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Sometimes blood is shed

It happens. No matter how careful you are, accidents happen.  Fingers get pricked by pins and needles.  I actually sewed my index finger on my left hand once.  I was being careless and OOPS!  Went into my nail and all the way through the bone. When I say all the way through, I mean it actually went in the bone and came out the other side.  Like a bullet.  Ok Ok, that is a little overly dramatic.  I could feel the tip of the needle, but it didn’t break the skin.   I did manage to score 2 brand new hemostats; one straight and one curved, while everyone was out of the room.  I’d say that was a good day.

Last weekend it was a rotary cutter.  I had just sharpened it with a TrueCut  blade sharpener.

This sharpener really really works.  I do have a decent supply of blades, but let’s face it, they are expensive.  Being able to sharpen blades instead of getting rid of them is economical and yes even a little fun.  Plus it’s electric and I am such a sucker for anything that requires electricity.

So I have a super sharp blade and I’m sitting down to work on a paper piecing project.  Normally I stand to cut, but having to get out of the chair after every seam…..NO THANK YOU.  I know you are thinking, ouch, she sliced her finger.  No.  I managed to flick or drop the rotary cutter on the top of my left hand.  That’s when the blood appeared.  I’ll spare you the gory details,  but I dealt with it myself.  Who wants to spend a Friday evening in the ER? Alternatively, I’m at home, alone,  sewing on a Friday night.

It’s still a little  tender and I may have needed a stitch or two, but I’m a fabric artist. We cut things and then put them back together.  Props to my mom for always keeping butterfly bandages around and showing me how  to use them.

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Clean as you go?

My mother was a clean as you go person. Kept up with the dishes when she was cooking. You either know or are that type. Me? Not so much. I’m more of a toss around kind of gal. I always find myself playing scavenger hunt while in the middle of a project. Fortunately for me, I have multiple seam rippers, stilettos, and other important notions. In my kitchen I have multiple measuring cups.

There are pros and cons to my way. I don’t get caught up in the straightening up while I’m creating. I have a mess to deal with when I’m done. Honestly, I’m not bothered when it is time to put all my toys away. This is my time to reflect and while I’m clearing my space, I’m also clearing my mind for the next challenge. Most would say that my mind is never really cleared and I will admit they are correct. Every once in a while I suffer from a creative explosion. This usually happens while I’m driving and have no way to jot down my ideas.

OOPS; there I go, getting off topic again.

Bottom line.

There really is no wrong or right way.

The important thing is that you spend time doing what your enjoy.

No matter your passion.

No matter your style.

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Read, Set: Change your mind!

Have you ever been in the middle of something and then POOF you drop it for something that has a higher priority.  Quilters do this all the time; it’s how we end up with so many UFO’s.  For me, that happened last week.  I had completed a quilt top and was in the middle of pressing it when I realized the baby I was going to make a quilt for was going to turn one this month.  Originally this was going to be a baby shower gift and then a Christmas gift.  If I didn’t do it NOW, I would have this lovely collection of pastels and no baby to make a quilt for.

Off I went to the quilt shop to buy my background fabric.  Apparently I used the original background fabric for something else, but for the life of me I cannot remember what.  Perhaps I had never bought it in the first place.  I spent some time embroidering the blocks over the weekend.  Today I cut and pieced the lattice and cornerstones.  One small border and it will be ready to quilt.  I have 10 days; I’m right on track.

Focus:

My life is a lot like my quilting habits. Do you ever do the pin ball game when you’re cleaning?  This is how it works.  You start in the bedroom, find something that doesn’t belong there, take it to the kitchen, clean the counter, find something that doesn’t belong there, take it to the family room, etc.  By the end of the day, you have been running around your home picking up and cleaning and have nothing to show for it. I’m like that when I talk too.  I start talking about one subject, which makes me think of another topic, and off I go.

It is time for me to focus.  This will not be an easy task, but I’m always up for a challenge.  If I want to reach my goal of completing a project a month, I must commit to one project at a time.  Ok, maybe that IS asking too much.