What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

OH, I just realized that the title of yesterday's blog AND the first picture you see of a volcano erupting were perhaps a bit dramatic!! BUT getting that much work done in the office was dramatic! 

I listened to this audiobook MANY years ago when I started my decluttering journey. I just checked my blog and the date was March 10, 2014!!!!! Well, I listened to it somewhere, and I suspect it was before I started because the first room I tackled was the bedroom, and that's the first room mentioned in the book. For the record, and ...

I had a super productive day yesterday. I really wanted to start and finish one project that needed to be done. I almost completed it, but it's still likely to take another two hours. It involved some quilting, and at 7:30 pm, I was exhausted, so I went to read for a bit. I'll be able to finish this morning. 

As a result of going to bed so early, I was up VERY early and decided that while also doing some writing, I'd send out some emails. After I sent them, I forgot that people could ...

OH - I love the comments, and I need to ask a few more questions, so I'll be answering them this morning. I didn't get the reference to the matches in the bathroom? Am I missing something? 

I got an email in the afternoon about one of my posts that said to call them because I might be going down the wrong path. Yikes!!! It concerned the vinyl we cut for the Terrifying Tower, which we're going to machine embroider in a couple of weeks. 

Here is the picture and the wording that scared several of my savvy ...

I totally get the hungry feeling after eating oatmeal. I have tried hemp hearts, and they work, but they are sometimes hard to find. And then my big question is, do you want whole hemp hearts or ground hemp hearts - which one provides more nutrition? I'm going to use my protein powder because I have it and need to use it up! But first, let's use the carbohydrate powder. It's time to clean the cupboards! 

So many choices!! I laugh about eating oatmeal for breakfast, because when I was chatting with my aunts earlier this year, most ...

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 ...

Yes -- I restocked the retreat supply box with a spool of black and a spool of white thread, and I put a spool on the sewing machine. All set for the next retreat. 

My SIL finished her quilt top and the backing last night. I have realized that my space is not configured for two people to work. Yikes! But all will be good, and I did manage to piece together one thing myself, so I was happy. It's part of the weekend homework, and I took lots of pictures, so I just need to get them into the ...

I didn't have a chance to check out the list of smart devices, but YES --- we have tablets, iPads, computers, three sewing machines, the front door, and a smart TV (forgot about those last two), one Alexa, and well, I'll have to check the rest of the devices. No thermostat connected and no fridge or microwave! 

You laugh— a friend of mine just purchased a dishwasher, and it's Wi-Fi enabled. Why? I hope to have some time today to connect those pods, and then we can hopefully get a handle on this Wi-Fi issue. 

It's going ...

Although it was a busy day, I don't have much to show for it. 

But I do have something to show you about my table decor rod. I bought these a while back (IKEA). They were brought to my attention because someone used bungee cords attached to the rod and then to their quilt to prevent the entire weight of the quilt from causing issues with the arm on the embroidery unit. They can also be used for free-motion quilting to prevent the quilt from falling off the table. Both are excellent places to use that rod. 

I liked ...

I took my SIL with me on my trip to the Kawartha Quiltmaker Guild! She said she got to learn a lot about quilting, and a lot about me! We had a great conversation, the driving went by in a flash, and the weather was decent!

However, a great deal of fun was had at the guild meeting. What a wonderful group of ladies, and there were a lot of them! They will be hosting their quilt show on May 8-9, 2026, so be sure to put that on your calendar! I'm sure with the talent we saw in ...

Good grief! How much more grief can those dog quilts give me? Everything was going just great - the backing for the seventh dog quilt had one seam. That was easy. The top was done, and the three pieces for the batting were on the ironing board. 

The other quilt was loaded, and I started it in plenty of time, but alas, it was not to be. 

While I'd like to blame this one on the machine, I can really only blame myself. Why? Because I need to change those leaders. 

There is a weak spot in the center of ...

 And just like that -- it's a new week. So many ideas and so little time, but the important thing is just to do! 

Speaking of batting bits, it's amazing how many quilts you can quilt with those bits! I've pulled a few pieces from that stack I brought downstairs, and it doesn't seem to have made a dent. I calculate there is enough batting here for about 20 quilts! That should cover the remainder of my dog quilts, and the ten for the favour, and a couple more! This is the last favor job I do ...

It was a bit of a train wreck day, but I still managed to get three things done! Remember, I mentioned I had the shingles shot the previous day? Well, about dinner time yesterday, it hit me, although my arm had been sore for most of the day. It didn't help that I had done a lot of upper arm work with Brooke, and I could feel that in my arms as well. 

I had a slight fever, accompanied by a chill, and I was exhausted. I went to bed with a hot Magic Bag and fell into a ...

 OH MY GOSH --- someone else calls that fabric FORTREL!!!! They must be from the west, but what a great idea to make quilts for the homeless. That fabric cannot be destroyed. And now I have two boxes to deal with! But at least I know what to do with it! 

You are going to start saying that I sound like a broken record, but this new system of mine is working like a charm. As the number of projects in that blue box diminishes, I am so tempted to walk to the current projects table and pick up a couple ...

I see there are some new recommendations for books! I may have to give up sewing to get through them all! As much as I love to read, I could never read all day, as that just wouldn't work for me. Variety is the spice of life! So reading and sewing! 

A couple more flower pictures! I made Murphy wait while I took these; she was not happy! 

Love the color of this rose

Even in October, a full seed of a dandelion

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 ...

Oh my goodness — I love all the stories about typing class. I don't remember how many words per minute I ended up typing, but there are days when I wonder how I ever managed! That backspace key is so handy! And that IBM Selectric -- what a dream! 

As for retirement, someone mentioned that many retired people comment that they are so busy now that they don't know how they managed to work. Seriously? Do you want to jump from the frying pan into the fire? I guess if that is what you want to do, then it's ...

I love to teach - I think everyone knows that, and I seem to be a natural at it. Perhaps when I was a kid, I should have veered that way. But I'm happy things turned out the way they did. 

I lived a very isolated life as a kid, and the only job opportunities I saw were those of a teacher, a nurse, or a secretary. Can you believe that? But it was common, and that's why we have a lot of retired teachers and nurses who quilt. 

I learned to type in high school, either in Grade ...

I am on the home stretch of the craziness that was September. There are still a few days left, but come Friday, when I don't have to travel for a long time and only have one class to prep for this weekend, it's going to be heaven. 

I hope you realize that I typically have more than one class on the weekend, two of them back-to-back on Saturday. I intentionally did NOT start the jacket class this month because I knew it would be silly from a timing perspective. That one starts in October. Yeah me! See -- I ...

Only a few more days to get through this crazy schedule. It took quite a while to get the UFO presentations put together --- many group members were very busy over the summer, and we had a lot to see! 

Time was running out, and so I shortchanged the girls on their walk. They were not happy about it. I was about a half hour late in getting out of the house with them, and can you tell they were not happy? 

MOM -- we are waiting PATIENTLY!!!!

I WAS going to say Rose of Sharon!! I am quite confused about plants, but I believe you are correct! It's hard to believe that my paternal grandfather and mother had green thumbs, yet I struggle to name even a few plants in my garden. 

But I was attempting to use my pale green thumbs as I puttered in the garden in the morning. More in a second. 

It was another fun day at the Virtual Retreat. Our new hours are 3 PM to approximately 9 PM EST, in case you'd like to join us in the future ...