What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Regarding yesterday's post about changing needles, I wanted to add something. The "rule of thumb" is to change the needles after 6 - 8 hours of sewing. But what exactly does that mean? Some sewists could be sewing (needle moving up and down, NOT just in the sewing room) 6 - 8 hours in one day. For others, that might be several days or weeks. 

The guideline I use is to wind 4 or 5 bobbins, and when they are done, it's time to change the needle and CLEAN the bobbin case. You'll have to listen to your machine ...

 It's funny how the days just seem to jumble together. It's almost like Ground Hog Day when the same things happen repeatedly! I am somewhat "chained" to the house because of those presentations. They are all over the schedule, so I must watch the clock. But all is good! I had two presentations yesterday, and both went well. I'm back in the groove for the new topics, although I still have some samples and supplies to organize. 

Guess what I did with my "free" time this morning? I sorted and organized, and every little bit made me ...

OMG -- did you see the exercise Elle recommended for strengthening the legs? Squats! I hate squats. Well, I hate them because my legs are so weak. But she's right! In the short time that I've become more aware of my situation and doing something about it, I feel much stronger. Not using hands to get out of a chair or using hands to sit down. Let the legs do the work - they are quite capable! People -- we do not want to walk with canes or walkers or, god forbid, we'll need someone to help us get out ...

Oh my—I'm rereading these blog posts about keeping a quilter happy while on vacation, and I love this one! It has lots of tips for keeping everyone happy. 

I think I've discovered why those links didn't work last week. When a link comes up and I copy it, I need to ensure the "https:/" is included, or it will redirect back to my blog. How do I know that? I'm experimenting! 

Today is election day in our province. For anyone eligible to vote, please get yourself out there and vote. And for those who think ...

 When we were at the retreat this past weekend, we discussed many things, and you know what they say—what happens at the retreat stays at the retreat. But I wanted to share a couple of things—only because they are super fun! And some great memories!

One of the topics discussed was the Row by Row Experience, which I will share at the end of this post. 

We also chatted about the first time I met the owner (Laurie) of Stitcharie, which at the time was located in Wyoming, Ontario, but has since moved to Petrolia. 

That summer, I ...

So what happened yesterday? Two of the three links in yesterday's post were incorrect. I fixed them, but rather than you having to go back, here they are again. 

Here are the 2025 QuiltCon winners and the Dignity sculpture in South Dakota. 

Some days, things just happen! 

Yesterday was a better day, but it was still one of those days. I was in Studio B doing some embroidery. I knock a box of fabric on the floor. GRR. My thread breaks. GRR. I can't find the screwdriver to change the needle. GRR. Well, you see what it was ...

What a whirlwind day! I ran between Zoom and shoveling snow and Zoom. But there is good news—wait for it. 

This was after the first shovel in the morning. This picture was taken around 8 a.m. and the snow was covering up my handiwork as I finished. 

8 a.m.

Noon

Then, there was the shovel session at 3:00 p.m. Each time, it took between 40 - 50 minutes to shovel. Is ...

Well, there's nothing much to discuss this morning except the snow! I didn't want to repeat what happened last week when I had a foot of snow to clear from the driveway, so right after my three Zooms, it was time to grab that shovel. 

And this was what it looked like as I finished Round One. Yes - it was still snowing, so as quickly as I shoveled, the snow fell on the other side. But getting rid of at least that much will help. 

Round One

Just before we started the Virtual Retreat, it was time to ...

Yes -- it's OK to be a Pollyanna. It'll drive those negative Nellies to weep, and that's OK. It's nice to be positive, and I must keep the gentle critique in my back pocket for the next time! So many people are unaware of how they converse and are perceived, and some do NOT come up for air! 

Oh my—I have two of the three presentations ready, and the third won't take long. But the timing is tight! I've got to try a little harder next month so that it doesn't come to ...

I should mention that we live on a court, so there's no sidewalk plowing. The street that our street joins is also not cleared by the city. However, the next street over the sidewalk is plowed. It all works out, but it's annoying that homeowners can't do some work. I wonder how I'll get to the plowed sidewalk this morning with the girls. I'm walking on the street, I guess. 

So when I was in BC last year—Penticton and West/North Vancouver, to be exact—I would NOT want to live there if there ...

OK -- we talked about comments the other day and how the power of suggestion, even in your mind, will trigger things. Well, where did this comment come from? 

The mystery of the internet, for sure! 

I have a favor to ask all of you, particularly those who live close to me or are on the Pony Express. You could always send the items via mail, but I don't want people to incur costs. 

A local group of sewists meets at the library several times a month—maybe even once a week—to make medicine dolls. These dolls help hospitalized ...

Even though I have a hectic week ahead of me, with many day-job presentations, some of which require considerable sample-making and five Zoom meetings on the weekend, I am calm. I am in control!

What happened? After yesterday's three Zoom calls, I looked at the chaos and said, "ENOUGH!" There were samples all over the floor, which Murphy thought was great to trod upon as she attempted to get some petting. Scissors, needles, thread, and hoops were strewn everywhere, and the situation was not working. The visual clutter alone made me—I don't know what's a good ...

LOL --- you are so right! Facebook seems to be the worst for getting you in an algorithm loop! Just keep on deleting! But now I'm hooked on Sean The Sheepman, so if you get sheep reels - it's because of me. Sorry! 

It's also a shame how many popular videos are hijacked by someone with a similar name so they can get the likes and the money! For instance, someone has hijacked Sean's Instagram page and called themselves sean the sheepman. What's the difference? No capital letters and no watermark on the video. Beware, and don ...

I will be good and keep this blog clean of "banned" topics. But there are times when I'd love to dive deep. I think it's essential to have venues that are free of that kind of stuff. I've often thought about starting another forum where I could rant and rave to my heart's content. In the meantime, DH gets the brunt of it! And that's all I'll say on that topic. 

By banned, I mean I had to ban specific topics from my Monday Sewing group because the conversations just went ugly, and that ...

My name is Elaine, and I'm a hoarder! So we've known that for a long time, and I'm trying very hard to break the habit. For myself - it's a bit of a learned habit, as my mom is a hoarder. It's also wanting to collect all the shiny things. And then there is this situation. 

When I arrived home from the retreat - all of this came back into the house with me. Poor Murphy was beside herself because she couldn't get to the door! 

MOM - I can't get to you!

Before I get into today, I want to clarify one point. In all the decluttering, I have perhaps "strongly" advised everyone to stop buying, which is undeniably true. 

Here's the thing—we live in a bizarre world where our wants are dictated by marketing people, who are motivated by CEOs who want more profit on the bottom line. This goes for any industry. Did you know that marketing and research people intentionally make products that appeal to our want mentality? 

We have wants that must be fulfilled, so we buy, buy, buy. Sometimes, we buy and bring home a ...

 As I prepared to take the girls for their morning walk, I contemplated how to dress. The temperature was minus 19, with a wind chill of minus 26 or something like that. I'm pretty good for my head (a Tilley hat is the best, although it should probably be replaced as the ear flaps are stretched), but the tightly wound scarf keeps that all in check; my recycled pop-bottle coat is toasty warm, but what about my legs? 

Then I remembered some wind pants in the closet and checked them out. Good grief - there were TWO pairs of pants ...

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 ...

I'm pleased to report that things are going well! 

My leg is not out of the woods, but the X-ray and the ultrasound show everything is OK, as we figured they would. I've requested that I get on the list for an MRI. I was going to see if I could get it done quicker, but since the acute pain is gone (thank goodness), I'm not in too much of a rush. 

I attribute the change in pain level to the stretching Brooke is "making" me do at the gym. I suspect that as I'm aging ...

 There are a couple of things to clear before I start on today's topic. 

1. The USB stick --- good grief - this was a challenge, and it was only when someone sent me a picture of how it opened that I got it! DUH!!! There are days when I wonder how I make anything happen, and then there are days when I amaze myself with my creativity! Oh shoot -- I didn't take a picture of how it opens, but the ENTIRE top of that white square turns, causing the connector to pop out. There were little arrows on the ...