This past weekend, I was teaching for the Maye River Quilt Guild in Bluffton, South Carolina. Fran, who booked my visit for the guild told the members several times that she "admired" the way I set goals at the beginning of the year for my quilt making.
It got me to thinking about my goals -- setting them is one thing, achieving them is another as you well know. And I've been negligent in the "achieving" department this quarter. Last night I decided since the studio is still torn up (very bogged down, blaming the gardens), I'll spend the rest of May and June TOTALLY focused on finishing.
NO NEW STARTS, Mary!!!
Between participating in the 2016 Finish-A-Long and the APQ UFO Challenge 2016 and my own goals, there is plenty to do!! This is my APQ list -- if you look closely you'll notice I've left some blanks at the end of the list and there are a couple of duplicate entries. I left four spaces blank when I made the list so if I didn't "finish" something, I could add it back into the list for a future month . . . . . . . clever or cheating?
I'm still working on the quilting of April's project. I was so excited to actually be able to start this because how to quilt it has been a major stumbling block. I've lost track of where I got the inspiration for this all-over quilting (if it was you, please let me know) but I'm very pleased with the results.
And it should have been finished by now but, but, but . . . . . I'm doing it in two sections and froze when I realized that might not have been a good strategy with a quilting design which flows across the surface and at this point seems impossible to blend across the join needed at the middle of the quilt. So I'm back to thinking. There is an idea percolating but it's need a bit of simulation before I go ahead with it.
The May project is to finish a scrappy tumbling blocks piece that I've been using for demonstrations in my Set-In Piecing Simplified workshops. It was all pinned onto a sheet for easy transport to classes.
This morning, I transferred everything to the work wall (I can get to it) so as time occurs to piece, I can work at setting the units together (the sewing machine is accessible) and filling in the gaps (I wonder where the bag of scrap diamonds is stashed?).
One of my 2016 Finish-A-Long goals (you can see all of them HERE) is to hand quilt the round robin quilt top from early last year.
Once again, I have to get over the hesitations about "how to quilt it" so Sunday evening I just started in the middle -- no idea where this is going yet but will keep forging ahead and waiting for something to click in my head.
Spring of course will continue to distract me. The blue jays are busy in my backyard harvesting fibers from last year's swamp milkweed stalks to use in their new nest and I have to watch that!?! And yesterday on a birding morning at one of our favorite places, we found this little patch of wild blue phlox. This flower is increasingly rare and must be enjoyed at any opportunity!! In this flood plain, it was abundant and thriving!
I hope you are finding balance in your life during this changing of the seasons -- it's a challenge for sure!!
Mary Huey
That tumbling blocks!!! Amazing. I love the colors and the effect!! Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteThe phlox is phlox divaricata and is widely available - add some to your garden! I love it.
ReplyDeleteI wish you well in finishing your quilts. The tumbling blocks are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYour tumbling blocks are so neat! The quilting looks beautiful on your April project and I know it will all work out!
ReplyDeleteI like how you're goal oriented. I am, too, and sometimes a list helps me, but other times it's just as easy to keep it in my head. If I've written it down and find I need to deviate, I feel guilty. In my head, I change it as needed. It's still as real, but less guilt, I guess. Hope you home project is completed, and all upheaval over.
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