A Little Bit at a Time

So ... if sewing soothes the soul, why don't I do it every day? Well, the answer is simple - time. One has to think ahead and plan a little so that when one has the chance one can just get going. I'm working on this, so that I can make good use of the snippets of time that appear in my life.

Having goals also helps to make wise use of time. I have a dear friend coming to visit me in approximately 3 months. She will be staying in our "guest bedroom/husband's hobby room." The bed we have for this room is a futon (we hear it's hard as a rock, so we bought an egg-crate topper, but I digress). I would like for my dear friend to be the first to sleep under an Americana quilt that I hope to have complete at that time.

I bought the parts for this quilt in a kit series from Jo-Ann about 10 years ago. I thought it was so cute back then. Over time I grew to be less enamored with the quilt top. But as it's completion comes closer I am once again finding it attractive.

The goal for this week was to contact the quilter and find out when she could pick it up. You see, this quilt is rather large and I'm a little out of practice when it comes to the art of machine quilting, so I opted to have someone else tackle this job. I was a little surprised when she told me she was available the next day, which is today. So last night, my next goal of seaming the backing fabric, was set for me.

Here's a little peek of what the backing looks like.



When I get the quilt back and have finished binding it (in less than 3 months, hopefully) I'll post a pic. I'm excited for this quilt to be completed and this goal to be met. But it didn't happen quickly. It took a little bit at a time.

Sewing Soothes the Soul

The days when I get to sew are the best days of all. There's just something about sewing that soothes the soul. Not just any kind of sewing will do. It's the creative/productive kind of sewing that we quilters enjoy.

I'm currently in a new experience called a Block-of-the-Month. The quilt I am assembling is The Romance Continues, by Marti Michell. This quilt calls for templates - little plexiglass shapes that create perfectly cut fabric pieces that fit together perfectly and create the perfect quilt block.

Well, being the cheapo that I am, I decided that I didn't want to purchase the templates and would try to create the blocks using some other, more standard, rulers. But before I actually make the block I'm supposed to be making with the fabric that comes as part of the block of the month program, I am cutting all the pieces out of some scrap fabric I have, to make sure that things will go together as planned. This is what I call fun. After I make the "trial block," I then go on to make the official block.

Today I cut out my trial block and laid it out to make sure I understand how the pieces to together. This is all I have time for today. This counts as sewing. This soothes the soul. Another day I will stitch them together. What fun!

A Positive Attitude Can Make A Big Difference

Fred and Johnny are two guys who made a difference. They both had what others would consider to be menial jobs. One was a postman and the other was a grocery story bagger. But both were genuine in their care for others. And that is what makes them special. Read more about Fred here and watch this video to see Johnny's story.

What you choose to focus on is so important that it can spill over to how you treat others. If you want your interactiions with those around you to be positive then take time to make sure you are getting that positivity into your psyche. Read books about thankfulness, success and overcoming challenges. Listen to motivational audio files. Go to church. Study people in your own life who are upbeat and hopeful. Take cues from others who have mastered the art of encouragment ... like Fred and Johnny.

Say something nice to someone today.

Renewed Focus

If I have so much to be thankful for, then why have I only written one blog in the last year or so? I think that I sometimes have difficulty acknowledging publicly my belief in God's provision for my needs. And yet, I wholeheartedly believe that all I have is from God.

It is much easier to complain about all I don't have than to take the efffort required to focus on the many blessings I do have. It just seems to be human nature (at least for this human) to gripe. And yet, I know that it is better, for many reasons, to focus on the positive.

Today I am thankful for Allrecipes.com where I found the tastiest Barbeque Chicken Salad recipe to have for dinner last night. We didn't have all the ingredients on hand, but I was able to zip into our local Target and quickly grab them. Zipping into Target was an option because, in a surpising twist, I got off work early yesterday. After dinner there was time to watch some TV with my daughter (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) while working on my hexagon quilt. Another flower is complete - Yay!



Hopefully this will be the beginning of a renewed focus on thankfulness. Stay tuned.

Life in Texas

We've settled in ... sort of. The house is under control. Furniture is purchased, decorating is in process and we're feeling pretty comfortable in our new space.

With the kids starting college next week schedules will be solidifying. Hopefully, jobs will be on the horizon for them as well. I have a part-time job now and will be working regularly scheduled times for the unforeseeable future. My husband is still job-hunting so there will be more adjusting when he begins working. It's a good thing this process is gradual. I'm not sure we would have survived the transition intact if everything had slammed together at once.

We are facing the tough reality that the cost of living isn't quite as inexpensive as we first thought. This is a bit of a hurdle and will prove challenging for us since only one of us is employed right now. We'll be living off our savings. So for the time being we will be pinching the pennies pretty tightly. Now, I'm no stranger to coupons and frugal living, but it has been a while since we've needed to live this lean. I'll need to draw on the resources that I have gathered to creatively stretch our budget.

I have to keep reminding myself that God is the blessed controller of all things and our circumstances aren't a surprise to him. While reminding myself of this I need to focus also on utilizing the skills and talents he's given me to make the best of my resources. I know this part of life's journey will probably not be easy, but who said life was easy. I'm going to make the choice to remain thankful in my circumstances and rely on the promises of God to see me through.

I hope to share what I learn - whether practical or philosophical - in this blog. Join me on the journey.

Change

A move is on our horizon. We are going to leave California and go to Texas. But first there are some doors to close. In the next month our daughter turns 18 and graduates from high-school. My job will come to an end. My son will complete his first year of college. Escrow will close. My husband will be house-hunting (without me). There will be a good-bye event and life will generally turn into complete and utter chaos. And yet in the midst of all this I am not finding it particularly difficult to be thankful. In fact it's just the opposite. I've embraced this new journey and am looking forward (with a teeny-tiny bit of fear/curiosity) to what the future holds. It's going to be an adventure. I'll keep you posted.

HGTV Puts Home In Perspective

With a move on the horizon, I find that I'm glued to the little TV in my kitchen, watching the HGTV channel pretty much all the time. Property Virgins - even though I'm not one. Holmes on Homes - what a great guy! House Hunters - Which house will they choose?

These shows are intriguing because the viewer gets to go into peoples' homes and see how "creative" they are. I've seen some pretty interesting color combinations along with window coverings, flooring options and house layouts. Some houses are luxurious and have all the latest amenities such as fancy stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and lovely cherry cabinets. Some are tiny and simple with loft refrigerators and mini cooktops.Exteriors range from crafstman to fugly and everything in between. It's pretty amazing how ingenious home design can be.

I come away from these shows with a sense of thankfulness. I'm thankful that I can decorate my home to my liking and make it mine. I can choose the paint coverings, which type of curtains and what theme (Americana is a recent favorite) to go with.

Sure I'm leaving my home behind soon, but I'll adopt a new home. I'll paint, decorate, get new furniture and plant some plants. With a little time, sweat and inspiration from books and magazines I'll leave my fingerprint on the home or homes in my future.

A house does not make a home. It's the people who live there, learning to appreciate what they've got, that make a house home. Whether here or there...I'm thankful that I have a place to call home.