Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. I have lists of things done and lists of things doing and lists of things to do! I have a mess in my studio, the product of having several projects going at the same time. What should I do first? What should I write about first? Perhaps the first quilt I finished this year! Perhaps the one I’m working on right now! Perhaps the one I’ll take up on Monday!
So confusing… But in the interests of some forward movement, I’ll show you some pix of my studio late yesterday.
Now I know, this is not most people’s idea of a mess, but it is for me. That’s one of the reasons I tend to be very linear in my making, with only one or two active projects at a time. I can finish something, CLEAN, and move on to the next thing. With lots of active projects I can’t put things away.
Here is my list, not in priority order:
And here is my “current” project.
I started the center block on Tuesday in a workshop with Toby Lischko. It is a classic New York Beauty, a challenging block to make. But her instruction, tools, and technique made it very easy. I modified the size of the outer background (Moda Grunge in orange) to make it 17″ finish instead of 16″. (Math stuff — I won’t go into the details now but it should set up all the rest of the sizing well.) And I added corners in purple (more math stuff for how I decided the size. Details later.) And I designed the Lone Star-style star point. I need to take it apart and rebuild it so my seam allowances are better, but later I’ll be glad I took the time to do that.
HOWEVER now it’s time to switch gears, so this project, called “Wind River,” will just wait for a few weeks. Instead I have a secret project to do as a wedding present for Son and his bride. Since they get married four weeks from today (HOORAY!!!) I have to get in high gear on that. (And oh yeah, I better make my purse, too!) This is my linearity kicking in. Later I can be messy again. 🙂
Catbird Quilt Studio 
Oh Melanie your project looks so pretty! The colors are just wonderful. 💃
Thanks, Cindy. When I bought the fabric from the very center, there was another colorway with a strong pink background, instead of the teal. Boy, I had a hard time choosing between the two! But I’m glad I picked the teal, because it offers such a beautiful combination of colors I enjoy using. Glad you like it, too. Thanks for taking a look.
Your projects are always so fun to see! 😊❤️
I love the New York Beauty design–I’ll look forward to more on that one. How do you keep track of all this?? I don’t think I’ve ever worked on more than one quilt at a time, except for that crazy yoyo quilt. I’m a monogamous quilter, I guess!
There’s a lot to be said for monogamy! Well you know, usually I don’t keep track of all this. For right now, I have 3 or 4 different bins and a few more piles of things, sort of separated by project. That’s certainly not optimal, but it’s going okay. Thanks!
I love the current project, but it sounds like the things that jumped in ahead of it will be rewarding, too.
It’s all good, Mary. Thanks for taking a look.
Mess! You don’t know what the word means! Your mess looks like my after-cleanup studio. I concur that hard deadlines come first, but don’t let the fun, sometime, projects get pushed too far back. I’d love to play with the cut outs.
The cut-outs were SO MUCH fun. And they really took my thinking in new directions, so it was time well spent in other ways, too. No worries on the other projects. It’s a busy summer but I’ll get back to those things, too. Thanks.
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You seem very organized to me and that looked like a fun “mess”. The NY Beauty Medallion quilt is going to be awesome! I hope you have fun with your projects and remember in the whole scheme of life it is okay if you do not finish something 🙂
Are you sure? You can do that? 🙂 Yes, I know there are an awful lot of ways to finish things, and some of them include fire. HA Thanks, Tierney.
I am guilty of too many hats and only one head! I keep trying to concentrate and make headway at least on one area, but the mind just won’t shut off – need to grocery shop, need to get the rest of the materials for the GS camp crafts and get one of each ready for the Wed. meeting, keep purging the quilt magazines, not ready for interview to teach at college without at least some examples to show (applied to teach quilting and sewing in the continuing education arena). I need time to sit and put my lists together and prioritize. I’m also trying to clean up my sewing and quilting rooms. Making a bit of progress there. For now, I’m off to the market to get food for a starving family and do at least 5 other errands. Long way to say, I can relate!
Oh my yes! Enjoy your list. That’s the good stuff, when we choose to look at it that way!
That NYB is going to be really beautiful… I’m with you on the linearity, and the skill to focus and bear down on the urgent stuff instead of being distracted is an important one. There’s always lots of temptation out there, and the ability to ignore it and concentrate on something that’s needed soon means a good finishing record 🙂
Yes, thanks. I do like finishing, and the linearity helps me get there. I’ve found in the past that when I have several projects going, they still ultimately get done, but mentally it’s a bit more chaotic for me. Thanks!
Part of your success with your mess is you can identify elements! Not so with mine so I applaud your ability to limit yourself.
I guess that is true — I don’t often have piles of piles, so they are sorted messes. 🙂