Ah...December

So December is here, and I am already reflecting on many things: 

all that has transpired this year, how I want to do things differently next year,

and those dreaded New Year's resolutions that I am so tempted to make

even though they slip away so easily.

I'm absolutely sure that I have more unfinished projects now than I did at this time last year despite my resolution to do the opposite. Before the end of this year, hopefully before the holiday crazies set in,

I am going to finish this quilt. 

Great earthy Kaffe fabrics and wonderful dark chocolate paisley background.

I've already planned some projects for next year.

I am participating in the CQJP 2013.

This is the set of fabric I picked for the first few blocks. I really like choosing at least one

fabric with a bold design that I can mimic in my stitching. This palette is 

cheerful and will brighten up the coming cold winter days.

                       A dear friend and I, although we live on opposite sides of the ocean, have decided to each 
                                                                             make this quilt in 2013.

I think I have finally landed on my first color palette. As of this moment, I have

absolutely no idea what my second one will be...

any ideas?

Feel free to chime in.

Don't forget that there is only a week and a half before we draw the winner of the quilt donated to raise money for BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) research. 

Because this is a very personal issue for me, it is not so much about the quilt but about raising money to help find a desperately needed  cure. Nathaniel was diagnosed at age eleven and took his own life in his early twenties.

"Phillips & Menard (2006) found the completed-suicide rate in patients with BDD to be 45 times higher than that of the general United States population. This rate is more than double that of those with clinical depression and three times as high as that of those with bipolar disorder. Suicidal ideation is also found in around 80% of people with BDD." 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder

I can't even begin, not even for a second, to conceive of the pain of losing a child, let alone the pain that Nathaniel endured during his short life. I continue to hope that people's hearts will be moved to donate at

http://walkingwithnathaniel.org/

You can see more pictures of the quilt here...

http://spillingenergy.blogspot.com/2012/11/quilt-raffle.html

I am so very grateful to all who have supported my endeavors to help!

Resolutions...

We've all made resolutions for one New Year or another in our life...maybe most of them! We get off to a great start, and then what happens? One day, we wake up, and our best intentions are a distant memory. Then comes the guilt, the negative self-talk, and the embarrassment. Maybe we try again; maybe we give up. The truth about the success rate of resolutions haunts me a bit these days. I'm only two weeks in and wondering when I'm going to fizzle.

Yesterday, I was sitting with my brother telling him about my commitment to finish projects this year, and he said, "So really, how many projects do you have?" I paused, did a split-second inventory, and was horrified at the realization that a year is not even close to enough time to finish it all. All I could do was laugh.

Now, I think I need to tell you how I define unfinished:

1. I have several quilts blocks or part of a canvas already done.

2. I have a quilt pattern that I purchased but have never opened it. In my stash, I probably have everything I need to complete it. (I have a slew of these)

3. I had a idea, I purchased all of the fabric, and it's sitting in my closet.

4. The quilt top is done and has never been quilted.

When I broaden my definition to include projects I have but have never started, I see the really big picture. I could stay busy for years and only have to buy thread, needles, batting, and backing for quilts....maybe some Gesso and glue for my canvases.

I have 11 1/2 months to go for this resolution.....and I'm ready!

I finished the Paintstik pillow in time for the demonstration at Cloth and Bobbin yesterday. It was a lot of fun....

and I finished the second transparency quilt top!

Now, every once in a while, I need to take a class to keep my creative energy challenged. The class is called "Ribbon Quilts: Color and Fabric Fusion." My teacher is Sarah Bond, and the class is based on the work of Quilt Artist Nancy Crow. The class involves "making fabrics" by strip piecing solid and patterned fabrics using gradations of color, value, and size. After the pieced fabric constructions are finished, we will cut them and reconstruct them to make a final composition. Here is what I have so far. I am having a blast!