SQUIRRELS (Okay, Scrap Management)

 In the movie UP, the dogs that are supposed to be tracking down the "bird" will every so often blurt out Squirrel.  For a brief moment the dogs are distracted by a passing squirrel.  Karen Brown of Just Get it Done Quilts uses the term Squirrel to refer to thoughts ideas and chores that distract us from the task we are really supposed to be working on.

This week there were squirrels everywhere.  Grand kids dropping in because they need a hug from grandma. Definitely work the distraction. Videos that needed watching for work. Need to do my job if I want to be paid. A trip to the nursery for a couple of new trees. Got to make sure the hubby doesn't blow the budget. And then the biggest there was the biggest squirrel of all. Scraps!

For the past 3 weeks, I have been involved with the Just Get It Done Quilts' Declutter Challenge.  I did pretty well with it.  Some of it was easy because I had already attacked that particular task.  Some of it I kind of cheated on because I was restricting the focus to the studio.  I still have some reorganization to do and well that is going to take a little time.  Funny enough it was a declutter task that became the biggest SQUIRREL.

The plan, at least my plan, was to work for 30-60 minutes a day on the challenge and then do the tasks in my Quilt Journal.  Well, that worked for a little while. Then the task was scrap management.  I thought I had that one in the bag.  I had been trying to stay on top of the scraps ever since I watched Karen Brown's video on Scrap Management.  So I did find a few scraps that I could take care of and mark that particular task off the list.  

Then the next day while were were supposed to be working on sorting batting scraps (I only have one kind and again I had done this task earlier). I dug into my stash for a little bit. I had found a 10" square that I wanted to put up the others. While I was looking for the right bin, I found two bins that I had marked "Scraps". 

I believe what happened is that I had piled stuff into the bins a few years back and never looked at it again. Then I when was trying to inventorying my stash last year, I marked them scraps with out really looking at them.  A lot of the fabric was from a BOM from 2009.  I gave up on that project a couple of years before I got my long arm and I have had Millie for 4 years. So the scraps had been out of my mind for at least that long.

So I dove right in and started slicing and dicing the first bin into my designated sizes.  I have a quilt that I want to do that calls for 3" squares and 3x8" strips. So those were my priority cuts.  Everything that didn't work for those sizes is either cut in 5" squares or strips and 2-1/2'' squares or strips.  So limiting myself to those sizes, I got started. Once I started, it almost became a compulsion to get it done. I was looking forward to coming home after work so I could get back to trimming up the scraps. I was enjoying the whole process.

It took me the better part of three evenings and most of the day Saturday but I got quite a bit done. It was very satisfying to get all of these pieces cut into usable and ready to go squares/strips from what were scraps.  It has gotten me looking forward to doing the quilt. What's more I had always planned to make it completely from scraps. So I am well on my way.  I still have a long way to go but there are lots of projects I still need to work on first.  And those will produce more scraps.  

I did not finish off both bins of scraps. I was pleasantly surprised to find that one bin was actually yardage.  It was fabric that I had purchased and stuffed in a box to keep it clean.  So that was a relief.  I still have some larger pieces of fabric to trim down. But these scraps were a wrinkled mess. I needed to press all of them and some of them were too big to press on the pressing side of my 12" cut and press mat. I just didn't have the room to get out the ironing board at the moment. They will also be easier to cut on a larger cutting mat.  So I need to get my dining room table cleared to do these.  I expect that I will get some longish 2-1/2" strips and maybe even some 5" strips.  I'll just have to see how big each piece is before cutting. So that will have to wait until I get back on track with my studio organization. One thing is for sure, my scrap file is not big enough anymore.

This whole thing got me thinking about what is a scrap? What size is left over yardage and what size is scrap. I asked others what they considered to be scrap. Some say that it is anything left over after a project, no matter what size it is.  Another person told me that anything less than a yard is scrap. Still another felt that anything less than a 1/2 yard was scrap.  I suppose the type of quilting you do has something to do with what you consider scrap.

My current working definition of a scrap is anything that is smaller than a fat quarter.  So the piece must be at least 18" wide and 20" long to not be considered a scrap. If it is 10" inches wide and 36" long it is still a scrap and should be cut down even though it has the same area as a fat quarter. This is because to me dimensions mean more than square inches when it comes to cutting for piecing.  Plus since I got the long arm, I am trimming down the backing and that leaves long narrow strips of fabric that really isn't yardage.

What is your definition of a scrap?  Do you save scraps? Do you have a mountain of scraps that need to be managed? If so, Check out Karen's video.

Hopefully this next week I will focus more on studio organization and not have quite so many squirrels.

 

  

Busy, Busy, Busy (and slow going)

 I haven't really thought a whole lot about what to write this week.  I've been busy with work. I have been doing the Declutter challenge though and I continue to make progress in the studio even if it is slow.  One thing I became very aware of is that my husband is not a good declutter partner.  He grew up poor and has a hard time parting with things.  I do as well but I also am feeling like I am being buried alive. The fact that I am giving a lot of it to my daughters makes it easier.

Surprisingly I am finding that the Quilt Journal is helpful. I draw it up every week and that helps me re-focus. It also helps me see that I am actually getting something done even if the progress is not as fast as I would like.  I can always readjust and move what I don't get done to the next week. Hopefully things will come together. 

I did get the batik strip quilt rows reconfigured and now I am ready to start putting the rows together. I feel good about that.  It's progress. This week, the plan is to sew 30 minutes a night.  Maybe I will get it put together this week, maybe not and that is okay. I will have to find some border fabric for it.  I think I have some in my stash but I have to be able to get to it. Which means digging. Eventually I will get my stash inventoried

I did get the wire shelf cleared off and straightened out.  It looks a lot better. That leaves the brown dresser to attack and well I am not sure what I am going to do with it.  I definitely will use it to store machine parts (presser feet, etc.) but not sure what else. Plus I found that the one little bead organizer I've used doesn't fit in the drawers so I will need to switch that one out.  

I also should go through the white drawers under the long arm.  I am going to turn that into long arm stuff only. That means fabric and color catchers need to go in another spot.  

I still need to do some maintenance on the long arm and I hope to get that done this week. One thing I need to do is straighten the leaders.  I've read up on how to do it and I will need to dedicate some time to do it. I am thinking that will be a Saturday afternoon project. I will try to take pictures for a blog about it.

I guess I've rambled enough.  I haven't made any big discoveries this week. I haven't had any real AHA! moments. This week has just been a lot of little jobs.  That is fine.  We can't be amazing all of the time and as long as I am progressing that is all that matters.  

Interestingly enough, I am finding Joy in the whole process.  Imagine that, I am finding joy in cleaning. That's almost scary.

   

Declutter Progress.

 I have made it through the first week of the Just Get It Done Declutter Challenge. To be honest, I was ahead of the game because of all the purging that was done before the Holidays.  But I also have made it through some boxes and shelves.  I am not done by a long shot but I am a lot closer.  Plus I am having more energy to attack other parts of the house.  I am really proud of the progress I have made. I feel like I can start quilting again soon.

My sewing desk is cleared and ready to go. I even got the shelves above it cleared up and organized.  The top shelf is for books.  I did end up purging a few books but only ones I will never use or I have moved beyond. But now I have the portrait of Mom, that my son Evan drew, is back on the shelf. She is once again watching over my work.  She was always a great supporter of my creative hobbies.

I do have a lot more work to do.  One, I need to sort through the wire shelf. All those projects need to be organized and prioritized. I need to go through the drawer of the brown dresser and determine just what I am going to keep in them.  There is the brown cupboard and what I need to use that for.  I know I want there to be a shelf dedicated to supplies that the grand kids can use. I think I may need to use most of it for jewelry supplies and maybe paper crafting supplies. 

The bullet journal is actually helping me to stay a little more focused.  Plus I have been doing a regular journal as well. Not every night but more than once a week.  I am also writing in my dream journal.  If you don't remember, I have a dream of owning a local quilt shop.  So I do have a lot more to do before the studio is perfect but I am getting there. And I am at the point where I can start sewing a little each week.  

It's nice to feel like I can get things done. Especially since I was sure that it would never happen without help from the rest of the family.  So far it has only been me.

How is your studio? Did You join the declutter challenge? 

Declutter Challenge Accepted

 As I've lamented about in several posts, my studio is a disaster area and I completely lack motivation to get it cleaned up and organized.  So when my favorite blogger/you-tuber, Karen Brown announced a declutter challenge, I felt like I had to join.  It is to be a 3 week daily challenge to help you get your studio together.  It starts on 1/11/21 and goes to 1/21/21.  I am excited to see what I learn.

But I did not wait to get going on this project. This is half of my studio. The floor has been swept and mopped, the bins have been re-stacked and somewhat organized. This took me most of last weekend and a good deal of work each evening. My long arm has at last been uncovered.  I think she is happy to finally be free. I did not get nearly as far as I would have liked. But this is definitely progress. And I am feeling pretty proud of myself. 

But unfortunately this is only half of the studio.  The other half  contains my sewing desk, a wire shelf full of bins and boxes, a small dresser and a rack of drawers, among other things. This is the other half of my studio.

As you can see a lot of stuff that had been piled under the long arm has made it to the sewing desk.  A lot of this is stuff that has been dropped in boxes instead of being put away.  This week, I believe, the evenings will be occupied with emptying boxes and finding homes for things.  I will probably continue with the tough call of keeping or tossing.  I know that part of the declutter challenge will be getting rid of stuff.  I have done some of that already but it is going to be harder and harder to do as I get further into it.  

But that is not all. There was a lot of stuff in the studio and it had to go somewhere.  This is my dining room/studio annex.  I am not putting anything back in the studio that doesn't belong there.  So that means I need to figure out where I can put it.  The house is too small for all of our possessions. Interestingly enough, the shed we finally got usable for storage is getting pretty full.  So I am going to struggle to find homes for everything. 

I guess I really do need to declutter. I need to find my timer under that pile on the desk before the challenge starts. Plus get some questions put on post it notes to help keep me focused. Oh and a project book to make notes in so I don't start new projects.  I know I have all of those things on hand and I am pretty sure I can find them. There is hope after all.

How about you? Is you sewing area usable or are you fighting piles of things? Are your drawers stuffed to the brim? When is the last time you couldn't find something and ended up buying another?

Maybe you should check out the De-Clutter Challenge.

Breaking the Insanity Cycle

I was wide awake at 1:00 am on Saturday morning.  The house was all asleep and I could not be productive without waking someone.  So I jumped on Facebook and was perusing quilting posts.  I came across the Just Get It Done post about reviewing 2020. Karen Brown started it by asking should she just burn her 2020 bullet journal. That got me thinking.

I turned and looked at my studio and thought something has to change. I haven't used my long arm in almost 2 years.  I didn't have a quilt to go on it and things got piled on it, the studio is a mess and I can't find things, etc.  I have been clearing my sewing desk and stitching from time to time but that has only created more UFO's. I have not been putting fabric up as I buy it.  Lots of things contributing to the mess.

I've been saying for more than a year that I was going to inventory my stash and organize my studio. But I have failed to follow through.  I lacked motivation, I lacked energy and I lacked inspiration. I lacked planning.  There is an old saying the says "Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail"  Is that what I am doing? Am I planning to fail? 

Karen Brown did a video about Bullet Journaling for Quilters & Crafters. After watching the video, I thought "Not for Me".  I am not a journaling person.  I've started to journal several times and just never kept it up.  Plus I don't really plan quilts I sort of let them evolve. So bullet journaling wasn't for me. 

Or is it? If the definition of Insanity is continuing to do the same things and expecting different results, than I am in a cycle of insanity.  Time to break this Cycle.  While I am not a journaling type of person, I like having journals around.  I picked up this one on clearance just last Wednesday.

So in the wee sleepless hours of the morning I started a Bullet Journal.  I didn't really know where to start other than what I would like to accomplish. So I started with 2021 Ideal Achievments. It was just a quick off the top of my head list of what I'd like to achieve this year.  Sort of a jumping off point.  It's at the very front of the journal so I can keep it in the forefront of my mind.  I can always edit or amend it but it is the start of my Quilting Journey this year.

I believe all epic journeys are done in stages.  And My quilting Journey is going to be epic if I can manage to keep it up. So I decided to set monthly goals.  Then break those goals down into weekly segments.  I doubt I will do daily segments but maybe I'll include daily to do lists later on.  Right now I am not sure how much time or energy I will have each day.  I still work full time for a living and my work schedule is kind of all over the place with the pandemic and all that brings.

So the title of my January page is "January's Lofty Plans"  I am still not convinced if this is going to work or if I am going to keep it up.  I'm also not sure how much I will be able to do each evening.  I am going to shoot for 30 minutes on the house, 30 minutes on the studio, and 30 minutes on a project.  So hopefully I will have the energy to commit to an hour and a half each evening. 

I then wrote a page for this week.  What I would like to get accomplished this week. The plans for this week are a little more detailed and I hope to get most of them done.  I do think I have over planned but that is okay.  What doesn't get done gets moved to next week.  

My bullet journal isn't terribly creative.  It's just lists. Plus I am not sure how long I will keep this up.  I am hoping to develop it as a new habit.  Because I really want to break this cycle of insanity.  The clutter, the wasted energy, the wasted time, it all adds to depression and hopelessness. I need to break that cycle.  I need to stop planning to fail.

On a positive note, I got up Saturday morning and started cleaning in my studio.  I continued to clean on Sunday as well.  I still have a long way to go but right now I feel like I can do it. So Maybe there is something to this journaling.

How about you? 

What destructive cycle do you need to break?

Do you have a bullet journal?

A New Year - A Change of Perspective

It happens every year, on December 31st we ring out the old year and ring in the new one.  People make resolutions that are usually broken by the end of January.  It's a annual cycle that is steeped in tradition and lore.

2020 has been a trying year for many of us.  Many of us are happy to ring in a new year.  But I don't think 2021 is going to bring the changes everyone hopes for.  I believe that we are in for more of the same as last year.  What can change is our perspective.

I was chatting with a co-worker.  She commented that she's made black eye peas every year but it doesn't seem to work for her. I then mentioned that we at least were still working and many had been laid off or their business closed due to the pandemic.  She brightened up at that. Her perspective had been changed. She told me that she was going to go ahead and make the traditional new years meal. For those of us in South Georgia that means black eye peas, pork of some kind, greens, and corn bread. Right now those things are cooking in my kitchen.

I am not a native of the south and I don't think we really had New Year traditions growing up. Well, beyond staying up to ring in the New Year and watching parades and football on New Years Day.  But it is fun to adopt some the cultural traditions of the places where you live. That is as long as you keep things in perspective. I don't believe that what I eat on New Years day is really going to affect my financial outcome for the next year. But it is a fun tradition here in the south and I don't have to come up with a dinner plan for that day.

One New Years tradition that I do believe in is reflecting on the past year and making goals for the upcoming year.  Last year and again this year, I did a Facebook post on 15 little things that make me happy. Interestingly enough Quilting related activities took 2-3 spots in that list. 

Since I have been a little lax on quilting this year and my studio has been a complete disaster, I have been a little down on myself and my quilting. So I decided to see if I can come up with 15 quilting related activities make me happy. Maybe change my perspective a little bit. 

Here is the list.

1. Piecing - the very act of sewing is a stress reliever for me.  I love to run fabric through the machine.

2. Cutting - I like using the rotary cutter and ruler.  I like getting things prepped for a project. If I am without power for any reason, cutting is something I can do as long as there is natural light coming in. Cutting is the first actual part of the construction the quilt.

3. Folding new fabric (or any fabric) Silly as it sounds, I enjoy folding fabric to store.  It gives me a chance to look at the fabric, to see the patterns and colors. It is a time to dream of what I could do with the fabric.

4. Finding a new quilt shop - This usually happens when I travel. The first real quilt shop that I shopped at as a quilter was Mom's Crafts and Fabrics in Delta, UT when I lived there.  She had a huge array of fabrics and no matter when I went in or who was working at the time, I felt like I was part of the group. I currently don't live close to a real quilt shop. But just about every quilt shop that I enter, I feel like I did at Mom's. Welcomed and part of the group. Part of the quilting community.

5. Trying new techniques. I love to learn and am always willing to learn something new. Even if it is not my style. It is knowledge I can use at some time or another.

6. Using fabric from my stash.  This year I made a couple of flimsies from fabric that had been in my stash for years. It is very satisfying to use fabric that has been laying around. Especially fabric that I have had for a long time.

7. Binding a quilt.  I guess it's because it's the last step.  Finishing a quilt makes me happy.

8. My quilts actually being used.  My son has the quilt I made him on his bed.   My granddaughters use theirs and really do love them. I would rather the quilt be used than sitting in a cupboard some where.

9. Sharing my projects with my daughter.  Tatianna is a great supporter of my efforts and a good critic.  I always look forward to sharing my projects with her.

10. Actually quilting the quilt - Since I've gotten my long arm, I enjoy quilting the quilts a lot more than just tying them.  Quilting on a domestic machine was not fun for me but my machine did not have a large enough throat nor a stich regulator.  I just couldn't get the hang of it so I tied them.

11. Quilting with others. I enjoy doing a quilt project with the women at church. I like to have company when I sew. I don't mean all of the time but once in a while it would be nice.  I guess I need to join a guild and go on retreats.

12. Good deals on fabric.  I like hitting the clearance section at quilt shops. I also like to hit the sales on discontinued fabric.  I generally buy 2-3 yards of fabrics I like. Getting a bunch of pretty fabric for a good price puts a smile on my face.

13. My husband's support for my fabric/quilting addiction.  I have found that I will spend more money at a quilt shop if my husband goes in with me.  He buys fabric that he likes and I buy fabric that I like and it generally all goes with something in my stash.  Also when I bought my long arm, I didn't have enough to buy the computerized system. My husband encouraged me to get a loan and get the computerized system.  Then a couple of years later he used his bonus from work to pay off that loan.

14. New quilting gadgets - I love gadgets. One of my favorites is my slotted ruler. Another is my binding tool. Still another is the 1/4 inch ruler. I have a bunch of rulers and gadgets, some which I haven't used, yet that is.

15. You tube Videos and tutorials.  I learn a lot from other quilters. Since I haven't joined a guild or found quilting classes that jive with my work schedule, they have become sanity savers for me.  

It took a little more effort to come up with 15 quilting things that make me happy.  Maybe because I haven't been doing enough of these things this year. That is one resolution I intend to make and keep this year. Quilting more regularly.

 What makes you happy? What's you resolution?