I just received my first Quilters Planner. Call it a statement of intent, or perhaps wishful thinking. Either way, it’s a beautiful book.
For several years now, I’ve been trying to re-prioritize my time and focus. it’s not healthy to depend on my day job as my only creative outlet. It’s bad for my work, and it’s bad for my creativity.
I was pretty good about it for a while. I built a home studio. Took classes. Organized projects and ideas. And followed a strict “no work” rule when in the studio space. After a few years, I’ve lost focus. Too many works in progress, not enough met goals.
I was an athlete in my younger years. Back then, commitment to team (a positive form of peer pressure) was a powerful motivator. So I’m thinking that in addition to BUYING the Quilters Planner, I’m joining a support group.
I try to make as many gifts each year as possible. I mean, my family members don’t really
Range Backpack by Noodlehead
need anything. Many others need so very much. It just makes going out and buying stuff seem a little sick. So, I make donations in their names and make.
The challenge is getting it all planned far enough in advance to get them done. Well today I’m posting my first finish of the season. Last year, my older sister asked me to make her a backpack like the one I’d made for myself for our trip to #QuiltCon2017. It was a fun, funky bag, franken-pieced with a few precious scraps of Kokka from my stash. My sister has mad skills and sophisticated tastes, but she said she wanted something as wild as mine, so…
roomy interior slip pockets and a velcro closure (above). And how gorgeous is this cork?
Rather than use the same pattern, I chose Noodlehead’s Range Backpack and added a velcro strip to the interior so it could be closed securely. I love the look of the fold-over top, but wanted a little more containment. Not an elegant solution, but functional.
I’ve been dying use cork fabric since seeing for the first time last year at the Sew Sweetness booth at #QuiltCon, and this pattern yearned for it. I snagged this blue/teal and silver flecked piece at Capital Quilts.
I found the other exterior and interior fabrics from Three Little Birds. Gotta love having such great LQSs in the area – thanks ladies of metro D.C.!
The pattern is well-written, as Anna’s always are, and I’m super happy with the finish. My sister said she wanted it “wild”so I think this should qualify.
Hope she likes it! Now on to the next finish – a special bag for my niece.
Happy holidays and thanks for reading. Among my 2018 pledges is to actually blog.
My son started college a few weeks ago. I couldn’t be more stoked for him; I’m excited for what’s ahead for him, proud that he chose to venture far from home (University of Oregon #GoDucks!), and — so far — happy to hear that he’s enjoying life and the challenge of college level academics.
After all the anticipation, campus visits, painful applications, financial panic, and just plain getting through the logistics getting him across the country for school (while balancing work and extended periods of international business travel) … well, I never really prepared myself for what would come next for his dad and me. The Empty Nest.
I knew we’d miss him. But, what I’m feeling is more akin to grief. This, I was NOT prepared for. It’s affected me in ways I was really unprepared for.
Total lack of creative inspiration. Normally, all it takes is a visit to my basement studio to fondle my #stash to get me into a crazed creative tizzy. No luck.
Trouble concentrating. On a good day this can sometimes be hard, as I have ADHD. For me though, ADHD manifests itself in over-interest in way too many things at once until I settle (with great intensity) on one thing. Nothing.
Loss of interest. I’ve never been much of a housekeeper (understatement of the year), but I just can’t gin up the interest to vacuum the massive dust balls, clean the disgusting shower, heck, put makeup on.
Withdrawal. More TMI: I have struggled depression and social anxiety all my adult life. Lately, I have a hard time even talking to my family, much less friends.
Ok you get the picture, and that was way too much whining. Back to the pumpkin issue (again with the ADHD…).
I’m just not interested in Halloween. My neighborhood takes this event very seriously. For real, it’s a destination for trick-or-treaters from across the county – folks really get into the spirit. Usually we have giant spiders and webs, strings of purple lights, and plenty of crazily carved pumpkins. Not so this year. I mean, what’s the point?
Thanks to a text from a crafty friend, who dragged my lame ass off to Michael’s, I found the creative project to jumpstart my creative mind. What screams fun as much as day-of-the-dead art?
Yep, picked myself up an unfinished wood skull and took it to my studio. A few hours of drawing with colored pencils later, and I had my color palette finalized and I was into the paints! I now have a festive skull hanging from the front door, and I’m back in the creative saddle.
So, Happy Halloween. Now, back to my #GlamClam quilt from last week’s Latifa Saafir (you rock Latifa!) workshop with my DC Modern Quilt Guild friends…
running with scissors 