The Butterfly Effect

Happy New Year everyone!! Monday, January 4 officially marks the end of the holiday season and the return to the normal routines of life. Have you made any resolutions this year? I stopped making resolutions years ago because they were usually either guilt based, fear of something-based, or just wishful thinking. So I encourage you to examine where your resolutions come from. If their basis is any of the above - rethink them.

The best, and most successful resolutions are about relationships, friendships, and joy. Here are some suggestions:

Batiks, Etc., Wytheville, VA

• Reconnect with an old friend and stay in touch.
• Invite 3 people you want to get to know to lunch (one at a time, of course).
• Invite a new member of your guild to your home for a private "sit & sew".
• Holler "Road Trip" at your guild meeting! (I do this when I'm planning a trip to Batiks, Etc. in Wytheville, VA.) No telling what fun you will have giggling all the way to the quilt store.

Get the idea?

News from the Studio

Joyce came to pick up her beautiful quilt, today. The DH took the picture for us. Ain't he sweet? She has quite a story about this quilt. Joyce told me that from the beginning it was a challenge, fraught with discouragement and exhaustion with the whole thing. But when quilted with the meandering leaf pattern, it went from a sluggish, all-consuming caterpillar, to a beautiful butterfly of a quilt. It's now full of life, infused with Joyce's love, and will look great on any bed. She is still working on a name for her quilt. One option she came up with: Never Give Up!


Joyce is also an accomplished knitter. When she came to pick up her quilt, she brought me these very nice (and warm!) hand warmers. Great job, Joyce and Thank You!

Frogging

On another topic, every quilter is an expert at frogging. When you have to "rip-it, rip-it, rip-it" - you are frogging. Here I am, engaged in that very activity. When I finished Joyce's quilt, I examined it thoroughly and found a place that had a boo-boo in the quilting. So it had to come out. Re-stitching the area was simple enough and now it's good as new.

Learning for the Week

I didn't learn anything this week. I'm still trying to recover from the Christmas pancakes. (See the Dec. 27, 2015 blog post).


Now, let's get back to the sewing room!