Good gracious. This morning I sat down with my planner
to go over the next week or so and there they were:
my notes from 2023 for this year's holiday season.
I've been annoyed with the stores and commercials bringing
out Christmas already but it turns out I did it to myself. Ha!
At least I put it on November 1st!
So yup, this whole fall season is passing me right by and I have
completely failed--no, wait, that's Failed with a capital F--at my
fall quilt collection. But you know what? (Don't groan but here
comes a life-golf analogy. If you're a golfer, you totally get how
the entire game is filled with analogies for life, and vice versa.)
Anyhoo, back to "you know what?" I'm going to take this poor
planning thing and just fix it next time. This is how my best
rounds of golf happen and it's how my most peaceful living
happens, too: acknowledge the mistake and fix it next time.
No dwelling on it.
The travel has really thrown kinks in my quilting this fall;
there was nothing to be done about that at the time but
I definitely could have--and should have--started my fall
quilt sewing much, much earlier so that's my lesson I'm
taking as I move forward. Frankly, it'll be the blink of an
eye before New Years shows up in my planner so I might as
well take a mental note of that right now for 2025's goals.
We recently made a short trip down to TX to visit our son who
recently moved down there (a work move). We met up in Waco for
a tour of the Balcones Distillery--his fave--and took a quick spin
through Magnolia just to check that one off a list I guess.
I'm not real into it as I used to be but I was
really inspired by the table settings in the Home store.
I spy something quilted!
We spent the rest of the weekend in College Station where
he lives, enjoying lots of BBQ and getting to know the area.
Aside from the 2+ hours that the bumper to bumper traffic
added in, it really was a nice road trip. My preference is still
that my son moves closer <wink> but what's a parent to do?
He does like Texas so I'm happy for him. I love their bbq but
it's too hot down there for me.
Heck, Kansas is too hot for me! Where is fall?* I really need
the rain and cold to push me back into the sewing room
where my projects need me. Let's go check on them,
the poor neglected things that they are...
(*Update: we did get some clouds and sprinkles this evening;
add in that the trees are turning and it does look a bit more
like fall...but the temps are still way, way too warm!)
Week 37 Priority
Scrappy Garlic Knot
I have been chipping away at this one here and there.
I've also removed some blocks that I wasn't happy with so
most of my steps have been forward but there have been
a few steps back, if ya know what I mean.
Next week's goal is to get these blocks into a top.
FINISHED is what the goal really needs to be, but I'm not
up for my usual lofty unrealistic expectations right now.
I will get done what I get done...but I do need to commit to
working harder at making more time at the sewing machine.
Still on the back burner:
2) Petite Antique Lace
3) Tarrytown: A Halloween house quilt
Sure, Halloween is just days away but as I have mentioned
before, the quilt studio isn't the best place for a calendar,
if you know what I mean. Years happen in cycles so
you can always stay ahead of things, right???
Before I wrap this up, I have one last event to share...
Yet one more day of travel: The '24 Shop Hop.
Love the quilting on this one.
A fun little free pattern that was handed out to the hoppers.
Sure wish I could just take one day to make this one up.
(Why don't I have days like this anymore?!?)
This was the smallest hop yet (sadly) but I was still successful
at finding the fabrics I was after--mostly my fave fall bolds.
(Coloring a little off in pic, especially the greens.)
I made a quilt from this FQ set last year but I still have some scraps
so I decided to pick up this yardage since it was a mere $4/yard.
(Don't see that anymore, do you!?!)
In all, I picked up about 25 yards on the hop; other than a few of
the fat quarters, it was all off the clearance rack so go me.
I was pretty disappointed that I did not come away with one
super-inspiring pattern or book--something that I treat myself
to every year. Well there is certainly plenty back in my studio
to be inspired by and to work on so I should just focus on that.
Speaking of, as if the Shop Hop purchases weren't enough,
I had a few other things arrive in the mail to boost my fall stash.
How could I possibly resist a Woolies FQ set on sale??
Now if you're thinking that's a lot of fabric purchasing and
very little fabric using, you are so correct. My fabric tracking
numbers are awful. Terrible. Another big, fat FAIL!
It is time to get to Work! With a capital W!
Happy quilting!
Linking up to:
Monday Musings by Songbird Designs
Tuesday To Do by Quilt Schmilt
Sew & Tell by Melva Loves Scraps
Comments
I have never visited Magnolia. My daughter and I used to want to visit it back in 2013, then all the hype of the Gaines family got old real quick! When Hubs and I visited Waco in 2014, we went to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame instead - lol!
Your hop looks like fun, lots of good buys!