AI is NOT helping the Maker Space

A reminder: if anyone wants to join the second session for Making Scrap Quilts Beautiful, hosted by Thimbles and Things (taught by me), a second class has been opened, and it is filling fast! I wouldn't wait if you are considering joining. That class starts on September 20. You can get all the details at this link. The class is ONLINE, so anyone from anywhere can join! 

I gave the first session a wee bit of homework yesterday, and I'm seeing some pretty interesting quilts! 

I am back in work mode - at least for yesterday! It's funny how some days you have all the energy to conquer the world, and the next day? Well, not quite so productive. Oh - I get things done - just not always what I need or want to. Perhaps I should say my focus, not my energy, is the problem!

I finished another audiobook yesterday. Only at the end did I realize the audiobook was abridged, but it was still very interesting. And all I can say is my heart goes out to those living in war-torn countries and countries where women are not respected. And even in our first world country, some women are badly abused by their spouses. It's terrible that anyone has to live in those conditions, and under so much fear for their lives and the lives of their children. 

The book is called "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I learned at dinner last night that the author is a man. OH MY!!! That was interesting. How the heck could this book be written by a man? But he did a great job, and I think he covered the woman's point of view very well, considering his nationality and the topic of the book. 

His family sought political asylum in the US when he was 15. He writes to raise awareness of the Afghan people and what has happened in their country. The books are hard subject matter, and although they are fiction, a great deal of them are "real." I haven't read any of his other books, but I might have to read the first one - "The Kite Runner." 

Let's just say that a lot of progress was made yesterday, and I'm happy. 

The backing and the binding are made for Down on the Farm, and I hope to get it quilted before the end of the year. We'll see how that goes, but at least it's in the pile. OFF MY plate at the moment. 

Down on the Farm ready to be quilted

Then I decided to get myself in gear and get the metal bars sewn into the leader for the long arm. I had already stitched the channel a while back, but I needed to stitch pockets so the magnets didn't float around in the channel. So I stitched the edge of the channel, then inserted a metal bar, then stitched that pocket closed, and then along the edge for the length of the next pocket, inserted another metal bar, until the entire 14 feet was stitched. 

YES -- I had to insert the metal bar from one end into the channel and scoot it down to where it would reside. I don't know if that makes sense, but I stitched one long seam, with little jogs to close the pocket. It was easier than stopping and starting. 

Sewing the metal bars into the long arm leader

It really wasn't a big job as I anticipated. As is the case in almost all jobs that we procrastinate on. Why do we do that to ourselves? 

Before I knew it, I had reached the last pocket. 

Sewing the last pocket

Then I placed the leader on the bar of the long arm. It was super easy to hold it in place using the magnets, as the bar is metal. 

The magnets hold the leader in place.

Now that the leader is in place and quite sturdy with the magnets, I can tape it to the metal bar by myself. I hope to get that done this afternoon, and I might even attempt to load a quilt. I have two other leaders to switch from pinning to magnets, but just getting this one done is awesome. The rest will come, but I need to get the long arm back up and running. 

I have to laugh because someone at Monday Sewing mentioned that if you are learning something, it's not enough to just make one - you ned to make several to master the technique. I learned that with my table. The first assembly was a challenge; the second was fast! Now that I know what I'm doing with the leaders, I suspect the next two will go much quicker. Except it is a ton of work to scrape off that goop. 

Next on the agenda was to get to work on my UFO for this month. Of course, some appliqué was holding me back. So I got out my threads, and I started my satin stitch. 

Satin stitch appliqué

And of course, there are two blocks!!! Because I started making two quilts about 25 years ago! 

Working on two blocks

The trees on the left are done, leaving the boy on the sled and his dog. That will take a bit of time, since the pieces overlap and are small. But that is my goal for the day! I hope to get a few other things done, but at least if I get that done, I'll be happy. 

As for the current jigsaw puzzle? I finished it last night. 

Jigsaw puzzle done - almost.

Dang it, but there's a piece missing. I bought it at the thrift store. BUT WAIT --- I had noticed a few pieces were falling off my design boards as I was working, so I had a peek this morning. AHA - look what I spotted. 

The missing piece

That piece fell off the design board and onto the shelf, so I was able to put the last piece in this morning. 

The last piece

Yeah!! No missing pieces - I love that, and I only paid $5 at the thrift store. I probably got a discount because I rarely buy anything at full price. So that was a very good entertainment deal. 

Jigsaw puzzle complete!

Am I getting faster? I think I am. Am I ready for a speed puzzling event? I doubt it - I'm not nearly that fast, but what the heck. It will be fun. 

I didn't have any large zippered plastic bags, so I got some at the dollar store the other day. I always pack the puzzle into one of those bags and put an elastic around the box. That just helps to prevent pieces from going missing. 

I'll be meeting a few of my puzzle friends next month, and I might pack up these puzzles and see if anyone wants them. If not, they go back to the thrift store. 

And yes—the next one is ready to crack open tonight. That one is the theme puzzle for September, which is to work on a Eurographics brand puzzle. Last month, with the theme of Wild Animals, over 800 people submitted a picture. Well, I noticed one woman submitted more than one entry, and that is within the parameters of this event. But she makes it very noticeable. When we take a picture of the finished puzzle, it needs to have a piece of paper with the code word on it. Hers is very distinct. Oh well - if that makes her happy, then it makes me happy. 

Let's face it, some people are fully retired and probably spend all or most of the day puzzling! 

Our library has been closed for most of the summer as we are getting a maker space and new carpet, among a few other things. The library is now open, and I popped in yesterday to see if the quilt had been taken down. Nope—it's still hanging, which is good. The last time they painted, it got taken down, and it took a long time to get it back up. I don't think it gets a lot of sun, but it is looking faded. 

The library quilt is still hanging.

I didn't look around much, but I spotted the new carpet. Where is the maker space? I didn't see that. 

But look at the pretty display of books. Typically, you see the spines pointing out, but this time, it was the pages. Isn't that pretty!! I bet most of those books are fantasy, which isn't a genre I read. I checked a few, and yes, they are mostly fantasy. 

The pretty pages of books

I found a quilt book on scraps, so I brought that home to browse for any tidbits! 

Good grief-- now Murphy seems to have developed a cough. I'm not sure where that came from, but I need to see if I can get into the vet today for meds for her. The poor thing! Of course, like people, she mostly coughs at night! But she is happy as a clam to sleep upstairs, so all is good at our house. 

I'm going to go on a wee rant here about AI. I know that people use various AI bots to do stuff for them. However, I don't see the point of using specific AI bots when our Google search does the same thing. YES - I know they have their own AI now, but it's just a glorified Google search, and Google has always been good to me. However, I will confess that I used MapQuest the other day when searching for a location. 

It's getting harder and harder to work "normally" when all these companies are strong supporters of the political unrest. 

Anyway, that was NOT my point. My point is that so much stuff that we see on the internet is AI-generated, and much of it is NOT specified as AI-generated. People are struggling to tell the difference, although for most of it, it is easy to spot. 

In the world of makers, AI - enhanced photos of projects are lending a VERY BAD image to the industry. I spotted someone on IG (might have been a store) saying that people are complaining that what they are buying or making is NOWHERE NEAR the look of the picture they saw. 

I see it all the time. Here's an example. This is a picture of the original project—NO AI involved.  

Original project - No AI

And look at the AI-generated picture. Totally different. In this picture, those leaves and flowers look 3D and made of some non-fabric material. I'd be ticked off if I went to a class and expected this and made the above picture. It's not a huge difference, but the enhancement is detrimental to roping new quilters/sewists into our world. 

AI- generated version

In a world where people can't tell the difference, this is going to keep causing so many problems. When researching anything, AI is only as good as the material it scans. I say, let's keep using our brains, figure stuff out ourselves, and leave AI to, well, I don't know who. But there is a place for it, but certainly NOT in the maker space. 

The big argument is that AI will quickly compile from various sources, but why can't we go to the sources directly and gather the information? What I dislike is that I learn so much from going to a site - that step alone increases my knowledge base rather than just the narrow focus of the search I asked some AI bot to perform. Keep your options open - stop being complacent and letting AI dictate what and how you gather information. Let's do some of this work ourselves, and I bet you will learn more than you could by using AI. 

On that note, I'd better get myself organized. I have a few things I want to get done today, and there's no time like the present to get started. 

It's going to be a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

A doozy of a puzzle!!!!

Yesterday was a special day, and I almost missed it until I saw someone post about it last night. And someone mentioned it on the blog yesterday. It was Winter Solstice Day. While this means winter has officially arrived, it also means that each day is a little longer. Well, the day isn't longer (don't we wish!), but the sunlight is a little longer. I don't care if the daylight is only a few seconds longer— soon it will be summer! Don't worry -- I like winter, and as long as you dress appropriately, it's not cold outside. 

And thankfully, someone mentioned that Christmas doesn't end on December 25, but instead on January 6. Thank goodness for that, because that Christmas puzzle? It's a doozy!!!

I opened up the blinds, although the light gave off a terrible glare on the puzzle pieces, but no worries - I was really only trying to get the pieces face up on the table, and to sort out the border. This goes MUCH faster when you stand up and use two hands! 

I'm ready to start the puzzle

Then I spread out all the border pieces - it seems like a waste of time to put them in the sorting tray and then replace them on the table. I'm still figuring out the sorting tray thing. 

The border pieces

But see what I mean by weird shapes! These are the BORDER pieces. 

Bizarre shapes

Obviously, I haven't discovered all the border pieces, and I'm not even sure that all of them are in the right spot. Thankfully, this one is only 500 pieces as it's going to be a challenge! But when I need a break, I can zip upstairs and attempt to put in a few pieces! 

The border is almost done

AHA -- I was certain that I had purchased a "recipe" book for cutting things on the digital cutter. 

My "recipe" book for the digital cutter

Each material you cut can have its own two pages, where you can check off the type of mat, blade, etc., you use, and there's a spot for notes. I'll transfer my notes and samples into this book, but I think I'll see if I can get it coil-bound first! Once you start to put some samples in there, it's going to be a challenge with the glued spine. I bought this book from my "favorite" online store, and it was printed at their print shop! I think that's kind of cool, even though I'm not a fan of buying from them. The ability to print on demand is enormous. 

The recipe pages

Now that UFO Club is done for this month, I can share some of the work I've been doing. Wait— I can't do that, since some of them haven't been gifted yet. 

I had a Halloween quilt that I made at a quilt retreat in September. It needed a border added, and the backing and binding had to be made. That is done, and now this is moved to the "to be quilted" pile. 

The quilt top, binding, and backing

I also made the backing and the binding for my Green Tea quilt. That binding was a challenge as I used one piece from the fat quarter bits I had left. So there was a lot of cutting and sewing. But there were enough pieces to make a multicolor (multi-fabric) binding, and this was also moved to the "to be quilted" pile. 

The quilt top, binding, and backing

I completed this journal cover. It had been sitting with the front cover pieced, but that was it. So I finished the embroidery on the front and added a tag with my name. The journal cover was an exercise to learn the new features on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3 when it was released several years ago. I was a tad behind, although this is my second one. I know - why make one when you can make two?

The front of my journal cover

Here's the back of the journal cover with some floating stitches. 

The back of the journal cover

Here's the inside. I changed the method for sewing the journal cover. This is my favorite way, and it's super easy to turn inside out, and the inside is completely covered. Here are the instructions for making journal covers my way, and you can decorate them however you like. They make a great personalized gift! There are other blog posts linked to that one (right at the bottom) with different ideas for embellishing journal covers. Oh shoot—I don't see the links. I'll try to remember to post them all tomorrow. 

The inside of the journal cover

I also finished my Halloween ornament. I know -- a wee bit behind, but guess what? It's done and ready for next year! I hand-stitched those buttons on!!!

Halloween ornament

But for the moment, I'm enjoying it along with the heart I hung up the other day! Notice the small green quilt covering the embroidery machine? As I learned yesterday with the digital cutter, it's a good idea to keep covers on all your machines. You would be shocked at how much dust and lint are in the air. And if you don't believe me, take a cup of water, tea, or whatever into your sewing space and leave it to sit for an hour or two. Yep --- you'll find dust and lint on the surface!

My latest ornaments!

Also, as part of my UFO this past month, I had not one, but TWO (why?) of these small denim totes from the Teach The World To Sew day back in September. Good grief! I could have simply sewn the tote bags together, but NO - I wanted to add some interlinings and quilt them. I have a machine - why not use it? And even though the denim was heavy, I like a bag with lots of structure! 

For the first one, I used a triple stitch on the PFAFF creative icon and quilted through the denim and the fusible fleece. I did a 60-degree diagonal line and used the Projection feature to stitch the lines. I marked one line in both directions with white chalk (chalk-o-liner - the ONLY marking tool I will allow in my space!). I fused Decor-Bond to the lining - the red and white polka dot fabric behind the denim, and rather than making fabric handles, the pattern called for webbing, so I got some of that the other day, as I did not have red. 

Denim tote bag number one - ready to sew together

For the second one, I wanted something different to quilt/decorate the outside of the bag. I LOVE my Three-Hole Yarn Foot and use it wherever I can. One of the Fons and Porter Love of Quilting shows that I taped was all about the Three-Hole Yarn Foot. It is such a fantastic accessory. I hadn't had a chance to stitch the lines before the UFO Club, but everything was prepped. I spaced the lines a bit further apart and decided to mark them all with chalk. 

Preparing the second denim tote bag

So yesterday afternoon, with NOTHING to do, I got myself organized and started stitching. Did you know there are built-in stitches on your SVP-branded machines (Husqvarna Viking and PFAFF) that work with the Three-Hole Yarn Foot? Check them out!!!! And I use the START/STOP function, rather than the foot pedal, to stitch these long lines of decorative stitches. Those long seams can be boring (a great time to problem-solve some other issue), and I find it hard to keep a steady pace with the foot pedal. START/STOP is the way to go! 

Using the three-hole yarn foot

And before I knew it, the lines of quilting were done! For this one, I also used fleece, but it wasn't fusible. I didn't stick it in place. The piece isn't large enough to worry about that. I didn't even pin it. Sometimes I iron the two layers, and the friction from heat and steam is sufficient to hold them in place. I also fused Decor Bond to the lining. More on this one another day, as it's directional and that lining was cut in ONE piece - well, according to the instructions. 

The outer part of the second denim tote bag

Here's a close-up of the stitches. That yarn has a wee sparkle, and I used a matching 40-weight thread on top. If you have NEVER used the three-hole yarn foot, then you should get it out! I LOVE it. 

Detail of stitching yarn using the three-hole yarn foot

And now here's my cutting table for today. I've moved the UFO items that I didn't complete this month to the top of the blue bin, so there's more for me to get done this month. But slow and steady, and I must start on January 1, instead of procrastinating until the final week! 

There are a few things to put away this morning, and I might just take that book down to Staples to have them cut the spine off. But I also want to print some photos, so I could do both in the same trip. 

The cutting table is prepped for today

There are THREE new small projects on the table to the right that I want to make, so I need to add those into my schedule! And then, I put the white bin with the projects that need to be done this week. Technically, that is overdue, but I just couldn't handle it before. 

As I move forward into the new year, I'm going to try very hard to keep up with time management. It won't be easy, but I'm learning every day how to manage my time better. And I'm learning NOT to get stuck on the fiddly bits. Just forge ahead, and they will be done!!!

By the way, and this is not to put anyone into a panic, but is anyone interested in me teaching an ONLINE class through Thimbles and Things? I don't want anything significant, but could handle perhaps a one or two-part lecture or technique class. If you have a topic, let me know (elainetheriault@gmail.com), and I'll contemplate it. NOTHING BIG!!!!! 

I also promised the scrap thing - maybe I can do that through Thimbles and Things!!! That might work. 

And on that note, I'm off to spin class!!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I'm on a ROLL!!!!!

 OH MY GOSH --- someone else calls that fabric FORTREL!!!! They must be from the west, but what a great idea to make quilts for the homeless. That fabric cannot be destroyed. And now I have two boxes to deal with! But at least I know what to do with it! 

You are going to start saying that I sound like a broken record, but this new system of mine is working like a charm. As the number of projects in that blue box diminishes, I am so tempted to walk to the current projects table and pick up a couple more things. I have even grazed the table with my eyes, spotting what can be pulled next. BUT I am resisting!

The point of this entire exercise is to train myself not to start something "new" until what I am working on is complete. Now there will be times when I have to take a break to work on my writing assignments, and that's OK. But I MUST finish what's in that blue bucket before moving on. And I also have to contend with the long arm simultaneously, as I have several customer quilts and some more community project quilts to finish before the end of the year. 

I counted -- OH GOSH - I couldn't help myself, but there are still six projects in that blue box and I NEED to get them done. One of them is a brand-new small wall hanging that I just purchased the pattern for, and I might treat myself to a NEW project once the UFOS in the box are done. The pattern is in the box. I've pulled two small things to work on today. And I still need to purchase that white flannel. 

So I am learning, but it's hard! But it's so worth it, and here are a couple of reasons why. 

I needed to lay out some fabric for a quilt backing. This UFO was in the blue box and had been languishing on those current project tables for a couple of years. All I had to do was place the blue box onto the floor, and the cutting table was clear. Now, is there anything more satisfying than having a clear, LARGE work surface in two seconds? Absollutely NOT!. That's what I keep telling myself: do not add to that blue box until it's empty. It's going to be a huge reward to go to the current project tables and select the next handful of projects to work on. And it's going to happen soon! 

Lots of room to work on the cutting table

And here's another reason why having a clear cutting table is glorious. I had some quilts to trim, and it was a snap with all that space. 

Trimming quilts on the cutting table

So, I'm going to keep resisting and keep my three main workspaces (cutting table, sewing table, and ironing station) neat and tidy, only containing what I am actually working on. The rest of the stuff? It's on the tables. If you don't have that luxury, large tubs will work just as well. Trust me, when I'm done with those tables, there are a few tubs that can easily refill the table. But I plan to keep the UFOs in the tubs out of the way. 

I'm happy to announce that the quilt backing and binding are made for that quilt. The reason it didn't get done before was that I had to sew more than one seam to make the backing large enough. How long did that take me? I'm tired of my own silliness for setting aside simple things. No more! 

Backing, top, and binding

The second quilt for that backing that was on the long arm was completed, and I pulled both quilts off the long arm. 

Dog quilt - Number One

Dog quilt - Number Two

Both are super cute, and I used the same paw print quilting design for both. 

Paw print quilting design

But not before I had to join a piece of batting to complete the second quilt. I knew I would have to do that as the batting was 108" wide and the quilts were approximately 58" each. I happened to have a long, narrow piece of batting (it pays to keep all those cut-offs), and soon I was on my way again. I have a system for joining batting on the long arm. 

Joining batting on the long arm

I use a small, portable pressing surface that I can place between the bars. Then, I have my black fusible interfacing strips precut, and I lay the two pieces of batting together and press them with the iron. It's awkward, but it works like a charm. 

Both quilts are trimmed, and I need to determine what to use for the binding. I did NOT make binding for any of those eight quilts. I was thinking of using the leftover backing strips for two of them. It's busy, but that's OK. 

I need to figure that out today, so guess what's on my cutting table this morning? 

The work for today!

Yes - the two quilts have joined the mix and see - if I had a lot of other crap on that table, this would just look like a nightmare. Instead, it's welcoming! The next quilt is loaded on the long arm, but I need to piece some batting bits together. I may just go ahead and make the batting for the remaining six. I'll see how it goes, but I need to sort the batting by size to make this a bit easier. I have a feeling it's going to be a wild mess in Studio B later today! And the batting closet may be empty!

I also finished cutting all the sashing and cornerstones for my quilt. Yeah!!! Now to find some time to piece! 

Sashing and cornerstones are cut!

Not only do I have to piece the battings for those remaining six dog quilts, but the backings need to be made as well. The fabric is pulled, but the backings are not made. I suppose that will be my project for next week, and I would love to have all eight done by next weekend. I don't think that is realistic based on a couple of things in my schedule, but we'll see how it goes. I'm going to push to get them done! 

It was a windy, blustery day, and this leaf got stuck to the kitchen window! The backyard, which was relatively clear of leaves in the morning, is now covered in leaves! I won't touch them until all the leaves are down. And there are still loads to go. 

This leaf wants in!

Look at this beautiful girl! I signed up for a course on using the camera on my phone, so be on the lookout for new and creative photos. But I haven't had a chance to start yet. However, even taking a picture from a different angle can be significantly more interesting than a straight-on view. 

MOM - I am NOT impressed!

She loves that dog bed now. Wait -- someone asked me for the name of the bed, and I took a picture, which I don't think I ever posted. Well, that was silly of me. Here's the link to the dog bed - it's on sale! I think it took her some time to get used to it because the bottom is canvas, so it's not solid, but she loves it now! Why does she have that face? I told her she had to share her bed with company, and she was NOT pleased! She will be happy when he gets here! 

Since Lexi is a snuggler, but only to furniture, she loves the side rails on that bed. If it were open, I don't think she would sleep there. 

Well, I did it again! I bought a new fitness tracker, and this time I went back to my old standby (FitBit), even though I realize that it may be discontinued soon. The entire line (brand) might be wiped out, but I didn't like the Samsung watch. WAIT --- it worked perfectly fine - absolutely nothing wrong with it, except it logs steps, not KMS. I know -- a ridiculous thing, but I like to see those KMS. So I wore both yesterday and will wear them together today to see how they compare. Then I need to set up the FitBit with KMs showing, and then I'm good. 

What happens to the old one? DH wanted something to track his sleep, so he will get the Samsung! I wasn't going to buy a new one unless I had a home for the old one. 

TWO fitness trackers

There are days when I wonder how I am still alive. I seem to struggle with taking health matters seriously. But I'm trying. I got a letter from the government yesterday saying that I was due for a FIT test instead of a colonoscopy. OK - the test is much easier than the procedure, so I called my doctor to order one. Then the receptionist said, 'We have the flu shot.' I don't want the flu shot! 

But I did say I needed the shingles shot. So I went in yesterday afternoon to get that. I wonder about my doctor because I can call in the morning and get an appointment in the afternoon. She must not have many patients. Anyway, when I got there, she said I had already had TWO shots for shingles. Seriously? Apparently, she gave me one two years ago, and I got one from the travel doctor this summer. That can't be right - I told that travel doctor I didn't want a shingles shot from him. 

He was giving me so many needles that day that I have no idea what he gave me. And I forgot my yellow vaccination record at home yesterday. Well, I got a third one, so that is it -- NO more shots for shingles! And while they tried to persuade me to get the high-dose flu shot, I refused. If I were prone to getting ill, then in a heartbeat I would. But until I reach that point (I know --- you are saying I could avoid getting to that point), I don't want a flu shot! 

I still have loads of pictures to share, but I don't have the time or space this morning. But here are two. When I was at my parents', I was helping Dad get some of their income tax paperwork squared away, which meant going into the closet to pull the folders off the shelf. One of the sharp-edged folders fell right on my nose, and it bruised! I didn't even notice that until I got home! And I almost have the start of two black eyes! Good grief!! It wasn't a hard hit, but it was direct! It's all gone now! 

A bruise on my nose!

I was recently in a place where I heard a presenter discuss threads and the reluctance of people to purchase multiple colors of thread, particularly in the machine embroidery world. What? That is next to impossible, as everyone loves to buy, and the more threads you have, the better. 

This is my cotton and polyester thread drawer, which I use for sewing, not machine embroidery. You can't just have ONE blue - you need many blues! 

My cotton and polyester blue thread collection

And now that all my threads are organized by type and colors, I can find anything in a flash! 

I think that having my sewing things organized, where I can readily find them, has helped me to get my brain organized. I am determined to make the most of my sewing time, and this week, I'm on a roll! 

What kills me on the paperwork is the follow-up. I have two pending calls and am waiting for an answer! 

On that note, I have a list of paperwork items to accomplish this morning, and then I'll be back in Studio B this afternoon to see what I can get done. If I keep this dedicated, I might even take the weekend off! Well, I have an adventure tomorrow and two sessions on Sunday morning, so I won't get much done on Sunday afternoon, and that's OK. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

PRIORITIZE FOCUS WIN!!!

That feels better—I was off bright and early to meet with Brooke. My legs have been so tired since my last trip, but after my stretching and compression pants, they feel so much better! 

Well, I am loving this relaxed schedule and certainly want to take advantage of it for as long as I can! I have two trips, a quilt retreat, and one guild lecture to round out the last two months of the year, so that should be pretty easy. It's giving me lots of time to tackle those current project tables, but as we all know, everything takes longer than we plan. 

However, I managed to eke out a few things yesterday. The quilt is trimmed and ready for pickup! 

Then I loaded the next quilt and realized I had the backing for TWO quilts here. Remember the dog-themed quilts I made in September? I need to get those quilted, so one of two is done on this backing. 

The first of the two quilts for this backing is quilted

I won't unload this, but simply add the next quilt to the backing and away I go. It's pressed and ready to load this afternoon. The batting is wider, but not quite wide enough for two quilts, so when I get to the end, I'll add a strip to the bottom. 

Here is a better picture of the L stitch as a reference point when advancing a quilt. 

The L stitch as a reference

I was wondering how easy it would be to remove it, and after timing that other quilt, I quickly removed the reference stitching. It was super easy to remove, and I think I just found a new way to mark my quilts while quilting. This reference mark will always be there in case something happens. It takes a few seconds longer to stitch the mark, but it is well worth the extra time. I'm a believer! And I'm sure there are many other little tricks that I could learn about that software to make my life easier. 

Thanks to the APQS dealer out west who helped with that one. 

I also got the backing completed for that other quilt, so now it's in the "to be quilted" pile, and I have done the three things on my list for the afternoon. That quilt had been languishing on the floor under a table for several years! 

The backing, the binding, and the quilt top

Now what? I looked in the bucket on the cutting table and picked the next project, which was a quilt that needed the sashing cut. Actually, I needed to cut the cornerstones as well, and I had enough fabric scraps to do so. 

The cornerstones and the remaining fabric scraps

All the scraps are now compiled in a plastic bag. I finished with all the fabric except the background, so it all went into the project container, along with backing and borders, and the book for Vintage Farm Girl II. 

The leftover fabrics for the next quilt

The backing and borders won't fit in the box, so it went on top, and that project box got put on the shelf. 

This box went back on the shelf

The old me would have left that box out because I might want to start it. Well, the new me says NO -- I will pull it out another time, but now is not the time to work on this. My goal is to complete the top, backing, and binding of the original one. And this is how those tables are going to get clear! 

I still have more cutting to do for the background and borders, and that is on today's list. This is a larger project and I can't finish it in one day, but I can set myself a goal for each day. 

What is nice is that these projects I'm working on are ones that I committed to myself and the Many Blocks and UFO Clubs to get done. YES -- PRIORITIZE FOCUS WIN! 

And yes, before I shut things down last night, I had everything prepped and ready on the table for today. Notice how the blue box is NOT overflowing at this point. Yep --- there are still a few projects in there before I need to fill it up again. But so far, this is all working just great! 

The cutting table is ready for today

I seem to have this need to know that something is waiting for me to work on, but I overwhelm myself and my space by filling it with things I am sure I can accomplish in a day. If I can continue in my new way, I may just make this routine a habit! And dare I say I see some progress on the current project table? There was a basket of fabric on the table for the second Farm Girl quilt, but since I decided to set that aside, the basket is gone! 

I had purchased this book a while back, and it was in the blue box as well. I read the book last night (cute story), and it's on the shelf with the other children's books about quilts. Should I ever be blessed with grandchildren, they will know all the quilt storybooks by heart!

Storybook about the little ghost quilt

You know me and the wonderful world of technology. Well, for the most part, I email photos to myself -- and if you need to email pictures to someone, you should be aware that you can CHANGE THE SIZE of those photos. Many people don't know that, but it's a great thing to learn. However, there are times when I need to download pictures, and I have a data cable to do so. I have two of them. 

My data cable

However, something had happened, and the cable transfer wasn't working. OH, great —now what is the matter? I tried both cables and different USB ports, but NOTHING. And I really needed to upload a video because that was on my list of paperwork things to do. 

Hmmm -- I wonder if Google has an answer, and YES it did! I switched my phone in July, and for whatever reason, there are new settings for the Samsung 25+ phone. Of course there are—thank goodness people make videos about these small techie details. 

The phone has to be unlocked—that I learned many years ago —but you also have to allow it to transfer the data—that setting is new. Once I did that, all was good again! So if you want to watch the video and haven't seen it yet, here is the link. It's the video of my quilt show as the featured quilter at the Buckhorn Quilt Show back in early September. It's all about machine embroidery on quilts—from embellishing quilt blocks to making entire quilts with embroidery, quilting, and making labels. It's a great show if you want to check it out. 

The bottom line is that I fixed a problem I was going to need an answer to next week, and another crisis is averted! 

I also had some paper from packaging that came in the last couple of days that I wanted to cut up, so it was on the cutting table, and it's now cut. I want to try my hand at making this IdeaBook, and they used brown paper for some of the pages. 

Some of the pages for my IdeaBook

I ironed the pages after cutting them to remove some of the wrinkles. No steam!

The pages are ironed

If you want to know what I carried home in that suitcase of mine, I dug it out yesterday. When I stopped by the farmhouse, I had a quick peek in my old room, and there was the FORTREL (crimpoline) quilt on the bed. I had planned to make one, but why make one when there is one that is just going to be left behind? 

With a sleight of hand, I removed the quilt from under the crap that was on the bed. ICK!!! It smelled like a non-housebroken animal had slept on it, and I found a mouse nest with skeletons in it. They were probably smothered by the polyester! I found a plastic bag to put it in because not only did it smell like urine, but it also had that musty, old-house smell. GROSS!!!!! I was NOT putting that in my suitcase unless it was encased in plastic! 

I laid it out in the backyard yesterday, and of course, the girls were extremely curious to see what it was all about. I checked it, and there are NO holes front or back—the mice probably broke their teeth trying to chew through it. It's back in the plastic bag, and I'll wash it this weekend. I will likely never use it, but it's a good quilt to have -- these were keepers back in the day. And besides, Victoria Finley Wolfe has one that her grandmother made! My mom would have made it. 

My crimpoline quilt

My girls are too funny—they do NOT want to be caught sleeping together. Lexi is outside, Murphy is inside, and they are happy. 

This is how we sleep close to each other

When they were both out at the same time, Lexi was sleeping by the door, and Murphy was by the gazebo. You would think they didn't like each other. 

When they sleep outside together

Look what I found at the dollar store - those sheets of laundry soap! I didn't check the price against what is in the grocery store. Are these the same products? 

Sheets of laundry soap

And OH MY --- GO JAYS GO!!!! They won last night, which is very exciting. I was listening to a group of employees from the radio station, and many of them had NOT been born when the Jays last won the World Series. I can't say the same thing! 

And that's it for today -- the pile of paperwork to process is set up, and the list of things in Studio B is ready to go, and I'm fired up!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!