Sunday, March 23, 2014

Keeping It Real

In the interest of honesty in blogging, I decided that today I'd share some of my craft room photos with you.
I have been feeling very unproductive lately - though that's not really true, as I've nearly finished quilting another quilt and I have started a sweet little English paper piecing project after many years of thinking about doing some EPP.

But in the last few days I've been really tired and somewhat overwhelmed, and I suspect it has a little something to do with this hot mess....



Seiously, is it any wonder I couldn't get my head around any thing? There is everything under the sun in here, from a school bag to about leftovers from the last three projects... and all beautifully organised on the floor. Aaargh!

So even though there is plenty I need to be doing, I decided to spend this evening tidying up. And now it looks like this...


Thank God, Is all I can say. I feel better already, and I am about to write a little to do list for the week (which will include getting my act together on the blogging front).



The desk is still a little insane, but that is a task for another day.

Please reassure me that I'm not the only one who feels like a bomb has sometimes gone off in their creative space! Can you work when it reaches a certain level of crazy, or does your productivity slide too?

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Friday Finish

I'm struggling big time with the whole "February is Over" concept... seriously, where did it go? My February's are always manic, between back to school, back to work and all my kids having birthdays this time of year. I am quite glad to be seeing the back end of this month, to be honest.

I have one measly finish for the month, which I finished a few weeks ago, then never got as far as taking photos of (did I mention February is also a rainy month here?). This is a long standing UFO that I never really felt the love on. I am not really a shabby chic person AT ALL but I got what I suspect is part of a layer cake in a scrap pack and decided to put them together into a lap quilt. I paired them with cream for a very simple block. I quilted in a simple stipple that took only about an hour from start to finish.... gotta love that!


I do really like the finished product, it's turned into a sweet little lap quilt.


Because I am trying very hard to not buy fabric I decided to back it in the cream homespun as well. And I had *just* enough of this dusty pink solid to make the binding so that was meant to be.


This little quilt will be gifted a bit later in the year. Considering I started it with no intentions, I am pleased to have found a good home for it.

I have been working hard at my low volume rainbow quilt for ALYOF, but I'm just not going to get there in February, sadly. I have almost all the quilting done but I have had a headache and been very under the weather this week so I didn't quite get it finished. But I am pleased with the progress I've made and hope to get it wrapped up very soon. I am loving how ALYOF is keeping me focused on finishing particular projects, it really is what I need!


Excitedly, I am starting to feel a bit more like a finisher. As I am getting through the piecing side of things I am making a concerted effort to baste and quilt straight away. In the past I've very often put finished tops aside for a while, and we all know how that turns out... (a bit like the nap I took yesterday afternoon after work lasted until 7pm).

Linking up with TGIFF over at Mila and Cuatro, Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation.

Hope you all have a productive, fabric filled weekend.