A PORTABLE sewing machine

 OK -- the quilt is done, but it's still on the long arm. I didn't have time to get it off as I have two more presentations this morning, and prepping them was my priority. I'll take it off later today. 

I'm going to take responsibility for the fact that the backing needed to be fixed ON the machine, and I'll take responsibility for the fact that I should NEVER have loaded this because I should have checked. I made an ASSUMPTION as this customer always provides loads of backing. How did I fix it? 

Well, the first thing is JUST DO IT. It's a dreaded job (yes -- I've done it before), but there's no time to lament about fixing it. 

I started by cutting off as much as I could from the side.

Trimming the side off with scissors

So yes, the entire quilt needed to be unrolled, and I used scissors to trim that excess off. 

Rolling the quilt

The next step was to trim the edges of this piece so it would be smooth when sewn to the existing backing. I didn't need to add a wonky piece of fabric, as I had enough issues to deal with. 

Trimming the excess piece

Then I rolled the quilt partially back in place to keep things neat and tidy. 

The quilt is partially rerolled

Then the backing needed to be unpinned from the roller. I don't use the clamps, and if I did, we would have been in a bigger mess because the clamps require more backing fabric than pins. 

Unpinning the backing

I used scissors to trim the selvage off the end of the backing and then got out my PORTABLE sewing machine. 

A portable sewing machine

I know people use their long arms to do this kind of repair. Alas, I haven't learned that skill, and I don't want to because I hope this is the last one. If I don't learn a lesson from this -- well, then I'm not that smart! 

I put the sewing machine on a rolling chair and slowly sew. Actually, I sew about six inches, then roll the chair. Sew another six inches and move the chair. 

But at last, the extra bit was added. Then I had to repin the backing to the roller. The final step was to get the quilt in position so I could finish the last row. 

The quilt is back in place 

Imagine my JOY when I realized that even with the addition, the top is perilously close to the pins holding the backing, so some of the borders must be trimmed. If I had stitched all the way to the edge of the quilt, the needle would have hit a pin or two, which would NOT be good. 

Even with the addition, it's tight!

I think I'll have to trim 3/8" off the border. It's a huge border, so no big deal. Yes -- the customer is aware of the problem. 

About 3/8" will need to be trimmed

Anyway --- I was happy to get that thing done. It seemed to be one nightmare after another, and ALL because I did not check the backing to see if it was large enough. I KNOW better. Lesson learned. That quilt should have been returned to the customer to get a new backing. My mistake. 

The quilt is done!

In light of the extra time that took me, I've had to abandon plans to get any more quilting done this weekend. I have projects to finish before I head out tomorrow morning, so I'll be doing that all afternoon -- after the two clubs this morning. I'm happy to report that all the homework was sent out yesterday, and all the presentations are done for today (I hope!). I still have some geocaching that has to be done TODAY, so I need to sneak out for an hour to do that. Tomorrow is the deadline. Yes -- I know -- I live to deadlines, and that's the way of life in my world!

We live in a nice neighborhood, but how people deal with their garbage is beyond me. I spotted this couch the other day perched precariously on a snowbank. Sure enough -- it is now in the street when it fell from its perch. How long will it stay there? This particular house is notorious for dumping stuff at the curb and not bundling it properly. If I was on the garbage collection team, I'd be leaving HUGE notes on all unbundled garbage. Do people have NO RESPECT for those that have to clean up these big dumps of crap? Obviously NOT! It drives me crazy!

A couch in the street

Apparently, there was significant activity last night at our house or at least in our neighborhood. At 4 AM, a "pack" of coyotes was howling. Not sure why - well, I just Googled it as I mistakenly thought it meant a kill. That would be bad because it would signal other predators to come and share. It's used to call their "pack" together or communicate with each other. And people often mistake the number of coyotes they hear. It sounded like dozens (OK -- more like four or five), but that is a mistake. Often it might be one or two. Who knew? Anyway, Murphy was alert and wanted to go out and chat. She heard the call of the wild! But she wasn't going anywhere. 

This is Lexi sulking because I tossed her off the couch and told her to go outside and play for a while. Man -- when I let her on the couch, she doesn't MOVE for anything. 

MOM -- I don't want to play outside!

I hate when this happens. The way the pitch and valleys of the roof are designed on this house could be better. And we sometimes end up with this on the roof. Or hanging from the eavestrough. 

A HUGE icicle

We'll be getting some very warm weather over the next few days, so hopefully, it'll disappear. So remember the weather two mornings ago? 

BRRR!

And what is the temperature this morning? 

Break out the shorts!

That is just crazy, and when I went for a walk yesterday afternoon, it was a glorious day! You need to have a positive attitude about everything. If you don't, life will be boring and dull. Yep -- I'm a half-full-glass person, to be sure. 

OK -- so another 14.5 KM logged yesterday, and before bed, I was looking at the Fellowship of the Ring map, which is my current Virtual Challenge. OK -- I'm getting tired of that little red guy following me, and I wanted to know who that was and why their pace was so close to mine. This happened all the way through The Shire as well. 

My on the virtual map

OH -- that's the PACE MARKER. I had a little chuckle over that! No wonder it's on track. So all I need to do to "win" this Virtual Challenge (I have a deadline) is stay a wee bit ahead! Then I'll get to the end on time!

Well, that's it for me. Another crazy busy day, and I must get those girls out for their walk. It's going to be positively balmy out there this morning. I can hardly wait!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

The quilt that keeps on giving

You know, there are days when it seems nothing goes right. Well, that was NOT yesterday - at least not in the morning. This is a story about a quilt. The quilt does not belong to me, and I'm not picking on the owner -- it's just one of those quilts that well -- it just doesn't want to get finished. 

This is a giant quilt - it's 99 by 109.5. I was making excellent progress yesterday -- I was ahead of the game, and by lunchtime, I had started quilting the quilt and had a couple of rows done. By 4 PM, I was over half done. This will be easy, and I can relax in the evening. 

Sigh................ famous last words. I went to advance the quilt, only to discover that the stitching line was perilously close to the last line, and I knew that wasn't right. It hadn't started out that way. So upon investigation, I spotted the problem, and it had NOTHING to do with the quilt or the customer. It was an operator error. 

The quilt is fine, but it required two hours of back-breaking ripping. GRR!! Those are moments when you want to walk away and hope that the ripper fairy will visit. But alas, I knew she wouldn't, so I continued on. And after two hours, it was done and ready to continue. With the software, getting it back on track was easy, and I was away. 

However, when I went to advance it to the next row, I couldn't get it to work. It wouldn't line up, and I was frustrated, so I did something I'd never done before. I shut the machine off and left it overnight. I always finish a quilt the day I start unless it's custom, which I rarely do. Shutting the machine down halfway through a quilt is not a big issue, and many long-arm quilters frequently do this.  

When I awoke, I realized my mistake last night, and OH MY -- how easy it was to get the pattern lined up. Again - total operator confusion. So far, there is no issue with the quilt -- just the operator. 

Well, as I was ripping out last night, I spotted this. 

Oops

YES --- that is an open seam. Well, it's not even an open seam --- there's no seam allowance! And when the stitching went over, it went right over that spot. Thankfully, I was standing there and knew, so I guided the machine over. Otherwise, this would have been a big issue. That was NOT an operator error, and I only discovered it because of my goof. 

The stitching went right over the gap

Since DH is away, I fired up the long arm this morning, hoping to finish the quilt so I could share my quilt of the day. And things were going great, with the end of the quilt in sight. 

The end of the quilt in sight

Except it's NOT. The backing is not long enough. Think about it -- most quilt backs are 108" -- this quilt is 109½". I should have measured; I thought about it but then gave credit to the customer. DUH -- that was also an operator error. I guess in my mind, I assumed it was 120" wide, as some backings are. 

The backing is short

Well, there's JUST enough along one side to cut some off and sew it onto the bottom. Not a job I look forward to, but it has to be done. If I had done that before, it would have made it very tight to quilt that quilt. Bottom line -- this backing needed to be bigger, and I should NOT have quilted it without some tweaking! 

So live and learn --- between the customer and myself, we were quite the pair in making a mess of this quilt. My goal is to get it done after my classes today. I was hoping to quilt another quilt this afternoon, but that will not happen. 

Yep -- it's a bit chilly outside, and this was the temperature yesterday. 

A tad chilly

The good news is that it's "warmer" this morning. While the temperature is still -19, the windchill is only -22. The temperature did NOT stop us from walking. Those girls were begging to go out and didn't complain once. Not a single lifted paw in sight! And I went for another walk in the afternoon to get a total of 13 KM for the day. The wind was biting when I went out in the afternoon, but only in one direction. I turned the corner, and all was good. I realized I was out in my dollar store gloves, and my hands were fine! 

I finished listening to Atomic Habits. OH --- the book's ending is the best, and I couldn't agree more with the author. People fail at things like keeping a habit, learning something new, or excelling at something because they can't handle the boredom that accompanies those achievements. How true! 

I've often said that people need to be COMFORTABLE with amusing themselves for long periods if they want to do anything "exciting." Imagine spending 8 hours of the day for 10 weeks riding your bike across Canada. I didn't listen to music or talk much to others while riding. Nope -- I watched the scenery and had excellent discussions with myself, and I let my brain wander. 

Walking at least 2½ hours every day for years could be boring as all get out, and I could listen to music or audiobooks, but I choose neither. Instead, I watch the neighborhood. I watch the traffic and the idiots in the traffic. I let my brain wander, and I solve the world's problems. 

I work long periods by myself in the sewing room, often without audiobooks or music. Again, I let my brain wander, and it's amazing what I come up with. 

This is what is lacking today. I see people stopped for mere seconds (driving a car and getting to a stop light). They have to check their phone. Why? Why do we crave the need to be entertained by a device every second of the day? That's a habit we need to stop!

Anyway --- it's a good read, and I heard someone say that when they finish reading the book, they start over again. They were talking about the physical copy, and I see where that would be useful. Your brain can only handle so much new information at a time, and rereading it would be very helpful to truly grasp all he is saying about habits. 

I have no other books on my audiobook shelf now, and I'm not going to get one. I need a break, and so does my brain. 

Three more quilts that I picked up from Diane. It sure is nice to have Diane handy and that she keeps sewing for me. I can only imagine what her neighbors think as I bring bags to her house and leave with bags. 

Three more community project quilts

Hopefully, none of you have a stash as large as mine. But even still -- if you wish you had a Diane -- why not become a Diane? Do you really need to make that quilt you're making now? Why not choose some of your "ugly" fabric -- the stuff you keep passing over and pick a simple pattern. Make the quilt; if you don't want to, then DONATE it. You got the pleasure of sewing and got rid of some unwanted stash. 

You may be bored doing this yourself, so invite a friend, and you will work on a community project quilt from your stash. You have NO IDEA how free I feel now that I've basically given up ownership of that stash. It was like a ball and chain on my ankle; now I'm free. I'm dealing with the mess, but it's a physical mess, not an emotional struggle. Make small ones for Project Linus, so you can practice your machine quilting! It's better to give a completed quilt than a quilt top! 

I bagged up the FORTY-FOUR quilts that got donated to Project Linus. That's HUGE, and I'm so glad to get them out of my house. 

Project Linus quilts are ready to go

The living room grew twice its size (OK -- it didn't) once all that was removed. 

The staging area is almost clear!

And everything that needs to go now fits on Lexi's kennel. Yeah!!!!! DH will be so pleased to have his chair back. He uses them all, so it's not like that's the only chair he would sit in. 

All that remains to go

I got some more embroidery done, and everything was going very well, like the quilt. Except when I needed to do that ripping, I couldn't do both, so I shut the embroidery machine down. But I'm in good shape to restart later today. 

By the way -- I don't know how you store your embroidery threads, but this system works for me. I LOVE that ALL my spool sizes are in one spot. I loved my previous system, which worked for years, but it wasn't working so well when I started to venture out into larger spools. This is great! Notice my wording - system! James Clear (Atomic Habits) is fond of the term. It's not the habit that's not working; it's the system in how you want to make the habit that isn't working. It's easy to find a thread and return it to the box, so my system (and habit) will work just fine for storing embroidery threads. 

System to store embroidery threads

I didn't get a single embroidery project done, so I still have three to finish, but I made good progress on one, and it should take at most 20 minutes to complete. That will leave two more and one other project I must finish for Monday. Hopefully, those will go fast as well. I hope all the fiddly bits are taken care of! Once this quilt is complete, that's it for quilting until I'm back next weekend. 

So back to the Virtual Challenge. I completed my miles for 2022 and ordered the medal on January 4. It didn't come, and it didn't come. So I contacted customer support, and we checked the tracking, which I couldn't get to work. The package had sat somewhere for almost 3 weeks before the tracking kicked in. 

Guess what arrived in my mailbox yesterday? My medal! 

I was trying to remember what it was supposed to look like. But it's a fancy one. 

Conquer 2022 medal

See how it opens up? I didn't know that! As I was doing something yesterday, I was thinking of these medals. Remember how we used to say -- "do you want a medal for that?" That was when someone was boastful of an accomplishment. I WANT a medal for walking and cycling 6,600 KM last year. Most of that was walking, as I didn't get time to get out on the bike, but it did include spin classes. 

Challenge 2022 medal

I must undo the strap and fix it, so it hangs nicely on my rack. I don't know if I'll have time today, but I'll try. 

The strap needs to be fixed

Poor Lexi has been out of sorts. That darn table is on the sofa, and Dad is NOT here to move it for her. I felt sorry for her last night at dinner and removed the table. I swear she got off the sofa this morning! She has undoubtedly become a princess! 

Thanks, Mom! About time!

I've prepped the two classes for today, and the two clubs tomorrow will take less time to put together later tonight. 

Yeah!!! 

Has anyone noticed how much more daylight we are getting now? I'm excited! And the sun yesterday was glorious! By this afternoon, it's going to be balmy! Compared to what we have now, it will seem that way. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Phantom Steps and test drives

 From time to time, one must charge the Fitbit. I had plugged it in the other day, only to realize that the charger was not connected to anything! Oops. 

So I had it charging yesterday morning. I try to put my phone under the Fitbit as it charges, so as I grab my phone, I'll remember to grab the Fitbit. That did NOT happen, and I was part way through my walk with Murphy when I realized - no Fitbit. NO!! 

I was a bit dismayed, but I soon got over it. I can simply not track that distance (about 2.5 KM), or I could manually enter it. When I returned to switch dogs, I got my Fitbit and went out with Lexi. Imagine my surprise when I got home to find that I was pretty much on track as if I had worn it for both walks! 

Now how did that happen? Does the Fitbit know my routine so well that it added extra steps? I doubt it. I suspect the tracker on my phone compensated and then updated the Fitbit? I'm sure that will remain a technological mystery to me, but I'm OK, and after clocking in almost 15 KM on the Fitbit, I don't care if I did more or less. 

Here's a recap of my walking KM for January. Yikes --- how did that happen? Well, it's always better to be a bit ahead than a bit behind. 

January walking mileage

Speaking of habits, I'm almost finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. OK -- I said you didn't need to read both -- no, you should read this one as well. If you have to choose one or the other, read this one. And if you don't have time to read it, check out the website for cheat sheets to help, and there are Youtube videos as well if you're more inclined to watch. 

It's shocking to see how a TEENY tiny change in your routine can compound into a HUGE deal, whether that is good or bad. Eating poorly is probably the worst BAD habit that most people have. Well, that's my thought, but I could be wrong. I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch EVERY DAY, partially to keep me on track and to make my life easy.  I know I'm eating healthily and I don't have to think when I go shopping or decide what to eat. It's already done! I save a LOT of time that way and resist temptation. 

Social media is another HUGE bad habit, and the author says people can spend AN AVERAGE of two hours a day on social media. Yikes! But think about it -- when we had a few minutes (seconds) of downtime in the past, we did nothing. NOW - we grab our phones. I don't post much on social media -- anyone who wants to know more about can read the blog. But for those times when I do reach for the phone, I'm going to try and stretch! That's one habit I'd like to acquire. 

Anyway -- the whole thing about habits is amazing and can be LIFE-CHANGING if you want to get into it. Instead of saying you'll lose weight or any other goal, you have to know the triggers, how to change the triggers, and how to make the new habit stick. It's not enough to say, "I'll lose weight, declutter, eat better, or whatever." 

I will say that most of my life is governed by habits, and most are good - thankfully!

It was another late night, and I kept track of what happened during the day. I did NOT start "work" until about 4 PM. So what the heck did I do with the entire day? I do all the blog writing, dog walking, etc., and am usually at my desk by 9 AM. I spent one hour on paperwork. Then I loaded the quilt of the day. I had an appointment at noon, so I researched during lunch.  

Then I was off to the car dealership for a test drive (more on that in a minute). That took almost TWO hours. Yes! Then back home and went for my walk and did something else, and well, maybe I got to the long arm at 3:30. Anyway --- I wasn't slacking off; I had things to do. 

The rest of the day was spent in Studio B with the embroidery machine and the long arm. I only had one embroidery machine going, as I didn't think I could manage two with the project I was stitching. And yes -- the tables are a shambles, but this is a working studio, and once I'm done, it won't take long to clean up. 

The work tables are in a mess

I got ONE of five items done. I was hoping to get more done, but it was fiddly and adorable! It's a one-of-a-kind item, which I LOVE. 

Here's the customer quilt of the day. It's a big one. But the one that I loaded this morning is even bigger!

Customer quilt - DONE

I love the backing for this quilt -- it's perfect.

The backing for the customer quilt

Who says it's cold outside? This picture was taken yesterday when it wasn't so cold, and the girls are outside in their glory. The husky, who is supposed to love the cold, curls up on the snow. Murphy? She lies flat out, so her tummy, which doesn't have much fur, is right on the snow. She's now outside and has been for almost one hour. Happy as a clam. 

Enjoying the snow

I saw this on my walk yesterday. They had a manhole open and so not sure if they were training or rescuing. I wouldn't want to be rescued from a confined space! 

Hmm -- not a spot I'd like to be in

So let me tell you about my experience with the car dealer. I don't know that we've 100% decided to become a one-car family, but I'm researching the possibility. DH told me I could go look, and I did. When I had my car serviced, I met the sales manager, and he told me to get in touch with him when I wanted to check out the cars. He referred me to one of their salespeople, and I made an appointment. 

The dealer I'm working with is Erin Park Toyota, in case anyone wants to go there. I learned a lot while I was there. The parking lot in front is almost empty. Normally, the lot would be filled with cars for sale. There are no cars for sale. The huge showroom is usually filled with cars. Yesterday, there were seven cars, five of which were sold and waiting for the owners to pick them up. Two were not sold - a truck and the Supra GR. Did you know that this car was co-designed with BMW? 

When we went to the back to get the car for the test drive -- wait for it - there are very few cars in the lot. When I asked if those cars were for sale, the answer was NO. Those cars were bought so consumers could TEST DRIVE them. This is a BRILLIANT idea, as I've heard so many people say they bought a car that they couldn't even test drive. Erin Park said we want our consumers to test drive the car, so that very small stock is for test drives. I think they have one model of each car. How smart is that? 

I have to say the test drive went very well. So much better than the last test drive with that horrible salesperson. I know -- I should have used my outside voice and said that I wanted someone new -- I did not. I can't go back, so get over it! The vehicle I'm looking at is the Corolla Cross. So it's a compromise as it's a bit larger than I would normally drive, but a compromise with DH. It drives like the Corolla; it's easy to see, everything is very accessible, and lots of room. I was happy with the test drive. 

Then we sat down to chat. First, the salesperson was young, but he knew his stuff, and we had a very interesting chat about Toyota, cars, and many other things, including cruises, but I won't go there! 

As mentioned, I was there for over an hour, but I got all (or most) of the answers to my questions. We talked about leasing or buying and the value of my "rare" car since it's a standard. 

The wait time? One year! I can't believe that, but it's true. OH -- I think if you want a blue Corolla Cross, there is one that might be available. But I don't want blue. 

So I test-drove the 2023 model, which has the most amazing infotainment center - pretty spiffy compared to mine, and it also had Android Car Play. I know -- I shouldn't be so shallow, but I am. This is the second year of this vehicle, and they added the spiffy infotainment center to the 2023 lineup. The chances of this car getting any revamping for 2024 is minimal; therefore, a huge cost increase is not likely. 

The bottom line is if you're considering buying a car, you better get on a list. I'm going to think about the car and chat with DH when he's back, and then we'll decide what to do. And then, if we go ahead, let's pray that his car lasts until this one comes in! 

Well, that about covers it for today. We could say that writing the blog is now a habit -- I can't go a day without putting my thoughts down, and it helps to clear my head and prepare for what's ahead! 

Stay warm if you're near me. OK -- so both the girls were out for a long time, and they didn't complain about the cold one bit, and now they want me to go out? Do I have to? Oh wait -- it's a habit -- I must! One thing about the habits -- even if I go for a short walk, or I have a crappy walk, or I don't feel like a walk, it's better to go and not do well than to not do it at all. 

OH -- and I recommend that anyone learning a new thing - like software for their embroidery machine, EQ8, or digital cutters or machine embroidery --- you CANNOT learn by planning and thinking and dreaming of all you will do. YOU MUST DO IT!!!! I should see if I can find a video to that effect and make them watch it!!!! Did you know that learning is a habit? 

OH gosh -- I need to go -- I could ramble on for hours. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Do as I say, not as I do

 And so another crazy day has passed. I accomplished a lot and finished late in the day again! I don't know why that is. I start early enough in the day but never seem to get the "real" work done until late. I must start looking at how I do things. I eeked out 12 KM and then, at the end of the day, realized that I had forgotten to drop stuff at Diane's house. Sigh..................

Oh -- I got a response from Watergirl Quilt Co about the hera marker. There is quite the business behind those hera markers. Michelle owns Watergirl Quilt Company, and her husband owns several wood-based companies. Westwood has a tree service, which cuts down trees that need to be removed. Then various craftspeople in the Kingston area turn the downed trees into live edge tables and other furniture. As their offcuts get smaller, they are passed along to other wood crafters who make smaller items, like the hera marker. NOTHING (or very little) goes to the landfill. 

How civilized is that? I absolutely love the idea, and it's like quilters. Someone likes to use the yardage, and someone likes to play with the leftovers! There's room for everyone in the sandbox. 

Thanks to Tony (Michelle's husband) for that information. If you want to get one of these, check out their website. I LOVE mine and will be using it to mark things in the future INSTEAD of using chemical-based products. I never thought I could see it well enough, but it worked well on my white fabric for my embroidery. WOW -- -who thought you could teach an old dog a new trick. But the hera marker is NOT new; maybe that's why I like it! Check out this link if you're interested in getting one, or if you got it in your Advent Box from Watergirl, get it out! 

Hera marker from wood

I have seen others made with different woods, but I would rather support a local Canadian artisan than the other company. 

I fired up the embroidery machine as I had some testing to do, and I was RIGHT! I don't usually say that, but I was! My Mom used to say that all the time, which drove me crazy. It also involved a test that I should have done BEFORE my embroidery club last month, so now I get to provide them with the entire story, and they will be pleased. One more little test to do. 

Getting ready to embroider

Not only did I fire up one embroidery machine, but I had both of them going. I struggled to keep up with them, so I didn't have time to take a picture, and some babysitting was involved. I had to laugh when I needed the foot pedal for the PFAFF creative icon 2, and it was nowhere to be found. I mostly do embroidery on it and never need the foot pedal!  

I have a lot of fiddling today with the pieces I embroidered, and fabric bits are strewn everywhere. At one point, I thought my embroidery hoop was the Scan and Cut mat. I had various bits of fabric on the hoop and those big scissors. I do NOT recommend doing this. I had to watch it like a hawk, and you'll see when it's done. This was just the "easier" way to do what needed to be done! 

Embroidering bits

And here are the next two baby quilts for the customer - DONE. I did the same thing as the previous day. The back got loaded, and I quilted the first one, then loaded the second top and quilted it next to the first one. Worked like a charm. 

Customer quilts - DONE

I've got a large one in the queue today, and I have to trim all of those small quilts. I don't want too much stuff lying around, and piles of stuff are already in the living room. A good part of that stuff will be picked up tomorrow, which will be good. It's getting rather messy looking. And I'm away next week, so I need to get those quilts trimmed and ready for pickup before I leave. 

I took a walk in the afternoon, and it was GLORIOUS. I HATE when the weather forecasters talk about these POLAR temperatures. Yes -- it's cold, but I didn't even wear a hat. The sun was out, and it was beautiful. They are scaring people from going outside. It was minus 5. Seriously? That is NOT cold. My SIL lives in Iqaluit; the other day, it was MINUS 37. Now that's COLD. 

The girls are beside themselves, especially Lexi. The day that I returned, DH left. And it looks like the day he comes home, I'll be leaving the next day. They are big sucks, and Miss Murphy can't get enough attention. So I plunk her between my knees (she is rather large to be a lap dog) and give her a good head rub and ear scratching, and she's happy as a clam. The only problem is that she doesn't want it to stop, and I have work to do! 

Murphy getting some loving

Miss Lexi is just miffed that she is NOT allowed on the couch. I'm not a couch sitter EVER, so she has resigned herself to her kennel. She is NOT much of a cuddler either - at least with me. But she will come into the office and sleep on the floor. 

I worked like crazy all day, but I don't have much to show. Now how did that happen? Well, what I did took a long time. OH -- I know what else I did. I had a lot of computer work involving machine embroidery, and I got all that done. I'm using the mySewnet embroidery software for MORE than embroidery, and I love it. The more I use that software, the more I become very comfortable. I still have a LONG way to learn it completely, but wow!!! I love it!

I had two porch pickups yesterday, and I was worried that they picked up the wrong bags, but confirmation later in the day said that all was fine! Phew!! 

That's it for today. I've got another crazy day ahead of me, and there's no time to waste! Oh, a new habit formed --- I've been faithfully writing in my Happiness Journal since I unearthed it. It's a fun way to reflect on the day before bed. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

A PRODUCTIVE day

I hate when I wake up and realize the answer to a problem, and it's too late to fix it! I was doing machine embroidery last night and couldn't get the third hooping to match up. It was close but not exact, but I went ahead anyway. This morning, I'm pretty sure I know what happened. I do not have any way to verify that, but it irks me that I didn't think of it last night. 

The good news is that if I didn't tell you there was an issue, you'll never know, and I'm leaving it at that! 

I was exhausted last night when I went to bed. Almost 15 KM -- no wonder! Good grief -- I averaged nearly 13.5 KM a day in January! How did that happen? Thanks to Helen Anne for keeping me on track while we were at the retreat. 

However, I got the binding completed for BOHO Heart. 

Cutting the strips for bias binding

And here it is all done and ready to be put on when the quilt is quilted. 

BOHO Heart ready for quilting

Has anyone been to the Vancouver Airport (BC) and thought about how those bathroom tiles would make a good quilt? Thanks to my friend Pauline for the picture. I couldn't find mine, and she happened to be in Vancouver when I needed it! 

The tiles in the Vancouver Airport washroom

Here's my interpretation of the tiles into a quilt. I had to change it up to make it work as a quilt, and YES -- I eliminated the orange. I used the tiles as an INSPIRATION, not to copy it exactly. 

My interpretation of the tiles

Where is the pattern? You'll find it in Issue 61 of A Needle Pulling Thread. The theme of this issue is TILES, and there are some pretty cool tile-inspired projects in there. Go to the website and click on the cover to see some pages of what's inside. 

I managed to get TWO quilts quilted, but since they were small and loaded back to back, it wasn't a huge deal to do both. 

Back-to-back quilts on the long arm

And here they are - so adorable. The maker decided to leave the four sections as smaller baby quilts rather than sew them together to get the large one. I LOVE this quilt and should get my own top together one day. 

Customer quilts - DONE

And then I'm off on an adventure next week, so I've started packing. This is what I got so far. 

Packing for next week

Yep, another sewing adventure. But I have a ton of things to finish this week, so there is no time to slack off! 

I found a new marking tool for machine embroidery. I should wait and save this tip for the club, but I'll share it with you. In our Advent Box from Watergirl Quilt Co., we got this hera marker locally made from wood. I was trying to figure out what to do with it. But then I also HATE marking my fabric with a wash away pen, especially if I need to press during the embroidery stitch-out. So I decided to try the marker. And it WORKED beautifully through all five hoopings. 

Wooden hear marker

I like its shape and feel, and this type of tool (handmade of wood) is becoming a huge deal. Check out this link if you want to buy one. I'm very happy with it and will definitely use it again! 

And here's a sneak peek at what I was embroidering. I'm thrilled with the results. Again -- I shouldn't be spilling the beans before my clubs see it, but I have to share. I created the font to match the pattern. I did some sneaky stuff (can't share yet) in the embroidery software to change the font and then more sneaky stuff to get it stitched out. I haven't had a chance to clean it up yet and press it, but I'm over the moon with my newfound abilities in the embroidery software and machine embroidery, except for that ONE tiny mistake. 

What I was stitching

But you know -- making that mistake (I've only made it once before), but hopefully, it's solidified in my mind what to check should it happen again! And I'll take lots of pictures to share with the clubs. Oh -- it was a happy day when that was finished!!!!

Here's my new phone, all charged up and ready to go. Well, I should put in the date and all that stuff, but it was nice to have a conversation without someone saying they couldn't hear me. No time to deal with technical support yet with the cell phone. I hope this one has a speaker, as it's a pain to try and take notes with one hand!

My new phone

I started my new Virtual Challenge -- the Fellowship of the Rings. I'm doing the long route, so I'll be there for about three months. 

Starting a new challenge

Although the Lord of the Rings series is great, I'm not fond of the hand-drawn map. It's not as exciting as Google Maps, but the medals are supposed to be worth it. I don't really care -- I just walk. 

This drives me nuts. We have garbage furniture -- let's just dump it onto the side of the street. Who cares about the snow. This will be here all winter, and it's an eyesore. 

An eyesore on the side of the road

Oh boy -- my memory could be better with books I've read or not read. I snagged a copy of Atomic Habits yesterday, and to my surprise, when I popped it open in Libby, it said that I'd already read 32% of it. Really? I didn't remember that. I started back at the beginning. 

One doesn't need to read both habit books, as I find this one duplicates much of what was in The Power of Habit, referred to in this book. But the more one understands habits, I guess the better it is. I have to say that my mind wanders a lot in this book. I was so busy running from the embroidery machine to the long arm that I wasn't really paying attention, which is probably why I didn't remember reading the first part last time! 

It doesn't matter, and after a while, I stopped listening. It was too distracting. I find that it's OK to listen when sewing or doing one thing, but two things and listening? That's too much. 

Well, it's time to be off to spin class. Yeah!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!