Back in the Saddle

Suffice it to say, I have not pieced or quilted much of anything for months now. I have a lot of projects in mine... projects put together in baggies with books and fabric... quilts designed... stuffed animals I love... I have the inspiration, but I have severely been lacking the motivation.

I don't know when or how it happened. In February I went to our guild retreat, and I had a grand time there working on things. However, I worked on a few things I didn't WANT to work on, and that kind of took the fun out of it for part of the weekend. And, when I came home again, life picked back up and my tub of retreat items is STILL unpacked. (Yes, I realize it is July now.)

So... I was excited but concerned when my pastor's wife asked me in May if I would be willing to put together a quilt for her. I loved the idea of it, and knew I WANTED to do it... but I have had a serious problem really finding my "groove" at home since I have become a mother. Something else is always more important (seemingly), and my craftiness goes by the wayside. However, I told her I wanted to do it, and she said she would go buy "it". I thought "it" was the pattern w/ a piece of fabric, and then I would be "in charge" of going and picking out fabrics for her, running them by her, etc. But no... "it" was... the pattern, the focus fabric, coordinating fabrics, batting, AND backing... the whole kit and kaboodle! Wow!

This wonderful bag of goodies sat on the guest bed and then on my quilting table for about a month and a week. June was busy for us... a funeral, vacation, and all sorts of other activities, and quite frankly, I was very fearful of even finding the time to get started on this quilt, and I told her it might be a while.

But, lo and behold, my mother-in-law happened into my life this week by way of an email asking if she could visit Julia, and suddenly I was left with TONS of free time. I mean, TONS. I wasn't looking for it. I certainly didn't ask for it. And, had it been any other week or weekend or anything at all... if I hadn't figured a way to clear our schedule so that Julia could be home from daycare, I'm not sure that it all would have worked this way... but, imagine my surprise when Thursday afternoon rolled around, Julia and Buscha (grandma) were out of the house, my house projects for the day were done... and I didn't know what else to do!

So, I spent about an hour and a half cleaning up my quilting area, and then I pulled out The Pastor's Wife's Quilt. And, an hour and a half later, I had all of the pieces cut out (it is a wall hanging). And... later that night, I started piecing.

And then, something delicious happened last night. After Julia went to bed, I sat down and told myself that I could finish the entire top before I went to bed.

Sure enough, I went to bed with a big smile on my face and a renewed joy for my favorite hobby... a hobby that quite frankly, I had actually considered giving up and clearing out of my life simply so that staring at it day after day didn't lead to depression.

Wouldn't you know, by way of a visitor and time to do whatever I wanted, I found myself drawn back to doing one of my favorite things. And here's the kicker... really, I didn't spend THAT much time working on it while Julia was awake. Truthfully, it would have been very easy to cut out the quilt during her nap on Thursday. And, all of the rest of the piecing I did while she was asleep. So who said I didn't have time for my hobby? Who said I couldn't make room for it?

My spirit is renewed and I am feeling excited about my hobby again. Other projects are calling my name and I am ready to respond! I have this quilt top to quilt now, but I have a plan for it. And, I have a few other projects that I am feeling really motivated to work on... so I am excited to dig into those! YAY!

In other words... I'm back in the saddle again. :)

Here's a few pictures of the top:







erin