New Year 2012

It is time to look back. It is time to look ahead.

When I look back at last year I feel good about a lot of things.

I did a lot of quilting, I made a lot of art, and tried a lot of new things.

I want more of those things.

I also want to make sure to give myself more time to just be. I don't have to be doing something every minute. And I have to be more realistic about how much time it takes to do things.

I could go on about these ideas, but instead I want this to happen little by little, day by day.

I finished binding a quilt on New Year's day. How cool is that? ... starting off the year completing a UFO.

Also, I had an art day last Thursday with my Mom, Sister, SIL, Brother, Niece and Husband. We have such a good time doing this together. I made a mixed media art piece on canvas board. It was so fun, and I had never done something quite like it before. Yesterday I took it to have it framed. I am planning to hang it up on the wall, which is something I don't usually do (display my own art). I will post a photo when I get it back.

A little art, too ~ Days 13, 14, 15, 16

Saturday, Day 13

This day was a sad day, but I won't go into the details of it here. The interesting thing is, quilting can be a very nice way to help with sad times. That evening I watched the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love", and stitched more of the binding on my quilt. It was a perfect way to end this day.

Sunday, Day 14

Today I wanted to get lost in doing something and enjoy it. I worked in my art journal and finished 2 pages. I had started them a while ago by painting the backgrounds and putting pictures of lions on the pages. I had no plan of what to do with them, but I just started. I collaged and wrote on them. I used some of my scrapbook papers, which was great. I have lots of paper, and I love it and want to play with it more. It was very enjoyable to do these pages, and I am really pleased with how they came out.

Monday, Day 15

My friend, Sarah, invited a few friends to her house to sew. It is a lot of fun to get together to do this - she makes a very good hostess. We all feel very comfortable at her house, and she makes us wonderful food. And I got 30 more 9 patch blocks made for my Brother's & SIL's quilt. That is all the pieced blocks I need to make for the quilt. I still have to wash some fabrics to cut out the setting triangles and borders. Then I can start assembling the quilt center. There are a lot of blocks and assembling will take a lot of time, but I am getting excited about finishing the quilt.

Wade and I went to the Train and Maroon 5 concert - Wow is what I have to say about that. They were both so good. It was really fun and happy. I have seen Maroon 5 before, and they have gotten even better. They were more R&R than their recorded music, which I liked in the live format. Train really blew us away. Pat has such a great voice and such a great interaction with the audience. He is a supreme performer, very charismatic.

Day 16

I worked on writing about some ideas I have. I want to figure out a way to get people together to do art, that is a fantasy of mine. I put down some specifics about how that might work. I feel as if it is something I am ready to do, but am afraid of committing to the time. Regardless, I want to start the ball rolling and see what develops. If I plant the seed and water it, it will grow.

Still Sewing ~ Days 9, 10, 11, & 12

I have been sewing every day, just not blogging.

I sewed a little more on the binding on the charity quilt - I am half way around. I also finished the quilt top from the jelly rolls that I started last Sunday. I had a fat quarter bundle of the same fabrics, so I pieced together a border treatment, which made the quilt a little bigger. I like the quilt pretty well, although it is very busy. It was really fun to make.

This week I was distracted by going to Borders. The store is closing, and I am very sad. It has been a place that Wade and I have gone to many, many times over the years. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, and my bookshelves can prove that.

Now I have to get back to finishing the quilts that were on the list of what needs to get done.

Sewing without Regrets ~ Day 8

I stitched more of the binding today, and I sewed on the quilt top I started yesterday. (Yay for sewing every day for a week!) I have to decide how I want finish the quilt top - I may want it a little bigger.

A recurring theme in my life is I want more time. I was busy this weekend doing all good stuff, but there is so much more I wanted to do. I am trying to spend my time doing things I enjoy doing, or are important. That way, hopefully, I will not have regrets. And that would be a wonderful accomplishment.

I Couldn't Help Myself ~ Day 7

What is wrong with me? I am sick and twisted. That's the only explanation.

I started a new quilt today.

I was looking at stuff on the internet - photos of quilts. It got me thinking about how to make something quick and easy with a jelly roll. We have lots of jelly rolls at the shop, and could use some samples made from them. Then I thought, I have some jr's upstairs... maybe I can try it with one of those. Well, the quilt top is almost done. It was lots of fun to make. If nothing else, that was a good reason to do it. Right?

Caffeine, Anyone? ~ Day 6

I sewed borders on to a quilt top, and it is now ready for quilting.

I was making a list (I do that a lot) of quilts I want to work on now/soon.

If I don't go to work, and don't sleep, and drink gallons of coffee, I could get them all done.

I have to learn how to take it one day at a time, one quilt at a time.

the Process ~ Day 5

I hand stitched some binding tonight. So mission accomplished - kept my commitment for today. I wish I had 4 more hours in my day right now - I just want to sew.

I was thinking about the idea of process vs. product with quilting.

Some quilters are totally focused on finishing their quilts. They only work on 1 or 2 at a time, and usually have a reason to make the quilt. They will not start a new quilt until this one is finished. That motivates them to complete it, because there is always another new and exciting project to start. I have also known quilters who rarely finish anything, and have numerous quilts underway.

I am, like a lot of quilters, somewhere in the middle. I have finished a lot of quilts, and have a lot of unfinished quilts, too. I get a little sad when I am finishing a quilt sometimes - there is definitely a part of me that enjoys the process, often more than the finished quilt.

We always talk about the unfinished projects. I wonder why so many of us do this. And at what point is it still OK? or totally nutz?

And what to do about it?

do I want to change?

hmmmmm

Preparation ~ Day 4

Today I just got stuff ready to sew. Sometimes I just don't feel like ironing, but right now all of the projects I am working on needed to be ironed as the next step.

I pressed and cut fabric for a border, and pinned it on to the quilt top.

I pressed and cut fabric for a pillowcase.

I pressed fabric for blocks for the 9 patch quilt.

I pinned the binding to hand stitch on a quilt.

It feels good to have a few things ready to go. Maybe someday I can have a personal assistant who will do that for me!