Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Working Away

I've made a vow to look at my work week this way:

  • Sunday (Sabbath) and Monday: off;
  • Tuesday - Wednesday: in the Sewdio;
  • Thursday: at The Crafty Lady in Lacombe: and
  • Friday-Saturday: in the Sewdio.
Still and all, some days it feels as though I'm wading through molasses!

On my "at home" days (T-W, F-S) I also build in a 30-120 minute jog...just to keep the body trim enough to keep goin'!  And then there's preparing/doing blog posts...and homework for my online classes...

Classes?!  Yes..indeed-y!  This "semester" I've signed up for three:
  1. Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society - with Prof. Karl T. Ulrich at U. Pennsylvania, via Coursera -- which is tuition free -- and which is guaranteed to stretch and expand the brain of the "Artiste"!
  2. Honouring Saints and Ancestors: An Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance; and
  3. Birthing the Holy: A Celtic Spirituality Online Retreat for Advent.
My current routine is thus: 
Julie
  • Up for Morning Pages and prayer/devotions by 6 a.m.;
  • Online again after breakfast by 9 a.m. Julie Nasrallah and "Tempo" in the background;  
  • Break for lunch and a walk to the Post Office;



  • Into the Sewdio in the p.m., generally listenint to my fave,
    Tom
    Tom Allen;







  • Break sometime between 4 and 5 p.m. to go for a jog.
  • Eat dinner.
  • Catch up with correspondence and post online as needed in the early evening (like, now!)...
Tim
Then to bed with a hot drink (coffee) and a book and some jazz (CBC's Tonic, with Tim Tamashiro) by 9 p.m.
What's not to love?  

I agree; it's the Perfect Life...but that doesn't mean I get away without giving myself a Good Swift Kick every once in a while!

Like I said above...sometimes I feel like I'm wading through molasses!  I know what I need to do.  I know what I want to do.  BUT...

Therein lies the rub -- and St. Paul:

For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do... (Romans 7:15, NIV)

The last couple of days I've been prodding myself to do what I NEED to do...and I've managed to make headway!  

I'm working on The Door Quilt.  All of the panels have been pieced and quilted.  The top two (one red, one blue) are together.  The bottom two (both green) are together.  Each section has been quilted (Praise the Lord and thanks for Ann Petersen!)  Once again I have turned to my Craftsy class, "Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine".  I followed a combination of "Split Batting" and "Splitting the Top" and came out a winner!

The process involved seaming the two back sections together, and trimming the batting so that the two would meet up:


Butt the batting together and stitch with a wide herringbone


Overlap the backing; fold in 1/4"; press; pin; blind hem.

Now that all of the background (top and bottom sections) is assembled...the central motif must be drawn out and applied.  Trapunto is involved, as is separate quilting...and then applique.

Some may think that "Advent" was my most ambitious piece, involving (as it did) Jude's wonderful boro weaving/stitching technique.  But no...This one has required even more thought/care/time...So...please be patient and please...

Stay tuned!


"Advent" - (C) GMB
P.S. I am linking up to WIP Wednesday on The Needle and Thread Network...even if this work extends beyond Wednesday...

4 comments:

elle said...

Like you, I have a good life and also like you I often have to bend myself over and administer a swift kick. lol That usually ends up with me in a heap bit but it does jiggle the creative juices a bit. Have a GREAT day!

Linda A. Miller said...

Seems like a very disciplined schedule... good for you, Margaret!

Linda said...

You always have such wonderful projects going on. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Judy Martin said...

It takes self discipline and self confidence to work at home as an artist. My hat is off to you.

And I look forward to seeing what goes on with the door quilt - shall return.

And, p.s. - Advent is beautiful. Glad to see it again.
xxx