a time to linger...

It's gonna be a short fire break this morning, I would love to linger in it's warmth, but I also want to get all of the things I am working on finished and sadly I cannot do that while sitting here in front of the fire. It's a shame, because my sweet Hubs has it perfect today.  

I can definitely get lost in it the warmth and beauty of it. 

I finished piecing the quilt for my great nephew yesterday and started loading it on the longarm.  I want to finish that today, we have a due date for him now, December 2, but my niece isn't known for waiting until due dates and I want to be sure it is ready for his arrival. I chose a pattern called Missouri Puzzle Star Quilt, it's a classic two color, although I am going to self-bind it with the sweet sheep fabric on the back. 

I'd never seen or tackled this block before, and while I love it and will definitely be making it differently if I make it again, it will need the directions reworked.  The pattern is older and does not use any of the newer techniques that make quilting easier and more efficient. I have several ideas in my mind for how I want to use it to make larger quilts once I have improved the flow.

Yesterday morning, I woke up to a post on the book from the friend that I made the quilt for.  I have to admit I was a bit embarrassed by the words of praise (yeah, I might need to work on my self-confidence).  While I was extremely pleased with how nice the quilt turned out, I definitely did not expect that.  I was also over the moon at the possibility of making a few more quilts for some of her friends.  We will see how that comes together.  There is such a difference between the kind of quilts I make and the ones you see advertised for $100 complete.  Mine cost more, but will last a lifetime, they are actually quilted and I do all the work.  I know the differences because I did a great deal of research.  Sorry, if I have to do the work, cut the blocks and send them to you, you sew them together in a grid and then tie them (this does not make a very secure quilt)... well, why do I need you?  We'll see where this path leads.   

Hubs was also a busy guy yesterday, he and the owner of the local cigar shop have been talking for a couple of months about what could be done with the plethora of boxes that they have after all the cigars are sold.  I personally use them to store things.  Lots of things, fabric, threads, patterns, needles... you get the picture. They were thinking of something more useful.  I thought my use of them was pretty useful, but I have to agree Hubs' idea is super fun and awesome!  

He is turning them into clocks. Now, I am not a cigar smoker, so to me having a clock from a cigar box is not something I would have ever considered.  Although, I will admit to having fallen in love with several clocks made from old sewing machines and spinning wheels, so I can see the value if that is something that you really enjoy.  I also think they would look awesome in a man-cave.  Not so sure about my living room, but I will admit that I really liked one of the ones he created yesterday. 

They are going to be for sale at the local cigar shop, so we will see how they do.  I am building my website and will also offer them on there.  You know how we feel about supporting local, so to be part of that movement is pretty incredible for us.  

As I was planning out my week this morning, I am fairly positive that Thursday or Friday will be soap making days.  I need to get most of them done this week and I have stuff going on and the dehydrator running almost non-stop until then.  I might also throw in some candle making.  As one can never have too many incredible smelling candles in their home.  I bought some traditional fall and winter scents that I have been dying to play with.  I love that I have time to get lost in all of my projects, although Hubs isn't too happy when I forget to cook while I am lost. I really am working on that, I promise!

I'm going to check my Christmas list this week too, I am getting down to the final items on it for family and friends.  I want to be able to start work on Hubs big gift as soon as the yarn arrives, late this week or early next.  It is a fairly large project, and no I am not giving it away - he already knows because he tricked me. That being said, I need to put all of the finishing touches on the gifts that are completed and start to get them wrapped.  I am feeling a touch discombobulated where my list and pile are concerned.  I had a solid plan, everything was in bags with names etc... next thing I knew, every time I saw yarn that appealed to me, I started knitting or crocheting and one thing led to another.  Now I have stacks of finished projects that I am not all together sure who they are going to connect to.  One thing I do not thrive in is chaos, which means some serious time needs to be spent sorting it out. 

ignore the tag... that was to demonstrate
a challenge I was having.

this was a gift to a one year old

chaos central

In case you can't tell, life is returning to a semi-normal state for me.  With projects, plans and a busy "work" schedule.  And frankly I am in heaven.  Yesterday as I was puttering around my longarm, I had to pause and tighten screws, make sure everything is working well, etc, I was in such a state of calm.  I had so much fun, with something that a year ago would have had me melting into tears of frustration.  Yesterday it was the act of organizing and maintaining the tools for my crafts, a year ago it would have been another road block stopping me from moving forward.  

As I was puttering around, and enjoying the process, I also realized that I might not replace my longarm.  I know a few short months ago, I was on a mission to change it out with a newer one.  We have gotten much closer the more I have time to use it and I am not altogether sure another machine is going to give me anything I don't already have.  I mean sure a few more bells and whistles, a longer throat that will make a few things easier, and maybe a sturdier frame that won't require the adjustments that this one does.  But... is it worth the expense?  I have toyed with getting one on a table as opposed to a frame, but I will tell you that Regent sounded like a freight train and I definitely wasn't getting into a zen state with that.  I am still going to look into some of the table based machines, it's still a possibility, but as of this moment in time I am thankful that I waited. 

Doesn't it figure that the day I decide I am not going to let Hubs build me a huge fire that lasts for hours that the few little logs he put in there are evidently a very hard wood and they are maintaining a beautiful fire.  The kind that I will lose myself in, because I refuse to not enjoy every last minute of it.  For far too many years I had to close it up and let it burn itself up so that I could head off to work, long before it was embers.  Now I make sure I have work and a cozy chair that allows me to linger. 

As you start your busy week, I hope that you are taking time to linger on the things and people that are truly important to you.  And remember you are one of those important people yourself.

The sky is starting to turn a brilliant orange along the treeline, the fire is starting to fade, I will work on one of my hand projects and sip my coffee for the last few minutes.  It's almost time for me to start my day also. 

love and peace...