Spring Forward... and a Step Back

I can’t believe it’s been two months since my last newsletter. My first thought was "There's no way it's been two months", but when I checked, I saw that the last blog was published on Feb 22nd. My next thought was"What the heck have I been doing for the past two months?"

March was spent making baby quilts and charity quilts. Most were partially made in fabric that had been cut from a previous project, or from an orphan block stack. So I have 15 quilts ready for binding. I will hopefully get to it this week. I also memorialize my struggle to rid myself of batik scraps in a vlog. And on Karen's Quilting Crew, we had a draw, and now I finally sent one lucky Crew member all my leftover fabric and scraps.

Click the thumbnail to watch on YouTube

Then I made a new design wall for my sewing room. I needed something larger than my flannel backed tablecloth but it still needed to be a portable one, as my sewing room converts to a 3rd bedroom when the kids come to visit. Not only did I make a large one for my wall, I realized that flannel pillowcases and foam board are approximately the same size. I have been using these smaller design boards to keep my #trendingquilt pieces prepped and ready for a 30-minute sewing session.

Click the thumbnail to watch on YouTube

And with my new desing board in place, In April, I had a big UFO finish. My first #100days100blocks sample is done. I sashed it with grey linen and used a lovely soft sateen from Tula Pink’s linework on the back. I did some straight-line quilting and then put a ½” striped binding on it. I managed to finish it just in time for my youngest’s birthday.

Behind the scenes, there have been changes too.

First, I am now a BERNINA Ambassador for Canada. I'm so excited to be part that of the program. I started my BERNINA journey in 1984 and still own my original 910. I am looking forward to working with the BERNINA team to learn new technique and try new ideas. I had my first zoom meeting yesterday with the other ambassadors @sewveryeasy @uhohcreations @quilteronfire @naturalbornquilter @olesyalebedenko @paullegerquilts @withwendy and I can't wait to know them better.

Second, my editor of two years has moved on to other projects and challenges. But I am lucky enough to have found another amazing editor, Nicole. Editing has so many layers and techniques. It’s quite complicated/tedious transferring files and sharing the edits with each other without Premier Pro glitching on us. So it’s been a month of testing out the systems that work best for us both. Then bringing her up to speed on how I like my videos to move and what music I best. So far, she's been delightful to work with, and I'm excited to see how our working relationship goes as we continue making videos together.

And of course, I have been preparing for our Alaskan cruise. I have 7 days until we leave and it's been weeks of remembering how to pack and prepare. Mando somehow knows we are going without one suitcase being opened and tries to stick as close as possible.

But more on that next time.