All is calm................................

For the moment at least!  The dog DID NOT eat anything she wasn't supposed to, although she did swallow the small ham bone I gave her yesterday and it came up this morning. OK - so I probably should not have given it to her, but I thought she needed a treat. Hmmmmmm - dogs and eating - maybe I need a course!!


Yesterday we had our Christmas Lunch with the Monday girls. I'll post those pictures tomorrow while I wait for the group shot.

In the meantime - this is all about organization. Yesterday I went to the lunch with the girls, I went to Fabricland with Marian and I went to a guild meeting - oh yes and the cleaning lady came. That meant a LOT of stuff toing and froing in our house. And when I got home last night - the studio looked like this................

The cutting table (OK - so that doesn't look so bad)

The ironing board AKA the DUMPING ground. EVERYTHING ended up on the ironing board

More stuff

The PAPERWORK area (actually doesn't look half bad!)

The main work tables

Second set of work tables (now that my sewing machine is moved into the big cabinet!!!)

Now the OLD me would have left most of that stuff sitting there until I needed the space. The NEW me said THIS HAS TO BE CLEANED UP NOW. I took one half hour this morning and put EVERYTHING away. OK - so not quite everything, but the ironing board is clear and so is the cutting table. The work tables are a tad tidier, but there are still a few things that I need to work on today so they stay messy for the moment.

Ironing surface - clean again!

Now here is a problem that I have and I think everyone has the same problem. There are only a FEW quilters who work on ONE THING AT  A TIME. I don't know how they do it. I would be bored out of my mind. Yes - I admit - I am a SCATTER BRAIN. And while I do like things to be somewhat tidy, I really really have learned that I NEED to see what I am working on or I can't function. And since I am working on MANY projects at the same time, I used to have them spread all over the work tables.

Now if the studio space were only for me - that would not be a problem, but the space needs to be tidied up whenever people come over and that seems to be very frequent lately. As I mentioned - when the last group left - within one half hour - I had my stuff back out of the closet where I could see it.

I had purchased a small shelf a while back - the intention was (it is on wheels), I could load it with my projects and then when people came over, I could wheel it out of the room. Well the damn shelf is TOO SMALL. While at Costco this week with Marian - I saw a BIG one which I didn't buy, but when I got home, I decided that I NEEDED that shelf. So back to Costco and VOILA - here is the shelf.

The CURRENT project shelf. 

Yes - it is sad to say that all those projects on that shelf are CURRENT. The various mysteries, the upcoming and current year long projects, class samples, tinners, etc. Yes - the list is long, but I need to have that variety.   Yes this shelf is on wheels (so when I know someone is coming - I can whisk it out of the room) and voila - the room is tidy - just like that. I am loving the shelf and YES the darn thing is FULL. You know what that means - I am NOT allowed to buy any more shelving units. This is it - if I can't work with this one - well I just have to!!!!!   And I MUST get the projects done on the shelf.


So - Judy - that shelving unit is my LIST. I can work on anything on that shelf!!!!   And if I go back and look at the top 25 things I made a while ago - most of them are on this shelf (of course there are a few more than 25 there!!!!!), but we won't go there. I might make a list of what is on the shelf and put it on a clip board to remind me of what all is there since it could be easy for something to get buried.


Now what to do about next year. I decided to check the bins that contain tops that needs borders, binding and backings.

The bins of projects that need borders, backings and bindings

Originally my plan was to make a list with ONE project per month from these bins. However after I checked through the first bin (the one on the bottom), there were FIFTEEN in that bin alone. Never mind the other three. So.......................................    I think I need to step that up and do ONE A WEEK. Really - it is just a couple of hours and in some cases - even less since some of them have the borders on and just need binding and backing made.

And then there are the HUGE quantities of projects that are nowhere near completed. Not even talking about that shelf - this is other stuff. I decided to do a TWELVE for TWELVE on that. I will take one project per month next year - hence the 12 for 12. The list below is in NO Particular order and covers a variety of projects from 3-D objects to full size quilts. All have been hanging around for a LONG LONG time. The sad news is that selecting 12 just barely skims the surface of what needs to be completed. The names will mean nothing to you, but as I pull them out to work on- I will give you the gory details. And the list is in no particular order - I don't know what I will start with.

The last thing on my list is getting some of my quilts quilted.

While this is NOT a resolution list - it is my TO DO list for 2012

1. Complete ONE borders, backing, binding project PER WEEK (I'm NOT making a specific list - I'll just start with one bucket and work my way through it
2. My twelve for twelve list (these quilts HAVE to be quilted!!!!!)
                1. Christmas Charm
                2. Storm at Sea
               3. Rainforest (did you see that Linda???????)
                4. Vertical quilt
                5. Reflections of the Serengeti (there are TWO here)
                6. Reversible Floral quilt
                 7. Reversible placemats
                 8. I Spy
                  9. Harmony Half Square Triangle
                  10. Angle Play
                  11. Dragon
                    12. Redwork winter

3. Quilt TWO of my quilts per month (may or may not include quilts from the 12 for 12 list - haven't figured that out yet)



Now that I have published the list - I have to live up to the list!!!!!   No goofing off now.

The best part is that it is all doable - just a question of setting the priorities and then going for it. The problem is the distractions - new patterns, ideas from LINDA, and whatever.


Now the other thing that I am NOT good with is keeping track of the quilts I give away. I do have a mismash filing system - some pictures and other information. Have a look at this lady's blog and see what she does..............


Organization for quilts

(thanks to Marian for the link)

OK - the work in progress list - just WAY TOO MUCH work. But I like the idea of just keeping a simple list of quilts completed - perhaps with a photo. That is just like my book list which I have been keeping for a couple of years (a GOOD idea from Linda). I can manage that and I think it would be cool to keep a list of what I accomplished in the year. Then I can compare it to what I planned to do.


Oh yeah - I'm suffering BIG time from DILLUSION DOABILITY.  And the best part - I am NOT going to let others get in my way!!!!!   Want to talk to me - want to visit with me - then bring your sewing machine and come to my house. Then you can talk/visit all you want!!!!!

Now - please do not think that I am obsessed and spend all my time sewing because I don't. I like hiking, biking, travelling, reading, working out at the gym, geocaching and I do it all. Maybe not tons, but I do it. See - look at this - I just love it!!!!!

I've gotten back into my routine of doing embroidery in the evening and almost finished the next block in the Holiday redwork quilt.

Almost complete block

What book is keeping me busy sewing????   Well it is weird. For some reason, I picked up this book and thought it was about pirates and then moved forward to current day. NOPE - it is set in the 1600's and stays there!!!!   Pirates, swashbuckling, robbery, murder on the high seas, but actually a pretty good book to stitch to!!!!!   OK - so I am very twisted!!!!

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I bet you want to know if I completed those TWENTY FOUR gift bags????   Well yes I did. I got all the sewing and pressing done at home. Then I took three needles and my seam ripper to the guild meeting. I opened up the side seam with the ripper and then three people helped insert the ribbon - MANY thanks to Sharon, Liz (who was a pro at this!!) and Andrea (and Andrea's friend - sorry - I did not get her name). Anyway between all of us we got those bags done. I did NOT get a picture of the bags, but I was very happy to be finished with them.


Well another busy day ahead - another quilt to get done today, but 92 by 92 seems SMALL compared to that giant I did the other day.


Have a great day!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!