Disaster Studio Equals No Progress

Here it is two weeks later and I am just sitting down to blog again.  In all fairness, I put in 110 hours at work over the past two weeks, so it is understandable that I haven't done much of anything.  But another reason I haven't done anything is the shape of my studio.

View of the whole studio from the north end.

Right now My studio is less of a studio and more of a dumping ground. Things are piled everywhere.  Every flat surface is covered.  The picture to the right doesn't accurately convey the true disaster it is.  Unlike most people, whose studios are in a back room or some other out of the way space, my studio is what would otherwise be called the Living room. It is one of the main rooms of my house.
And since the house has a fairly open concept floor plan, this is highly visible.

Main work surface

This second picture is of my main work surface. My sewing desk. You can see the sewing machine and serger pushed back against the wall. The main work area is covered with papers mail, and various items that my granddaughter wanted me to work on.  Not to mention quilt fabric and squares that I was starting to work on. In the lower left corner you can see more piles that of accumulated stuff.

My very expensive Long Arm

Take a look at Millie. She is covered with fabric, practice pieces, and Christmas gifts for my brother who didn't make down for the holidays. The ironing board is leaned against her.  This is not the way to treat a $30,000.00 piece of equipment. You can even see that Millie herself is pushed all the way down to the end. It is just a fluke that there is not a cat perched atop her. 

Below Millie's table

The space beneath her is even worse.  I have fat quarter storage bags, bins of fabric and thread and boxes of stuff piled up all over. There are 3 spare sewing machines in cases. There is a box of my husband's papers and who knows what else that I don't know what to do with. The plastic set of drawers have nothing to do with sewing and everything to do with papers, etc. from over the years.  It needs gone through and emptied. Of course that falls to me and well I don't want to mess with it.  You can't see it but back in one corner I have the box for Millie.  I was told to keep it but everywhere I have put it so far (closets, etc) has been needed for something else.  So it's taking up room in the studio.

Tatianna's sewing surface

Oh and let's not forget this pile at the end of the room.  Some where underneath that pile is Tatianna's sewing machine.  I wish I could say that it was all her stuff piled up there, but it's not. Oh some of it is hers but I have a habit of dumping stuff there until I am finished with it. Of course finishing with it means putting it up, Right? Not so much for me.  I really need to get this dug out so Tatianna can pack it up her stuff to take with her when she gets married in 2 1/2 months.  I may be losing a daughter but I am gaining some space. 

Is it any wonder that I have not felt like quilting. How could I even begin to get inspired when the very space I create in makes me depressed.  I really need to get a handle on this. I need to find a system that will work for me. I know some of it is going to be weeding out what I don't use or need.  That will take some help from someone stronger willed than I.  Too bad Arianna is too far away.  Plus it isn't going to be just a weekend thing. This is going to take months.

So for now the plan is to take one area at a time and clear it up. Starting with my work surface.  I actually have space there now to start sewing again. A little cleaning, then a little sewing. If I do it a little bit each night before too long I will not feel like I am being buried alive.

That's my goal for now.  What are your set back? How are you over coming them?

Lost/Wasted Five Months

Here it is May 5th 2019 already.  I don't know where the time has gone to. I do know it has not been well spent by me. This will only be my 3rd blog in all of 2019. The reason being that I haven't done anything in the way of quilting or even sewing.  If I am not creating something then I have nothing to write about. So what has happened?

It all started back in January.  I went back to work after a glorious 3 week vacation. While on vacation I didn't use my inhaler once.  Half way through my first shift back, I started wheezing and had to use it.  Basically for the next two and half months I was in an asthma flare.  Which meant I had no energy for anything. I went to work then came home and collapsed.  No sewing, studying, nothing.  I'd watch TV and hole up in my room.  Or I would read romance novels.  The thing with reading is I am a compulsive reader.  As in I have trouble stopping especially if it is a series that lets me escape reality. After the Flare had ended, the studio was a mess and didn't have the energy to get it cleaned up.  I think looking back I have been rather depressed as well. That may have been why I was escaping into the books.

Now I am trying to decide what it is I really want. Okay I know what I want, I want a self cleaning house. I want to be able to stay home and still bring in a paycheck. I want to be able spend the money and time I need to learn how to be a better quilter and seamstress.  I want to go back to school and get a degree in family and consumer sciences.  I want to be able to drop what I am doing and fly off to see my children and grand children. I want to do the Bali Batiks excursion.  I want to have enough money to spend on stuff when I travel.  I want to lose weight without making the effort.

Most of these are fantasies. Or far flung wishes.  I have a foot in dreamland and another in reality.  Sometimes being an adult in the real world sucks.  Thomas S Monson, a late president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, once said that "Work will win when wishy-washy wishing won't"  I don't want to put in the hard work. I want it to come easily. But I know better and it is time to get off my behind and do better.

Starting with What I really want that is realistic. 

I could go back to school but I don't have anyway to pay for it and going into debt for it is not practical at age 56.  So that isn't going to happen at least not at this time.

The self cleaning house will never happen.  It is time for the buck to stop here.  Which means I can't expect my children to work full time and clean up after themselves and still wait on me hand and foot. I need to be picking up after myself and helping with the cooking and cleaning and the animals.  This will mean adjusting my schedule and habits.  It will take some time and some sacrifice.

Spending the money and time to be a better quilter and seamstress.  Money is not ever going to be plentiful.  I will have to learn this stuff on my own. Starting with studying the Quilt Path manual.  Plus there are lots of tutorials on line. I can learn to do it. One thing I am sure of I can learn to do about anything.

Staying home and bringing in a paycheck is not going to happen.  At least not in a way I am willing to go. Which is disability and/or workman's comp.  This past month we had a man at work lose a hand on the job.  His life has been forever altered. He can no longer function in the career he has worked in most of his life. I am thankful that I am basically healthy and have a job that I like.

Flying off to see my children at a moments notice isn't practical but with the amount of traveling my husband does for work, I have been able to do a little bit of visiting.  That will just have to be enough.

The Bali Batik's excursion will require careful saving. I don't mean saving just for the cost of the excursion itself, but also for spending money along the way.  The trip may no longer be available by the time I have it but that is the only way I can do it.  I need to get out of debt before I retire so that means saving and cost cutting.

So what does that mean for Quilting?

1. Put in the time - I need to start putting in the time to improve my skills. reading practicing, learning.
2. Curtail impulse spending - Instead of building the stash I need to use what I have. Not the least of which is use the kits I've bought. Buying supplies for projects should come after checking out what I have that I can use. Elephants two for a Quarter is only a bargain if you have a quarter and need the elephants
3. Cut out the useless -  that means make better use of my time. Watch less TV and read better books, etc. It also means getting rid of the things I don't use and that don't bring me joy.  I sometimes feel as if I am drowning in my possessions.
4. Clean up after myself - a clean house will help keep my mind at ease to create. I won't feel guilty about sewing when company may show up.
5. De-clutter the house - by cleaning up and inventorying what I have I can better save money and not have things going to waste. 

None of these is going to be accomplished overnight.  It is going to be a long habit breaking and habit forming process but I am going to work on it.

Next Week: The Disaster that is my studio.

2018 Goals Summary

Here it is the 3rd of February 2019 and I am just wrapping up some of my goals for 2018. I took 13 months on some of these. But that is okay, because late is better than never. Let's review the goals.

1. Three quilts for family - can be started, especially finish UFO (UnFinished Objects) or NSY (Not Started Yet)
2. Complete three UFO or NSY - can be used for #1
3. Work on something 20-30 minutes each day. Can be sewing, Cutting, Prepping, Quilting or Studying -  a hold over from last year
4. Use what I have and only buy fabric to finish a project.
5. Document Quilts I have made, this is a hold over from last year.
6. Read The Technical part of the Thread Waggle quilt blog.
7. Try Paper piecing - use the cake mixes you have.
8. Do an easy project now and then. Life isn't all about learning.
9. Clean up after each project. it is easy to let things sit and then I don't get going on the next project.

That was a pretty big chunk to work on and I didn't accomplish all of them or even most of them.  The thing with setting goals, they have to be fluid and sometimes while the goal is a good idea it isn't practical for the stage of life you are currently in.

So How did I do:

1.  Three quilts for Family - DONE!!! Actually I did 4 but 3 of them were bigger quilts than I had been doing.
2. Complete three UFO's or NSY - Mostly accomplished Completed two UFO's. The third  just needs binding stitched on the back side and a label.  Started three quilts and completed two of them. The third needs borders and quilting.
3. Work on Something 20-30 minutes everyday.  I have to say only partially accomplished this.  I did really well for the first quarter of the year. then was very hit and miss (mostly miss) the rest of the year. Still it is something I need to work on.
4. Use what I have and only buy fabric to finish a project.  About half way accomplished.  With the exception of one layer cake,  the fabric I bought was for projects and did not just add to my stash. I spent way less on fabric this year. I need to try and do that again in 2019. Starting now of course, because In January I hit an awesome sale on batiks. $5.00 a yard and well I couldn't pass that up. I do know what I am using some of them for though so it wasn't all stash building.
5. Document Quilts I have made.  I finished that this afternoon.  At least as much as I could for the quilts from the past 9 years.  I do know there is a table runner and a baby quilt that I made but I didn't photograph before I gave them away. That was more than 5 years ago so I am unlikely to get a picture now. But I believe I have all of the others documented.
6. Read the Technical part of the Thread Waggle quilt blog.  Not even close. This goal, it  turns out, was not really a practical goal for me at this time. I ended up dropping it. 
7. Try Paper Piecing. I didn't get around to that. I will keep it for this next year. That layer cake I mentioned in number 4 is probably slated for a cake mix quilt.
8. Do an easy project. The third quilt I started is an easy project.  The next one I plan to start will also be and easy project. Then I will jump into a more complicated quilt.
9. Clean up after each project. I did pretty good with this one and will keep working on it. I also think I need to do better about organizing and putting supplies up instead of letting them pile up.

I also looked at how often I blogged this past year.  I posted 40 out of 52 weeks.  Which is about 76.9% of the time.  This year is off to a bad start since I missed 5 weeks already but I am going to try and do better.  I am starting to look forward to projects again.  I don't know why I got so discouraged but I did. Then I was traveling, then trying to catch up at work and now trying to catch up at home.

So I haven't really settled on goals for 2019 yet.  That will be topic of my next blog.  

What are you working on? What new challenge are you taking on?  I could use some ideas.

Quilter's Block And Absent Minded Ramblings

Hello out there.  I dropped off the radar for a while. In fact I dropped off for seven weeks. This journey I am on to be a better quilter is important to me but like everyone else out there I got a little discouraged.  In fact, I had a bad case of quilter's block. You know like writer's block only with quilting. That and probably more than a little bit of depression.

In my last installment, I told you how I totally messed up my second Ribbon Dance quilt.  Well I spent the following week tearing out the stitching of the border and the bottom two rows. Except it hit me that I didn't need to separate every block apart.  I just needed to take out the stitching between the 6th and 7th row. Then I picked out the stitching between the 2nd & 3rd and the 4th & 5th columns of those two rows.  This gave me 3 - 2x2 blocks.

The first week of December I stacked those blocks onto each other and ended up with a 2x6 column. I sewed that onto the center and my now 8x6 top was ready for borders.  Except that now I had borders that no longer fit my top. At that point I was really down and for a while very unmotivated.  In fact I didn't even want to be in my studio. I was starting to hole up in my bedroom again. A sure sign of depression.

It was the second week of December, I was down a tech at work, I had people taking vacation, and a really nasty bug was running rampant through work. Long hours and lots of stress had me short tempered and gave me a bad attitude.  I had done nothing in the way of Christmas preparations and had some more shopping to do.  I just didn't have the energy to put into quilting and everything else.  Like I said I was down. Kim came home on the 14th and I just had one week until I was on vacation as well.  That helped but not enough. I didn't even look at my projects.

While I was cleaning up in the Studio a bit to make it nicer for Christmas, Killian's girlfriend asked me who the Christmas Lemonade Quilt was for. I had been wondering who to give it to the whole time I was making it. When Joy asked who the quilt was for, I was trying to figure out what to get my friend Liz for Christmas and it hit me the quilt was for Liz.

That quilt evolved from a bargain purchase that wouldn't work for the project I had in mind. I was determined to make something with that purchase. I ended up with a wonderful quilt. When I met Liz I was her supervisor. The housekeeping staff need more supervision than Sanitation could provide so management temporarily put them under quality. Shortly after that we ended up firing 2 of the 3 house keepers. Apparently Liz was the only one who had a decent work ethic.  Morning reports with her led me to realize we had lots in common. I enjoyed talking with her. But I was her supervisor and decorum dictated distance. A few months later, housekeeping went back to Sanitation. That was when Liz and I became fast friends. It seemed that the Christmas Lemonade quilt was symbolic of our friendship. I decided that the quilt would be her Christmas present. That meant I had to finish binding and put a label on it. I started stitching the binding down on December 18th and once that was done I put the label on it. That was the 20th. It was wrapped and under her tree on the 21st. 

That seemed to break the quilting block so to speak.  I then moved onto stitching down the binding on the first ribbon dance quilt. The label was on it by Christmas Eve.  At which point, Christmas took center stage.   

The day after Christmas, I got to work on fixing the inner border for the second ribbon dance quilt.  I had a long piece left over. I gathered all of the pieces, starched and pressed them stiff. then I sewed them back into a long strip and then measured and cut the inner border pieces. There are more seams than there were but that's okay.  Once the were on it was time to cut the outer border. On December 29th, I put the outer borders on and made the back. I then got the quilt on the machine. I also wound the bobbins and threaded Millie with the lavender colored thread I wanted to use. Before starting the quilting part, I made the binding and set it aside. The next day I quilted it.  On New Years Eve, I trimmed the quilt, and sewed the binding to the front.  That night I turned the binding and using one of my favorite gadgets, wonder clips.  I even started stitching it down. 

I didn't finish it though and in fact I didn't finish it until just last week.  I still had some time off and the star quilt needed to be quilted. Binding I can do in the evening after work, quilting I need blocks of time to do. So I made the back to the star quilt and got it on the machine.

I have decided to name the star quilt Starry Night. It is made of batiks in blues greens and purples. The sashing, back, and binding is an indigo batik with little white star corner stones. It reminds me of Van Goth's Starry Night. Which by the way is one of my favorite paintings.  I didn't start out to pay homage to that painting, it just turned out that way.

Anyway, I found a really cool star and swirl pattern to quilt Starry Night with. I just seemed perfect for it. Now what color thread to use? I went with silver. I got bold and used silver in the bobbin even though the back is almost black. Than means the stitching really stands out on the back. I am really happy with how it turned out. No, its not perfect and my mistakes are visible, but I am happy with it and I have figured out who is getting it. Now I just need to trim and bind that quilt and of course put a label on it. 

I am really glad that I got past the quilter's block. I am even happier that I am getting projects done. I also know that Liz is a big reason why it happened. I wanted so much to give her something more than a sweater or trinket. Finishing her quilt broke the block.  It also reminded me why I was working on these projects, for the people I love. Liz loved the quilt by the way. She won't let anyone else touch it. And when I told her the story behind it, it made it even more special.

Sometimes I forget that quilts don't have to be done on a deadline. I forget that they don't have to be perfect. I think I need to allow myself to move on and come back to the project later.  I think that part of my quilter's block was due to the fact that I was trying to get these two quilts done and it became a chore instead of being fun. And because I kept imposing deadlines on myself, I was getting discouraged.  Also I was not letting myself start another project before finishing the ones I was working on. Sometimes we need to take a break from projects, especially big ones. 

I have decided to do a couple of quick little throw quilts before starting another big quilt. I need a couple of easy ones to get my creative juices flowing.

Have you ever had Quilter's Block? How did you get past it?

Pride Goes Before the Fall

How many times are we warned in scriptures not to lean to our own understanding. How many times are we warned to not to be puffed up in Pride. How many philosophies warn against being being too sure of ones self. How many times have we been told that pride goes before the fall. I have heard these many time in both my spiritual and intellectual training. Yet like so many others I have fallen.

In my haste to finish this quilt I didn't pay close attention to the directions. After all I have already just made one.  So this should be no problem, right. I know what I am doing.  There are 48 blocks in this quilt, so the lay out should be 6 x 8, right? Wrong!  The blocks are rectangles not square.  The lay out is 8 x 6.  

I was making pretty good progress, I managed to sew all but one day this week and finished the center of the quilt. It looked a little wrong but I dismissed it. I measured for the inner border and it seemed wrong but again I dismissed it. I got the inner border sewn on and pressed and still it bothered me but again I would have dismissed it.  Then I was showing the pattern to one of my kids' friends and I noticed the measurements listed for the finished size. I immediately knew what I had done wrong. 

Now I am in the process of tearing out the stitching for the inner border. Then I need to take off the bottom two rows. Once I have the rows removed I need to take them apart.  I will then make two columns of six and sew them onto the end of the rows. It is not an ideal fix but it will work. 

I just hate that now I am even farther behind in completing the quilt. I will have to mail it at a later date and hope it makes it in time for Christmas.  This is so frustrating for me. I hate that it will be rushed. I also hate that I made such a stupid mistake. Quilting under pressure is proving to be a bad idea. 

Hopefully this week I will be able to work on it every night.  But I still need to purchase some gifts to mail this week as well as finish shopping for those ones who live here.  It will be a busy week. But it is that time of year.

I hope you all are having better luck at finishing your projects in time for Christmas.  

Finished is Better Than Perfect

I was about half way through piecing the second ribbon dance quilt when my son pointed out a mistake. I had the top draped over the rollers of my long arm machine and he saw a break in the pattern.  I calmly pointed out the blocks, still not seeing what he saw. Then I really looked at it and sure enough I had made the same mistake several times in both quilts.

The picture on the top shows how the pattern is supposed to look. The colored pieces or ribbons flow across the top of the first block down across the bottom of the second block thus creating the look of twisted ribbons. This effect is created by the white of the center strip of the blocks all going in the same direction across the row. Unfortunately when I was piecing the blocks I didn't notice that little detail in the pattern. In some of my blocks the center strip goes in the opposite direction. That would have been okay if all the block in that row were going in that direction. But when the blocks that are going in opposite directions are joined, you get a chevron effect as is shown in the bottom picture. Which is okay but not as dramatic as the the proper placement.

What really bugs me about this is I am better than that. I've taught my daughters to pay close attention to pattern directions. I was taught this by my mother. And yet I got cocky and thought I knew what I was doing and didn't read the pattern thoroughly enough to do it right. I am just a little disappointed in myself with this one. But not disappointed enough to rip it all apart and correct it.

Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company has said many times that finished is better than perfect. I have to agree with her. Any one looking at and criticizing a quilt that is a gift, doesn't deserve the quilt. These quilts are for my granddaughters who are ages 3 1/3 years and 6 months. By the time they are old enough to see my mistakes, they will have been sleeping under these quilts for a long time.  Plus I know their mother will teach them about the love and time that went into the quilts. I would much rather get these quilts done and have my grand babies asleep under them keeping warm. The alternative is to rip them out and start over.  No one would have any of my quilts if I did that every time.

So Finished is Better than Perfect.  I will still strive for perfection but I am not going to beat myself up over this mistake. My granddaughters will still have warm quilts and I will still have my sanity.

Has this happened to you? What did you do?

Holidays Approaching = Panicked Rush

Here it is a third of the way through November and I am already panicking about finishing projects.  The thing is I only need to finish the second ribbon dance quilt so why I am I feeling the pressure. It may be because this is peanut season and work is really busy. Or the fact we had a hurricane and our lines are running seven days a week to catch up. It could be that I am really tired due to this asthma flare kicking up with every weather change. Or the fact that I want my house ready for company and don't have all the time I want to clean it. I just know that I am feeling panicked.

So to put things in perspective, I decided to evaluate my progress on my goals.

1. Three quilts for family - when I get these two ribbon dance quilts done that will be complete.
2. Complete three UFO or NSY - I have one done, one needing binding and labeling and the third ready to quilt. Should be no problem to have it done by the end of the year.
3. Work on something 20-30 minutes a day. - I always start out really good on this and then it slowly fades to the wayside and I am back to quilting on the weekends. Usually because things have gone to pot at work or I am sick.
4. Use what I have and only buy fabric to finish projects - I only partially achieved it. But I have spent way less on fabric this year than in years past. And the fabric I have bought is designated for quilts and not just building a stash.
5. Document Quilts - Still not started this but I expect I will take the time after Christmas when I have time scheduled off from work.
6. Read the technical part of the Thread Waggle quilt blog. - I did this once. I think I will start to focus more on the Quilt Path manual.
7. Try paper piecing - haven't yet. Maybe after Christmas.
8. Do an easy project now and then - working on one with Rorie.  Plus I think I will do up a couple of jelly roll quilts just to do them. I have 2 rolls to do a stack and flip quilt. After the new year of course.
9. Clean up after each project - I am actually doing pretty good at this one. I do like to have a clean space to start the next project. Of course that doesn't mean others using my studio are doing it. But that is okay. My friend Kerri Lynn used to say the first step of every project is to clean up and the last step to every project is to clean up. I think I need to make a sign with that on it for the studio.

So I still feel panicked about finishing the one quilt but I am in pretty good shape with my goals. I am hoping to carve out some time in my life to quilt more and work fewer hours. Maybe after the holidays, things at work will slow down. Who am I kidding, it won't slow down until after the Super Bowl. I just need to push myself to have a better work life balance. That may be my number one goal this next year.

Oh and I have one row of the second ribbon dance quilt put together. So just seven more to go.

Are your holiday projects coming together?