Procrastination

"Only put off until tomorrow

what you are willing to die having left undone."

Pablo Picaso

I finally finished my first UFO of the year and I am happy to say at least one more creation will not be left undone.  Of the two items I had set aside for this month this rag quilt gave me more work than what I had originally thought it would. 

The front background squares, applique and backing are all  made out of flannel and there is a layer of cotton batting in the middle.  I did an outline stitch around the flowers and a cross hatch on the solid squares before piecing them together.  Once the rows were completed I realized that they would not make a quilt wide enough for a lap quilt so I had to come up with another idea to add width.  I decided to add a border on both sides alternating the solid colors which turned out to be the perfect touch.  The quilt has a decorative stitch around all the edges and then clipped to give it that ruffled edge that distinguishes a rag quilt from other quilts.  I am very happy with the outcome and glad that it is finally done.

Now I am off to work on the wall hanging that needs my attention and also to select 2 more projects for next month UFO project list.

The Power of a Word

I have never made New Year Resolutions; there was never any point because I knew I wasn't going to stick to it.  I was always a "fly by the seat of my pants" sort of gal, but as the seat of my pants have gotten larger over the years, it has become more like flying a kite.  A kite sort of just goes wherever and you need to fight with it to keep it up in the air and just sort of hold on for dear life, not my idea of a good plan.  Something needs to change.

While looking over my Facebook page I found, Lisa Fulmer the guest designer at http://onepowerfulhour.blogspot.com/ , inviting readers to join a challenge.  Pick an inspirational word for 2010?  The possibilities are endless, but it had to be "one" word.

Last month I began looking at my quilting UFOs (unfinished Objects), and trying to get them under control by vowing to complete two of these each month.  So far so good and maybe blogging about them will keep me accountable, sort of like having someone watching you so you need to follow through.  Yet I feel that there needs to be more than completing things that have been left by the wayside.  There has to be new stuff along the way to keep me motivated.  Could the word be "stuff"?

I started my business a year and a half ago and although I know that any new venture takes time, I see others doing similar work that are doing much better than I am, leaving me a bit unfullfilled.  I have decided that I need to read and learn and listen to others and their experiences and not duplicate but adjust things to my needs and what I do best.  As I continue to give my business more thought I realize that this last year I have been "making" items for my shop but not been adding many "creations".  This has left me uninspired and unmotivated.  So this has to be my word for 2010, "create", a word that challenges and fulfills me at the same time, something that I feel I have not been doing.

I proceeded to "create" my inspiration board.  This is what I came up with.

As a quilter I had to include thread and fabric, but I also love to embellish and applique so those techniques had to be included also.  The background layer of fabric and thread has an overlay of irridescent tulle that sort of adds a veil to the foundation of my board.  The upper layers are sewed on or glued on bringing them to the top as they surface and inspire me to "create".