Classes for the fall

YES -- it's about time I got myself together to announce the classes for the fall. 

The big news is that I'll teach Spice Market, a pattern by Wendy Williams. I LOVE the quilt, and I might be influenced by the colorway. But I'm going to change up that colorway just a bit!  

Spice Market quilt pattern

This quilt offers many great techniques to learn or perfect, including triangle shapes, circles, log cabins, pineapples, and much more! The pattern includes colored photos with quilting inspiration and close-ups of the blocks. 

Size:84" by 85". 

Fabric Requirements: Requirements are given by block, making it a great quilt to use scraps. You'll need 2¼ yards of the main color for the filler areas and the border. Pick a colorway and curate your scraps! Use solids, prints, or both! 

 Cost: $30 for NINE one-hour Zoom lectures (payable to myself via e-transfer). There's no need to send money now—it's a bit early. 

Pattern: The best place for Canadian shopping is hyggeligt.ca. And look at the pretty packaging the pattern comes in. $48 (includes free shipping)

Dates:  

October 26, 2024

November 23, 2024

December 14, 2024

January 25, 2025

February 22, 2025

March 22, 2025

April 26, 2025

May 24, 2025

June 14, 2025

Time: 9:30 AM EST 

Each class will include show-and-tell, which is the best part. We get to see how others change up their blocks to accommodate their skill and follow along with their colorways and adventures in creating their version of the quilt. 

The Zoom sessions will be recorded, and you'll have up to 30 days to watch. 

If you can't wait until the next session, there will be a Facebook group where you can share your photos and ask questions. 

A copy of the slides will also be made available. 

These online Zoom sessions are an incredible learning experience, and I've received fantastic feedback from previous classes. 

How to sign up: Email me (elainetheriault@gmail.com) and include Spice Market in the subject. Once you send me an email, you'll receive further instructions. Please note that you MUST have a copy of the pattern to participate in the class. 

If you have any questions about the class, send an email, including Spice Market in the subject. I will be able to answer specific questions until early September. Review the information above - I've tried to be very thorough. 

I look forward to a fabulous year working with YOU to make this fantastic quilt. 

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Continuing clubs:

The following clubs will continue until the end of the year. In November, I'll announce what's happening in 2025 for the clubs. 

• Embroidery 
• Digital Cutters 
• UFO x 2 
• Many Blocks 
• Out of the Box

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Offerings at other stores - if you are interested in what I'm teaching at the following shops, please get on their mailing list so you don't miss the information. All my classes will start in October, with the exception of The Hobby Horse, where the classes start in September. 

The Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe (Georgetown, Ontario) (in-person and on Zoom)

Thimbles and Things (Orillia, Ontario)  (on Zoom only) 

Stitch by Stitch (Kingston, Ontario) (on Zoom only) - mySewnet Embroidery Software

Needleworks Studio (Cochrane, Ontario) (on Zoom only) - mySewnet Embroidery Software

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I want to thank everyone who took a class or attended one of my lecture/demos. I appreciate all the wonderful feedback and all your support. It's people like you, who make me want to continue to teach. You make my job loads of fun and "coming to work" each day is blessed by your presence! 

Thanks again! 

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!!

Preliminary thoughts on organizing quilting UFOs

We all survived the weekend! There were five Zooms, which I hope will never happen again. I have no one to blame but myself. But all is good! Going forward, it will be different. In the fall, I've decided that I'll do my teaching on two weekends, and that will leave room to schedule them so they don't fall on a weekend with a special event, or if I need to move them because of travel, there is some flexibility. No more than two a day, and so on. I have set guidelines, and I won't exceed them!

We had the UFO Club yesterday, and something good emerged from our discussions. From time to time, I need to locate a project in the UFO bin. The big issue is that there are many bins, and the projects are randomly placed in them. As mentioned yesterday, I want to sort them, categorize them, and make them easier to find, just like I did with the "to be quilted" bins, of which there are 22. 

Going through them would also be a good opportunity to sort out those I will likely never do. By that, I mean those with a pattern and fabric, but I have never started. I have to get serious about this clean-up. It's time! After this coming week, I will contemplate what has to be completed this summer and then attempt to start. 

Let's say there are many areas where those UFOs are stored, and I need to tackle those areas individually. Even if I could complete one area this summer. YES -- there are MANY UFOs, and I need to deal with them. One of the UFO club participants uses a spreadsheet to track her UFOs, and she shared it with me, so I'll take a look and see. It would be nice to have the ability to categorize them or at least have more information about each. Let's face it, when I went through the tubs the other day, I found many I had forgotten about and lots that could quickly be done. 

It's a job to tackle when I'm not in a hurry! 

I quilted a big quilt yesterday, but I can't share it with you—not yet. However, I did one last week that I couldn't share, but now I can. It was one of the Spice Market quilts for a customer, and here it is. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Several completely finished Spice Market quilts were at our show-and-tell on Saturday! Sadly, mine is sitting in a heap on one of those tables. I don't think I'll have time until the fall to get back to work on it. 

Here's the circular edge-to-edge pattern I put on it. 

Quilting pattern for Spice Market

All is good in the quilting department, and I still have four customer quilts in the existing queue. A new queue is starting, which will be done by the end of July. I am maxed out for the summer. Anything new that comes in will have to wait until September! 

I got a chuckle when I was quilting yesterday. Everything was going great—the quilt was behaving, it was large, and the tension was excellent. Then I went back to the machine at one point, and there were no stitches. I stopped the machine and checked—there was still bobbin thread. I went to rethread the machine, and OH—I see what happened. I ran out of top thread. 

No more top thread!

I grabbed the second spool and got it working again. But then, at one point, I had to change the bobbin, and the machine was way at the back, so I had to stretch down and back to get to it. This task is a piece of cake with my new stretching regime. Then the bobbin pulled out of the case, and the case went somewhere. I had to search for it, but it was on the back of the machine! 

The bobbin case went flying!

The large quilt is off, and the next one will be loaded and quilted today. Then I'll be done quilting for about two weeks as other things take priority! Well, I won't be here—I guess that's a good enough excuse! 

We have one house on our street that is a total disaster. A single person lives in the house, and we rarely see them—heck, we've rarely seen them in the 20+ years we've lived on this street. Sadly, the front yard is a mess. I snapped these photos two days ago. 

Front lawn before

The grass and trees are so overgrown, it's hard to think anyone even lives there. 

The boulevard before

Perhaps someone saw me take those photos because yesterday, when we walked past, the lawn was hacked off. Oh, it was likely mowed, but because of its length, it looked literally hacked off. Let's not bother to clean up the grass clippings on the sidewalk or the driveway. And what's the sense of picking up that broken branch? I bet the next-door neighbors on both sides are happy. If it were me, I'd call the city whenever that grass got slightly overgrown. 

The front lawn - after

A little trimming might be in order here! 

The boulevard - after

I need to learn how to use our whipper snipper, and perhaps I can walk down to this tree and give it a whirl!

I talked to my parents yesterday for quite a long time. My mom was very talkative because she had things to discuss - they've had a lot of company in the last couple of weeks, their fridge died, and they got new house cleaners. The story about the cleaners frustrates me to no end, but I'm not even going there. The bottom line is that they are happy with these new people. But my mom thinks they have a self-cleaning house and that my 92-year-old dad is doing a good job cleaning. Sigh..............

Dad, of course, just goes on and on about the museum. It is his life, and I am very thankful he has that outlet, as he wouldn't survive without it! Let's pray that he stays healthy enough to get there on his own for a long time! Without him, they wouldn't get much done in the way of repairing the old engines. He says he's not a leader, and maybe he's not. But he's an influencer and a silent leader, or perhaps a motivator would be a better word! 

He does not see that or will not admit it, and that drives me mad! But they all have a grand time at the museum, so I am forever thankful for that outlet for him. 

There are two days before setup day at Quilt Canada! Oh my --- time goes quickly. I'm mostly prepared, and yet I'm not. A few things still need to be prepped for the concurrent show, and I hope two days is enough. Well, two has to be enough! Making lists and doing things so you can check them off is the best way to remain in control. I haven't made a physical list of the remaining things to do - it's small enough to keep in my head! 

If anyone wishes to come to the show and would like to volunteer a couple of hours looking after my show, let me know. I'll buy you a ticket to the show or reimburse you for the one you bought! elainetheriault@gmail.com. There are a few open spots on the agenda. 

I will say that this upcoming vacation will be an "issue" for me. To enter the country, we must list every place we stay for the duration. That requires planning, which I don't care to do. DH and I sat down last night and saw that I need to intervene in his planning. He is going on childhood memories and has no clue what to do in each place. It took me less than 5 minutes of internet searching to find some cool things to put on the list!

Well, I'm off to spin class this morning. Then, I'll have a crazy busy day as I pin sleeves on quilts, which will be a good job to do at Monday Sewing. Then, some more paperwork work, and I'll be in good shape!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Progress is progress!

Oh gosh—I messed up that link again!!! I went back and fixed it. I try to be very aware when copying links, but I don't remember having to be this careful. Sigh. So here are two more of the 50 Ways to Keep a Quilter (and her family) Happy While on Vacation! Enjoy!!!!

Here is that one again, so you don't have to return to yesterday's post. 

And here is the series's next one (37, 36, 35, 34). 

Hopefully, both work! I double-checked that the https:/ was included in the link, but it seems to disappear if I don't copy it immediately. Why is that? It never used to be an issue. It's another mystery of the internet. 

OK, so at dinner last night, I was looking up something for DH, and within minutes, I started seeing ads for that item. Wow, the internet is getting pretty invasive with everything. It almost makes you want to turn it all off and return to the simpler days when we had only print!

I had the best-laid plans for yesterday: quilt a quilt and finish all those blocks for Spice Market. Well, I got some of that done. I didn't slack off; everything just takes much longer than we think it will. 

However, I'll just call any progress progress. That's all I can say about that. It shows that even with a computerized long arm, you still have to be there for it. You can't just press START and expect to return in four hours, and the quilt is done! 

Here is the customer quilt I completed yesterday. I need to trim it this afternoon so it can be picked up! 

Customer quilt - DONE

As for making the 30 small blocks for Spice Market? I got seven done! Seven is better than none! Those are the ones in the leftmost column. 

Blocks for Spice Market

I must set that aside because I have prep work for five weekend classes. This week, I also have a full slate of presentations on quilting. It's going to be a busy week! 

AHA—I know why DH gave me that article on being bored to read. He thinks I'm too busy! He doesn't realize that I spend a fair share of time alone and "bored." I walk the dogs and go for my afternoon walk, and I rarely work past dinnertime. My brain and body just don't want to work! 

Since I finished the other ebook that I had let lapse, it was time to tackle the second one. The first part of the book was whine-whine-whine on the part of the character. I let it lapse at the end of that whine fest. What the character did is returning to haunt them, so hopefully, this second part will be more interesting. I have 17 days to figure out what will happen to the character. Even with my workload, I should be able to finish the book. 

Then, I only have four books on hold, with the first scheduled to arrive in nine weeks. By then, I'll be way past the busy part of my annual calendar. Again, it was a book I let lapse. I don't usually do that, but I just couldn't get into reading for a while. That's OK - Libby, the ebook reader, knows precisely where I left off. I start back a few pages to refresh my memory, and then I'm good to go. 

We all survived the cold weather over the weekend. On Saturday, while it was cold, there was also a very bitter wind that would take your breath away. That's gone, and we are back to some almost springlike days. 

I have a morning presentation, and I'm not quite ready for it, so as soon as I get back from spin class, I need to finish preparing it. It will all be great, although I had a dream about it. For some reason, several of us were streaming from the same room with a huge audience. What was that all about? 

I'm off to spin class and get ready for a crazy day! 

Have a super day! (Get those squats or stand-up/sit-down in! It's important!)

Ciao!!!

Change is good (and necessary)

Do NOT YELL at me, but I fail miserably at ergonomics at my house, especially in the office. Hence my poor posture, which was never good, and whatever other ailments that brings. 

What happened? Well, you know I have this silly pain in my leg, and sitting on a hard chair is a tad uncomfortable. I've been good on my sewing chair in Studio B because it's somewhat cushy. But my office chair is not too well padded. Last night I hauled a comfy chair from Studio B to the office, and well, I'm embarrassed to say that the chair I've used for years sucks! 

My NEW office chair

The chair is a little bit higher than my unadjustable one. Guess what happened? My arms are now probably at the proper height for the keyboard. I tilted the monitor up, and I sat straighter. Good grief - I'm such a dolt. I already feel 5" taller! And my leg doesn't hurt nearly as much when I have lots of work and have a deadline. 

There are days when I wonder why we don't change things that aren't working. We get stuck in a rut, and this chair was just sitting in the basement with a roll of batting on it! It's not like it was being used. All is good, but I must be much more aware going forward. 

No birds have visited my suet feeder yet, but I know they are around. The birds have loved my feeders in the past. But the squirrels are not interested either. They may have tried and were discouraged or are not interested. However, I've noticed the squirrels sitting on the ice in the pond having a drink. However, they ran away when I sneaked to the window to take a picture! 

The squirrel making a getaway from the pond

Where do birds and animals get their water otherwise? There is little water lying around at this time of year? Well, they are welcome to use my pond! 

So here's our Murphy. After she ripped the dog bed apart, I moved the blankets to that spot, and she is pretty happy to lie there. Lexi? No - she insists on sleeping on the couch! No floor sleeping for her! You know how they say pets mirror their owners? Lexi is DH, and Murphy is me! 

Mom - this bed is just fine!

OK—I am my own worst enemy. In the morning, I noticed an F11 error on the dishwasher, but there was no time to fix it because of all the Zooms. Once the Zooms were over, I opened the drain and spotted some paper from a plastic cup that I was "rinsing." DH told me I was NOT supposed to put that stuff in the dishwasher. Rinse and put it in the recycling. OK!!

F11 error

Then I started the dishwasher. Guess what? I got a second F11. What? There was NOTHING tomato sauce-related in the darn thing. OH - I put a jam jar in there, and the label came off and got stuck. OK - note to self -- NO paper labels in the dishwasher! I'm so silly!!!

The four Zooms went very well. It takes a lot to prepare, but things go smoothly when you are prepped! I'm working on the follow-ups today and got two of them done; two more to go. And then there will be two more follow-ups after the Zooms today. I don't just send the recording link; I often have other links to send, clean up the slides, and add notes if necessary. I try to take notes of what I need to follow up with, and I have one person who sends me the notes in case I forget! Thanks!! You know who you are!

I was on a roll this morning as I prepped all the follow-up stuff. Perhaps it's the new chair. I even started a list of all the assignments and dates for the January classes so I could quickly review it and see where I am and what needs to be done! As I send out the follow-ups, I'm adding what needs to be done for January to that list. WOW—I'm going to be so organized!!

At least I'll know what has to be done! 

We are zipping right along with our EXIT Game Advent Calendar. We have completed five puzzles and were able to figure them out without looking at the clues. And the last two were relatively quick, so what do we talk about now? It was hilarious! 

Here are a couple of my blocks from the Spice Market quilt. This is a great quilt, but the pattern could be better. It's a "bit" confusing in spots and obviously wasn't tested. 

Spice Market block

Spice Market block

Hot and spicy colors are where I'm going with this. 

Thanks for the feedback on the classes. I've decided to go with another series of lectures for the Saturday Sampler at Thimbles and Things. And thanks to discussions yesterday, I now have most of the 6 topics chosen. I'll let you know when that goes out or get on the newsletter for Thimbles and Things, so you'll be alerted when the new classes are posted! 

Once everything is set, I'll post the information again—what classes, how to sign up, and all the relevant details. It's a great way to learn in the comfort of your home, and you won't be disappointed! I'm trying to divide my teaching between techniques/lectures and projects. I don't want to overload anyone or myself!

On that note, I need to get organized. This morning, I have two Zoom meetings. One is ready to go, and the other requires some work. However, they are very relaxed Zoom meetings and less work than yesterday's!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

It's OK to be bored!

Yesterday was such a different day from the past month. I puttered all afternoon, but I also got some sewing done. OK, I mostly sewed and didn't putter much. I'm good as long as no one can see the mess on the screen. The camera faces a wall, so there is plenty of room in front of it to stash the mess! 

With everything going on, I haven't been reading much lately. However, I recently received notifications about two ebooks that I had let lapse without finishing. I accepted both—more on that in a minute. I also got a notification about an audiobook I'd waited eons for and accepted it. It has one week left. 

So, while I sewed, I listened to the audiobook. I'm not sure who recommended the book, but it's probably not one I would have chosen. Now that I'm into it, it's good. It keeps me entertained while I work. Oh my - did I just say that? I've got a story about that. 

Then, in the evening, I returned to one of the ebooks. I think I found this one in the Globe and Mail book review. I just checked my list, and YES, that's where I got it. Her reviews are usually right up my alley, but she raved about this one, and it's a challenge to read, so I let it lapse before. It has sci-fi elements, and while I'm OK with that, this one is way off base. I will NOT be recommending this one to anyone. 

It also lacks the thriller aspect I like—it's just hi-tech silliness! But I'm almost done—thank goodness for that! If I had to pinpoint exactly why I don't like it - it has a plot, but it seems all over the place. There doesn't seem to be any meat in the book, and the author just rambles on about random things and then goes back to the plot. There is very little character development, so they may as well be cardboard figures. I have less than 50 pages to go, and the ending (according to another review I read) is good, so I will get to the end. This Canadian author will NOT go on my "to read" list. The book is called Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby. 

And now about the other story. I primarily work alone in the house and don't need anything to entertain me. I don't need music when I walk; I don't need white noise in the house. I'm pretty good at entertaining myself with my thoughts. I also love the solitude! There was a story on the Editorial page of The Globe and Mail yesterday entitled: "Just (don't) do it: The power of being bored." 

Here's a quote: "But these things never really "cure" boredom. Too often, they merely fill empty hours with the empty calories of dopamine-igniting distractions." And it goes on to say that we NEED to be bored. I couldn't agree more. We seem consumed with filling our time with entertainment. Do we need to read 1000 books a year, be entertained 100% of the time, attempt to do everything, and then wonder why our society is so stressed? Why are young people (and older people as well) suffering from more mental health issues? 

Have we ever thought that maybe our brains are overstimulated? Our brains never have a chance to shut down and do nothing. In essence - be bored! The author also mentions that fear of boredom may also be building loneliness. They refer to how social media is taking over our lives; without interaction, we are lonely. 

I may be alone frequently, but I will NEVER be lonely. I have too much going on in my brain that I don't have time to be lonely. So the next time you don't know what to do with yourself, why not sit down and look out the window. Watch the traffic, birds, and people, AND be BORED. You will be uncomfortable and want it to end, but this is quiet time. Your brain needs that! Encourage your kids and grandchildren to get bored! It's good for them!

That's why I love my gazebo in the summer. I could sit out without devices or books and just listen and watch. And then I'd nap! We need more daydreaming! 

But napping in the gazebo is not allowed today. We have been experiencing a cold snap for two days, and it's pretty chilly outside. 

As you saw yesterday, the cutting table for Spice Market was a huge mess. There are many little blocks to make, and I am cutting as I need the pieces. 

I also laid all the blocks on the design wall. 

The blocks so far for Spice Market

Then I cut the first pieces and went to sew. OH - something is missing here. 

What's missing?

There was no foot pedal, although I usually embroider with the foot pedal attached in case I need it. Alas, I had not done that. So, I went to find the foot pedal. Because I am trying to put things back where they belonged, the foot pedal was sitting right where it was supposed to be. 

I cut and sewed, cut and sewed (and pressed) throughout the afternoon. Wait—I got some critical paperwork out of the house in the morning. That needed to be a priority, but I have more to do today. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for that, but as soon as I finish something, more is due. 

Cutting the pieces

At the end of the day, I put up the blocks that I had completed, the three columns on the left. While it doesn't seem like a lot to accomplish in a day, I only sewed for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I'm happy with my progress, and I have 30 more small blocks like those on the extreme left to finish, and I really want to finish them today. 

My blocks for Spice Market

I'm still behind, but I've made good progress, and that's all I care about! It's definitely a puzzle quilt. I'm not worried about where those blocks will fit into the final quilt colorwise—if the colors go together, the blocks will go together. I'm using the colors equally, so they will be spread throughout the quilt equally. 

I also entered my FitBit data into the tracker—that's good! Now, I realize I'm slightly ahead of schedule on my walk around the US. 

Progress on my walk around the US

So that is good news. Now I need to enter the date regularly, and everything will be good. 

I have two Zooms this morning, one where I'm an observer and one where I'm the facilitator. I have a few more pictures to load into the presentation, and everything will be good. I also hope to get a quilt quilted today, so it will be busy. But do I need any mental stimulation to do that? I don't, but I want to finish this audiobook, and it'll be the first one I've listened to in a LONG time, so I'm allowed a little bit of leeway! 

Another aspect of boredom that we are losing is patience. If you are willing to be bored, you have learned the art of patience. If you need constant entertainment, your patience level is reduced. You want everything, and you want it now. There is something to be said for being bored. 

So, I'm trying to incorporate those squats into my daily routine. I know - instead of being bored while I wait for my lunch to heat up, I'm doing squats in the kitchen! Poor Murphy - she does NOT like when I try to do anything like that. She's moaning and groaning and trying to get in the way. I don't know what it is about her. But I can easily manage the squats in groups of ten without the aid of the counter. The first couple, my knees were crunchy, but as I continued, they loosened up and I was golden! 

Plus, it's increasing my mobility on the stairs (always being cautious), but that is fantastic news. I refuse to get old before my time! 

You now have two jobs: doing squats (or standing up/sitting down) or tidying your house. Responsible adults need to be aware of these responsibilities. 

And here's a quote that says it all. 

I forgot to continue posting the 50 Ways to Keep a Quilter Happy While on Vacation series. So here's another link. These are numbers 41, 40, 39, and 38. 

Well, I'm off to freeze my buns (but I might wear my wind pants), and then I've got a chock-a-block day. But don't worry - I have loads of downtime between what needs to be done! Boredom? Bring it on!!!!! And I let myself be bored! I don't find fillers like games or social media!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Spice Market

Oh my! I haven't responded to the comments lately, but I hope to have a wee bit of downtime as I travel from city to city in the next couple of days, so I will attempt to make that happen. But oh boy -- the books! Yep -- if you introduce your children to books, you never know what they will dream up!

For those who signed up for the Spice Market class, YES—there is still room if you haven't signed up yet. My goal this morning is to make the distribution list and then send out a quick email, but I don't know if that will happen as I have to leave the house at 6 AM. So, I will cheat and do some of the work here. 

First, if you know nothing about the Spice Market class and want to know more, check out this link, and you'll get all the details on how to sign up. The dates and where to buy the pattern are in that blog post. A link in that blog post sends you to a webpage to purchase the pattern. Hyggeligt.ca is the cheapest place I've seen to buy the pattern, and they have free shipping. If the link doesn't work, then call the store. I just tested the link in the blog post, and it still works, and the patterns are in stock. Remember -- this is the BEST price I've seen and FREE SHIPPING - you cannot beat that deal!!!

I have to laugh because some people seem adverse to making phone calls. I got notes from some people that they couldn't find the pattern (I POSTED THE LINK in the original blog post) or that it was out of stock. CALL the store (Chantal) to find out the situation. I asked her if she could help, and she agreed and advertised the class on her site. But as long as you have the pattern, that's OK. 

The class starts at the end of October (October 26th), so there is still lots of time to get organized. We will discuss color options in that first class, and while you'll have homework, it will be manageable in case you need to get your fabric. 

OK -- so if you want to sign up and still need to, that's how you do it. 

Now, for those who have signed up and are anxious to pay to reserve a spot, there are 100 spots in my Zoom class. There are NOT 100 people in the class, so if you are worried about saving a place, everyone who has emailed me is in the class. And there is plenty of room for more people to sign up. Feel free to share that original post with anyone you think might be interested. 

Some people have already paid (I have NOT asked for payment, so you are NOT behind). To pay, you would simply send me the class fee ($30) by e-mail. Again, those instructions were in the original email I linked above. My email address is elainetheriault@gmail.com.   

To recap, if you sent me an email for Spice Market, you are in the class and will have received an email acknowledging your email (hopefully, that set-up is still working). Instructions on how to pay and buy the pattern are also in my original blog post. The only thing missing was my email address, which you now have. 

If I don't finish the distribution list today (which is not looking good), it will be the first thing I do next week when I'm back. That will still be almost four weeks before the class—everything is good!!! 

Can you believe it? We had Monday sewing, and we usually finish at 2:00 PM because I go for my walk. I didn't walk in the afternoon, but I had cranked out 30 km in spin class. I put on a few km in the house as I powered around packing suitcases later in the day! 

I hope to get back on track for walking, but I'm doing OK. I can see where someone with a "real" day job can fall off track. There's just not enough time in the day. 

And the Monday call went on until 3:30!!! That's unheard of! But I had some sewing to do, and I might as well continue sewing with the others rather than sewing by myself. However, sometimes, when I'm by myself, I'm much more productive!!! OK—make that ALL times! 

I had a small sample to finish, which I did, and you'll see it in a bit. Then, I had some projects to get the binding on. Last week at the dealer meeting, we discussed the condition of samples shown in a store during an event. Should they be completely finished or not? Should they be perfect? And how many samples does one person need? 

It was an interesting discussion - too many do not make up for the lack of quality. Not finished or too perfect is NOT a good thing. However, having some of them as works in progress is good so people can see the inside, but most should be finished. And the biggest downfall of credibility is quality. If the quality isn't high, the educator will lose a lot of credibility. I couldn't agree more. I've been to some events, and the quality of the samples was horrific. I don't care what they are selling, but I've tuned out if they can't produce some good samples!

So -- here is one of the samples I finished yesterday. It's a trivet that was sewn in the hoop with machine embroidery! It was trimmed, and it needed the binding. I quickly made the binding and was ready to sew it on when I remembered I needed BIAS binding for this one. Thankfully, I still had enough fabric, so bias strips were cut, and it got stitched on. It's super cute!!!! I have another that is NOT finished, but it's an excellent example of what it looks like when it comes out of the embroidery hoop! So finished is NOT always good, but there has to be a reason for it to not be finished. I LOVE this!!! 

Project in the hoop

Then I put binding on some placemats and made a demo using the 5/8" Quilt Binder, which I wasn't so comfortable with. However, after yesterday and the two tricks I was shown, it worked pretty slick. Now, I need to use it more to finesse my technique! Even my corners were pretty darn good. I'll share those another day. 

After the Monday Sewing call, I grabbed my suitcases and laid them in the hall to start filling them. I was worried that there wasn't room, but everything fit! I've likely missed a bunch of stuff, but I have enough to keep the groups entertained, so I'm not worried. 

Filling the suitcases

Then I was off to find my presentations, and I found everything I needed, but I have to admit that they are in a bit of disarray. I need to get those organized and delete the duplicates—which will be a challenge!!! 

All is ready - laundry was done, and clothes were packed. That happened last night, which is rare - I usually do that in the morning. I'm checked into business class, and with my status, I don't need to pay for the luggage (three suitcases) or worry about going over 50 pounds. I didn't even bother to check the weight. I will make that same status again for next year, and well --- it's kind of nice. I'll enjoy it while I can. 

Shoot—as I was moving files around, I found a picture I wanted to share, but I can't find where I saved it. I must have been tired. I also need to start going through my USBs and eliminating duplication. I am not looking forward to that task, but it must be done! 

Look at my little Princess. She was so skittish that she would NOT even walk into the office. I think she was trying to tell me that she doesn't like clutter! This closed room felt too confined to her, so she would never venture past the door. The same goes for DH's office. She would never go in. Then, she would gradually come a bit further. Now, she has no issues with coming in away from the door. But -- she will NOT go into the bathroom. That's a bit much and too tiny for her! Murphy? Total opposite! She would go anywhere!

MOM -- I need to be close to you! 

And yet Lexi likes her kennel as her safe space - until Murphy gets too boisterous and tries to push her head in! But Lexi is happy to sleep here - it's what she knew from the day she arrived. 

MOM -- I'm sleeping! 

Meanwhile, Murphy has to be on display so people can see her, and she can see them! 

MOM -- are we going somewhere? 

We went for a walk in the morning, but they are NOT going to get one today, and they don't know that yet, although they saw the suitcases in the hall! Poor things—everything will be somewhat back to normal in less than two weeks! Yeah, there are still two major trips in that crazy marathon of a schedule. Then, at least I'm home, so I can accomplish more. 

I still have writing to do and had zero time, so things are a bit behind, but I've got everything prepared and should be able to get back to that quickly. I need to move on!

At one point last night, when I was getting the corners on my project using the Quilt Binder, look who dropped in! She got aggressive with the foot licking—so much so that I couldn't concentrate!! I had to stop her for a bit. Then she laid her head on my foot pedal, and the machine was sewing all by itself!! Sigh.

MOM -- your feet are so tasty!!

Well, that's the crazy way things are at my house. I'll be in a different time zone for a week, so the blog might be late. I'll see what I can do to keep things on track!!! I need it for my sanity! I think I would explode if I didn't write!

 And WAIT ---- remember to keep decluttering. I get pictures from people cleaning out stuff they had from their jobs and even high school papers. Yep, we seem to be very good at keeping it all and not getting rid of it. So good luck with the decluttering—it's a lifelong thing! 

Have a super day!!!! Keep smiling!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Keep your strength!

OMG -- did you see the exercise Elle recommended for strengthening the legs? Squats! I hate squats. Well, I hate them because my legs are so weak. But she's right! In the short time that I've become more aware of my situation and doing something about it, I feel much stronger. Not using hands to get out of a chair or using hands to sit down. Let the legs do the work - they are quite capable! People -- we do not want to walk with canes or walkers or, god forbid, we'll need someone to help us get out of bed. That will come later, but we're too young for that! 

Just say NO!! You alone have the power to stop this from happening to you! Move that ironing board into another room. Having it beside you is convenient, but think of muscle atrophy! So get up and walk around. I'm willing to bet that many of the knee issues we're experiencing (I've included myself in that group) are self-inflicted! 

I'm happy to report that despite the "torture" that Brooke put me through yesterday, my quads and core feel just fine today. So that means I still have a good base from years ago, but it's starting to weaken, and I must NOT let that happen. 

There are too many exciting adventures in the world to participate in, and there's the fact that I do NOT want to walk with a cane until necessary. 

Now -- I totally get that people have arthritis (it's likely going to happen to me), but if I can keep those muscles stronger to take more pressure off the joints, then I'll do that! And I MUST keep my hydration level up! 

In the afternoon, I finished my last presentation for February. While I had planned to continue working, I did not. Instead, I shut the embroidery machines down and read a book. I just needed to escape Studio B, which is in quite the disarray. I'll get down there later today and start tidying up, but I also need to finish some work. 

There's one piece of URGENT paperwork that has to go out the door today. I had a lengthy work-related Zoom, which killed the morning. 

I fired up both embroidery machines, which helped the work go faster, but I didn't quite accomplish all I wanted. 

Machine number one

Machine number two

This was the state of affairs once I was done yesterday. When I finish a Zoom, I turn everything off and walk away. Most of the time, I leave all the samples on the floor. Too tired to pick them up and put them on the table. 

Goodbye, Zoom area for the day!

Murphy has been pretty good about leaving me alone when I'm on Zoom. But yesterday, as I was waiting to get on the work-related call, she was bugging me. "Mom, I need to be petted, and I need it NOW!" I had my back turned to the camera as I looked for something while waiting to be let in. Oops - I scolded her, and I was in the meeting! 

Then, in the afternoon, when I was in the middle of the Zoom presentation, she insisted on being there! "Mom, I need to talk to you RIGHT NOW!" When I ignored her, which was hard since she is big and very insistent, she just lay down on my samples. Sigh...................

MOM - I NEED YOU!!!!

We usually go out on Friday night, but I wanted to finish my book. So I told DH to give me 15 minutes. Well, I'm not that fast of a reader, so it took longer than 15 minutes. We ended up ordering in! 

I was so excited about my day off that I had trouble sleeping. I did not have so much trouble sleeping, but I woke up several times. Luckily, I was able to drift right off again. But I've been up, looked at Studio B already, and wondered where I should start. 

Can you believe this is the first day since January 25 that I haven't been at a retreat (in front of people) or on Zoom? And I get ONE-day reprieve before it all starts for another month. But I enjoy it, so I'm not complaining. It's just hard to stay caught up on other things!

So, what did I pick to work on today? I need to get my Spcie Market quilt up-to-date. I'm so far behind. I've got bits and pieces of the blocks sewn together, the fabrics are a mess, and I need to make some semblance of order with this one. 

These are all the "finished" or partially finished bits. 

Parts of blocks for Spice Market

And this is my cutting for the next group to be sewn. 

Cutting bits for the Spice Market quilt

After I finish my writing this morning, I'll head down and try to clean up this as much as possible. I will also have some free time tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully, between the two days, I can make a huge push to get it up to date. 

We all laughed on yesterday's call, as the shop owner does custom embroidery for people. Can you believe what type of garment she was given to embroider? Yep—a pair of leopard-print thong underwear! Now that's a challenge! Good luck, Barb—I know you'll do a good job! 

If you're a Louise Penny fan, you will have received your newsletter in your inbox this morning. Her assistant has compiled some of the advice people sent her in January. My piece of advice was included in the book! However, they added in an extra word, but it still makes sense. If you want to read the book of advice, here's the link. There are some great pieces of advice in there. 

Can you believe it's been 20 years since she released her first book - Still Life. She was unknown; no one cared when she promoted her book at local bookstores. Now, she needs a huge convention center to release a book! She deserves it - she's a Canadian treasure! I got the opportunity to see her in 2013. A lovely lady, so gracious, so kind and thoughtful. If all the world were like her! 

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that it's M's birthday today. Oh my -- she's 29. I swear she plans to be on vacation for her birthday. And where's Little Bear? At the dog sitters! At least he's not with his other grandma! But if we were closer - he could be with us! Happy Birthday, M - we love you and send you best wishes for the day!! Feliz cumpleaños

And on that note, I'm out of here! I've got loads to do today and no one to answer to! I can't wait to get the day started!!!

Have a super day! --- Stand up and sit down (no hands—keep your back somewhat straight—imagine you are being pulled up by your head like a puppet). Don't forget the squats!!!!! You can't go deep -- don't worry - do what you can. Every little bit will help. 

Ciao!!!

Time to tackle the UFOs

So, if you signed up for Dear Jen (as of 8 AM yesterday morning), the Saturday Sampler (BOTH at Thimbles and Things), or Crossing the Finish Line (Hobby Horse), you should have received a confirmation email from me with all the details. 

If you signed up yesterday for either of the two classes at Thimbles and Things, I need to retrieve your information from the website and add you to the distribution list. So be patient. 

If you are in Spice Market, the email goes out today. The admin side of classes is not my strong point! But no worries—there is ZERO or extremely minimal prep for the class, so don't panic. 

We will have loads of fun in those classes, and here is one of my mottos. Actually, there are two of them. 

Ingrain this in your memory!

And here's the second. 

We can, but we won't need to!

Although --- we're going to make all the projects easy enough that the second motto shouldn't have to happen! YES - even Dear Jen!

I got very lucky yesterday. I made it to the thrift store late in the day, and guess what? I found EXACTLY what I was looking for, and it was senior's day! So, everyone in my binding class knows what I'm talking about! It's currently in the washing machine! And for $16, including tax, I have the PERFECT thing (quilted bedspread) for the base of all the binding techniques. I can't even make my own quilted samples for that price. 

I'll contact you today if you sent me an email about not getting into the binding class. So, if you want to be on the wait list for Crossing the Finishing Line, email me (elainetheriault@gmail.com). I will rerun that class, but I will wait until there is enough interest and figure out a time. It will NOT happen this year.  

Phew—once I send this last email regarding Spice Market, I can move on to the homework I've already planned. Four presentations are in various stages of completion, and they'll all be done before the weekend. 

We should all try something new from time to time. So I decided to buy a new kind of soup for lunch. I'm a big Habitant soup lover, but let's go for a different type. 

My "new" soup

So I had this soup last week. Would I buy it again? Would I buy it to replace the Habitant? The answer is NO. Why not? First off - it's DOUBLE the price. Yep -- double, and it wasn't all that great tasting, and I thought it was too watery. Yes - I know it's organic, hence the extra price, but it could at least have been thick and creamy. I'll try another brand another day - they were low on soup the day I bought this. 

But here's the thing - at least I tried! 

Claire and I tried many experiments yesterday, and we killed one of my embroidery machines. It has a wee hiccup, which hopefully can be diagnosed quickly and can return to duty soon. That entailed an "emergency" trip to a dealer (35 minutes away) to hopefully get them to look at it quickly. Fingers crossed. 

As Claire and I discussed what we would do, I remembered having oodles of towels that I bought years ago. I bought them 10 years ago when M was still at home and intended to embroider them. Well, look at those horrible big bands—those are NOT in the right place to welcome embroidery. So we messed with all four of the facecloths and the eight orange towels? I guess I could put them out and use them now! 

My little stash of orange towels

Instead, I went to the Bay and bought NEW hand towels. They were on sale - 40% off and I might return today and buy a few more. The "white" towels in the bathroom are no longer white and are VERY OLD. It's time we had new towels in the bathroom. 

But the price tag was stitched into the hem of the towel!! It was serged into the edge of the orange towels. 

Price tag stitched into the hem

I won't share with you what we did. I'm saving that for my machine embroidery class. 

Remember the homework I gave you yesterday? To dig out a UFO and evaluate it? And then, you need to organize it so that if you decide to give it away or sell it, someone could make it without too much difficulty?

In the tubs I received last week, there were five partially completed projects. I intend to finish all five of them, quilt them, and then donate them. 

This is the condition of one of them. It's in PERFECT order to pass along to someone. The cut pieces are in labeled bags (personally, I'd put a sticker on the bag or a note inside rather than write on the bags - but that's me). It was easy to see where this person left off, so it shouldn't take too long to get this assembled. 

A nicely organized UFO

The other four are in similar states or simple enough that I know how to finish them. This is what you need to do with your UFOs. 

If they are in a jumble like many of mine are, this is NOT good. It's going to take someone way too long to figure it out. They'll lose interest and just toss the stuff. 

This is an example of the current UFO for this month. It was a jumble of stuff - some related to the pattern in the box and some that did not. 

A jumbled mess of a UFO

I got rid of all the excess bits and need to deal with all the embellishments, but the fabric and the partially pieced bits? They are all in bags now, so working on this project will be much more inviting. 

If you are unsure how to get started, why not attend the Virtual Retreat this weekend? It's a perfect place to grab ONE project and sort through it. Then, if you have questions, someone on the call can help you. Or grab that box and sit outside in the nice weather, although today is the last day. Well, it's still going to be nice, just cooler!

But start getting those UFO boxes organized. Do you still want to make the project or are you ready to pass it along? Be ruthless -- how much are you sewing? How long will it take? Etc. Etc. 

I'm going to spin class this morning, so no time for more. But here are the links for the Virtual Retreat. 

Saturday, October 26 -- Starts at 6 PM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, October 27 - Starts at NOON EST (it may start a bit later since there is a class just before)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

And on that happy note, I'm out of here!!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao!!!!