The creep

How quickly the clutter returns to the desktop! I must set aside a few minutes each day to deal with the stuff! 

How quickly the days are flying by!!!! Can you believe that we are almost two weeks into this year? ACK!!

How quickly has our snow come and gone! Here are a couple of pictures from that folder that I accidentally deleted. The little plow came by very early in the morning and cleared the sidewalk. While we still have to shovel - well, some people think they don't have to - we still need to shovel the snow out of the driveway. If this is how people treat their outside, imagine how the inside looks? Not even going there! This photo was from January 7, and today, there is no snow except for a mound where I shoveled the driveway. 

The sidewalks are plowed

And here's the article from A Needle Pulling Thread on quilting and texture. It is NOT an article you can purchase on its own. I should chat with the editor to see how many of those articles aren't published separately and whether it makes sense to put some of them together. Anyway, it's a great article. I've written MANY articles over the years! 

My article on texture in quilting

Here's the issue cover in case you might already have it. But get it out and read that! 

And here's how quickly things can happen in Studio B, without you even knowing they happened. It's called the CREEP -- just like our weight! This week, I'm madly prepping or continuing to prep for the three classes this weekend. Well, two classes and UFO Club. So I've been busy working on the projects in that blue tub. I hope I get through them all, but I'm doing my best. 

This was part of yesterday's tasks. Let's just say that I made a lot of binding. 

Binding!

I would have prepped another, except that I realized the cut strips were straight of grain and I needed bias. I hate when that happens! Hopefully, I have enough of that same fabric to cut bias strips instead. DUH!!!! 

What I have decided to do for the UFO Club is to work on the projects on the Current Project tables. Why am I pulling something else out when there is so much there? And while I call them current projects, most of them are old enough or suitable for classification as a UFO. At the moment, instead of working on one big project, I'm trying to get a lot of small things done or almost-completed projects. Hence, making all those bindings. 

You'll get to see the complete UFO completion list after the weekend. I did more, but can't share them with you yet. 

Of course, you know me. Once I emptied that tub onto the cutting table to sort and prioritize how I spend the next couple of days, I had to fill the blue tub with projects for next month! Trust me!! This method of working is so satisfying, but that brings me to the creep!

As I was surveying the two tables, looking for candidates for the next month's UFO, I spotted two things. 

A wild pile of stuff on the current projects table

The blue bucket in the foreground has some thread and yarn that I want to experiment with, but it is technically not a UFO or even a current project. It's supplies to work on when I get there. So that got put away. Then the white basket of yarn behind that. That is also new stuff and not on my radar, so that got put away as well, as did that roll of green organza. All experiments that I'm not ready to tackle, and no project has even started with them. 

Those few items crept onto the table without me even realizing!!! And now this is what the table looks like. OK -- still jammed with stuff, but at least there is one spot clear on the surface!!! And after next month, that spot is going to be even larger! 

An empty spot on the current project table!

So yes—focus for me is the only way, and I'm being so very disciplined with what I'm working on these days. I still get to work on new things while teaching the jacket class and Colour My World. But anything new beyond that? Not happening, unless it's specifically for work, like the projects you saw last week. 

Am I making progress? You bet, and I'm pretty excited about it. Have I removed any of the "todo" from my visual list? No, but I'm working on those in conjunction with UFO Club, and all is coming along nicely. I need to maintain focus and momentum!

I also completed a customer's quilt on the longarm. 

Customer quilt - DONE

The next quilt is loaded, except for the batting. This quilt is mine, and I'll dig out some white batting bits and join them later today. 

I have to say that I had a fantastic workout at the gym. I also have a goal there, and it makes me much more focused. As I cranked up the tension on the bike (I certainly don't overdo it because of my tight muscles), I could feel the power without any discomfort! That's a huge improvement. And when I stretched, I stretched with intent! For twenty minutes! I think my getting off the floor is much more graceful than it has been in a while. 

And we all know how our weight can fluctuate throughout the day and change a lot. But when the scale says three pounds less than last Thursday? I'm going to take that as a turn for the better! I walked out of the gym flying like a kite and prepped for a great day! 

You do NOT need to belong to a gym. The stretching I did for 20 minutes was on the floor, on a mat. No equipment. Which means I could do the same stretching and a bit of abs at home every day! And my abs are getting stronger, which is what I need. They have become flabby, and that doesn't make me happy! 

I went for a walk in the afternoon, and while I didn't need to go very far to meet my daily goal, I went for a long walk anyway. That netted me over 20,000 steps for the day! And cleared my brain, and all was good!

The girls were happy on their walk, and Murphy found a stick to bring home. I threw it in the backyard as I didn't want her chewing on that in the house. 

Mom - I went shopping and got a stick!

And then, the two of them got frisky while DH and I had dinner last night. Ever the entertainers!!!!

MOM - DAD- are you watching us? 

So we have a destination wedding this year. Actually, two weddings, the first is in Italy in April. What to wear? What to wear? The wedding has a fuchsia color scheme, and the events last four days! Good grief! I'm only taking carry-on and will extend my trip by a bit, so I'm madly planning what to wear. I've got it figured out - I just need to make the stuff! 

But as I was trolling the internet for ideas, this popped up!! 

I did NOT even ask for a color, and well, how about those hats! Could that go in my carry-on? 

Which look should I go for? Actually, none of these - you know me - I'm not a dress person. But I could have exposed abs, and if so, I'd better get to work on them! That's not happening either!!!

On that note, I'd better get moving as it's going to be a busy day - a play date is planned, and I can't wait!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!