A January Finish!

 Since my "motivation fluctuation"

I have been focusing on

making 2 donation quilts.

"Wishes"

36" x 51"

The pattern was from Cluck, Cluck, Sew.

Lately, I've  have been inspired

by other bloggers.

I want to see

what quilts I can make with my stash

 that others would enjoy.

One thing that I have always

found as a barrier to making donation quilts

was finding appropriate patterns.

That may sound silly with so many

patterns available.  

 Maybe that is part of my problem,

too many choices or ideas.

I want a pattern that

would look good using the fabrics I've collected

over the years of quilt making.

I want one that would be easy, not

complicated or time consuming to sew.

An most importantly, I want 

 a design using colors and fabrics

someone else would like..

I know there are tons of ideas out there,

but when I happened to see this particular pattern,

I decided to quit fooling around and stop

making excuses.  

It was time to get sewing.

 It's one of those times 

when the right idea came along at the right time.

I could use some 2.5" strips with

 brighter colors.

I actually purchased the yellows.

Sometimes a stash needs a few new

reinforcements!

One way for me to be more efficient was 

to make two quilts at the same time.

Maybe they can be "sister" quilts.

One with a pink flange in the binding,

and the other with a purple flange.

Simple straight quilting 

finished these up quickly using some 

leftover pieces for the backings.

Now that I have some loosely defined criteria,

I'll see how quickly I can come up with plan #2. 

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Motivation Fluctuation

 January is a very long month.

I know, it doesn't have any more days than usual, 

but maybe,

 because it is colder and darker

than other months here in Colorado,

or it follows the wonderful joyful month of December

it just seems, for me, to go on and on.

Sometimes I feel like this,

on the go,

 ready to do anything

or 

 other times, I'm like this. 

My motivation can evaporate

from day to day or even

moment to moment.

Coming up with a routine can be helpful, but

when I hit a time when I'm not motivated

it can take a lot of willpower 

to get back on track.

So, what have I been doing?

In order to get some sewing and quilting 

done, I've been working on projects in very 

small bites, 

choosing to work on only things

 that bring me happiness, 

no lists, 

no pressure,

no agenda.  

I recently bought a fun pattern from 

Cluck, Cluck, Sew.

I needed something that I could

work on in brief periods of time,

use some leftover 2.5" strips,

and would make a fun donation quilt.

My blog friend, Gayle, of the Middle Sister 

has recently been using a lot of stash

making donation quilts.

Her motivation sparked a bit of motivation in me,

as has Cheryl at So Many Quilts, So Little Time, to focus 

on just doing some light sewing, working on

projects that might bring pleasure to someone else.

It got me thinking about all that

fabric I've collected 

that is just waiting for something to happen.

So, I'm  S L OW L Y  working on the pattern 

"Wish",

taking my time,

sometimes circling right or 

sometimes circling left

moving in whatever 

direction brings me the greatest joy.

Have you ever experienced this fluctuation?

Any tips?

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Balance in the New Year

 The week following the holidays

is usually a slow one for me.

I don't make resolutions, but

generally do make a few lists to

see what I need to work on both

personally and quilt wise.

It's good to know where

you might want to head in the new year.

This year I want to work on Balance.

For me, in my quilty and sewing life

that might mean:

Work vs play

Balancing my "me time" vs social time

A balance of working on both old projects and new ones

Enjoying my own creativity and still gleaning from those around me

Busting the stash but no guilty feelings for adding some new fabrics

Making quilts for others and working on my own projects

Learning to keep things in balance

might be good for your mental health,

but it may help you get a job as a bare back rider

or sneaking a kiss from your honey.

If you loose your balance, there are negative

things that can happen as well and 

no one wants that to happen.

I'm making light of something very important.

The challenge comes from balancing what we must do

with what we enjoy doing.

It's not always easy.

I'm hoping this coming year that I

keep practicing balance in my life

and keep moving in the right direction. 

I hope you do too.

Until Next Time-

Kyle