Monday, November 06, 2006

Ponderings

Thank you, Jeanne, for sending me a copy of my post! Since this is my journal, I'm going to retype it. I'll need it to remind myself of all these things next year!

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I'm so excited about Alex's retreat. We're flying up Thursday, so not much longer but a whole lot to do before then. (I must buy a new camera!)

I've been thinking a lot lately about where I want my quilting to go next year. I hate making lists because I feel like a total failure when I don't complete them. I'm way too goal-oriented to enjoy that process. But I've focused on a few things that I'm going to do next year, and I made a list! LOL

1) I'm going to concentrate on stash. I've got more fabric than I'll ever be able to use in my lifetime, but I'm going to try to make a huge dent in it. If I pull a piece of fabric out of my stash to use some in a quilt, what's left is not going back into the stash. It'll either get used on a pieced backing for that quilt, or will be cut up into the strip bins for the scrappy quilts.

2) I'm going to make a couple of scrappy quilts, or more, next year. This will be hard for me as I don't do scrappy well, but here's my chance to get over that hang-up. Even if I use only one neutral fabric for the background, the rest of the quilt will be out of those scrap bins.

3) I'm going to concentrate on quilts from the several hundred quilt books I already own. I'll admit it - I'm a quilt book addict. But if I seriously curtail the purchasing of new books, I'm sure I'll discover dozens of quilt patterns that I want to make out of the books I already own. Probably more than "dozens"!

4) I'm going to get serious about applique next year. Now, that's not to say I haven't always been serious about it, and I've made some wonderful appliqued quilts, but I've got a couple started that are begging to be finished, and I've got all the fabric pulled for a couple that have been just sitting in the closet for two or three years. What am I waiting for?

5) I'm also going to seriously curtail pattern purchases. Jane said it best -- she will oftentimes buy a pattern for a quilt that she really doesn't need a pattern to make, but just so she won't forget about it. Maybe a notebook of thoughts and ideas like Finn has would be better.

6) I'm going to make as many Christmas quilts as I want. I absolutely love Christmas quilts, probably more than any others, and I've made quite a few of them. I've enjoyed making them; they make me smile the whole time I'm working on them. So next year if I get the urge to sew and hum "Jingle Bells," I'm going to go for it!

7) I'm going to not feel guilty at all for making quilts out of my favorite colors. I always feel like I must deviate, play with other colors; make a quilt from a color that I've never used before. Why? If those colors give me joy, then I'm going to make them!

8) I'm going to sew for at least one hour every single day. It may be at the sewing machine. It may be sitting on the sofa with Daisy snuggled up next to me while I applique. But one hour a day -- every day. Thank you, Judy!

9) I'm going to slow down a bit and enjoy the process. I did that this year. I didn't do power sewing like I had done the first four years, and although I made less quilts, I absolutely loved every minute of the sewing. Like the leaves for the quilt for my brother. I made those leaves one at a time, and I fell in love with the different fabrics in each one of them. I've made over 80 quilts in five years. What's the rush?

10) This is going to sound funny, or maybe silly, but I'm going to "link" my quilts. Every quilt I make is going to have a piece of the previous quilt in it, even if it's on the back. Our forequilters didn't have the luxury of running out to the local quilt shop when they sat down to make a quilt. Often several of their quilts had some of the same fabrics in them. I actually did this one year, and it was not hard to do. In fact, it was kind of fun. I wish I hadn't stopped doing it.

11) I'm going to put a little humor in every quilt. It might be real subtle, something only I will "get," but it'll be fun trying to figure out how to work the humor in. Jane gave me a ton of neutral fabrics for a quilt, and in it was a piece of frog fabric. I giggle every time I look at that quilt. And when I did the "Around the Block" quilt, I used some French fry fabric for two windows. It just looks like a yellow/gold -- but look a little closer! Another giggle moment! Even a serious quilt can have something hidden in it that's fun!

12) And, finally, I'm going to enjoy my quilt making, something that hasn't always happened. By making only the quilts I want to make, slowing down the process a bit, using colors I love, and adding a touch of humor or whimsy to each quilt, I think it's going to be a fabulous quilty year!

14 comments:

Patti said...

I'm so glad you could repost this. I think you are a very wise woman to have made these decisions. I also think you can look forward to a wonderful year of quilting next year. We all need to take a lesson from what you've had to say. After all, this is NOT a race! Good for you Vicky!

Gail said...

I'm glad to see this could be reposted. I enjoyed it so much the first time, and you made some very good points. Also, I like your idea to link your quilts with a fabric. I have done that inadvertantly with the three Judy hour a day quilts, using pieces left from one in the next. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

Jane Ann said...

It's wonderful you have been so thoughtful about your creative process. Whether you check off your list or not, you have great ideas to incorporate into your quilting. I think writing them down will make them more real--more likely to be remembered. Thanks for your post. It is thought provoking.

Hedgehog said...

I love the idea of linking quilts - I try to use at least one thing from a previous project in each project, but don't always succeed. It's a good tradition to have!

Melanie said...

I love nine thru 12. I'm going to print them out. Everyone I think needs the slow down reminder. What a neat idea to 'link' the quilts.

Darlene said...

Oh Vicky, I'm so glad that you were able to repost your "Ponderings" - they are as inspiring as a picture of a project. Thank you, thank you.

(this time I'm going to print them)

((HUGS))

Cher said...

hurray for Jeanne saving the day with allowing this great post to be reprinted-it's worth keeping and read over many times. I absolutely agree with it all-and have been developing my own mental approach to the next year ...it's been my mantra-to put the joy back into my love of quilting.

KC Quilter said...

So glad you were able to repost this, Vicky, as I missed it the first time. And, boy, does it come at a perfect time for me---great food for thought!

Granny said...

WOW! You've inspired me to re-think my whole process too!

Making a list helps me and for a while, I also felt like I had to do everything on the list or I was a failure but now I've decided that a list is just to keep me on track and if I venture off track a bit . . that's ok too.

So glad you were able to recover that post. It helped me a lot and I'm happy to see the direction you're heading.

Judy L.

Jeanne said...

Woohoo -- glad we were able to get it back! Your ideas here are soooo important for all of us to ponder!
Hugs ~ Jeanne

Judy said...

Sounds like a very good list of things to ponder!! Things we all need to stop and ponder once in a while. I also need to stop buying and do more "sewing".

Have fun at the retreat!

just jenn said...

Those all seem like good ideas to me.

Hanne said...

Hello Vicky :-)
Sounds like you have some very good goals going there.
I will be with you on several of the goals - like using from fabric collection, not buying patterns, shop my books for ideas,polish some of the skills I like well and want to do better, like applique + +
One thing I really have enjoyed this autumn is the daily hour and finishing my Ufos has really put more fun back in my quilting :-)
You know, you can not eat an elephant in one sitting, but you can eat it, one serving at a time :-)
I will be there, shoulder by shoulder with you.
I am starting today with a NoBuy unless really Needed - for a long time. I decided yesterday and am in business as from today.

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

A wonderful, thoughtful and mind provoking post - I feel the rumblings of change in Blogger-land...

Cheers!

Evelyn