Friday, November 25, 2016

It's a Mystery

There are a few mysteries in my life of late.  The most recent is unpacking my sewing stuff a few days ago now that we are ensconced in our Florida abode, and pulling out this:

Two stacks of rectangles, one in golds with some oranges and one in reds with some golds.  One was wrapped in the Laurel Burch kitty fabric you see, the other not.  I was looking for the churn dash block pieces I'd cut in early November, and thought these were them, but nope, I cut mainly floral fabrics for those.  And then it hit me, the gradated rectangles inside rectangles I'm doing as project #2 for the RSC 2016!  Still wondering why I don't have a very dark red on black fabric with the red stack, but I do have a few red small pieces in my stash I brought down which could work...

Mystery solved.  Mostly.

The second mystery is just where said churn dash block pieces have gone...
They will be going into the cows quilt which was my RSC 2015 project.  I did find this random stack of floral fabrics, one of which is a hay-type looking one, which leads me to think maybe these are some I'd figured on incorporating...but where are those that I'd already cut??  Back to the RSC 2016 projects, and you can see I've cut the strips and pieces to make the gold whirling star blocks for RSC project #1.  Good thing I'd placed them on top of the red block, between it and project #2 or I'd still be wondering what those skinny strips and low-volume squares were for!  You might also notice that I have since placed a potential dark red with the former mystery rectangles as a possible fit.  Sometimes being super-organized is a big PITA.  I guess having done this 3 weeks ago and not labelling things, plus experiencing a few other 'interesting' life events adds to the confusion, sigh.

Mystery of the missing churn dash block pieces remains unsolved.

You may have gotten a giggle out of seeing Miss Bella's 'moosa-moosa' toy in that photo that Tish sent her last spring, and if you're observant, you'll see a nylabone by the cow blocks...the fur kids are so happy to be back in their southern sewing room.  Their northern one got sold a couple of months ago, and they don't have a new one in place yet, so it's been good to leave that stress and nonsense behind in their opinion.  (might be in mine as well)

This helped assuage some of the stresses we've all been experiencing over the past oh, 4-5 months:
Large bodies of water, like the Gulf, or Lake Erie, soothe my soul in short order
I put the photo below on Instagram the other day; it made me smile to see these sweeties, tree frogs, moved from their ledge last year, on the top of the front entry overhang, to the narrow ledges right on the front door!
Florida welcoming committee!
I'm reading a great book, The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton right now.  My mum got it for me a few birthdays ago, knowing how much I depended on, and loved our Strathcona County Library Bookmobile for the nearly 25 years we lived on acreages in rural Alberta.  It kind of puts in perspective my own stress (fabric mysteries, hard life for sure there, Sandra) reading about a bookmobile that brings books to nomadic tribes in Kenya, run by an American female librarian alongside an African male librarian.  It takes 3 hours each way, atop a camel to get to Mididima where the nomads have settled for the time being.  I'm getting to know the inhabitants, and see their stresses, rather a tad worse than mine, although not having a permanent home is a tad unsettling, I'll admit right now, ha.  Still, it is showing me what I have known and believed in my heart forever: we are all united in our wish to be in meaningful relationships with each other, to belong, to learn, and to be happy.  It doesn't matter really and truly what our souls, our inner beings are clothed in, and by that I mean skin/hair/eye colour, skeletal or body shape, body shape, social status and so on.

Cheryl's Midnight Mystery from last year is nearing completion.  Bella is helping as usual!
I hope to catch up on Cheryl's Meadow Mystery piecing this weekend, between watching my latest class on Craftsy, Free-Motion Motifs for Classic Blocks, which I hope to review in short order for you.  So far it's excellent, and I've already put into use one of Natalia's early-on tips.

Craftsy is the final mystery, but with a good ending, in this post.  Like many affiliates, I was surprised, and pretty annoyed, when they changed, and not for the better, the commission schedule, like why would you do that to those who help sell your product? It's a mystery, well not much of one: greenbacks, not green tree frogs are the answer here.  You may have noticed I haven't written a lot about current deals or goings-on with them.  However, they listened to their affiliates!  They've reneged on the cutbacks, something I'm, for obvious reasons, pretty impressed with, and happy about.  Another mystery with them is how to find out how many of my patterns have been downloaded; I was hoping to have a celebration of sorts as I had surpassed 2500 downloads on my free pattern, Pocketful of Sunshine.  It is still being downloaded at least once a day, but I no longer get emails when someone 'buys' it.  Weird.

Mystery unsolved.

You've probably by now got the email in your inbox about their Black Friday sale that started yesterday and lasts until Monday, at midnight MST.  (Like wow, that's an extended time, right?!)  This is the lowest price I've seen on classes since I bought my first one in 2013!  All classes $17.99!!  You can check out some of my class reviews here.  Pretty much anything taught by Angela Walters is totally worth it.  I've watched and rewatched them many many times.
http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=378867&m=29190&u=1074126

As for kits and supplies there is up to 70% off quilting and sewing projects, again the highest reduction I've seen.  Remember I made the Three-Quarter Patch tote earlier this year? 55% off right now.
I use it as my yoga teacher bag 4 times a week and just love it.
This one caught my eye too, and it's 60% off:
http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1074126&b=253536&m=29190&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Ecraftsy%2Ecom%2Fquilting%2Fkits%2Fpure%2Dcolor%2Dtable%2Drunner%2Dkit%2F39679
Fast and a great price IMHO.
Or what about an entire quilt for about $5 more?! (under $25CA)
http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1074126&b=253536&m=29190&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Ecraftsy%2Ecom%2Fquilting%2Fkits%2Fnext%2Dmove%2Dquilt%2Dkit%2F47194
These are 52% off and use Tonga Treats batiks.

If you want to treat yourself, then look at this deal on an Alison Glass sun prints quilt! 50% off this beauty:
http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=1074126&b=253536&m=29190&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Ecraftsy%2Ecom%2Fquilting%2Fkits%2Feclipse%2Dquilt%2Dkit%2F54102
Oh how I love that quilt!  You get...wait for it...just shy of 18 yards of fabric in this kit!! 17.75 to be exact.  Be still my heart!

All right, off to munch on pizza and watch/listen to/take notes on Natalia's class. :-)  Thanks so much for reading my blog, and for your purchases, if you click through any of the Craftsy links.  I do get a commission on classes AND (yay) kits and supplies. ;-)

Linking up with
Confessions of a Fabric Addict






12 comments:

  1. Hope you find all your missing pieces, lol. The tree frogs actually look painted on with gold paint. Enjoy your weather.

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  2. Somehow I missed the tree frogs in the Instagram picture but they practically jumped out at me here :) I'm glad my girl and her moosa have been reunited <3. My handsome boy also looks happy to be back in the FL sun, free as a little 1lb bird. Maybe if you stop looking for the churn dashes they will jump out at you? I always find the best way to find something is to stop looking :)

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  3. A churn dash mystery, have fun looking for them...am glad it's not me for a change. I spent over an hour looking for my ruler toe foot. Silly me decided to reorganize my stuff. Why?

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  4. Wow you keep secrets pretty well,(referring to selling your home). Hope this means you will be able to blog normal again! I never learn to leave myself good notes with a project:(

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  5. Yes, dear sister, life is all about those mysteries and gratefulness ❤

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  6. Craftsy's big sale is SO tempting, but I've put a stop to my ordering/buying for a little while and I have to be good! Glad you're getting settled. Hope you find your missing blocks! XO

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  7. I love this post Sandra...not sure why but I think it is because it is giving me a link into your life right now.....with lots of random thoughts. I love the inclusion of the tree frogs.

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  8. I'm so glad to know that I am not the only one who puts stuff away and then can't remember what it was for when I get it back out! You have a legitimate excuse though. I'd say you were pretty stressed there! Congratulations on being able to relax now!!!I've lost many things. I stop looking for them, then open a box I though I had look in and wha - la! There is the item I thought I had lost!

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  9. The last quilt....oh my....I've resisted looking at the sale.

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  10. I'm way behind in blog reading and commenting! Sounds like you've been going through some life changes. Hope all is well, and glad you are safely in Florida! Love the frog pictures!

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  11. I too find interesting and forgotten surprises at my other house! I still can't get the hang of having my stuff in two places. What I need or want is always at the other house. Unfortunately, they are 1500 miles apart. This year I left my sewing machine behind and have been busy shopping for a new one for this house. That's confusing and overwhelming!

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  12. I hope you can solve your mystery soon. I just found three lost items in the same box as my Christmas tags and ribbon.

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