I think I have it! Oh, Maybe I don't?

And the struggle continues, but once again I think I am getting a handle on it? I think? Tomorrow I work a full 7 hours, I really do hope I have a handle on it by then. I have actually had one almost full day doing my actual job and I think I may have it! Okay, Okay, if it sounds like I'm trying to convince myself, I am!

I have started this fast paced, every changing job at a large chain store and I like it, I do, but, I also like to know what I am going to do at work today. With this job...Not so much? I mean I have a rough idea, but not a for sure rock solid idea. There's a meeting in the morning. It kinda goes like - "today we are blah, blah, and doing this blah, blah, and our goal is to blah, blah." Then an hour into the plan "poof" and I am alright with poof .....but the problem is at the end of the day, I simply don't know if I have done my job? Some days I feel as if "I have it and it is conquered! Yay!" Other days I have no idea if I accomplished anything.

I know I should be grateful that I have a job at all, but I would be so much more comfortable knowing I was doing it right. Don't you think? Enough said about that. So there!

I am sitting here writing this while the temperature drops outside and I feel a distinct chill. The kitties are huddling around me for warmth and comfort and so I know, Winter is surely on its way. I have the pellet stove cranking and it is slowly getting warmer. I guess the days of leaving it off so the sun can warm the house are done for now.

I have been slowly adding to Elaine's Garden Quilt.

Plenty of time for handwork projects like Grandmother's Flower Garden and making scrubbies!

What are scrubbies you ask? Well they are the singularly most useful 5 minute crochet project in the world. Around here we make them by the dozens, everybody wants some! I make them for a friend that participates in many craft shows, she can't keep up with the demand all by herself! It's amazing, really!

All you need for some super special scrubbies!
Six strips of Tulle cut in 2" widths and a K hook!

So how do you make a scrubbie, you ask? Well you buy lots and lots of scrubbie material (ie. Tulle), the scrubbier the better  (but not so scrubbie that it takes your hide off while you crochet). My friend and I have a store that offers lots and lots of colors for us to choose from. We buy three yards of each color that we like, I usually end up with 40 + yards and I get 18 strips from each yard, that is three scrubbies when all is said and done, for the 42 yards of material that is 126 scrubbies. It may seem like a lot of the little treasures, but they go like hotcakes round here. I am forever passing them out as hostess gifts and just thinking of you trinkets, people love them!

Once you have your material and your K hook (I like the one with bamboo on the handle), you need to cut all that tulle into 2" strips like in the picture above. I bundle sets of six strips in a roll with an elastic around it, then I put them all into a huge basket and they look kind of pretty just like that! However, we need to make them into scrubbies, so first you tie 2 strips end to end, chain 5, and slip stitch to make a circle. Then you make 2 single crochets in every chain and single crochet until you are at the end of the first two strips. Join three more strips, single crochet in every single crochet until you are at the end of those strips. Add the final strip and single crochet in every other single crochet until there isn't room to do that any more, finish off and tuck any left over tulle into the scrubbie. Ta Da! One scrubbie made! Now make lots and lots and put them all in a huge basket and step back....Are the pretty?

Helpful Hint: I use a shape cutter and an old rotary cutter to make my strips. The shape cutter is one of those tools many quilters have in their collection. Mine is rectangular with slits at half inch increments, I can't remember who puts it out, but you can find one at most quilt shops and JoAnn's Fabrics.

Oh and just a little update on the job thing, it has been a week or so since I started this post and now - yes - now I think I finally have it! Yes, you go to work with no preconceived idea of what the day will be and you say "what are we doing today" to which ever boss you run across and carry on from there. Just forget about the this is my job or I did all of my job today. Just don't even think "This is it! This is my job!" because surely it won't be for long and that's okay, just roll with it! The days fly by and my feet hurt, but for the most part I am enjoying the hustle and bustle of Big Box retail (For Now).

Here's hoping everyone a fantastically, wonderful Thanksgiving!

Joanne

Okay, then? Now what?

Well, okay, I survived my first stretch of days, five in fact. Though thinking about it, I still don't know what my job is? I mean I was trained, but pulled away from the training so many times that I am not sure that I was trained. Then I worked a shift that was supposed to be doing my job, but was told not to do my job. Then, I spent the entire shift being moved from one job to the next, but none of them were "My Job", until 30 minutes before I left and then I was put on "My Job". Curiouser and curiouser???? So near as I can figure "My Job" is to go where I am told and do what is there until I am moved to another job. 

I don't know if this is the way the job always is or not, but I'm sure it is not for me to be moved around in an ever changing circle. I have always prided myself on my ability to work independently and this new way of working is very strange and disconcerting to me. I guess I like to know when I get up in the morning what I will be doing for the day. I mean, how do you measure success when you don't know if you are doing "Your Job"? I mean am I doing what I was trained to do? Or am I so clueless as to what needs to be done that I have to be told what to do? I am relatively sure I am doing the job(s) well as I keep getting thanked by the bosses, but it is something to adjust to for sure. 

Luckily, I really enjoy the people I work with and although the work is hard, I do enjoy doing it. I will just have to acclimate to the new environment and enjoy the benefits of working physically hard while leaving independence in neutral. This is a good exercise for me, working as a member of a closely knit team. These experiences will add greatly to my knowledge and my life. After all, everything put in our paths is an opportunity and I am grateful for this.

Luckily for me, I haven't been just readjusting to life, I have also been quilting!

I have been working on Bonny Hunter's Pineapple Crazy,
from the book String Fling!

This is one of the 200+ blocks that have 45 five pieces. Luckily
I have lots of friends who have been generously providing me
with lots and lots of different scraps!

I printed the 200+  foundations for these blocks on any scrap paper I could find. I tried everything from phone book pages (can you say massive paper jam) to old yellow legal pads cut down to size (they worked surprisingly well).

Other projects I have been working on are a memory quilt for my great niece Ash.

These don't look like much, but they will be big flower
petals that will be the focus in the center of the quilt.
These petals are all made from her baby clothes.

I have also been working on signature blocks for a guild project. Our guild, Mystic Quilting Friends are making enough signature blocks so we can all make our own quilt.

Three down and a dozen or so to go!

I also found this neat cigar box at Goodwill, instead of cigars it had six "Hanker Chiefs" rolled like cigars.

I don't know yet what I will do with the Hanker Chiefs, but
the box holds my signature block parts perfectly.

Another guild project, it is all the rage
with our girls!

This technique was introduced by one of our guild members to use up our scraps. I can see lots being made for charity projects. This one is going on the back of my sofa to keep us warm in the coming Winter!

And finally, the almost finishes, the quilts to be quilted!

There are 8 or 9 quilts in this pile!

The top quilt in this pile is one I call simply "Bright" as you can see from the one under it I usually work with my quieter colors, but when my client was making her final journey I felt the need to work with bright hopeful fabrics. 

Well there, that was a long post! I guess, although I was not posting, there was still much going on. I hope you have enjoyed my little tale.

Have a great day! 

Joanne

On Keeping Calm and Carrying On

Wow, it has been almost a year since I completed a post! What a year it has been? Today finds me rattled and nervous. Why you ask? Well, I have been on a roller coaster ride for about 2 months and I am not sure I am happy with where I am ending up.

Let's start from the pseudo beginning, the point of separation from "My Life", in short I lost my fairly well decent paying job. The job that paid all most of the bills and kept me in a sort of "Real My Life". You know I could buy some fabric and do a little me shopping for clothes and such, but primarily it paid for food, shelter, and the other costs of living. It allowed me a regular schedule I could count on and had provided a sort of balance that was doable in this ever worsening economy.

Now it was no one's fault that this job ended, it just ended. You see I am a home care provider for the elderly and those jobs end very abruptly. "Bam" and it is gone and so is my beloved client! So I absorbed a double blow, a lost job and the loss of someone I care very deeply for. I am not alone in this, it is simply just the way it is. Not really fair, but there you have it.

Okay, so now I am wondering why I am writing this? On one hand I would love people to understand the incredible work home care workers do and on the other hand I am, yes, feeling sorry for myself and trying to find my way back to solid ground. So, as for the home care workers, I say "Bravo". You sacrifice a great deal to provide this service and in doing so have no network of benefits or support. You go, you provide and when the job is over, you leave and that is it. It is up to you to hurry up and find more clients and enough income to carry on. And so I will take a pass on feeling sorry for myself and I will carry on - proud of the work I have done, happy for the rich experience I was allowed and the wonderful supportive family I became a part of.

Now at this point, after careful consideration and waiting for suitable clientele, I have decide to look elsewhere, everywhere, anywhere that there maybe vacation time, sick time, and retirement. After all, do I want to find myself in this situation again in a year, a week, a month from now? It is time for true stability, a job that lasts, a job that I can count on being there until I retire. Until then, I will make do. Until I find that elusive balance once again I will - "Keep Calm And Carry On" ! Well, at least I know I will "Carry On" and I will keep quilting!

Some of the many projects.

And quilting!

Have a wonderful and smile!

On Christmas Day

We are all quiet at home this Christmas day. It is now just myself, my grown daughter, and three napping cats. We had a lovely time opening our gifts and chatted with family and friends. Now it is time to settle into the peace of the day.

For the last few years I missed the bustle of the busy holiday season as our family has gotten smaller, but now I treasure it. There is time to slow down and relax and make thoughtful gifts and write heartfelt notes in Christmas cards. Gone is the chaos of having to purchase a bunch of mass produced things to fill every want and desire. Just a few thoughtful items and time spent together has become the thing we cherish most.

On of our favorite old traditions is decorating the tree and telling stories of each and every ornament. I look forward to seeing those cherished items and usually can't wait for the tree to be up, so very often it is up by mid-November. Which means when  friends find out about our tree being up so early it usually conjures a look that makes me feel as if  I have gone around the Christmas bend. That is, until I tell them of our tradition and how it gives us more time to enjoy the memories. I tell them of the tradition of unwrapping and repeating the stories and memories surrounding the treasures we have collected over life times. Then I share a story or two just to help them understand. Just about every year someone new becomes part of the story and we find ourselves with another ornament and memory that will be cherished for years to come. So our Christmas tree is really so much more than just a pretty symbol of the season. It is really the vessel of memories of those who have touched our lives past, present, and future. It is nice to have something that rich and full around for a few weeks a year, so what if it stretches into a month or two.

You know as we gaze at the tree and let the memories stir, we even forget to turn on the TV and that is a good thing in these turbulent times. So think about slowing down and taking a breath, just let the memories pool around you and you may find something you have forgotten or thought was lost.

So to you and yours, may you have a peaceful day and time to reflect on this Christmas Day. As for myself I am off to The Studio to work on another project.

Enjoy, Joanne

Good Morning, Good Morning!

It is not so early on Wednesday morning after a very long week. My work week stretches from Thursday to Monday, so Tuesday is the beginning of my weekend - sort of. This past stretch was made longer by a few scheduling snafus that kept me at work an extra hour or so three of the five days, so I am a bit slow recovering this week.

As you can see the house is in disarray, but never fear
it will be set to rights shortly.

I have been working busily in quilt land (ie. my studio) since it has been reset from the summer's weatherization and I am quite happy with the new layout! I turned the L - shaped desk into the corner so it wasn't cutting the studio in half and it made all the difference. I now have a work space for a friend or too if I need it as well as some display space for seasonal decor, very cozy.

The beginnings of Weaving the Rails from
the August 2011 APQ by Kathie Holland
of Inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com

The beginning of Charming Addition also by Kathie Holland
from the December 2012 issue of APQ. Check out Kathies
Blog at Inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com.

These are the piles of scraps waiting to be cut up for
the two quilts. I am determined to widdle down my boxes
of scraps.

I am working on a number of projects these days including a grandmother's flower garden, the Chaming Addition by Kathie Holland, as well as a Weaving the Rails also by Kathie Holland check out her blog: Inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com. Kathie's quilts just seem to be hitting a chord with me and are so straight forward that even with my insane schedule I can feel like I am getting something done in the studio.

Much of the past summer was spent preparing for the coming winter. As well as a bunch of weatherization, we finally bit the bullet and purchased a pellet stove and we are hoping for great things. One thing is for sure, my studio will be plenty warm since the stove is right outside the door!

This is the new pellet stove we had installed
late this summer. We are hoping for great heat
savings this winter.

These are the pellets, 3 tons of them. My daughter and I
brought them all in and are feeling pretty proud of ourselves.

We purchased 3 tons of pellets, but I think next year we will plan on 4 or 5, where they will go I am not sure, but we have already gone through a couple bags just taking the chill off at night. It is not hard to imagine that we might go through 4 +/- tons a year. * I think maybe I can fit in at least one more ton where the blue shelf is? We shall see.

* -  just pondering

This the new placement of the large desk in my studio.
I like it better now that it doesn't cut the room in half and
there is plenty of room for my Fall decorations.

This is one of my favorite Fall decorations, I group of friends
and I made these a few years ago. 

I have been working on decorating for Fall. I just love the way orange, red, green, purple, and brown cozy up a space it is the perfect start for the cold months. I start with lights and garlands in the windows and then I tuck lots of fall themed things in the garland. I collect little pumpkins and leaves and other neat things that I have made or discovered in my travels, it is fun to tuck them here and there. It gives me something to look at rather than the darkening days. 

I enjoy remembering the stories behind all the fun things like the Cat on the Pumpkin or that this piece or that was my Mom's and she got it from... and so on. It is a wonderful way to share the past with friends and family, although I am afraid I may be a bit of a bore as I get swept up in the memories and the quilts. I am sorry to those whom I may have trespassed, but oh well such is life.

On the mend and feeling fine! What's next?

Ahh, Good Morning to you all! Wow, I finally feel great again! My home is nearly back in order and I have energy to burn, let's go! It is also a lovely day, so what is next?

Well as I have said I have trimmed my work schedule, I am so excited to feel my life come back! I have a huge list of projects and activities that I haven't been able to work on since I started working so much, but as usual I want to make something new! Argh, oh well I guess that wee thing in my nature will never change.

The first thing I want to do is go outside and go for a walk or a ride, my Doc would say "Walk" of course and she would be right. The next thing would be to reset and reorganize my studio. Thirdly, I will sew a bit. I have several projects on the go and many of those are nearly finished, so I should have no problem winding a couple of those up in the next couple few weeks.

As for the Studio, well that is another story all together! You see a couple of months ago I was offered a energy audit and I accepted. Then I was offered some weatherization and I accepted. Then I took apart my basement which includes my Studio to make way. Then no one showed up for weeks and weeks. Then I called, guess what? Yep, no weatherization....Probably! What, Argh! Now long story short my studio is and has been a total disaster of piled furniture and packed up crates and boxes for weeks. Of course I want to work on that project in the bottom box - under the pile of furniture, Right Now, wouldn't you? So I have decided "Probably" or not, the studio is getting reset, period - exclamation point! - THE END! So there.

Of course on the brighter side of things. I do have a clean space and a chance to reorganized everything! Maybe it will be better than it was and it will all work out to be a good thing. Well in any case, it is what it is and there is nothing to be done about it, so you may as well smile as cry. For now I will ..... read some of my favorite blogs. (Another one of those things in my nature that will never change, "You may as well look at the bright side of things" Sorry I just can't help it.)

Happy Day to you all, Joanne

New Days and New Hopes

It has been a very --- week for me. It would appear that my decision to pull back my work load was a little too late. Almost directly after sending the note to my employer I started to get sick and am still sick now. I got so sick that my diabetes went haywire and I missed three days work! Now if you knew me you would know that I don't miss three days work in three years! Let alone in one week!

I was beside myself horrified and completely dismayed, but at the same time I knew I had done this. I had pushed myself too far and I was paying for it now and in a very dangerous way. You see with diabetes when you get sick you can get very, very sick and I did just that.

Now if you have stayed with me so far, I thank you, because my reason for this post is not to let everyone know that I was sick. In fact I would rather you not know I was sick, but in this difficult economic environment it is easy to say "Well I will just put my head down and bull through it! I will work and work some more." Does this sound familiar? Well you know that is great if you can maintain it, but for me I found myself unable to enjoy anything! I had contemplated tossing all my quilting and was totally sick of all handwork! I kept starting new projects trying to relight my passion to no avail. I just kept feeling more and more hopeless.

Then, finally, I came to the conclusion that some of that "work and work some more" had to go if I was going to save my passion, save myself! I had to save myself before it was too late, before I quit myself and kept the jobs!

After all is all this work really worth what you are paying? Are those few dollar bills, numbers in your checking account really worth your time? I mean really what are you giving up to work that sixth and seventh day or the 10 or 12 hour day? I don't know about you, but for me it is too much.

What I want to say to you is just this - Protect yourself and your passions! Indeed make sure to make time to cultivate yourself and your craft and your interests. Stop and smell the roses or pet the fabric or dig in the dirt. It is absolutely imperative to do so! And if you need to talk it out with someone who will listen, then do it! It is amazing how just a little or a lot of talking can put things in perspective. Do what ever it takes to have a happy life and let the economy be damned! You only get a chance at TODAY once and TODAY is an important day in your life.  (She says stepping on her soap box)

I mean, I'm just saying....

                                            have a wonderful day and many more. Joanne