Fiber Babble: On Deadlines, I Think

On Deadlines, I Think

February 28, 2013

Surprisingly her molars remained stable, though I think they might have loosened a little. "Widow's Walk" by Robert B. Parker ♦♦♦◊◊

As I was replying to one of the many lovely comments I'm receiving for my last post, I came to a realization: It seems like my quilting has been in reaction mode forever. I need to make a pattern for Rainbow Rows. I need to finish the Quilting Bee blocks. I need to get the swap blocks done. I need to make kits for my crayon classes. I need to catch up on the BOM and the adult bib project for the Die-Cutter's Guild.

You might not understand why I put so much pressure on myself or allow other people or situations to compel me to make something. It's not that I'm a doormat, really (hey, there's your big surprise for the day, eh?).

Part of it is the Sparkly Chicken effect. Something intrigues me or I am inspired by a fabric or yarn. I must make something with it. But before I jump in and start designing and playing and making pretty (or not so pretty) stuff, I open my big mouth and tell someone what I'm thinking. If I'm at the quilt shop, that often morphs into "What kind of class can you teach" or "That would be a great sample to show how pretty the fabric is". Once that happens, I have a deadline. And though deadlines are my most effective motivational triggers, they also kinda take the fun out of what I'm doing.

Taking the time to design and play with my It's All About Me projects reminded me how much I enjoy designing without the requirement to write a pattern for what I'm making. I think I just hit the nail on the head, there: I need to stop writing patterns for awhile. I think I just need to follow someone else's pattern and stop thinking of ways to change or improve it. I think I just need to sit with fabric and thread and my machine and make a big ol' mess. And maybe call it Art.

Does this navel-gazing mean I have no more deadlines? Of course not. You have met me, right? I think, though, that I will write a class hand-out for my Color Pin Wheels class at the Rainy Daze quilt guild on 16 March. I'll also write two more patterns: One for the Rainbow Rows border (due 23 March) and one for the Spring Oak table runner I'm teaching on 30 March (you gotta wait for a picture!). Then that's it for a long while, at least for patterns.

I have joined a couple of swaps - one is for a knitting project bag with some peeps on Google+, then other is Christmas in July with my friends at The Quilter's Last Resort forum.

Today I'll be finishing my eight string-pieced blocks for Block Lotto. Tonight I'll be casting on for a Dicey Knit-Along on Google+.

I was going to develop a pattern for an adorable handbag that's in my brain, but I think that will be put on hold. I might actually make said adorable handbag (because I seem to have an empty corn dog box that needs a UFO, I guess) but I will NOT write down what I am doing while designing it.

I want to participate in more Blog Hops. I'll continue to follow Madame Samm and when she announces the next one that I can't resist, I'll be in faster than MoonPie when the Doritos bag is opened.

This is my version of taking a break. It's not for everybody, but that's okay. Hopefully it will work for me.

Gratuitous quilt picture found in photo archives. I know it's a UFO. I have no idea where it is. I designed it. I'm not writing a pattern for it.

Labels: quilting

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6 Comments:

At 2/28/2013 2:37 PM,

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle Babbled Back:

I enjoyed finding your blog (thanks to Mdm Samm's hop). Is there a way to follow your blog.. google follow or better yet follow by email? I'm not seeing a place on your site to "join". (I'm new to this blogging stuff, so maybe I'm just not seeing it)

At 2/28/2013 8:56 PM,

Fun, Factual, Weird, and Breathtaking Babbled Back:

This is a beautiful quilt!I love the way the pattern extends into the borders!

At 2/28/2013 11:06 PM,

Lorna McMahon Babbled Back:

Your sense of humour is super! Lovely quilt top.... Too bad you don't know where it is! Some sparkly chicken is probably nesting on it!

At 3/03/2013 8:00 AM,

Robin Babbled Back:

Well if you ever need a dead line I'm sure I can help you think of one :) . I'm glad to know that you are going to sit back and relax with some fabric and thread or yarn it's the only way to go, ask me how I know oh wait you know thats how I roll. :)

Robin in Washington State

At 3/08/2013 10:14 AM,

Carol Swift Babbled Back:

I'd love to follow you, too, but I don't see how (I do follow you in Google+)

At 3/08/2013 2:56 PM,

Carrie P. Babbled Back:

I really like that quilt. Oh boy! I don't think I would want to write a pattern for that quilt either. Lots of instruction for sure.
I wrote one pattern for a dresden quilt I design and it was not my cup of tea.
The blog hops are fun. I did a few last year. I will keep watching also to see what comes up.