Directions and Intentions

I can't believe I am almost at my 100th post! I didn't know when I started blogging in December how much I would like it.  If you read to my right, I started blogging to:

1. inspire me to quilt on a more continuous basis - mission accomplished, I have been going almost nonstop.
2. reach out to other Newbie Quilters - success at this is questionable
3. make more quilting friends - the blogger community is great.

I paused to reflect this last week on if I was really reaching my goals with this blog, and I came to the conclusion that I am, but I can do better too.  I also realized that since I started blogging, some of my other "mom-duties" have suffered.  For example, my family only enjoys a REAL home-cooked meal about once a week, whereas it used to be about four times a week in the days before blogging.  Don't even get me started on the status of the housework or how often I wash my hair.  I truly have been spending every "free" moment sneaking down to the garage to sew or do other sewing related tasks.  Point is, I need to find some balance.  Enter, more structure.

This blog needs some structure, and in the process, I need to find a way to incorporate more beginner friendly material and find that balance with my other activities.  First, I am only going to post a few times a week.   Yes, there might be more here and there if I really have something to say, but in reality my weekly sewing schedule goes something like this:  Monday - clean up from the weekend, do laundry, maybe sew a little between loads.  Tuesday - sew in the morning, afternoon activities with the kids start early.   By Wednesday, I at least have something in progress.  Thursday - no sewing since I volunteer at the elementary school.  Friday is a scramble to get whatever I am working on to a stopping point because there is no sewing at all on the weekends.  So, it only seems natural that my posting schedule would try to follow this routine too.

Tuesdays, I plan to post something for beginners.  It might be a Lessons Learned feature, a product or book review, or just some simple advice.  I'm going to call it Trial and Error Tuesdays.

Wednesdays, I plan to post about my works in progress.  Freshly Pieced already has a WIP Wednesday feature that I am going to link up with.

And finally, on Friday's I hope to be able to show you some finished projects.  This will also be the day that I will post about any art projects with the kids since I doubt I will have a finished project every Friday.

Are there any other changes you would like to see?

Bingeing

As you might recall, I gave up buying fabric for Lent.  Lent was over a while ago, why am I talking about it now?  Well, I guess it is because I have some confessing to do.  I have been on a serious fabric buying binge.  It all started Easter Sunday.  As the family and I were driving up to Mammoth Lakes, CA for some spring break skiing:

1. I remembered Lent and my "fast" were over, 
2. I realized that my husband's IPad had cellular internet service,
3. We were stuck in traffic due to a brush fire and I had an extra hour or so tacked onto the 5 hour drive,
4. I couldn't help myself???

I mentioned during Lent that I really liked the Flea Market Fancy fabric line by Denyse Schmidt., and it seemed like it was selling out all over the place.  Now, in hindsight it may have only seemed like I was going to miss out, and NOT being able to buy it may have made it even more desirable (after all, you always want what you can't have, right?).  But, I was steadfast and just put my name on the Fat Quarter Shop's email list for when they got it in stock and prayed that it would be after Lent, but before everyone else bought it.  (Picture me here biting my fingernails and tapping my toes, staring at the calendar.)

That Sunday, they had not contacted me yet, so I went elsewhere online to find it.  And find most of it, I did!  I found some at Fabric.com, for much less than anywhere else, so I ordered the prints they had in stock.  Oh, and some white solid I had been meaning to get for ages.

Itch scratched, right?

A few days later into our vacation, I remembered that I needed borders for my Hands2Help quilt, so I ordered those from Connecting Threads.  Oh, and some nice brown solid for a border for my Lincoln quilt.

A few days after that, I decided I really needed to have the whole collection of Flea Market Fancy, so I started looking for the other prints.  What do you know, I found some at Hawthorne Threads at 20% off, and I put in an order.  Now there were only 2 prints I was still missing.  Oh, and I got some Riley Blake Scoot that was on sale.

Throw in a trip to Joann's, where I got some outdoor canvas for pillows for our deck at a steal!  Oh, and a few other odds and ends.

Low and behold, I heard today from Fat Quarter Shop, and I placed my final order for the missing 2 prints of Flea Market Fancy.  Oh, and I finally caved in on the Swoon pattern.  Oh, and there may have been a random fat quarter bundle thrown in there too.

I have a problem.

A serious illness.

I know some of you out there share it.  

In the past I have hidden my addiction by making my purchases with cash.  Unfortunately, ordering online doesn't exactly allow that option.  Now there is a paper trail, which inevitably be discovered shortly by my husband. 

My head hangs in shame.

No Mother's Day gift for me this year.

BUT.......

I can't wait to create!!  Did I mention that I also got also got the Quick Curve Ruler from Jenny at Sew Kind of Wonderful?  I just love those Urban Nine Patch and Urban Deco blocks.

Did I mention I have a problem??  Do they have rehab facilities for this?

A Change of Plans???

I need your help deciding on the background for my Hands2Help quilt.  I had planned to use white, as the pattern called for, and had it all cut and everything; but then my border fabrics arrived and I started to second guess myself.  Plus, I was using slightly different fabric than the pattern called for anyway, so.....help me make my final decision, please!

Here is the white.  I am a little concerned that my lighter bees will not look as nice.  And, does someone going through chemo really want a mostly white quilt??  Yet, the picture of the pattern does look very cheer-y in white.

Or, I just happened to order this aqua for a later project, but I could just as easily use it now.  Problem is, I have aqua bees.  Do they show up enough or just blend into this background?

Here is the white next to my planned border fabrics:

And here is the aqua:

Well, what do you think?