On your mark, get set...........................

What happened to the weather? It's a tad chilly out there and I'm grateful that I don't have children who want to see the Santa Claus parade today. Miss Lexi and I were at the dog park for 45 minutes and let's just say there's a bit of wind chill in the air this morning. She couldn't have cared less. Me? I was cold!

I'm dead serious about this completing 12 projects for next year.  I'm going to do what I can to make that happen - even if they are the only things I work on. However as I took a survey around the studio yesterday, it was evident that those 12 projects will do absolutely nothing to cleaning up the situation. So I've been doing a lot of thinking.  I have a vision and I'm going to share my experience with you so you can follow along. I'm getting everything in place and will explain soon what it all entails.  It will be painless - well for some, for others, there might be some angst. Hopefully, we'll all learn some new skills, we'll all be happier and we'll get more accomplished.

In order for this to happen, here are two things for you to contemplate.
1. Get that list of twelve projects on a piece of paper. I'll be providing you with some tips tomorrow on how to choose those projects and also a sneak peak into what's going to happen for 2017.  It's all about prioritizing.
2. In addition, we have many things in our studios besides UFOs that are a disaster - well at least in my studio. Like any addict (yes - we are addicts!), nothing will happen unless you WANT it to. So if you're serious about making a change in your life, you have to make the commitment. Not to me, not to anyone else, but you have to make a commitment to YOURSELF that you're going to follow along. I know that sounds serious, but  here's a story for you to contemplate.

I heard the story of a woman who was a quilter. Unfortunately, she got ill and passed away.  It took her family TWO years to sort through her quilting stuff. TWO YEARS!!!!!  Then it was all hauled to a community center where the family held a sale and made thousands of dollars. This is NOT an isolated story - I'm sure many of us would be in the same boat if we didn't come home one day.

I'm tired of the mess, I'm tired of managing so many things - it's time to make a change! I'm ready to stand up and shout to the world - "My name is Elaine. I'm a quilt addict and I need help!"

No need to sign up or anything at this point - just something for you to mull over today.  I'll get into more details tomorrow.

Based on what I just said, I'm almost embarassed to post these pictures!

The first one however is a fabric that I happened to find in Houston when the booths were being dismantled. Someone left a pile of stuff and I found this fabric in it. And you wonder why I have a problem?  Anyway - it's Quilts of Valor fabric with a US theme.  Is there anyone out there with a connection to QoV  US and would like this to make into a quilt?  There are two yards of it.

Quilts of Valor fabric

 Please do not offer to take it for your stash.  I want this to go to someone who will use it to make a quilt NOW.

As part of my ongoing craziness, the last of the license plates for 2016 Row by Row are coming in.  I got a few more yesterday.   I'm spacing these out so you don't think I'm a total lunaticc. Well you think that anyway!

License plates for Row by Row

I was at two different quilt shops yesterday and saw a different bicycle fabric in each so I bought ½ meter of each.  No, I don't need it, but darn it - I'm a collector.

Bicycle fabric

After I got home from teaching yesterday, I got to work. I can't show you anything at this point - but you'll start to see some of the work soon - well once we get our program for 2017 started.  I'm very serious about this - I want to have fun, but I also want to deal with the situation which isn't pretty and I think it's taking years off my life - having so much stuff to manage!

I had a quilt to quilt (it's a gift) and I should have done it last week, but no I didn't get it done. I had to make the backing, but hadn't done that. So I had this conversation with myself last night.

My conscience: "Just make the backing, it won't take long."  "Oh alright," I said and I made the backing.
My conscience: "Come on, just load the backing onto the long arm, it won't take long."  "Oh alright," I said and I loaded the quilt.
My conscience: "Hey, if you load the top, it'll almost be ready to quilt in the morning."  "Oh alright," I said and I loaded the quilt top.
My conscience: "Now if you piece the batting and load that tonight, look at how much time you'll save in the morning. Besides, you were just going to sit down, read a book and drink Baileys."  "Oh alright," I said and I pieced the batting and loaded that on the long arm.
My conscience: "Why not quilt a couple of rows tonight and save even more time in the morning?"   "Oh alright," I said and I quilted a couple of rows.
My conscience: "You're so close to finishing the quilt, why not finish it tonight?"  "Oh alright," I said and I finished quilting the quilt.

My conscience is a pain in the butt, but you know what?  That quilt is ready to be trimmed and bound later today.   While I may hate my conscience, it really does know best and I still had time to read my book, but I had hot chocolate instead of the Baileys!

On that note, I'm out of here.  The next quilt is almost loaded on the machine, but I have a date at a laundromat this morning and I should get going.  While I wait for the laundry, I'll be getting tomorrow's exciting blog post ready!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!