A list is essential

Since i have been trying to organize and use my time more efficiently, i have gotten so much done. a list is essential for this. i write down what i want to accomplish for the day....and i can almost always scratch everything off the list. that feels SOOOO GOOD. LOL

Today i accomplished the following...
...vacuumed the studio
...delivered a quilt to a customer
...finished quilting the blue selvage quilt and made the binding

...pieced the backing for the next triangle selvage quilt
...pieced 7 blocks for the yellow selvage quilt
...sewed together 4 rows of the UFO challenge quilt

...pulled fabrics to make crazy quilt blocks
...pieced 5 crazy quilt blocks (out of 8) to surround the January Crazy Quilt block.

It is amazing what i can accomplish when i stay off the computer. LOL   i am taking less computer breaks and when i do sit....i make sure it isn't more than 10 minutes.

And i figured something out today that made me smile. i have been walking on the treadmill every day...most days i do 2 miles. but i am also walking to the studio. it's only 1/10 of a mile there.....but..there and back....2/10s of a mile.....5 days worth...and i've walked another mile. so, now i have another mile to add to the weeks walking schedule. how cool is that. little things make me happy. hahahaha

Tomorrow i just have 3 things on my to-do list....
...put the binding on the blue selvage quilt
...load the triangle selvage quilt
...finish sewing the rows of the #5 UFO challenge quilt together and perhaps put on a border.

So, tomorrow might just be a half day at the studio. i might come back home and work a jigsaw puzzle or something....hmm...i could take a nap. haven't done that in a few weeks. been too busy taking care of those to-do lists.

Might have to chill out a bit tomorrow.

Do you make to-do lists?  does it help you?

Later

In the Beginning...

I am trying to keep my 2012 goals in the forefront of my mind. so i can remind myself of what i want to do and how much of it is getting done. i also made a calendar so i can write it all down and have evidence. hahahahaha  a bit Monkish...but it works for me.

I am proud to say that i have already met this week's goals for miles walked and weight loss. i wanted to walk 7 miles a week...one mile a day....i have walked 9 miles so far....2 miles a day. yea me!!  LOL

I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds this week......i have lost 2.  again, yea me!!

Granted...it's only been 4 days into the new year....but, hey....i celebrate little victories.

I also pieced 3 of the Dear Jane blocks and have finished my January crazy quilt square and almost have February done.  pics to follow soon.

Today i plan on boxing up more stash fabric to donate to the Upcycle Exchange place....that will help with stash busting. and i am currently quilting on one of my selvage quilts.

And i am still walking back and forth to the studio rather than driving. except if i have a heavy load to carry over there. we'll see how that goes in the snow. LOL   but last year i did walk over in the snow...mainly because my truck cannot navigate the hill and curve of the driveway without putting me in a ditch. that's ok....it's exercise.

So, after a banana for breakfast and some plum juice....it's off to the studio for some work.

Later

Bobbins can be trouble

I have been throwing away bobbins. i have read posts on winding bobbins slowly and straight. and how bobbins can get out of true. or not to wind them too fast so they don't get too tight. so, when i started having problems with some of my bobbins i figured they were just old or getting out of whack....no idea how that happens. but my bobbins were tight and not fitting in their case. i couldn't get them out without a needle or pin to pry them out. and i couldn't stitch properly with them.

over the last year i have thrown away about 8 bobbins.

and just last week i figured out that i have been throwing away bobbins for nothing...it wasn't the bobbin....it wasn't the thread...it was ME.   siiggghhh!!!

check this out.

see that little bit of thread that is all curled up. that has been my problem all along. when winding the bobbin, i hold the end of the thread and then cut it off after it winds around a few times. and as it winds, the thread curls up on itself. when i just snip the thread and finish winding, there is a little curl of thread there. sometimes it goes down into the hole when i put the bobbin in the case. then the bobbin is caught and doesn't want to move. i have to take a needle or pin to pull the bobbin out. i would put in a different bobbin and it would be fine. so i thought the first bobbin was bad and rewound the thread onto another bobbin and threw that one away.

finally one day i guess i looked closer or something. when i pulled out the tight bobbin i saw the bit of thread curl. i pulled it up and there was about an inch of thread...all curled on itself. once i clipped that off, the bobbin slipped right in...no problem.

so, the new rule is to pull up and snip off that last little bit of thread before putting the bobbin in. works every time and no more thrown away bobbins.

sheesh.....it must be the Polish in me.....sometimes it takes forever to figure something out.  i guess it is good that i figured it out before i threw away ALL the bobbins and went and bought more.

i was thinking that if I had the problem...perhaps someone else did, too.  or not...you all might be more clever than i am and know about this already. but i feel so relieved that i have solved one of my life's little problems. now i love my bobbins again.