I had a workshop at one of the local quilt shops.  I was given the workshop by a friend...she is away in the warm south (poor thing).
I received my instructions for the workshop and I pulled fabrics to cut to the required sizes.  (ooooppps ...the workshop was, amongst others things, learning to cut multiple layers of fabric.) And put fabrics back and chose others...and put them back and chose some others again...such indecision.  I actually cut up a couple of fat quarters that I have had for....hummm.. 30 years?!  gotta use it up..lol
So everyday for the last week I have been going into my sewing room to prepare for this workshop.
Instead....

I organised the file cabinet.

Again, I went into the sewing room and....

I took out my mother's 60+yr old featherweight and thoroughly oiled and cleaned and oiled it again, changed the needle, it goes in sideways to what we are used to.  Ran it and ran it. Wiped it down and oiled it again. Then wiped up any oil that was remaining.
  Did I say that my sister had this machine for a little while?
 I don't think she used it much, but did notice the cord needed repair.   She took it out to be repaired, by an electrician.   He made a new cord for it and DUH! wired it WRONG! When you plugged it in, the power was straight to the machine, it raced at full speed!!
 I rewired it..
that was wrong ..
and so I tried again. 
There are 3 wires in the plug.  One for the light...it switches on and off...one to the foot pedal...so that you can adjust the speed of the machine with the foot control (hence, the FOOT control)!
Got done right!
It sews like a dream....but...
I didn't cut fabric.
Finally, I thought...I really better get some fabric cut.
 and I did...
Then I cleaned out my sewing machine.... wound bobbins.....
 played around with different feet for the machine and......
 made a mental list of what I wanted to take with me..
Slowly, very slowly, I got a bunch of fabric cut for my blocks.  Two sizes of mediums and darks.
For every 2 1/2" square, I need two dark or medium squares, halved, diagonally ...
good ...
got that basically done..or at least enough for the workshop.
Now, it's the night before and I have to cut lights. Two squares, cut diagonally for every dark 2 1/2"  square....
Plus I have to pack, everything I need, up,
Hummm..
I wonder if I have ADHD.......

NO....just a procrastinator...hehe

I found this pin on pinterest, it's original pin was  from
Quilting Board

I was at quilt guild last night and we had a fabulous speaker Martha Schellingerhoud.
I saw her a couple of years ago and I was blown away with her quilts ...large and miniature.  Tonight was a treat ,  again!
She is on facebook if you want to see her quilts.
  Just type her name. (on facebook)
 And she has a website....Martha.
 Just click on her name to take you there.  She actually has a great display on facebook and her website.
I didn't take pics...sorry...I find some quilters mind and some don't.  Some don't want to lose ownership of their work,and there are copyright issues they worry about if  it ends up on pinterest and then it can go all over the net.
 Pics can be watermarked so that they always have an attribution ...but, again...some don't like it..some quilters are thrilled.
Anyway, it was a fab show .  I thoroughly enjoyed it.
 ( I think our programme committee is doing a fabulous job!)
She works on her large quilts a section at a time, then joins the pieces together by 3 different methods.
We are having a workshop on her methods.... and I am registered to go!

She uses this quilt on her business card....

I was sewing merrily away the other day, using the method by Karin Hellaby.
I am trying to use up scraps, trying to reduce the amount of "stuff" in my sewing room...that way there is less to move (HAHAHAHA!) (so I think!).
I have the first round of  a bunch of blocks done, and I am ready to press.  I gave them a light spritz and let them sit a moment.
Well!  Some of the blocks are red! with white centres...so I am absolutely SURE you KNOW what happened......
Yup!   the red ran....I ran downstair and got a colour catcher from the laundry room.
Filled the bathroom  sink with  HOT water and soaked those little boogers until the water was cold.....and yes, that red dye RAN!  I kept rinsing in hot water until the water ran clear.
Then I went back to the sewing room, pulled some red fabrics and did the same for them.   I watched as I put them in the hot water, one  piece at a time.  Not all of them ran, just a couple...but that was enough!
That one dye magnet sheet is now bright red! I use them again and again, not just once..
I don't always wash my fabrics as they come home.....I have many small pieces...fat quarters, layer cakes and strips, I don't wash them, or soak them...just the large pieces.
But as we all know RED is notorious for bleeding.  Green can run, so can blue.  I like the jewel tones, there is probably more "free" dyes on those fabrics.  I have one green fabric that crocks (rubs off). 
I can't understand why we can no longer buy the dye magnets in Ontario any more.
I used to buy them here, when I could.
Then I had my sister, who lived in the states, buy me some.  She's back here now, so there goes my supply.
I HAVE heard of a nearby quilt store that repackages and sells a couple of them for a lot of money...
I also talked to someone at the  Johnson "SHOUT"  customer hotline and she said (confirmed) that they don't sell them in Canada anymore...not since 2010.
Well, I haven't been able to find them here for much longer than that!
I suggested that the sales people take them to quilt store to sell.

Or maybe, it's our bi-lingual packaging laws that are the holdback.....I have heard of other products that were discontinued due to labeling....

The mister only has a couple weeks left before his retirement.
Then 6 weeks of holidays, and he is done...done...done....many of his associates have requested he come and work for them a couple of days a week.
 If he gets bored...
well,
 I may have to send him on his way.
He has many projects at home to keep him busy, too.
Cleaning out the garage..painting for me...Oppps..he can't do that..he is allergic to paint!
As I have said before, I plan on relocating my sewing room.
That is going to take some planning...do I want to keep the sofa and chairs that I have down there?  Should I move everything down to one end?
If I want to do that I am going to have to add some cable for the TV in the other area.
And move a huge wall unit.....Oh my, this is beginning to sound like work!
I really need to clean out my sewing room, no matter what.
The room badly needs painting.
I painted when it was my daughter's bedroom, but that paint is peeling!
The room had been wallpapered before by the original owners....they papered over new drywall....no  primer...I thought I had removed all the wallpaper paste, but now I wonder....plus ...no primer..
This is going to be a really big job!...any peeling paint will have to be scraped and the walls primed.
Right now the walls are white and I will probably stick with that (lack of) colour.
And I will have to paint it when he is not around...like for his golf holiday in June.
I really need to do some  PLANNING!

I have been doing some sewing...yes...I have...
I saw a video on line of  Karin Hellaby (click on her name to see the video), she has another way to sew pineapple blocks.  Well, they are more of square in a square.
So I thought...hmmm...I have lots of precut blocks, I think I will try it out.
I even went so far as to price her book.
 I didn't order it though.
 I will see if one of the guilds I belong to has it in the library.
And the other night I was able to pick up on of her books, just turned around and low and behold, it was right there!
Just a small book, only 16 pages long, it was a quick read.  I only wanted to check the method, anyway.
So, I have been doing a bit of sewing using up some of my stash.
I don't think I will get too much done this week as the grand daughters are on spring break (they are here).
I have a feeling the oldest might want to sit and veg-out all week long, Courtney wants to sew and craft....I have lots that she can do!

Courtney, the youngest of my 2 granddaughters still plays with dolls. Her best friends still play with dolls.
 She plays with "Journey girls",  she has a "Micheals" version but she really, really wants an American girl doll. 
They are really expensive, and I think the Journey girls from Toys R Us are just as pretty.
I have made her numerous outfits for her dolls.  They are an 18" doll, so they are not as hard to sew for.
I've made her dresses, skirts, tops, pants, underwear, pj's, bathing suits, skating outfits, ballet tutus and dance outfits...shoes, boots, running shoes, book bags, backpacks....a chair..a table..a closet....quilts for her dolls, pillows, now she wants mattresses...LOL!
We went to Ikea today to buy their doll bed. 
It comes with "linens"...I wouldn't call them linens..
And Courtney is not satisfied with the state of the "mattress" and "pillow".
So I said I would make it.

Good thing I have lots of stuffing and scraps from batts.

I  added some stuffing to the pillow, just a bit. 
Then I took some high loft batting and folded it into 6 layers, made a "box" cushion cover ....and voila! A mattress.

She wanted a comforter, not a quilt.....so I added a ruffle to what I think is supposed to be a mattress, basically making it a comforter.
 Added a ruffle to the small pillow, then I made a small round pillow for her.
She said she wanted 5 decorative pillows but, I don't know where she will put them!

Ready for her doll....

 

She took it all home and her cat decided it was a good sized bed for her.