Big Day Ahead!

  Today I will be really busy getting ready for a family Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with my husband's family.  I am looking forward to it, but also dreading the work that lies ahead.  In the middle of the cooking and cleaning, I need to be working on a quilt today as well.  I have two customer quilts that have to be done in the next week to week and a half, and then I am done with the "pressure" of Christmas quilts.  Everyone else that called got told "no" because of my daughter's wedding on the 16th.  I probably could have finished at least one more, but I just knew that the stress would prove too great.  I already have several to finish before the end of January, though.  For now, I am trying to take one day at a time and will be so glad when the wedding is over and we can relax.  My helpful husband will hopefully spend much of the day being my "minion" as I do have to work on quilting today.  Right now I am trying to decide whether or not to make him a list of all that I need him to do.  I am leaning away from that because I am afraid the list will scare him into a football watching coma!!!

"Gift From the Sea"

 This morning I awoke at 5:30 a.m. (tends to happen when you go to bed the night before at 8:00!), made myself a cranberry, white mocha latte, and settled in to finish reading Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea.  Although it was written over 50 years ago, the wisdom contained within those 100ish pages is timeless.  I haven't read anything recently that I have found more thought-provoking and truth-filled.  I plan to buy copies for several people for Christmas.  For those of you that haven't read it, I highly recommend it.  One life-lesson that she presents is the art of simplifying.  In my own life, since the death of my mother-in-law on Christmas Eve two years ago, I have given a lot of thought to striving for the future while never really taking the time to enjoy the present.  Giving up my teaching career and gradually decreasing my workload outside of the home so that I can spend more time in creative pursuits have been a big part of that "simplify" philosophy.  Do I have as much money as I once had?  No.  Can I go to the grocery store and buy whatever I want without thinking about the bill when I get to the checkout?  No.  Do I spend as much time at the mall or shopping for clothing that I really don't need?  No.  Am I less stressed and more content with my life?  YES!

My Fall Challenge Quilt Wins!

  A couple of times a year, our local quilt guild has a challenge.  The fall challenge was to make a project using pre cuts of some sort, whether charm squares, layer cakes, or jelly rolls.  I chose a new pack of Kansas Troubles charm squares.  My pattern of choice was from the book, Remembering Adelia.  The quilt was on the front cover of the book, and I thought it would be a creative way to use charm squares.  My applique method was raw edge fusible applique, which I applied and then blanket stitched around each with my new Baby Lock Melody sewing machine using Madeira rayon thread.  It looked fabulous!  My guild members must have agreed, since they voted my little wall quilt as the winner.  ( See pics below for a close up view)

The BUSY SEASON has arrived!

  Most years, the time between mid-November and January 1 is pretty crazy.  This year, it is going to be the usual multiplied by 10!  My daughter is getting married in mid-December and with showers, planning, Thanksgiving, last minute details, and Christmas...it seems there will not be enough hours in the days.  Added to that the fact that I am still working two days a week at my regular job, and new customers are still bringing me quilts with requests like, "I have 3 lap size quilts that need done in the next two weeks.  Oh, yah, the backs are too small so they need leaders sewn onto them, and none of them have been pressed.  Is there any way you could do that?"  My answer....Not a chance!  Sometimes, I wonder what people think it takes to quilt a quilt and do a good job.  Mostly, though, I love my customers.  They tend to say things like, "Do whatever you think will make it look good.  I trust you." or my personal favorite, "No hurry." (LOL)  I have to admit that I am looking forward to the day that I can just quilt full time.  That is my goal for 2012--if only I didn't have a wedding to pay off:)