Even tiny progress is progress

 It was a crazy day, and there are two more Zoom presentations today. But after today -- I have ZERO presentations until January 6. I can hardly wait for two weeks of downtime! And next year, the classes have been slashed in half! So, there will be less prep and less follow-up! 

Zoom has been a great way to stay connected to people during the pandemic, but I definitely see a fall in attendance. And it doesn't help that we are one week from Christmas! 

I have already sent half the follow-ups from yesterday and two more to do later today. The presentations are done for this morning. Phew!!

After the presentations, I had fun puttering in Studio B yesterday, and I actually got stuff done for me! That is so refreshing. I'll talk more about UFOs another day, and my puttering will end tonight as I'm off for a few days. But I'll still be in touch on the blog -- hey -- when have I not? 

One of the groups that will continue to run next year is Many Blocks. For those of us crazy enough to take on one of those crazy projects like Dear Jane, 365-Day quilt challenge, Town and Country, and so on, these are challenging quilts with MANY blocks, hence the name!

I have quite a few blocks cut and ready to sew, but I had more urgent stuff to sew, so I only got two blocks done this month. 

Two blocks for the 365-day quilt

I'm OK with that and hope to finish sewing the remainder of the March blocks this month. The number of pieces in each block will blow your mind, and in the top block, the half-square triangles were trimmed to 1". YES -- trimmed to 1"!!! But if I can finish those March blocks, I'll be a quarter of the way, and that's an incentive for me to keep going. With fewer projects on my plate for 2024, I can actually get some sewing done!

At the end of the day, I had a few minutes, so I trimmed up the half-square triangles that had accumulated. There are still many of the Barn Star Sampler triangles to stitch together, but I think I'll put those aside and start working on the 365-day blocks as my enders and leaders. 

Half-square triangles trimmed

It was a late night, but I finished a customer quilt. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I have one more that I'd like to get finished today. I still have a few to finish before the end of the year, and once I'm back later this week, I'll be at the long arm every day to try to get the pile done. It would be nice to start the new year with a clean slate. I'm almost there!

No time for decluttering yesterday as I had to finish my UFO homework. You'll get to see that tomorrow. How nice to work and NOT be doing it minutes before the presentation! Can I finally be moving in the right direction? I think so, and I must be VERY DILIGENT about not loading the plate up. If I do, I cannot do justice to the things I want to spend time on. 

I even pinned a project to my design wall for inspiration that I want to work on as part of another group running next year. I can't wait, as I haven't been able to participate in Out of the Box all year because of time restraints. I still have to tell them the subject for January, but if you're interested in joining that group, we have loads of fun and had a STRONG participation yesterday, even this close to Christmas and changing the date. The members are super creative!!! 

Think about the Quilt Retreat I mentioned in January in Shelbourne. There is still ONE spot open, and you can come for a few days or the entire week. Let me know if you are interested. 

I also have a Journal Making Retreat scheduled for January 9 - 11 in New Hamburg. If you are interested, let me know. You do NOT need any supplies; you will get a kit, and two dinners are included. Here's what we'll make, and these are absolutely STUNNING!!

A journal cover (yours will look different)

Some of the pages

I am NOT teaching this, but I will be attending to make my journal! It promises to be loads of fun!!! 

I will finish my Virtual Challenge of walking 4,400 KM for 2023 TODAY. There are 4.6 KM left, and I'll have that quickly done by the time I finish walking the dogs. Yeah!!! 

I was chatting to someone yesterday about decluttering. Many people are cleaning out parents' homes and are saddled with this huge job. Do NOT do this to your children. I hope you respect them more than that! 

And that's a wrap for today. Loads to do - as usual. But calm and relaxed is my new motto!! And I'm thrilled that we have chosen to opt out of anything Christmas. Not that I don't believe in Christmas, but I don't believe in the stress that occurs because we are trying to do too much to make everyone happy! 

To recap --- there are TWO retreats with spots.

• A journal-making retreat - Jan 9 - 11 in New Hamburg
• A quilt retreat (work on whatever you want) - January 29 - February 4 (stay a couple of nights or all six)
• Out of the Box - Zoom Club (Sunday Morning) - You get a monthly word prompt to create something.SMALL and UNFINISHED is great, and you can continue to work on your project the following month if you wish.
• Many blocks -- Zoom club (Sunday morning) where you get the motivation to finish these giant projects we took on and are currently sitting there as a UFO. 

Let me know if you're interested in any of the above, and I'll pass along the appropriate details. elainetheriault@gmail.com

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Going down memory lane

I caved and looked at the third clue for the 10th puzzle in the Advent Calendar. Even after getting a hint from someone also doing it, my brain just wouldn't go down that route. Even though we had a similar type of clue earlier, well, it just wasn't happening! I get it, and it makes perfect sense. At least we figured out the first part of the clue, so we're not complete idiots! 

The puzzle that almost brought me down

Guess what I got? DH bought me a treat, not that these are anywhere near as exciting as those I had in Spain, but a good memory. 

Napolitana au chocolat

Someone mentioned that you can buy Pillsbury ones now. I checked at the grocery store yesterday and did NOT see them. Just croissants and cinnamon buns. I just Googled it. I think you are to use regular croissants and add chocolate! I'll wait for Spain. But thanks for the tip!!!

I got busy cutting yesterday as I have a lot of sewing, and only a little was cut. So now I have a few blocks for my Many Blocks project to sew this week, and there are some blocks for the Heartfelt Sampler quilt. 

Blocks cut and ready to sew

Then I cut some pieces for my UFO, also due this weekend. A lot is happening this weekend. 

My UFO homework

I chuckled as I dug for one more fabric for this project. Look at the price tag. That is for a half meter of fabric, but does anyone local to me recognize that tag? That was from Quilter's Fancy (Carol and Bob). Remember them? One day, they disappeared off the face of the quilt world, and I never heard about them again. I used to buy a LOT from them -- books, fabric, and much more. 

The price tag for a half-meter

That piece was bought probably 20 years ago - it's a batik, and the price was for a half meter, so fabrics were expensive even years ago.  

I didn't open another door on the Advent Calendar as DH wasn't home last night, and I was still "reeling" from the previous puzzle - I'm over it now! Instead, I popped out a jigsaw puzzle because I could at least do that. 

But it was a weird one. I usually start with the border, and I'm not checking the photos - just winging it. 

Working on the Advent jigsaw puzzle

I ended up working all over the place. 

In p rogress

But it's done and super cute!!!!

Advent puzzle done

I'm also trying to train myself to NOT go down the Facebook or IG rabbit hole. I will watch Teddy (the golden retriever), but NOTHING else. OK - I watch Layle the Boxer as well. The owners of those dogs do hilarious videos with their pets! They are short, and I chuckle every time I watch them. 

Instead, I'm training myself to go to YouTube (just like my Dad!) and learn something! I'm still figuring out the best way to make that happen. Can't we get a list and check it off? That would be much easier than remembering if we've already watched a video! 

The end of the year is approaching, and it's time to look at those walking challenges. How am I making out? Well, this first one is a doozy! It's a three-year-long walk with a goal of 16,287 KM. 

Progress on the three-year walk

I still have 386 days left, and you can see my route. I started in Cairo and am walking to Capetown. I currently have 385 days left to walk. I added some spin class cycling last year, and I'll have to add a bit more next year as I doubt I'll be able to walk 5,000 KM in one year. 

My progress mapped 

My goal for this year was to walk 4,400 KM, and I'm almost done!!! I have 66 km left to walk and 19 days left to complete that! I think I'll make it! 

My annual goal

These are just for fun, but I have to say that they are motivating. There have been a couple of days lately when I didn't feel like walking in the afternoon. Then I thought of my goals, got my shoes on, and went out. I felt much better when I returned, and the weather has been very cooperative! 

I don't consider those double dipping as the first one is just a fun way of tracking where you walk, as the second one doesn't allow you to put the KM on a map. I already walked across Canada a couple of years ago (virtually), so I decided to go to Africa for a visual map of my walking. 

So some people asked about Out of the Box. Here are a couple of examples of projects that were done this past year. I don't have the information in front of me, but I'm guessing from the photos that the theme was PURPLE and a CIRCLE. Remember, ANYTHING was and is allowed. The project doesn't have to be finished, and you did NOT have to use fabric. 

There's a rope bowl stitched with purple thread, and some of the rope is covered with purple fabric. 

A rope bowl

Purple flowers cut with a digital cutter!

Paper flowers

Ruched (I think) flowers on a wall hanging. Oh yes -- she used something very cool for the bottom part, and I've forgotten what it was. 

A wall hanging with ruched flowers

A purple pig made with paper and attached to a plastic jar for a piggy bank. 

A purple piggy bank

This is JUST A SMALL sampling of what was created this past year. I wish I could share them all. Next year, I should share them each month. 

Yep -- the projects are varied, and when there are NO RULES --- it's easy to come up with stuff and NOT have to buy anything. Some people continued on if they felt further experimentation was required. Some people got into dying fabric or using distressing inks, and we wanted to know MORE, so they continued their experiments. Suggestions were sometimes given, and the person would rework the project if they wanted. This was very helpful in many cases where the creator got stuck. Suggestions were given, and they reworked it, and the result was spectacular. Experimenting and trying new mediums or techniques is HIGHLY encouraged. 

There will be room in this club if you're interested. 

So Christmas is coming, and it can be a tough time of year for people. I remember the first Christmas I was away from home many years ago, and I was 19 (or thereabouts). I was at my future in-laws (no longer), and I went into the bathroom and cried. My MIL pushed her way in, and even though she didn't speak much English, it was a comfort to have someone there who understood that I was homesick and missed my family. 

I've since come to relish Christmas Day with no family, and it's a great day to reflect on life. Nothing can go wrong because I have no expectations of myself or other people, and there's no need to be disappointed in myself or others. There is TOTAL FREEDOM. I wish we could promote that a bit more because I see people stressed about things that aren't worth it. Does anyone appreciate that you slaved in the kitchen and prepared three vegetable dishes? Or is it more the fact of being with family and friends that's important? 

I understand that traditions are important, but traditions were created in a world quite different from today! I hear more and more often that grown children are too busy to spend Christmas with their parents. And there are two or more sets of parents involved! I say, get over it -- live YOUR life for you, not for your kids! 

I haven't exchanged gifts with anyone in years, and again, I have no expectations and, therefore, no disappointments. 

We'll go to a movie that day, eat popcorn, and be at ease and stress-free! I can't wait! 

Having said that, I'm trying to figure out what days to have Virtual Retreat this month because the usual weekend falls on Christmas Eve or something like that. Shoot - I was going to host a few hours of Zoom sewing on Christmas Day until I remembered the movie! DUH! 

So, there will be a Virtual Retreat on December 23 and the morning of December 24. So, if you have no plans for Christmas or have to celebrate it early, we'll honor our friendship through sewing and Zoom. Be sure to bring a glass of cheer with you! We'll be your friends that day. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Lots to do today -- one last software club for the year, and the presentation is ready to go!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

Out of the Box Show and Tell

I'll share my french stories with you tomorrow! But what fun to be back in the swing of two languages. I loved that when I lived here years ago and I still love it now. I really think it would serve me well to return to Montreal to live. It's one of my favorite cities in Canada. Isn't that crazy? The English farm girl from out west? 

Cycling is better here, languages are more fun, well --- I'll think about it. I doubt DH would be too crazy since he knows not a single word of French. A place to retire!

But enough of that, let's have a look at the show and tell from our Out of the Box challenge this month. OH -- I just called it a challenge - I hope no one goes crazy with that, but each assignment is essentially a challenge! People tend to freeze up when you say the word "challenge!"

I asked the group to make things using blue and yellow and at least ONE accessory foot for their sewing machine. Oh my --- I was so thrilled to see how much work they put into the project. Feet they have never used before got pulled out, and techniques in the machine were researched. It brings so much happiness to me to see that. I was very excited!!!! 

Let's have a look. OH -- I should mention that people have all different brands and types of sewing machines and their skill levels are all different as well. It didn't matter -- each person found a way to create something that was a great learning tool. 

Cathy started by learning how to make buttonholes and used some decorative stitches to finish off the edges of her applique. That is very challenging to do and she braved it with a highly contrasting thread. I love it!!!

Cathy

Dana had never done applique before, so she took on that challenge and created a zen garden in fabric. This is such a simple piece, but it's very effective, and look how straight those lines of quilting are? This was the theme from February -- black and white and one extra color. 

Dana

This is Dana's piece from January where the theme was the log cabin block and favorite colors. She used a curved ruler that we learned in a class last year to make roses! What a neat way to finish off the log cabins. 

Dana

Diane made a piece representing the people and the war in Ukraine. It represents a torn flag and the broken lives of the people. She couched (I think that was the foot she used) to add some lace to the edges of the flag. 

Diane

I used bits of blue to make a crazy pieced background in various shades of blue. This is one of my favorite techniques to use. Then I quilted it with the IDT (built-in walking foot on the PFAFF) in a circular motion. And lastly, I couched cotton yarn using the three-hole yarn foot and a contrasting thread. I still need to trim the yarn off and bind it. 

Elaine (me)

Gillian used the overcast stitch on her sewing machine along with two T-shirts she picked up at the thrift store and made herself a scarf. WOW -- that was creative!

Gillian

Gillain

She also completed her black and white with one other color from February. It started off totally abstract and resulted in this piece. WOW!!

Gillian

Heather experimented with the four-way stitches on her machine. You don't turn the fabric, the stitch will change direction and stitches left to right, then top to bottom, then right to left, then bottom to top. It takes a lot of skill to be successful with this. She did a great job with MANY lines of stitching. 

Heather

Helen Anne used the Curve Master foot to sew a perfect curved seam with NO pins. That's very impressive. 

Helen Anne

Jackie used bits of a zipper and her zipper foot to artfully insert zippers into her scrappy background. A great way to add texture to a piece with bits of zipper!!

Jackie

Katheleen used her beading foot and added beads (pearls on a string) to the center of this piece. WOW --- it looks awesome and is such an easy way to add beads. She also tried the tricky Tims Caveman style of curved piecing for the curved seams. 

Katheleen

Kathi used a couple of rulers from another class to get those crazy angles used in the block. Those units are NOT easy. And then she used her open toe foot to create the circle of decorative stitching in the center. 

Kathi

Linda used her couching foot and tried various lines of couching with one, two, and three strands of DMC floss. She turned her piece into a journal cover.

Linda

Lucy had lots to show but wasn't able to attend, so I'm saving her pictures for next month after I hear her story of how she used two different techniques. And I LOVE the fact that those manuals are coming out so people can really learn how to use their tools!!!! Way to go Lucy!!!!

Lynn went rogue! Well, not really, but like Linda, she wanted to make something she could use. Recycled denim became the cover of her stitch book. She sketched out the hummingbird and used applique stitches to decorate it and core the edges. 

Lynn

Inside she started a stitch book with stitches from her machine. Oh --- this is such a great idea and gives you an idea of what stitches you have available to you!!

Inside the stitch book

Margaret used various couching feet for her machine and a flower maker accessory to make this piece. Wow - that flower maker is pretty cool. I believe it turns a regular sewing machine into somewhat of an embroidery style. 

Margaret

She also made a coaster on the embroidery machine. 

Margaret

Maria made an abstract piece with various angles. She is moving towards something specific and using these pieces to learn. I'm not sure if she used a specific foot on her machine. I've forgotten. 

Maria

Mary used her buttonhole maker to create a small pocket to put money in. She made two small mug rugs. What a neat gift. 

Mary

Monica pieced a block with regular piecing techniques, then added some decorative stitches. I love the look as it looks very much like lace has been added to the piece. This is such a great idea and a super way to decorate solid fabrics without really adding lace!

Monica

Morgan also had something to share but wasn't on the call, so we didn't hear her story. We'll save that for next month. 

Sharon created this cute little "dress" with her overcast foot. She used decorative stitches on the bodice of the dress and used the overcast stitch to add the lace on the bottom. It's adorable!

Sharon

And Wendy used her button sew-on foot to sew on the buttons that hold the yo-hos in place on this piece in honor of Ukraine. It's gorgeous and I love the sunflower fabric she used in the yo-yos. 

Wendy

And there you have it -- the Out of the Box show and tell this month. All I can say is that the group blew me away with their creativity and their level of commitment to learning a new technique. But even more important to work with something that they're not familiar with. Maybe blue and yellow isn't their thing or learning a new foot isn't, but they embraced it. 

The object of this class is to work out of your comfort zone. That's why the pieces do NOT need to be finished, they are experiments and they don't need to be large. Just try something new and see what happens. That is how we grow as artists!!!

I'm so impressed and I can't wait to see what they dream up this month. Oh yes -- they have a "fun" color to work with this month. Actually, all colors are fun -- it just means you have to become creative to make them work. There are NO mistakes in this class. How can an artist make a mistake? 

I have to go -- this internet here is very slow and it is making it very challenging to write. 

Before I go, don't forget that this weekend is the Virtual Retreat. So if you're looking for some company while you sew, be sure to stop by. We'll be sewing on Saturday evening and all day Sunday. I have so much to catch up on, I don't know where to start. 

Here are the links:

Saturday, April 30 --- 6 PM -- 9 PM (more or less) 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, May 1 -- 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693717518?pwd=STNoVVQzbDd4ZnROQndNNlpvcC90QT09 Meeting ID: 816 9371 7518 Passcode: 579285

On that note, I'm out of here. It's going to be a long day as I have a plane to catch tonight.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao! et Bonne journee!!!

How to make a scrap quilt

 It was another successful Virtual Retreat. We had a few more people pop onto the call to check out what's happening, and welcome to all of YOU! We're not a scary bunch at all, and basically, the chitchat is much more exciting than sewing by yourself. And if you happen to finish something -- you've got someone to share it with. 

The diehards show up every month and stay for most of the day, and others just pop in to say HI; both work. My circle of friends has grown enormously through the monthly Zoom calls, and I've gotten to know others much better. And the range of knowledge and expertise is VAST, and I learn so much from the others. 

But the MOST important thing that has happened from Zoom is it cut down my therapy bill! OK - so I was never in therapy, but you have no idea how happy it makes me feel to know that I'm not the only one with a particular issue or experiencing something. If you don't talk to someone, you'll never know that you are NEVER alone in a feeling or situation. That comforts me! 

I never feel the need to go deep into my issues with the online group, and no one does, but there are lots of us that have things going on in our lives, and just knowing that someone else has something similar -- well, that's worth the price of these sessions. 

So a HUGE thank you to everyone who comes and shares their joy, sadness, frustration, and successes. I'm so glad we've created a SAFE environment for people to do so, and I think it has saved my sanity during the pandemic. 

The next one is scheduled for February 26 and 27 if you want to mark it on your calendar. 

Sometimes, I find all the chitchat distracting when I sew something complicated, so I dug out a bag of scraps to see what I could come up with. It was a coordinated bag of flannel scraps. 

The big bag of flannel scraps

This is a fabric that keeps coming back to haunt me. I purchased a kit many years ago and, of course, had some leftovers. Then I think I bought another kit to make a quilt for someone. Then another, and I think along the way, I received scraps from someone else who also purchased the same kit. Anyway -- now there's this bag of coordinated fabric. 

I opened the bag and found some binding scraps, so they got set aside. 

Binding strips

I found some cutoffs from making a diagonal join for the borders, and those all got sewn up into half-square triangles. 

Triangles of fabric

Then I sorted out the larger pieces that may get cut into blocks, and the last pile was all the bits. 

Sorting through the scraps

Oops -- potty break for the little guy! It was warmer yesterday, so he ventured out a bit further than he has done in previous days but never forgets to come back in! He's just tall enough to peek in the back door. 

AH -- let me in!

I am busy "making" fabric. I have to say that this is a very freeing exercise, although it does take time. But that's OK. It's like sewing a puzzle together -- how can you put all those bits together to create something new? And what's hilarious is that the modern quilters of the world have a favorite technique -- improv quilting. Guess what?? Our pioneer sisters created that technique!!! It's how quilting started. 

Improv piecing

At one point, I had to sort out a smaller pile of scraps to get similar lengths and am starting to sew those together. Like I said, it's a great thing to do while on Zoom. 

Sorting scraps while on Zoom

I ended the day with 20 blocks, which will get trimmed to 8½". So this is pretty exciting. I plan to make 56 blocks and have a small border around the edges. I still have some larger pieces to deal with, and there are still enough scraps to make - well, I would say at least 10 more blocks. 

I still have the large pieces that I haven't touched -- it's always best to deal with the smaller stuff first. I'll continue to work on the quilt at Monday sewing, and then I might put it away. NO -- I want to get this finished to take it to Diane, and she can sew the blocks together. That would eliminate this big bag of scraps, and anything leftover will go with the rest of the flannel scraps. 

I know that many of you might be shaking your head. Why would I, who has tons of projects on the go and all those UFOs, spend my time dealing with this? It's the satisfaction of making something with nothing. I don't need to make another beautiful quilt from fresh yardage. I have so many now; the quilts are totally NOT important to me. It's the process of creating and sewing that is what makes me tick. 

And I seriously think that if I didn't look at my stash again but continued to sew from the scrap boxes and complete what I've started, I'd be a happy sewist for many years. The only new projects I'm really starting are the sew-alongs, and I do those because they make me happy sewing with a group. I LOVE to see what others do with the same pattern, especially when they use the opportunity to grow outside the box. 

So it all works out just nicely. Will I ever get rid of the scraps? Well, the situation is a whole lot better than it used to be. There are still scraps to deal with, but now that I'm getting that under control -- I feel much better about it. As for the boxes where I store my cotton scraps? I bet there are 30+ quilts in those boxes. Yep -- you'd be shocked at how small a dent that making a scrap quilt results in those boxes. I don't know why that is, but it is!

Here are some of the blocks that I made yesterday. 

Scrappy blocks

More scrappy blocks

I have to say that I'm thrilled with them, and I have some cotton "strings" to use up, and I may do this with them. Just random sewing together. They look fantastic, and I can't wait to see the quilt together! Actually, this would be the perfect thing to do at retreats (which I did at the last retreat) and Monday sewing and the Virtual Retreats. Then I can save the more complicated stuff when I'm not on Zoom. 

Well, guess what time it is? It's not even 6 AM, and I'm writing the blog. Why? Because the gym is open again, and I'll be on my way to spin class shortly. I had to find my shoes, cycling shorts, and a few other things necessary for spin class. I can barely wait to sit in the steam room afterward and spend a few quiet moments reflecting on the day!

We also had an exciting session for our creativity class yesterday morning. Oh boy -- I saw some creative projects being worked on yesterday -  they were that inspired, and some were finished by the end of the day! That makes my heart sing! I contemplated making a new project, and I think I will. It's a great way to unleash the creative juices and so easy to get inspiration from anywhere (well, for me at least). But don't worry -- I do have some mental blocks as well. Yep -- I have a couple of orphan blocks that fit the requirements, and I need to find those and use them. 

After Monday sewing, I have a list of things that need to be finished up from the weekend. And, of course, there is the paperwork that needs to be done. But I'll get through it -- it's a pretty quiet week, although DH is away on business, so I'm on my own for meals! ACK! But I have company in the form of M and Little Bear. OK -- so that was bad timing - I could have had the house to myself for a  week. 

I'll be looking for class ideas soon, and rather than start any new projects, I want to teach TECHNIQUES. So if you have something you'd like to learn, let me know. I have a free motion class this weekend (part one of two), and there are oodles of people in that class. I hope they are prepared to do homework! 

On that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day and if you're near me -- enjoy the much warmer weather!

Ciao!!!