Let the Declutter Begin

 The first thing I had done to begin the declutter was to clear off the card table at the end of the bed, bag up the leftover fabric and scraps from the  Biblical Blocks quilt, and donate them. 

Speaking of donating. Did I ever donate this past week! 

Where do I begin? Five big bags went to a local guild for comfort quilts.

All the rest of the fabric got brought down from the endless quilt cupboard upstairs and sorted and bagged. The girls that came to help each took home some. Another 15 totes and really big bins and bags got donated to a Mission Thrift Store that supports donating Bibles to needy areas in the world. It helps that my niece works there.

That left a lot of empty project boxes so those are being donated also. The cleaning lady took some home.

Blessings,

Chris

December OMG Goal

 Now I know how to really trash a space. It is not a skill that can be taught or learned. It is a natural talent - part of who I am. But I also realize that I do not function well in clutter. You think? That is one of the reasons for so many ufo's and lost gadgets.

 With a lot of clutter comes a lot of distraction. And yet, I need to see my stuff to know it is there. My storage containers are all see-through purposely so I can see at a glance what is in them without totally ransacking to find that one specific thing. Like I could not find the battery charger for my camera. I looked everywhere I thought it might be. It had been in my downstairs quilt room but we all know that I took a lot of stuff upstairs to the new quilt room and it usually lives right beside the printer where it is not in the way and close to an outlet to plug it in. 

We were in the middle of the cow auction of a lifetime, and we had a dead camera. It always dies in the middle of really important events. But the following day, I went to get some thread for something or other, and there it was. In the box on top of the box of the box of coloured threads. I looked in all the other boxes and must have missed that one. And, the backup battery was in it just as dead. So now both batteries are charged up and the charger is back in its resting place and I am taking pictures again. 

So about trashing a space. I was completing an old ufo for a wedding gift last month. I had four weeks' notice but I actually took just a week to finish it including going to the long arm quilter and a whole day to attach the binding. 

So that ufo was complete and it was time to clear away all the leftover bits so I could reclaim the project box since it was now empty. But what to put into it? 

I am sure I will find something. But in the meantime, I need access to that bed. What bed you might be thinking. 

I do not want to make elaborate plans and sewing commitments this month, but I do need to clear the space in case I impulsively decide to start a few new quilts in the new year. I have ideas. But I am also compiling a plan for completing ufos. I have donated several so the numbers are coming down. 

My OMG goal for December will be to organize this space and show pictures to prove it. And yes, I have a tea kettle and mug up there to make a nice hot drink. I also have hot chocolate for the little girls for when they come to hang out with me. 

blessings,

Chris

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Blog-Post-a-Day Challenge

 It is December and time once again for the Blog-Post-A-Day Challenge. I thought about doing this last month, but there were other more important things like answering the phone, monitoring Facebook, and dealing with emails for the event of the century when we sold all of our cows. Oh, and making bank deposits. I have learned how to relax a bit and I know how to schedule posts so do not have the pressure of having to write every single day. 

So, sit back, grab a hot drink, and join me each day this month for some ramblings about whatever comes into my head to write about. It could get interesting. Most times it will be about my quilting journey, But you never know. Life here on the Farm is entering a new chapter with my husband retiring. Good thing I like him since he keeps hovering over what I am doing. 

There is still one lonely cow to milk twice a day and a few in the dry cow barn to feed. We have to rethink how the water will come into the house from the well since right now it is piped through the barn underground then to the house. With no cows in the barn, it will eventually freeze all the lines. I recall that happening one January and it was  May 16 when it started flowing again. We had a cistern for other use, but every day I took a bucket to the well and brought our drinking water to the house. I was making homemade butter at the time, so had to make sure I had lots. These days just walking that far is a challenge for me. 

See you tomorrow,

Chris

November 2021 OMG Completion

 An old friend called up early in October to invite us to his wedding. The next day my Sweet Farmer announced he was going to sell all the cows. My 90 Day Writing Goal was to have a first draft of my newest book by Dec 1. The pressure was on. I decided to choose one of the ufos from the endless project boxes that was nearest completion and make it my November OMG. This is Biblical Blocks by Rosemary Makhan that I started in 2005. The book writing was put on hold and Nov 11 the cattle were sold.

I had taken a class years ago the first time I made this pattern but I loaned the book and all the instructions to a friend who has moved 2-3 times since. Good thing that the first thing we did was cut out and label all the borders and setting triangles. 

But I still had to figure out how to put them together.This was a bit of a challenge. But I had a picture of the finished quilt so had a reference point. I only had to redo one. 

My machine was a bit sluggish so I thought I should check inside. Good plan. I cannot believe how much lint had collected in here. 

As a rule, I sew with bare feet. I want to be able to feel what is going on and have better control. But, what are the chances of dropping the scissors inches from my foot? 

I took me 2 days to make up the 6 remaining blocks. I had fussy cut many of the others, but chose to do foundation piecing for these. Another 2 days to assemble all the blocks and borders.

I had been helping my Sweetie with preparations for the cow sale so he rewarded me with his time and removed the foundation papers. He has decided that quilting will not be his new retirement hobby.

 I mitered both the Rose of Sharon applique borders and the fancy dancy Jinny Beyer border print. This technique is not for the faint of heart. Matching up all those stripes and designs. I sent the thing out to be longarm quilted. She had it back in 2 days.

The last thing to do was trim and sew on the binding. I chose to use a mottled blue fabric from the collection because I had enough and it matched perfectly. This is where the pain in my right hand really started screaming for relief. It took me the whole day to do a 2 hour job. So in all, it took 7 days to finish this quilt. 

 

Our friend told me that when he was living with us, he often noticed me working on quilts and asked what it would take to get one of them. Get married I told him apparently. Well, he remembered and now he has his own quilt.

You'd of thought we knew the bedroom colours before choosing this quilt. But I chose one from the archives of ufos nearest to completion. 

Blessings,

Chris

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We are Selling the Cows

 Who would have thought my Sweetie would suddenly, one day, announce that he was going to sell all the cows. This is no small matter. He has milked cows since he could walk and the Guernsey cows have been in the family for 92 years. But selling we are. 

Hence, my not completing my October OMG. Nor did I do any work on my book since that day. And the wedding quilt that was my OMG is still on the design wall in many pieces. The phone has not stopped ringing and I am on facebook constantly monitoring the sensational buzz we have created in the cow world. And emails have to be dealt with.

The whole selling the cows went from a simple selling 10 cows to one farmer, then he bought 20 more and we got a call and visit from a cattle auctioneer in Quebec and suddenly we are having an online video sale of 6 select cows and 45 heifers and calves and the rest being bought also. They have been clipping and grooming calves for days and the photographer is out there now taking portrait picture of all the girls. 

I took the Elly and Devan for a sleepover at our daughters this weekend and after the boys went to bed (they always go earlier than the girls), I pulled out the Rose of Sharon applique borders and had the girls pulling out the freezer paper from with the machine applique flowers. We will do the leaves today and tomorrow. I anticipate having the top to flimsy stage by Friday (I am such a dreamer), but the wedding is 12 days away and the long arm is booked. 

The online auction is only 10 days away. And I am playing games. Does not make any sense to me either. I have a clear schedule for this whole week and should get back to work. 

I think my OMG goal for November has to be completing the Biblical Blocks Quilt. And then I really should take time away from the computer because my eyes are starting to bother me as in everything is a bit foggy. I cannot make an appointment with my eye doctor as they have quietly been on strike for the past 2 months. I am on the priority list for appointments when they get back to serving us seniors who have OHIP. And the pain in my right hand has escalated in the past few months to the point that I have to do something different. Cutting back on sugar is the first thing and stopping playing games which requires a lot of mousing. Buying a new mouse and keyboard will certainly help since I often have to click and swipe 2-3 times for every function as well as certain keys refusing to cooperate. 

I will be back at the end of the month to let you know how I did. 

Blessings,

Chris

Change of OMG Plan

 So we got a phone call from an old friend inviting us to his wedding next month reminding us that I promised him a quilt. That means my OMG for October now is to have this quilt to a flimsy ready to get machine quilted. I can still do the Stitch for 15 Minutes a day thing but with this Biblical Blocks Quilt.

There are still 6 blocks to make. One is already cut out and ready to machine applique. All the borders are machine appliqued, just waiting to be sewn onto the quilt before adding the final flowers in the corners and between the swags to center them nicely. Fortunately, the teacher for this class had us cut ALL the borders and connecting triangles, including labeling them, first before making the blocks with the rest. Everything has been sitting in a project box for at least 15 years awaiting completion.

Wish me luck.

Blessings,

Chris

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October 2021 OMG Goal

 My OMG goal for October will be to Quilt for 15 minutes almost every day. I have to leave a bit of leeway. This way I can work on several projects at a time without the pressure to actually complete any specific one. I only missed 2 days from Jan-Apr, then I fell off the wagon for May-Aug. Time to get back in the game. Included will be actual hand stitching, machine sewing and quilting, block prepping, pressing, putting blocks on the wall, printing patterns, 

Some of the things I want to work on.

50th Anniversary Quilt aka Ella. I have 6 foundation blocks prepped and 9 applique blocks half done. There seems to be no rush since we postponed the anniversary celebration until next year. But that might come sooner than I think if I keep procrastinating. 

Poppy's Garden. I woke up from a nap dreaming of a creative way to make a lot of circles. This included stretching out a metal tape measure while applying tape to it until it was long enough, then tracing circles using a wine cork onto the tape and cutting them out. I do not drink wine and I just ordered an Accuquilt circle die. I have some of the most interesting dreams. I changed the background colour to a crisp white and the colors now look good. I also found the rest of the purple/green/paisley fabric I bought some years ago. It will be the focus fabric. I get to add orange and turquoise. 

Macaron Mystery. I haven't actually started working on this yet. I was waiting for a few more clues before dive-bombing in. I want to do some of the cutting prep work.

Summer QAL. Jonathan told me he liked the colours in this when the blocks were on the design wall. I have yet to assemble them and add borders. 

Machine Quilting something. Anything. I finally set up the new Jazz that I bought 6 months ago.

I am considering quilting goals for 2022 already. Seriously. It has something to do with delaying and sabotaging my writing goals. It was while I was doing this that I had the impulsive idea to donate a dozen ufos. Also, I have already given brain activity to projects to take along to the Shipshewana Retreat in April. We registered back in April in faith that we could cross the border into the USA next April. We have our rooms booked.  

The cleaning lady has finally been able to come back and we are doing decluttering. 

Blessings,

Chris

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