Monthly Archives: May 2011

Friday Finds

     I spent a little time at the carwash this week. Cleaning up the Yukon. But a little time turned into a lot of time when the battery died -in the carwash. 🙂 Seriously and I did laugh while some nice car washers jumped my battery. In the carwash. A week of fixing things.  It really has been a year of fixing things so far. New car has been obtained and I am very happy about that. ( The dogs do not like the new car. I feel a little guilty about that. Soon the new car smell will be gone and they will be at home again.)

     Doing good on staying focused. I have another small piece basted and have begun quilting it. Nothing to show yet. But I found some really fun things happening in blogland this week.

1. Kathy York has organized an Artist Quilt Village project through May and you can follow along through the artists’ blogs.

2. A few lucky people are at the Barn and posting about their time there- Robin Ferrier and Christine Mauersberger.

3. Lynn Krawcyzk has  another great idea and is offering a thermofax screen of the month club. I just used one of her screens today and was reminded of what quick easy fun printing is using a thermofax screen. She only has a few spots left so go check it out. It is another addicting way to add design to fabric.

4. And for those of you awake yet, yes it is only Thursday. But Friday Finds sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it?

Back to the Clothesline

     I think it is finally spring although only 50 today. I was able to hang and photograph a completed piece on the clothesline. Amazing when you just devote 4 hours of time to one thing and focus.

                                                         L Series- # 6 , 12×18

Looks like I have another project and that’s organize this years quilts names and labels. But I finished something even though it’s a small something! small.  The road to completion recovery …. hope has arrived.

Be creative, my friends!

Taking Stock, Being Honest and Finishitis

     Is there such a word-finishitis? Don’t know but I certainly seem to be queen of it lately. My definition: not staying FOCUSED enough to finish the task at hand. In my excitement of learning new things or wanting to try different ideas, I have developed an uncanny inability to start many things and never carry them through to completion. If I get stuck on a piece, I start another one.

     Now, I do need one or two on my design wall to spur me on and when I do get stuck then I can bounce back and forth between them. That actually helps me move on. But, over the last few months with learning all these techniques, I let things get way out of control. I realized it last Thursday when I couldn’t see over my fabric pile to the design wall. And the pile of unfinished quilt tops was getting larger again.

     I blamed it on everyone but me-my poor family, my husband, the dogs-well heck they did keep bringing in half the dirt and rain from the yard last week.  Until finally, I gave myself a little talking to. Put all the currently unneeded supplies and fabric away. Tidied and cleaned.

     I can see my walls again with works in process.

Things are piled neatly according to projects on the tables. Fabric fold neatly and books put away. (Another form of procrastination, I know. )

This is one of my piles of unquilted tops. Two just need bindings and sleeves.  The rest need to be sandwiched and quilted. These are the ones that are ready to go as far quilting is concerned. I procrastinate on these because at this point the machine quilting is a hard skill for me yet. There is another pile of unfinished tops which I would like to hand quilt….

Sewing of various parts together on the wall has begun again.

I am my own worst enemy. I need to finish things and this recurrent theme is really bogging me down.

Nothing is standing in the way of my art-but me. Not unlearned skills of lack of talent. Just plain old me. How do you know if there is talent there if you don’t finish it?

Another silly list that will be made. But it’s up to me to knock it off, isn’t it? Being honest to or with  yourself is sometimes the hardest thing.

Be creative and finish things, my friends!