Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Give Me a Season to Sew


Oh, my goodness, it's hot, hot, hot! Well, it's hot here, but I realize not all of you are feeling it. I have friends still freezing their knees off in the southern half of the world, and for you I say, "Send those cool temps our way. We are ready for Quilt Season!" The fall flowers are bursting into bloom so I know nature is ready for it too.





With Labor Day behind us, and the schools all back in session, do you find yourself longing for routine again? The Doxie girls do. 



Have you been looking at your fall fabrics, and dreaming of new quilt patterns? Or maybe even Christmas fabrics already? A little confession, but I bought some today in pastel mint, blue and pink? I see a cheery Christmas quilt in my near future.





Do It Now

I've been quilting away at one of my Not-So-Teeny-Texas-Braids quilts, and keep telling myself, "Don't overthink it." (I'm squeezing a few of mine in while waiting on a customer to bring backings in.) Even with our own quilts, it's hard to work out of the notion that every single quilt has to be perfect. First the fabrics, then the piecing, and even the quilting too. Sometimes done is really and truly enough. 


Other people look at our work--especially a quilt we may gift to them, and love everything about it--even if the quilting is just a whimsical doodle or quickie meandering. So September's theme for me is, "Don't overthink it. Do it now."



A Good, Fall Cleaning In Progress

Once again I'm clearing space in the studio. It's shocking how quickly things accumulate. Space gets eaten up by things we may never use, but are keeping Just In Case. Those questionable items get a shelf life of about a year here, and then need to find a new home. The newly delivered batting rolls sitting at my front door take priority, so Goodwill, here I come! 

If you cringe at the above photo, that was the second day into the purge. You should have seen it before.




Rethinking Priorities

Traditionally people think about goals near the change of the year, but I am a sucker for fall. What am I filtering through? A lot of the things I can read in the fabric above like slowing down, reconnecting, and making time to sew. (Don't you just love this print?!) 

But bigger things, too, like, "Am I still contributing valuable information to others through this blog?" Whether or not to eliminate advertising from Pink Doxies altogether, is another. And, will I be disciplined enough to finish up several of the patterns I promised? 

Is there a deeper meaning why we procrastinate with some of these decisions? I think so. I think when life is changing so fast, we are constantly shifting our position to keep things in focus. In the process, our focus changes.



Life's Change of Focus

Summer has been a whirlwind! Beautiful to behold, but a fright to be caught up in. We packed in weekend trips, house guests, surgery, and even a car accident. Talking about little tornadoes, this wee thing joined the Doxie pack early this summer, and she is a Joy to be reckoned with! Meet Pip the Mighty.

Life is making a huge number of demands on my time and energy, but my head is still in fabric and thread. Once in a while I get something stitched together just for play, always wishing for more time. I need a season just for sewing. It will come, if I only hang on. In the meantime, I'm here with you in sewing spirit.

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.




9 comments:

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

It does sound like you have had a busy summer, not all of it good. Hope your fall and winter is all good. I too get the cleaning bug in the fall. It is cooler and I have more energy, and I want to have the house cleaned up for settling down for the winter.

Quilting Babcia said...

Your title says it all, what every quilter I know yearns for, yet is seldom achieved. I wish for you (and all of us) a slower fall season with many hours of joyful quilting time.

Linda Swanekamp said...

I would love to just sew and sew and sew. I seem like I always have projects that are not of my choosing, but need to do. Cleaning out is a continual, long process- good for you keeping going at it. Finally, I pushed myself to get most of the blocks done for a quilt I planned, put all but the last five on the wall, and do not like it. Sigh.

KaHolly said...

Yes, you contribute widely via your blog, introducing subject areas no one else writes about. You are a deep thinker and make the reader see life through new eyes. I always look forward to your new posts. I never know what to expect and I’m never disappointed. I’m glad to know you’ve been super busy. I was beginning to worry. Cute new addition to your family! Enjoy!

Kate said...

We must have gotten everyone else's cooler weather here in Oklahoma. It's been an unusually cool and wet summer here. Everything is still green when typically the heat of August makes everything brown. Sometimes it seems there is never enough time to do all the stuff we are supposed to do and then stitch. Hopefully the "have to do" gets a bit shorter so you have more time for the "want to do".

SandraC said...

There have been quite a few times that I question keeping up the blog. Then, out of the blue, something like this happens....I was at one of my Guilds on Tuesday and a woman commented to me how much she has enjoyed my blog and learns a lot from it. Always nice to get some feedback

Your posts are always refreshing and informative....keep on keepin' on :)

Mary Huey said...

Hope you can find just a little time everyday to stitch -- it's the action that keeps my feet on the ground!!

Angie in SoCal said...

Thankfully, we've cooled down a bit, but the usual first full week of Sept heat will be upon us this Saturday. Summer has been like yours for me. I haven't been able to segue back into my sewing mojo since the quilt retreat in May! The spirit is not there. I"m lucky to have 15 minutes in each day. We'll both come around.
Blessings,

Sarah Craig said...

Wish I could be there to help you do your fall clean-up (and then we could come do mine!)