Bye bye Lexi!

Wait - she's not leaving - she just has her OWN BLOG now.

So if you want to follow along on Lexi's adventures - check out this link.   I still have to figure out a header, all the links and all that other good stuff, but it's a start. One more technology thing for me to learn!   Yippeeee!!!!

OK - so today is the day when I have that appointment with myself at 8 PM.  This is going to be the time to review the week ahead to see what available time and deadlines there are and then try to PRIORITZE some tasks to fit in the time slots and meet the deadlines.   YIKES - as I was quilting yesterday, I kept thinking about the goal setting thing today.   OH MY GOD - if this doesn't make you realize how little "free" time you have in a week - nothing will.   But I'm excited for 8 PM to come!!!!!!  I know - small things amuse me to no end!!!!

I will NEVER NEVER say - Oh yes - I can just fit that in EVER AGAIN!!!!!!    Because any of that free time is slated for ME!!!!!!   So - don't ask for something and expect it the following week - it's not going to happen unless you are willing to pay BIG BUCKS for me to give up my free time!!!!!

Wow - I should have gotten this serious about this organizing stuff a LONG time ago.

Two other things that are going to require attention soon.  Well one is immediate - my blog pictures.  Now there is the potential for FOUR different blogs this year - already writing three different ones - the pictures have to be better organized.  They are currently very organized, but a few more file folders will do the trick to make it even easier to locate pictures when I need to reference them. I've already started that task this morning.

The other thing is a bit more messy.  A number of years ago, I took my computer desk down stairs.  While that desk is still downstairs, the computer is now upstairs.  I would really really like to have that desk back upstairs.  And all the paperwork in ONE spot.  Do you know what a pain it is to work on some things - up/down.  Supplies are up, other stuff is down.  Great for FitBit steps but that is about it.   Imagine - with all the paperwork in one place and organized - I would have died and gone to heaven for sure.  Plus I would have more room downstairs - well less mess - it's not like I need more room.  

That is a goal to shoot for this year. First the office has to get tidied up a smidgen to make room for that desk and then to find some strong person to help me carry it up.   Have you ever felt that if you get everything just the way you want - there is no more purpose to life?   Sometimes that's my excuse for not doing more tidying up. But I'm so fed up with the situation now - it's going to happen!!!!

Remember that pile of extra stuff that I found in the backings/borders and bindings project boxes yesterday????

Extra stuff

Well - I took the time and sorted through it. Very little had to do with the projects in that box and so most of it was put back on the shelves. And if I EVER buy fabric for a quilt backing again - just shoot me!!!!   I could back HUNDREDS of quilts and probably NOT make a dent in the backings pile.  OK - it's not quite that bad - but you get the picture.

Sorting through the extras

I managed to match up ONE of the three bindings with a quilt top.  Two different pieces of fabric were matched to quilts for the binding.  

Matched up the binding with the quilt

 And the other two bindings?????   They are likely bindings that got misplaced from the "to be quilted" pile.   YES - there are THIRTEEN tubs of quilt tops (with bindings and backings) waiting to be quilted.  They are MY quilts.  No rush to get them done, but there are certain ones that I keep pulling out for trunk shows - I should make those a priority - the rest - they can wait.

Tubs of quilt tops to be quilted

 I also found TEN of these.   I found a smaller scale "quilt" pattern and the idea was to make some doll quilts.  Do kids even play with dolls any more?????   Anyway - the "tops" have borders on them and the backings are cut.  I put them in the "to be quilted" pile.  Would be great practice pieces for different designs.

Doll quilts ready to be quilted

Doll quilts ready to be quilted

 OR - they become pet mats.  I really don't care at this point.


I managed to find several more quilts that need borders/backings and bindings and they are now on the list.

The borders/backings and bindings list GREW

Now this list technically will NOT grow.  Nope - my strategy since a couple of years has been to make the top, prep the binding and the backing and then it goes right into the "to be quilted" pile. And for the most part, I have kept that up.  There are just two quilts from a couple of months ago that did not get the backings made.  They will have priority as I want to get one of them quilted ASAP.  It's for me!  And yes - if I can double dip on any of these projects to get a SECOND highlight in my book- then YES - I'm going to do it.

Tops that need backings/borders and binding

 The goal for 2016 is to turn these two containers into "to be quilted" containers!!!!

I also wrote out the list of "gifts".  That list was also long (one whole page - yep - that's 26 items).  Now about half are actual gifts that I am giving to someone.  The other half is things that I promised a friend I would do for free and I consider that a gift in kind.

I am making progress on my weekly list.  I will NOT finish all 12 items for the week.  I should be able to get 11 done.  I am quilting a quilt and not sure that I will finish it today.  It is mine and the quilting is fiddly. That is number 11.  Number 12 was TOO BROAD of a task so that is another learning thing.  Break the tasks down - more stuff to HIGHLIGHT as done!!!!!

And here is the customer quilt that I got done yesterday.   CHECK!!!!!!

Customer quilt - DONE

As I was doing something else - which I'll share with you on Monday and GASP - it wasn't even on any list, but I needed some fusible (all I will say is DAMN that Ronda!).   Anyway - I needed HUGE pieces of fusible and I had a roll that couldn't be used for regular fusible applique because the glue was seperated from the paper.  Well - I finished off that roll this morning - YEAH!!!!!   and now I need more.  That was the perfect excuse to clean out the fusible cupboard.   (OK - so starch and freezer paper are NOT fusibles, but those cupboard sections are full!)

Taking stock of the fusibles!!!!

Hmmmm - I need something to work on for Monday mornings and it has to be quick, easy and fit within a goal.  Perfect - I have some fusible applique to trace and cut.  All the leftover bits of adhesive went in that project box to get cleaned up.   Wow - cleaning up was NOT on my list of things to do, but amazing how much is getting cleaned up as I work through this PRIOTIZE - FOCUS - WIN thing.  

I'm a HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY quilter and I am going to get things done this year.  And that makes me very HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY.


On that note - have a HAPPY day!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!