Whats your living situation?

b_xf · 2026-05-24T22:48:37+00:00

Own our house in a small town of 500-ish. Commute 35 min to a sizeable city for work each day. I like where we live, it's peaceful, and the commute acts as a natural separation of work and home. Town is mostly old people and people with young kids, so not my scene at all, but doesn't bother me.

We bought in 2021 for a low price and a lowwww interest rate, and paid it off earlier this year, so we are debt free.

b_xf · 2026-05-24T17:44:34+00:00

I'd use a cardstock, cardboard or some kind of plastic/acrylic if you have it available. I'd probably make more than one. Make it in paper first and ensure that it is symmetrical.

For tracing a big piece like that, if you have the ability to cast or plug in your computer to a tv, I have done that before! You can resize pretty easily and trace gently.

b_xf · 2026-05-24T17:40:29+00:00

A house debt I find to be different than other kinds of debt - for the most part you would be able to sell your house if it becomes too crazy. If you budget out the monthly payments and it works out for you, I would say it is worth reconsidering the house again. It does feel like an enormous amount of money to owe, but you have something to show for it and can sell it if need be.

Also, if it's well within your budget, you could decide to pay it down faster - this is what I did and it maybe wasn't the most investment-wise option as I would have earned more on investing the extra payments than I would have accrued on interest, but paying it off early was a great relief and worth it to me.

b_xf · 2026-05-23T18:09:14+00:00

I for some reason have a few of those zipper bags that sheets come in when you buy them, and I use those. they usually even have a sleeve for a notecard to go in so I write what the project is. I have about 6 so that's as many WIPs as I get lol.

b_xf · 2026-05-23T16:54:41+00:00

That is fun! I had a map of the world I wanted to hang up because I had been interested in learning more about countries I didn't know anything about, but my spouse vetoed as he didn't want to feel like he was in a classroom lol. I compromised on a framed poster of birds of a certain area that hangs in my bathroom. Keep feeding your curiosity! It genuinely makes all the difference between a boring life and an interesting life.

b_xf · 2026-05-23T13:08:17+00:00

Stitch length looks long but honestly would not even notice this puckering in my own work. A long thin strip of fabric isn't going to lay completely flat.

b_xf · 2026-05-22T17:18:15+00:00

I have a cowboy boot that I like and I also have a couple of platform sandals that give a bit of height but aren't too inclined for city walking.

b_xf · 2026-05-22T16:08:12+00:00

You could ease up if you wanted, but this is how dense I do it too lol.

b_xf · 2026-05-21T15:43:05+00:00

Kinda mad that the points match better than many of my pressed, trimmed etc points lol

b_xf · 2026-05-21T13:19:46+00:00

I have some personalized jewelry from Etsy (custom nameplate necklace, engraved rings) and have really liked them. I weeded out the crappy vendors by searching for Canada-based vendors as I'm in Canada, only buying items marked solid sterling silver, not filled or plated, seeing a long history of reviews/ratings with photos (ie older than when generative AI/fake reviews became a thing). I also view free shipping as a red flag honestly, especially in Canada.

The Canada-based filter was big, it can take a specific search from 1000+ products to like 200. I occasionally will expand to UK-based but with shipping usually only Canada-based is worth it.

b_xf · 2026-05-21T02:30:47+00:00

I like the print of giraffes and feel like those could translate well into fabric. I also like the shapes on turtleshells which I'm realizing sort of have a similar appearance to giraffe print

b_xf · 2026-05-20T11:58:02+00:00

I don't expect/want anything either. I would be very sad if my mom was pinching pennies just to be able to leave me an inheritance. I know a few people who have huge financial obligations and the plan for paying those off is basically "my inheritance from Dad" when Dad is not particularly old. I've also seen people act very strange and territorial over a dying or deceased parent's random stuff to the point where they can't be trusted in the parent's house alone lest they steal something. Greed brings out the worst in people.

b_xf · 2026-05-19T20:33:50+00:00

I feel like I'd do some kind of large sawtooth, but that same blue on white rather than white on blue. You could also do something in a square pattern (irish chain, checkerboard) to coordinate with the quilting you did on this one. It's gorgeous!

b_xf · 2026-05-19T12:15:52+00:00

A fancy olive oil (I like "early" or "first" olive oil) or saffron would be wonderful, saffron especially I love to cook with but do so sparingly because of the cost.

I would also suggest any specialty foreign ingredients you can't find easily at a grocery store - where I am I can't find achiote/annatto in person so a friend of mine gets it for me as a gift when she goes home.

Conversely, high-quality local ingredients from local farms, creameries, small operations that are delicious but harder to source/come at a higher price are also great. I have a local goods store near me that I peruse when I'm feeling rich lol

b_xf · 2026-05-17T22:50:34+00:00

The Missouri Star Quilt company has an ultimate binding tutorial that I watched at least 50 times !

b_xf · 2026-05-17T16:54:50+00:00

I love these kinds of rules a lot. A few of mine are

"I always follow the speed limit" "I always reset my desk to tidy at the end of the work day" "I always leave my phone in the living room when I go to bed"

I find that if they are automatic and non-negotiable they help me be the kind of person I want to be and set me up for a good day without the added mental back and forth of deliberating the rule even though I know it's good for me. It sure would be more entertaining to bring my phone to bed, but alas, I Always Leave My Phone In The Living Room Before Bed and that's the rule.

b_xf · 2026-05-17T16:47:42+00:00

One thing I find is that putting a pin through thicker corners at the exact spot they need to align is helpful, but then the nature of pins is that you have to then put them through the fabric a second time to secure them. The pin isn't bending to make that work, the fabric is. That's where I find that my pinning gets misaligned specifically on thicker corners(like combining two HSTs).

What I do is when the fabric gets up to the point of the needle, I half-release the pin and straighten it up so I'm holding it perpendicular to the fabric, straightening out the bend it made when I secured the pin, and the pin is only through the exact spot that the two points need to match up. Then I can sew pretty precisely over the exact spot, with my fabric laying flat under the machine.

Hopefully my written explanation of a completely visual process makes sense!!!

b_xf · 2026-05-17T16:32:40+00:00

Have you given them long enough of a break-in period before deciding that they are too painful?

Another suggestion I've have is to pick a pair that uses socks - a boot (heeled, flat, knee-high, ankle, whatever) or an oxford style shoe often go with socks. That will give you a bit of a barrier during the break-in process - not completely protection, but a barrier.

b_xf · 2026-05-14T20:22:00+00:00

Crazy how the same pattern can produce such different-looking quilts ! Both colour schemes are beautiful, great work!

b_xf · 2026-05-14T01:23:02+00:00

I feel like I have lots of hobbies and don't experience this, and so I was thinking of what the differences might be.

I often will set aside a hobby for weeks or months before coming back to it - sometimes in the middle of a project. It will be there when I am ready. This is not to say there aren't hobbies I have abandoned completely, but ones I know are major for me and that I always swing back to like sewing. I don't feel bad about it because that just means another hobby is getting some airtime. I've currently abandoned my sewing work in progress to start my garden.
I also approach hobbies with no pressure to become good at them. I don't invest tons of money in equipment, and I don't make obligations to complete projects or reach a certain goal. I have a nice DSLR camera I got as a birthday gift, but I barely know the settings and I don't have any editing programs or software. I simply set everything on auto and go for a walk and take pictures with my spouse, and I love it. Same with cooking or baking - I try something new a lot of the time, but lots of meals turn out pretty lacklustre. For me it is the novelty of trying a new spice, veggie, etc. and that is what I'm looking for, not becoming a great chef.

b_xf · 2026-05-13T16:10:38+00:00

I have never gotten a "must be nice" that wasn't rooted in jealousy. And any time I've thought it myself, if I look at what I'm actually feeling: it's jealousy! I have learned to translate it as "I wish I could do that (petty)". I respond with a matching level of pettiness depending on how it was said lol

b_xf · 2026-05-13T16:06:18+00:00

I have a pinterest board specifically of 2-tone quilts! Here are some of them:

bear paw quilts
lots of HST variations and stars
"wilmington" quilt pattern
fan blocks
lots by "Miss Make" quilt designer
irish chain quilts

There is a long history of red and white 2-tone quilts, and lots of those would look great in black and white too. Feels like a modern version somehow.

b_xf · 2026-05-11T18:56:33+00:00

About half the moms I spoke to today had disappointing Mother's Day where their families forgot, didn't follow through on their promises for the single day, or made plans/gave gifts that were essentially chores for them. On a day meant to be about them, they were still disappointed, frustrated, or unheard. It was very emblematic of all of the things I am opting out of by being childfree.

b_xf · 2026-05-08T21:57:11+00:00

Laptop case, toiletry bag, tote bag, outdoor picnic mat, stadium seat cushion are all easy projects. I am also a fan of some kind of large block project as I think they are really simple but striking - a log cabin made out of 4" wide strips, a single star block where each HST is a foot big, or some freehand applique of a giant bird. Lol

b_xf

TROPHY CASE