When the going gets tough...

This week has been a particularly difficult week. My job is very stressful at the end of every month. Unrealistic expectations are requested and no matter what you do, it is never enough. On top of this one of my best friends died last weekend and her funeral was Thursday.

My job is one of the main reasons I sew and craft. I have always enjoyed making things, but I really need the joy and relaxation that creating brings to help get through everything else. Unfortunately, the sewing was not a big help this week. When I sew, I am usually all in my head thinking about whatever. My thoughts this week were all about Gerri and it just broke my heart. So needless to say, there was only a small amount of mindless sewing .

I pulled out these string blocks that I had started last summer. My string bin is looking quite full and I thought I would make a few just to sew something. I put them up on my board and thought I don't want just another string quilt. I have one of those. So I decided to audition some fabric to go with it. I love this bright green that I bought a few years ago.

I made up my blocks into half square triangles. I know this is not a new concept, but I am loving it. I haven't decided what layout I will do with them yet. I am going to make up some more and see where this leads. It will definitely help finish the quilt a lot faster. Finish... hmmm, right. I know it is not my strong point, but it could happen. Right?

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Stitchy Kindness

This week I was blessed with stitchy kindness. (That is what it is called on Flosstube and I think it is perfect!) A woman that belongs to my quilt guild posted on Facebook to me that she had some scraps she was tired of looking at and would I be interested. Of course I would. The crazy thing is that I have never met Beverly before. She goes to the day meetings and I go to the night meetings. Apparently my reputation for loving scraps precedes me. Many of the quilters have started giving me their scraps. Not sure if it is just kindness or to keep me from going through their trash at the sew-ins. :)


Anyway, I met Beverly and she handed me all these ironed, trimmed and color coordinated 2 inch squares. Heaven! So I ran home and decided I needed to play with this fabric immediately. What to do? I decided I wanted to make a Traffic Jam quilt designed by Pat Sloan.
I am not sure how I am going to sash these yet, but I am loving how they are looking so far. One of the pieces even has a squirrel in it. Perfect!



The only other thing I worked on this week was my crazy scrappy blocks. I am not sure the name of this pattern. It seems like I once saw it called a bento box quilt. I figure I will give it a name as I finish it. For now I am just trying to pull some of the craziest fabrics people have given me and use it up. There are just some of those fabrics that probably look great used with the rest of a fabric line, but on it's own, you think what in the world am I going to do with that? Those are the fabrics I am using for this quilt. I think I got 4 more blocks done this week.

My pug is ready for me to come out of the craft room and go for a walk. I hope everyone has a great week! Stay safe!

Greetings!

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Penny and I have a problem. I love to make things. I love to make lots of different things. I love the feel of starting a new project. Unfortunately I rarely finish. I know! Gasp! I am not the Squirrel Crafter because I love squirrels. No. It is because, just like this cute dog of mine, I am easily distracted by other things. Squirrel!

Now I know many people also suffer from this affliction. And maybe you don't think it is a problem. I didn't for a long time. I love reading other people's blogs and seeing their photos on pinterest of all the things they are completing. I was living vicariously through Bonnie Hunter and Pat Sloan. Sorry Bonnie and Pat! For a long time I wanted to start a blog of my own so that I could make crafty friends and share what I am working on. Then I looked at what I was making. What would I show? A partial quilt here. A started cross stitch project there. Who wants to see that? So I didn't start. I was afraid!

Well recently I have been thinking that I don't want to be afraid anymore. And honestly, I am hoping that this will help motivate me to get further on the things I am working on. And maybe in the process, I can make some friends and see that I am not alone in this situation.

Just to put some things in perspective, this is my design wall right now. Doesn't look too bad. Right? Only three projects hanging there. What you can't see are all the other projects around the room. My husband comes in (and he is great by the way), and says how many projects are you working on right now? I have no idea. I work on the crazy one at the far left in between other things. The sixteen patch stars get made when I find the right color star points. The pinwheels are waiting on me to be inspired what to do with them. Really I am working on these other 3 things. Or was it 4? Oh, wait...5.


So I guess if you have hung in here this long, you have pity on me and want to know where this is going. I am hoping to share my progress, my multiple starts and hopefully (HOPEFULLY!!!) a finish or two along the way. I would love to hear from other's who have similar stories and see the many things you are working on, finished or not.