Squirrel!

I am like a poorly trained dog and not just ANY poorly trained dog... I am a poorly trained beagle. Beagles are hunting dogs and when PROPERLY trained are great to use when hunting rabbits or hares.  They are high-energy friendly little guys with a bit of a stubborn streak.  That's me.  High-Energy and friendly with a bit of a stubborn streak.  The problem with being a poorly trained beagle is that all that energy gets us into trouble if it's not properly harnessed and expelled. A poorly trained beagle will sniff out and find a rabbit... not a problem- unless he sees a squirrel. Then he's off chasing squirrels and there's no stopping him.

I have the same problem only instead of rabbits and squirrels its UFOs and new projects.  I was talking to Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame about this and she gave me some wonderful insight.  I was lamenting about how I quilt pretty much everyday and because I quilt almost everyday I should have piles of quilts every where.  But, the truth is, I have very little to show for all the time I spend in my quilt loft.  My question to her was, "How do you get so many quilts done with everything else you do?"  When told me how she managed I was flabbergasted because its not a fancy trick or hired help that gets the quilting done.  So, how does she do it you ask?  Well, it turns out that Bonnie doesn't have a wall of UFOs waiting for attention because she never has more than a few quilts going at a time.

Bonnie has one quilt that is her "Busy Bag" quilt.  It's the one she is sewing by hand (currently an English Paper Piecing quilt) while she travels. It gets worked on when a sewing machine is not at hand like at the gate of an airport or on a plane.  Number two is cut up and kitted into ziplock bags that tuck nicely into her suitcase.  This quilt gets pieced together in her hotel room using a borrowed sewing machines.  She probably has a Leader/Ender quilt going because Bonnie doesn't waste anything; not thread, fabric or time!  And then, she might have one on the longarm and one or two that are awaiting binding which get tackled when she's at home, and that's it.  So, when Bonnie sews, quilts don't just get started, they get done.

I, on the other hand, have so many quilts started that it is almost overwhelming.  Today, I have Celtic Solstice up on the design wall.  I have been working on Celtic Solstice between other projects for two years now but I'm busily cutting up fabric for FOUR other quilts.  Now, to be fair I am taking classes at a retreat in the next week or so, so I have to have the fabrics for the classes ready, but still, I don't NEED to start four more projects (squirrels) when I have so many already started (rabbits).  So, now that I recognize the problem, I am turning over a new leaf.  I will tackle my UFOs, one at a time, do my best to not get distracted.  And when I am driving across the three or four states I need to cross to get to my quilt retreat, I will not buy any new projects...well except the Row by Rows....SQUIRREL!

Piece and Joy!

Irene