had to do laundry last night, and, well, I failed at it. Yep --- I didn't realize the dryer was set to "damp" setting -- must have been DH and his darn shirts. So I tried drying the sheets twice before I clued in. I'm still trying to get two more loads of laundry dried this morning. Sigh.........

Update: just drying the last load as I write!

I was certainly not made for domestic home life. But there is certainly something to be said about wearing the same clothes all the time. Wash them, dry them, and pack the same stuff as last week. No thinking required! At least for the casual stuff. Based on that, I can certainly get rid of many clothes in my closet. Yes -- it's time for an overhaul! 

This was the situation in the kitchen yesterday morning. I had sorted out some items before I left, and then I added a few yesterday as I thought about what I needed for the show and my presentations afterward. YES --- if you are in the Winnipeg area, I'll be at Carellen Sewing on Monday and Tuesday after the show -- June 22 and 23. So be sure to get on the list—I've got some cool things to show you. 

The quilts that need to be packed

And all this had to be packed as well. 

More items that need to be packed

Everything fit without having to push and shove the zipper closed. Both sample suitcases weigh less than 50 lbs, and I'm good. I detest carrying massive, heavy suitcases, so I broke my stuff down into two suitcases. And thank goodness for the Air Canada app, as I was able to change the number and weight of the suitcases from the comfort of my house. No need to see anyone at the airport this morning. You have to love that! 

I am NOT getting an upgrade this morning. It's becoming harder and harder to get an upgrade. You get points to request an upgrade, but there are way too many people on the list (I'm at number 9 on the waitlist), and the planes are flying full or almost full, so no chance. Well, I'll keep trying. 

The quilt was trimmed and bound, and is now packed. I also worked on a name tag, which is on the visual to-Do list, and it's all done except for binding it. I threw it and the thread into the suitcase. The beauty of going to a sewing show is that if there is something you need to finish, you can do it as part of the show! 

As I was standing in the kitchen making lunch with the meager food items still in the house, Miss Murphy came in and, like Linus from Peanuts, she just shed debris behind her. She must have been sleeping under the shed. She never used to sleep there, but she is encroaching on Lexi's secret places. I'm sure Lexi is not happy about that. 

So now there are leaves and straw strewn across the floor. Thankfully, the cleaning service is coming today, but I might just whip some of that up, so they don't think we live in a pigpen!

OH MURPHY!!!!

I barely remembered to check out the pond, and I NEED to clean that pump before I leave. The pineneeddles are the worst. They are constantly falling, and they are hard to get out of anything! But the flowers look nice. I must remember in the future --- do not book travel in June. That is the prettiest time in the backyard, and I'm missing a good part of it. Plus, the weeds grew while I was away, and they will have to sit for another week. It's going to be a jungle out there when I get back. But seriously? Who cares!!!! It's a few weeds. Life is way too short to be worried about keeping an absolutely weed-free environment. It's all natural! 

Lilies are beautiful

I'd rather do the fun stuff than weed, do laundry, and clean! I do the bare minimum, pay someone to do the work I hate, and let's have fun! I made choices in life on where to spend my money!

Here is the puzzle I scooped from the roadside while riding the bike. It's an old-fashioned puzzle to be sure. I didn't even check if there was a year on it, but I would say this is from the 60s. I added it to the pile, and I'll get to it when I get back - well, maybe not exactly when I get back, but this summer. 

My roadside puzzle find

And here's the state of the current puzzle I'm working on. Yep -- only the purple is left. Actually, there are two different purples there. I thought this would be a hard puzzle, but it's actually quite easy. Sort by color, which I did when I put the pieces out, and then just do one color at a time. It shouldn't take that long to finish, but I didn't dare take any more time yesterday!!!

My current puzzle

I also have a hardcover book that I'm trying to finish. It is translated from Japanese into English, and I just couldn't get into it at first. Now I'm down to 100 pages, and well, I read what I could yesterday. But I had Monday sewing and other things to do, and well, I guess I'll be taking the book with me on the plane!!!! 

M and Dillon had a photo booth at the party tent, and it was pretty fun. You could keep one photo, and one was printed for a memory book for them. How cute!!!! They had all kinds of props - glasses, hats, and signs. This is one of me with the bride and groom. And Little Bear, of course, since I was his sitter. I grabbed that sign "Flawless," which was appropriate for the bride, groom, and, of course, Little Bear. BTW -- it was getting cold, and when I went back to the hotel to rescue Bear from the sitter, I changed into warmer clothes! 

Flawless, of course!

And this is probably the only photo of my outfit that you will see!! I've always had a chuckle in the past when people said, "That's my bad side!" What does it matter? Oh yes -- it matters. I think I got all the photos on my bad side! It's the part in my hair that I'm referring to!

Me and M on her wedding day!

But it doesn't really matter -- it's all about the stunning bride. And how did she get to be taller than me? 

What you can't see in the photo is that I made a new hairband for the wedding. The flowers matched my outfit!!! Well, I'll just have to take a better picture of that when I'm back!!! And the flowers were on my good side, which is closest to the bride! I must be more aware of that in the future!

Anyway -- I'd better get moving, as I still have to throw those clothes into the last suitcase, walk the girls, and make a bed!

Remember, the blog timing might be off for the next week, but I think I'm only one hour off, not three, so it won't be as bad!!!

Have a wonderful day. 

Ciao!!!