Recovering Slowly and Hopefully Regaining my "ZEN"

 Right after Thanksgiving, I came down with a severe upper respiratory infection and a severe case of bronchitis. I spent 2 days in bed. I worked from home on the third day because no one should have to be around me constantly coughing. The last 2 days I was at work but I wore a mask. I hate wearing a mask. I definitely didn't enjoy trying to breathe through it while struggling to breathe without it.  But I didn't want to make any one uncomfortable with all my coughing.

My morning Zen was replaced with breathing treatments. I also find it takes longer to get anything done when I am fighting bronchitis. So I haven't been creating like I normally would. My spiritually uplifting messages have been Christmas music and movies. So not a total loss. Still my "ZEN" and happiness has faltered.  

So it is time to resume my routine and get my "Zen" back.  Starting today.  I have some Christmas ornaments to finish up.  I am going to get this quilt on the machine and then I am going to probably collapse. But if I get moving I can start to feel more like myself and less like a blob. Plus accomplishing something will also help me feel better. 

Falling Short of Goals (and it's okay)

3 of my WIPS

There are 3 days left in the WIPS-B-GONE 2022 challenge. I have managed to complete 3 quilts. I had given up trying to get 8 done but was hoping to finish a 4th. That is not going to happen. The fact of the matter is I have been very busy. The house needed cleaned up before guest arrived for Thanksgiving. Then we spent a week entertaining, etc. Now that the guests have gone and I have a little time before returning to work, I am sick.  I have no energy whatsoever.  I have a quilt that is ready to go on the long arm but I need to press it and I don't want to set up the big board. Not because it's that hard to do but because I don't have the energy to do it.

I hate being sick. This illness is actually Asthmatic Bronchitis. I am not contagious but I am struggling to breathe. I will have to take a Covid test before returning to work (not fun). Then I will need to wear a mask while at work. I hate wearing a mask as it makes it harder to breathe when everything is normal. It will be worse with the bronchitis. I also hate to call in sick after being out on vacation for a week. It's not as though I don't have the STO time to take. I will just have to see how this week goes.

More WIPS

All this leads up to not getting that 4th quilt done before the end of the challenge. That is okay though because I did get 3 quilts done in the past 2 months. 3 quilts that had been sitting and waiting to be finished for a long time. 3 quilts that are now out of the WIP pile. That is progress. Plus I learned something new with each of the 3 quilts I finished. Each quilt also made the recipient very happy. So while my goals were not quite met. I did progress and that is my ultimate goal.  3 less projects in my WIP pile is a win. Besides I still have a lot of WIPS left to finish.

It's okay to fall short of your goals just as long as you don't give up on them. What goal have you not quite hit? Are you still working on it?

Losing Track of Time (Time Busters)

 I can't believe almost a month has gone by since I last posted.  Here it is the middle of November (almost anyways) and I am so far behind in what I need to get done it isn't funny. Hurricane Nicole blew through our area the past week but it wasn't even much of a tropical storm by the time it got to us.  We just got a lot of wind and rain.  Thankfully no tornadoes or power outages in our area. So I was not thwarted in making progress, well at least by Mother Nature.

In my last post I talked about the WIPS-B-GONE 2022 challenge. I am proud to say that I have worked on my goals everyday. My little daily tracker is looking colorful with all the little spools filled in. But the tracker also shows how close to the end of the challenge we are. I am really not ready for this challenge to end. I haven't gotten as many projects completed as I would have liked. I am not saying that 3 completed quilts is anything to be ashamed of.  I am really happy with all of my progress. I just wasn't as realistic about the amount of time I would have to work on projects as I should have been. I didn't factor in things like, family time, family projects, local festivals, church commitments, and travel. When setting my goals I only took work hours into consideration.  Silly me.

Awhile back (at least 20 years ago) I read a post in a decorative painters forum about "Time Busters". The author of the post was cautioning the readers about paying attention to where your time was being spent.  I can't remember who wrote the post, some famous decorative painting designer, but that article stayed with me. The author suggested that we pay attention to where we spent our time. At that time I was spending a lot of time on the computer playing games, specifically Free Cell. That article made me think about what I was doing with my time.

I am not suggesting that we need to set ourselves up on a strict schedule. I know me, I won't stick to a strict schedule. Also life has a habit of getting in the way.  Instead I am trying to establish healthy habits. By healthy habits I don't just mean diet and exercise. (I need to do both). I am talking about doing things that help us be healthy both in body and mind.

For example, I am happier when I take time to create everyday. I am happier when I get spiritually fed by something everyday. My husband is happier when he spends time in nature. My daughter is happier when she gets time to draw. My son likes working with his hands and solving problems.  So healthy habits would be things like setting aside time to do the things that create happiness in our lives. 

Autumn Splendor

Being a creative person, I am a bit of a free spirit and don't handle schedules well.  But I do need to some structure to have the healthy habits. I've talked about my Morning Zen before. I honestly believe it makes a difference in how my day goes. Now if I learn to focus that time on finishing projects I can get things done. But I also need to learn to watch what I am doing with my time.

Do you ever get back from work and just flop in front of the TV. I do. Or how about playing games on your phone. Big time buster for me.  The last week I uninstalled 3 games that were on my phone. (I still have Sudoku on my phone though.) How about social media. I can spend hours on Facebook. Especially reading those stories about revenge or fails or Karen encounters. I need to limit that time as well. (I am trying to not read those stories as I feel it gives me the wrong frame of mind)

Scrappy Joy

All that rambling just to say: Figure out your time busters.  Limit them and set aside time to do what makes you happy.

Progress made this month. AutumnSplendor is completed with label. I will be giving it to my Sister in Law at Thanksgiving. Scrappy Joy is completed and I now know who it is for so I will be gifting it this week. The Great Outdoors will be going on the long arm this week. Large Hexie flowers are completed and are set aside for now. Morning Zen will once again be devoted to Izora's quilt. 

Non quilting progress - Kumihimo Braclet class is slowly moving forward.  Going to have to work in a couple of Wednesday nights for the women to work on them.  Fabric ornament class went well but I need to make more for the Christmas Party center pieces. 

Most importantly right now will be getting ready for our company coming that is coming Thanksgiving week. My studio needs to be cleaned up. I need to get the rest of the house (otherwise known as the disaster area) cleaned up and so much more.  Time to put the time busters in their place and focus.    

What are your Time Busters? When do you do the things that make you happy?       

Updates and Lessons

Athena's Quilt

The WIPS-B-GONE 2022 challenge is going well.  I didn't get 2 projects done in the first quarter but I am hoping to catch up in the second quarter.  I finished Athena's Quilt on Saturday and gave it to her today.  That is one project finished. Plus it was started before January 1, 2022 so it counts as a finish for Queen of UFOs as well.

Like I said, I am behind in my challenge goals. I am only a week behind but I am trying to catch up. Last week I managed to get 3 quilts prepped for the long arm. Two of which I also got the digital quilting patterns set up.  

Autumn Splendor

So yesterday, I got the Autumn Splendor quilt on the long arm and quilted. I chose Wood Sprite e2e by Christie Dillon from My Creative Stitches. It stitched out a little more open than I would have liked. I've measured several different open spaces and I am just at 4 inches between stitching. Which according to the HOBB website is the maximum distance between stitches. That is too close for my comfort but I decided to leave it. I used a gold thread and I just love how it plays across the  fabric. I did get the binding cut for it today, but haven't made it yet.  I am really pleased with it so far. I believe I will give it to my sister-in-law. But I do have to finish it first.

Off White and Royal Blue threads

I managed to get Scrappy Joy on the long arm today. I even started quilting her. It seems some quilts are just supposed to be learning quilts. Today I fought with thread breaks right and left. I think I got it fixed though. I had used a smaller needle and once I changed back to the size I usually use, things straightened out. 

I also surprised myself in the thread choice.  I had planned on using a royal blue but was afraid that the quilting would overpower the beauty of the quilt. So I thought off white on top and royal blue on the bottom. I decided to audition the thread. Well on top, the off white thread would disappear except for the borders and on the back, the royal blue would disappear all together.  I was not going to get the results I wanted with those threads.

I had two other blues in my thread cone stash. One was a very pretty variegated blue that I bought to possibly use on another quilt. But the blue tones were just not right for Scrappy Joy. The other is a baby blue thread.  When I puddled the baby blue thread out on the quilt top the thread was visible on both parts of the top but was still subtle.  So that was my choice.  

 

Since I've discovered quilting in zones, I no longer feel like I have to get the whole quilt done in a day.  Today I stitched 2 of the 8 zones for Scrappy Joy.  After the thread breaks and being tired from a very full weekend, I needed a break. So I saved the patterns and will go back to it tomorrow. 

Here are the lessons learned this week.  Sewing everyday will get things closer to finish.  Focusing on one project at a time will get that project done faster.  Practicing a skill will help you improve. Mistakes are opportunities to learn.  Filling in a tracker gives you a sense of accomplishment.

What have you learned this week?

Challenge Progress

 Here we are 12 days into the WIPS-B-GONE2022 challenge and I don't have a finish yet. I have been stitching everyday and keeping track of it on the cute tracker sheet that was part of the down loads.  I love filling in the cones with different colors. It makes the tracker so much fun to look at and it makes me not want to miss a day. I am going to use every little trick I can to stay on track.

Leanne at Devoted Quilter has done a really nice job of setting up this challenge. There are several down loads. One is a list of WIPS (works in progress) that you have. I didn't list all of my WIPS. Just the most pressing ones. There is also a planner that divides the challenge into quarters. A quarter is 2 weeks. I've set the goal of completing 2 projects a quarter. But I am behind. I will be lucky to finish one project this quarter.

I am close to a finish though. I have Athena's quilt off the long arm, trimmed and am working on the binding.  I have turned the binding and am about 1/4 of the way done stitching it down. I am working on this in the mornings as Kim is home and he sleeps in later than I do. The sound of the machine disturbs his sleep so my morning Zen this week will be hand stitching or cutting up scraps. But cutting up scraps doesn't lead to finishing my WIPS.  In fact, it really is creating more WIPS, since I am cutting up scraps for future projects. I feel like this will be a never ending cycle, which is all the more reason to do these challenges as they come along.

As I said I am behind. But I am hoping to catch up in the next quarter.  While I had a somewhat free day on Monday, I got 3 quilts ready to go on the machine. I have made the backs and cut the battings. while home sick today I worked on the computerized quilting designs. The quilt I had planned to put on the long arm next is being put on hold. I discovered I don't have the right color thread to quilt it with. So the Great Outdoors quilt will wait a week or two. That means I need to move a quilt up from the next quarter schedule. I decided to start with Autumn Splendor. (quilt on the far right) I will quilt it with gold and use a leaf pattern. It is one of the quilting designs I got set up and ready to go. The quilt after that will be Scrappy Joy. (on the left) The quilt design is set up for that one as well. I have chosen a swirl pattern for that one.  The thread color is still up for debate. The bobbin will be royal blue but whether I use a neutral or royal blue on the top is going to depend on how brave I feel. That and what I want to emphasize, the piecing or the quilting.

With plans in place I still stand a good chance of finishing the challenge with the goals I have set.

What tricks do you use to keep on track with your WIPS?

Do you ever join challenges? What about Facebook groups?

 

Blog Hopping and A Challenge

 I follow Geeky Bobbin's blog. The main reason I follow her is because she hosts a blog hop in November called UFOvember.  It's a month long blog hop from 30 different bloggers about managing UFO's. I found it a week into the hop two years ago.  Last year, I found it 3 days into the hop.  So I decided to follow Geeky Bobbin so I can be in on it from the beginning this year.  I am glad I did because I enjoy her blog. She is so very down to earth in her writing. You feel like you are connecting to her. 

Any way last week's blog from Geeky Bobbin started off a "Back to School" blog hop. This blog hop is only 2 weeks long and focuses on tips for improving you skills, tips on sourcing supplies (from school supplies), small projects, etc.  It was a pleasant diversion from playing games on my lunch hour.  I have learned some things and was reminded of somethings.  But mostly I have enjoyed reading some different blogs. I don't have time to follow and read all the different blogs out there.  But blog hops give me an idea of which blogs will meet my needs. Plus it starts to feel like I am part of a quilting community.

On The Devoted Quilter's blog, Leanne mentions an upcoming challenge she's sponsoring.  It's called WIPS-B-Gone 2022.The challenge runs October 1st to November 31st.  The goal is to see how many Works in Progress we can complete in 61 days.  We're supposed to sew everyday. She included a tracking sheet for us to mark off each day we sew.  Can't get things done if we aren't sewing, right? We're suppose to post progress on Instagram. That is going to be where I am lacking. Social media is not my strong suit. Heck, it's not even my weak suit.  

I'm not going to list all of my UFOs/WIPS. I decided to just list those that are close to completion or are currently being worked on.  Like many quilters I have many projects in the works. Too many to count right now. But I have few that are close to completion. I have 6 tops that are ready to go on the machine. There are 2 tops that just need borders. Then the one top that I am piecing.  Those will be my focus. If I get all of them done (and that's a big if) I will move Emerson's quilt from the planning stage into the piecing stage.  He's getting pretty anxious about it.

On October 1st, I am hoping to get Athena's quilt quilted and then I can work on binding it that week.  The idea is to try and get the quilts on the machine and quilted on the weekends and bound during the work week.  We'll see how well I can stay on task.

This is not the only "UFO" group I am in.  I am in a Facebook group called the Queen of the UFO's. I have only had 1 finish this quarter so I need to get moving on these UFO's.  Also, I'd really like to go into UFOvember with fewer UFOs than last year.  I hoping this challenge will help me with both of those.

How do you motivate yourself to finish projects?

English Paper Piecing

 I am in charge of the activities for our Women's group at Church. (I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Our women's organization is called Relief Society.) The problem arises that I don't know what to plan for these women.  Most of these women are older and really just want to get together and socialize. So I decided a few months ago that I would plan activities that we could do while sitting and talking.  That means coming up with things that we can socialize while doing.

One month, we worked on our Branch (think congregation) scrapbook.  There were 6 of us and we all had a good time even though none of us are scrap bookers. One month, we tied a quilt. There were only 3 of us but we got to know each other a little better.  The whole point is to get together and do something.

This month I decided to introduce the women to English Paper Piecing (EPP).  I had been listening to an old "Just Wanna Quilt" podcast. The guest was the CEO of Paper Pieces.  During the podcast I learned that the company would send out a free kit to people who wanted to try EPP.  So I decided to look up the company website and see if they still gave out the kits. They do!

So I planned out how I was going to ask for 16 kits. I figured I would explain that it was for the woman's group at my church. I figured I might have to give them the address or maybe my Branch President's name. Just so they could verify that I wasn't getting them all for myself. 

I went on the website and did a search for "sample pack".  Up pops the page to order it on.  I put in 16 for the number of kits. (I wanted be sure to there would be enough kits) Clicked add to cart and that was it.  I could just check out. They didn't want any explanation on why I needed 16 kits. I did have to pay shipping and handling but it was only $5.50 and well I got 16 kits for free.

The sample pack comes with instructions, 7-1 inch hexagon papers and 7 squares of fabric. Basically all you need to make one hexagon flower.  Just add needle and thread.  

I took the sample packs to church yesterday and introduced the women to English Paper Piecing. I explained that I started doing EPP as a quilting project that I could take with me. I also told them at first I wasn't interested in even doing EPP because it seemed fiddly to me. I told them that I was not a hand work person because it takes too long and I like to see progress. I then showed them the project I have been working on. I joked that it was going to be my millennial project because it would take me a millennia to finish it. But I have discovered that I really like EPP.

At first they were hesitant.  It looked complicated to them. One sister then commented that I was an excellent teacher. So with some trepidation, they all dove in. We talked, we asked questions, we ate and I think, we all had a good time. Some left with their flowers finished. Some left planning to finish at home. A couple took an extra kit with them.  I call the activity a success.

I have truly become a fan of EPP and will probably order some more paper pieces in the future.  I definitely plan to browse the website some more.  I'm thinking I would like to do an apple core quilt. Who knows what will strike my fancy.

What quilting technique have you put off trying because you thought it too complicated or fiddley? What technique did you discover you liked when you weren't expecting too?

Deadline Met

 Here it is September already. I don't have a clue where the month of August went. The old saying that time speeds up as you get older seems to be very true right now.  I suppose when I get old (older?) and retire, I will feel like time drags on. But right now there is so much going on and so much to do that I just can't seem to fit it all in.

I did get Harper's baby quilt completed and delivered at the beginning of August.  He is such a happy little guy and so even tempered. (I may be a little biased but only a little.) I was so very happy with the end result of the quilt. I think Harper likes it. I'm pretty sure that his Mom and Dad like it.  Plus there was a sweet serendipitous connection to his older sister.  Alice, who is 12, had a Winnie the Pooh blanket that she was brought home from the hospital in.  I could not have known that. That little fact made my choices with the quilt all the more special to me. 

I learned a lot with this quilt. One, it was the first time I did any fussy cutting. This fabric needed to be fussy cut. I love the simple primary color frames that I chose. No, I did not have a pattern for this, I just picked the fabric and let it determine the design. It is simple but effective. I did try to plan a more complicated pattern but it wouldn't come together in my mind. So in the end I kept it simple and I am really glad I did.

Two, it was the first quilt since the new upgrade on Quilt Path. I struggled a bit with it at first.  I think I may need to upgrade my Surface tablet.  But I figured out how to quilt in zones. That means I don't have to try and quilt a quilt all at once. I also figured out placement marking so I can make minor adjustments as I quilt. And I am getting good at importing patterns as well. 

Three, the binding is the best I have ever done. The black just frames it perfectly.  I am learning that I like a little bit wider binding. And if I trim the quilt a little bit bigger, I get a full binding I am especially proud of the neat miters at the corner. I figured out that by cutting out the batting and backing at corners, I can get that nice, neat miter on both sides.

The only thing I wish I had done differently is the thread choice. Originally, I was going to stitch it in black. But I wimped out and used yellow.  The stitching design doesn't stand out as well as I would have liked. Maybe as I get better at the quilting part, I will get more bold with thread colors.

Now to put his cousin's quilt on the long arm. Same pattern, same fabric, but backed in the red fabric. I just may stitch it in red. Depending on how brave I feel at the time. 

What have you learned lately?  Did you finish something this month? What do you wish you were brave enough to do differently?

Procrastination and a Looming Deadline

It's Saturday morning and I have the day set aside for quilting. In 5 days, I will be heading to Idaho to finally meet my youngest grandson. Harper was a long wished for baby. Many prayers on behalf of his parents were answered when he was born 6 months ago. Many prayers of gratitude were offered since. But we just haven't been able to get out there to see him. 

I have been planning his quilt since we found out his mom was pregnant. I have been working on it since December but I just haven't gotten it done. Partly because all my weekends have been tied up. Partly because I have been soo busy at work. Partly because my Studio was a mess. But mostly it's due to procrastination. 

Why have I been procrastinating? The top has been ready for a couple of months. The back has been done for over a week. I cut the batting 3 days ago. Why isn't it on the long arm already. 

I haven't used my long arm since the last upgrade.  I kept reading about problems people were having since the last upgrade. That made me really nervous. I did find and print out the instructions for setting up a pantograph in the new system. So I am going to use those to get my pattern ready on my Quilting laptop before loading it onto the tablet.

I also hadn't found a Pantograph that I wanted to do. Since it's a Winnie the Pooh Quilt, I was looking for something with bees.  I did find a couple that would work but nothing that sparked for me. I kept looking despite having ones that would work.  I did some google searches for digital quilting patterns and found the perfect E2E on Wildflower Quilting. What a great site with lots of cute patterns. And for those of you who are Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, They has temple stitching patterns (also other church motifs).  Any way I found the perfect E2E for this quilt.  It's simply called Honey e2e. 

 Now it's time to screw up my courage and get this quilt on the machine.  I am so looking forward to finishing and taking it to my precious little grandson.

What is keeping you from finishing a project?

Almost 3 Weeks Later

Still too busy at work, so not a whole lot of progress on anything. Work is really busy and I am getting home later than I would like. We did hire on one tech, we have a temp we are training, and my supervisor should be back on Monday.  Hopefully, I can start working 8 hour days instead of 10-12.

I did get the labels on two quilts, which equals 2 finishes posted to the Queen of UFOs group.  I got the backing made for 2 more quilts. I hope to get one quilted this weekend. I really need to get one done before I head to visit my new grandson at the beginning of August. He will be 6 months old by the time I get to meet him. I need to have his quilt done before I go.  I actually found the perfect E2E to use on it. I just have to remember how to import it into Quilt Path.

I am planning a couple of Relief Society Activities that will be English Paper piecing. I learned from a blog that PaperPeices.com will send you free samples to learn EPP. I went to the web site and requested 16 samples. They didn't even ask what for.  I found some really cute ornament patterns at PaperPieces.com. I hope to get the women on board with making them for table favors for the Branch Christmas party.

I did start stitching the blocks for my granddaughter, Izora's, quilt.  I am doing the same pattern for her that I did for her 2 older sisters, Ribbon Dance by Missouri Star.  I also used a 1930's print similar to her sisters' quilts. So all of their quilts are coordinated.  I got all of the HST's done. Now I am trimming them up before I assemble the blocks.

Perigrine found another tub of fabric a few weeks ago.  A good deal of it was scraps. So I have been sorting and trimming scraps. Which fits into my Declutter challenge group. I do find cutting fabric to be very relaxing, which gets me in the right frame of mind for work.  I am still trying to do my morning routine. Finding that bin did get me to thinking. I don't see some fabric that I remember having. I think there is another bin hiding somewhere, if not two.  I have a lot of fabric.  I really need to be sewing from my stash.

Have you looked at your stash lately? Are you sewing from it? What are you working on?

Too Busy to Sew

This past week has been a whirlwind of activities. The trip to Chicago went well, I learned a lot at the the technical forum. I also enjoyed the training at company head quarters. I learned a lot there as well. What I didn't have was much time to do anything else.

Unlike past trips, I did not get to just head up to my hotel room after the day's meetings. There were meals, happy hours and social networking taking place every night.  Plus the co-workers that live in the area were determined to keep us entertained. I maybe got 1 hour in the hotel room each night. That was mostly tied up talking on the phone with my husband.  

I was going to stitch on the plane or in the airport but on the way out I discovered I didn't have any needles in my bag. Apparently the magnet I had my needles and threader on fell out before I packed it. So the first day I just chatted with my travel partner. When I got to the hotel I tried to find a sewing kit. The gift shop didn't have any. I ended up asking at the hotel desk on the second day. They gave me a travel sewing kit. So I was able to stitch in the evenings. The flights back and airports were so crowded that I didn't dare try to sew for fear of stabbing someone.

I did managed to get one Hexie flower stitched together and start another one. Not much progress for a week. But at least I did stitch a little bit. I have been home 2 days that have been filled with trying to track down my bag, running errands and going to church. I am exhausted from my trip but I hope to at least get a couple of labels on some quilts.

Did you stich everyday? 

Life In General

Wow!!! I can't believe 3 weeks has gone by already.  I wrote my last post while I was in Missouri visiting my husband for a few days. (not any where close to Hamilton unfortunately) And before any of you get concerned, he does still live here. He just spends more time on the road than at home. So I go visit him for a long weekend now and again. This last trip I drove, so I took my sewing machine with me.  That was a great idea.  I got Athena's quilt top pieced. And because I drove, I also brought back some 4th of July celebration supplies.

Anyway, Since I've been back, I haven't been doing a whole lot of sewing.  We spent 2 weekends canning tomatoes.  I also have been working 10-12 hour days. All those long hours have taken a toll on my health.  I've picked up a stomach bug twice in the past 2 weeks. 

Between picking and canning tomatoes and work and being sick, I really haven't had the energy.  I still have the put labels on the 3 quilts that are ready to go to their owners.   

My friend, Liz, Keeps telling me I need to start slowing down.  Last night, she reminded me that I will be turning 60 a full month before she does. Which will be happening this fall.  Liz is coming up on her first year anniversary of being cancer free. But she has suffered some neuropathy, It is very frustrating for her because she can't do the things she used to. Liz was more of a go getter than I ever was. She worked full time and baked and sold cakes, pies, etc on the side.  Her side hustle kept her very busy.  Cancer forced her to slow down. She keeps telling me that if I don't start slowing down, God will make me slow down.  She has a point.

So how do I do find the balance? I was doing really well with the morning sewing. But getting sick made it difficult to get up on time to do that. I was sewing a little in the evening but not getting home until 8:00pm makes that difficult. I do need to slow down but right now work has too much going on. When did I become a work-a-holic? 

Hopefully, things will slow down once our department is back to full staff.  I have to hire 2 more people. And my supervisor will be back in a 3 weeks.  That should take some of the pressure off.

As for canning season, My kids want to spend a weekend each month canning. This month will hopefully be peaches. Next month who knows.  But it is a good idea and we spend time as a family.  

This week finds me traveling for work.  I am taking my EPP project with me. that will be my sewing this week. I will do it on the plane and in the hotel room while watching TV.  When I get back it will be back to getting up early enough that I can sew in the morning. If I am not sewing I can be trimming up scraps, pressing blocks, squaring up blocks or prepping backs. Hopefully in the evenings I will work on EPP or labeling quilts.

I still need to organize the studio as well as find a place for all of my stash.  Right now I am going to just take everything one step at a time. Do what I can and then move on to the next thing. Mostly I need to get my head around what I need to do.  I have been unable to focus on any of it. I guess I need some selfish down time. Time where I am only doing what I want. But I don't know how to do that right now.

How are you doing? Are you finding the need to slow down? Have you found a Balance?

UFOs or WIPs and the Five Why Method

 On my drive to work every morning I listen to pod casts.  As I listened this week it occurred to me most people have multiple projects going at one time, Several mention getting stuck on a project.  Others get bored working on just 1 project. Some just get too excited about a new project to wait. Of course there are the Unicorns out there that do one project at a time and don't start another until its done. For the most part though quilters, crafters, and/or makers tend to have multiple projects going at once. This then results in UFOs or WIPs. 

UFOs are UnFinished Objects. Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts defines a UFO as any project that you haven't worked on in the past 6 months.  Karen also says it's not a project until you start cutting the fabric. WIP stands for Work In Progress.  So WIPS are projects that you are either currently working on or have very recently put aside to work on something else. I currently have 6 UFOs and 7 WIPs. (Not counting the scraps I am cutting for future projects but that is another post.)

A couple of moths ago, I joined a Facebook Group call "Queen of the UFOs"  The whole point of the group is to not make it to the top of the list. To get your name bumped to the bottom of the list you just have to post a completed project. There are some rules of course.  It has to be a project started before January of that year. There is a limit on how many small projects (think place mats) and a bonus for large quilts. The purpose of this small group is to help motivate quilters to finish their projects. 

I love seeing the finish projects from this group. Some of these quilts are 20 plus years old.  In the post you can feel the pride of the woman who has completed the project.  It can be inspiring and motivating to be a part of this group.  I am currently sitting at the 3 spot on the list.  I have not finished one quilt since joining the group at the beginning of April. The thing is I have 3 quilts that are completed except for the label. A couple of hours of hand sewing in the evening and I get bumped to the bottom of the list.  I just need to do it. 

I guess the question to ask is why? At work when we are trying to solve a problem, a method we use is asking "why?" For example: 

1. Why was the line down for 15 minutes? Because the capper was acting up? 
2. Why was the capper acting up? because the caps kept getting jammed. 
3. Why did the caps get jammed? because there was a slight bend in the rail and they don't flow as they should? 
4. Why has the bend in the rail not been fixed? Because we need to replace it. 
5. Why hasn't it been replaced? because the part is on back order.

Usually by the time you ask why 5 times you can get to the root of the issue.  So maybe I need to start applying the Why method to UFOs. Today I am going to just do a general or broad questioning of Why I have UFOs instead of each one.  I may list each one separately in another post. I am also going to combine the the WIPS and UFOS for this exercise.

A UFOs needing a label.

Let's start with the 3 easy finishes. These are 3 quilts that just need labels on them. 

1. Why isn't it finished? - needs a label
2. Why does it need a label? - to document the quilt for history, because it's one of my goals to label quilts, to claim my work
3. Why isn't it labeled? - label isn't finished.
4. Why isn't the label finished? - needs heat set and cut.
5. Why haven't I heat set and cut it? - printed a different size than usual and I am not sure about stitching it on.

I came to realize the whole issue is I am concerned about the size of the label and turning under part to stitch it on.

The next group of UFOs are the Flimsies or finished quilt tops.  I have 7 of those.  

1. 

   Flimsy ready to be quilted

   Why aren't they finished? - They need to be quilted
2. Why haven't I quilted them? - Need to go on the long arm and it's cluttered
3. Why is it cluttered? - I have to move fabric bins
   
4. Why haven't I moved the fabric bins? - don't know where to put them
5. Why don't I have a space for the bins? - not finished organizing the Studio
6. Why haven't I organized the studio? - too much stuff for the space

I could keep going with this line but what it comes down to is finding a solution. So for now the plan is to put the fabric bins under the dining room table while I get some projects out of the way. Long term solution is to shop from my stash to reduce the amount of bins and storage containers so that it will fit in my space. Also to reduce the amount of other crafting supplies to increase other storage space.

If I am being honest though there is are a couple of splits at the second question. It could also go like this:

Another Flimsy

1. Why aren't they finished? - They need to be quilted
2. Why haven't I quilted them? - Quilt Path software was updated and I am intimidated by it
3. Why am I intimidated? - Second update since I bought the machine. Not comfortable with it using the long arm yet, I haven't read the new information
4. Why haven't I read it? - too little time, not set as a priority
5. Why isn't it a priority - other things on my mind, not accessed it/ printed it out
   
6. Why hasn't been printed out? - lack of ink or paper (now corrected)

Or a third scenario would go like this:

1. Why aren't they finished? - They need to be quilted
2. Why haven't I quilted them? - need backings
3. Why don't I have backings? - need to make backings
4. Why haven't I made the backings? - need to measure/need fabric 
5. Why haven't I measured/gotten fabric - time/money - need to prioritize

Again it does come down to priority doesn't it. So much of getting things done is simply prioritizing

quilt top needing borders

Now for the last group, the unfinished tops. I have 4 of these. One needs piecing, two need borders, one needs reworking. I don't need the 5 why's for these. The one needing piecing is currently bein worked on. The two that need borders were waiting on my finding the border fabric, that has been found for both so I can get those back into production. the last one is stalled because I need to reconfigure the quilt. It was a completed top but it wasn't well planned and is way longer than it is wide.  This will require ripping out and re working the top. So a major under taking.

All this asking why hasn't gotten any of the quilts done has it? My husband might call this exercise a waste of time. (he doesn't believe in making lists either) And No, it hasn't gotten any of my quilts across the finish line. YET.  But it does get one thinking about what has stalled out the projects. Once we understand why we are stalled, we can work the problem to get un-stalled. 

For the quilts needing labels - I figured I would edge the labels with narrow bias tape and the kills two issues with one stone. I hate hand stitching through the label material and it makes the label bigger. 

For the Flimsies needing quilted - move stuff off the long arm, make backs, and set aside weekends to get them quilted.

For the tops needing finished - Piece in the mornings before work. (doing that now) measure/cut and make borders in the morning and/or evening as time permits. For the one needing reworked, use TV watching time to rip out and re configure, that is once labels are on the three mostly finished quilts.

How many UFOs and WIPs do you have? What has you Stalled out? How can you prioritize?

Yardage Sorted and Now????

Wow I started this blog entry over a month ago on April 29th. It is now June 2nd and I am just now getting back to it. On April 29th I was sitting at the airport and just heading out to my daughter's home to visit the grandkids and get the baby blessed.  But I never got back to writing it.

As usual time has gotten away from me.  Work has been crazy busy and while I've gotten another supervisor, we are still down 3 techs.  Plus our big Audit was supposed to be June 1st and 2nd.  In preparation for the audit we get lots and lots of people down from Corporate.  It has been a very busy month. And the Audit has been postponed until the end of this month.  I don't know how I would have gotten through it without my morning routine. Well without further ado here is the blog I started at the end of April.

I have finally finished going through my yardage.  I thought I was never going to get through it, but I finally did.  Going through it was the best idea from the declutter challenge yet. I should have done it last year. I found fabric that I had forgotten all about. I found fabric that will work for backings on a couple of projects. I found the fabric for a quilt for Emerson. Best of all I am recharged and wanting to start planning more quilts. I have come to believe the statement that the fabric will inspire us.

Going through the yardage did reveal some less than pleasant discoveries. I already mentioned the mice issue.  I was lucky. Only two bins were affected. I discovered that I had a lot of apparel fabric that I will never use.  I didn't think I would be getting rid of any fabric but I have weeded out 3 bins worth. Most of it is going to my daughter Tatianna. Some of it is going to my daughter Arianna.  I also found a bunch of scraps.  I actually have more scraps now than I did before I did last year's challenge. So I now have to catch up on my scrap management. 

The biggest challenge I have right now is where to put all the little clear bins of fabric. It will most likely be going into my dining room. I use my dining room table as a cutting table. The dining room very convenient as it is adjacent to my studio. I have some other rearranging to do in the studio as well.

As for stitching this week, I've basically just done some EPP.  I actually finished covering the Hexies and now am sewing the flowers together. I got two done this week. I am finding this is a good project to do when I am sitting watching TV.  It keeps me from snacking, which is always a good thing.  Now I am thinking about getting some hexagon punches to make my own papers.  

Since I wrote the above, my daughter TaKayren has grabbed my Circuit and figured out how to use it. Turns out the model I have can be connected to the internet. So now I am wondering if there aren't programs for cutting EPP papers? If I ever get some down time I will have to do some searches.

As for other progress, I have cut up a bunch of scraps into various sizes.  I also got the blocks cut and sewn for Haper's and Athena's quilts.  In fact I managed to get the top for Harper's quilt pieced.  Just about 30 minutes each morning sure helps to get things done.

I guess that is it for this installment.  More to come later.  Hope you get to quilt today.

Still Sorting

 Well, I've made it through all of the bins. There was only mouse damage in two of the bins. Interestingly enough the mice didn't seem to care for the batik fabric.  They did nibble the edge of a couple of pieces but didn't gnaw holes through the layers.  I think it must have something to do with the dye. I'm guessing that it doesn't taste very good.

I have not done a whole lot in the way of sewing as sorting fabric has been my main focus this week.  The steamer trunk is still needing gone through. Then there are the scraps that I've found mixed into the yardage that will need taken care off. I am off for the next three days and I would love to focus on just that stuff with a little quilting thrown in. Unfortunately my house needs attention.

I have been blessed to have 2 of my grown children still at home.  They take really good care of me while my husband is out of town. But we all have been working long hours and don't have much energy at the end of the day. I have been focused on my fabric with the little energy I've had. So the house work has not been somewhat neglected.  

Tomorrow, I get to watch my daughters two youngest during the day. My husband is home so he will take the 2 year old and I get the 3 month old.  I am hoping to clean out the closet and sweep up the office. Then I am hoping to start on reclaiming the dining room.  I think I will move some of the stuff into the closet. 

Then the next day we have to plant the garden and get the house ready for Easter.  I have a couple of sister missionaries coming to dinner. I don't think I will get much done in the way of quilting this weekend. Oh well, I at least get to spend time with my husband.

Digging Into the Stash (and an unpleasant surprise)

How much fabric does one person need? Of course that question has a different answer for each person. It all depends on what you use it for. I of course use it for quilting. Not that I don't sew clothing once in a great while and I do make things for the house now and then. But mostly I have fabric to quilt with.

Last year I went through all of my pre-cuts and inventoried them. But I never got around to digging through my yardage. Well in my current decluttering attempt, I've decided to attack the bins of yardage. I was thinking I had six large bins of fabric in the closet. In reality I have 10 large bins and 1 large steamer trunk full of fabric. And that isn't counting the fabric I've bought in the past 2 years. And that is just the yardage, not pre-cuts and kits, panels, etc.  I have a lot of fabric and I need to start using it.

Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts, talks about taming our stashes by shopping from our stash first. I have been trying to do this for the past couple of years. I have created about a dozen flimsies from my stash. She also encourages quilters to only buy what they need for the quilt. I didn't follow this advice I like to have a little extra in case I mess up. I am the Quilting Wannabee after all. I make plenty of mistakes. I have also bought fabric simply because I liked it and was at a quilt shop. So the stash keeps growing.  Then add my husband into the mix and it only gets worse.

In a podcast I heard a professional organizer, who specializes in crafting, say that we should have our fabric out where we can see it. She says that the fabric has creative energy. She talked about how we go into fabric shops and get all excited and inspired by the beautiful fabric. Then we make our purchases, take home the fabric and put it put of sight. The energy that the fabric has is shut off from us. This organizer stated that we should have the fabric where we can see it. She says by seeing it our creative energy is charged and we get inspired. I certainly wasn't feeding off the energy of the fabric that is in those bins. Inspiration was lagging as well.

So I started to dig into the bins. I needed to find some yardage for borders and backing anyway. What did I find? Mouse Damage!!!!  This would have been a nice back for a baby quilt but now it will have to be cut into pieces.  Even worse this isn't the only bin with evidence of mice. I am obviously feeding the cats too well.  

Now, going through the stash is a priority. I will be going through and sorting out what needs washed etc.  That is certainly going to slow down the progress of just about everything else.  But that closet needs emptied and it needs to be done now.

But this evidence has me rethinking about how and where I will be storing my fabric.  It is definitely not going back in the closet.  I will store something else there.

I am currently putting the folded fabric into clear bins. I plan on stacking them in my dining room against one wall. That is where I do my cutting anyway. The clear bins will help me monitor for possible pests and allow me to see what I have.  Shopping from my stash will be so much easier. At least that is my current working theory.

Well time to get back to sorting. 5 1/2 bins down, 4 1/2 bins and 1 steamer trunk to go. Wish me luck.  And maybe pray for me to not lose my patience with the rodent world.

Two Weeks Worth of Updates

Wow it has been a busy 2 weeks.  I really don't know where the time went. Work has been crazy busy for me and I haven't gotten home before 7:00pm any night this week and it was basically the same about every night the week before.  We are short handed and need to get people trained.  It is putting a strain on everyone. But I am managing my stress and rising to the challenge thanks to my morning routine.

I have been able to keep up my 30 minutes of quilting/decluttering every morning. (As well as listening to spiritually up lifting messages) It has been a life saver for me. I find I am much less stressed at work if I follow my morning routine. I am in a much better mood and things don't get to me as easily.

I started listening to a new Podcast. Just Wanna Quilt.  The host always ends it with "I hope you find time to quilt today."  I am glad that I have found time to quilt everyday.

Let's see, what have I gotten done these past two week working 30 minutes in the morning.  I have finished the Great Outdoors quilt top.  I have finished fussy cutting the blocks for the two Winnie the Pooh baby quilts. I have done about 15 hexies.  That is just the morning.

In the evening, I have finished binding one quilt and am 3/4 the way done binding the second quilt.  I have also done a few hexies in the evening. 

The reason I have been doing Hexies in the morning is that my sewing machine has been acting up.  I am convinced that it's the tension discs are not holding.  I suspect the spring that adjusts the discs has loss it's spring.  I would be sewing along and the top thread would start looping on the bottom.  I would adjust the tension again and after awhile it would start looping again.  It was very frustrating to say the least. I ended up taking it in to be serviced. I have had it for 13 years and never had to take it in.  I also took in my mother's old singer 301A. It has basically been in storage for the last 40 years. I learned to sew on it and I want to get it running again. Anyway for the last few days I've not had a machine to sew on.

Yesterday, I pulled out my very first machine. It's an old Kenmore that is almost 33 years old. My parents bought it for me as an early birthday present the summer after I got married. It has made many Halloween costumes and little girl dresses. My daughter, Christina's first sewing experience was on it. Then my daughter, Arianna, learned to sew on it. In fact Arianna still claims it.

It has been a good machine but I started having problems with it when I used it for a 4-H sewing club. Syd Viot, friend of my mother, once stated that sewing machines are intimate pieces of equipment and should only be used by one person. After my experiences with the 4-H girls using my machine, I started to understand where she was coming from. My daughters understood the mechanics of sewing so much more than the other girls, Largely because I sewed.

At one point I ended up replacing the Kenmore with a Singer Prelude. It was while the Kenmore was in the shop for the umpteenth time. Anyway yesterday, I cleaned the Kenmore up, dusted it out and threaded it.  With a little tension adjustment, it's stitching beautifully. The only problem is that I don't have a 1/4 inch foot for it.  I am going to try taking a snap on adapter off another machine to use until the foot that I ordered comes in.  Hopefully I can be stitching again in the next day or two. Oh and the Prelude is still here. I passed it onto one of my daughters.

In the meantime, there are strips to cut to size for the Winnie the Pooh quilts and several bins of fabric to sort and fold. Plus I need to cut up (fussy cut) the scraps from the Winnie the Pooh fabric. I suspect I will find more scraps in the bins. So Mt Scrapmore is growing again. I am sure I have enough to keep me busy one way or another. Not to mention all of the backs I need to make for several quilts.  

This week's goals:

1. Make backings for 2 quilts
2. Put one quilt on the machine and quilt it this coming weekend 
3. Finish binding the second Church Ladies Apron quilt
4. Cut the strips for the Winnie the Pooh quilts
5. Start on the ribbon dance quilt for Izora.
6. Make inner borders for 2 quilts.
7. Find fabric for outer borders for two quilts

What are your goals this week?

How are you doing at finding time to sew? 

Do you have a routine set that lets you sew?

Progress on Various Projects

 It has been a very hectic yet rather productive couple of weeks.  I'm still doing my morning ritual and I am making progress on lots of projects. The morning routine has become almost a necessity for me as work is getting crazy busy and very stressful.

Lily of the Valley

I have discovered that some tasks are more suitable for the 30 minute morning sessions. Morning sessions are really good for chain piecing, making bindings, folding fabric, even cutting fabric.  But any thing that is going to take some finesse or engineering should wait until the evening or the weekends.

So what did I get accomplished? The Lily of the Valley quilt blocks are assembled. Also the strips for the inner border and the binding have been cut. 

Bindings attached

Two of my mornings were spent sewing together the binding strips for the  Church Ladies Aprons quilts.  But I didn't get the bindings on the quilts until this past weekend. Attaching the bindings was too much to do in the 30 minutes I have each morning. This is especially true since these bindings were wider than I usual use and took some finagling.  Note to self, the binding tool only works for bindings made from 2 1/2 inch strips.

 In addition to the above, I've assembled 5 rows of a simple patch work quilt that I am making from 4 charm packs. (I am calling this one the Great Outdoors quilt.) It is turning out really nice and very masculine. 

Fussy cuts

I also started cutting the fabric for 2 baby quilts. Both are using fussy cuts and that is something new for me. They will be simple quilts, a 6 1/2 in fussy cut square bordered by 2 1/2 inch strips. I got the 2 1/2 in width of fabric (WOF) strips cut and about half of the squares cut.  In doing, so I emptied 4 bolts. I simply folded that remaining yardage from the strip fabric and added that to a tote.  When I get around to making the backings for a couple of UFOs, I will empty two more bolts.

During this week's morning sessions, I plan on finishing the top for the Great Outdoors quilt. Then sew the inner borders together for the Lily of the Valley quilt. Finish fussy cutting the squares for the baby quilts and cut down the WOF strips into the sizes for the blocks.  Then maybe start assembling those blocks. I also hope to make the backing for a couple of quilts so I can get them quilted next weekend.

That's lots of work for 30 minute sessions and I know that one morning I won't be able to do my session in the morning.  I will have to take my husband to the airport on Tuesday morning. But Progress is still progress and those little 30 minute sessions are adding up.  

How is routine? Are you getting in your creative time?

Morning Ritual Continues

 Well, I kept up the ritual for another week.  I went to work much more relaxed and felt much less stressed even though things didn't run smoothly.  Plus I made some progress.  I didn't get as much done as I would've liked but any progress is better than no progress. Part of the problem is that I basically only worked in the morning. I worked until after 6:00pm 4 out of the 5 days. A couple days it was after 7:00pm. That makes for a long day and a tired body. But I did work in the studio every morning and that is better than what I was doing 2 weeks ago.

So this week I went through 4 small totes of fabric.  I pulled out the small stuff and folded the yardage. My scrap bin, that was almost empty, was full again. I spent some time cutting up scraps. It still has some in it. But I did cut the larger pieces into strips. One fairly large piece was backing that had been trimmed off a quilt.  It had all irregular edges. I squared it up and cut it into 5 inch strips.  There might be enough to make borders for a small quilt. The rest of the larger pieces I cut into more manageable sizes that I can cut down later. Some I cut into 2 1/2 inch strips that can be used for binding. There were some long strips of muslin that I am going to cut into 3 inch squares for the lattice quilt. I also cut some 3 1/4 inch squares and 2 1/2 inch squares. 

Working in the mornings I managed to start sewing the Lily of the Valley quilt blocks into rows.  I have all 12 rows completed and 4 of the 12 rows are sewn together. I am really loving how this is coming together. I will get the rest done this coming week.

I did trim up the blue church ladies apron quilt.  I didn't get the binding made yet, let alone attached to the quilt. I did get the strips marked. I pinned each set together and have them hanging on the wire rack. Hopefully I will get both bindings made this week. I am needing some slow stitching in the evenings. Stitching bindings down will be perfect.

I have not been happy with the tension of the stitches on my sewing machine.  I have been having trouble with it for a while. Today I got it figured out.  My stitching looks much better.  It took a couple of hours but it was worth the time spent.  I should have done it sooner. It made a big difference when I had put a different color of green in the bobbin. I was able to see the issue much better when the thread didn't match. I knew this but honestly, I was being lazy instead of smart last time I worked on it.

I met with my friend Elizbeth and we talked about everything.  I enjoyed going out and meeting for coffee even though I drank a smoothie. It is nice to develop a friendship with someone new. I am hoping we can do this at least every other week. Maybe even every week.

I did get the floor in front of the Long arm cleared and the anti fatigue mat down.  It is so nice to stand on. I actually will just go stand on it from time to time. I am going to need one at my cutting station next year.  I even told my husband that he could get me another one next Christmas. If I don't break down and buy it myself.

Still have lots of fabric to go through.  I need to find a place for the bolts to stand.  I am hoping to have all the loose fabric in the studio done by this weekend. I really need to start on the big bins in the closet.  I need to find some green in my stash that I can use for borders on the Lily of the Valley quilt.  Lots and lots to go through yet.  I am waiting to do notions, since they are not in my studio. I am hoping to sew up some small projects, like bags and pouches. But eventually, I will have to face my limited space and pare down.  I really should have all of my stuff in one area and not scattered through out the house.  But that will be a long term project and I am going to take things one room at a time.

How is your crafting/quilting routine going?  

Are you decluttering? 

How are you organizing your space?

Is your space big enough?

Morning Ritual

It has been an awfully busy week for me. We had some people down from corporate at work. They were installing new equipment. Then of course we had to run trials of new product.  I put in 42 hours just Monday through Thursday. Fortunately, Friday was a much slower day and I could leave early.  

Interestingly enough, despite all of that, I found the week to be much less stressful than it has been lately.  I am putting it down to my new morning ritual.  I have been carefully feeding my soul this week before going to work.

I get up at 5:30am. I go out to the kitchen, start the kettle, prep the French press with cacao and pack lunches. When the kettle is ready, I start the cacao steeping and head off to get dressed.  Once dressed I start playing general conference talks on my phone, pour myself a cup of cacao, and eat my breakfast. I am usually done eating by 6:30am. That leaves me a full 30 minutes to work in the studio. This routine feeds my spiritual and my creative side.  I go to work, relaxed and things run more smoothly. I really need to keep this up.

This week, I've mostly been folding fabric and putting it in totes. There is something very Zen about folding fabric.  It energizes me and yet relaxes me at the same time. I've gotten several bags and boxes of fabric into clear totes. I am not sure where I am going to put them yet. I need to do some decluttering in the dining room still. Then I will start with putting things on the shelves in there.  The important thing is I can see the fabric now and I can draw creative energy from it.

My first goal in the studio right now is to clear the area in front of the Long Arm.  I want to get my anti-fatigue mat down. My husband gave me the mat for Christmas. I am about half way to having it cleared. Once the mat is in place I will be less likely to pile stuff in front of the long arm.  More incentive to put things away, right away.  Plus I will have more incentive to use the long arm.  I tend to run around the house barefoot and the mat will make standing in front of the long arm much easier.

In my organizing, I came across some partial quilt blocks from 13 years ago. I had started them in a block of the month club with a very small local quilt shop. I never finished most of the blocks.  I was way too busy with work and the club was not what I needed.  We didn't sit and sew the block there, which is not all that unusual.  What was unusual was the $25 a month fee to get the next pattern. It would have been cheaper to buy the book (if it were still in print). The quilt shop owners were a little too mercenary and charged for everything.  Their reasoning was they had utility bills to pay. I loved the women, but they didn't understand the need to build a clientele with quilters. Instead they alienated them.  The shop closed a few years later.  As for the quilt blocks, they have been sitting in a bin since.  Last year, I sorted some of them out but couldn't bring myself to get rid of these.  This year I've kept the ones that were mostly completed and turned the rest into scraps.   I may make some pillows or little zipper pouches out of the three I've kept. The more I think about it I like the idea of pouches.

While folding fabric I did come across some more scraps tucked in with yardage.  I will start on getting those cut into useable pieces. I also sorted out short yardage and put those pieces in a separate bin.  So I will know up front that the fabric I am choosing will be a yard or more unless I pull it out of the short yardage bin.  Which will come in handy as I shop from my stash first this year.  

I did not get a quilt on the long arm this week.  Instead we canned 21 quarts of cabbage and 11 quarts of chicken. We needed to thin out the chicken flock before chick season starts up. I will be buying chicks this year. Plus the cabbage was starting to split so we needed to pick it.

So if I can figure out how to have energy at the end of the day, I hope to; trim a quilt, make and attach binding to 2 quilts, piece the back for the next quilt going on the long arm, then quilt it.  Plus fold fabric and trim up scraps.  All in 30 minute spurts (morning and night) over the next week.  Lots of plans, and I hope I can find the energy to accomplish it.

How do you include creative time into your busy day?
 

Quilting/Decluttering/Organizing/New Friend

Wow! Three weeks has gone by so fast.  Work has been especially busy and my hours have been erratic. A lot of stress there and some ugliness that will need to be worked out. I am trying to work on being more positive and more focused on the things that make me happy.

I finally quilted the other Church Ladies Apron quilt top last Sunday.  I made several mistakes and that quilt will remain in the house.  However I did  figure out a few things, one of which is how miserable it is to take out a whole row of quilting. This particular pattern was flowers and there were areas where it stitched back on itself. That meant taking out inch long sections of double stitching.  YUCK!!!! 

I also learned a little more about placement. I am learning and hopefully I can improve with each quilt. I am hoping to put a quilt on the long arm each week. Life got in the way this week but next week I will try to have Pretty in Pink on.  

I also managed to get the bindings cut for both the Church Ladies Aprons quilts.  Hopefully this week I will get them sewn and put on. I also started assembling the blocks for the Simply Squares quilt.  I think I am going to call it the Lily of the Valley Quilt. So small progress in a few areas which is good.

I haven't jumped deep into in the declutter challenge. I did go through all of my thread and pitch several spools. I am trying to use up thread on my piecing.  I also removed squatters but another one came in this week and I will need to find a home for it. I am not taking the challenge by days anymore.  I gave up lots of stuff last year and really the thing most out of hand is my fabric stash.

Since, I've decided my biggest problem is my stash storage, that means doing some hard work. Organizing the fabric so I know what I have and having it where I can see it is the biggest hurdle.  I am not going to have an answer for that right away. It will be a few months at least. I am hoping that I can inventory it and remove some stuff that I won't use. 

I listened to a pod cast where the guest was a organizer/studio designer for quilters. She talked about fabric having energy. She says we walk into the fabric store and get all this creative energy. Then we buy all this lovely fabric that has inspired up and when we get home, we put it out of sight.  She says our fabric should be where we can see it and be inspired by it. I am so guilty of this. I have six or eight big bins of fabric sitting in a closet. I have fabric sitting in bags all around the studio. I need to get it out. I need to fold it uniformly. And then for now put it in clear bins. I started that this week. I got six bags of fabric folded. I am going to do the fabric in bags and boxes in the studio first. I am hoping that once I've accomplished that, I can start going through the big bins in the office closet.  I do feel better just handling it.

While doing this Declutter challenge, I discovered that there was another lady who lives near me that was also doing the challenge. In a world wide group challenge, who would have thought that we would both be from the same small town in rural Georgia. She and I met up this past week and just started getting to know each other.  I hope to set up another "coffee date" with her in a week or two. She is just really nice and fun.

All and all it hasn't been too bad month at least on the quilting/home front. How have you been?