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2.28.16

Keeping up with my homework! Pat Sloan's Splendid Sampler block 5 is called Simple Simon and is designed by Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods.

Still working on Pat Sloan's Splendid Sampler. I think of it like an online class that meets everyday and has homework due twice a week. I showed my first two blocks last week; here are blocks 3 and 4. The blocks are 6.5", unfinished (that means just before they go into a quilt) and there are to be 100 of them. The link above will take you to the page where you will find links to the block directions. Join us! Its free.

This is Lots of Love designed by Melissa Corry, made by me.

This one I just finished is Happy Happy designed by Jen Kingwell.

2.23.16

TEA TIME TUESDAY
Since I have Elephants on the brain, how about this?

Its in keeping with my yoga practice, too. Get it HERE, at jillatay etsy store.

Namaste.

2.22.16

MONDAY MANTRA

My primary sewing machine is in the shop, right in the middle of all the classes and online events I have involved myself in. I set up the secondary machine, but it has some sort of power issue. The last three times I had it repaired, the wiring was checked and a new (expensive, yet seemingly pointless) power supply was put in. It wiggles off and on when I step away to iron. Finally, the wiggling got so frequent, it was dangerous to continue.

Luckily, I pick up my primary machine this afternoon, and QuiltyFriend will lift it upstairs for me. I will have to wait until this evening if I want to sew on my Splendid Sampler. I also have a Second Saturday Block and two Modern Quilt Blocks to do. I can get some cutting done, in preparation. But, the Elephants from Laundry Basket Quilts are calling me...

2.20.16

Splendid Sampler #2 WINGS

Sewing and listening to music. I never used to listen to music, everyone else in my family had definite tastes in music and we listened to a lot of music. A LOT.

I started listening to Pandora regularly while on the treadmill--marches and theme music to epic westerns.

I had some channels set up by FartherAwaySon, which I listen to via my television screen. Mostly Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

Recently, I added some of my own. I like the Quick Mix option, but it doesn't really mix ALL of my channels. I work best with Sea Chanteys, Irish folk music, and Scottish folk music. I also like Medieval and Renaissance music. But when I want to feel POWERFUL, I listen to bagpipes.

It took a LOT of skirling of the pipes for WINGS, the second block of the Splendid Sampler.

2.16.16

I got distracted, then amidst my distraction, I was distracted again. Twice more, actually. This is Splendid Sampler Block 1, Hearts Aflutter, by Pat Sloan, as interpreted by me. It is a 2-block a week study. You can find out about it HERE. It caught me in the middle of Elephants.

Here a little once a week thingy from the Temecula Quilt Company, called Circa 2016. Go HERE to find the first block, which were the pinwheels. Unfortunately, even after dying the background fabric, it was still unsuitable. I like the color, but the hand of the fabric does not work with the batiks. I am trying to use only stash fabric for this, but I may have to break down and buy something tomorrow at Country Stitches. This was what I set out to do when Elephants came and got me.

Laundry Basket Quilts Pattern, available on their website.
Mine are so much fun. I am only planning to do three but they are very entertaining.

2.9.16

TEA TIME TUESDAY

This LINK is where you go if you have a spare
$67.00 and like this AnnaKraitz cup.
I like it, but I spent my money on fabric.

Flakes are falling, but we seem to have missed the predicted storm. Still, a day inside sewing and knitting with a nice hot cup of tea is a thing to be enjoyed. My tea of choice today is Cocoa Tango because it makes me smile inside and out.

2.8.16

MONDAY MANTRA

Perfect. Great idea to start the week.

2.3.16--WEEK 16

DEJUNKIFICATION WEEK 16

Upholstery type fabrics--Not sure how much they weigh, but they are HEAVY. Not marked yet for porch sale in the spring.

2.2.16

TEA TIME TUESDAY
Birthday tea for me! Delicious!

2.1.16

MONDAY MANTRA
I can keep going if I just keep going.

Treadmill has been #1 on my daily goal sheet for a month. It just moved off the list because it has finally become a habit.

In a few days, I will find another to replace it.

The number one spot is for those things I need to work into my daily routine, with the goal of becoming habits.

I began with 15 minutes a day, increasing one minute every 4th day. When I got to 21 minutes, I switched to distance. I can do 1 mile at a pretty fast clip (for me) because I have a Pandora Station called John Philip Sousa. There are some pretty fun marches on there, not just Sousa. Today I had one of the Star Trek marches as well as some wonderful Western ones.

I finally got the incline worked out. It was stuck on a steeper grade than I could comfortably walk--it was killing the backs of my knees. I found I could adjust by number instead of the up and down arrow and that seemed to work just fine.

The hardest step is the first step. Right now, the second hardest step is right at 7/10ths of a mile.

But if I just keep going, I can keep going.

1.29.16--One of the Ways Eleanor Burns Affected My Life

Eleanor Burns
photograph by Orion

Eleanor Burns is one of our present day quilting foremothers. Tons of information is available about her all over the webisphere, but today I want to tell you how she recently affected me, personally, in a non-quilty way.

Earlier this winter, long before the decluttering and 3 Goals a Day, I was rattling around in this house with no one but the dog to talk to. I turned to YouTube via my television screen, since I don't get television in the traditional sense.

I was in a quilting frame of mind, so I queued up some Eleanor shows. She is so generous with her talents. There is no charge to watch her shows, unlike many other quilting professionals. Eleanor was in the background while I folded and organized fabric.

I wish I could find the exact sound clip, but she said she had one chore she just HATED to do. She put it off and put it off until she just had to do it--empty the dishwasher.

She thought that she had to make a change in her attitude about that, so she timed herself and I think she said it took less than eight minutes. Maybe it was four minutes. Anyway, she concluded she could easily tackle the chore because it hardly took any time at all once she got started.

And that is the key. That first step, that first move in the direction you intend to go. That first step can take days longer than the actual task.

So, I thank Eleanor for setting me on the road toward making goals, and moving my successful goals to daily habits. You already know I got myself back into the bed-making habit. I moved a new daily goal to my #1 spot and it is almost permanent enough to move off the daily list, it is almost a habit. I have to admit, I have missed this goal 4 times in the past 20 days. It isn't, yet, a habit. But I think in another 10 days, I will have it!

The two other goals on the list vary according to what needs to be done around the house. I will have to come up with new #1 to make permanent and I think I have just the right thing.

1.27.16--WEEK 14, WEEK 15

DJUNKIFICATION
It continues, but with a new slant. Instead taking EVERYthing somewhere, I am saving up some things for a huge porch sale this spring. Thanks to QuiltyFriend for schlepping the things that were too heavy for me. Many hands, light work.

WEEK 14 (Last week): Extra office chair. I have three upstairs in the Sewing Studio. Who needs a fourth? Slated for the porch sale!

WEEK 15 (TODAY! CAUGHT UP!!!) Household stuff, including two lampshades I removed off of perfectly good lamps and bought perfectly nice traditional shades. Metallic animal print just isn't my thing.

1.23.16

Its pretty chilly out, 20 degrees and the wind is howling. The dog doesn't even want to mess around when it is time to go out. I read all day yesterday.

I had organized the window seating area in my dining room a day or so ago, looking for things to remove. I found dozens of table cloths in all configurations, half a dozen placemat sets, a food dehydrator, and two woks, among other things. I would gladly give up the table cloths and placemat sets, woks, well, even the food dehydrator, but all I was inspired to do was straighten them up and return them.

Not true.

I sporadically straightened the pantry. Lots of glass jars for my bulk goods. Labels, too.

1.18.16-WEEK 12, WEEK 13

Dejunkification--WEEK 12

So. Dragon around trying to catch up. Books to Humane Society Thrift Store--12 pounds

Dejunkification--WEEK 13

Clothes and household to Humane Society Thrift Store--4 pounds

I ordered some Banker's Boxes today to set aside Dejunkified garage salable stuff. It is time to cut loose some of this Depression Glass. Who needs 6 sets of dishes? Who wants to list them for sale on Etsy and then pack them and mail them?

Planning a Porch Sale the first weekend after Easter, if the weather looks good.

1.10.16--Slaying Dragons

Out of the house and on the road. NINE tasks completed. Unfortunately, only one of those was on my 3 Goals list for today, but I feel pretty good about those other 8. I even got home by 1:00 p.m.

Maybe tomorrow will find me looking closer at the 3 Goals list since I won't be distracted by things such as dentist, post office, gas, groceries, etc. I even managed to check the air in my tires and fill up the two that made the light show up on the dashboard.

First snow flurries yesterday, some snow on the roof, but none on the ground. Time to cuddle up with a book and a dog.

1.10.16--Dragon Trouble

So. I have had trouble dragon my butt out of the house to do things. Heck, I have had trouble dragon my butt AROUND the house to do things.

All the dejunkification posts for December, I made ahead. I realize I am a post behind on those, and I will try to do two loads this week. December has found me in hibernation mode--moving slowly and not with much ambition.

For that reason, I decide I needed a different take on the typical New Years Resolutions. Instead, I am doing 3 small goals a day. If I can cross one off the list, I feel good about myself. When I started, MAKE MY BED was the first goal for each day. The first year of my sorrow, I had no trouble accomplishing this task. It had never been my job before because the rule had been, first out makes the coffee, last out makes the bed. Still, it was easy in the first year to hop right out and set the room to rights so it looked inviting when time came to go to bed at night.

Somewhere around September, I sort of just stopped making the bed. In fact, I stopped making an effort in a lot of small ways. Recognizing this as a pattern that was gaining momentum, I decided to stop the nonsense. I came up with the 3 goals a day. At first, I could only accomplish 1 goal. Bed was first on my list, so after about 2 weeks, it became habit and I moved it from the list. Now I have another goal in its place. Typically, my first goal is the same goal every day in the hopes that it becomes habit, and I can move it from my list. The other goals vary.

One day, one of my goals was clean off all the stuff magneted to the refrigerator. I was so surprised at how easy this was. Another day, it was straighten out the book case in the living room. It was one of the hardest tasks to date. It was a day filled with tears for me. It didn't help that I was looking for recipes for AwaySon, and I had to go through several books to find what I was looking for. You know I am an unwilling cook, so none of the cookbooks were mine, and few of the recipes were in my hand writing.

Today, I am pleased to say Goal 1 is done. I expect to accomplish Goal 2, and I really hope today Goal 3 will be marked off. I have had Goal 3 on my list everyday for 8 days, now. I can do it. It will hardly take any time at all. I can do it.

12.30.15--wk 11

This turned out not to be a threat.

DEJUNKIFICATION WEEK 11

Unfortunately, it was not a promise, either.

I saved every catalog I received for one month.

Most Christmases, I savor each catalog, folding down page corners, circling this or that, not really ordering anything, just enjoying the shopping experience. This year, I looked at very few.

I hope this counts as DeJunkifying. Here are 15 pounds of catalogs, received in one month. Somedays, I received two catalogs--with different covers--from the same company.

They are going out the door today and right to the Transfer Station.

*15 pounds worth!

12.24.15

Last year was a really rough winter for me, but loved ones came and swept (Then)HomeSon and me away from the house to a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Asheville. We toured the Biltmore Mansion in all its Christmas glory, approaching the house just as the sun was setting. We spent several days away from everything sad and awful and I decided I would make travel my new Christmas tradition.

This year, I traveled to a Galaxy Far Far Away. Friends took me to see the new Star Wars Movie, and I have it on good authority that both AwaySon and FartherAwaySon saw it in the same 24 hour period as I did, so it is like we all saw it together.

I have had a lot of invitations to spend the holidays here and there and I consider myself rich in friends and family.

12.23.15-wk 10

Dejunkification Week 10

Not really. Lost my picture in the great Computer Disaster of October 2015.
One box of books--mostly travel and humanities plus a dictionary.
Went to the Blairsville Branch Library of the Mountain Regional Library System. 48.8 pounds

12.16.15-wk 9

Dejunkification Week 9

Books and magazines on vintage knitting and making dollhouses and dollhouse accessories.
Going to the Blue Ridge Branch of the GA Pines Library System.
8.2 pounds

12.09.15-wk 8

Dejunkification Week 8

Miscellaneous Thises and Thatses headed to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Blue Ridge.

8.2 pounds

12.2.15-wk 7

Dejunkification Week 7

Dog Beds, made from scraps of scraps, headed to the Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift Store for resale in their shop.
5.6 pounds

11.25.15-wk 6

Dejunkification
Week 6

Unneeded bedspreads and sheets that go to mattresses no longer in this home.
Headed to Habitat ReStore (where the mattresses went! Just wanted to wash these up to get them ready)
15.2 pounds

11.18.15-wk 5

Continuing the process of DEJUNKIFICATION
Goal: a bag or box a week OUT OF THE HOUSE, 52 such containers by October 13, 2016.

Week 5

Box of winter clothes and special goodies for FartherAwaySon, in Portland.
22.2 pounds

11.14.15

This is how I open a box.

This is how I open every box.

I try to use conventional, socially acceptable methods, but every box from lawn furniture to cereal gets this treatment if it refuses to cooperate.

I was fairly excited to find a bedside clock that I liked. I had browsed around online to see what was out there, but nothing caught my eye. You see, I have insomnia. When I wake up, I try NOT to look at my phone to see what time it is. I try NOT to get sucked into the internet vortex and all those blue light rays. Besides, everyone knows that's why you are supposed to buy a PaperWhite Kindle--so the blue light doesn't keep you awake.

So when I found this lovely little clock in my ACE Hardware, I plopped it into my basket. I THOUGHT it said SILENT. Do you see the words SILENT? No, nor do I. Must have been the ugly LED one next to it. tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..tick..

It DOES say luminous hands for night viewing. I expected to be able to use it that night, after popping in the battery. I forgot that in the "CLASSIC" style, the luminosity has to do with being exposed to light first.

Sweet Retro Design

The second night, I forgot that, too. But that's okay. I have a doctor who FINALLY listened to me about my insomnia. I have a new little aid to sleep. Yesterday marked the first time in 30+ years that I had two good nights of sleep in a row. I got so much done those two days! And today is another. I still wake up at 2 or 3 a.m., but I am not finished sleeping for the night! HOORAY! And tonight I will be able to see what time it is without knocking over my glasses, several books, and ripping the cell phone out of the wall because I forget it is charging.

Probably Poirot Approved

Of course, now that I have my perfect clock, I found another, perfecter one.

If this had been in stock, I would have ordered it immediately.

Then I would have one for the guest room.

11.12.15

Dejunkifying continues. I feel like I want to organize all this stuff so you can see where I am. So I can see where I am.

One of the first things to leave the house was this double bed with under drawer system. The mattress left, too. I started to record weights with the pictures of things when my computer gave up the ghost. Now, I will try to retrace and continue forward.

This is a picture of the King Size bed I had, once upon a time. It and the mattress, left a year ago to Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Blue Ridge. This was before I started
Dejunkifying, so it doesn't count. I lost the picture I took of the double bed that was just like it, this can stand in.

WEEK 1

Well, maybe it was more like this. At least, last time I saw it, it was. It had 12 drawers and a long drawer from foot to head. This one shows only the bottom level of drawers. It is a platform style, so only a mattress is needed, not box springs.

I figure the double bed system weighed about 500 pounds, and the mattress about 125 pounds.

WEEK 2

The air compressor was 29 pounds

WEEK 3

The box was 36.2 pounds

Week 4

The bags were 10.6 pounds

So. In the first month, the household is 700.8 pounds lighter. I will try to make Wednesday my dejunkifying post day.

11.09.15

Spent several hours coordinating photos between devices. I think I can catch you up on all the decluttering. On October 13, I posted that my goal was to remove a bag or box of "stuff" from the house every week for 52 weeks. I DID do this, and photographed it, I just didn't have computer access to post up on the blog, so here is what has left the house:

October 20

One of these type things--to a close family friend. If only I was sure all the parts were together. And it would be great if I ran across the instruction book...

October 27

Thrift store stuff

November 3

Bags of stuff to specific people

I have been busy. There are piles of stuff just waiting to be photographed and sent on its way. If I only had time to figure out how to make my computer and my blog program get along...As you can see, they haven't agreed on how to show writing beside the photos, nor have they agreed upon how to show the photos on the page. Oh, well, at least I am fairly caught up with the 52 boxes or bags.

11.06.15

After more than a month away from my dear, old, ASUS laptop, I could not stand to be limited to my phone and iPad for internet. It was so tricky to even use the internet that way, I could not even BEGIN to write blog posts.

Catching up:
I have been getting rid of a huge bag or box of "STUFF" each week. I have the photos on my phone--maybe.

I keep getting messages that my iCloud is beyond capacity to store and back up data. I am prompted to increase storage, but when I touch the correct button, it does not take me anywhere that I can do that. Imagine that happening several times a day. Me: wanting to add more cloud mass, but never arriving where I need to be to go to the next step.

ANYway, I will post photos of old stuff that left when I get a chance. It looks like I have 4 boxes or bags to show. If I can get those photos, I will! I am determined to send out a box or bag a week for 52 weeks.

Blog may be sporadic while I get used to this new contraption. As you may remember, Apple is not matched up to my brain.

I have a PC brain.

But, I have an Apple phone, and an iPad. I think Apple is slowly training my brain so it can function with Apple products.

My first difficulty is opening this laptop. Not only do I keep trying to do it from the back, I almost drop it every time I try to get my fingers in place to part the screen from the keyboard. I have figured it out but I am still so clumsy.

I could NOT get the hang of using the onboard mouse. Nope. I was delighted that she let me use my USB Logitech mouse, which has right and left click. However, she has to remind me that she is boss. The scroll wheel works BACKWARDS. Yup, backwards. When I want a page to scroll down as I am reading, I have to reel that wheel UP. Training is slow, but the rewards are quite nice.