New Thoughts

Cactus flowers -- just for fun!

Recently Sweetie and I were discussing our "retirement" during lunch. (Sweetie retired 7-1/2 months ago.) He said that his retirement wasn't happening exactly the way he had envisioned it. I asked what was missing. "Well," he said, "I thought I'd be playing golf sometimes and I haven't played at all. I also thought I might be exercising more, and I'm not doing that, either."

"True," I said, "what do you think is standing in your way?"

"Just myself, I guess," he said, "I'm just not doing it."

"Well, we have been out of town for several weeks and that has slowed us down somewhat." He agreed.

"I thought I'd be able to sew more," I added to the conversation, "...and I'm not doing it. And, worse of all, I have no one but myself to blame -- I'm just not doing it."

After this little conversation, I have decided to JUST DO IT! So, I disappear into the sewing room from time to time and I've starting cutting pieces for a new quilt. This one has been in the back of my mind for a while and I am happy to finally work on it. I'm using scraps left over from the quilt I made for my Mom about 3 years ago so it is not requiring a immediate outlay of money, always a nice thing.

I'm using a pattern called "Just Can't Cut It" which alternates large pieces with four patch blocks. The large pieces are from a fabric with a large floral design that really doesn't lend itself to being cut into small pieces. The four patch blocks are from the scraps that I used in Mom's quilt which can be viewed in my side-bar. Right now I'm cutting the 3.5 in blocks for the four-patch blocks. I'll cut the large (6.5 in) blocks last.

Do you ever have more than one project going at the same time? I have one quilt in the sandwiched and quilting stage and also the applique quilt I recently posted about, both from the quilting group. I also have three quilt tops in the partially cut stage and one top that has been pieced but the applique hasn't been started on it.

My good friend purchased a GO at the quilt show and I'm sure hoping that she has a block the size I need for the large quilt I'm making for my own personal use. It would be nice to just crank those many, many pieces out.

So, that's what is going on at my house -- what is happening at yours?