Ta-Da Friday

My little wall hanging is finished. What a fun feeling to tie off the last stitch last night. It is way cuter than I thought it would be when I first laid out the pieces. In fact, about the time I ironed on the appliques, I decided I didn't like it at all. Since it was a kit, I didn't get to choose the fabrics. It just seemed bland and uninteresting, but I didn't want to waste it either.

On I sewed.

Thankfully, too, because the more detail I added, the more life the quilt took on. By the time I added the embroidery and ladybug buttons I rather liked it. Quilting only added more depth.

I'm finding I have the same sticking points when it comes to a story. About a third of the way into the script I realize I thoroughly dislike the characters I've created. Bland, uninteresting, and one dimensional. They certainly aren't doing anything of interest. At that point, my MO has been to put the mess aside and do something else. Usually create new characters, who like someone on a first date, seem enchanting and intriguing.

I'm learning my characters and story are a bit like my wall hanging. Boring until added details give depth and interest. What I've learned is that I can't quit on a story. I have to push on through, keeping the characters moving until they finally *do* somthing worth reading.

Here's to pushing through and adding details.

Small Pleasures

a stitch in time....

Yesterday as the pagentry of the peaceful transition of power unfolded in Washington via my TV, I camped on my couch with a small wall hanging, hand stitiching around appliques. The rhythmic pull and tug made a long line of rustic stitches. It was creative, peaceful, and productive, quieting my heart, settling my spirit.

Maybe if we all want to give peace a chance, we should take up more hand stitchery.

Reason Number 347...

....for cleaning out the nooks, crannies, and odd spaces in your home.

You find treasure!

We bought this quilt block kit and assorted fabrics last December. Yep, you read that right. December, 2008. The package got put in an odd place and then through out the year, other flotsam and debris ended up on top of it. Shortly before Christmas, I got a burr under my saddle about tidying up the master bedroom. And there it was...just waiting for me.

Now, at least, I know what my next quilting project will be. These little sunflowers will look great in either my kitchen or my studio.

Finished Quilt!

I finished it this morning!

This quilt was my 're-learn to quilt' project. It is a generous lap-sized quilt in rich purple solids, dark greens, and bright sunflower prints. The colors are my favorites and designed to be a cheerful spot of intensity during the cold, gray days of winter.

Some of the corners won't hold up to close scrutiny and the binding has more issues than a magazine subscription, but it's all there. Put together and and use-able.

My theme in 2008 has been Do It! For the later part of the year, I've enhanced the thought with Finish It! By completing the NaNoWriMo challenge, a significant church project, and this little quilt, I feel like I'm on a roll.

This is fun! Now what?

Rain on the Roof

Ike brushed by us last Saturday stirring the trees with his rainy breath. While he threw his temper tantrum outside, I cozied up in my yellow quilting area and played.

I started this lap quilt last spring specifically to refresh my skills. Previously, I had pieced the top, then sandwiched it with batting and a backing which required a lot of brain power. Basting came next.

Finally, it came time for the actual quilting. At first, the plan had been to machine quilt. Never done that before and couldn't quite figure out how to adjust my machine to make it work. Because I was cocooning in my yellow room with rain on the roof, I didn't want to take time to call my quiltin' sis-in-law for direction. Instead, up came the small quilt frame I have and out came the thimble and needle for hand quilting.

What a great decision.

A marathon of great chick flicks accompanied me on TV...can you go wrong with 'Sleepless in Seattle', 'Working Girl', or 'What a Woman Wants'?

I have at least a third of the quilt done. My stitches are not as small as they could be, but I worked on uniformity. This quilt is just for me. Practice, yes, but also to snuggle under on the couch during the gray days of winter. The fabric photographs blue, but it is really a deep, rich purple.

The afternoon proved the benefits of hand work as therapy. I felt sooooooo great.

Now, someone explain to me about the cat-fabric connection. All I have to do is lay out whatever I'm working on and little Rascal is there. This photo was taken approximately 30 seconds after the fabric went on the frame.

My memory is full of a long line of sewing enthusiasts cats. Desi, the cat of my teen years loved paper patterns.

Rain, cats, and quilting. It was a good day.

Fear

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is.

H. JACKSON BROWNE

Many years ago, I did a lot of sewing, crafts, and even dabbled in quilting. Then a new baby, a new business, and eventually a move really slowed me down. My sewing machine went into storage. The responsibilities of mommy-hood, wife-hood, business owner-hood, church lady-hood and eventually homeschooling mommy-hood overwhelmed me. Can you say DUH? LOL

That baby is seventeen now, the business is long gone, and I have time on my hands. Well, not really, but I'm willing to shove some stuff and *make* time. I've set up an area, got my machine serviced, bought a few small pieces of fabric.

And couldn't decide what to do first.

Not only couldn't I not decide, I was deep down scared to cut or stitch anything. (What if I do something wrong? What if I can't create something pretty? What if this just reveals how incompentent I am?) Fear, creative fear, was a hard ball in my stomach.

Finally, last Friday, I started. Without much of a plan except to use some of my stashed purples and sunflower yellows.

As I doodled around with the fabric, and wavered, I decided to make a lap quilt just for me...meaning that no one else has to like it.

I cut a bunch of 3 inch squares...because I COULD mostly. The fear of doing something stupid or wrong was almost enough to send me downstairs to a book. I chained a few of those squares together, but quit when I grew frustrated with that pesky seventeen year old.

Saturday morning I woke up with a plan to do a simple nine patch with my purple and gold fabrics and relearn how to sew. All afternoon, with old Kathryn Hepburn movies on the TV and rain on the roof, I cut and stitched.

It was wonderful! I have a bit more cutting and stitching to do before I lay out the top, but I'm DOING it.

I feel like Rocky when he went the distance with Apollo. I've gone the distance with my stupid internal critic and shut her up...cue the music! Do the happy creative dance with me?????

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau

What creative thing are you afraid to do? Take advice from Nike and JUST DO IT. Don't worry about being perfect or sale-able or critically accepted. Give yourself permission to do it badly, then do it. Skill and perfecting your craft can come later. Much later. You'll be delighted with the sense of joy you'll discover.