I Did It!!

Cleaned everything out of the sewing room, well, everything that was on the floor and chest.  Made sure all projects were bagged up so all parts are together.  Piled everything on our queen size bed.  The bed was completely covered, a foot deep in many places.  Vacuumed the floor!!!!!!!  Put all my vintage linens, etc inside the chest, then piled all the bagged projects on top of the chest.  Boy do I have my work cut out for me!!  I still need to rearrange my shelves and get rid of some stuff and shelve stuff I want to keep.  Put a bunch of stuff in the truck to drop off at the Goodwill tomorrow when I'm out for errands.  My sewing table is loaded up again, but that should be rectified Thursday.  Dh goes back to work and I will have a long day home alone to work in there again.  Friday is the Quilt and Craft Expo at the fairgrounds.  That's my annual selfish shopping spree.  I have so much I don't find much I can't live without anymore.  Bummer.  :)  Saturday is quilt study group.  Uncovered two of dh's old quilts that his grandmothers made (may go back farther, he doesn't remember, may need to ask his mother).  Also found the quilt that my grandmother made for my son 40+ years ago.  Taking all three to quilt study for show and tell.  I think I did good today.  My back hurts something awful from all the bending and lifting, but it is looking good!!!!!!!

The Big Sewing Room Cleanup

I finally got into my sewing room this evening to start cleaning it up.  It was so bad there was no bare floor.  I had taken my sewing machine in for repair and while it was gone, I loaded up the sewing table with yet more junk so there was no place to return my machine to.  Nor my serger.  Sigh.  The sewing table is cleaned off and the machine is back in place.  I was surprised at how thrilled I was to have it set up again.  Can't wait to get in there tomorrow to do some stitching.  I still need to clean the other 3/4s of the room, but progress has been made.  I will have to pull everything out and sort it on my bed.  And make some hard decisions about getting rid of stuff.  I just have too much stuff.  No, scratch that.  My sewing room is too small.   Yeah, that's better.

I have been following several needlework and quilting blogs this year.  With the coming of the new year, most are taking stock of their WIPs and setting goals for completing them.  I know I should list my UFOs and WIPs so I have an idea of what I need to do and maybe come up with some kind of order of progress. But maybe not, I might get too discouraged. Reading others' lists of to-dos makes me feel not quite like such a failure. I am good at starting, not so good at finishing. I love to finish - it's a good feeling. Wonder why I can't seem to do it more often. Maybe it's like reading a good book, you want to see how it all turns out but you're kind of sad when you get to the last page because you have to "leave". Make sense? I have next week planned to get into my sewing room to get it organized and cleaned up, then see what projects need to be finished. Maybe start with the ones that are closest to being completed...  I think my oldest project is one I started while still living in VA (that was over 20 years ago).  Pretty bad.  It's a gift for my sister and only needs the outlining completed.  Maybe a week or so, working on it a bit every day.  Not so hard.  So why do I keep avoiding it?  It's a beautiful project and will look great hanging in her house.  We're not getting any younger......  Last year was the year of no new starts.  This year will be the year of completions.  I have projects in cross stitch, crewel, needlepoint, quilting, garment construction (an 1880s sac coat for dh), crochet, knitting.......  And list upon list of new projects I would like to start.  Only one new start this year and that is a sampler I have had my eye on since 2010.  I fell in love with it when I saw it in Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly and broke down and bought the supplies for it.  I HAVE to have this one!  lol 

I realized the ACQP will be winding down this year.  Some big events happening this year - all coming to a wonderful culmination during Arizona's centennial year.  Hard to believe we are finally reaching our goals.  I think I will be a bit sorry to see the project end.  It has been an amazing journey.  I have met some wonderful and talented women with whom it has been a great pleasure to work.  Retirement does indeed open new doors!  :)

I have also been part of an amazing group of women who love quilts.  They are all so willing to share both their knowledge and collections in our quilt study meetings.  I am making an effort to attend more meetings this year.  I am also working on encouraging a girlfriend to attend with me.  She does day care and her weekends are mostly taken up with family, but she has expressed a desire to do some things "just for herself".  Don't we all need some of that?  I hope she will be able to be my "quilt buddy".