depleted....

my sweet Pepper gets tired too!

...burned out, washed up, overextended, pooped, sapped, run ragged, fatigued.

Get it?

Well it has me. And so I must take a break. Not that blogging really requires a lot of high-maintenance, but I need to try and rebalance so I can spend more time doing what I want to do, instead of tending to others. Maybe now is just the time I am supposed to be taking care of others? Don't know, I just know that it is frustrating to have an 8-to-5 job, commute, ill hubby and MIL, family commitments, etc, and make time for my passion. So, now, for a little while, the passion has to take the back seat. But I know that situations change and time passes, so I will be able to jump back on in a little while.

Fear not! I am sketching during this time and doing much reflection. I hope to blog next the answer to this burning question:

What kind of quilter am I?

Stayed tuned, gentle readers!

the best laid plans

 Cartoon by Graham MacLennan ( www.grahammaclennan.co.uk ).






This long weekend quickly morphed into a hospital stay for the hubs. His 3rd kidney stone in a month has been quite problematic, so after waiting and aching, he is scheduled for surgery in the morning. Needless to say, no sewing or quilting here. Hope to get him better and back on track soon!

A before.....

I sewed this together today. It is the "before" part of yet another Twister quilt. I know, I am starting something new with a few UFOs still in the queue, but, I needed to break away from the intense quilting on my "Forest for the Trees" for a while.

It has been a dark, rainy day. But, it is a paid day off, so a good day for me. Hubs is battling yet another kidney stone today, this is the third one in a month. He is pretty miserable and I wish I could do something to help him. 

I believe I will get back up to the sewing machine, can't think of anything I would rather do!

WIPW

Work In Process Wednesday

Yep, some "un" quilting going on here!

Be sure to click on the cute birdie button to check out WIPs all over blogland. Some beautiful stuff from talented peeps!

Fessing up to total WIPs:
1. Forest for the Trees - quilting, and un-quilting as seen above
2. String top - completed last year, packed, moved, unpacked, must be quilted
3. Large hand-dyed abstract art quilt top - completed last year, packed, moved, unpacked, must be quilted, or added to, it seems to want more
4. Table topper - must be quilted
5. New Twister quilt for MIL's friend - laid out - needs to be started!
6. King-size idea block, no starting until some of these WIPs are DONE.


So many quilts to make, so little time! This job thing really gets in the way of quilting. Oh, yeah, it does pay for the habit.

Eye Candy

Selections from my LQS challenge show. Lots of pretty going on!

 

Another completion!

I love this quilt.

I had the focus fabrics in my stash. Batiks, Amy Butler dots, Laura Gunn Dogwoods. All acquired at different times, but look great together!

I had the Kona Snow in my stash.

The pattern is from LizzeBDre8tive "Baby It's Cold Outside" but can't find it to link.. (will definitely make it again!)

It is a gift for a very sweet young lady!

76" by 66"

2 WIPs

I am off to stay with my MIL again for the next 2 nights, so sewing is again curtailed. I am hand stitching the binding on the quilt from earlier in the week. Should have it completed and laundered for a full shot this weekend. Meanwhile, I am taking this top to work to pin baste on our tall worktable:

And this is an improvisational piece I started by stitching scraps end to end and then folding them in half and sewing together. Initially I was going to treat it as a piece of fabric to cut up for blocks, but looking at the picture, I really like the movement. 

Sort of reminds me of a "Gee's Bend" style top. I will keep it on the design wall for a while to see how it evolves.

Non-sewing, but quilt related

While I have been traveling for work and staying with my MIL during her recuperation, I knew I would not have the time to dedicate to actual quilting or sewing, but I did want to do something to enhance my skills and keep my creativity flowing. So I have been practicing some FMQ stitches. By drawing them!

A sketch pad (from Barnes & Noble for $6.98) along with my extra-fine Sharpie makes the designs flow.

 If you can draw it, you can stitch it. And I want to make stitch samples. Just for me. I like cataloging stuff like that.

It will be fun to develop a book of all my stitch samples! And it will keep me from getting bored with my quilting.

Getting close on another completion!

It was a very chaotic week for me. I had a business trip that started at 4am Tuesday morning (when I got up) and ended at 11pm Tuesday night (when I got home). This day consisted of 4 flights, 3 hr round-trip commute from airport to customer, 2 1/2 hr meeting (during which I gave a spectacular presentation and was congratulated by my CEO!). Then I stayed with my MIL Wednesday night and Thursday night since she is still recuperating from a 7 week hospital stay (for a still undetermined infection which almost cost her life and then her leg!). So, needless to say, not much in the quilting realm til this weekend. Whew! Well hubby left yesterday to stay 2 nights with his mom, so I have been quilting! And I am almost done with this: 

(sneak preview only!)

Just have to hand-stitch the binding down and wash it. I love how it is going! I am trying to finish all my UFOs. I have 1 more large top  and a table topper to quilt, then a wall quilt for my bedroom. I am also going to try and use up some small scraps before starting another quilt top. So much I want to make and so little time!

Completion

I started this little quilt earlier in the year with no plan. Just a "Make Life" charm pack, sewing half-square-triangles as a way to waste some time. I played around with layouts for the blocks then put them away while I made other things. I just do not like UFOs. Makes me feel incomplete. So, I took these little blocks back out and put them on my design wall and the idea hit!

I call it "Charming Life" and it measures 30" x 30". I thought maybe a baby quilt, but now think either a sweet wall quilt, or table topper.

Played with FMQ. Love how my BabyLock Quest is working! 

Next up, finishing another UFO! Got a busy week with some work travel combined with staying with MIL, so quilting and posting may not happen. Oh well, life occurs, gotta live it!