To Do List

 2022 To Do List

OR

Some Things Never Change

It is mid-2022... I am still working on the same To Do List that I compiled 4 years ago. I still have 40+ quilt tops to longarm quilt. I had a lot that I brought with me when we left Texas, but now I've added a lot of quilt tops as I continued to piece (my quilt therapy!) for the past 4 years. Actually, the quilt tops have taken over a whole closet. I have no room for clothes in it. Just quilt tops! Well, time to start longarm quilting! Get started! Or keep going....

I have moved all of the boxes of fabric into the quilting studio. That was a big job and a wonderful step forward. I want to go through the fabric boxes and get them more organized. I want to give away a lot of the fabric. I have been sharing the fabric with my quilt group as we have made charity quilts during the past 3 years. But, I still have a lot of fabric to share. I keep getting out some of my fabric collections and offering them to my quilt friends. Sadly, they don't take as much fabric as I would like them too.

I am working on getting the quilting studio organized. Jay made me 3 file cabinet size storage cupbords. I have been filling them as I have gone through boxes. I have thrown out 4 empty boxes so far. I have more to go. Some I haven't even found out in the trailer...after 4 years. I'm still searching for some of my plaid lunchboxes and my favorite sewing bag. Where did they go???

It's time to get things moving!

100 Things Every Quilter Should Do, Take 2

 94 things DONE

6 Things to Do... Well, going to Paducah is the only thing that I want to do. And, obviously, I need to learn more about needles. And, 2 of the things I will never do because I don't do that. 

But, pretty good for a list of 100 things that a Quilter should do!

100 Things Every Quilter

Should Do Before She Dies

1. Visit a quilt shop. Done and Done

2. Make a Nine Patch. Done and Done

3. Make a Log Cabin. Done and Done But So Boring

4. Label a quilt. Done and Done

5. Figure yardage for a quilt. Easily Done and Done

6. Learn about warp and weft. Done and Done

7. Use a rotary cutter. Done and Done.  

8. Use templates. Done and Done

9. Paper piece a quilt block. Done and Done

10. Hand applique a quilt block. Done and Done. Yuck!

11. Make a yo-yo. Done and Done

12. Embellish a quilt. Done and Done

13. Try free motion quilting. Done and Done

14. Stitch in the ditch.Done and Done

15. Try hand quilting. Done and Done. Boring. It's too slow for me.

16. Bind a quilt. Done and Done

17. Miter the corners of quilt binding. Done and Done

18. Join the ends of quilt binding. Done and Done

19. Sew diagonal seams. Done and Done

20. Use a walking foot.Done and Done

21. Attend a guild meeting. Done and Done. I was on the Board of Directors for 2 years.

22. Visit Houston for International Quilt Festival. Done and Done. I lived near Houston for 7 years. I'd drive in daily.

23. Have a quilt appraised. Done and Done

24. Visit a quilt museum. Done and Done

25. Go on a quilt retreat. Done and Done

26. Try curved piecing. Done and Done

27. Miter the borders. Done and Done

28. Learn to do blanket stitch by hand. Done and Done

29. See a local quilt show.Done and Done

30. Put your quilt in a local quilt show. Done and Done

31. Sell raffle tickets on a quilt. I've bought tickets for a raffle quilt but never sold them.

32. Take a road trip with quilt friends. Done and Done

33. Create a Pinterest board with quilt images. Done and Done. Duh! I have about a million boards of different quilts.

34. Make a 3-D quilt block. Done and Done

35. Donate a quilt to a good cause. Done and Done

36. Make a sampler quilt. Done and Done

37. Make an art quilt. Done and Done

38. Try bobbin work. Done and Done

39. Learn to maintain your sewing machine. Done and Done

40. Add rickrack to a quilt. Done and Done

41. Design a quilt. (Remember, you don’t necessarily have to make the quilt.) Done and Done

42. Change/tweak/alter a pattern to make it your own. Done and Done. Of course, almost every pattern needs to be rewritten!

43. Make a color wheel with fabric swatches. Done and Done

44. Chat about quilting with a stranger. Done and Done. Certainly, at every quilt store or show.

45. Talk about quilting with your family. Done and Done. They are sick of my talking about quilting.

46. Give a quilt as a wedding/graduation/retirement gift. Done and Done

47. Visit Paducah during the AQS Show. Not yet. Hopefully someday.

48. Take a class with a nationally known teacher. Done and Done.  Jo Morton was my favorite teacher.

49. Use some fabric you dislike. Done and Done

50. Participate in Show & Tell. Done and Done

51. Volunteer for a job in a quilt group. Done and Done

52. Use a color you detest. Done and Done

53. Make a quilt inspired by nature. Done and Done

54. Get up early or stay up late to quilt. Done and Done. Duh!

55. Make a scrap quilt. Done and Done

56. Make a tote bag.Done and Done

57. Make a postcard quilt. Done and Done

58. Make a baby quilt and gift it to a newborn. Done and Done

59. Understand the basics of caring for quilts. Done and Done

60. Borrow a quilting book from the public library. Done and Done

61. Teach someone else to quilt. Done and Done

62. Creatively piece a backing for one of your quilts. Done and Done

63. Apply a piped binding, or some variation of it. Done and Done

64. Post quilt pics to Facebook.  I don't do Facebook but I've posted quilt pictures on my blog and on Pinterest.

65. Install quilty wallpaper on your computer. Ha! Done and Done

66. Put a quilty bumper sticker on your car. Nope, I don't do Bumper Stickers. But, I've laughed at bumper stickers.

67. Cuss mildly when you realize you've been sewing air (because you ran out of bobbin thread). Done and Done. Mildly?!

68. Read your sewing machine manual cover to cover. Done and Done

69. Learn to thread baste. Done and Done

70. Learn to pin baste. Done and Done

71. Use basting spray. Done and Done

72. Help a friend make a quilt. Done and Done

73. Make a quilt for a special child. Done and Done

74. Make a quilt for a spouse or partner. Done and Done

75. Make a quilt for a friend. Done and Done

76. Include your quilts in your last will and testament. Done and Done. Well, everyone knows what to do. Maybe I need to include them in my will.

77. Determine your favorite thread for piecing. Done and Done

78. Understand the concept of value. Done and Done

79. Understand the mathematics of quilt blocks. Done and Done

80. Apply a bias binding. Done and Done

81. Take a guild speaker to dinner. Done and Done. My friend, Jeanne. We spent the day together.

82. Comment on a quilt-related blog post. I don't make comment. I only make the blog posts.

83. Make a mystery quilt. Done and Done

84. Take part in a block exchange.Done and Done

85. Write how-to instructions for making a quilt block. Done and Done

86. Be able to state clearly what you learned from a particular quilt.

87. Know the difference between lengthwise and crosswise grain. Done and Done

88. Know the parts of a sewing machine needle and why they matter. No, I don't know why they matter.

89. Organize your stash. Done and Done. Over and over again.

90. Know the names of hand sewing needles used for different tasks. I don't remember the names.

91. Finish a UFO. Done and Done. There is always a UFO needing attention.

92. Purchase fabric on impulse. Done and Done. Of course.

93. Try sewing with precuts. Done and Done

94. Trade fabrics with quilt friends. Done and Done

95. Identify your ancestors who quilted. Done and Done

96. Visit a quilt shop while on vacation. Done and Done

97. Sew on a treadle for old time's sake. Done and Done

98. Subscribe to a quilting magazine. Done and Done

99. Become a regular reader of a quilting blog. Done and Done

100. Go on a Shop Hop. Done and Done

2019 Update

I thought that it would be interesting to update where I am in my:

February To Do List

(Let's make that My February 2019 To Do List)

• Go through the quilting closet.

I now have over 40 quilt tops in boxes, waiting to be quilted. It's still time to go through them and either quilt them or give them away to someone else. My first step is still to make a list of the quilt tops. 

Put it on my 2019 "Whenever I get into the Trailer and go through the boxes and bring the quilt tops into the house" To Do List.

• Collect fabric and patterns.

When we moved, I had a chance to clean up and organize my quilt fabric and patterns into project bins. Now, it is all out in our trailer in my Mom's backyard. I have a plan to go through the boxes this week and find my "old friends". Don't you feel that way about your quilts? They are my friends. I really love them by the time that I've sewn the last stitch on the binding. (Or, to be honest, sometimes I hate the quilt by the time it is finished. Those are usually eternally just quilt tops.) So, let's get that organized in February 2019!

Put it on my February 2019  "Go out to the Trailer and spend some time looking for "old friends" To Do List.

• Throw out fabric!

I did go through the bins of fabric and throw out fabric when I was packing up the quilting studio to leave Dallas. I gave away some. I threw out some. I kept most of it. I did sort the boxes and organize the fabrics by color and project. I need to know go through them again, now that we are in Longview, and decide if I seriously want to keep it and make a quilt out of it. In full disclosure, I have already given away my box of brights for a childrens charity quilt that my new quilt group is making next month. It could make many quilts. Maybe that is the answer. I need to make another childrens charity quilt to go with the group's quilt!  

Put it on my March 2019 To Do List. Make a bright, colorful charity quilt to give with the quilt group.

My Past Year

It has been an interesting year for me.

We sold our house in Rowlett (gave away most of our furniture) and moved to Longview, Washington to help my mother in June.

I have not had my longarm up since March 2018. I had to stop quilting and break down the longarm to begin the move. Now, almost a year later, it's still not put up at my Mom's house. I hope to have it up in the next month.

I have still been piecing quilt tops. I completed 15 quilt tops in 2018. I have completed one each month so far in 2019. That has made me very happy. I finished the gray and turquoise Winding Ways quilt top in January. And, I finished a 30s and 40s Reproductions jelly roll quilt top in February. It looks like a sweet summer quilt.

I plan to keep piecing this year. It is my peace, my solice, my creative outlet.

My February To Do List

My February To Do List

• Go through the quilting closet.

I have 20-30 quilt tops hanging in my closet. It's time to go through them and either quilt them or give away for someone else to quilt and to love. My first step is to make a list of the quilt tops hanging in the closet. Put it on my February To Do List.

• Collect fabric and patterns.

I have piles of fabric around my quilting studio that represent different quilts that I want to make. I spend thousands of dollars collecting this fabric. I need to put it together with the pattern and get it cut and ready to sew. Let's get that organized in February. Put it on my February To Do List.

• Throw out fabric!

I need to go through the bins of fabric and throw out the ugly, undesireable, poor quality fabric that I still have in the bins. I have fabric stored by color and also my style of fabric. And, there are project bins, too. It's time to look through them and see if I still want to make the quilt and if I still like the fabric. If not, throw it out or give it away. Put it on my February To Do List.

What was I thinking when I bought it???

I have been happily going through my quilting things...and thinking about my quilting stash...And, it's time to let go of a lot of my collection...fabric that I don't want anymore. I am just not enthusiastic about some of it anymore.

What was I thinking when I bought it???

I bought a certain fabric collection at the Houston Quilt Show several years ago...lots of it...several hundred dollars of it!...but, now, I find it boring. I've been thinking that I should make a quilt with it but I don't have enough enthusiasm to even come up with a pattern. It's time to share it with someone else. Who? Hmmm? 

"give it to someone else to do" Part 2

My return and report time...

I spent time with the boxes in my closet! I pulled out all of the knitting projects that I started and didn't finish, the yarn that I bought for dreamed about projects, a half knitted pair of slippers, some started dishclothes and hot pad holders and my half knitted pair of socks (meaning one sock). That was a great start on my closet clean out! And it was just the knitting!

My Mom is here visiting so she is supporting me in my knitting the other sock. I know how to knit, but I don't really know how to knit. You know what I mean? There are terms and details that I just don't understand how to do. I will use her knowledge while she is here to get myself a PAIR of socks finished!

I also finished one dishcloth and started another. I have spent some time working on a hot pad hold. I have about half of it finished. I gave my Mom the beautiful blue-gray yarn that I bought to knit a shawl about 10 years ago. My Mom loves the yarn! And, I am bored of it and will never use it. It is a perfect solution to my UFO dilemma. There is a varigated blues yarn (that I also bought for a shawl) that we are still discussing if Mom will take it or if it would make a good pair of socks. I'm voting for Mom to take it. She's voting that I use it to knit more socks. Hmmm, no...thank you! I have a feeling that one pair of socks may be my limit.

Retreat

RETREAT

Picture from afwife85.blogspot.com

"The noun retreat means a place you can go to be alone, to get away from it all.  A spot under a shady tree might be your favorite retreat from the sun." Vocabulary.com

"The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous or unpleasant." Wiktionary.com

"A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security." Wiktionary.com

"A period of retirement, selusion or solitude." Wiktionary.com

"A period of meditation, prayer or study." Wiktionary.com

I recently went to a BYU Alumni quilting retreat in Galveston, TX. I did feel as though it was a withdrawl from ordinary life. It was a peaceful experience but with friendship and laughter. I learned a lot from the other women, so it was a time for study as well...well, quilt study!

It was my 7th year to attend the retreat in Galveston. I was blessed to be able to go and visit with my quilting friends. We have formed a wonderful bond through the years of quilting together for just 5 days each year. I am grateful for these friends.

"give it to someone else to do"

I was reading through my past posts and found this one from April 2, 2017. It is a quote from Pat Sloan. I'd like to revisit it.

A morning email from Pat Sloan, asked the question,

"What do you do if you get stuck in a rut
 about a project?"

This is Pat Sloan's answer.

"So many times people ask me what to do if they get in a rut about a project.

I've been mulling this over, I even got solutions from my Guest Emily Herrick on my talk show last week.

Last month at Instagram one question was to share your 'oldest UFO' and then I wondered.... WHY is it the oldest?

Ask yourself "Why don't I work on a project?" There is a reason.

It might be
* You felt you didn't have the skills needed, so got stuck
* You only have a little bit to do and for some reason don't work on it, maybe it's bulky and your table needs to be cleared before you have room to work on it.
* You actually have fallen 'out of love' with this project.

Here is Pat's solutions. 

1. Pick ONE item to deal with. NOT all of them... Just ONE. 

2. Pick a project you know you CAN decide on easily 

3. Evaluate your skills, I'll bet you have them now! (or take a great class to learn!) 

4. Fix whatever is keeping you from getting to it. Clear the table, make the binding, find the floss, or give it to someone else to do."

**************

So...What caught my eye, and mind, was the part,

"give it to someone else to do"

But, how can I let my "old friend" project go? I feel so guilty. 

Why don't we want to give our old projects to someone else? Why do we hang on to it and treasure it, but won't give it away. What does it take to get to the point where we can let it go?

Hmmm?.... I have projects that are 10 years old. I need to let them go. I am tired of them. I'm bored of them. They fill up my closet. It's time to let them go. 

It's TIME!

So, where to begin? When I have a little bit of time today, I need to go through the boxes at the top of my sewing closet. I know that there is stuff up there that I will never get back to working on... beading, knitting, painting, wool yarn felting... Let it go!

I want to focus on quilting, so those other things are not going to get any more of my attention. If I haven't paid attention by now, I never will.

Time to get to work!

Where does the time go? Part 2

I could copy my last post and repost it today! How weird is life?!

I went to a Quilt Retreat in Galveston in November and came home sick. VERY sick! One of the ladies came to the retreat, saying that her allergies were bad, but nope, she was sick with the flu. So, I came home sick and am just now starting to feel normal after 3 weeks of sickness!

During those 3 weeks, I was able to sit down and sew a few Winding Ways blocks a few minutes at a time. It was exhausting to sew for very long. But, I'm loving the blocks and the part of the quilt that I have sewed together.

I am making a variety of grays and whites quilt with just one block of turquoise for an accent piece. It has the four points in the neighboring blocks to complete the star effect. I love the look of it!

Where did the summer go!!?

 I had such high hopes to quilt all summer when I went to visit my Mother. BUT, life intervened! I hardly sewed at all. I think that I actually sat down and sewed at my machine 3 days... out of 2 months!

May Quilts

I have high hopes for my May quilts! I have been cutting out  multiple quilts from my stash of 30's and 40's Reproductions fabrics. I brought the box out in January to complete a quilt and it is still sitting out. I decided that I want to make a whole bunch of quilts from that fabric stash this year, so I have began cutting. I have plans for at least 3 quilts from this stash...Feedsacks, Disappearing Pinwheels and Flowerpots... all from free patterns that I found on the internet. That makes me very happy!

April Quilts

I didn't finish any quilts in April. I have been traveling to visit family for most of the month and didn't take any quilt work with me. My focus for the month of April was family- Grandchildren, children and their spouses and my Mother. It was a great month!

But, time to get back to quilt work!

5 Friends Quilt

I love this quilt and the idea to have 5 different people create 1/5 of a quilt! Just take a picture, divide it up and have your friends piece a portion of the quilt. It's fabulous!

View of Arles with Irises was made by The Fab 5: Carole Pirruccello, Cathy Brorby, Phyllis McCalla, Jan Bawart and Jan Soules. It was awarded first place in the Art Representation category at the 2016 Northwest Quilting Expo.

This was in my morning email. I just had to share it with you!

Stuck in a Rut?

(I saved this question because it is a question that I have asked myself many times. I have lots of unfinished projects, so this is a perfect email for me!)

A morning email from Pat Sloan, asked the question,

"What do you do if you get stuck in a rut about a project?"

This is Pat Sloan's answer.

"So many times people ask me what to do if they get in a rut about a project.

I've been mulling this over, I even got solutions from my Guest Emily Herrick on my talk show last week (Listen HERE)

Last month at Instagram one question was to share your 'oldest UFO' and then I wondered.... WHY is it the oldest?

Ask yourself "Why don't I work on a project?" There is a reason.

It might be
* You felt you didn't have the skills needed, so got stuck
* You only have a little bit to do and for some reason don't work on it, maybe it's bulky and your table needs cleared before you have room to work on it.
* You actually have fallen 'out of love' with this project.

Here is my (Pat's) solution. 
1. Pick ONE item to deal with. NOT all of them... Just ONE. 
2. Pick a project you know you CAN decide on easily 
3. Evaluate your skills, I'll bet you have them now! (or take a great class to learn!) 
4. Fix whatever is keeping you from getting to it. Clear the table, make the binding, find the floss, or give it to someone else to do."

I LOVE Pat's ideas! 

It's time to Pick One!

February and March Quilt Tops

The end of March is here. Where did the month go? Where did February go, for that matter?

February was a Quilt Productive month, but not as fantastic as January.
In February, I finished 3 quilt tops.

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree (2017)

Is it weird that the quilt is a night quilt? My memories of bringing home a Christmas tree always are about night time. We went out to get the Christmas tree after Mom and Dad came home from work and in the winter it gets dark early. So, Bringing Home the Christmas Tree is at night, under a full moon!

This is from a wool quilt pattern, that I just changed it up a bit. I made it much bigger. I added a dark starry sky and a full moon. I added a hill and several stumps where the trees were already cut down. It is a cozy quilt from cozy memories. It makes me very happy. 

Black and Green Garlic Knots (2017)

This quilt was done with my Mom's quilt group in Washington during their quilt retreat. I, of course, made my completely different than everyone else. I chose black for my background and a variety of greens. (Everyone else used white background and a mixture of colors.) I also made my quilt much larger than theirs. I just like twin size quilts.

Red and White Nine Patch and Snowball Blocks (2017)

I made the Nine Patch blocks for our BYU Alumni Quilt Retreat two years ago. We did a group exchange and I made a quilt top with these nine patch blocks and some churn dash blocks that I made. I didn't like the quilt top at all!

So, I took it all apart and seperated the nine patch and churn dash blocks and set them aside for a year. Then I was recently looking through Pinterest and saw this quilt design- nine patch and snowball blocks. I like how the reds blend together and the quilt looks rather old fashioned.

And, I made 3 Sewing Bags. 

Sadly, the free pattern is no longer available on the RJR website.

They are so cute!

I am making more sewing bags today. They are addictive!

In March, I finished 2 quilt tops. Only 2!

Headed North (2017)

This pattern was from the Modern Quilt Guild online named Meeting of the Geese..

 I chose gray and white with a dark turquoise for the geese.

To me, the gray looked like a color called Seattle Gray. Seattle gray, rainy skies.

So, I changed the quilt to fit my impressions of Seattle.

The geese all are going the same direction- North to Seattle.

I added extra rows at the top and bottom to make it twin size and added a few more flying geese.
And, for the backing, I chose fabric called Rain, rain, go away!
Fantastic!

Nita's 30's Reproduction Feedsacks (2017)

I started this quilt years ago but decided to finish it and give it to a friend, Nita.

They are all 30's Reproduction fabrics with a muted green background.

I love the calmness of this quilt.

Cozy and Calm.

January is for Quilting!

January was an amazing month for me...Quilt-wise. My Mom has been here visiting with me since Christmas. She is a Quilt Pusher! She asked me to look through my boxes and bags and forgotten spaces and find some quilts that I had abandoned.

Mom is a Finisher. And, I am a Let's-Move-On-To-Another-Exciting-Project kind of quilter. So, I've taken advantage of Mom's support/enthusiasm and have finished 8 Quilts this month!

I have been very enthusiastic about piecing quilts this month...old, sitting in the closet unmade, UFO's, some as old as 11 years old unfinished Quilts. This is my list:

I have finished the Mama Made It Celebration Sampler that I started in 2005.

I have finished the One Block Wonder Quilt made from Kaffe Fassett fabric that I started in 2007.

I have finished the Grandma's Scrappy Stars 30's and 40's Reproduction Quilt that I cut out in 2008 and started sewing the blocks last September. I was reminded of the quilt by my Mom. She had wanted to start sewing her blocks for the quilt and so, I brought my bag of cut blocks to sew along with her. I made 24 blocks and ended up only using 20 blocks.
So, my Mom has 4 more blocks to add to her collection.

I have finished a Black and Brights Squares and Stripes Quilt #1 that I started last summer. I had to rethink it and remake it and I finished it in January. (2017)

I have finished a Black and Brights Squares and Stripes Quilt #2 with the leftovers from #1. I had to make a few more blocks and I had an almost instant second quilt! (2017)

I have finished a Black and Brights Squares and Stripes Baby Quilt. After making a few more blocks I was able to make a 9 block baby quilt. Those darn blocks just kept growing!
I made 2 quilts from the "leftovers"! (2017)

I have finished a White, Cream and Tan Texas Blocks Quilt. I was part of an Exchange Group in 2012 that we were focusing on making white, cream and tan blocks. It was hard for me to keep the fabrics so calm! I found some quilt fabric at Creations Quilt Store in Kerrville, Texas, that was a Texas toile. I used it in some of the blocks and highlighted certain scenes from Texas... The Alamo, the stockyards, oil derrics, cowboys on horses, longhorn cattle. It was perfect for my calm quilt!

I finished a Hot Pink X-Plus Quilt that I started at the first part of January.
It was fun to put the focus on the center with hot pink cute animal faces fabric.
(I realized after the quilt was finished that I made it wrong!
The X's are supposed to be going OUT.
I made them with the X's going IN, forming a circle.
I'm surprised how much it changes the look of the quilt.)

That's 8 quilt tops finished in one month!

So, my Mom is a Quilt Pusher! She encouraged me to work on old projects and get them finished and ready to quilt. I appreciate that! I really do! I'm excited to move on to the next projects! On to the February quilts!

Live Contentedly with Quilts!

Double Wedding Ring

"...Search your past for clues as to how to live contentedly 

in the present."

"Return to the home of your childhood."

Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach, February 22

In my childhood home, I remember there always being antique quilts. They were quilts made by my Great-Grandmother, Flora Belle Riley, or we always called her Grandma Johnson. These are pictures of the types of quilts that she made. They are cozy and sweet. A perfect clue of "how to live contentedly in the present".

Grandmother's Flower Garden

Trip Around the World

Yo Yo