Myth buster - needles!!

Dare I say that I feel the paperwork is finally under control? That is so untrue, but I can breathe a bit, except for a few events that need rescheduling. There is still so much to take care of, and more writing looms on the horizon, but the pile looks neater and smaller!

I had more presentations yesterday—that is the story of my life these days. I love presenting, so it all works for me. 

However, I also feel like I'm a myth-buster these days. Some of the questions I get sort of blow my socks off. So when I saw this question in the Zoom chat room, I had to keep myself under control. 

The person referred to themselves as old-school and cheap. Why couldn't they use a needle until it broke? 

GASP - CHOKE! 

Here's the thing - this was a myth, and she's absolutely right that this is old school. I know this person is not alone in their thoughts. I've seen it in almost every class I've taught for 20+ years that people do not know about needles. 

Rather than stealing a photo from the internet, check out this link to see a picture of a needle past its prime. That is not FAKE -- that is what happens after continued use. Think about the METAL knives in your kitchen. They get dull and are hard to work with. That's the same thing for a sewing machine needle. 

And as for the cost? Needles are not cheap, but they are not expensive, considering other expenses associated with your project. And if you find you're using the same type and size of needle regularly, they can be purchased in packs of 100 to save money. In the SVP World, bulk needles can be bought for Universal 12 and 14 and Embroidery 12 and 14. Ask your sewing machine dealer how to get bulk packs of needles. 

This week, I've been focusing on free motion quilting, which requires that people practice. That means taking some batting scraps, as well as scraps of fabric, and doing some stitching. No one asked me this week, but I've heard this in the past. They do NOT want to waste fabric by making a sample or for practicing. They could NOT just make a sample - everything this person made had to have a purpose. 

Seriously? What a mindset. So, I ask people to reflect on their children's education. Did they send their kids to university? How much does one year of tuition cost? How much does one textbook cost? 

Now think about how much a meter of muslin costs, scraps of batting, and a new needle? Significantly less than a textbook. And most people have all those supplies in their house!

Practicing anything is education; practicing free-motion quilting is the only way to improve. I'm the only teacher encouraging people to practice stitching straight lines in free-motion quilting. I've never seen it anywhere, but it makes so much sense and will give people confidence. There are loads of reasons for that. 

So, I encourage people who can't waste anything to make small practice pieces, serge the edges, and donate the pieces to animal shelters. Shelters always need small mats for cats and larger ones for dogs. You know how our pets are attracted to quilts. They certainly don't care if the stitching looks wonky—they just love a quilt!

Here's something else to consider. People worry about the cost of needles, but I bet they have zero problems going into a store and buying a couple of meters of fabric. So the next time you are in a shop and nothing interesting peaks your interest (as if!), consider adding to your needle stash. Having extras means you'll never cheap out on the needles. 

I keep all my personal use needles in a metal tin, along with a screwdriver to change the needle and a smaller container to dispose of the dead needles. Cause they are DEAD! 

I'm sorry, but I don't have pictures of my needle tin. As I scrounged for something to write about this morning, this topic popped into my head. 

Here's another way to think about needles. If your husband is into woodworking - would he dare cut something with a dull saw blade? 

Unfortunately, many quilters think they are saving money by going to the dollar store to buy cheap tools or supplies rather than the proper ones. They think they can get away without that tool, without changing it, or using something even if it doesn't work properly. One person asked if they could use paper instead of a stabilizer for machine embroidery. NO—just NO! 

This is your hobby—you want to enjoy it—but sometimes, having a hobby means "wasting" a bit of stuff and time to get better. If you're a runner, you train to be faster; if you're a chef, you try new recipes to be successful. It's the same for quilting! Practicing, failing, and finding a new way are part of the journey!! And instead of always spending your money on fabric, buy good supplies!

And that's all I'm going to say about that! I managed to get the outer border on one block for Chatsworth. I have TEN more blocks to finish. 

One Chatsworth block

I got this far on the next one but ran out of time. I was going to finish it once I finished my last call of the day, but by then, it was "late" in the evening, I hadn't finished my dinner, and I was done! I shut everything off and went to read! 

Working on another block for Chatsworth

I returned to the audiobook and listened to the part I was confused about. OK - so all is good on that point. As for The Plot? The plot thickens. Who is the antagonist? I won't finish either today, but I'm making good progress. OH CRAP -- I just checked the internet as there is a sequel to The Plot, and well, I know who the antagonist is, and it's who I thought it was. Well, that's OK. I had figured that out but didn't think it would be that obvious. 

Here's the next installment of 50 Wayt to Keep a Quilter Happy While on Vacation. Enjoy! Numbers 30 - 29- 28 - 27

Well, I'm off to spin class, so I'd better organize myself. Today is all about more sewing, paperwork, a meeting, and presentations—another typical day in March. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

A day of diversions

I had to chuckle as I went to bed last night. Someone sent me this in the morning, and that's how my day went!

I needed a picture of a package of needles, so I dug out my bag of needles. 

A mess of needles

This is my bag of needles, which I use in presentations. I decided it was ridiculous to keep rifling through them when looking for a particular package, So I sorted them. Oh gosh - -I'm just remembering that I forgot to mention the needles in the article! LOL - what an idiot! 

The needles are sorted by type

Husqvarna Viking and PFAFF each have many SKUs of needles, as you'll find 5-packs and 10-packs of the same type and size. 

Five and ten packs of the same needle size and type

I dug out my sorted bag of plastic bags and put each needle category into a separate bag. 

The needles are now bagged by category

And there's the bag of bags on the left and the sorted bag of needles on the right. I got my photo, and the bag of needles got sorted. I need to do that with my PFAFF and Singer needles, but I'll leave that for another day. 

A bag of bags and a bag of needles

And that bag went back into the drawer with the rest of my needles. YES -- I have a drawer for my needles. It's insane! 

My drawer of needles

But I'm happy to report that almost everything in Studio B has a home. One or two small things might still need a home, but it makes putting things away or finding things much easier. 

In my organizing book, I read that we spend at least 30 minutes every day looking for something that isn't where it's supposed to be. That's a HUGE timewaster, and I don't want to spend my time looking for things. That's partially why I'm on this kick, and it sure makes it less frustrating to go to a drawer or wherever and find precisely what you need. 

So then I got to thinking about those fleece scraps. I knew there was more fleece in the storage room, contained within five containers, but what was there? 

It was too challenging to bring out the five tubs, so I had to sort and move them within a tiny space, but I managed. 

A tight space to sort

I even had a helper - of course. When is Murphy not around trying to sniff out something for her!

MOM - is there food in there? 

There were two tubs like this, and I switched them around without moving them. Don't ask!  

Two tubs of fleece and plush

I managed to sort the pieces - I now have plush (Minky) pieces in two tubs, one clear and one blue. The Fireside fleece went in the other blue tub. Yes, I should label them, but I'll remember that they are sorted and that it's easy to pop the lids off. NOTHING is sitting on top of them. 

Three tubs sorted!

I brought two tubs out, including all the fleece pieces. It's now sitting in the middle of the floor space. I intend to measure the larger pieces and cut up the smaller ones. 

The pile of fleece just got larger

While rummaging in this storage room, where most of the community project quilts are waiting to be quilted, I thought of Diane, who pieced many of those quilts and has been a HUGE help to me. Diane is very ill at the moment, so let's keep our thoughts and prayers with her. I would be so lost without all the help she gave. Get well soon, Diane! quilts

I want to use up the fleece, so I'm going to leave it handy in the storage room. As I quilt some smaller quilts for community projects, this fleece will be used as backing. I would like to get rid of all non-cotton fabric in my house. Fleece, Minky, flannel—I want you gone! So there's a plan! 

As I was working on the long arm, I noticed (finally!) how dark it was. Well, I did before and had pulled out the box of new light bulbs. So, in total, I changed four light bulbs. I have one spare bulb! Most bulbs have been switched to bright daylight LED bulbs, which are amazing! It's like the lights have finally been turned on! I may just swap out one more of the old bulbs to get rid of the box. 

Dead lightbulbs

I have one ballast that needs changing. It's dead, and I have a list of things for an electrician. I must call - it's been years since that ballast died! 

When changing light bulbs, I decided to clean one wheel on the long arm. So I got out the necessary tools and cleaned it up. Hopefully, the wheel won't flake anymore! 

A flaky wheel on the long arm

As I was searching through stuff, I found a drawer with a few more camera things. AHA—that's where I put the multi-port USBs that I was searching for the other day. So this drawer is on the table, and I'll sort through it and amalgamate it with my other tub of camera technology. Sigh—how does this happen? 

A drawer of camera equipment

I think that was all my diversions in the day! However, I managed to get post number three out the door, so that was good. I still have two more, and I need to catch up to where I'd like to be, but it's life. 

I was working on another customer quilt when I had a small glitch. It had nothing to do with the quilt, but the machine made a grinding noise and then continued. I happened to be standing there, and after two minutes, I realized the pattern had shifted off. 

I have no idea what happened - well, I know what happened, but I'm not sure why. All I can say is thank goodness I was standing there, and I was able to stop it. But what took 2 minutes to stitch out took 35 minutes to rip out. 

The pattern has shifted

Then, I restarted the pattern and did not have any trouble getting it back in place. The quilt is so busy that you won't notice that tiny bit of overstretching. I love it when I know how to use my technology to my advantage!!!

The pattern is almost 100% on

Here's the quilt. It's gorgeous!!!

Customer quilt - DONE

The next quilt is loaded and smaller than this one, so it should be quick. This is good, as I need to work on the last two blog posts. 

Help me! But I caved when I was at The Hobby Horse the other day. I bought this pattern. I do NOT need this pattern, but it's DOGS!!! How could I leave it in the store? 

Dog Park pattern

I swear there are three designers who are producing the SAME style of pattern. And they all seem to have the same animals—if one has a llama, then another has a llama, and then the third will have a llama. I don't know how they can get away with it, or should I say, how they sell patterns when the three designers are so similar. It's not my problem. This pattern is on the shelf, and maybe I'll make one someday. 

I also looked at some more books on the shelf. Yikes! There are so many books, and well, I'm being ruthless. I found this book in the family room, and it still has the plastic wrap on it!! Why is that? 

A book still in plastic wrap

I found some books on digital photography, which are going, but after I read the section on STORAGE, who knew that I already possessed most of the information I needed but was too lazy to read the books I bought? I'm stunned at how I got into such a mess. 

I honestly believe there was something "missing" in my life, so I filled my time with retail therapy. While I was careful in what I bought (at least I was interested in the things), I think it was something to pass the time. I was already a quilter at this time, so I'm not sure where this downtime came in! 

Anyway, I now see the light, and it's time to get rid of stuff. But if it takes a bit longer to read certain books or parts of books, I'm OK with that. I'm not in a rush, so I have the luxury of doing that. Thankfully, I'm not having to move in three weeks as most of this would just get shoved into a box and moved. I'm not paying to move all these books!

We had more rain in the evening! Where is all this rain coming from? The non-weeded part of my garden is getting greener and greener, and the weeds are getting taller and taller! Hopefully, tonight, I can get out there and do some more. 

Speaking of patterns, if anyone is interested in getting the Spice Market pattern, the best local place to do so is through Hyggeligt.ca. She has some copies in the store and will order more from Australia. So if you don't have the pattern and want to order it, that's your best bet. It's not cheap, but the shipping is included. The class will start in October, so there's time, but I would let Chantal know that you're interested or order it online so you are sure to have a copy. 

Spice Market pattern

The class will be cheap—likely $30—and you can definitely use scraps for this project. So get your pattern, and I'll set out the sign-up information in a bit. 

Even with the diversions, I'm making excellent progress, so that's a good thing. It's incredible what I can get done when I'm not rushing to deadlines. But my organizing book said I should write down a to-do list. I have a love/hate relationship with to-do lists. But there are certain things I need to accomplish today, and I kept thinking of those things last night. I should have gotten up and written them down! 

Did I accomplish three things yesterday? A customer quilt, labels and quilts all ready for pickup for another customer, and a blog article—plus bonus stuff! What three things will happen today? 

On that note, I'm out of here!!! Remember those darn drawers. They pop up everywhere! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

It's time to get things in order!

Thanks for the comments. I need to respond to them, but I seem never to get to that. I read them! And YES—the statement stamped on my carabiner is to protect them from liability. It's sad we live in a society where we have to make those statements. And you know, whenever you see a warning about something, someone has tried it. There are probably people out there who search for opportunities so they can sue the companies. 

Did anyone ever think about how much that adds to the costs of products? They have to be on their toes to protect us and themselves, and all that adds up! Extra packaging, extra employees, extra production costs, or whatever. 

I used to be a sales computer company, and I worked with corporate clients. I took weeks of sales training, and YES, we had to develop creative ideas for selling products. We were taught all kinds of "tricks" to encourage the customer to buy, and I'm talking about extensive systems with a long sales cycle. Imagine if those same sales tactics are used on consumers and impulse purchases. Oh yes --- it adds up! 

Buzz Words, actions, samples, and information lead to increased sales. 

Here's another story that blows my mind. I was in a class about sewing machine needles, and the instructor represented a major needle company. I have no idea how many SKUs (different products to sell) they have, but it's many! There are various types of needles (topstitch, Microtex, universal, etc.) and sizes (6 - 16). So, the world of needles is already confusing, right? 

This representative told the class that their METALLIC needles are, in fact, just topstitch needles labeled METALLIC. I checked the wording on their webpage, and yep—it pretty much says exactly that. The wording is almost identical for both. I'm intentionally NOT providing links, as I don't want to be associated with passing along that information. 

Why are they branded differently? Well, it means the consumer has to buy another package of needles! Are they deceiving the consumer? I don't think so, and I would guess if you asked anyone at the company, they would say they are trying to assist the consumer. Let's face it: Most people would grab their Universal needles and attempt to sew metallic thread. If they run into difficulty, they would not think of a topstitch needle because many people do not understand the difference between needle types. 

But if they see the word METALLIC on the needle packages and are having difficulty with metallic thread, guess what they will buy? But if they saw topstitch, they would not equate that to helping them with metallic thread. 

This is the same scenario with many products. The moment a different use is put on the packaging, people begin to realize how they could use it or think it is the best thing when, in fact, the product has not changed. I know there are instances of this, but my brain isn't working this morning.

Back to the fusibles from yesterday. In the class yesterday, we used an older fusible with paper that is no longer available. It was made way before digital cutters were a thing. We had one minor hiccup because of its tacky nature, but it worked on the digital cutters like a charm. This helps to solidify my stance that ANY fusible will work on a digital cutter as long as you know and understand the properties of fusibles and how to load them on the mat. 

Speaking of yesterday, things went very well. My samples were done, and they were well received. So that's a positive. I got home late, and the girls were thrilled to see me. Then I had a good rest in the evening and a great sleep and guess what? I FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS this morning. 

Thankfully, I'm out of my funk because it wasn't pretty. I've spent the morning putting away the stuff in those final two suitcases from last week -- I'm almost done, but they are both empty, at least. 

This morning, it was time to tackle Studio B. I have a lot of work to do in the next week, and the workspace was not conducive to working. 

This is the area where my quilt tops are stored. I needed some of the tops for my presentation last week, and look at the mess! How can anyone find anything there? 

What a mess!!!

This is what it looks like after I finished. 

All tidied up!

There is still a lot of stuff, but at least I can walk through it, and everything is back in its tub. 

I had a box that needed to go into the storage room. I have a "cold" room under the front step. I use this space to store all the boxes from the sewing machines and other sewing-related products I have on loan. The boxes must be kept since the products do NOT belong to me. 

Empty boxes that I NEED to keep

One of my big machines did NOT come with a box. Thank goodness, because I'm running out of space!

And I found this on the lid of a tin. THANKS - Linda!!!!

A note from a student!

The lid and the bottom of the tin were in use, but I put away the items in the lid, so now the lid is back on the bottom. 

I got the vacuum and Swifter out and swept the floor once I removed the "debris" from it. I swept the stairs to the basement, and for the most part, the work tables are now clear. I have THREE projects that I need to work on, and I don't have a lot of time for any of them, so I have to be very mindful of my time. I'll get them done—there won't be much extra time. 

I've walked almost 2,000 steps in that cleaning process, and I haven't even left the house!

It's going to be good to be home, and I'm home for one entire week! Yeah!! The girls were not happy yesterday when I was writing my blog. I tried to get a picture of the two of them together, but I couldn't, so I had Murphy attached to my chair on one side. 

MOM -- don't leave us!!!!

And Lexi, on the other! When I left, they were NOT happy, to say the least. 

MOM -- we miss you!!!!

Do you see how good of a girl Murphy is? She was intently staring out the window. AHA -- there's a rabbit out there taunting her, but she just looked. She did NOT bark or jump at the window. Murphy -- good girl!!!

RABBIT -- you're lucky I can't get outside! 

And look at the cute dog that came home with me yesterday. Thank you, Brenda!! He's adorable and so soft and cuddly. He's my new mascot for Studio B, but I have to come up with a name!

A mascot for Studio B

It feels so good to be back to my usual self, and even my shoulder feels so much better. I'm trying to be careful and not lift anything, although I lifted lots yesterday. 

Today is all about the sewing machine, a few errands, and one Zoom meeting.  

On that note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

 

Just when you thought you were done

Thanks to everyone who joined in the Zoom presentation last night all about sewing machine needles. Can you believe that besides lots of people from Canada, there was someone from Mexico and another person from Australia? That just shows you the reach of the internet. I love it!

I spent a good part of the day running around taking pictures. Editing them and putting together a slide presentation. I had long ago realized that a slide presentation is the only way to go for these kinds of presentations. You cannot hold items up to the camera and expect people to see what it is you're showing.

Let's just say that needles are HARD to photograph because they are little. But I think the presentation went off pretty well. A couple of small glitches, like when I was able to share my screen with everyone, but when it came to sharing the screen on my phone, my mind blanked on how to do that. Oh well!!!  Going to try a microphone next time - just to see if there is any improvement. Slow down...... so just a couple of small things to fix.

I would like to try broadcasting from the basement - just because the light is much better there. That's all up for an experiment this weekend.

The hardest thing? You are talking to a screen. A totally inanimate object. There is NO feedback and no one to look at. I have to do a bit of practicing at looking at the camera while using the presentation as my prompt. Just like the newscasters who read from the teleprompter!!! 

The other thing - I briefly thought about snatching a few photos from other websites, then I realized - I don't want to get dinged for copyright. So I used some of those sites for research, but all the content was mine. That's how I learn anyway - so it was all good.

Again - thanks to everyone. I have a couple of links to post today.

Here's the picture of the small needle case that I made to put my partially used needles.

Needle case for partially used needles

If you want to make your own, here's the link. It was a tutorial I wrote on QUILTsocial.

Here are the websites for good resource information on sewing machine needles.

Schmetz Needles
Klasse Needles
Organ Needles
Review of sewing machine needles


The best site is Schmetz Needles. Loads of information about types of needles and lots of technical stuff if you're into that.

There's also an app that you can download for your Smartphone or tablet from Schemtz with a lot of the same information. It's a handy resource to have when you're trying to figure out which needle to use. Just go to the Play Store or Apple store and download it - Schmetz Needle App.

Oh yes - the other thing that I hadn't addressed was what needle to use for stitching down fusible applique. Personally, I don't seem to have a lot of trouble with my needle getting gummed up, but should you have that problem, you can now get these new needles. They were hanging on my design wall last night and I didn't want to rush downstairs to get them.

Super Nonstick Needles

They are called Super Nonstick needles or on the package, they are called SUPER UNIVERSAL.

You would have thought I would have included them since I've been stitching fusible applique. Like I said, I'm not having any gumming so it never occurred to me to include them.

The presentation was a lot of fun! I have several other topics that people suggested and I might just look at putting another one together. However, I received some fabric yesterday that I've been waiting for. The quilt needs to be in the US by June 4th. That has become a priority for me. And I have to get my mini quilt for Quilt Canada (which has been canceled) in the mail by June 1st. I'm still finalizing the design.


With all the walking, presentation making, and porch visiting, I didn't really get much else done in the day, however, I got a bit more done this morning.

Working between the two studios is definitely a lesson and prepping me for the sewing retreat. I had thrown some supplies into the laundry basket but didn't really make sure that all the supplies were there. I had brought up some stabilizer and black thread to finish the Halloween wall hanging, but I forgot the GREEN thread for the eyes.

But here's the wall hanging. There are THREE stars (ONE small and TWO big) left to stitch. Oh - and the moon. Then I get to rip the stabilizer off the back, make the binding and the backing and it's done! I have to say that it's exciting to work on a small project that won't take long to finish up. One more done (almost) from that laundry basket.

The Halloween wall hanging

I must say that I was lazy. I set the satin stitch to a width of 2 and decided that I wasn't going to change it (decrease) to go around the points of those SMALL stars. I think they turned out very nicely.

Star with satin stitch

Was it me and my skill? Partially, but the biggest help is the Sensor Foot Lift and Sensor Foot Pivot functions on the Husqvarna Viking Opal 690Q. The Sensor System raises the presser foot just slightly when you stop (with the needle down). You can pivot a millimeter, then take a half stitch with a tap of the foot control. When you get the hang of this system, it's so fast and so easy!! So yes - lots of skill on my part, but with a wee bit of assistance!

I know some people go on about their knee lifts, but that involves some thought. With the Exclusive Sensor System, there is NO THOUGHT required. The machine does all the thinking for you -  automatically - EVERY time. This is a feature I fell in love with over 20 years ago and I would HATE to sew on a machine that doesn't have it. It's brilliant and such a time saver. There's NO PRESSER FOOT lever on the Opal 690Q. It's all automatic or you use a push-button on the front of the machine.

It's almost too easy!!!  So those points came out super perfect with little effort on my part.

The second bat got done as well.

The second bat got done

With this top, there were two pieces of fabric. One was larger and it was slated for the backing. Oh - this checked fabric must be the binding. I opened it up. OH NO - It's another piece that needs to be satin stitched. You're kidding me??

Another top to satin stitch!

I must remember to get a white thread for the eyes. I'm not worried. It won't really take long to do the satin stitching. I was hoping to finish off the cat wall hanging and then change the machine back for piecing. I think I might have to set these applique projects aside as I get to work on the quilts that are urgent. It's not so much that the quilts are urgent, but the Vintage Christmas homework is due tomorrow. Now there is a second sewing machine in Studio U (and one set up in Studio B) that I could use to piece. I'll see how it goes today! It's not like it's a huge deal to change the foot and the stitch plate for piecing. Gosh - I'm a princess!

Next time, I throw projects into the laundry basket, I should check to see that I have everything I need to get them completed. No worries - it just means more steps as I run downstairs to get the supplies. And my Fitbit LOVES steps. When you need SEVEN miles every day, you aim for steps anywhere.

The audiobook I'm listening to? It's disturbing. It's called The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler. It's a physiological thriller, but very graphic and very gruesome. And very disturbing. I have three days left to finish it so I'll be hanging around with my headphones on all day.


Wow -- another whirlwind day planned. Thank goodness it's cool outside.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Fireside Retreat - Day Three

I'm surprised, but then I'm not surprised. I love to sew and I love having the opportunity to sew totally uninterrupted. And that's what we do when we go to the retreat. However, I think I'm the ONLY one sewing! But that's OK.

Our current situation of self-isolation is one where we need to learn to take ourselves somewhere else. We can't travel, so why not pretend that we are traveling. And that's what I did. I make it to the "retreat" by 9 AM after I walk the girls and then I'm at the retreat for the day. I can go back to my routine when Monday rolls around, but I'd go mad if I did the same old thing. That's totally boring!

 I think this is one of the things that we should be teaching our kids during this time. You can transport yourself anywhere and do anything. You just need an imagination! I REFUSE to watch or pay attention to the copious amounts of news about the virus. I stay informed as much as I need to be, but I'm NOT dwelling on it. I can't change a single thing so why dwell on something that I have ZERO control over.

Today, I'll start by sharing a couple of pictures from our daily walks. Might as well - I spend a good part of my day (OK - so two hours) walking and there are loads to see in the neighborhood.

The first is the mall. I think the deconstruction is pretty much complete. They did remove over half of the existing building. I saw them putting up some new steel beams the other day - those darker ones in the middle of the picture and the next day a couple of cement trucks were there. The rubble is mostly cleared up and well, we just have to wait and see what's going to happen next. It's great to walk around the mall as there are NO cars and no people. 

Construction at the mall

The wall past the mall (to see what changed from the previous day) is the highlight of the daily walk - at least for me. The girls are so totally not impressed. 

Since most people are home during the day, you get to observe their cars. I want to live in this house! Notice the color of their vehicles? Not ONE of them is white, grey or black. They go for color!

Colorful cars

Let's see what the others accomplished yesterday.

Ronda is becoming very accomplished at quilting her projects with her embroidery machine! And she's loving the fact that she is making projects totally by herself - from beginning to end! I love it! Hey - I don't care how anyone finishes something  (especially the quilting), the thing is to learn how to make it work for you and go for it!!

Ronda's baby quilt is now quilted

She may even have the binding on by now - I didn't see a picture of that though. Susan got one more block finished from the Vintage Christmas book. This is the Dolly block.

Vintage Christmas Dolly block

 Katheleen got two quilts quilted. They are ready to be quilted and bound. I think she quilted feathers on the blue table runner as I see the spines marked in chalk!!! Way to go Katheleen. Her quilting is amazing. Guess how she got amazing? She practiced! Shows that practice pays off.

Katheleen's two quilted projects

That's it for show and tell. Who knows what the others were doing? I may have to think about who I take on my next retreat! Some of these people are total slackers!!! I'm kidding of course.

This is one of the yummy desserts we could have been eating.

Custom cookies were on the menu for dessert

And this is what I got to have for dessert. OK - so that's not really a hardship! But the Nanaimo bars are gone!  And there will be no more. 

My Nanaimo bars that I had for dessert

So what did I get done? I decided to work on one of my UFO projects on the 2017 Dirty Dozen (UFO) list. After this project is completed, there are only TWO projects left on that list. I'm GOING TO GET THEM BOTH FINISHED by the end of this year. This project is the Night Sky quilt by Jaybird Quilts. I started it a while ago, then it got shelved and ended up on that list for 2017. There it has sat. I made a bit of progress from time to time, but now it's time to get that thing done!!! It's also my UFO homework for this month so I have to get it done or I cough up $10 and we're not letting that happen.

The blocks were together (it's sewn together in half blocks) and all the half blocks needed sashing which I had cut before I left for the retreat. Let's just say that it took forever to get the sashing on all those blocks. I laid it out on the design wall as I got the sashing on.

The blocks as they get the sashing sewn on

At last, the sashings were sewn on all the blocks. I might as well forge ahead and get this top together. And shortly after dinner, the top was together. I was ecstatic. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you spend a bit of time focusing!!

Night Sky lap-sized quilt top is done!!!

Yep - I did a happy dance at that point. My UFO homework for this month is DONE!!!  But I wasn't going to stop there. When I was cutting for this quilt top, I ended up cutting more blocks. Seventeen more to be exact. Don't even ask why I do these dumb things. To make a lap quilt, I need 20 blocks. So as part of my retreat prep, I cut the remaining three blocks. Guess what? Those three blocks are now together as well.

Three blocks for the second Night Sky quilt

Oh yes - I was doing some serious happy dancing at this point. My back was getting tired - it's not used to sewing that much in one day. However, I was thrilled with my accomplishments. I seriously think I'm going to host a two-day virtual retreat for myself once a month. I've accomplished so much and we still have two days left. 

Here are the rest of the blocks for the second quilt. When I get home, I'll need to cut the sashing for those. It's going to take one day to get that second quilt top together. But I going to try and get this one done for our next UFO meeting as well.

The blocks for the second Night Sky quilt

Did I mention that all the seams are pressed open? I hate doing that, but it's really the only option with this quilt to reduce bulk.

All the seams are pressed open

I was a bit worried as the retreat started. I didn't know if I could keep myself motivated. But I'm good at pretending and I found a good audiobook and away I went. I've had ZERO desire to wander off and do anything else. Except to go for my afternoon walk.

So I have to tell you something about needles. When I started sewing the other day, I had put in a new needle. I could hear it punching. I had a better look and the point of the needle was BLUNT. Even in this photo, you can see the difference. That makes a HUGE difference when you are sewing. If you hear that - STOP and change the needle.

The needle on the right is blunt

 The only thing I can think is that the needle was in the incorrect package? It seriously looks like a ballpoint needle. Definitely not suited for cotton.

I emptied a spool of thread yesterday! And GASP - I even fixed a pair of pants!!! I didn't think my sewing machine could do that, but it did!

One more spool of thread bites the dust

 I have to say that I'm super impressed with my retreat packing. So far, I haven't missed anything. I've got the sewing machine feet, I've got the thread colors I need, I've got needles. With two days left in the sewing retreat, I still have projects that I haven't touched. OK - so Tish was right - I CAN survive with just one laundry basket of projects. Thanks, Tish -- I think I finally got it!!

Before I went to bed last night, I got the next project all laid out and ready to sew this morning. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait to get there!!!!  Does anyone know what quilt this is??

The sewing project for today

On that note, I'm out of here. I'm madly prepping the homework for our Celebration quilt that I hope to get sent out tomorrow. For those of you who didn't sign up, you're missing some good stuff. That's all I'm going to say for the moment. Although it's not hard for me to get excited about working on a new project, this one takes our on-going classes in a totally new direction and I can't wait to share with the others!!!  I'm liking the online learning thing. I may end up doing more!!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!