Thursday, May 3, 2018

I’ve made several bags and with every one I say never again. I don’t have uses for them and I don’t like putting in zippers. And unless they have a zipper they aren’t secure enough for the shifting around I do on a regular basis.

So when my Thursday sewing mates decided their next project was going to be a bag I said I wasn’t interested. We agreed we didn’t always have to do the same thing – although we’ve all had fun with our Supernovas.

Gail and Jessie were looking at patterns today but I kept my nose to the grindstone, working on my chenille quilt. They decided on The Betsy Bag and made a list of everything they needed buy – I donated some Soft and Stable and Gail had interfacing and zippers they can use. There were discussions about D-Rings and swivel hooks but I ignored it all.

And then Gail said, “I think it is the perfect bag for traveling because it can switch into three different sizes”. What – three different sized bags in one? I took a closer look. I made a list of things I’ll need to buy. Next week we start sewing our new bags.

But just to be clear – I don’t like making bags and never again!

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

When someone at quilting realized she had made a mistake on her project her announcement was “Patterns are only meant as guidelines”. The same could be said for the schedules I plan for getting things done.

Wednesday morning should have been a yard day but I just wasn’t in the mood for it. It is still quite cool in the morning and if you are working in the shade or with any sort of breeze it can actually be chilly. I didn’t even try it this morning, I just decided not to go out.

My other usual task on a Wednesday is to work on blocks, Guild projects or cards; quilting is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday so I can get a few long days into the task. But with four quilts and a table runner waiting to be quilted, a baby quilt already sandwiched and another runner that just needed a backing picked I decided that quilting would be my task until it is all finished – or I desperately need to get something else finished sooner.

I cut backing for the one table runner and batting for both. I wanted to spray baste them outside on the deck but it seemed like my can of basting spray was getting low. The fabric shop has a sale on this week so I walked up and purchased two cans (should be enough and extra for all the things waiting). I also got some binding fabric for my chenille quilt; maybe it hasn’t been underway as long as I thought because I was able to get one of the same fabrics as I purchased for the quilt way-back-then. I set up my table outside on the deck and it took no time at all to sandwich the table runners. I’ll do all the quilts all in a batch when I get to them but they take longer to prep. I also purchased another roll of batting; I’ll pick it up tomorrow when I’m out with the car. We had a good laugh at the thought of me dragging that big box down the street from the shop to home.

I have started quilting on one of the runners. I did some straight lines first and I toyed with the idea of doing the straight lines on the other table runner and baby quilt before switching over to my free-motion. But that would delay having a finish and I like to have a finish sooner rather than later. So will Elizabeth because this first table runner is for her.

Pacific Coastal called this morning to say the flight I had booked for Quilt Canada had been cancelled but I was able to get on an earlier flight the same day. I’d been meaning to call them to see how much it would cost to change my return flight by a day; since they had cancelled one leg of the flight the agent said she would change it for me without any charge. I’m looking forward to being there for Dylan’s Grade Seven Leaving Ceremony.

Back to it!

May 1, 2018

Turning over the calendar is a lot of fun for me. I get to switch months on the family calendar Christy gave me for Christmas – her focus this month is her with her children. But the first of the month also means I find out what my UFO Challenge will be. Before I left for the bee this morning my last trip upstairs was to check my numbers. The number for May is six so that means I’ll be digging out my Splendid Sampler blocks – for the Second Time Around; perfect timing as later this year Splendid Sampler 2 will be available. Those blocks will be available online for the first few blocks but then you have to buy the book; my book is already pre-ordered!

I finished a miniature quilt top before lunch. It’s made from pieces I had trimmed off from the baby quilt I made. Hopefully both the mini and the baby quilt can be quilted before next Tuesday – our meeting day.

After lunch I pulled out the Guild UFO Challenge project that’s been sitting neglected for an entire month. Actually it has been neglected for much longer as I think it was started about four years ago! It is a chenille quilt I took in a class at the fabric shop and when I looked at it today I realized I had made very little progress on it. I’ve forgotten what I do for the next step but for now I have at least another day’s worth of work before I get to that next step.

I did my usual running around after the bee so it was after three before I got home. There is still some cleaning up to do in my studio and, of course, there is more paperwork for both Cranberry Hall and the Guild (for our meeting on Thursday). I’d better get started on it.

Monday, April 30, 2018

I was at the Hall by 10:30 on Sunday morning and we managed to have a few minutes to spare before people started to arrive for the Member Appreciation at one. Our guests had time to renew their memberships and have a bite to eat and before they knew it we had started our AGM (a 20-minute affair). After the meeting we had some live music and then they went home. On the way out people were heard to say that it was the best AGM they had ever been to – I think it will become an annual event. It was after four before I got home. Some of the die-hards (me included) returned to the Hall in the evening for the monthly coffee house. I was there to show my support for the out-going coordinator and the new coordinator. I cleaned up as much as I could after the intermission but left before it was over; there were a couple of other Board members in attendance who sat through the first half without helping so I figured they could do the final clean up.

It was a lot of work preparing for it and I spent all morning today on minutes and accounting for the Hall. There are some reports that need to be filed, and everything will have to go to the accountant. I’m going to remain on as Secretary/Treasurer; in addition, I’ll be handling the bookings. Bookings will add a bit to my load, but we have a Board member who lives next door to the Hall and another who is two doors down so I don’t think (at least I hope) I won’t be having to open and lock up too often.

I had a couple of things that should have gone in the mail this morning (sorry Dave – your cheque is in the mail!)  but by the time I got to the bottom of my pile it was too late to get them out today. I’ll walk up to the mailbox later this afternoon or drop them off tomorrow morning on my way to the bee.

Pat is teaching this week – online from 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM. I set my alarm as a backup for 5:15 but I heard he was up before it went off so I turned it off and slept until my usual time. He is using the main floor computer so I have to be quiet; I think that is why I spent the morning working at my computer on the second floor. I did a bit of cleaning in my studio too – I think I can safely say I’m unpacked from Retreat!

I should be finding something to take to the bee tomorrow; I have sampler blocks, cards, a Guild block and Row by Row but nothing is appealing to me. I have a miniature started from left-overs of the baby quilt so I’ll take that with me. I think I’ll finally drag my chenille project out of the box and see if I can remember what needs to be done on it.