EXCITEMENT abounds!!!

Tammy hit the jackpot!!! She got both quilts right!!! 

Here are the two quilts that I'm contemplating teaching in the fall. Now, I'll only teach one or the other, but not both - at least not simultaneously. I'm crazy, but not that crazy. 

I have a few votes for one and some for the other - if you have comments, you can email me or comment on the blog. elainetheriault@gmail.com

Look who I spotted on the morning walk. Yep, after all that rain the night before, there were worms and a snail on the sidewalk! It seems a bit too early for them to be out. 

A snail on the morning walk

Yesterday was the first time that we both needed the car at the same time. That's pretty good in 3 1/2 months. I won the draw since I was going the furthest and had to carry the most. Thank goodness for quilting supplies! But DH took Uber and got a ride home - no big deal! 

When I got home, my new toy had arrived, and it is heavy! It weighs 18 kg in the box. I slid it gently down the stairs and then laughed as I saw someone had used the box as a step. Or did they just put their foot on the box? 

This is not a step!

It's an automatic heat press with a temperature control. Singer's brand-new product has been released with the Momento (the 24" digital cutter), which will be here soon. 

Singer Heat Press beside my Brother Scan and Cut!

I have to say that I really like the new websites for PFAFF, Husqvarna Viking, and especially Singer. All the prices are listed, it's easy to maneuver around, and I'm happy to have all that information at my fingertips. There is still some tweaking to do, but I like them! 

I haven't had a chance to play with the heat press yet. I may have some heat transfer vinyl in the house, but now that I have a project in mind, I might just take an exploratory trip to find specific colors. 

So, Studio B's seams are nearing bursting, and it's time to start thinking about how to rearrange stuff. I have a plan, but I must find a home for all this stuff. There are two tables there—how hard could it be to find a spot for all that? 

This stuff needs a home! 

I have some ideas, though, and it would be nice to get rid of the eyesore! I see a little bit of organizing coming up! 

And here's what I mean about those tubs of stabilizers. This is the one for the water-soluble—OK—so I have a bit of stabilizer. It's time to get that even more organized so I know what I have without opening the tub. Labels are in order, and I've got a plan for that as well. 

The tub of water-soluble stabilizer

While I'm doing this, I'm also researching. How are different brands different? What does their product do that the ones I have do not? It's easy to go down a rabbit hole when you get in research mode, but I'm learning tons!

Speaking of cleaning up, this is what faced me when I went downstairs this morning. You probably see a box and a table with stuff on it. 

GASP -- something did not get put away!!

I see the pair of scissors that did NOT get put back in their proper place!!! So the scissors are gone, and I'll try to clean up some of that stuff later today. 

I have two Zooms this morning, and I was so excited that I prepared them last night and sent out the Zoom links. But in the middle of the night (and yes, I know the time changed last night, but I IGNORE that whole business - it doesn't affect me), I woke up and was so excited and wanted to add a bit more stuff to the presentation that I got up and did that!! 

And the time change was NOT in my favor to wake up early! But I can have a nap if I need to. 

Since I was up so early, I assembled all the information I needed and pulled information from manuals to answer questions, and I'm so organized that I am amazed! 

I also had some time to sew. I got the second last block set for the Heartfelt Sampler done!!! 

The second last block set -  done!

The final set of blocks has eight blocks. I had to cut some missing fabric squares—that's now done, and four of the eight are together. I ran out of time this morning, but I will focus on that this afternoon. I should be prepping for the week but can do that tomorrow. 

And look at this quote in my Happiness Journal!!!!

LOVE this comment

I'm not so sure about washing dishes. We don't have much to wash, but going for a walk? It's my mental health saver!! I walk to stay active and keep my brain from exploding! And the other day, on my way to the mall, I ran into a friend!!! She reads the blog daily, so HELLO!!! I also met a neighbor from the next street while I was entering the mall. I rarely run into anyone I know!! 

My friend lives in the neighborhood and walks to most places! See—it's not just me!!! But what are the benefits of walking? We don't realize how much it can mellow us out, calm us down, and allow our brains to wander without stimulation. No earpods, no phone—just walk with your brain as entertainment. You would be surprised what it will tell you if you listen!!!

I wish I could bottle my energy and enthusiasm and share it with everyone. I'm not sure where it comes from (good genetics?), but there is so much to learn and do, and I am not going to have time in my lifetime to learn it all and keep up with it, but I'm going to try darn hard to make it happen! I'm pretty easygoing, I don't stress about much, for the most part, I'm unflappable, and I am proud of what I do. I also don't second guess myself (much), and that's enough self-praise!! 

But think about how you present yourself to the world. Is your glass half-full or half-empty? If you're not sure, have a conversation and record it. Then listen back. Yikes—was that good or bad? 

I have a few emails that should be sent today, a couple of maintenance errands that need to be booked for the house, and a bit more follow-up to prep. I should get that out of the way today so it's not hanging over my head. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! The girls and the boy will be a bit confused this morning, but I'm sure they'll have the time change figured out in a day or two!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Learning is NOT waste!!

AHA --- I was wondering if I could cut out the good parts of that cutting mat, and YES, I can! I don't have time to do that now, but I'll work on that!!! Thanks for the tip!

Yesterday was another one of those days! I accomplished lots, but nothing that I can share with you yet! It's not like anything is a big secret, but I prefer to share what I'm doing with my clubs first, and then I can share it with you! And oh boy --- do I have some sharing to do!

Exciting stuff was happening, and I'm quite happy with the results. I had two embroidery machines working away, and everything I was stitching had been created by ME in the embroidery software. One was for my writing assignment, so even though I wasn't writing, I was advancing the project as I need something to write about! 

More work is needed to finish that project, but everything is going as planned! I find that the more you experiment and play, the easier it is to work on the project. You know what to expect and how to prevent bad things from happening before they happen! 

It's amazing how we are all different. Some people will ONLY do what they are told when it comes to an assignment, some will expand on the information and come up with their own ideas, and there are people in between. If I didn't have time constraints, I'd be on the extreme end of that spectrum, but I'm still doing pretty well at learning by trial and error!

I'm huge on making things up as I go along. I see over and over again that people need to make things EXACTLY like the original pattern. Why would I do that? I can direct my students to the original to see what the designer made, and then I can show them my own to promote creativity. I sometimes make things exactly like the pattern (same color, no changing it around), but it's rare that I do that. 

We had fun at the play date, and we made a sample using various products, deciding which ones we liked the best. I'll share that with you later, but it's going to be amazingly cute when it's finished. So we "wasted" some products—vinyl, stabilizers, and thread. It's NO BIG deal—we learned a ton of stuff while creating the sample. This is NOT waste—this is learning!!!! 

In a digital cutter class, I once had a lady say that she could NOT just cut random shapes for the sake of learning. That was wasteful. OK, so you cannot tell me that you don't have some hideously ugly fabric in your stash, so you could devote a fat quarter to learning to cut fabric on the digital cutter? Money is tight these days, but we can all spare a fat quarter for learning. 

What's hilarious (and sad at the same time) is that instead of learning to cut on the ugly stuff, people will forge ahead with the good stuff and mess it up. Go figure!!! 

I look at the cost of learning to embroider, sew, or use the digital cutter in relation to putting your kids through university. How much does tuition cost? How much are lab fees? Books? When we make a small sample or cut up a fat quarter, that doesn't even buy your kids breakfast in the cafeteria! 

As I was getting set up yesterday so we could work, I started the PFAFF creative icon 2 and added the embroidery unit. Hmmm -- this seems small compared to the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 3. So I got out the ruler. WOW. 

Shoot—it's a bit hard to tell in the photos, but from the hoop clip on the embroidery arm to the presser foot, the icon 2 has 14 inches. 

There are 14 inches on the creative icon 2

And there are almost TWENTY inches on the EPIC 3. That's an extra 6 inches!!!! No wonder the machine looks so big! I rarely take the embroidery unit off, it's so large, I can sew and quilt anything with it on! Although I'm careful to not jar it as I wouldn't want to damage the darn thing. 

There are almost 20 inches on the Designer Epic 3

I sorted my stabilizers into tubs a while back, and now I need labels. Hmm -- I could handwrite a label on a piece of tape, use my Brother label maker, or practice cutting vinyl with the digital cutter and see how that works. There is a bit of overflow in the stabilizer area, and I need to take one tub at a time, list what's inside the tub, and put that on the outside so I don't have to keep rifling through them to find something. 

I have a few different brands of stabilizers and roll widths, etc., and it would be nice to have that labeled to make it easier to find something. OH -- I know what else would be good. The rolls are in inches, yet the hoops are in mm, and I CANNOT figure out an easy way to translate them in my head. 

So, if I put an 8" roll of stabilizer X on my list and then the hoop size I can use it with, that would make it easy for my brain to equate imperial with metric and perhaps even learn to translate the sizes. 

I'm sure some of you have heard of Luke Haynes, but what an interesting person he is. Why do some people become "famous" and others don't? It happens in all industries. It's partially about being in the right place at the right time, and it's partially about self-promotion and luck. 

The one thing I know about this industry is that there is NEVER a moment to be bored! I have so much I want to learn, and I'm working my way through it all, but it seems that as fast as I learn, there is new stuff coming! And I have a new toy arriving this afternoon!!! I can't wait to see it, and I can share it with you tomorrow. 

I did a bit of spring cleaning in the backyard yesterday, and I was surprised to see so much stuff starting to grow! I had left my phone in the house and meant to go back and take pictures, but I forgot. It seems a bit early, but that's what's happening. I also noticed that someone has been digging in the backyard. There are little holes EVERYWHERE. I imagine it's skunks looking for bugs, and I didn't see a single bug while I was cleaning up. 

The ground is literally covered with these little holes! That's both in the front and the back. It looks like I've been out there tilling up the soil! I wonder if they do that to lawns? 

I'm down to three Zooms and one in-person event to round out the week. Next week is slightly quieter, with only 10 zooms, Monday sewing, and no in-person meetings! How fun will that be!

Well, I'm off to start the day. I see it's raining outside. Hmm—is it raining a lot or a little? I haven't checked it out yet. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Clean Sweep!

OH --- someone mentioned that it was funny I went to the bank to deposit that $20 bill! Well, I was pretty sure it wouldn't go through the ATM, and I asked the teller, and he said NO. I thought this polymer bill was introduced years ago. I was a bit surprised that it was in September of 2015. Seriously? I thought it was older than that. AHA --- a bit more research and it was, in fact, introduced in November 2012. A commemorative note in honor of Queen Elizabeth was introduced in September 2015. 

I could have spent that $20, but I figured that many people would not know what it was and wouldn't accept it, and I don't use cash anymore. So I thought it best to go to the bank where they would know what it was! Although I bet that teller showed it around the office saying -- can you believe that someone still has this old bill? 

I bet my mother has MANY old bills, and she's probably not alone. 

It's Friday, and although there are still three days in the week, I'm making decent progress through the events. There are four Zooms left and an in-person event on Machine Quilting. If you want to learn to machine quilt or improve your techniques, sign up for the in-person class at The Hobby Horse. WAIT -- -you can't sign up -- it's sold out!!

And if you have the mySewnet embroidery software (you could get some help if you have Premier Plus2 - the previous version), I'm running a seminar tonight on the PLATINUM level. I did one last night, and it was amazing!! So, to check out what you can do at that top level, contact Stitch by Stitch today to get the link. I had a lot of fun prepping for it, and I discovered something cool after closing the call. I need to stitch it out today!

I downloaded all the photos from my phone to the computer to free up some storage space. 

No more pictures on my phone

That did NOT seem to help. Why is this happening? I may have to reboot my computer, but the server says it's still full. I do NOT get it. Unless the photos it's talking about are the photos on the blog. Grrrrr --- I just want answers!!! 

But after I moved the photos, I noticed there were still photos on my phone. Yep -- those would be photos from What's Up, IG, Facebook, and Messenger. So, I have deleted most of those as they are the ones people send me- there is no need to keep most of those. It's still a learning curve, and while deleting files, I have yet to free up some storage space. Obviously, more research is needed to clean up this mess. 

I have another storage area, Dropbox, that I need to move the files out of and close my account as I no longer use it. What a storage nightmare!

Speaking of nightmares, this was Studio B when I closed down last night. Yikes -- that is scary. 

A jumbled mess

And this is what it looks like this morning. 

Look at all that room!

Yep -- a few changes. I have someone coming over today to work on the embroidery machines, and it was a tripping hazard! I know the timing is not good, but we have delayed this play date for months. Well, let's just do it!!!

I have some small folding tables, and all of them have been called into action to hold the stuff rather than dumping it on the floor. Some stuff got shoved against a table in the right-hand corner, and some of it is in the area where the long arm sits. 

All the technology got shoved into this corner. 

The technology corner

I'm OK with all that. It needed to be done—it was getting very crowded. I hope to get all the samples and accessories/tools set out for the next two weeks, and as I use them, they can be put away. I have a plan, and I'm not worried. 

I had to clear the cutting table off so we could have a space to work. That got sorted onto one of the spare folding tables. I've lost count of how many tables are currently in use! 

That leaves me with the dilemma of what to do with this crappy cutting mat. 

The front

The back

It's the one I cut on all the time, yet I have THREE almost brand-new mats of the same size. I was going to toss this, but I decided to keep it for cutting batting and trimming quilts, which can make a mess on a good cutting mat. 

All I had to do was switch the mats on the cutting table. The cutting table is again covered, but with the supplies we need for our play date. I also wanted to experiment with something to help us with the project. Of course, this morning, as part of the mad cleanup, I got out the appropriate tools and a quick video on YouTube, and I was on my way to success!! I love it when things work like I want them! But why leave it until the last minute? 

Here's the thing about experimenting. Because I knew how to use this tool, it only required a little effort to try my experiment. The more we experiment and play, the easier things get! 

I also completed a few more blocks for the Heartfelt Sampler quilt. These two blocks complete the third last block set. 

Two more blocks for the Heartfelt Sampler

I still had a bit of time, so I got two blocks done on the second-last block set. There are still seven blocks to sew, but they don't take a lot of time. There are eight blocks in the final set, but I realized this morning that I'm missing two squares for each block. DRAT!!! Back to the cutting board for that. 

Two more blocks for the Heartfelt Sampler

I have to say that I'm getting pretty handy at setting up videos and camera equipment. Perhaps I should start a serious YouTube channel with all my wealth of information? I don't know—I really do not have the time to do the editing required. But I have all the equipment, and I LOVE this switchbox. I can connect FOUR cameras to it, and now that I know how to work it with Zoom, it's a breeze to switch from camera to camera. 

My BlackMagic switch box

And yes, there was a learning curve with the darn thing, but I've got it now, so I want to get lots of use out of it. 

I'm thrilled that I learned how to use the iPad to file the files in the way that I want. Yesterday, I downloaded more files, which are safely stored in their appropriate folders. I see I have to remove the ones I read from iBooks, but that's OK. I keep the darn thing powered up now, which I never did because I wasn't using it regularly! 

The iPad gets constant use

Last night, I downloaded the instructions for the project we're working on today! No paper, printing, or losing the documents because I know we won't finish today!!! 

I spotted these flowers on the counter this morning. I suspect they came from the event that DH attended last night in honor of International Women's Day, so we get to enjoy those for a few days!!

Flowers!!!

There are no pictures of the girls and the boy, although I guess you can see Miss Murphy in the corner. Her favorite spot to lie is next to the fence. Then she can see into the forest and the backyard! If anything moves, she can bark at it! 

A beautiful day in the backyard

She is like a naughty child with the barking. She knows she is not supposed to bark because she usually stops when you tell her. And I've seen her turn her back to me, bark at the forest, then turn around to see if I'm watching her!!! That girl!!!!

Is it too early to announce the projects that will start in October? Yep --- I got some feedback from people, chatted with the store (Thimbles and Things), and I think it's set! That was easy!! I have two other projects I'd like to run, but it means I'll have to run them myself. ACK ---I said I wouldn't do that!! But it's a way to get them done. I'll post pictures of the two I want to do, and let's see what your response is about doing them. Don't lecture me!!! 

Oh, I should make you guess which quilts they are. Both are designed by Wendy Williams. Can you guess which two I want to make? One is in the list on that website, and the other is in the Pattern Book category (you can find it through the link above). Actually, when I look at the quilts, I see that there are way more than two I want to make. 

Well, there's a lot of follow-up and e-mails to be sent, but I won't have time until much later today. Thankfully, I don't have to prepare for the Zoom tonight, so that saves some time. I might just get all my blocks for Heartfelt completed. 

On that note, I'm out of here! I know I should be writing today instead of having a play date, but I'll be writing tomorrow, Sunday, and all next week. No more messing around with errands—it's time to get serious!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Shopping with Bear

Yesterday was another one of those days where I accomplished lots, but I don't really have anything to show for it! But my Fitbit Steps? Off the chart!! I've been walking at least 13 km every day for the last week. Some of that is intentional walking with the dogs and my afternoon walk, but also all the running around the house collecting samples, setting up equipment, etc. It's totally insane! However, I have aggressive goals, so I need 11.5 KM every day, so I'm not that much ahead!

There are days when I feel the time pressure and wonder if I have the time to do the afternoon walk, and I decide that even with time constraints, I HAVE NO CHOICE but to walk. It's my stress reliever, and I solve many issues during those walks. So the walks remain! It's all about setting priorities, and staying mobile is my number one priority!! Plus, the mental aspects of the walk are too beneficial to give up!

I had a bunch of errands to do by car, and while I used to just pop out and do one at a time, my time is more precious, and it's such a waste of resources (time, gas) to keep popping out, so I save them up. I had SEVEN stops. I managed all seven and was back home within less than two hours. 

I stopped at Indigo to check out the magazines -- that's a treat. I picked up two. I know -- I shouldn't have done that, but I'm worth it! 

Then I went to get dog food, and Little Bear was happy to go shopping with me. Look how cute he is on the new bed display!

Bear is a model!

When I was purchasing camera equipment several weeks ago, I bought TWO tripods but only needed one, so the second one was returned. Then, we went to Fabricland to buy some small supplies. While I was there, there were a bunch of spools of thread on the counter. Turns out the person who purchased the thread left the store and forgot to take her thread!

A quick drop off at the thrift store - two more boxes of stuff gone from my house. I swear, there are no regrets when I see those boxes go. I used to second guess, but that is gone! I don't need any of this stuff!!

I love that all these stores I visit are within three LONG blocks of each other, but they're too far from the house to walk, and I'm not carrying two bags of dog food home! I stopped at Staples to put some paper in the shredding bin, and while I was there, I checked out the iPencils, and a new one came home with me. 

My new iPencil

I am determined to get more use out of that iPad, and now that the manuals are sorted, I can download more. Yep—it's a valuable tool, and it's nice to know that everything I want is handy! I'm learning!! I opened the iPencil and plugged it in to charge, and it immediately paired. The old one did not, so it's going in the electronic recycling box. 

Studio B is a bit of a disaster, and that's putting it mildly. The tables have been moved, half-finished projects are strewn everywhere, the floor is littered with samples, and the cutting table is heaped. Plus, there is way more stuff on the floor than usual. I'm not worrying about it, and I certainly don't have time to deal with it until April. I'm OK with that. 

As I finish with the samples, I'm at least trying to put them away. 

The disaster zone in Studio B

There's a reason Studio B is in the basement—it's a working studio, and I don't think it needs to be completely neat and tidy all the time. Almost everything has a home, and it'll eventually return to its home, but with all the Zooms I have in the next couple of weeks, I'm not putting away and then bringing stuff back out. That would be silly. 

But I rearranged some of the cameras and equipment, and it's much easier to work in a cramped space. Plus, I remembered where I plugged in the various cameras, so switching between them last night was super easy!

More behind-the-scenes

There are those three clingy dogs again! This time, they were all in the office as I completed some paperwork. 

Clingy dogs

It doesn't pay to buy a cheap cell phone cover. I bought one at a kiosk in the mall when I bought my new phone. Not that long after, I dropped the phone and the cover did its job of protecting it, but the case broke at its narrowest point near the camera. Yesterday, when I put it in my pocket, that loose end caught, and well, now I need a new case!!!

The corner broke off my cell phone case

I wish this tree would photograph better. It's a pussy willow, and it's literally gleaming silver in the morning, but it doesn't translate well to the camera!

Pussy willow in bloom

I fixed those two blocks that I had sewn together wrong. I had swapped the half-square triangles for each, and while there wasn't a problem, the browns were so similar in color. So off with their heads, and now they are correct. 

Heartfelt Sampler blocks

I managed to get some work done on the third last set of blocks. There are six blocks in total, and I have four complete. The flying geese are trimmed and ready to sew together for the fifth block, and the sixth one is cut. 

More blocks for Heartfelt Sampler

That leaves two block sets, which I hope to finish later today. I have some machine embroidery to do, and while that is stitching out, it'll be the perfect time to sew. Yes, if you have an embroidery machine, you also need a sewing machine. I've got no shortage of either type at the moment. That partially explains why Studio B is a mess. There are two embroidery machines set up, two sewing machines, a serger, and a digital cutter—well, it is a mess. Plus, the empty boxes. 

I was lamenting about the "free" drawing programs for the iPad. Thanks to a blog reader, I downloaded the FREE Freeform (I think that's what it's called). I had fun last night with my new iPencil. I quickly tried all the drawing tools before I plugged it in and went to bed. This could become my new time waster. Wow, there are so many drawing tools; one could have loads of fun. 

Drawing on the iPad

This could be a great diversion on a plane or sitting in the backyard. Oh shoot - I just realized that I was going to stop at Rona for chairs yesterday on my way home, and I forgot. I think that's because my final stop was Harvey's to get lunch, and I was hungry, so I hurried home!

I also made significant progress on a project I'll be writing about, and the next two projects are cut and ready to go, so that's a bonus. Now, I need to get my act together and start writing. I'm trying very hard to keep up with the errands, and I finally managed to deposit the ANCIENT $20 bill that I discovered. I knew I could NOT deposit it in the ATM, so I would have to get in line. But each time I've gone in the last couple of days, the line-ups were insane. I'm not waiting if I don't have to -- the bank is on my walk, so yesterday, when I popped in, there was NO LINE. The $20 is now in my bank account!

Well, that's it for today! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

The girls and the boy are NEEDY!!

I survived another day! Actually, it wasn't too bad once I got all the equipment set up for the second Zoom call. When the Zoom session is about software, the set-up is easy because everything is on the computer. But when it comes to showing the sewing machines, I need to do a bit more work. This is what it looked like last night behind the scenes. 

Behind the scenes on a Zoom call

I was too far away from my computer for my liking, so I need to rearrange that a bit. It gets tight with tripods and tables to hold things. And then, for the life of me, I couldn't get one camera to work. I tested it, so what's wrong? After the call, I realized that I had plugged it into my switch box and needed to use the box, NOT the computer, to switch it. Sigh!! I'm smarter than I know I am!

I have two more Zooms tonight, which will be better because I'll remember that camera. It drives me CRAZY when people hold things up to their cameras on the computer, and that's what I did last night. Sigh.............

I've been using Grammarly for quite some time to assist with spelling and grammar for everything I write. I was always bored with grammar in school, and I wish I had paid more attention. While Grammarly is NOT a learning tool, if you pay enough attention to it, you can improve, which is what has happened over the years. 

While the writing may not be perfect, it's better, and I must say that I read things in a different light. Some writing is terrible, especially from years in the past when writing styles were - well, different. 

For the most part, I like Grammarly, but it keeps changing its format, and sometimes, it makes things worse than they were, and their suggestions could be better! They now add this cute little message at the end of an editing session. The other day, it said I did a good job and could have a cookie!!

My "good job" message on Grammarly

I don't know what was going on at our house yesterday, but all the dogs were NEEDY!! I've never seen them so clingy in my life. I suspect Murphy is getting jealous or fed up with Bear and needs MORE attention. 

MOM -- PET ME and ONLY ME!!!

They each get their separate walk, and they want more! They all want to go first, which is impossible. They all want to be fed first, which is also impossible. None want to stay outside for a long time; they must be in the house with ME! DH is away this week, so that may have something to do with it. 

As I was in my meeting yesterday, Bear had to sit on my lap or make noise!! As I was on my final Zoom call, he stood behind me and started barking, so I had to sit with him on my lap during the call!! What a fluff ball!!

Curled up and quiet

And then, while I was at the table, reading over some sewing machine manuals, the three surrounded me like I was holding food for them. I wasn't even eating at this point, and they were there!

Help - surrounded by dogs!

And afterward, when they retired to the family room, they were still watching me. 

MOM -- we're watching you! 

They sure are funny! But I could do without such clingy dogs! It's not like they don't get attention during the day!!

Maybe they were worried because, at one point, when I was downstairs, Murphy "attacked" the back door again. That girl goes crazy when she sees a squirrel and knows she can't get out, but she thinks she can. She has a deep, throaty bark and did this multiple times while I was working downstairs. So I yelled at her. Yep --- a loud yell since I was downstairs and no one else was home. Perhaps I scared them all! 

Needless to say, Murphy did NOT bark for the remainder of the day! Murphy is like that, though -- so full of enthusiasm, and the only way to get through to her is to be LOUD and in her face. Otherwise, she just thinks you are talking to her!! Muprhy is so much better on our walks. Whenever we see someone on an e-scooter, I make her sit, and she watches, but she no longer tries to go for them. 

But from time to time, I make her sit down, and we have a chat on the walk! I bet in her head, all she hears is BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, Murphy, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!!! 

I swear, as much as I try to keep this guy clean, it doesn't work. His legs are grey again, and that's after just a few days from his bath. Hey -- he walks in the forest daily, and keeping him white is impossible! And I have to keep the gunk out of his eyes. That's not a pleasant job, but we're trying!

GRANDMA doesn't do the same job as my MOM does!!!

But he is cute whether he is dirty or not! 

Are the mall people happy with this giant ball they built? I mean, it sure opens up the space and provides light, but what about maintenance? Who cleans that thing? Can you even clean that thing? I had an errand at the mall, and as I went up the escalator, I'm always fascinated by the escalator. 

The mall ball

I didn't get a chance to sew anything, but I managed to take those last two blocks apart that I had switched around. It didn't need to be done, but they will look better this way. My two presentations are this evening, and while I have to zip around and find some samples and prep a small demo or two, there is little to do. So that means I'll be getting a writing assignment done. 

For the life of me, I did a project a couple of weeks ago, and I can't remember why I did it. OH -- as soon as I wrote that, I remembered. I got my topics and sample supplies ready for a week of writing and will work on that this afternoon. I MUST get a few paperwork things done this morning. 

Did you see the GIANT Cutter yesterday? It'll be available in Canada starting April 1!!!!!!

On that note, I'm off to spin class!! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

The Pony Express runs 24/7

One Zoom down as well as Monday sewing. That leaves TEN more Zooms, one meeting, one in-person session on quilting, and FIVE writing assignments. That's on top of the paperwork that still needs to be done. But there's ZERO need to stress about any of this. What gets done gtes done, the rest will have to wait. However, with careful planning, I expect it will get done - just not completely!

I talked about the Pony Express yesterday, and it runs 24/7!!! I took stock of what had been piling up at my front door. 

These were some customer quilts that were ready for pick-up. One customer picked up her quilt and a bag of quilts that she will Pony Express to another customer. She also picked up a bag of material that will get Pony Expressed to another person, and within that bag is another small bag of material that will get Pony Expressed to yet another person! 

The first pick-up on the Pony Express

I also had this group of pet mats that were destined for delivery. They got picked up in the middle of the night! Bless your heart for working the midnight shift -- You know who you are!

Pet mats on their way to a new home

That bundle will make two stops before its final destination! 

And look what I got in return from the Midnight Pony Express. An order of thread and stabilizer. Thanks so much for the drop-off! I very much appreciate it!!! And NO, there wasn't a peep from the girls or the boy. 

The Pony Express drop-off

What's left at the front door for the Pony Express? Two things - one is waiting for the customer to pick it up, and the small bag is something I'll advance on the Pony Express in a month. 

Two items waiting at the Pony Express depot

I also have two boxes to drop off at the donation center, a tripod that needs to be returned to the store for a refund, a book to return to the library, and a letter to mail. 

Stuff to drop off

I LOVE getting rid of stuff from my house! OH -- I did receive a couple of small items as part of the Pony Express drop-off a couple of days ago. Those still need to find a home. Let's say things won't find homes in Studio B until at least April. 

Chatting with people during classes, here's one question I get repeatedly. - "My machine comes unthreaded when I start to sew, or I get a bird's nest of thread under the start of the sewing line." 

This is the easiest thing to fix, and I don't care if you have the cheapest or the most expensive sewing machine in the world; this will happen. Why? The sewing machine's process of taking a stitch is to pull that loose bobbin thread tail to the underside because that's how the stitch is formed. Unless you use your scissors and cut the thread really short (I rarely use my scissors), you'll get a thread nest, or the needle will come unthreaded.  

How to fix this? 

• Chain piecing
• Using your scissors will reduce the size of the mess
• Hold BOTH threads as you take the first two stitches, then let go. 

Problem solved!!!

And you have to LOVE the projection system I'm using here to make half-square triangles. NO MARKING - I gave up marking flying geese, stitch and flip corners, and half-square triangles a long time ago!!!!

Hold those threads!

I managed to get one more block set done for the Heartfelt Sampler. This group had ten blocks, and I see I messed up the half-square triangles on the last two blocks. While the backgrounds look similar, they are NOT, so the darks are the same. I may or may not fix that. I'm down to THREE block sets remaining for a total of 23 blocks! I might just get this done by the weekend. It's all about focusing!!!

One more block set is done!

So, the girls and the boy are a source of daily entertainment. I went to the front door to get something and spotted Bear sleeping on my gym bag! Surely there are more comfortable spots than that to sleep? 

GRANDMA -- this spot is very cozy!

After my walk, I popped into the backyard for some relaxation. The girls and the boy are always by my side or on my lap to ensure I'm OK. We need some new chairs for the back and the front. I spotted some at Rona, so I'll stop by when I'm out and about doing errands with the car. I need to do that soon, otherwise all the chairs will be gone. They are light, so I could carry them home, but that would be silly! I'll get four in one shot with the car!

Relaxing in the backyard

At lunchtime, I looked out the window and spotted a cardinal having a bath! He was sitting in the water and thoroughly enjoying himself. 

Bath time

We were remarking the other day about how the trees are in bud - I think I posted a picture of the pussy willow in bud and robins have been around for a while. Since we're not getting snow, let's pray for rain, as the farmers need it. Otherwise, the cost of your food will only go up AGAIN! 

If you are a Husqvarna Viking, PFAFF, Singer, or mySewnet customer, BIG changes are coming. Those brands' websites have been revamped and went live yesterday. I'm not sure if everything is complete, but what a change. If you try to get to the main page of Husqvarna Viking, PFAFF, or Singer, it'll default to the Singer page. You can switch between brands at the top left. If you type in mySewnet, it goes directly to that page. I'm sure there will be some tweaking to do. 

You can now buy directly from any four of those websites. You could do this on the PFAFF page for a few years, but the other sites have also moved that way. This is NOT new in the industry -- you can buy directly from Brother, HP, and many other companies, so this is NOT anything to get upset about. 

Something else NEW and EXCITING is happening today, and that is the release of the Singer Momento -- a crafting machine (AKA digital cutter - that is 24"!!!) You'll find that information on the Singer page and all the backend stuff -- (software, projects, inspiration, etc) on the mySewnet page. 

If you are looking at pages and want to see pricing, ensure you are on the correct page - Canada or US as the pricing is different. You'll find a little flag in the top right-hand corner that you can change. If you are in Canada, it should default to Canada. 

Exciting times, to be sure!!!! I have big plans with this new cutter - since the mat is so large and I found the mat to be reasonably priced, I can cut QUILTS with the cutter! OK -- so I have to try that. WAIT -- I still need to get one. 

On that note, there is much prepping to do today as there are two Zooms and one meeting. And I must try to squeeze in some writing. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!