Inside my head

This is a test of the publish at a certain time capability of wordpress.

I find that when I go on a trip, I actually think about crafts more than most people might think. That is when I take the opportunity to browse through books that I checked out of the library, books on techniques, new patterns, new ideas, or moving farther along with the ones I already have. I work on projects, but they are either a project that needs a specific piece of work done that needs a bit more concentration and time than I can easily achieve at home, or else something easy and simple. And of course, portable.

But after I started this blog entry, I realized that I didn’t feel anything profound to say about that fact. I didn’t find time to write on the vacation time, time blurred on me when I got back home, and suddenly…

My brain is full of things to work on, craft-wise and other. I think I need a mental clearing, in other words, a LIST.

1. Weaving dishtowels — I actually started up the weaving of them. All I can say is, the warping shows that I am a beginner.
2. Spinning silk — I’d like to get that batch done, so I can actually see if I’ve achieved anything, plus I really want to move on to the Shetland batch I got in class.
3. Domovoi shawl — significant progress
4. Socks — I’ve stalled because I don’t have a good way to carry them around because I lost my stitch covers. I really must buy some more, because they really, really made a difference.
5. Lochinvar sweater — hibernating until I pick up the arms
6. Top-down sweater — ready to pick up again now that it’s cool
7. Scarf — I feel this weird guilt that I’ve been working on this so long and haven’t yet finished it. It’s for me, so nobody is expecting it, but really!
8. Baby kimono — it just needs the i-cord edging added.
9. Dragon crossstitch — I’m actually approaching the end. What I really need right now is some finishing details before I focus totally on the backstitch. I already have two crossstitch/embroidery patterns to start on as soon as this is done, one large, one small.
10. Quilting of denim quilt, done by hand, moving along slow but steady
11. Sampler quilt for machine quilting — I need to baste it
12. Crazy quilt — still piecing
13. French braid quilt for bedroom — still piecing
14. Bag for DNiece1
15. Nightshirt for learning about sewing with knits
16. Muslin for dress in style I really like
17. Baby hat, using up leftovers
18. anything else I can think of? There are several ideas that I am contemplating as soon as I finish something!!!! Cotton cardigan, next lace shawl, next batch of dishtowels, machine embroidery decorations for crazy quilt (it’s a machine crazy quilt), the really big idea of a quilt made from my woven fabric, maybe some of which I spun myself? I’ll have to write a separate idea blog post for that one.

Anyway, that is just the craft list. There is still continuing work on the bathroom renovation, after which I’ll have a long list of items to finish up in general in relation to the house, especially cleanup!!! Also, I’m getting interested in digital scrapbooking. New ideas everywhere.

Okay, that helps a little bit. I need to go back and finish the list in detail for the bathroom and home stuff, then a list for Christmas gifts, then maybe I’ll figure out what needs my focus right now, for which I have enough energy.

I’ve got another post simmering around in my head on why I don’t really consider myself an artist, but I’ve realized that I don’t yet have a definition for what makes an artist yet. The actual definition:

2 a : one who professes and practices an imaginative art b : a person skilled in one of the fine arts
3 : a skilled performer; especially : ARTISTE
4 : one who is adept at something
(taken from www.webster.com)

doesn’t have the connotations and nuances that I want to express because, especially by those definitions, I am an artist.

Maybe…
no, I think…
clearly, I’m confused. I may have to rethink my opinion of myself. That other post is one I’m still working on.

I’m a creature of lists, at times. Part of it has to do with the detail-oriented nature of a cataloguer, another part just has to do with my organizational inclinations. (Of course, these are both intertwined, but don’t ask me which came first — the chicken or the egg?)

Today, I’ve had my Christmas list on my mind. My family buys pretty individually, and I’ve actually had pretty good luck this year, not only with getting them good stuff that they want, but also with getting ideas for those who aren’t giving me a list! I just hope those ideas work!

Let me see: Mom, Dad, Sister, BIL, Nephew 2 & 3, Brother, Niece 2 all done. That just leaves Nephew 1, SIL, and Niece 1. I have a definite idea for SIL, and probably gift certificates to Borders or suchlike for Nephew and Niece 1. They are getting more and more difficult to buy for.

The most important thing is getting them all done in plenty of time to feel relaxed for the holiday season. I hate feeling rushed!

Whoops — almost forgot! Closest friend from college; not a required gift, but sometimes I get an inspiration, and I want to get one this year if the price is right.

yesterday. Wednesdays are always busy days for me, and since I don’t really like doing this at work, that meant no time to get to the computer and write something for the blog. So this is my Wednesday apology (at work, no less!), and tonight I will write something good for Thursday.

Sorry for long silence, I really do intend to finish the questions and projects listing, etc. I’ve just had problems due to some kind of weird inflammation of right arm that makes typing difficult, and had other things that I HAD to type, so blogging has to wait.

But this was just fascinating — we made it into the dictionary! frog

Tomorrow I head on the road for Thanksgiving at my sister’s house. It will be a fun weekend, since we’ll all be there. Thursday will be T’giving and Friday will be Christmas giving, since we won’t all be together at Xmastime. (Brother and sister go with the inlaws. We alternate years.) I’m looking forward to seeing what think of my gifts. I always try to make sure I get what they want — one of the reasons for asking for lists. Of course, I also look forward to getting gifts too!

[There's possible stress coming in the family as well, but I refuse to dwell on it. Can't do anything about it, give it to God to handle since I certainly cannot! I refuse to even worry about it, only pray that the decisions that may or may not be coming will be made with God's will in mind and the commandments of love as their foundation. Anyway, I don't really want to talk about it on the blog; I'm a bit more private than that.]

Thursday was significant. After some two years or so (I forget when I started), I finished piecing the top of my sampler quilt BY HAND.

It really wasn’t intentional, at least not at first. I was working on this sampler quilt pattern with a group at work — we would meet every Thursday at noon for lunch time quilting work — and since I had no intention of bringing my machine in with me, I just worked on it by hand. By the time I was on the third block, I’d done them all by hand, and it only called for nine blocks. So I decided to keep on doing it by hand.

Of course, I can’t quite seem to leave patterns alone completely. After doing nine blocks, I was dissatisfied with the size, and decided to add three more, plus redo one of the nine that was a half inch too small. And out of those nine original, maybe half of them are the blocks as given in the book pattern that we were following. Some of them I just didn’t like, and I saw no reason why I should follow them. So I didn’t.

The most interesting thing that occurred was about a year ago, when Jinny Beyer came out with her new book Quiltmaking by hand, which actually talked in detail about piecing by hand and not just quilting by hand. All the quilting books that I had read talked very little about the demands of piecing by hand, and I found her work invaluable in achieving sharp points and accurate sizes. I still haven’t plumbed the depths of the work, but given time, I have no doubt that I will find more valuable information as I apply her tricks of the trade. Maybe one day I’ll be able to take advantage of my location and actually take a class at her store, because it’s not that far away from here.

I’ll take a picture and add it soon.

I’ve thought about this for a while. I’ve finally realized that I really do want to try out a blog of my own. Who knows what will go here? My thoughts, my rants, my babblings … just a reflection of what’s going on inside my head and the parts of my life that I am willing to share online.Then I realized I could try it out for free!

Believe me, I have plenty to say.

Of course, then comes the question of whether or not I will remember to post regularly. Lots of stuff goes on inside my head that never makes it out of my mouth. Sometimes that is a good idea. Other times, I wish I had said something. So maybe here I can work out what to share, both the serious and the fun.

Here goes nothing.