accomplished...

I'm being lazy today.  Perhaps it is the fact that it is a beautiful temperate morning, perhaps it's the fact that I was up half the night.  Around 3, I almost gave up and got up and started working. I am seriously having issues with having a regular schedule since I no longer have one. 

I have chores I need to accomplish today, but my heart is seriously wanting to finish up the little pink/yellow quilt that my youngest grand has claimed.  I finally applied the knowledge I learned in the class I took - yep, chalk one up to the slow learner category - took my entire longarm apart yesterday and installed and checked everything on my stitch regulator.  What a difference that made. Proper thread, proper tools... finished quilting in less than an hour.  Ridiculous, right? I spent about 3.5 hours tearing out the bad quilting, and only one hour after putting my new knowledge to use.

Hubs and I ran out last night to get the binding, as the one I originally picked up simply looked silly.  That will be my first project today.  I will get the machine portion done and then clip the binding for handwork.  Then it goes in the pile for handwork, some of that is reserved for traveling - and goodness knows we are planning to be traveling a bit this month. Some of it is held over for quiet evening time with Hubs.  And some will be there while I am recuperating and not feeling up to standing at the long arm or sitting at my desk. 

My sister-in-law (Sis) surprised me with a "care package" yesterday.  It was full of little treasures.  A Dresden plate spool pin doily kit, totally the next project today.  Sophia is going to look stunning in it! A sweet little flower pot, that I need to get started today.  And an apron to make, full of joy just like my treetop garden.  Who knows, all of that may happen today.  It feels like a day spread before me like a buffet, where to start, what looks the yummiest, dessert before dinner?  How do I decide what is dinner?

This could all be the reason that I am struggling to sleep at night. Everything used to be stashed for later.  For that moment in time that I finally had time.  Now that I have the time, I am struggling hard to decide what to do first, I want to do it all, some of it has waited for so many years and other projects keep popping into the cue. 

Last night Hubs and I pulled one of my rescued tops out of the pile.  I had bought everything to complete it back in March, but it has slowly slid down the priority list.  My struggles with my current long arm were wearing me out and I didn't want to tackle it. Now that I have figured out what I was doing wrong I am anxious to start it.  It will get it loaded up this weekend, as I need Hubs' help.  This one is a total beast!  It's a king size, although it will ultimately live on the queen size bed.  Colors of the king room would clash, and I am not changing that room - I love it!

I will probably not get a ton of work done on it this weekend.  I am holding most of the weekend sacred for Hubs.  He is working on a special project and I want to be there to support and refresh his skills.  He hasn't done any quilting in roughly seven years and never true piecework (although he rocks at t-shirt and picture quilts).

And of course the newest featherweights start arriving today.  Sis' baby is first!  And we are so excited to work on it for her and make sure she's purring like a kitten.  I don't believe that Lucille will take much work, but we definitely want to give her a deep cleaning - inside and out - and make sure she has all her bits in perfect working order and that she is shining like a new penny.  Sis is going to be so happy.  I will video call her today so that she can watch her being unboxed.  I hate that she lives so far away, if she were closer she could definitely enjoy the moment first hand.

The 1950 centennial is supposed to arrive tomorrow and then the 1952 - oops did I really do that and not get outbid? - arrives middle of next week.  It will be a week of working on featherweights.  No, I am not completely addicted.  And no, I haven't decided what we are doing with the centennial.  We've toyed with cleaning her up and putting her up for sale - not sure I want to do that. But the grown up in my head is screaming what sane person needs 3 featherweights.  Then I have to argue back because whoever said I was sane?

Dorothy is ready for action!

I am going to reach out to my younger sister and see if she would like to borrow either a 66 or a 99 for a bit to try them out.  If she does, I might loan her Dorothy.  She is having a few struggles with her newer machine and I think if she tries one of my vintage babies she will fall in love.  New machines don't have the "teeth" the vintage ones have. Sure they have lots of bells and whistles, but when quilting, bells and whistles are totally not required. 

The doorbell just rang.

Lucille has arrived!  Squeal!  Time to let Sis know!!!!! Now I have to sit and wait for Hubs to be home for the day... this is painful!  Although if she wants I will definitely open the box without him.  I will be nice and wait for him to arrive to start her cleaning.

So many fun and interesting things happen in my new office, it's a tad messy at times, but creating is messy.  No matter what you are creating, heck even creating a new you has many messy parts, but the end result... fabulous!

I read a statement today that really resonated with me, "Please don't lose the best years of your life being loyal to a toxic ______" it said person, but I feel any word or phrase could fit there.  Toxic is toxic.  Find the beauty and joy in all you do!