Green Tea and Sweet Beans is DONE!!

I am dangerous around a computer. I know enough to get around and potentially get into trouble, yet not enough to solve problems. 

My computer has gotten sluggish again, and yes, when I checked, my email had grown to 106 GB from 104 GB, and I'm down to less than 45 GB free on the C drive. How is this happening? 

On top of that, when I went to download a document the other day, it did silly things to my setup. It was not a virus, but it installed a different web browser, and I was struggling to do any searches as Google just wasn't doing what it was supposed to do. 

So last night, against my "will," I decided to tackle the issue. I deleted ALL the other web browsers off my computer. I only use one. Hopefully, the others will never reappear. I played around with a few other settings and decided to tackle the email issue. By the way, the computer is much more responsive this morning, and I now have the REAL Google web browser, and it's back to its fast self. 

What happened? I've no idea, but all is better. And, of course, Google being Google, that change that happened the other day was reflected across my devices, which I didn't want. 

It drives me crazy if I don't understand something, so I went onto Google to do some research. There is a folder in my email called IMPORTANT. It seems to contain every email I've received since the beginning of time. What exactly is this? And why do I need it? 

Granted, I have accessed emails from that folder that I needed because I deleted them or couldn't find them in my other folders. But I don't think I need that anymore, so I checked online to see what it is. It appears that Gmail will predict what messages are deemed important based on your habits. I don't think that was happening; it literally put every message in there, so the important folder is HUGE. 

What I need to do is be brave and EMPTY that folder. And that is what I'm doing. ACK!!!!!! But even if I deleted the message in my inbox, it wouldn't delete from this IMPORTANT folder. 

I tried two other things first. There's a setting in the web version of Gmail that you can turn off to prevent emails from going into that folder. That's important because it will stop the flow of emails into that folder. I checked this morning, and the few emails that came in since I switched the notification did NOT flow into the important folder. YEAH—we're on the right path. 

Then, last night, I tried some other function to get rid of duplicate emails. Well, a lot of what's in that folder was already deleted from the main inbox, so it's not duplication. 

The IMPORTANT folder

There were many more emails than 5744 in there, and I think that number only reflects the ones that were unread. I'm not sure about that. 

As it started that task, it started moving duplicate emails into the trash, but stopped at 262. That can't be right. 

Reducing redundancy

Oh that task was called "cleaning up important," and while it was important, it wasn't what needed to be done. 

Trying to clean up the emails

Seriously??? I just checked my computer storage, and nothing changed! However, I believe one other step needs to be done to remove files from the computer. I checked the Recycle Bin, and it's empty. But there's another place, and for the life of me this morning, I can't remember. And I might need to reboot my computer to make any changes. But even after deleting all those messages, the space used by my email is still 106 GB. SIGH...

OK—if you are a tech nerd like me and want to see how that darn Gordie Howe International Bridge is being put together, you should go to the videos on this page. It's absolutely fascinating. They talk about the bridge deck completion and how much care is being taken to ensure the two ends meet. Check out the video called "Closing in on Bridge Deck Construction." 

The lead engineer walks through the process, and what they are doing is amazing!!! 

We had our show and tell yesterday, so now I can show you what I completed. I'm supposed to be working on a different quilt, but that just isn't happening. But I managed to get the top of my Green Beans and Sweet Tea quilt done!! 

Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt top is DONE

I did not like the original border on the quilt as I felt it was too wimpy. 

The original

I took the motifs from the border (oval flower with a center and the leaf) and brought them into mySewnet embroidery software, which I then digitized as machine embroidery applique. 

The vine was stitched down in sewing mode. The shapes were precut! 

Then, after 32 hoopings, the quilt top was complete! It took some time, and what a learning curve—I am thrilled with the process. 

But I almost ruined the entire top last night. It was sitting on a stool beside the cutting table, and I came trotting downstairs with a HOT CHOCOLATE. Yep -- it started to slosh, and as I neared the cutting table, I realized the danger, and I managed to avoid the top - almost. 

ACK!!!!

Good grief—how did that happen? A quick trip to the sink to give it a rinse, and all is good! Phew!!!

Now, I need to make the binding and backing and move it to the "to be quilted" pile. That pile is getting a bit on the unruly side—I must start tackling it!

While I have loads of stuff to prepare, I needed some downtime, and I needed time to unpack all the stuff I had used last week and put it back. 

Cleaning up the mess from last week

I emptied bag by bag on the cutting table and slowly worked my way through to ensure all the bits for each accessory were back in the correct box. The finished samples went in one spot, and the unfinished samples went in another. Most everything is back in place! 

This is good because I need to repack those suitcases for later this week when I'm doing a guild talk (modern quilts) and a workshop (curved pieced) at the Georgian Bay Quilt Guild. 

I received this as a gift the other day. It was very thoughtful of the giver and notice it's in my favorite color! It's a notebook cover and there's a small notebook on the inside which is perfect for taking notes and making lists!!!

A notebook

I also received this as a gift. It's a multi-connection gadget for charging devices with various connectors. This is perfect and it's also what I happened to use the other day to charge my phone. The PERFECT thing to carry along with a block! I LOVE it! I think there are four different connectors on it and all in one place! 

A multi-connection device

When I was fabric shopping the other day, I spotted these needles. You'll remember that I purchased a set a while back, but one of the needles was missing. So I bought the full set. 

Darning needles

The big question of the day is what the heck did I do with the other set? I wanted to put the two of them together and I can't find it. I suspect it's with my other bodkins which are upstairs and I must check that to see that everything is in the right place because what's the sense of having homes, if you can't remember where they are? 

I have to chuckle at myself sometimes. I seem to go from one small calamity to another! Whether it's tech related or mssing items, there's always something that seems to go awry in my world. 

Well, I'm off on another adventure today. While adventures are fun, they sure eat into your sewing time!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

More organizing

With a little bit more focus and NO priority, this is what happened yesterday. 

Yep --- I was at the embroidery machine and trying to get as much of the border on Green Tea done as I could. OK -- I wanted to get all the two flower motifs completed. 

And while trying to achieve that goal, I emptied three spools of thread and three bobbins. Well, that happened throughout the last couple of days. 

Using up supplies!

I spotted this on the floor at one point on the Monday Sewing Zoom. Seriously? How many times have I passed the Swifter and missed this? The big question is, how long has it been on the floor? I haven't broken a needle in a long, long time! 

The tip of a broken needle

It's challenging to embroider on something significant like a quilt, but it can be done. The trick is NOT to let that quilt fall off the table. And because of how I have to hoop the quilt, that can be a challenge. Because of the embroidery arm size on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3, I now use it pushed back on the table - at least the embroidery unit, so it sits on an angle. That gives me more space at the front to hold the project. And there's another table behind it, so everything is good. That quilt is going to need a good press when it's done! 

Embroidering the border

So, did I accomplish my goal? Yes, I did! All three-flower and two-flower motifs are complete! 

The machine embroidery on the border is ALMOST complete!

That leaves eight of the single flower motifs to finish off that border. OH, the quilt is sideways in the photo, but for the border, that's OK. One single flower motif template is pinned in the bottom right-hand corner. I am going to try to finish the quilt top this week. It would be nice to get it out of the queue so I can move on to the next unfinished project!

I thought I might add a few random leaves between the motifs, but I don't think I'll have any leftovers. The big question will be: Do I have enough leaves? 

Then I dug my heels in and got all my stuff ready for today's in-person events. I'm at Sew Productive in Acton, where I'll chat about Husqvarna Viking Accessories. There are two sessions - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If you live in Windsor, Ontario, I'll be there on Friday (Thimble Quilts and Sewing). I'm also talking about accessories and quilting, so be sure to pop into the store and get signed up. I know --- no advanced warning! If you're on the store's distribution list, you should already know about the events. 

So here's the saga of that shelving unit I purchased a while back. It was still in the garage, as I needed DH to help me bring it into the house. 

On the weekend, we got it into the house from the garage. Remember, he has a bum shoulder, so I felt guilty, but being the "tough" man, he helped. Note Bear and Murphy, who were also trying to help. 

The shelving unit is in the house

There are now a few scratches on the wood floor steps, which is OK as the wood floors in our house desperately need to be refinished. But will I do that with the girls around? Nope—we have to wait a few more years to get them refinished. Anyway, there are a few marks on the wall (more on the bulkhead of the staircase) and scratches on the steps. The shelf is in Studio B. If the unit would have had wheels? Well, we could have taken it down sideways, not height-wise. There would have been no issues with the bulkhead or the steps. Well, it's too late now!

The shelf is in Studio B

I had the perfect spot for it, and it fit exactly!! How good was I at measuring that space visually? Of course, I didn't take a real tape measure to it—I knew it would fit! This is tucked over near the long arm. YES, there were a few things sitting in that spot, and I had to find new homes for them. 

The home of the new shelf

There are two tubs and a box of memory stuff that I've carried with me since I left the farm many years ago. I think it's time I went through those boxes and likely ditched most of what's in them. 

Memory boxes to deal with

Because the unit may be uneven and the floor slopes, I had to find something to put under one leg. Off to the garage, where I found a chunk of drywall!  There are no scraps of wood at our house—they are all gone. 

A scrap of drywall to level the shelf

So, what's going on the shelf? Well, I have accessories in larger boxes for the embroidery machines. It's time to get those in the same area. So, most of what's on this table needs to go on the shelf. 

Machine embroidery accessories

Then, this is the area where I store more machine bits. Those need to be walked over to the shelf. 

More sewing machine accessories

Let's remember the cutting mats for the digital cutters—now there are three cutters and MANY mats. Some have been stored on the floor, along with some vinyl I had purchased to cut up. 

Cutting mats stored on the floor

There were mats on the long arm and more mats in a drawer. 

Mats "stored" on the long arm

I purchased such a large shelf -- it's 24" deep, 48" wide, and about 5' high because I wanted to accommodate those big cutting mats and the embroidery arms, which need a 24" deep shelf. Currently, the mats are on the top shelf, and the accessories are filling up the next two. The bottom one is reserved for all my video equipment, but I'm going to buy a couple of plastic totes to put the stuff in, and I need it for a big event in the middle of May, so it'll all stay up until then. 

I thought of hanging the mats or the embroidery hoops along the outside edge. Does anyone hang their cutting mats for their digital cutter? It would free up that top shelf! 

Did I actually clear any space? It doesn't look like I did. I need some more tidying time to get things how I want them so I can have more room to bring out even more machines (don't ask) and to get all the cutting machines set up with room to work. I'm getting there! It's hard to find time to sew and do some tidying! 

I managed quite a bit while embroidering the motifs on Green Tea. Since I had about two minutes per motif, I worked in two-minute bursts and accomplished a fair amount!

Remember that photo of the shelf with Bear and Murphy? They are like peas in a pod. Whatever Murphy does (and I mean everything), Bear copies! They are so cute together. 

HEY -- we peed like you asked, and now we want in! 

OK, so I need to get myself organized and pack the car to leave on time! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I can FOCUS, but I can't PRIORITIZE

The title of today's post says it all! I was very productive yesterday but wasn't working on my next deadline. So why do I do that to myself? I'll work on the deadline today!

I returned to Fabricland on Saturday to get something else to work with, and I had a bit more time. I spotted the two staff members I had sort of ignored the previous day, and so while they cut for me, we had a chat—and I apologized for chatting on my phone! 

I also had time to look around, and wow, some gorgeous fabrics are out there! But I can't just buy for the sake of buying; I need to be making! 

Embroidery on cloth seems to be a big thing and HEY -- I can do that myself., although it would take a long time. It might be easier to just buy and make! 

Embroidered fabric

Embroidery on netting

But we all had a good chuckle as the staff member was cutting for someone else, and this is what they spotted when they unrolled a fabric. Good grief—what the heck happened to this? 

A manufacturing flaw? 

I've been back at work on my Green Tea and Sweet Beans for the last two days. Since I successfully completed the Heartfelt Sampler, with all the embroidery on the border, I decided I MUST complete Green Tea, which also needed machine embroidery on the borders. 

Previously, I had stitched the corner and the middle motif on each side, but I needed to add three motifs between each of those motifs. There were 32 hoopings planned, which is a lot. I had eight of the 32 complete. I made significant progress over the weekend, and only 14 remain! 

The floral motifs had to be strategically placed to hide the joins in the bias tape! 

The motifs are hiding the joins in the bias

All the supplies, including the precut shapes and thread, were together to complete the quilt. It was tucked in a corner, and it was time to clean up that spot. The leftover bits of fabric are still in their project box, and I need to tidy them up, as the box has been sitting around for a while. 

The supplies to finish Green Tea

I love working with pre-cut shapes when doing machine embroidery applique!! It saves so much time from not having to trim. But as you saw on the Heartfelt Sampler, I have some work to do to refine the process. However, these shapes worked out perfectly. 

Precut shapes for applique

And this is what the quilt is looking like. Well, this is at the end of Saturday. It looks different now, but I'll share that tomorrow. The middle motif on the top left is just the paper template. To be efficient with my time, I'm stitching all the motifs with TWO flowers. The corners and the center of each side have a three-flower motif. Then each side of that has a two flower motif and the middle of each half section has a one flower motif. 

The machine embroidery applique borders on Green Tea

While I was stitching away on that, I was busy sewing on the other machine to complete the Heartfelt Sampler. 

Sewing and embroidery 

While sewing the top together, I also managed to sew some enders and leaders, so that was good. They are pressed, and I hope to trim them during Monday's sewing. 

Enders and leaders 

I've been tidying up Studio B a bit, as I need to get things back under control. That's a whole other thing for tomorrow. The binding is cut for the Heartfelt Sampler, and the backing fabric is chosen, so I hope to complete those things today as well. Then, the Heartfelt Sampler can come off the design wall, which it has controlled for several months now. It's time for the next project to get up there!

It's sad to say, but Little Bear will be going home soon. He and Murphy are inseparable! They will miss each other very much, and I laugh when I see them together. They seem to do everything together! I will miss him terribly, but he's also very high-maintenance and requires a lot of time in the day, so I'll be glad to get that time back! 

Murphy and her sidekick, Bear

If you're looking for something to do, I spotted this event near me in May. It reminds me of the old days when there was this massive quilt show with many events in that same area, which shut down years ago. It's called WEFT FEST 2024. 

Weft Fest 2024

On that note, I'm out of here! I'm off to spin class, then Monday Sewing, and then I should be working on my next deadline, but I might sneak in a bit of embroidery to try and finish Green Tea this week, which will be a challenge since I have events this week. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Forwards and backwards!

Anne has a good eye! She not only knew what the quilt was that I was working on, but she sent me a picture. I'm not sure if that was her quilt. Great job, Anne -- you know your quilts!!!

Another productive day! It's amazing what you can get done when you can focus on the quilting and have good conversations and good working conditions! So, what does the quilt I worked on look like? I finished the quilt top last night. 

My bicycle quilt

I have no recollection of cutting this quilt, which is called Mod Geo Cruiser. I must have cut the white bike based on my white townie bike. 

I know it's been a while, and I intended to make this quilt - well, don't we always? And the best news is that all the pieces were cut correctly. I only had to trim the four border pieces to the correct length. And this is all I had left over. I'm still trying to figure out why there are leftovers, but it's better to have leftovers than be short! If I'm desperate for one month, I could use this for a UFO!! Kidding!! Unless it's to quilt it. 

The leftover pieces

So I'll have to find some backing and binding when I'm home. But I've done all that I can do here. 

I sure wish I could say the same thing for my 365-day quilt. I did NOT have such a good day yesterday. The first block I went to work on, I miscut the first piece I sewed. Now, in the scheme of things, I doubt that anyone would see, but I was also missing two pieces for the outside of the block. It is a challenge to cut all these pieces because of the quality of the paper pattern. 

For the second block I worked on, a Snail's Trail, I cut ONE piece of each of the two fabrics for the very center of the block, and I needed two, so that goes in the pile of things to correct when I get home. 

"Failed" blocks

Then it was onto the third block, and even after very carefully laying it out, I made a mistake (and cut it), so it was too late to go back. I was making flying geese, and I could have switched some of the fabrics around, but that would look silly. So, after some thought, I decided to just go ahead and have that one rogue piece. Who will EVER spot that in the whole scheme of things? We are NOT talking high contrast on these blocks. So, I'm almost finished with that block. 

That leaves seven blocks to finish, and I'm running out of time! But I'm getting into the habit of these tiny little blocks, and I must continue on when I'm home. 

I also gained a big piece of green fabric, leftover from the bicycle quilt's bottom border! Next time I cut blocks and sew remotely, I might just throw in the shoebox of green scraps so I don't run into this issue again. 

A green scrap

OH -- here's one of the blocks from the previous day. It's now trimmed and ready to sew into the quilt! Yep -- the corners are a little shy of fabric. That's a lot of seams in that 3 1/2" block, but there's enough seam allowance to make it work. 

365-day block

Still keeping up the walking despite the mud! Let's just say that our shoes are covered with mud! But these are my old shoes, so they will soon go in the garbage, so I'm not worried, and once the mud dries - it's easy to bang it off! 

A wee bit of mud

I could recharge my headphones thanks to Helen Anne, so I listened to Harry Potter this morning. This is book five (Goblet of Fire), and even though I read the book several years ago, I don't remember anything! But I will continue this time and work through the final two books I have never read. GASP!!! I've got 4 1/2 hours left on the audiobook, so I hope to finish by the time I get home on Sunday afternoon. 

I didn't take a picture of my next quilt, but it's on the design wall. It's a playmat for kids, and the center is made of three panels. Those are sewn together, and the border (the new fabric I bought two days ago) is on. Now, I'm dealing with the final border, which is wide and mitered! And I will have to piece the heck out of it as I'm working with leftovers from a similar quilt I made years ago! 

Regarding the number of projects I've brought to this retreat, I think this is the BEST I've ever done! There are still six projects in the bin, so I will not get them all done, but I'm thrilled with my progress, and I should be able to get at least two more done. Yeah!!!! 

Here's another QUILTsocial post for you to explore. I had so much fun with all I did this week on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3. 

OK -- here's the link for Day Four

And here's the link for Day Five. I am SUPER EXCITED about what I did with the machine embroidery, so be sure to check it out. If you have worked on the Green Tea quilt, check it out to see what I'm doing with my borders. 

That's it for me -- I need to get those mitered borders on!

Have a great day!1!

Ciao!!!!

How many quilt tops are in your "to be quilted" pile?

By Jove -- I think we may have an answer to the comment situation for the blog. I'll go back and read the comments in greater depth. Thanks to everyone who commented, and I received some e-mails - I still need to look at those. 

We had Monday sewing, and I got stuff done, but not much. I'm not very productive on those Zoom calls. I can sew, or I can chat! I can't seem to do both. Part of the reason is I need to get my earbuds back working. Otherwise, no one can hear me if I don't speak directly into the computer mic. So I'm tied to the computer, which I hate. 

I had a lot of prep work that needed to be done before I can continue writing, and I accomplished a lot yesterday, so I was happy. And when it comes to software, I can make it do what I want, but can I explain that to someone else? I'm not there yet. So back to the drawing board to try and find the most efficient way so I, in turn, can explain it to someone else. 

But I'm getting there. Slow and steady and try to understand the logic -- it's all about the logic!

I have another trip to Diane's house to get the last quilt top for community projects. We have decided to STOP producing quilt tops until I can get some quilted! And let's face it: Diane has been a miracle worker, and it's time for her to take a well-deserved break. I can't thank Diane enough for all her work; since the pandemic started, she's made hundreds of quilt tops. I didn't count. I don't know if she did, but my guess is well over 300! That's insane. 

The latest batch of quilt tops. 

Community project quilt tops

And now this is what faces me. Those boxes, the laundry basket, and the plastic tote are filled with quilt tops. Some backing as well, and almost every quilt has the binding made. 

Quilt tops to be quilted

That would be huge, but that's not all. Nope! There's another stack in the storage room as well. And yes -- the bottom two totes are filled with quilt tops. 

More quilt tops to be quilted

The shocking thing is that I did NOT buy any fabrics for those tops. Some came from my stash, some were donated to me, but it was EXCESS fabric around the house. How obscene is that? 

Now wait -- before you think I need help to quilt them -- wait until the end of my blog to see what will happen to them. 

I need to get this writing assignment off my plate to return to the long arm. I have a couple of customer quilts that need to be done, and then I hope to start scheduling these quilts. A few at a time -- I'll do what I can. Making these quilt tops is way better than having boxes and boxes of fabric! It's all about how you look at it. I also have batting and fabric for the backings, and it's just a matter of time. I hope to practice some computer techniques when quilting some of these quilts. I'll see how that goes. But it's not for today. 

And we won't go to how many of my personal quilt tops are waiting to be quilted. 

The other thing I've been working on is finishing some UFOs. There's my last Jen Kingwell quilt that I want to finish. The center is done, and I have the border to do. I want to do the border, but I hate the border on the original. 

This is the original Green Beans and Sweet Tea by Jen Kingwell.

Jen Kingwell's version of Green Beans and Sweet Tea

I don't feel that the border has enough oomph to it. That's OK -- we each have our choices, and I want to make it different. I've struggled with this darn thing, and I had made all the vine and had some of it glued in place and some stitched in place. I HATED how it looked. I sort of free-formed the vine, and it looked awful. 

Good grief -- mine was worse than the original! 

My first attempt at the borders - ICK!

So all the vine came off. I have a plan, and I sewed the borders to the quilt. GASP --- to do applique? Am I crazy? Nope - I have a plan. I pressed all the bias stripes back into shape, and they were ready to go. 

The bias stripes are ready

Then I got a long piece of paper. Well, I had to make a long piece of paper. Where did I get the paper? I just happened to have some packing paper on the table in the office. I knew I was "saving" it for something. The rest of it needs to be flattened and stored away. I haven't got there yet. 

Making a template for the border

Then, while listening to an audiobook and using templates from the long arm, I was able to get a shape for the vine that I could live with. 

I cut the paper template and got things laid out and ready to go. I LOVE having this empty work table to lay stuff like this out. It wouldn't have fit on my cutting table, but the layout of this group of three work tables makes the table surface longer. 

Laying out the border and the template

Then, I got the glue and started pinning and gluing. It was a glorious day, and I was loving what was happening. 

The vine is glued in place using the template

I wasn't sure if I had cut enough bias strips as I had never put the entire vine down. I was left with this! 

The leftover bias strips

And there is the quilt with the vine attached.

This looks MUCH better

WAIT -- there is one more part that I'm NOT happy with. So I fixed it yesterday and have even less bias stripe left over. 

But you'll have to wait to see any more of it. It's a secret, and I'm pretty excited about it. I am hoping to have it finished by this weekend? Let's see how that goes!

There'll be no heavy mental thinking today. Just light fluff and quilts! 

I love puttering without deadlines (mostly), and well, it's glorious. If this is what retirement is all about -- I'm in! But I enjoy what I do, so I'm not ready to throw the towel in completely, but backing off has been wonderful. I have ZERO intentions of filling that with anything. Many people say they will volunteer for some organization when they retire. My volunteer work will be quilting all those quilts that Diane made! Once that is done -- I think I'll have done my duty! 

I've been on my share of committees and learned that I don't play in the sandbox well with others. They think I'm way too opinionated (and they are right!), and they don't want to change (and I do), so it's best to find ways to volunteer that don't require working with others! I figure it'll take a couple of years to get rid of that backlog, and more quilt tops in my personal stash can also be donated. I can't wait for retirement!! And there's ZERO urgency for quilt tops to be quilted. 

DH was away last week, so on Sunday evening, we sat down and did THREE more puzzles in the current EXIT game. Oh boy --- we needed BOTH our brains for them. Where my logic failed, his kicked in. We are halfway on this one, but he's away mostly this week and me next, so it might be a while before we finish. But super loads of fun! We have yet to look at the clues ONCE!!!

Anyway -- it's time to get moving! A lot of work needs to be accomplished today, and I have to stop at the pet food store because a certain little guy has food for today but not tomorrow!

Have a super day!!!

Caio!!!