Come on, February!

January is coming to an end, and I have no complaints concerning what I have accomplished this month. I took five quilts to Carol (loracdesignsclh.com) on Friday...

and picked up three. Consequently, I will be spending much of my time binding.

Saturday, I was able to spend some time sewing with a friend. We started talking about our unfinished projects. I happened to be at my machine, and behind me are several boxes full of things I haven't completed. I opened one and started pulling out blocks: five for one quilt, five for another, a quilt applique project, on and on. I opened another: paper-pieced project all cut out, and another, and another. I can't put words to the feeling I had as I kept discovering more and more....sort of angry, sick, disgusted. I called my 83 year old mother.

"Mom? You know those zillion projects that you have tucked in every space in your house that you're working through every day? (She laughs) This is the part of you that I inherited that I really don't like!" (She laughs harder) She responds giggling, "There's probably a lot more that you got from me that you don't like!" We both cracked up. In many ways we are very alike.

One project I have been toying with is a potential quilt I would call "Retro Razzle!" The colors remind me of when kitchen appliances became available in lime green, pumpkin orange, and cinnamon red. A blast to the past! I have no idea right now what will become of these twelve 18" squares but I'm excited to find out.

So with February around the corner, I made my list. I know that I will only finish a few and make a dent in some, but I'm ready for "Month Two" in my resolution countdown. I decided that I will put a check next to each one for each day that I invest any time on it, then cross it out and doodle happily if I complete it. We'll see what the list looks like in 28 days....haha...sounds like rehab :)

Off to a good start!

I am a chronic list maker. I believe my mother taught me from the beginning that almost everything can be solved with a list, every dilemma can be better understood, and every task more quickly accomplished if you first write it down. She taught me well. One list a day is never sufficient. It is always several. Of course, I started my New Year with a list.

I teach quilting at a "small but mighty" fabric store in Narberth, PA, called The Cloth and Bobbin. I am presently teaching a "block-of-the-month" for a quilt that I call "What Star Are You From?" Each month I make a sample block from another fabric combination so that at the end of the classes, I will have another quilt :) Yesterday I cut out all the pieces for the next block. Next class is on the 21rst.

I was also able to finish a quilt top yesterday. This is from Weeks Ringle's new book Transparency Quilts: 10 Modern Projects. My friend, Carol, www.loracdesignsclh.com, does all my machine quilting. She's having a 15% off sale until the end of January, so I am working hard to get a few quilts finished to take to her. Now all I need is the backing and batting for this one.

My other commitment for January is a PaintStik demonstration at the shop on the 14th. I want to have a few samples available. One of my quilts currently hanging in the shop has random red and blue squares embellished with gold PaintStiks,

but I want to finish this pillow. The center square was done with gold, silver, and bronze PaintStiks.

I wish everyday could be this productive, but it was, after all, a Sunday. Now the week has begun and will be full of overseeing the kids' schooling, dishes, cooking, laundry, etc. Oh, and the cat litter, my least favorite job, that I didn't clean yesterday :( Gotta go get that one off my list.