...get on your way!
We have a lot to do today!
I woke up today humming that rhyme from way-back-when and it made me laugh. When the kids were little, I'd often waltz into their room in the morning, singing this as I pulled back the curtains. They loved it on anticipated days, the first day of school or when we were about to head off on a trip, but if reminded of it now, they'd probably groan with more recent memories of the teen years when I'd use it as a last resort to pry them out of bed on the weekends.
So, anyhoo, why am I all revved up? The holidays are finally behind us and I am craving some routine. And each day this week I've been coffee-ed up, showered and sewing by 9:00 a.m. On what?
GAH! I'm sick of looking this! I'm assembling a section a day and this should be off the flannel board by Friday. Finito! And I will be movin' on. I know, I KNOW. The adrenaline was pumping while the fabric was flying, but I've been losing steam on most of my recent pieces as they neared completion. The quilt tops have been piling up around here with nary a new quilt to grab on a chilly evening. So what's up with that?
Thinking about it, I can see that starting to knit again has crowded out my usual evening handquilting time. It's been (pitifully) an age since I handquilted anything, something I do want to change this winter. Free motion quilting? I need to practice that more before I'd use it on favorite quilt tops. Most of my projects this year started as exercises...the Project Spectrum challenge, the liberated piecing approach from Collaborative Quilting...yet their unfinished status has been weighing on me. Until this week.
On Monday, tidying up in my sewing room, all of these projects (and a few more) were staring me in the face, draped on a bookcase, stacked on the ironing board, pinned to the flannel wall. The *I shoulds* were starting to kick in when it occurred to me that maybe they weren't any more important than the potential in the stacks of fabric that were distracting me. Maybe my recent tops were sketches...exercises in color, technique, style...preparation for something really spectacular. Hmmm. A revelation. A relief!
I'm not saying my tops won't get finished, but it's just not a priority today. Or this week. And if someone leaves my estate sale as I did Gwen's, with a little memory of me to finish into something of their own, that wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?
Okay, enough. It's the year of the boar, not the year of the bore. I'm done. Revved up and rarin' to go, but done here. For now.
Well, thanks for saving me a post ;) I've been in the same quandary the last few days - feeling I should finish tops, feeling I'm not proficient at machine quilting, wanting to move on, yet wanting a warm, FINISHED quilt... Oh the mental debates we rage within ourselves! I'll wager your thoughts will resonate with many readers today. Those colorful blocks are looking pretty fabulous though - sew on!
Posted by: Nancy | January 03, 2007 at 10:57 AM
You may be tired of that quilt, as often happens when we near the end of a project, but I think it's absolutely gorgeous. I love the bright colors.
Posted by: joyce | January 03, 2007 at 11:27 AM
I'm craving routine too - done am I with emergencies and holidays and such. I want to get back to work.
And your quilts make me long for my own knitted quilt ideas. They are so gorgeous.
Posted by: Cara | January 03, 2007 at 12:02 PM
Whether it becomes a finished quilt or not, it's gorgeous! And that boar is very cute.
Posted by: Chris | January 03, 2007 at 12:24 PM
it's funny...when i saw the pic of your quilt, I "oooooooohed" and "aaaaaaaahed". LOVE IT. however, in continuing along, I was surprised to find that you were tired of it! isn't that how it goes? ;o)
enjoy your routine day...i am. :o)
Posted by: Tracey | January 03, 2007 at 01:18 PM
I love how that top looks like it has sashing - you press really well... (Aren't you glad that you did not insert sashing....)
Posted by: Amy | January 03, 2007 at 02:11 PM
wow that's a lot of fabric. I might show it to Mr M when he complains about mine...
I love that quilt by the way...
Posted by: Monica | January 03, 2007 at 03:09 PM
Can't wait to see what you create next! Happy New Year.
Posted by: Cindra | January 03, 2007 at 03:17 PM
May I share what I think happens with your interest Jan? Just something I found to be true for me? I think sometimes we get so hung up on worrying about how perfect the colorations are, and how every simgle piece will mesh with the other colors, patterns, and textures that by the time we get around to sewing we have already made the quilt...twice or more! Sewing it can be kinda...blah. I tried last year to not worry so much about the perfection and more about just putting things together and liking them at "first blush" or sometimes sewing chunks and arranging them so they fit mathmetically, not colorwise. The Halloween quilt was my graduation, of sorts, from worrying so hard that the whole quilt was perfect. The row quilt I am doing now is like this...I still agonize over a particular block and it's coloration, but as to how each block in the rows fit together...I'm letting that be a complete surprise!
Posted by: JudyC | January 03, 2007 at 04:08 PM
I think this is a wonderfully refreshing and healthy attitude, Jan. I'm tired of feeling the "obligation" of my art projects. I know I can't fly willy nilly from one thing to another, and I always preach discipline, but sometimes, you just have to let it go. You may come back to it one day, or it can make a great UFO for someome else to finish up!
Posted by: Loretta | January 03, 2007 at 05:10 PM
How could you ever get sick of that!!! IT's so dang pretty!
Posted by: scout | January 03, 2007 at 05:21 PM
It's all about our attitude - I'm on a new path in 2007 and full of anticipation! I had to think long and hard and have some serious discussions with myself but I feel so good about my new attitude! I loved your post - right up my alley! Relax and Enjoy!
Posted by: Darlene | January 03, 2007 at 05:49 PM
Wow, ya know, I haven't worked on my "old coat project" since early autumn and haven't worked on my "Expect Good Things" hooked rug for over a month...and it is starting to feel icky....I know I will work on both of them eventually....but why do things get so heavy sometimes?
Posted by: brenda | January 03, 2007 at 07:55 PM
but it's soooo pretty! if it really nags at you, and your eyes are tired of it, it can come and live with me :) !!!
Posted by: gray la gran | January 03, 2007 at 08:45 PM
Your quilts are works of art Jan. I come here nearly every day just to catch such a glimpse!
And that boar? Did you just have that thing around? It is so cute!
Posted by: kelli | January 03, 2007 at 09:53 PM
I love it too Jan, but it will still be there in a couple of years time when you're craving something to stitch!! You go for it!!
Posted by: Lily | January 04, 2007 at 04:23 AM
Why force yourself to work on something when you'd rather be playing? That can't be good. Just set aside the UFOs for another day and have fun. vroom vroom vroom. I like the idea of someone getting my UFOs years from now when they are antiques and being really excited about finishing them off.
Posted by: Tonya R | January 04, 2007 at 08:25 AM
Don't forget the ever -present option of having your're friendly fellow Hoosier Long-arm quilter help you finish tops.
"Done is good!" and some tops can do double duty as an exercise or study AND keep you warm.(if you're sure they won't be comitted to the hand quilting option..) Always cotton thread of course!!!!Love the Boar..and Happy New Year!!!!!!
Posted by: schnoobie | January 04, 2007 at 12:09 PM
I am so inspired by your beautiful crafts - and your use of color, J! So, you ready for Project Spectrum 2.0? :)
Posted by: Lolly | January 04, 2007 at 01:13 PM
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory...
That was what my mother tortured us with as kids, teenagers, and yes, still in adulthood. The begining of your post cracked me up!
Wishing you, me and everyone a happy new year of completed quilts!
Posted by: Lisa | January 04, 2007 at 04:44 PM
For someone who's not getting alot done, you sure do alot! Wish I could make that kind of time for the knitting! The quilt tops are just gorgeous! Horray for the boar!
Posted by: Carol | January 04, 2007 at 08:29 PM
Wow! My kids go back to school next Monday. I hope I'm showered and coffeed up and sewing by 9:00 then! I recently (sort of) cleaned my sewing room (which most recently had been wrap central) and came acress my very first quilt which I never finished. I started it 20 years ago. I'm vowing to finish it this year. I'm excited about it. And those other quilt tops that just need borders and quilting....maybe those, too!
Posted by: Kathie | January 04, 2007 at 11:20 PM
I'm keep coming back here at the moment as I'm thinking about quilts.What am I getting myself into?
Don't worry I will let you know if anyone claims the Tokyo Festival Quilts. We've done what we can by saying where they were from, I think. I hope you don't mind me using them, they are my main inspiration at the moment.
Posted by: juju | January 06, 2007 at 03:08 PM
Oh and I'm glad you like the Shirley Trevena books. I think they are the best books out there about painting.
Posted by: juju | January 06, 2007 at 03:09 PM