This is where I go to take a breather when I’m here at home in Wallburg, North Carolina.
My covered back porch with the yard stretched out before me.
Sometimes I’ll just sit out here in the morning and look at the green. Oh, the green!
I love to listen to the birds. They become very active here about 5:45am. Sometimes they wake me up long before I am ready, but I do like an early start to my day, so I throw off the covers, and get going.
I woke up wondering what I was going to post about today, and it is going to be a bit more personal and wordy than quilty.
Because I’m home. I’m not on the road. There are no workshop photos, and heck, I just shared with you the finished quilt from yesterday that still doesn’t have binding on yet…
I admit it. Sometimes I feel like I am just spinning my wheels.
Sometimes I feel like this, going as fast as I can and not making enough progress.
Sometimes this is my wheel…I feel old and tired and I can’t make this accomplish enough either.
Why are we so hard on ourselves? I had looked forward to this “More than a week home” break over Memorial Day for MONTHS…and I feel like it is frittering away. But it really hasn’t? I’ve done A LOT!
Monday I pieced a back and got mail order out.
Tuesday I loaded a quilt, started the quilting process (We all know that can only go SO fast?) and took care of some desk work, kitted up block parts for Garlic Knots and held Quilt-Cam at 9pm.
Yesterday I finished machine quilting a very large quilt and got it trimmed up, wrote a blog post and sent it, took care of email and computer work, visited a screen printer to start the process on carrying tee shirts with my business logo ((yay!)) Designed the front of the T-shirt and sent it back to the screen printer, which also resulted in my next design submission for Quiltmaker's 100 blocks - sample made and going in the mail today, and finished up the editing of the PDF copy of my manuscript that goes back to C & T today express so they get it tomorrow. All topped off with a nice soak in the hot tub.
Why do I feel that this is not enough? It is more than enough!
But still, I feel my nice long break ebbing out from under me. And as you can see by the appointment with the screen printer that happened, I chose to stay home and take care of business stuff because that seemed more important than heading to the cabin. Don’t worry. I go today. After a much needed massage – I go today.
About the Tee Shirts. I made the MISTAKE of posting about them on Facebook to my two pages –my Quiltville business page has over 80,000 followers, and my Quiltville’s Open Studio Group has close to 40,000 members. That is a LOT of OPINIONS. And I let all of the varied requests for sizes, styles, colors, and other options throw me into a tizzy when all I want to do is offer simple and fun Quiltville Tee Shirts for those who want one. In one style. In one color. In one design. In multiple sizes ---but oh, you should have heard the racket. It was enough to make me say that I’m not doing this!
I know that I can’t please everyone. Especially with one style, one color, one design. But I have to start SOMEWHERE, and you can’t start with everything all at once. Too many voices. Too many people telling me what THEY want me to have available. OY. I made the decision last night that I will look into a couple of options, but I am not offering everything for everyone. I am one person. I'm not Dick's Sporting Goods.
To calm me in the evening I did some of this:
Going over my pdf print out! YAY!
This gets sent off today.
As I sat here and read each word, I can honestly say that this is the best book that I have ever written. The hands that have put this together, the staff at C&T have made me a much better author than I was before I joined their team. Boy do they make me look and sound good! Clear, concise, entertaining, and oh so scrappy. I am so happy I made the choice to stay with C&T.
This is the last time I will hold these copies in my hand until the book is back from printing, sometime in September.
I’ve been asked when I will start pre-orders. Honestly and truly, pre-orders mean NOTHING. It’s like trying to get tickets ahead for the first showing of a movie, when there is going to be room in the theater anyway. I will start pre-order status as soon as I know they are on the truck and being delivered to my front door. That’s all the pre-order time you need. Ordering months ahead doesn’t make the book available any sooner, and you won’t get it until books are available anyway so hang on, and I will let you know when all systems are go!
I really appreciate your wanting to order from my website directly instead of Amazon. Did you know that if you order through Amazon your author only gets a tiny commission on any sale amounting to about 90 cents per book? I so appreciate your willingness to order from my website when I make them available.
Overflowing blue & turquoise!
I designed something from here last night. That block has a deadline to make it to Quiltmaker Magazine for the November issue of 100 blocks. No peeking! I can tell you that since I just spent a week on Mackinac Island, it is nautical and you will love it! I wish we didn’t have to wait until November for this one to make an appearance.
Ready to load in the machine NEXT!
I’ve got a bright pink backing for this one – just enough yardage to do the job, no fancy back required! Not going to load this today though – I’m headed to the post office first thing, will come back and pack for the cabin, and head out about 1:30pm, stopping for my massage before heading up to the mountains for the long weekend.
I think I’ve done enough. I’m not beating myself up today for what didn’t get done. I’m focusing on what DID get done and shutting out all of the voices who want things otherwise…
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
Vintage tulip quilt found by my friend Irene in Kentucky. I love this quilt!
Be as determined as a spring tulip! Push through all the dirt and blossom! But don’t kill yourself while doing so. Tulips push little by little. Dirt may be hard. Just don’t give up. And pace yourself.
I’m working on pacing myself!
Drawing for the July/Aug 2016 Quiltmaker Magazine happens from the cabin tonight! Did you enter to win?
Happy Thursday, everyone!
48 comments:
I truly admire all that you get done and worry about you burning out! Take the time to rest at the cabin and come back feeling refreshed. Don't listen to the negative!! I wish I could get half as much done as you do! I think you are Superwoman! Have a great day Bonnie!!!!
Make time for yourself....maybe it is time to hire an assistant to help with routine tasks.
Margaret Caughman
Is hard to delegate. I leaned, when I had my business, that to pay someone to clean my house was money well spent. Whenever I could pay someone to give me time doing things that nobody else could do...that was money well spent. In some cases, it may be tax deductible! But, you know all of this. Bonnie, you may get to a point where you need a mail order person to come in a day or so when you are home. Maybe they can do the physical part and you can okay it before it goes out if you want to keep an eye on it. Only you know this. I think your time is better spent in the designing end, I see a lot of ladies in your business who's husband handle the business end. just work smarter, not harder. Enjoy your weekend. Big hug
Enjoy your cabin time. Your readers/fans need to take a chill pill. How much can one woman do? How much have they gotten done this week? Relax, breathe, walk, hum, watch a squirrel...whatever makes you feel like a human being living in a wondrous world. Tees will wait. Have a wonderful weekend on the mountain you love.
You are a beautiful person because of who you are... kind, loving, passionate, to name a few... not because of what you do. PUH-LEASE! Don't let others turn your dreams into nightmares. Enjoy your weekend...whatever you do. :)
When I started seeing those comments and desires about the shirts I knew exactly how you would feel. I'm glad you're getting away from all the "noise" and taking some time for yourself. Enjoy your time at Quiltvilla! Thanks for all you do for us.
Bonnie, remember that there are people who,if you give them $10, will be so grateful and know just what they will do with it. And there are people who, if you give them a million dollars, will want to know why you didn't give them more since you have so much. You can't change them, but don't let them change you.
You do more than anyone I know. Sounds like a little R & R is in order.
"Soften" applies to your attitude toward yourself--not just toward others. :)
How about having the Mystery Quilt magnet lady (sorry, her name escapes me) handle the T-shirt idea?
Sorry this happened. I know from personal experience that something feeling like you aren't enough is the worst feeling...especially when you are an active, busy, giving person. My recent bout with cancer put a lot of that into perspective. Go with your gut with shirts....If it's not what people want...they won't order but trust me, you'll have plenty orders that missing out on a few will be no big deal. Chances are, they'll buy one anyway. Here's to some feet up time and a glass of wine weekend for you.
You are an amazing force, Bonnie Hunter! This is YOUR business; do things the way you see fit and those that like what you are doing will jump on board, and those who have a problem with it, and jump off the train! You have to listen to your own internal voice AND you have to stop and smell the roses once in a while so you will have the inspiration and energy to share your vision with others. Please, please take care of yourself. Claim "Friend Days", Hubby Days", "Son Days", and "Just Me Days" and protect them. If you don't, you may be like a match that flames and burns brightly and them extinguishes before your eyes. All this advice from someone who has the same problem saying NO sometimes. I don't know you personally, and will likely never meet you, but I do feel I recognize a special person through what they share, and you are definitely a special person who has much to share! Have a blessed weekend!
have a fun weekend and leave business behind you for a couple days - everyone always have their own opinions - but in this case yours is the only one that matters - facebook groups get too large that is why I do not follow them- too many people to the point you can't even know who is following you anymore - I follow you blog and read it daily - well be happy to see what you come up with for your t-shirt.
Bonnie , you give so much of yourself to all of us. Please relax and have a wonderful weekend at the cabin. No work. No worry. I, personally, am so grateful that the good Lord gave us Bonnie Hunter to make my life sooooo much brighter and so much more fun! Thank you a thousand times over for being the wonderful woman you are. ❤️
What are you running from, Bonnie? Just BREATHE, and watch the grass grow. It really is pleasant, if you can get the hang of it! :D I've wondered 'where on earth does she get her energy!?' But, I used to be like you, always going, doing, never still. Do what you like, how you like, when you like. But Breathe, too, and enjoy the littler things.
Good heavens, woman. You do more than any other two (or three or four or...) people. What is the saying? If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. You may be experiencing burnout. Sounds like you could be. Methinks you could use a couple of weeks lying on a beach or hiking in the Rockies. Unplugged completely. No instagram, blogging, Facebook, etc. Yes, I know this is not realistic given your schedule, but maybe time spent at the cabin will help.
The constant bombardment from social media (see your comments regarding the tee shirts) exacerbates the problem - intensifies the feeling of being spread so thin. Your tee shirts are going to sell out no matter what, so please yourself on that issue. We will love them for sure.
Hugs, and please look after yourself. The suggestion of an occasional mail helper is a good one. Think about it.
You deserve a break, quilty girl! I don't see how you get done as much as you do, but I am so glad that you are energetic and generous with your talents and time. Enjoy your weekend and never feel guilty about wasting time. Thanks for all you do.
On the subject of the t-shirts, I would want to see a design and color that makes you happy and that represents you the way you want to be represented. That way it is truly a Bonnie Hunter/Quiltville t-shirt. Oh wait, you like scrappy! Will it be tie-dyed???
I wasn't aware of the tee-shirt stuff...but I say do things the way you want to do them and to heck with the hard to please because it doesn't matter what you do it will never be enough for them!
Have a wonderful time at Quiltvilla!
Please don't listen to those who have no manners and give their opinion even when it is not asked for. We love all you do, I don't know how you do all you do, and love that you have Quiltvilla to get away to. Enjoy the mountains and all the spring colors, deep breaths of that clean air, and spend some time relaxing.
Hugs
You do so much for all of us. I thank you for that and admire you for it. This is "your" joy, passion, creative outlet and business, so keep it the "Bonnie way" and it will all be great as usual. Take time for you this weekend and enjoy your cabin...Hugs!!!
Just remember to sit and enjoy the green. Not sure when we all decided that we had to be doing, doing, doing. Just being is enough. Enjoy your time!
"I am not Dick's Sporting Goods." LOL :) I love it Bonnie ... love you too! Thank you for all your beautiful patterns and wonderful ideas. Have a great weekend!
So you're the one hoarding all the turquoise! I recently asked my niece what her 2 daughters' favorite colors were as I want to make a quilt for each. The oldest is 13 and a tomboy. Obviously she must love navy or something in the brown family. I've got a mountain of those colors.The younger is 11 and a very girly girl. Certainly she is mad about pink or purple which I have enough to make a dozen quilts. Nope ... their favorite great-aunt guessed wrong! The youngest loves light blue and the oldest favors aqua and turquoise. Seriously?
Those are the colors that I have the least of. Excuse me while I bang my head on the wall !!
Thank you for your inspirational posts every day. When you are able to be happy with yourself, everyone around you will feel happy too. It is also therapy to hack up a bunch of thrift store shirts for scraps!
Take it easy on yourself! You get more done than most others combined. Your generosity and enthusiasm are so infectious. Breathe, relax and enjoy life. The work will always be there and most of it can wait. I hope you have several glorious days at the cabin. I understand about it being the place that lets you breathe and relax. Thank you for all you do, you are so generous to us! Be generous to yourself!
THANKS for all you share. I'll wait for the all the new stuff coming in the Fall. It's good to take time to enjoy the NOW! You have a great place for respite at Quiltvilla. So very peaceful and Beautiful!! I am especially excited for the Book and choosing a quilt to make for the Retreat in the PNW next year. Mary in WW (Walla Walla)
I learned from being a mom to only offer two options for the kids to choose one. Both options are what I wanted them to do anyway. How could I go wrong with Option one: Take a nap. Option two: Read a book. No stress, their choice. LOL
I can so understand all these feelings, and being a little too thinly spread on the ground!!! Take time for yourself, others can wait, make them wait, and the hardest of all " Learn when to say NO". After all, the sun will still set tonight and be there in the morning. Can you delegate anything to anyone else with confidence? Enjoy your time at the cabin, relax, read, and don't worry about anything left to do. Greetings from a colder, way down south, New Zealand.
Isn't it amazing how people feel that they can "express themselves" through their computers/devices and say anything w/o a filter! So many times when I read some of the comments posted all over the internet I often wonder if that would be said face to face! Technology can be so helpful & useful & really is wonderful ~ connects us all simply & instantly. But .... when computers/devices & their operators forget "the golden rule" & their manners I wonder if that was the intended use of technology?
Every day I wonder how you do everything you do. Adding t-shirt design to your list is wonderful and all should show appreciation and thanks. I learn so much from you, not only about quilting but about life. THANK YOU!
You are an amazing woman who inspires thousands of people each and every day. THAT should be more than enough to tell yourself it is o.k., NO, it is imperative to take some time for yourself. Enjoy your time in paradise. You've earned it!
Oh, and I will take a size medium in hot pink color with purple trim and if it doesn't fit perfectly, I will send it back until I get exactly what I want! Nuf said!
After reading your post, I can't believe how MUCH you get done--even on your 'days off'! I definitely think that you deserve a nap once you get up to the cabin! And don't listen to all the 'wants' of others when it comes to making and selling YOUR shirts. Do what you want, when you want.
Tricia
LOL, Mary Ellen is quite right! ;)
I think I`ve had a busy day when I do as much as you do on your day off!
Remember, human being, not human doing. You`re always enough, just the way you are. :D
Sounds to me like you got an awful lot done. It made me tired just reading it!!! Enjoy your well earned time off.
Wow.
When I read what all you get done in a few days, I feel ashamed.
There really is no reason to feel that you haven't done enough - you are a whirlwind and you appear to never run out of energy.
I love your choice about the t-shirts, not to look into all those opinions.
Seriously? What do people think?
It's your business, it's your creative mind, and in the end: it is only you alone who has to deal with all the orders.
I will be fine with whatever color, style, sizes etc. that you choose - because so far, you have always been wise in your decisions and I doubt that this will change.
You real fans love you because you do what you love and not what you think that people would like.
Heck, can't we all just be HAPPY with what we can get? Why do some people always have to demand more?
Let's all be thankful for your generousity and the inspiration that you are - even when it comes to saying "no" (which some of us might have to learn as well... people like ME...)
Hope you'll arrive safe and sound at Quiltvilla.
Janina from Germany
Unbelievable to have quilters with UFOs and few accomplishes ask more of you after all that you do in your business. We like your ideas and all that you share, let our enthusiasm for your ideas warm you but not direct you or press you.
Thank you , stay well and enjoy the hills and tress, my favorites, too. Johanne Hagar, 2 hagars at gmail.com
Now Miss Bonnie - I just KNOW you need another one of your fans to give you advice............but i'm going to , anyway... YOU NEED AN ASSISTANT ! You have immense talents in creativity, and in personal interactions. Hire someone to help you with book orders, organization, errands... think of them as a partner - a facilitator, someone who makes you able to DO what you want to DO, while they do the repetitive tasks... Look for some retired secretary that wants a few hours a week, or a young mom .... and , of course, no obligation to take my very free advice !!!!
Enjoy the weekend,
I'm all for one color, one design tee shirt. Heck it's great that you are even offering one! Thanks again for all you do and all you offer to your quiltvillians...it's greatly appreciated!! Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Oh,Bonnie, do it your way. Don't listen to all the hoopla. All we need is a basic unisex one color t-shirt with your logo on it. Offer it in small to 3X. If you need a vendor to work with, we have an excellent one here in Ferndale, WA. Email me if you want her info. Take a much deserved break this weekend. If it were me, I probably wouldn't even be on social media for a few days. Take care. We love you!
Take a break. You aren't superwoman. You need a rest after all your traveling (and before the next set of traveling). Gee, you've done lots. That said, my Happily Scrappily Irish quilt is almost done (just a few rows to sew together) and my Tulip Fields is coming along nicely. Woohoo, I'll have 2 finishes really soon.
Oh Bonnie. When will you learn.... Ha HA. With love, Cheryl
You sound like my daughter when I talked to her earlier. Frazzled and overworked. :( Hope you are able to re-energize your internal batteries this weekend. Enjoy the long weekend at the cabin. Maybe your friend Mona will make an appearance...you 2 have such fun.
I will be very excited to wear a shirt that YOU designed no matter what color it is!!!!! Good grief!
I have to second - or third - or one hundred the comments of all the others who are so amazed by what you do. You are one of the most grounded, genuine REAL people I have ever met and one of the most generous and sharing and AMAZING people, and all at the same time you are also one of the most incredible designers and developers of new ideas and new ways to do "old" things.
You accomplish more with your little finger in a day than I can get done in a weekend. I have to think that the very first thing -- that grounding in who you are and what and why you do it - is a part of why you are so successful.
I find myself thinking of old yearbooks "DON'T EVER CHANGE" - we all love who you are and what you do.
Bonnie, I don't know how you stay so well grounded when you have so many people begging for pieces of you and so much going on all the time! I always enjoy your thoughts on life as well as quilting. I'm lifting up a prayer for you today - that you will continue to recognize your need to take some time for yourself and slow down when you can. And do absolutely nothing when you can. And that you will continue to keep it real! We love it when you share yourself with us, but we want you to be able to do that for a long, long time. Enjoy your time at the cabin :*)
Well Bonnie, let me tell you my story. I have an over achiever daughter much like you. Almost the same age too. She is a nurse, beekeeper, gardner, chicken keeper, baby sits grandbaby one or two days a week, knits and quilts.
I've been concerned that she is burning out and praying that God would slow her down.
Sunday she turned her foot leaving church and broke three bones in her ankle. Surgery - one plate and 2 screws in ankle. No weight bearing for 4 weeks. We've been spending some wonderful mom /daughter time. I'm not saying God did it but I sure am thankful it was nothing worse and thankful for time spent with my amazing daughter.
Thank you Bonnie for all you share with us and I'll take any shirt you decide on in a 4X.
When time off goes by too fast you need to understand why. Is it really time off or are you busy catching up on Dr, appointments, household chores, family matters, keeping up with the blog etc. Are you doing what you want to do. Including nothing if you feel like it. Another reason could be that you are dreading going "back to work". While I imagine traveling all over to teach quilting would be a dream job I would last about 6 months with your schedule. Is your time off really time off? Do you need more of it? Or are you trying to do more than you can handle? Be good to yourself! Keep what you enjoy and get rid of what drains you when possible.Start a T chart of what you need to keep and what you need to let go. God bless you!
Post a Comment
If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.
Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.
Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)