What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

OH MY --- I'm at a loss on where to begin this morning! So much to say - let's just grab a picture and start! 

I called my parents and, while chatting with them, decided to tackle the next jigsaw puzzle. I know— but it was a mindless task, as all I accomplished was laying out the pieces. These pieces seem BIGGER than those in the previous puzzle, and while the shapes are NOT identical, they are much more regular than in the last puzzle. 

The pieces are laid out for the next puzzle

OK -- I did a bit more ...

It's Christmas!!!! While we don't do a lot for Christmas these days because it's just the two of us, we still have traditions! They are just different. Like all of you, I have so many Christmas memories, but one in particular that I'm sure my parents will never forget. 

I was pretty young and was fast asleep in my bed when something woke me up. Likely, my mom was putting out the presents. I sprang from my bed and ran into the living room, shouting, "he's here, he's here!" Yep -- I thought Santa had ...

Don't worry -- I will be donating, BUT not until January 2. I have two pairs of winter boots that I know someone can use. However, since I am donating to an organization that turns around and sells the items, I might as well benefit and get a discount coupon. Since that coupon is only valid until December 31, 2025, it doesn't make sense to donate now. The donation can wait until January 2. What I'll donate, if anything, will be lightweight summer items for the most part. 

That may sound callous, but that's my decision, and ...

Where are the days going? Yikes-- before we know it, the end of the year will be here. I'm not ready! 

I spotted this on Facebook yesterday, and I thought it was so appropriate for us sewists. This is what happens to me. 

It's all the prep work that takes so much time, and the actual sewing is just a small part of it. 

I have sewn part of the sixth binding onto one of the dog quilts. It was the black one, and I knew I would need more strips, but how many? So I sewed what ...

Thanks, everyone, for the fantastic comments! I MUST get back to responding to them. As for the floss, I did have a Waterpik at one point, which I don't think I ever used! BUT I understand the concept of it - I'll look into it. In the meantime, I flossed twice yesterday! And brushed once. It's a start! And yes -- I know that all that bacteria is not healthy for my insides! I'm trying! If I get a Waterpik, can I bypass going to the dentist? OK - just thought I'd try!

I have good genes, but ...

I'm glad I'm not the only one having dreams. I woke up remembering another dream, but it was a pleasant dream. Some of us were sewing, making things, and borrowing stuff from each other - just like at a quilt retreat! It was a fun dream! 

And I'm happy to report that I had a great day yesterday. I did not get everything done that I wanted to, but I made tremendous progress. I completed almost half of the side job, efficiently using the fabric I was given, and effectively using my time. It took just over three ...

The masses have spoken. There will be NO new sew-along until Colour My World is done! Let's not get ourselves into any kind of mess! Thanks for making me see the light of day! I do NOT need to start another project. And by September of next year, there might be something else we want to sew! 

When I attempted to use ChatGPT to compile those documents from the QUILTsocial website, it didn't work. Someone mentioned that ChatGPT wasn't really meant to scrape data from websites. It creates things, but it doesn't do the dirty work ...

 Oh, I love your comments, and I'm a bit behind in responding to them! Patience! And yes, I think using ChatGPT is a matter of experience, and I'm brand new to it. I need more information, Tammy - like, did he get it saved to a PDF, and if so, I would love a copy! 

Not to tempt fate or anything, but I am having the most relaxing days and no dreams last night - at least none that I remembered. After I delivered my project (more on the project in a second), I had time to spend a leisurely ...

You would think we would learn! Last night, we attempted puzzle number 2 in the Exit Game. It took a bit of thinking, and we came up with the correct answer, but it didn't have all the logic attached, so we looked at the clues and, oh, I see where we missed the logic. We got the correct answer, so looking at those clues didn't count. It was just to inform us! We are still good! 

But again - it was one of those 'aha' moments. We were struggling, and then DH looked at the puzzle and asked, 'Do ...

I need to spend a bit of time this morning answering the comments. So many good comments!! Thanks so much - I appreciate them all! And I especially appreciate you following me along with my craziness! I don't write for you - I mostly write for myself. That sounds somewhat unusual, especially when it's published for everyone to see. 

But I write because it helps to clear my brain, which would explode if I didn't get some of this silliness, creativity, and knowledge out of my brain! I've also used it to follow up on things because, let ...

Just waiting for the email wth the photos to come through! It's been a super productive retreat so far, and we still have a few days to go. Can I finish the remaining quilt tops for the dog quilts? They will have to wait unit October to be quilted, but that's OK. 

OK -- the pictures came through, but some of them need a bit of editing; however, that doesn't seem to want to happen this morning. No big deal -- some are sideways -- we'll just have to let it go. 

This first picture is a bit weird ...

About that new author I mentioned yesterday - Iona Wishaw. Her latest book is coming out on April 29th, although Daphne noted that it's already out. If you live in BC, she's doing book tours and signings, and you should go! It's great to support our authors. I hope she can get a more extensive reach! I finished the book yesterday and I loved it. Lots of thinking and fact contemplating, which I love! 

Let's support our Canadian authors. And for our US neighbors, I do read lots of US authors, but I'm always excited to ...

We're back!! DH and I both read the story in the graphic novel EXIT Game. Then we collaborated, and between the two of us, we got the answer! Not before I goofed AGAIN and missed a bunch of letters, so we had to redo the puzzle multiple times. Although DH insists we found the answer unconventionally, I don't care! We solved it without using the clues. He's so black and white; I'm every shade in between! 

Teamwork! It's all about teamwork! 

Should I mention what happened to the kitchen table? This happens when you use ...

Well, this message has hit very close to home! 

I'm listening to an audiobook by Oliver Burkeman called "Meditations for Mortals." Oh boy -- it's about trying to do everything in life and not always succeeding. It talks about our busyness, which is me! 

It also mentions how we feel we must read everything that comes into our house—that's me. We must listen to audiobooks/podcasts at double speed (NOT me) and millions of UFOs (OK—that's me). He wasn't talking about quilting but unfinished projects—like painting the living room, fixing the bathroom door ...

Good grief -- I am NOT nervous about this MRI, but it's obviously in my subconscious as I had another dream, and this time, I was headed for surgery. Yesterday afternoon, I got a reminder call from the hospital about the appointment, which is very early tomorrow morning. In my surgery dream, the hospital gowns were see-through? Too much Janet Evanovich (I just finished Now or Never #31), and I seemed to have bathroom issues (I had a conversation with my Mom earlier in the day about that very thing, but it was her, not me!) I love how the ...

OH MY! As I create a folder each day to store the blog photos, I date it. It's January 25 already! Where has the time gone? 

Someone mentioned the stand-up/sit-down exercises. The chair height is important! Obviously, we are NOT doing this from a step stool. If you can do that, then you're still young! But try various chair heights, and as you become comfortable with one height, find something a bit lower. I get it that some of us have knee issues, so the height can't be too low. But how easily can you get ...

This morning, I made a list of everything that needs to be done this week. Hmm—there's not much time for sleeping, so I'll have to be efficient with my time! However, there are two things that I will not skip: writing the blog and going for that afternoon walk! 

Did you notice that both of those things involve ME time? Yes, even though I might give up some ME time in other areas, these two will always happen—unless there's a significant issue! 

Both of these are for my mental health. And when I say mental ...

Remember I said I was feeling overwhelmed the other day? Why? A lot is happening in the next few months, and I ignored my schedule and work-related tasks during the holidays. As soon as I started putting things on paper in the form of a plan, the overwhelming thoughts were gone! 

Does it have to be an elaborate plan? No! You can type it out or write it on the back of a napkin, but if writing it out gets you back in control, that's all that counts. I have not completed the task, but I'm well on ...

It warms my heart to know that I am not alone! Boxes and bags of stuff are being donated to various organizations nationwide. We will conquer this mess we've created, but we must be mindful not to let it happen again. Slow and steady is all I can say. 

Let's not forget to keep celebrating those little steps. Maybe it's one magazine that got tossed, or perhaps it's a book that you donated. It all counts. What's most important is that as you start to let go, the more you want to let go. 

I ...

It's hard to believe, but it's New Year's Eve 2024. Tomorrow, a new year begins with many goals, aspirations, and plans. I don't make resolutions, although how different is a resolution from a goal? 

Remember, we do NOT need New Year's Day to make improvements in our lives. EVERY DAY is a new day, and if you screw up one day, you can restart the next day! 

So, consider making the Stand-up/Sit-down exercise a goal for 2025. You can start at any time, at any age, and at any ability! Yes, even if you ...