Where are my favorite grocery store items?

I have ONE Zoom left for my day job! My, how time flies when you're having fun! There is lots of stuff to put away, but I don't have time to deal with it today. 

I still have an in-person event this weekend for anyone who has recently purchased a Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3, and there are two Zooms on Sunday. All the material is prepared for everything; it's just a question of putting it into a presentation or pulling out the appropriate equipment from the jumble!

Speaking of jumbles, I mentioned that I found a solution for Studio B. Even better, I found a CHEAPER solution than initially planned! Wait for that story; it should all come together later today so I can share it tomorrow. It sure pays to be in the right place at the right time! And it involves renting a van! 

Did you ever think that writing was an easy task? My blog is pretty easy. I get up in the morning, turn on the computer, and decide what to write about! I know—who knew that I could come up with so many things to write about? Oh—wait for it—I have a number of topics that I've been saving—curious things, so watch for those posts in the coming weeks. 

Writing for QUILTsocial.com is a whole different ball game. If I make something up on my blog—by that, I mean I don't check facts. Well, that's not true. I try to research to find the truth behind most of what I say unless it's a personal opinion, in which case, I don't need to check the facts—I AM the facts! 

But when you're writing about a sewing machine, I want to use the correct terms for the various presser feet or the functions of the sewing machine. Taking pictures? That's a whole other story. I'm editing/proofing the next post as I need to get it out today, and I was checking the photos. OH MY GOSH --- through the arm of the sewing machine, I can see the name of the sister brand in the background! I couldn't even edit that out, so back to take another picture!!

I got a chuckle out of that. I wonder if the editors would have caught that? So I spend a lot of time preparing the projects (which I never seem to finish), a lot of time writing them, and then more time checking the facts, editing, and proofing. But you know what? I LOVE doing it! I've learned so much from all that research on the sewing machine and the writing department! 

Yesterday, I had a service person look at the security system, including one of our smoke detectors, which has been useless for months. DO NOT YELL at me! 

Here's the deal -- remember that beeping I mentioned MONTHS ago? The system has provided a gentle beep every 30 minutes for FIVE months. We didn't even know where the beeping was coming from for at least a month. Yep --- we are pretty tolerant people. I was getting notifications: "The side door sensor needs a new battery. "Five minutes later, I would get another notification, "Side-door sensor fixed." Quite frankly, I just want this alarm thing to go away. 

We pay a monitoring fee every month, and they can see those notifications as well. They certainly knew that the system had been beeping for five months. It's a gentle reminder that something is wrong. So, if they are monitoring and they can see exactly what is wrong, do you think they would call the homeowner to schedule maintenance? Nope—they'll only monitor and alert if there's an emergency!

Anyway, the service person came and stayed for at least an hour while testing everything out. We got a new smoke detector, new sensors, and new batteries all around. And I was left with the debris!

The debris from the components of the alarm system

Which was added to the debris from the new door handle and screening installed the day before. 

More debris from the door handle replacement

I find it disturbing that they did not call, considering the issue had gone on for quite some time, and the messages were erratic. I must have received hundreds of notifications about the door sensor, which I ignored because it was on a door we never use. It's all just silly if you ask me. I have THREE dogs in the house right now, and they are always here. If someone so much as walks past my house, I'm alerted! I do NOT need an alarm system. OK -- smoke detector, yes, but alarm? No!

Look at the size of the paper that comes with the sensor! It's bigger than the sensor, and the batteries in those little devices are HUGE!!! It takes up half the sensor. 

The paperwork is larger than the sensor

The bottom line is that everything that needed urgent repair is now repaired, and I shall try to keep on top of it next time. I hate being so busy that I don't have time for those essential things. As I said -- I do NOT need a lecture on that!! We have other smoke detectors in the house!

What's with the grocery stores these days? I like a certain type of cheese (Jalapeno Havarti), and it's become hit-and-miss as to whether they have it. When I see it, I buy multiple packages. But it's very rare. Now that I think of it, they no longer sell the spicy hummus I like, although I can get it at another grocery store nearby. 

Where's my favorite cheese?

And what's with the Ryvita? The shelves have been empty of my favorite one (Muesli) for several weeks. 

Empty shelves

There was also an issue with getting the soup I wanted. I could get Pea Soup, but not with ham, yet I can get it at another store with no problem. I noticed that the soup with ham is back in stock. It's bizarre how the shelves are being stocked these days. 

I had a little tidying session the other day, and I have a few things I no longer need or want. This is InvisiGRIP, which you put on the back of your rulers to prevent them from slipping. I'm not a fan, and I think I had it on the back of ONE ruler, and that was it for me. It got peeled off, so the roll should be pretty full. If anyone wants it -- let me know. 

InvisiGRIP is up for grabs

I also have TWO WACOM pen tablets. They are older models, but both work just fine. I bought a large one. Where would you use this? Well, it's used instead of a mouse. I plan to use it for my embroidery software where I need a pen-like touch to edit. So those are both up for grabs as well. 

One of TWO WACOM pen tablets

As I was finishing with stuff, it got put on the stairs, and then when I went up, some of the items came with me. It's all cleared off now, so no need to yell at me for putting things on the stairs. Trust me - I am the MOST cautious person on the stairs, as I've heard of too many people who have fallen. I hold the handrail with a death grip (or so it seems some days!). 

Things to be moved upstairs

I think back to the days when I could run up those stairs two at a time with no issues. Now, I take my time, as I don't trust my knees! 

I attempted to give Bear a bath yesterday. Seriously? This should be easy, but I give him a bath, I use shampoo, and he still seems dirty! Sigh................  I'm trying! He's a trooper, and he's very patient! 

Here he was this morning, all curled up in his bed, SNORING!!! Not much of a helper!

Sleeping!!!!!

I think he's due for another professional grooming. Well, maybe in a week or two. 

For the most part, Murphy is a good dog! But she can test your patience at times. Even though she's eight or thereabouts (I never remember that stuff, and god forbid I know what date or even time they were born!), she's boisterous and enthusiastic. 

And for the most part, I love her to death. EXCEPT when it's 8 PM, and she's running back and forth along the fence in the backyard, happily barking at the top of her lungs because SOMETHING is moving in the forest—likely a raccoon. 

She is like that naughty child who does something they know they shouldn't, but they do it because it's FUN to see Mom running after them. She just stays out of reach, doesn't listen, and is generally a pain! Eventually, she tires of the game and lets me grab her and bring her into the house. 

So she has lost the privilege of being outside, alone in the evening. She'll go on a leash for a before-bedtime pee and then back in the house! Oh, Murphy! You would test the patience of a saint!!!

On that note, I need to get them out for a walk today. We didn't have time yesterday because of the timing of the alarm service guy, and then my afternoon was filled as well. They are anxious, and I can "hardly" wait! 

OH -- here's the link to the Virtual Retreat on Saturday evening, starting at 6 PM. 

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

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

There's SNOW!!! And Snowballs!

I'm happy to report that NOTHING was running around the neighborhood last night or early this morning. On the wildlife front, all is quiet! Murphy is still sleeping, and we're good!

However, we had issues walking in the morning. Snow was on the ground, and Bear came home covered with mini snowballs on his legs. He wasn't happy, and I had to carry him part way. 

Winter is back with dog snowballs

Lexi, on the other hand, got GIANT snowballs on the underside of her paws. You can't really see it—well, you can, but it doesn't look like a giant snowball. She was NOT happy, but I wasn't carrying her! 

MOM -- get rid of this GIANT snowball!

Now, she only made it worse by walking IN the snow rather than on the path where the snow would not accumulate on her paws. 

Lexi walking IN the snow

This is the first time this has happened. You know what that means! I've been negligent in trimming the underside of her paws, and the hair is pretty long. She was NOT happy when I attempted to trim it. I think we're going to need the groomer and a muzzle. Poor girl --- if only her mother would take better care of her! 

I had a decent day on the sewing front, which is good because it feels like forever since I had time to sew. I also had to prepare for my two Zooms, and part of the sewing was to make a few more samples. Those got done!

While waiting for a sample to stitch out, I ripped out the block from the Heartfelt Sampler that needed to be moved. 

Seam ripping while watching the embroidery machine

Now, there's a gaping hole in the quilt, and the new block is PINNED on one side, so I don't screw up because I want it sewn in a particular position. 

A hole in  my Heartfelt Sampler

I had more waiting time on the embroidery machine, so I also ripped out that small corner block. 

A second hole in my Heartfelt Sampler

I needed to make one more 5" block, so that got cut out, and I hope to get to it later today. I'd love to have half of the quilt sewn together how I want it! And let's hope that side two goes together much easier! 

The extra block is cut out

Later in the day, I noticed that two blocks fell off the design wall. So this is why things get mixed up!!!!

Two blocks fell off the design wall

This could be labeled a tripping hazard. Murphy was out of sorts after the Lexi incident (attempted biting), and no one was happy. She came downstairs and plopped herself on the floor so I couldn't miss her. 

MOM -- I'm upset and need comforting!

Nothing is unusual about that, but with the way the tables are set up right now, there are some narrow passageways from the cutting table to the sewing machine to the ironing board. I am failing at the triangle workspace at the moment. 

Yep -- she's RIGHT at the T-junction of my passageways, so I had to step over her every time I passed. I could have moved her, but I felt badly that she was upset, so I left her there and stepped over and around her. 

MOM -- I NEED YOU!!!!

It was a day of thread woes. I was running out of that one color and found another spool in my thread box, and I've ordered two more as the project is taking more thread than I initially thought it would. But then I made the project HUGE, so no wonder! I was going to make ONE quilt, but I'll make two smaller projects. I want to travel with this sample, and using all the blocks will make it too big. DUH -- I should have thought about that before I slapped more blocks under the needle! 

The first spool is gone, but I'll have plenty to finish the first (smaller) sample and I'll finish the remaining blocks when I get the other thread.

One spool of thread - gone!

I finished the spool of thread I used in the bobbin but already had a spare. 

The bobbin thread is also finished

This morning, both machines are running again! One is doing embroidery, and I'm sewing on the other. The embroidery machine stopped. You are KIDDING ME!!! I ran out of thread and was 400 stitches from the end. 

Run out of thread AGAIN!

What lousy luck with my threads!!! I'll call my local dealer to see if they have this color. If not, I have a substitute waiting in the wings. It's not the same color, but it'll have to do for a sample. I noted where I was in the embroidery design and moved on to the second one in that hoop. 

I had to change the thread color and went to the opposite extreme. This spool is so big, and the thread is slippery that it fell off and wound around the spindle, which caused it to break, so I had to dig out a thread net. 

Keeping the thread contained with a thread net

I can't hear it embroidering, and I see no movement on the monitor on my phone app, so I'd best go and see what happened. I need to get that sample done!

What will we do when our local dealer (Brampton Sew n Serge) closes at the end of April? They were my go-to store for thread, notions, and ADVICE! It's where I purchased my first Husqvarna Viking sewing and embroidery machine in 1998. Yep—I'll miss them for sure. They will maintain an online presence, but it won't be the same. 

Oh yes -- after I finished one bit of embroidery (felting), I had to clean out the bobbin case, which was full of fuzz. 

Cleaning out the bobbin case

I didn't find it stressful to have both machines running -- well, one was doing embroidery, and I was sewing on the other. I had the radio on for part of the time, but I've abandoned audiobooks for the moment. My brain just cannot handle another area of concentration and I'm OK with that. 

Sewing and embroidering at the same time

I even managed to put away a few samples, but I have some in-person events in April, so before I put those samples too far away, I need to sort them and put them in piles for the events. It makes no sense to put them away and pull them out again. 

Stuff got piled on the cutting table, which looked much worse than this in the morning. 

The cutting table is also the staging area

It looks much better this morning when I could actually cut fabric! The only things on the table are four current projects I'm working on. That's a first for me!!

The cutting table is pretty clean

I trimmed three half-square triangles, so that was a HUGE accomplishment!!

Trimming half-square triangles

Curiosity got the better of me, and I ran downstairs to check the embroidery machine. AHA—there are several STOPS built into the design, and all I had to do was push a button. That's my kind of stoppage!!

As I was cleaning the cutting table, I saw something fall, and I looked down. Yikes—this could have been bad if I didn't notice it. 

A needle stuck in my sock

That's my FOOT!!!! So I rescued the needle and put it where it was supposed to be so it wouldn't fall again. 

On top of all the other stuff, we had some repairs in the house that desperately needed to be done, so I finally called a handyman. He did two of the necessary jobs, and someone else is coming today to get the alarm system back in operation. We NEVER use the darn thing, but it's a requirement of the insurance company, which I think is stupid. Whatever—we need insurance. 

One of the jobs was to replace the screen on the patio door. I purchased PET screening, which is substantially heavier than regular screening. Let's say I got my money's worth (I had to pay for two hours minimum), and the handyman got an excellent workout shoving that thicker screen into the crack!!!

Regular screening versus pet screening

Let's see how long it takes before Miss Lexi rips it. She damages the screen with her scratching, so we'll get her nails clipped and try to train her NOT to scratch. Good luck with that one!!!

I made good progress on the 4th writing assignment and should be able to get that out the door today. I also have TWO more Zooms today, and both are pretty much ready to go. 

It's been a pretty calm week, which is great—I needed this. I don't mind being busy, but I get frustrated when things don't go as planned. I'll be working both machines again today, as I want to get as much sewing and embroidering done as I can. There are loads of other samples waiting to be made. 

OK -- one more STOP in the embroidery, but it's merrily working away! 

On that note, I'd better get myself organized and get the day started!!

This is a reminder that we only have a Virtual Retreat on Saturday, March 23rd. We start at 6 PM.

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

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!!

A new needle makes the world go round

Another GREAT day! I was listening to the radio this morning, and they were talking about being a morning person or a night person. I have to say there is nothing better than getting up before everyone - a new perspective on the day, no baggage from the day before, and the whole day stretching before you!

I get it that night people could have their own reasons, but this is what works for me, and I LOVE getting up early.

I also look forward to checking the stats on my Virtual Challenges since they update overnight. Small things amuse me, so bear with me. But I LOVE looking at my walking progress each morning. Where am I on the maps? I thought I'd share these photos with you.

I walked to the mall yesterday - that was an experience. I'll share that tomorrow.

As I walked across probably one of the last open spaces in this city, it made me think of the maps and the landscape I view each day.

The wide-open view in the city

Yep - hard to believe that we can actually get that wide of a view in the city. I'm guessing that someday soon, this space will be filled with condos.

On my Route 66 virtual walk, I'm in Arizona now and walked through the Petrified Forest National Park a couple of days ago. This is the wide-open view in Arizona.

The wide-open view in Arizona

On my cross Canada virtual walk, I'm just about to enter Winnipeg.

The wide-open view in Manitoba

So all is good - I love the virtual challenges. Keeps me on track, gives me something to look forward to,  and I love the tracking process. There are MUCH shorter treks if you want to try one. Of course, we chose the longest one to start! It wasn't my choice, but I'd probably have done the same thing. I'm at 72% of the way from Chicago to Los Angeles. I hope to arrive by the middle of November.

If you search for virtual challenges, you'll find loads. Sign up - they are fun, and some of them are just marathon length. 26 miles, and you'd be surprised at how quickly you can walk 26 miles.

Back to Studio B, where I had another testing session with Zoom, and cameras, microphones, and speakers. I'm learning so much. Well - it turns out I need a different camera. It's on order - let's hope it arrives by Wednesday. If not, I do have a plan B. I think I have at last sorted out all the equipment. And the price gouging on this new camera - well - there is a shortage of webcams, and so I had to pay more than the retail price to get it. GRRR!!!!!  I should have done all this research earlier in the year so that I would know all this by now. No matter - I think it's under control now.


Then it was off to sew on more bindings. I got this one on the fleece quilt done. So all the fleece quilts are now bound.

One more fleece quilt bound

Then I moved onto a small flannel quilt. I had to make the binding for this one, and it's completely stitched in place.

Binding on another small quilt

That's two more quilts to go to Project Linus. Hmmm - I'm going to have to try another contact since I haven't heard from that lady. Maybe she's on vacation??? I'll try to call her since she hasn't responded to my e-mail.

What's next? I decided to stitch the applique shapes on the Christmas Figs block. I got the sewing machine prepped for that - open toe applique foot, bobbin weight thread on the top and bobbin.

Stitching the applique shape

I use an elongated zigzag to machine stitch the applique in place. The width is 1.5 (I'd love to use 1.0, but it's too darn hard to see), and the length is 1.5, or you can use 2.0 - depending on how your machine makes the zigzag.

The elongated zigzag

It's a bit hard to see in this photo, but the top petal is stitched, and the bottom one is not. That matching bobbin weight thread makes the stitching nearly invisible. Shoot - I should have taken a closeup of the stitching.

The applique shapes

Then I did something that I should have done a long time ago. I knew the sewing machine was due for a cleaning and a new needle. That needle was struggling to get over seams, and it should not have been having issues. Yes - I have a system for notifying me when the needle needs to be changed (after 5 bobbins), but I've been sewing a lot of bindings and going through fleece, flannel, and gosh knows what else.

When I lifted the bobbin case out, I almost had a heart attack. There were two THICK FELT pads in the bobbin case. Now, how did they get there?

The thick felt pads removed from the bobbin case

Keep in mind, there are NO felt pads in the bobbin case. That is a build-up of LINT. Lint in the bobbin case is bad. I can't believe it was that bad. Ooops.

Not only that, but look at the THICK BAR of lint that I pulled from between the feed teeth. Yep - that's a disaster waiting to happen.

The thick bar of lint from the feed teeth

In the end, I pulled all this out of the machine. OK - as en educator, that's a bit of an embarrassment.

The lint pulled from the bobbin area

I wound five bobbins and inserted a new needle. AH - the world is much better. But you would be amazed at how quickly we are to blame the sewing machine for not sewing properly when, in fact, it's the needle that is the issue.

I finished this cone of thread. I'm on my last cone of piecing thread, so I'd better get myself together and order some more. The cone I'm using is partially used, and it'll be gone before I know it.

The cone is empty

Do yourself a favor and change that darn needle!!!!  And do it regularly. I switch between machines so often that sometimes, I get mixed up with the bobbins and well - I should NOT do that ever again. It doesn't help the machine, and it certainly doesn't help the stitching.

The next project is to get the borders on Easy Street. This is one of the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts from a while ago. I cut the strips this morning and emptied two tables, so I had room to work.

Pinning the borders on Easy Street

I managed to get the final border on two sides of the quilt. The strips for the other two sides are cut and ready to be joined.

The outer border is on two sides of Easy Street

The quilt is laid out and ready to measure the last two borders.

Getting ready to measure the last two borders

Before time was up this morning, I scoured the shelf with all the yardage for quilt backings. I found a piece that will be perfect. This system of labeling the length of all the yardages is brilliant. It took mere seconds to find a piece of fabric that was the right color and large enough. If you don't have your yardage labeled with the size, then I guess I know what you'll be doing today. This is a HUGE time saver.

The backing for Easy Street

It's Monday, and that means it's Monday sewing!!! I can't wait!  I've got a whole pile of hand stuff sitting there to stitch while we chat, and I've got to finish that border on Easy Street.

I made good progress on the custom quilt on the long arm as well. It's nice to have loads of time to do that. It can get boring and hard on the back to spend all day doing ruler work. Now I do a bit a day, and soon it'll be done! If only I could be that great at time management all the time!

On that note, I've got stuff to get done before our Monday call.

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!

Packing up!

I didn't take a picture of the laundry basket for the retreat, but I did assemble all the bits to finish the Canada tote bag. They are safely tucked into a large plastic bag and in the laundry basket. I wish I could say that the laundry basket was my idea, but it's not! That belongs to Tish. She would go to our retreats with ONE laundry basket. None of this messy and overflowing bags of stuff. It might take a while for me to learn, but I do get it eventually!

There are some very exciting things happening around here! I did open all my mail, and well - you can't see the fabric that came so I could finish my quilt. But it's gorgeous - it's flannel, which is hilarious considering that the temperature is in the 30s this week. Thankfully, Studio B is cool. I'm happy to report that the quilt is mostly cut out, and I have 7 blocks left to finish. The components are mostly made, so that won't take long at all. Then to sew it together.

I think the customer quilt has to come off the long-arm, and this one goes on. Then I'll reload the customer quilt. No choice - there's just not quite enough time to get them both done. Not to worry - let's move on.

Before I pop into the quilting stuff, here's a quick update on my virtual walking challenges. It is the end of June, so this is a good check-point. I set a goal of one year for the Route 66 challenge, so technically, I should be at the halfway point, and the Cross Canada virtual walk is a two-year goal, so I should be at the quarter mark. And where am I?

I'm well over the halfway point for the Route 66 Virtual Challenge, and I'm right on track for the Walking Across Canada challenge. Whew!!!!  It's not really that big of a deal to keep up. The Canada one is a stretch goal (just over 7 miles every day), and I'm able to keep up. Sometimes, I get behind, and sometimes I'm ahead, but I keep walking every day to make it happen.

Where I'm a wee bit behind is on my cycling goal. I should be at 50% of that one, and I'm only at 34%. I think I may have to adjust that one because of not attending the gym to get to cycle class and having a crappy spring. OR - I get my butt in gear and get out on the bike every day. I don't have any additional time to devote to exercise. It's either walking or biking, but not both. So I'll have to modify this one. No big deal. It is allowed because of the COVID thing.

I have to share this picture with you. This is from the Cross Canada tour - I'm on my way to Winnipeg. I'm just leaving Regina, so I've got a ways to go before I hit Winnipeg. And once I get to Ontario, well, I'll be in Ontario for a long, long time.

On the way to Winnipeg

And on the Route 66 challenge, I've now less than 1,000 miles to go. That's so exciting. I've walked almost 1,300 MILES since January. That was accomplished by walking 1 ½ to 2 hours every day. My legs are feeling super strong, and I can whip around my little track in no time flat. What's great is that what I thought was a fairly lengthy distance around that big block isn't that long any longer. Once you do it several times, it becomes routine.

Less than 1,000 miles to walk

I only had one silly driver last night. And I swear, she looked at me, like I was in the wrong when I clearly had the right of way. Then I realized what it is. Drivers don't think pedestrians have the right-of-way, and they certainly don't think it's the law to stop at a red light BEFORE they turn right. I must have missed that on the driver's ed test!  Sigh..................

OK -- so as if that isn't enough silliness about walking, guess what? My group (we're called the Quilt Posse), signed up for this.

I know - how crazy is that? So this Virtual Walk starts in St. John's and goes to Victoria. So at some point, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to meet myself!!!  Talk about a time warp moment that'll be.

It starts tomorrow. So if you get a team together - or you can do 800 KM and get the finishing medal yourself. We're four to walk 8.,000 km and we have one year to do it. That's very doable!

If you or someone you know is interested, here's the link to sign up. But sign up TODAY to save a ton of money on the registration fee.


And now onto the quilting stuff.


I participated in the Quilt Canada mini-swap. We were assigned a swap partner, and we were going to meet up at Quilt Canada, which was to be held earlier this month. We were both a bit late getting the mini-quilts done, but Dolores received hers last night, and I received mine last week. It was in one of those packages. So now we can share.


This is what Dolores made for me. Yep - I like words, and I love orange!

My new mini-quilt

Even the back and the label have words on them!!! It's adorable, and I'll have to find a place to hang that up!

The back of my mini quilt

And this is what I made for Dolores. She likes teal/purples and Minions. Since Minions are yellow - that was a challenge. So this is a Midnight caper with the Minions. Bob, Kevin, Carl, Stuart, Dave, Phil, Tim, and Jorge are all represented here. Oh yes - I learned a lot about the minions as I made this quilt.

Midnight Caper with the Minions

I threw it on the long arm and did a very dense background fill.

Dense quilting

And here's one of the eyes! They were paper pieced, and there was a LOT of pieces in each eye. I had "fun" making them. But the end result is so worth it.

A paper pieced Minion eye

I found the patterns for the Minions at Fandom in Stitches—lots of free designs there for characters of all kinds. I only used the eyes from the patterns, but the entire body of the Minions is also available.

And here's the back of the quilt. I thought it appropriate to use the Minions on the orange background so she could remember me!!!!  Shoot - I didn't get a picture of the label, I'll have to ask Dolores to send me that.

The back of the Minion quilt

So I saw the strangest thing last week at the retreat. A cradle for your phone to simulate walking. This is for a game - Pokemon. I shall not say whose phone this is. It just makes me think - what's the point? But I digress.

A cradle for your phone 

Let's just hope that the Fitbit doesn't get on that cradle!!!

Here are two more finishes from the retreat. This is one of Ronda's sports quilts. I think that one is a Raptor's quilt. There's a story about these quilts, which I'll share tomorrow.

One of Ronda's finishes on the weekend

And this one is Susan's. She had never made a quilt with sashing before, and she got it together with NO ripping.

Susan's finish for the weekend

Yikes - I thought I should clean my sewing machine before I started to sew yesterday. AH - I think there's a wee bit of lint stuck in the feed teeth. I pulled out the little "felt pads" that had grown in there.

Cleaning out the lint in the sewing machine

Now I'm really excited about these tubs. I inherited them from someone, and they were at the house when I arrived home. It was like Christmas when I got back!

So what's going to happen with these seven giant tubs?? 

Storage tubs

Well, I'm going to say good-bye to this mess. There's a lot of stuff in those bags and other fancy containers. The idea is to sort through them all and clear the clutter. All the new projects (not started) are going in one tub (s), and the UFOs will go in others. The items inside will be listed, and the containers will be labeled. 

The mess of UFOs and new projects to clear up

That is really the last area in Studio B that needs to be addressed. And it'll be inspiring to get that organized and sorted. Then when I need to "shop" for a new project, I can scan the lists and then pull out the appropriate item.

I'm going to put all the UFO items on my Task Master lists in one tub, so they are even easier to find. I just need ONE day to pull all that together. That's not going to happen this week, but you never know what can happen early one morning.

One more very exciting thing happened yesterday. I got a text telling me that I could schedule an appointment at my local library branch to pick up the books, well some of them, that I have on hold. Thankfully, I had gone in and put many of them on suspend. So I have an appointment for tonight. Just a few minutes before my scheduled Zoom class so I have to shift the class by 15 minutes because I don't know how to switch the library appointment. DUH!!! 

We had our four-hour Zoom session with the Monday sewing group. This is such a great way to stay in touch with everyone. I LOVE Zoom.

On that note, I'd better get the day started. It's going to be busy as I hope to get that quilt on the long arm tonight and ready to quilt tomorrow.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!