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

Well I have gone and done it!

Dresden Plate
I had nearly forgotten this one all
together!

 I have done it, yes I have! I downsized my work schedule, bad economy be damned! Just short of a year ago I extended my work week from 5 to 6 days and I have taken that lost day back! It is mine, all mine! (Punctuated with maniacal laughter!!!)

And now, perhaps I will get something done besides housework and errands on my one and only day off! (He, He, He!!!)

 Maybe, just maybe I will finish these projects????? These are just two projects that represent the lost time, energy, and passion. There are many, many more! What's worse is that I was on the verge of purging all these projects from my studio of all these projects when I realized how out of balance my life had become!

Focus, Focus became way out of
Focus with my inflated work week!

Just think I was going to dispose of all these items that I had spent so much time, energy, and money on. Just so I wouldn't feel the pressure of failing to have time in my life to pursue my passion! 


This project in particular was called Focus, Focus and it was a blog project that I was using to help myself focus on a large project from beginning to end! Ironically, it was the first project to be put away when I added the extra day at work!

       That is just warped and wrong! And, Unfair to boot!!!

I feel the power of possibility serge forward, I will have a life! No money, but a life! What is worth more? What do you think? As for myself I believe that if you feel overdrawn and out of sorts, out of balance - THEN it is most definitely worth the reduction in funds! 


We creative souls must protect and cultivate our passion. If we do not, then we do not truly live our lives. We live other peoples lives and that will not do! So economy be damned, make sometime for yourself! 

I found this quote some time ago and posted it above my desk, on a mirror that I often see my reflection in -

"Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of

Energy, a loss of Power, a sense of Spiritual Deadness." Shakti Gawain

With that said, I will follow my inner guidance and take sometime from the world around me and live MY LIFE! Won't you!

Have a wonderful and fulfilling day!

Joanne

It is long past time for a new post!

Good Morning World!

It has been a long, long time since I have posted to this blog. I never really know what happens when a chunk of time slips away. Oh, of course, I have been busy. But what was I so busy with that I couldn't write a few words here and show a few pictures. Hummm, let us ponder....well I did join a new/old sewing group on Wednesday nights....I repainted my bedroom....I did pick up a lot of hours at work....It is Summer....I did reset my studio due to some work that was/is going to be done...? This list could go on and on, but the good thing is that I have enough stuff to share for three or four new posts! This is a good thing!

So let's start with the project that has take most of my time and energy...

In process and more process, my newest long term project:
Grandmother's Flower Garden.

At last count I had one row completed and 23 other flower
blocks done.

I have been working night and day on this beauty. To date I have 33 blocks completed and 10 of those are sewn together in the first row.

Every where I go I take my little pouch with all I need to make these pastel charmers and they never fail to start a conversation. People watch as I sit, open my little pouch and proceed to fill my lap with it's contents. First I take out the little scissors, then my glasses, and then either a block that has been started or the parts and pieces of a new bloom. They gazed in wonder as I put on my glasses thread a needle and start the tiny stitches that will hold my new garden together. The remarks like "how do you make those stitches so tiny?" or "Isn't that going to be beautiful?" or my favorite "I have a quilt like that made by my ???." . Oh and you know I say "Really, I would really love to see it! What is it made of? Is it complete?" and the conversation is off and running.

Now, I have no illusions that this quilt will take me years, so slow and steady is the rule. When I am done I am hope to hand quilt this fully hand pieced wonder, as machine quilting feels like cheating and could never do it justice. As for the finish I am on the fence. Shall I applique the edge to a thirties blue, pink, or green border? Shall I turn every edge under and painstakingly whip stitch the backing to the top (My personal favorite) to preserve the wandering edge? Or should I just whack the edge off. making it straight and easy to bind in the usual style?

What do you think? I think there is a lot of thinking pondering to be done and that is half the fun isn't it?

Happy Quilting, Joanne

New Year and all is well here!

Finally, I can publish this post! I started this post way back in January, back in January -  can you believe it is February already? I had to keep this to myself because my friend's, my daughter, and I just had our Christmas get together yesterday. That was February 7th!

Oh well, we all had a great time! We had good food and good conversation all while catching up on everyone's news and me with my hand work. We were even joined by curious on lookers, don't you love it when that happens! Everyone was ooing and ahhing over the various home made items, all very good for the creative ego.

These are two table runners I have just finished as Christmas
gifts for my friends.

These two small table runners are the special gifts I gave. They like so many things came from Kathleen Tracy's blog, she has the best little ideas. They were so much fun to make and give and can you imagine the girls didn't even mind the obligatory cat hair that came with them. Thanks Tess!

Tess the Pest! Contributor of many errant Cat Hairs!

Tess is a wonderfully active 14 years old, long haired terror, or at least she is when she wants attention. Tess will persistently knock thread off my table or scratch on quilts and fabric in order to get her required me time. All the while and ever increasingly telling me "You have more important things to attend to! You know, ME"  She really is charming in an terrible twos sort of way and all in all is really much quieter than she was. So I continue to enjoy her daily antics and converse with her as she goes about her business, knocking over all my stuff.

This is one of the gorgeous things people were
looking at! 

This is one of the wonderful things that was catching everyone's attention. My friend Molly made this for me, I am a lucky girl!
Now for some of the multitudes of projects I have been working on...

This is the Twelve Days of Christmas mystery
by Temecula Quilt Company. 

The January Mystery that Cheri Payne Hosted! Quilted and
bound - Oh My!

I have been working on lots and lots of little projects lately,
like this one patch by Kathleen Tracy.

I am well on my way to finishing the quilt a month challenge
presented by Sentimental Quilter. 

I have 2 blocks completed and all the other blocks are
in process. I hope to have them done today or tomorrow.

It was so long waiting for a date to be set for our Christmas get together, that I finished piecing the Mourning Crosses top. So you get to see that too!

Here is my finished Mourning Crosses top! Now to quilt it!

It was even long enough to get the new selection for February from Kathleen Tracy. I even got the center block embroidered.

Kathleen Tracy's February Quilt along, I am doing the
valentines version.

The baskets from the cover quilt in Primitive Quilts!

Can you tell I had a small vacation? Now that that is over reality is setting in and my production is slowing down. Oh but, it is fun to play with new projects! I have another long term project in the works that I will share next time! It is industrious! It is a quilt! It may take years! It is done by hand...so far completely by hand! Can you guess what it is?

I heard somewhere if you start the New Year sewing, you will sew all year long. I think I am off to a good start, don't you? I hope everyone is merrily pursuing there heart's desires this new year! Have a wonderful time, until next time, Take care and Be Happy - Joanne  

Thanksgiving and Being Thankful

I am always thankful for snow on my days off and what could be better than decorating for the holidays on a snowy day?

This is the scene out my front door. 

 My neighbor's Blue Spruces are always stunning when it snows. Unfortunately, after the last storm CMP thought it was necessary to sacrifice the top of the front tree. Not to worry by next year you will hardly notice the harsh trimming.

This is out on my back porch, I use the bird
feeder on the right as my depth gauge. Looks
to be about 8" already - nothing for a
Nor'easter!

I have many other things to be thankful for this year as well and many of those things I take for granted everyday. Things like my daughter, for who without I would be alone and there is my home, for without I would be cold, and my job, for without I would starve. 

I have spent much of the last few years rebuilding my life after giving myself over to care for two separate family members. Through much of this rebuilding I have been less than thankful and more than a little fearful and nervous, but I have come to realize that for all the energy I spent being afraid and nervous I never made it better. I have constantly looked about for more and more work to try and catch up in this horrendous economy, I have forgone many pleasures, and many friends and family company because I had to work this shift and make that product. In the end, after all this scurrying about, I have learned a lesson I had known all along -"be happy with what you have not what you don't have!" Most importantly, Don't set yourself up to be alone, be brave invest in people not things and trying to survive financially. Because if finances fail the last thing you want to be is broke and alone.

In these times it is hard to keep the faith with the government playing its games, seemingly oblivious to our struggles and worries. But if we keep striving we will make it through even this long drawn out affair of the financial world, for we have to remember it is money that makes our political system work, but does it have to affect our home lives as well?

My new small tree, I don't think it works here by the TV, do
you?

So let us put up our holiday decorations, let the twinkle lights twinkle, and let us be happy for 

                                             "What We Have Not for What We Don't Have!"

Have a wonderfully warm and fulfilling Thanksgiving, eat, drink, be merry, and above all Keep The Faith!

Take care, Joanne

Well, The Show Is Over...and...

Here it is the first weekend in November, my home show is over, the house is somewhere near back to normal, and it is time to move again on projects that were put aside to make time and room for it. First, let's see some  pictures from the show, I have to say that it is very strange to wake up in a store and I am pretty sure the kitties were not all that impressed either.


This is what my hall looked like during the show. To tell you
the truth I kind of like the display but where would I put all
my family photos?



This is where my TV usually is, missing my shows for a
couple days was probably a good thing, besides I have
another "boobtube" downstairs if I get despirit.

This was our sign post, I wasn't sure if
my neighbor's For Sale sign distracted
people or not, but isn't Jake neat!

These are the blanks from my last post partially painted
and hanging from the rafters in my studio.

This is the painting station I worked at for the Santas, I had
forgotten how long painting projects take when you are
making multiples. I still have several to finish!

This is one of the large Santa's finished.

So now that the show is over and done with I can tell you what I learned.

 First, never blindly say "I am going to host a show at my house." when you are not completely prepared. If your life is busy now, it probably isn't going to change to much in 6 or 9 months just because you said so.
Second, never commit to a show unless you have enough product already. It is an amazing amount of work to put on a show in your house and all those things you want to get done in your house get magnified. Things like no trim on the back door become a huge stressor, that is until you realize you are a quilter and can pin up a quilt over it! Then when the huge oversized chair won't fit down the hall - you realize you will love it in the kitchen in front of the pinned up quilt and of course that neat drop leaf table you found at Goodwill is perfect for the kitchen as well. WELL THEN...you make that happen too! Even if it is two days before the show and you have no place for the old table!

Third, you won't realize that you don't have enough signage until the day of the sale. Even if you make a great scarecrow out of a 1 x 10, he will seem tiny on a busy highway with a 55mph speed limit! Don't even get me started on how many pumpkins, bales of hay, and mums you realize you may need.

Fourth, there will be damage, a spill, a tear, a bang - this is reality and in my book no big deal! Just be prepared.

Fifth, remember your first show is just a test and you will probably learn more about hosting a show than you will be busy selling product. It is a huge commitment and I am still debating whether I will do it again. If I do it will be more and bigger and longer, with more advertising and hopefully more artists.

Sixth, enjoy the process and friendship, think of it as an open house party and enjoy the folks who come in. Serve some cookies and cider and enjoy the experience and they will come and share your craft. I gave more tours of my studio and sold much less product than I had hoped, but I did reconnect with many, many quilting buddies and old friends that I hadn't seen for a long time. That was a huge reward in its self!

Seventh, I am sure there are more unrealized lessons that I learned but for now I am focusing with these. So go have yourself a little show and enjoy, put your foot in it and take a chance that "It can be done and it will be so!" There is nothing you can't do!

Enjoy and take care, Joanne

Busy, Busy but still Focused, Focused - Part 14 - I think?

Well here I am, still here plugging along getting things done. Although I haven't had much time to pieced my Focus, Focus project, I have been very busy and very focused on getting stuff done and that feels good.

Muslin stuffed forms for the sale are already for paint.

This is one project that is taking a lot of my time lately. As you know I have a home show in October and I am still feverishly working on the projects for that. It would not do to have nothing to show at the Home Show, now would it?

My sewing room is doing double duty as a craft and paint
station.

Now that the forms are made I must get them painted and finished. I also have half a dozen other projects I would like to finish, but I am thinking they may have to be for another show. Wow, time does fly!

These are the Rosettes for my daughter's room, which I have
also decided, needs to be finished!

These are the boards that go with the Rosettes.
They are all cut primed and painted, just have
to be installed now!

Not bad, huh, I have been getting many projects caught up, but time it seems is catching up with me as well.
The plan is to install the trim this afternoon and make the curtains in the next couple of days, but it is time to go back to work, pray my energy holds out.

I have also been working on fall cleaning and other odd jobs around the house, everything seems to be getting done. I still have the kitchen floor to paint and the stairs to retouch before the sale, but I think we will make it.

In the mean time....

Focus, Focus, nearly completed top.

                                          ....will have to wait, but when I get there I will have just a couple rows to add and voila - it will be done and ready to be quilted! I can't wait to put it on my bed!

So in the mean time, enjoy Fall and ...

                                                  KEEP ON KEEPING ON!

Take care, Joanne