Desk Days & Half Ways.

This was my view around 10pm last night.

After spending all day at my desk (The TV also doubles as my monitor – I like it big for designing) I looked up and saw that it was after 9pm.  Already.

How did that happen?

I do have a known condition jokingly referred to as “hyperfocusitis” which technically means that when I am in the zone, all else is tuned out. 

This means, if I am in the middle of something, whomever wants to talk to me needs to fully pull my attention away from whatever I am doing to make sure that my ears are hearing and my brain is comprehending what they are saying.  Or I won’t hear a thing.

It has its benefits!  I can power through something head on and tackle deadlines knocking them out left and right.  But it also makes me forgetful of other things.

I have gotten into the habit of grabbing a large index card each morning, and writing down my to-do’s for the day.  The card generally stays on the kitchen counter where I can see it as I pass by and add things to it, or cross things off.

Sometimes there are more things on the card than I can accomplish in a day, and the leftover things go onto the next day’s card and so forth.

The two things on yesterday’s card other than the ever present “Get the mail order out” was to finally unpack the quilts from my exhibit in Hershey last month.

18 quilts, unpacked and sorted!

As I unpacked and refolded each one (I like them right side out so I know which one is which one!) I so wished I could have been in Hershey for the show.  It’s a weird thing experiencing your own exhibit vicariously through others.  But there would be nothing like standing there in person I bet.

I thought of all the planning and cutting and piecing, quilting, binding that went into just these 18 quilts and the things they have seen unfold in my life.  Many of our previous mysteries are represented here, and if you participated in these yearly quilt events, chances are – your quilt knows an awful lot about you and your life too!

Sometimes it’s good that the quilts can’t up and spill the beans!  Sometimes the quilt is the evidence that we in turn are survivors.  Whatever was going on in our lives at the time we were stitching these quilts – we made it through.  Good and bad.  Challenging or life changing.

The stack on the right was returned to the big walk in closet, AKA the Quilt Vault.  I need more room in there.  No photos of it at this time!

The stack on the left – well, those are projects for the next book and I am deep in pattern writing mode.  They were brought down here to the studio with me so I can work on one at a time and knock them out.

I don’t turn out as many new designs and quilts as those who employ “stunt sew-ists” but that is not the kind of quilting I want to do.  The actual sewing part is the part I love best, and I’m not hiring that out to anyone else.  And that is why there is a couple of years between each book release.  It just takes that long to make this many quilts in between the traveling and the teaching.  But I love this process.  I’m not handing my bliss & joy, my kismet, my "Calgon, take me away!" over to anyone else. 

Many of these quilts are headed off for photography toward the end of September, so I’m doing all I can to get done, but at the end of the day, there needs to be something to relax my mind and feed my soul:

Simply joining rows!

This is as far as I’ve gotten on joining the rows of the top we webbed during our last Quilt-Cam. I’m loving that the string blocks make it look like the block is sashed when it isn’t!  I didn’t expect that windowpane-ing effect, and it’s looking good to me.  I’m also loving that there are plenty of toasty tan neutrals in here.  It adds more warmth.  And I’m having fun revisiting these fabrics that run the gamut from old to new and everywhere in between.

Do any of these fabrics look familiar to you?

I spy a dreidel!

The repetitive simplicity of piecing this quilt top with re-discovered 9 patches has been just wonderful.  If you are feeling burned out on intensive piecing projects, just sew something simple.  A 4 patch, or a 9 patch, or a simple log cabin will bring a song back to your heart.  Stress will LEAVE instead of being created anew.

Today marks a special day for Mark.

I spent time on speaker phone with my brother Mark and his lovely wife Sharolyn as they made their way to the hospital for yet another round of radiation and chemo. Today marks the halfway point of this horrendous treatment that has left Mark weak and fatigued in body, but strong and steadfast in spirit.

I love them both so much. I am cheering him on every step of the way. He is such an amazing man, an inspirational father, a wonderful grandfather to 2 adorable granddaughters, and the best brother one could ask for.  It’s been a very difficult month for all of us, but mostly for Mark who is fighting so hard, keeping hope and healing at the top of his own “to do” list.

To those who have been through this in any shape or form, either through watching a loved one dedicate themselves to surviving, or from walking this path as a survivor yourself – you know where my heart is right now.  And I want to thank you for all of the support and love and prayers you have sent my way, and in my brother’s behalf.

It matters.  I’m leaning heavily on your words right now.  Thank you.

And yes, sometimes all we can do is put the pieces through the machine.  And hyper-focus.  And breathe.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Sometimes we have to be kind to ourselves and realize that we were doing the best that we could with what we knew at the time. When we know better, we do better.

This Star Struck quilt belongs to my sister Mary. I made it for her High School graduation. She is now turning 35. I was able to sleep under this quilt when I stayed the night at her house before returning from Utah last month.  It did my heart good to know it is still being loved and USED!

As soon as I finish a few things around here, I’m back up to the cabin for the weekend.  More mystery sewing awaits!

Enjoy your Friday, everyone!

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