Shirley's breakdown!

Good morning Shirley!

There are times where I have so many pictures that I don't know where to start.  Shirley very graciously cropped and sized these photos for the blog and today's the day they get published!

This goes back to the breakdown of our booth at QuiltMarket.  I cannot have you thinking that going to Market is all shopping and fun.  Nope - two days to put the booth up - and because it was humid there - it was not a pretty picture.  We were all sweating!  However what goes up, must come down and thankfully the break down was MUCH faster - a total of four hours. Brian has an agenda which he didn't share with me until we were almost done - two hours to tear the booth down and two hours to pack the crates.

Let's see how Shirley perceived the break down.

The first thing is pack up all the paper, shade cards and other bits from all the selling stations. While some are doing that, others are taking down the quilts, the fabric squares and the drapes. The quilts ae rolled up and will be placed in plastic bags and then loaded onto the crates.

Quilts rolled up

Quilts rolled up, fabric squares and black drapes are ready to be packed

Once the paper has been put away, the tables and chairs need to be folded up and put away.

Booth is very empty at this point

Grouping stuff in preparation for packing - that is a LONG booth

While we had many many hands on deck to do the tear down, there isn't always a job for everyone.  Sometimes we have to wait for one task to be done before we can move onto the second task.  And hey - sometimes we just needed a break

Debbie and Hannia taking a quick break

Then the lights come down

Team work required to get the lights down without breaking anything!!!!

Then the structures come apart in pieces

This is probably the worst job - well it isn't that hard - much easier to take it down than put it up. It just requires a few people to get it down without injuring anyone or damaging the structure.  Next year - I'll have to give Shirley a video camera!

Paul and Dee packing up the lights

The timing was perfect this year.  In exactly two hours everything was down and then it took another two hours to load those crates.  Just as we were finishing the tear down - the crates arrived by the union guys at the convention center.  Couldn't have asked for more perfect timing on that one.

Debbie and Deborah tearing up the floor

Rich carrying a box of something???

Until stuff started to go into the crates - it all looked very chaotic.

The crates have arrived and the packing begins

The smallest crate packed with all the extra stuff

That's where I shoved my box of stuff to come back home.   I was hoping in the pictures that I would spot the missing tote bag - but nope - I don`t see it.  I wonder what happened to it.  It is probably still on the crate somewhere????????

The big crates open on both ends.  We couldn't get one end open on one crate when we first arrived so people had to crate dive to get stuff out!  I did get a picture - I'll try to load it one day.

Crate is almost packed

Brian loading the last of the structure onto the crate

 Three structures - three crates!    But we were done in  - I think it was 4 hours and about 10 minutes.  Very impressive as it is a huge job, but everyone pitched in and we got the job done.

Oh and yes we had snacks - HEALTHY snacks (love Shirley's name for the photo file!)

Healthy snacks!!!!

Now that I have loaded the pictures - I have a couple of observations. Let me start by saying that Shirley is one of our Sales Reps in the US. She is a quilter, got lots of ideas (OK - call it like is - opinions!) and well we got along like two peas in a pod!!!  

I noticed that there were a LOT of pictures of the boss - Brian in the yellow shirt. There was ONLY one very distant picture of me as I was ripping up the floor tiles.  So - is that a good thing or a bad thing?  At least there wasn't one of me sitting down - how would I explain that to everyone! And perhaps Shirley edited out the bad ones of me and that's why there aren't any!  Or I was moving so fast that all the pictures that had me in them were too blurry - Oh yes - that's what happened!!!!!

So now you know how much work is involved in tearing down a show and thanks to Shirley for the photos!!!!!


Here's an update on the iPod situation.  Both Rose and Helen Anne were not having the same trouble as I was.  However I spoke to Helen Anne in person the other night and AHA - here's the problem.  They are using their iPod Touch (which connects directly to the internet) and using OverDrive so you are 100% on an Apple device.  I am using the iPod Nano which requires being linked to the computer (in my case - a non Apple computer).   Apple doesn't like that and requires that ALL uploads go through iTunes.  None of this direct transfer stuff - OH NO!!!!   And Tracey Ann mentioned something about an embedded code in the downloaded books that would delete the files upon expiration.  Well - my library mustn't be doing that because NONE of the books that I have downloaded and several have been there for years - they are still there.  I will delete them when I run out of space.


Now here's a licene plate update.   I have sorted through the US and the Canadian ones. And of course - I want MORE.  So I am working my way through the list province by province.   I am good for Quebec - no plates, PEI - only one plate and I have it.  Three in New Brunswick and I got those three.  There are two in Nova Scotia. I got one and Mary was supposed to get the other, but when it wasn't ready for pick up she cancelled the order.  DUH!!!!!   Oh well - so if anyone has this plate and is willing to part with it - I'd be happy to buy it from you.


The store is caled Atlantic Fabrics - they are sold out - don't bother calling.  I need to find someone who has it and willing to sell/trade.


There are five in Saskatchewan and Susan did a great job of collecting four of the five for me, but I am missing this one.




 The store is called Shirley's Sewing Room in Moosemin.  Again - they are sold out.  I need to find someone to trade/buy from.


There are three in Manitoba. I am missing one, but called the store and that one is winging its way to me.


That leaves BC, Alberta and Ontario to post later.


Oh yes - I am like a dog with a bone at work.  I managed to rejig that EQ7 file that had the incorrect fabric scan and waiting for the new file to be created by our graphic team and it will get uploaded to the internet next week.  Still one more pattern instruction to edit and then the process starts all over again. I think I still have at least four more patterns (that I wrote or writing) to get done.  I need to take one or two days and just clear it off my plate.  So much more stuff coming in that I have to get this done.


On that note - I am out of here.  Got a pretty wide open weekend.  Two short classes this morning and then LOTS of long arming this weekend.

Have a great day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then there was Shelley!

Shelley and I met through Row by Row in 2014. OK - that is not exactly true - we didn't actually meet, but Shelley became an internet friend. What exactly do you call people who are your friends but you have never met?????  Cyber friends?  I'm sure that someone has come up with a name.

Anyway - when I was in the craze last year for plates, Shelley offered to pick some up for me.   Great! We exchanged a few e-mails and that was that.

Along comes 2015 and MORE row by row and Shelley again offered to help out. Although I have to say that she put me in a bit of a bad spot.  You see - what happened is that she offered to pick up a plate at a particular store. No problem.  Then I happened to go to said store and picked up a plate.  I decided to trade the plate that I purchased because the other one was coming.  Ooopsy - that didn't happen and now I am missing that plate!   No worries - they may still have a couple left - I really really need to get those plates organized.

Not only did she offer to get plates in Ontario, but she travelled out east and offered to pick up some along the way.  This was good because if you remember, I had to make a HUGE detour to get the Digby, NS plate and therefore I missed the New Brunswick ones.

Just wait - there is a reason for me telling this story.  Not only did I have Shelley picking up in New Brunswick, but through another friend (a face to face friend - Sharon) who hooked me up with a friend of hers (Marie in New Brunswick - whom I also have never met and then through Marie - I "met" Connie). But that was a couple of years ago when we became cyber friends on a bike trip as I rode close to Marie's house (near that dreaded Miramichi bridge! - no sweat!).  

Anyway, Marie also offered to pick up plates for me and I thought - why not - the more the merrier.  If I end up with duplicates, I can always trade them.  One day this summer, Marie is in the store relating the story about the "crazy quilter on a bike" and collecting the plates and guess who else happens to be in the store at the same time???  Yep - that would be Shelley.  OK - so I already told you that story.

Well - this past Sunday when I was teaching the last Misty Pines class - guess who happens to be in my class.  None other than the mysterious Shelley.  Guess who else happens to be in the class - yep - that would be Sharon who hooked me up with Marie. It was just a funny coincidence.  I hadn't thought about that connection until I over heard them chatting.  I got a good laugh out of that.

Just goes to show that everything is connected - it's all connected.

It was great to finally put a face to a name and I could tell that Shelley is a dog lover and that she definitely reads my blog.  Guess what she brought along with her?????  Oh yes - Little Sammy was so spoiled. Shelley brought along treats and not just any old treat - but SOFT ones so Little Sammy could eat them with her bad teeth.  Guess where Little Sammy sat all day.

Treats for Little Sammy

Not only did she bring treats for Little Sammy, but she brought treats for the grown ups as well.  Yum yum - my two favourite things - chocolate and NIBS (I love them and twizzlers!)   Now that is a bad thing at the best of times because I gained three flipping pounds while I was away last week.  How the crap did that happen?????   Too many beers and not enough exercise.  I guess walking 50,000 (not quite) steps each day doesn't count????  

Left over goodies - and she snuck out before I realized they were still sitting there

BUT - Shelley has a couple - OK - more than a couple tattoos.  I just love this one on her arm. Can you read it????   It says "To resist change is to resist growth".  Oh my god - that is so true!!!!!!

Shelley's tattoo on her arm

Now this one was the initials of one of her kids families??  Oh gosh - I have forgotten now - but it was initials of kids and their kids or something like that.  DUH!!!!!

And she was off to have another one the day after the class.

Another tattoo

Rock on for bad ass quilters!!!!!   Which was on one of the license plates from the US.  I love it!!!!

Shelley - so nice to finally meet you - it was an awesome day!  And I am hearing all the stories and the progress of Misty Pines!!!  I just saw something that is coming that would make an awesome Misty Pines!!!!



It was payday yesterday. I am not good with money and thankfully there is direct deposit so technically I was just getting my pay stub.  I laughed when Tahseen handed it to me. I said that I feel guilty taking money for doing something that I love.  He laughed and said that was a good thing.  But then I said "even though I love my job - I'll still take the money!"  I need the money to pay for the 407 toll highway.

I am still experimenting on how best to get to and from work.  For the most part, I think I have the morning figured out.  The 403 isn't that bad and then I catch the 407 at the 410.  Doesn't that sound stupidly complicated - three major highways to get to work.  Anyway - it works. But on the way home, I was getting off at Erin Mills to come south.   Well yesterday (and this is common), it takes me about 20 minutes on the highway to get to that exit and then 25 minutes more from there to get home.   That is ridiculous so I am taking the toll highway right around to the exit closest to my house - that should save about 10-15 minutes on the trip.  25 minutes to go about 6 K is stupid and worth the extra money on the toll.

Here is an example of what happened at work and why I like my job.  So I had to get a pattern that I designed and wrote the instructions for - it had to be ready to upload to the internet.  There was an issue with the imagine and I couldn't find the answer.  I sent the file anyway but wasn't happy.  The issue was in EQ7 - not EQ7 - but the way the graphic displayed.  I checked the internet for a solution - nothing, I checked the book - still can't find anything on tiling and fabric repeats.  CRAP - so sent the icky looking image.  I sent an e-mail to the Tech folks at EQ7 and within TWO hours, Penny (one of the developers and tech support people) had responded with the answer.  And it was a DUH answer - I should have thought about it.  So - today I get to go back and fix the image and resend the file.  Thankfully the girl who is doing the uploading isn't there this week.  But there is another learning experience for EQ7 and the next time that happens which it could - I will know very quickly how to fix it.  I had tried another way and it wasn't working.

So getting to learn EQ7 on company time and playing with fabric all day (OK - that part isn't true) - I sat at the computer or in a meeting all day - OH - but I did get to see some of the new designs that Deborah is working on and I was swooning all over the stuff!!!!

On that note - I have to get the day started.

I hope to update my missing license plate list - so IF you have a license plate that you don't want (now that you have had time to reflect on how much money you spent!), I may want it!   Watch for that list!

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!

It's time to get signed up!

I love my job, however it meant that I had to cut back on many other activites including teaching. But I am not giving teaching up entirely.  If you want to be part of the fun - here are a couple of things to check out.

There is a class on November 21 from 1 PM - 3 PM at Sew Sisters.   It's all about Improving your sewing/quilting techniques.  I'll be demoing many problem areas and answering questions.  If you plan to come (and you should!) bring samples of your problem areas and I'll help you fix them.  I'll have my books for sale that day as well.

Want to get involved in one of the Saturday (year long) projects?   These are so much fun.  Not only do we end up with a great quilt at the end of the year, but we have loads  of fun throughout the year as we check out what each other has done.  So nice to admire how different the quilts all look with different fabric and let's face it - most people end up changing at least one thing.  Always great fun.

There are two great projects for next year. The first is Farm Girl Vintage by Lori Holt.  This pattern is a popular one.  Not only will we be checking out some beautiful blocks with neat sewing techniques, but it's an opportunity to explore designing your own setting for the blocks you choose to make. I have a feeling that some EQ7 might be covered in this class - just saying.......    And this is the quilt that I am going to pick to use busy backgrounds.  I struggle with this and well - I'm going to throw caution to the wind and use busy backgrounds.  Now that I have publicly said that - well I have no choice!!!!!

Farn Girl Vintage by Lori Holt

 Here is the link at Sew Sisters for the sign up information.



The second class is Vintage Moments.  This is a gorgeous Medallion quilt that is loaded with learning opportunities.  Eight pointed stars, fussy cutting diamonds, applique (just a teeny bit), coping border strips and much much more.   The quilt is beautiful and you could have your very own version - all it takes is to sign up!

Vintage Moments by Marsha McCloskey

Here is the link at Sew sisters for the sign up information

While both of these patterns have vintage in the title - there is no reason to not make them bright, use batiks, or dark fabrics - it is time for us to get out of the box and explore new color schemes.




I was looking for my "away" rotary cutter the other day - where the heck did I put that thing.  Well when I got to work on Tuesday and pulled out the box of stuff that I brought back from Market - I opened it up and right on top was my rotary cutter (on the left).  Duh - I needed some class supplies (I know - this was for classes during Market, not during Festival) and I knew I wasn't going to need this stuff so I shipped it home on the crate.  Ah - my little box of other "away" tools was there as well. No wonder I couldn't find anything at home when I was trying to sew.

My rotary cutter and tool box

 Instead of grabbing the backup "away" stuff - I grabbed what I use off my sewing table.  That was bad.  The only thing I could find the other day was an extra seam ripper.  Hmmm - not good when you have a LOT of seam rippers.

This was the box of "stuff" that I accummulated during Market.  There were a few things that I purchased, but it mostly came from classes and freebies from booths and business cards and brochures.  Lots of business cards and brochures.

Box of stuff to sort through

Best to sort it by category and then deal with each category one at a time.   I spent the entire day Tuesday and a good part of the day on Wednesday editing those two patterns.  BUT - all the changes have been sent to the pattern designer and we are good to go.  Now I don't want you to think that I am slow and that we had a terrible pattern designer because that is NOT the case.  I want to make sure that if we say - the quilt should measure 41 by 57 1/2" - that in fact the math is correct.  And that is one of the things that I hate because it takes a bit on figuring to not include seam allowances, border sizes/blocks are different and god forbid that we make a mistake.   Let's not foget that this designer wrote pretty indepth instructions and the patterns were both about 10 or 11 pages long. That is a LOT of brain power required to make that happen.

There is also the fact of how things are worded - you might read an instruction  and think this is the best way, but if I puzzled once over reading it - then I reworded the insturctions.   Hopefully it will make sense to the makers.

The last one to edit today is my own.  The pattern is only four pages and so should go fairly quickly. I hope because I have a ton of other things that I need to catch up on.

My desk when I left the other day - didn't put a thing away. 

 And there is usually one or two quilts hanging around on a chair or on the floor.  Or bolts of fabric or both.

Rich and I had a meeting yesterday with the management team about our findings when we were at Festival. I had a hard time convincing them what a sacrifice it was for me to be there.  I don't think they bought it for a second.  But I had done my research and had lots to show n tell.

I sorted through all my Market/Festival photos and will be sharing them with you over the next week.  All the quilts have been unloaded from the crates and were unceremoniously piled in a pile on the floor.   Oh no -  well I was looking for a new quilt for my wall.  It was time to take down the Halloween quilt.  I found this one in the pile and "claimed" it as my own.  No one else is that interested in changing up the quilts so I make it my job to make sure my office has something new all the time.

This is a new fabric that will be coming - it is called Nature Studies and comes in several colourways.  The orange is ONE fabric that has an ombre effect.    I really love this quilt and hopefully it will stay up for the next month until it is time to hang a different season on Decemer 1.

This is also a pattern that we will be promoting - gosh it is from Wanda's Designs but I can't think of the name.   It is either Tango or Rumba.

Tango or Rumba by Wanda's Designs with Northcott's Nature Studies fabric

.
On that note - I have a couple of things to get done before I head off to work today.

Have a great day!!!!


Ciao!!!!!

PS - don't forget to sign up for one of those classes.

iTunes - GRRRRRRRRR

I got comments from Helen Anne and Rose about uploading books to iTunes.  So I thought I would give it a shot while I was also attempting to upload my hundreds of pictures from Market/Festival to Dropbox so I could use them at work.

Hmmm - is iTunes set to manually manage my iPod? - yes it is because I remember specifically setting that requirement. I double checked just in case the setting was turned off. Nope - everything was fine. I noticed there is even a setting that requests that iTunes start up every time the iPod is plugged in - that never happens.

Then I went to OverDrive and found an audiobook and downloaded it to the computer. All is well so far. Next was to hit Transfer and see what happened. Lo and behold, the device was recognized and the long (10 minute) transfer started.  However - I was very excited. But when I went to find the book on my iPod - it wasn't there.  Seriously?????  I even got a message saying it was OK to disconnect the iPod. So I did. But after checking the menus - the audio book was nowhere to be found.

I checked back on iTunes and there is the book. So I have to sync the iPod (just like when I do it manually).  I don't think I'll be doing it this way in the future - took way too long. When I do it manually - the transfer takes less than one minute (provided I remember the steps).

Silly thing and then it NEVER deletes any of the past due books - every book I have ever downloaded from the library is still on the iPod. Is that supposed to happen?????


It was nice to get back to work. So many people were away last week - either because they were at Market or they were sick. Today was the first day in about 10 days that everyone was at work!  A great big happy family we all were!!!!  And of course - we dug out the remainder of the candy that was on the crates which have since arrived back at the warehouse!  I dug my box out of the crate and now to sort through it. I'll post pictures of it - last night I had to get those 355 pictures from Market/Festival uploaded to Dropbox.

I will be posting those pictures as well as pictures that Shirley took of our tear down - it's quite an event.  So watch for those in the next couple of days.

But first - I have a pattern (actually three patterns) that have to be reworked so they can go on the web site as free downloads. All three patterns have been written for a while and needed editing, but now it is urgent that they get uploaded. For some reason today - my brain wasn't functioning and I had the darndest time trying to figure out something and then all of a sudden the light bulb went on and STUPID STUPID ME - it was definitely an operator error, but once I realized my error - then the rest of the revisions went ahead no problem.  One almost done and two more to go.

That was an all day job. Then home to upload all my pictures of Market so I can use them in a meeting today  - well not all of them, but now I have easy access to them all through my Dropbox account.
My computer at home is humming and HOT with all this uploading and downloading.

Here are some pictures that I took in the backyard on the weekend.  The pond has been shut down for the winter. When Mary came for the Misty Pines class, she brought  her two fish that she usually brings in the house for the winter. She didn't want to this winter, so she gave them to me.  They are nicely settled in the pond with the rest of them and hopefully they will have a great winter. In the picture below - if you look close - you will see the fish are still swimming around.  It isn't cold enough for them to settle down yet.

The pond closed down for winter

Sunday morning was beautiful and all the leaves have turned to gold. The wind was whipping them off the trees even though you can't realy see that in the picture.

The path in the forest

Little Sammy on the lookout for coyotes!!!!!

My little camouflage dog

Gorgeous colors

Beautiful!!!

That forest is very special to me.  I just love to go for a walk and even more important to see the changes of the seasons. It is so nice to see how different the forest is each day.  And what better way to start the day than with nature!

On that note - I have sorted most of the Market pictures into the appropriate categories - and there are about a dozen that I need to find and put in a folder for Festival.  Pictures tell a thousand words. Then off to the aftermath meeting.  Hopefully the pattern editing will go faster today since I figured out my mistake. Wasn't really a mistake - it was a measurement that I didn't understand.  So when you measure the side border - DO NOT forget to take into account the measurement of the width of the top and bottom border also to get the total length of the quilt once that border is put on.  Something so simple, yet my mind just failed to compute that!  It happens!

Well - off to spin class in a few minutes.


Have a great day!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!

Speaking of labels............................

Life is back to normal. HA - as if that word even exists in my volcabulary. They say change is good for growth and well since no two days are allike - does that count????

I thought I would share the orange bicycle fabric with you that took me five hours to find the other night in Houston. There were two colorways.  I bought all that was left on the bolt of the orange background, although she did say she had another bolt and I saw it out the next day.  But I also bought 1 yard of the other colorway - a pinky background.  It is very cute and will make some good bags or whatever I finally decide to make.

Bicycle fabric

I had to laugh because I got a notice from a local quilt shop since I've been home and they had this orange bike fabric in their e-mail!!!!


Here's an update on the pet mat situation.  I got two more done myself.

Two more pet mats

And two from Mary - already made!!!!!   Thanks Mary!

So what is the importance of labelling?  I was going to sew all day with the Monday Maniacs so I thought I would check through my stuff to see what was prepped.  When I came home from PEI, I never unpacked those bags that still had prepped projects in them.  Going to a retreat shortly and those bags can be just whipped into the car - no prep necessary or very little.

I opened up this bag to find all this.

Hmmmm - some blocks, some fabric, some squares

 Nothing was labelled. Good thing I have a good memory.  There were 41 blocks, two center squares to make one more block - I goofed and had cut one too many. There was extra fabric (but not enough) to make the outer frame for the missing block and three pieces that I was potentially going to use in the quilt and a big hunk that was border? backing?

I put the black, red and light blue fabrics in the flannel bin - they were not going to be used for this project. The extra center was put in the flannel scrap bin. After seeing how much of the brown print was there - this had been purchased for the border and the binding - not enough for a backing.  That left the last block to be completed.  There wasn't enough of that green to make the block frame.

However - I made a quick trip to the stash room and found the missing fabric.  I cut the piece, framed the block and now they were ready for the layout.

The missing fabric

This quilt was NOT planned.  It just happened and so I had only so many with blue frames, so many with green and so many with brown.  But I lay them out many times and finally found a configuration that used all the colors so none would be beside each other.

The quilt all laid out

 Once that was done - I picked up the blocks in rows and LABELLED them.   Now it was ready to sew at Monday.

The blocks are in rows that are labelled!

I did manage to get the top together, but it isn't pressed yet and I have to cut the borders.  Then it will go in the pile of stuff that is going to the retreat.  I am going to try and only take three bags of projects.  My problem is that at the last minute - I start winging stuff in the bags. I'll see how it goes.


I'll show you the quilt later - no time to take pictures last night.  I did a quick trip to the grocery store. Thought I would read for a bit and I had one of those nights.  I just crashed. I didn't even manage to get up for dinner. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does - I'm usually gone for 12 hours.  I guess it was all the excitement of last week, back to the gym and spending the day with the Maniacs - my body just said - enough is enough!

I HATE transferring books to my iPod.  I should just transfer them to my phone, but it is bigger and heavier to carry around while listening.  But seriously - the process to transfer the e-books is a pain and each time, I have to figure it out again.  I know - I should write a note, but then I would lose the note so what is the point of that. It is easy to download the book to my computer - I have no problem with that part. I can't seem to remember how to transfer the book to iTunes (File - add a file!) and then I have to transfer it from iTunes to my iPod. (Drag and drop).  Now why does it have to be so complicated.  If I were using an Android device - I would just hit the transfer button on the OverDrive software and poof - it would appear on the device. But not so with Apple products.  Their proprietary process is just CRAP!   Hmmm - are there any non Apple devices like the iPod????   Maybe since I wrote the process out - I will remember for the next time.

Speaking of iPods, I just have to laugh.  You see there are many people at the gym who use their phone, or iPods to listen to music while they work out. I don't but that is my choice. They usually have their device in some kind of holder so they dont' have to carry it around.  But there is one guy who brings his iPad.  Yes - picture this - he is trying to pick up two free weights in his hands to take to the bench.  But no - he has an iPad in one hand. Then he has to position the iPad so that he can lay down, still be plugged in and do his weights.  Seriously?????  He looks like an idiot and what would take him five minutes, now takes ten!!!!!

Now I'm off to work today and I have a feeling it is going to be crazy.  I had much stuff that has to be reviewed from last week, things to prepare for the next show and a whole of other stuff.  That is what I know about - what else is waiting - well I will see.


Have a great day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

Misty Pines - one more time

ACK  - I was already to sit down and blog yesterday morning when I had an early visitor for my class - yes - Sharon who is always late was ONE HOUR early.  So we chatted (and I did applique prep) for an hour until the others arrived.  When the class was over - I was busy with other things and forgot!  Well I didn't exactly forget, but I figured if I miss one day it isn't the end of the world, but I felt very guilty!!!

On Saturday, I had the first of two classes for Misty Pines this weekend.  However that meant that I still had to finish cutting the kits. Oh yes - nothing like leaving it until the last minute. I knew that I had the time so I wasn't worried about it.

Well I wasn't exactly finished cutting the kits but I had enough for the group that was coming Saturday. Since I had extra requests for the kits - I had to go back and cut a few more components for some of the fabrics.

The bucket of fabric after I finished cutting the kits

While the pattern for Misty Pines says that it is advanced, the sewing part of this quilt isn't advanced, but keeping track of all the pieces - that is advanced!  

Labelling was the key word for the weekend.


Here is the labelling.................

Labelled

Labels

More labels

A block completed and labelled - do you see the label

The pin is the label

 Each block had a letter and it was very important that they don't get out of order!

Flying geese - labelled

I think you are getting the picture - labels are important!!!!

Yvonne's little travel iron 

 Actually I think that is an iron targetted to quilters.  I like the iron - It has a good sturdy handle, it's small - I like it.  If I ever need a new one - I might just go for that.

This is Mary's prep station - can you see her labels?

Not only were the colors very close, but some of the sizes were close as well.   Mary even labelled the size of the pieces!!!

Labelling the size!!!!!

There were six in the class that day. Everyone went home with at least one of each of the five blocks done and many bits and pieces of other blocks.  Yeah!!!!!   I even managed to get a bit of mine done.

My tree trunks - all labelled

Back to the drawing board or should I say the cutting mat to get the last of the kits prepped.  I had another five people on Sunday the LAST round of Misty Pines.

Prepping the kits for Sunday's class

In addition to cutting all the pieces - I made a fabric key for everyone.   While it doesn't really show in this picture - some of those fabrics are VERY close in color and style. The fabric key was crucial.

Fabric Key

Cutting the last of the kits

What can I say - I love to spread out.  So I took up ALL the tables to get myself organized with the cutting. And can you see Pauline's Misty Pines in the background. It really is a beautiful quilt.

Prepping the last of the kits

Kits prepped for Sunday class

Kits that are to be picked up

Now here is the good news for TWO people.  Due to an error on my part and one person cancelling, I have TWO kits leftover.  If anyone is interested in purchasing one of the kits for $100 - let me know.  These things are ready for you to sew!!!!   Remember there are only two and there is not enough fabric to cut any more.  This is it!

Studio is ready for the group on Sunday morning

While the group sewed yesterday, I prepped applique.  When they left - I had spread out over two tables.

My work area in the day

Once everyone left and some people bought yardage for the backing and facing, I consolidated everything related to Misty Pines in the orange bucket.  At last - everything fits in one place!!!!

All things Misty Pines!!!!

 And now my laundry basket is empty and ready to be used somewhere else.

Laundry basket - empty!!!!!!!

On that note - it is off to work I go this morning.  WAIT - I am not going to work today even though it is Monday.  Nope - taking the day off and heading out to sew with the Monday Maniacs!!!!   I'm so excited, I could barely sleep last night!!!!

Hope you enjoyed the journey with us and Misty Pines - all that is left is to see the finished quilts.   I have more stories about yesterday - but will share them later this week. I'm off to the gym.

Have a great day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!