Accountability? First Quarter 2023 Review

     Earlier today, I was looking for something in a recent blog post and reminded of my (energetic) post from the end of 2022 laying out a few goals for 2023.  I can't forget about them because I leave my work journal open to the page with the list on the desk by my sewing machine so I will see it every day!

Just the same, perhaps a "first quarter" progress review would be a good idea to keep me accountable and rejuvenate my focus?  So this post is written mostly for my benefit which makes reading further optional for you.

  1.  Finish six more UFO's from the leftover 2022 list.  Excellent progress here -- two are completely finished, three are finished tops (instead of piles of stuff) and another one just came off the shelf to serve it's time as a "leader/ender" project!

Leftover blocks and a hoarded fabric finally used!!

2.  Quilt the new tops I made in 2022.  Moderate progress here -- no finishes but one is just past the halfway point of quilting.   And I'm giving myself a "pat on the back" for quilting three lap-size quilt tops that I've pieced since the beginning of the year!!   (That's so not me!?!)

A blend of machine and hand quilting is in progress on my version of Homage to Grandmother's Flower Garden.  I just finished the hand quilting last evening and will now do the machine quilting around the outside edges -- an April finish for sure!!

3.  Deal with all the antique/vintage quilt tops I own.  I sold two!!  And I have a firm plan for finishing a third one including a recipient when it's done!  Six to go!!

Perhaps I should move this stack to a place where I see it more often?

4. If/when I start new projects, chose from a list of seven that I've wanted to make for a while.  Looking at this one again, what a silly girl I was to say "if/when" -- of course, I'm going to start new projects?!?  Of the four piecing and applique projects . . . . no, make that five . . . . that are actively in process at the moment -- two are from the list.  But you get it -- it's so hard to resist a shiny new idea!?!

Three of my current "works in progress" -- two from the "list of seven" and one shiny new sew-along (lower left).  I'm "storing" them flat on the portable back-up design wall (seeing them every day is so inspiring!!).

5. Rehome twelve finished quilts.  Progress on this goal is a bit shaky.  I have let go of two quilts and have a short list of quilts and recipients on my desk, but as usual my follow through is a bit light.  What's my excuse?  I'm a quilt hoarder???  I just need to let go!!

As I'm writing this, I'm reviewing my potential recipient list and realize this quilt which I finished last month will be perfect for one of them.  It's in the washing machine as we speak getting ready for it's forever home!!

As I was looking for a picture of it to share, I realized I never showed off the finished quilt after posting the tutorial on piecing the honeycomb pattern HERE so here it is!!  A vibrant border was needed to balance the yellow but when I didn't have enough of the stripe, I had to get creative and plug in those two green prints.

I kept the quilting simple because "finished is the goal" but I did get courageous and use one of my (much neglected) quilting rulers to create that border design.

That was fun for me and not too boring for you, I hope -- I just put a sticky note on my July calendar to do a quarterly review again!

Our spring has achieved a normal pace thanks to see-saw temperatures, high winds, and lots of rain.  I prefer a slow bloom season myself.  Here's my best hellebore surrounded by deer fence (it's growing under a witch hazel bush that the deer covet) with a carpet of last year's leaves (hopefully harboring overwintering caterpillars and bumblebee queens) and flanked by stalks of Joe-pye weed from last year (hopefully to be the home of this summer's stem-nesting bees and wasps).

Back to the stitching!!

Mary

What Was I Thinking?

I'm sure you have those same thoughts occasionally -- especially at this time of the year!?!

A young friend who owns a quilt shop in this region just announced she is closing the shop for a couple weeks around the holidays -- my first thought was -- "how sensible she is for one so young!!"

December was always a slow month for my shop and so I gave the staff extra time off and spent my days doing my Christmas sewing while manning the shop.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet and it made it so much easier to keep all the gift stitching secret!

But the shop has been closed for 13 years now and I live alone, so why do I still adhere to the December stitching habit?

No clue but here is a quick tour!

There is the sock knitting frenzy -- this is a photo of the makings of five pair in various states.  There are actually three different socks started in this picture -- I'm a bit fearful that I've broken a long standing habit of "one knitting project at a time".

And there is one finished sock!!

My crazy mind breaks down finishing goals into "how much I need to do daily" to meet the mark!

My mark for this chaos is December 28 (my family's gathering) so I need to finish a sock every other day.

You sock knitters out there know how much focus this requires!!

But they are the only gifts I'm making this year and everything else is in place!

+

Then just to keep things stressful, I've set finishing this rainbow Nundle Dilly bag for my #onemonthlygoal project.  It's a fun make and uses most of the hexies I basted this fall during #100days100hexies on Instragram.  It was my intention to use the hexies for this bag from the beginning but the original layout has evolved into a rainbow project -- my first rainbow project!!

To have it finished, I need to assemble half of one of these panels each day!

And then there is this quilt -- hand quilting and binding by the end of the year is a goal for the 2018 Finish Along.  I have been making good progress now that all the "design" decisions have been made thanks to Jeanne Kimball's #50dayshandquilting group on Instagram. 

If I quilt two hoops fulls each day, I'll make it! 

The crazy part of these plans is that any one of them are more than enough to fill an already busy time of year . . . . but three???  

So I've spent the morning talking myself down off the ceiling.

The socks are the priority so they come first every day!

The other two -- not urgent and so I'll go at them with a more relaxed pace.  They are both so close to finished and have a momentum, so they will get there very soon.

What about you?

Are you trying to do too much this month?  If so, join me in dialing back and invest that energy and drive in your friends and family!

Mary

Thoughts on Balancing One's Quilting Act . . . . . .

The beginning of any year is a reflective time as we look back at what has been accomplished and forward at what we hope to accomplish.  This weekend as I've been working on machine quilting a teaching sample, my mind has been contemplating how to prevent begin overwhelmed with projects and deadlines in 2017.  Perhaps you struggle with the same challenge? 

It occurs to me that some of my students and readers would be surprised this is a struggle for me.  Readers of my blog who I met face-to-face often mention "how much you get done" and I'm thinking, "yes, but you should see the list?!?"  This is a good illustration of the principle that perception plays a big part of one's attitude.  Others are impressed and we are overwhelmed but it's a mistake to compare our lives with another's because our view of our self is uncut while our view of someone else is the cleaned up, edited version -- the highlights! 

You don't see what I don't do around my house that you do everyday. 

I don't see your "to-do" list. 

You don't watch me cut corners to make things work because I have too many deadlines this week. 

I don't see you start over and over to get that amazing idea out of your head and into fabric.

And so on and so on and so on.

Looking through my pictures from the past two years, I realize how much fun I've had with new projects.  I enjoy scrolling through my Instagram feed several times a day.  I love all the inspiration from other quilters around the world and the encouragement they share with one another!  

And the challenges and the follow alongs and the swaps -- oh my!! 

It's so tempting to join all of them!! 

That's how I stumbled across this project last fall!!

But TIME is finite and so I find myself reconnecting with the decision several years ago to (attempt) to evaluate how accepting/participating in a project, swap, or challenge will benefit my interests.  

Will participating help me build skills or broaden my perspective? 

Can I use the final product to meet a goal or need? 

 

This coming year, one of my goals is to manage my work load in such a way that it gives me time to be distracted and have a bit of fun with a pile of fabric even if it doesn't seem productive because I might not be finishing a UFO or planning a workshop or writing a new pattern to promote my DVD, Set-In Piecing Simplified.

Perhaps an example or two will clarify my current approach. 

Last week, I shared my response to the Project Quilting Season 8's first challenge.  One of the things that appeals to me is the challenge of interpreting a theme/idea "my way".  I believe the time constraint of one week will be a good exercise to help me loosen up again and regain my sense of confidence about being spontaneous.  So "my" rule for participating is to pay attention to my intuitive reactions to the challenge prompts and go for it without a lot of deep contemplation.  At the same time, I've decided to consider each of the projects I complete as potential donations to my favorite causes.  

When the prompt for the second challenge was announced on Sunday, I was delighted (and a little surprised) at how quickly I had an idea.  By the time I had to watch Victoria on Masterpiece while knitting a pink hat for a friend headed to the Woman's March in Washington, D.C., my idea was sketched out plus diamonds were cut and pieced.  I left my block units spread out with a variety of background prints so that when I returned to the studio Monday morning, the best choice was almost be apparent with my first glance at the design wall.

My excitement with the results thus far might lead to a new workshop or pattern idea but that's not my motivation -- enjoying the process is enough for now.  Ideas are fun but they often lead to more work.  The important thing about having ideas is to realize that one doesn't have to act on every idea.  Some ideas are meant to lead to other bigger and better ideas. 

Some ideas are meant to be merged together meaning less work. 

Some ideas are meant to be passed on to others. 

The trick is to make sure to enjoy that aspect of "having ideas" and not let the ideas overwhelm or create an unnecessary burden!

Another tempting sew along popped up in the past few days.  I've been following Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts on Instagram for 6 months -- I love her playful designs.  If you aren't familiar with her, you can find her HERE and on Instagram.  Lorna did a wonderful and silly sew along in 2016 -- the Ugly Sweater Quilt.  It was mid-year before I found it and I successfully resisted getting caught up in it.  At the beginning of January she started showing peeks of a new Christmas themed sampler -- Jolly Little Christmas -- and I caved! 

How could I resist simple cute fun!!

  I was first introduced to the main piecing technique used by Lorna by the legendary Mary Ellen Hopkins 20 years ago -- she called it "connector corners" and it has spread through out the quilting world to the point that I don't think many know where that egg was hatched.  It's going to be a cheerful, easy quilt so I'm going to make two -- one for each of my grandchildren.  The first set took about an hour to cut and piece.  

 

Both of these projects run through March and sooooo, I think I'll draw the line and wait to jump on any more band wagons until these are finished.  There will be lots of temptation I'm sure.

Some BIG reminder notes to myself might help -- "Don't clog the schedule" or something like that to remind me to leave space in my goal setting for spontaneity!

And maybe one that says "WHY" to remind me to stop and think?

How about "are we having fun yet?"

 

How many sew-alongs and challenges can you handle at the same time?

 

Mary

4th Quarter Finishing Goals

I have a dream!!  And it's to finish four quilts before Christmas!  I want to give my three children and my two grandchildren quilts this year.

I spent the past weekend at a retreat with gals from my guild -- Friday I started out with the usual question on my mind -- do I have enough to keep me busy all weekend?  (really?)

I did score one complete finish.  This set of two placemats has been patiently waiting for me to finish them for . . . mmmm, 10 years.  Needless to say, it's taken longer to start that process than it did to finish it.  Just needed a deadline -- sending them off to my grandchildren this weekend! 

So, the list . . . . I need five finished quilts by Christmas.  One is finished.  In fact it was my first finish for 2014!

One is layered -- did that over the weekend!  I even know how I'm going to quilt it -- Baptist fans!

Two tops are finished, backing are assembled, and they are ready to layer!!

Hey, those are the same quilts -- different borders!!  Short story about these 3 quilts.  In about 1981 (or 2), my husband's grandmother passed away and I had come to love her so the family gave me some mementos from her things including twelve large string-pieced quilt blocks.  For over thirty years, I waffled from one idea to another about what to do with the blocks.  Finally about three years ago, I settled on the idea of making three quilts using four blocks in each one for my three children.  I'll take you through the complete process another day, but for now, aren't they cheerful!!

 

The fifth quilt is for my grandson -- it will give him a second quilt for his other bunk.  It's cut and ready to piece.

So we'll see how it goes!!  Four finished quilts in a bit over two months?  Hopefully saying it out loud for the entire blogosphere to read will help keep my motivation high!! 

 Linking up over at Little Thistle!

 

To the studio!!

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Day Holiday?

It's the last big summer holiday weekend here in the USA and I'm cleaning my studio!  I spent three shifts up there yesterday.  I cleared the top layer off the cutting table (yes, it was pretty bad).  I still haven't found my Gingher shears but there's more to be done.

There is no fabric on the floor in front of the "color" shelves and the box of scrap batting is tidy and organized!  I even aborted a couple projects that never quite got started -- I don't even remember what one of them was suppose to be -- it was a good looking pile of fabric, but I'm clueless beyond that.

 I hope by the end of today, I'll be able to fold down half of the cutting table so my son can install the remaining two new windows which I hope will make the room cozier this winter!!

Just in case you couldn't tell, I don't clean the studio often enough, but the window job means I have to move quite a bit of stuff out of the way and so I might as well clean at the same time.  One of the challenges of cleaning the studio is maintaining my momentum.  Something usually distracts me from the goal.

Since I'm touching so much stuff, I'm also making another feeble attempt to shift a few things out of the house.  And that led to this session's diversion.  I've found a small quilt top (a sample for Marti Michell's Tessellating Windmill tool) that just needs borders and it won't take long?!  Thirty minutes before I took this picture, that border of squares was just a pile left over from something else and because I cut them (maybe 15 years ago), I must use them.  Happily, they are from the same fabric collection as the windmills.  (I think I deserve bonus points for being able to find the squares with very little effort!!)

The floor was at that moment the only clear space in the room -- I didn't want to take the hexagon project off the work wall -- and so I began to audition for an outer border.  I auditioned some dark prints before deciding to add the strips of squares but nothing caught my fancy.  The piles in the photo above are "the big hunks" suitable for borders and the beginnings of backings so I started pulling possibilities out of there since they were so handy.  (No, they don't live on the floor but their shelf needed to be moved temporarily.) 

It's going to be child size or perhaps wheel chair lap size.   I think the print on the right is too sophisticated for the prints in the windmills.  And also the upper left print.  I would be happy with either the upper right or the left side one.  Each one gives the quilt a different look. 

 

  What do you think?  Do your own audition.  Cover up each of the prints in the photo and see what your first thought is.   Leave me a comment and you might be the lucky quilter who will get the hunk I don't use!

 

You know I'm going to sew before I clean, don't you?

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com

 

 

 

What I did in May!

Remember that overwhelming list of goals I set for May?  Well, it was successful in that it overwhelmed me!  But nothing ventured, nothing gained.  I still made good progress especially since I was away from my home studio for 11 days (2 guild lectures and 4 workshops)!

This is finished and ready to share with someone!  Once I finished the quilting, one of my charity quilting sidekicks did the binding.

 

I blogged here about how my group uses the Scrappy Bargello pattern for tops we piece with the help of the women living in a local skilled nursing unit.  It was a bit narrow for our goal size, so we added "borders" in between the panels to stretch it out a bit.  I like the effect!

 

And apparently so does Willie!?!

 

Machine quilting all our charity quilts has helped each of us grow better skills -- I tried out this new (for me) design on this quilt.  It broke up the straight line quilting nicely!

 

I also stayed caught up with the two QAL's I'm following!  The hexie one from Faeries and Fibres traveled with me and I'm also adding on as much of the "paths" as I can so when it's time to join the blocks together, I'll be a bit ahead of the game.  Block #2 is one the left and #3 is on the right.  I think I enjoy puttering with the fabric combinations and fussy cutting as much as the stitching!  #4 will leave town with me this month.

The sampler from Little Bunny Quilts continues to grow -- this is the set of 6" blocks I'm making parallel to the 12" ones which are the basis of Alison's instructions.  It's an evening's work and I'm having fun using a stash of polka dots!

The quilt that I'm hoping to take with me to my kid sister is still hanging on the back of the chair at the quilting machine -- can I quilt it in the next 5 days?  But I did get one of my teaching samples layered and 80% quilted -- only 3 borders left to go -- more about that finish in a couple days when it's finished!!

 

What to do in June?   Set goals or just slide along -- I'll only have access to my studio for 14 days this month?  Right now I need to transplant a couple iris before the rain that I hope is headed this way arrives.  Check back later for my June "goals" decisions!

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com