New Years Musings...

“Without ambition one starts nothing. 

Without work one finishes nothing. 

The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it."

- Emerson

My first project focus of the year...
"Appomattox Courthouse" by Bonnie Blue Quilts
kitted by the Quilt Merchant.
This is going to be for my mommers.

Interesting, looking up quotes on starting the new year I found so many worthy words, and just as many stating the opposite point of view equally well. Does it take more strength to start anew? Or embrace an ending? To me, beginning is easy. Keeping it all going or finishing something is hard. At times I've embraced my preference for process and happily worked on creative projects with no intent to finish. Or at least no firm plan. However, as years pass this trait nags at me and I feel a growing dissatisfaction that operating this way leaves very little to show for all those long hours of creative toil. You can't haul out a box of quilt blocks and enjoy them the way you could a finished quilt hanging on the back of your comfy couch. Well, I could probably - but... you know.
I've been using project-based forms from David Seah on and off for several years now. [ http://davidseah.com/productivity-tools/ ]

Definitely a kindred spirit, he's a graphic designer, too - albeit a very successful one - but this cat gets bogged down in process even more than ME! amazing. But since he understands me and my kind, he brilliantly designs systems to bridge the gap - and they are oh, so awesome. I have designed many things like this over the years, too but not quite this beautiful or industrially-tested... There are oodles of systems and forms available for (free) download... one purtier than the next. But the ones I use the most are a daily diary/schedule kind of page [ http://davidseah.com/blog/node/the-emergent-task-planner/ ] and a project planning form - with room for filling in a calendar, marking important dates and deadlines, task notes, etc. [ http://davidseah.com/blog/node/the-resourcetime-tracker/ ]

...Which somehow brings me back to quilting. Oh, didn't you know it's all about quilting here? I have finished a few quilts, but started many more... oh, check out this quote: "The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings." oh yes, if only that were true. I would really like to tick some of those "beginnings" off my list. And yes, there's a list. It's horrifying and I haven't updated it in a long time with all the new ideas I have. I thought I'd start with my mommy's quilt. She's a good li'l mommers and she's always cold and I thought i'd make her something to curl up in to read her historical fiction novels late at night... The pattern is Appomattox Courthouse by Bonnie Blue.

Instead of the pink/brown I am doing it in blues and reds/maroons like the Merchant had it in their sample... It will go with their living room decor and I think she will like it. I am not even sure when I started this - a few years ago at least... I cracked open the box and was surprised to find 12 out of 15 blocks finished. what? and all the other ones already cut. Had to resist the urge to redo half of them to make it more scrappy. (typical) and re-plunder my stash (recently reorganized for my Jane's Addicted project) looking for fabrics I had purchased for the Appomattox courthouse quilt and reclaim them... and then I used my handy dandy project form [ http://davidseah.com/blog/node/the-resourcetime-tracker/ ]to map out what remaining stuff had to be done in order to finish it in time for her birthday in March. If I can pull this off I think it will really be a start on a successful year in the life of me as a quilter. eh? Will try to get some pictures posted tomorrow.

closeup of the sample's sashing, large border and outer border...

closeup of the setting, sashing and blocks...

And Jane A. Stickle, I haven't forgotten about you, baby. You're still my No. 1 girl. My raison d'etre! Where will we go with "Jane's Addicted" in 2-ought-twelve?