Hidden in plain sight!
My head is exploding and I don't have a headache. So much exciting stuff going on and well - I can barely handle it all. Technology is my friend when it works and lately (knock on wood) things have been going very well.
It appears that everyone is ZOOMING these days and I need to be a part of that. So I had a test ZOOM chat with Elaine yesterday. It went very well, except for ONE THING. Look at the picture and see if you can tell me what that is.
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| Picture from my Zoom chat |
Yep - look at that mess in the background!! OK - that has to go. I have a plan on how to deal with that since I do not have time to clean it up. I tried the virtual backgrounds - I'm not a fan, but they are cool.
Then I watched a live presentation (via Zoom) on the Glowforge laser cutter. OH MY GOD - I want one, but they are NOT cheap. I think I'm going to have to wait a bit on that. But it's amazing to see what this thing can do.
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| Glowforge demo on ZOOM |
It was pretty cool because four people were presenting - each from their homes in Seattle and the video switched back and forth between them. Almost 400 people were watching the presentation. It just blows my mind what we can do with technology these days.
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| The President of Glowforge |
Hmm - look at his hair or lack thereof. Perhaps he was bald when the lockdown started or perhaps he has a set of clippers at home.
After those calls and a bit more research, I set up several Zoom meetings. A couple of them are test calls to make sure that the participants can get connected. Then the real ones are scheduled for the weekend. I have a couple more to schedule today. It's pretty simple to do.
As I was lying in bed this morning, I remembered that I have a boom tripod so I can do overhead shots of cutting or sewing or whatever. Hmm - now to get the software to connect my phone camera to the computer. Oh yes -- we are going to have fun with this technology. I may never teach a live class again!!! I will - but you know what I mean. It could be a while before people feel comfortable being in a group setting so this is the way to go for now.
I'll take you to Studio B for a quick tour to see what's happened there. OH -- the last inspiration board is now hung up. Yeah!!! It doesn't look quite so empty now.
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| Inspiration board hung up |
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| More stuff to put away |
So - I took everything from the cutting table, the little cabinet in the corner (above), and anything that was on the floor (a basket and a blue bag for pet mats) and put it on the tables. So this is it! This is the last of the stuff that needs to find a home. OK - there is still stuff under the longarm and a few other bags, but they are NOT in the main part of the studio and for the most part, are contained. They will need to be sorted and repacked at some point.
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| The worktables with the last of the miscellaneous stuff to sort |
Did you notice that there's still a LOT of empty space? This is very exciting. The front two tables have stuff that needs to be put away. The back two are things that need to be done and they might just sit there until I have space in the weekly laundry basket to deal with them. And the stuff on the middle two tables is a combination of both.
It doesn't matter - there is a light at the end of this tunnel and it's so bright, I may need sunglasses soon. I'm jumping up and down happy about the situation. It's taken a LONG, LONG time to get to this point. There are TONS of UFOs to finish and things that I want to start, but all the clutter is almost gone. That's HUGE.
That leaves me with a clean ironing surface.
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| The ironing surface is clean |
The sewing station is very neat and tidy.
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| The sewing station |
And the cutting table is wide open.
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| The cutting table is empty |
And there you have it - a super neat and very exciting space to work in. There's NOTHING on the floor, the main workspaces are empty and only some stuff left to put away on the worktables. Perhaps, by the time, we can actually meet in person, there'll be absolutely NOTHING on those tables to move which has been the point of this exercise for years.
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| Studio B |
I spent almost the entire day on the computer. When I wasn't on conference calls - I had a total of three, I was prepping the written homework assignment that will go out before the calls set up for the weekend. I've got one done, three more to go. The good news - the worst (the longest) is done. The other three shouldn't be that long.
OH MY GOD - I just found out that my favorite quilt store in Orillia (Thimbles and Things will be getting the Princess and the Pea panel!) I've requested one. Thanks so much, Sue!!!!
Now let's pop upstairs to see what happened there yesterday. OK - what happened this morning. I swear that I'm totally blind. I was sewing away very early this morning when I happened to look down and THROUGH the clear plastic sewing table. OH - what's this?? An accessory box? To a sewing machine? It can't be for the sewing machine in the cabinet since I found that one the other day.
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| Another accessory box |
I opened it up and it has an assortment of feet.
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| Presser feet for a sewing machine |
Tools as well.
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| Extra tools |
OH MY GOD -- this is the accessory box for the Ruby that is downstairs in the small portable sewing table. I have wondered where the heck this accessory box has been hiding!! Well - hiding in plain sight!!!! I also died laughing when I realized what it was. And the best part - I sit at that sewing machine almost every day and never noticed that accessory box. It's not like you can't see it.
So that one is going downstairs to find a home on the table with the other bits of sewing machines or maybe there is room on the shelf in that small sewing table. I took the accessory box for the Opal that is in the big seeing cabinet and put it on the shelf. Surely, I'll see that if ever I pack up the sewing machine!!!
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| The accessory box for the machine that's in the cabinet |
As DH would say - I have too much stuff. And I can't even say, I know where everything is. But I'm getting better. When I wanted to find the boom stand for my camera - I knew exactly where that is located!!!
Back to working on that pieced border for the mini quilt. Those Thangles!!!! It's a fast way to sew the half-square triangles, especially when you chain piece them.
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| Chain piecing the half-square triangles |
But what's with the weather? That room is over the garage and the heat wasn't on at that crazy hour yet - that's how early I was up. So I found a pair of WOOL slippers on the dresser where they have sat since I purchased them in Nova Scotia about 5 years ago. I paid a lot of money for them and they still had the tag attached. I'm keeping them upstairs in that room for cold days. They are very toasty warm.
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| Toasty warm 100% WOOL slippers |
The first border is now on the mini-quilt and it looks awesome.
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| The first border on the mini-quilt |
I was merrily sewing and cutting and trimming and OOOPS - this happened. OK - so I said a bad word and then made a new one. This is what happens when you're not paying attention. Thankfully, it was the fabric that took the cut, not my finger.
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| A wrong cut |
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| The components for all 35 blocks are cut and ready to sew |
Here's the top with the dark border and one of the half star blocks sewn together. Then I'll add one wider and darker border to the outside of the pieced blocks.
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| Progress on the mini-quilt |
It's a slow and steady process. I have to put that aside for the moment as I continue to work on the last two projects that are due this weekend. Then I'll be back to this one. I'm not sure why I'm so much more focused. I know that I scoffed at people that were this focused, but it's working. Now - I do get to work on other things - like binding or quilting or designing, so technically, I'm not working on one project at a time. But much more focused than before and I'm loving it.
I have to get some of those darn windows closed so I can reboot my computer. I'm so bad at doing that. This link has a tip on how to mark your quilt with soap. That might become a necessity if you run out of chalk during our time of staying home. Anyway -it's a good tip. My favorite marking device is CHALK - especially the Chaco-liners. I hardly use anything else. BUT - I only use the white ones.
Here's another great link. If you like looking at quilt magazines or art quilt magazines, but don't want to buy them, you can download a bunch of older SAQA (Studio Art Quilting Association) magazines at this link. I like to download stuff like this on my iPad so when I'm bored (as if) I have something to look at. Trouble is - I forget the stuff is there.
On that note - I'm out of here. There is so much rolling around in my brain right now - things to design, meetings to organize, classes to prepare and then there's the quilting and sewing. It's going to be a busy day!!!!
Have a super day!!!!
Ciao!!!