Have you ever felt inadequate?

I read and drool over others talents. I feel sometimes like my efforts are so lost on what I get done. I guess I have a fear of not knowing what to do and how to do it. Ever felt that way? I get a quilt top done and then the big question how should I finish this? It is overwhelming sometimes. I would love to be Erin, Diane or Wendy. They seem to have the talent to do the right thing with their quilts. By the way there are many more with this unbelievable talent. I only mentioned a few. I feel really lacking in vision, talent and willingness to venture into the World of the unknown and start to advance my talents. Such as they are.

I tend to do more scrappy quilts because outline quilting is a simpler way to attack the challenge of finishing the quilt. Even with the applique quilts most of the hand quilting is in grid work. I envy all of you that are challenged to make you hand or machine quilting so beautiful. I have several pieces of leftover batting and I think I am going to buy a few yards of good quality muslin and try and make some sample squares of free motion quilting to try and make my

a feeble attempt at trying to broaden my skills. Hopefully it isn't a laughable effort. The fear of failure is lurking in the shadows. Sounds like a murder mystery about to unfold. But I do have a fear of frustration that I will not like what I do. Yes I know practice is a big factor. Do I mark do I free hand it? Do I use matching thread or try my hand at contrast to see my mistakes? Then what do I do if I really can't do it? I have sewn for 50 years. Yes I get in a hurry and maybe don't sew a straight line as seen in my piecing of Log Cabin blocks. If anyone has any patience they can spare I need a dose of it. Also confidence is unattainable at this point. At least in my estimation. Now that I have run myself into the ground and no self esteem I think I will go and doodle some on paper and see what I come up with. No one can do it for me I have to do it myself. I know! Chris

This was a gift

Yes a gift, but I have to finish it. It has gone back and forth across the country three times. You see my Birthday is

Valentine's Day. So my Mother thought I needed a heart quilt. She pieced it while living in Arizona. She sent it to me and then I sent it back and she then sent it back to me. I moved it 6 times from house to house and started it about 6 years ago. Well it is out of hiding again and getting worked on. Silly me I thought I would do some small quilting on this one. 1/4in cross hatching. Yeah I know silly me. What was I thinking???? It does set off the heart thought. Then I decided to use a feathered heart pattern in the larger hearts. Well my first attempt was feeble. I traced a feathered heart onto freezer paper and pressed it to the heart I wanted to stitch. Got the stitching done and all the little shreds of paper finally off and the pencil yes the pencil I used came off on the thread. So I get to rip all the thread out and redo the feather. My pile of UFO's is starting to get finished. I have two other quilts in the quilting process started. Both are by hand. Mind you I have 7 other ones to be appliqued or finish piecing that are in states of needing to be finished. Oh someday. Chris

Finally

I have been blocked out of my Google accounts for two days. Maybe I tried to hard to get them up and going again. Yesterday morning I had a sight I hadn't ever seen before. I walked through my house and looked out the sliding glass door and two wild Turkeys were walking down the side walk one behind the other. By the time I got my camera they had scurried across the street and between houses and back out into a field. I stood there with my mouth open when I saw them. They have a brown cast to the feathers unlike the domestic birds. We use to raise turkeys and they are the dumbest animals. If it rains out they can stand when they are young out in the rain with their mouths open and drown. They don't know enough to come in out of the rain. Well I am so relieved to be back on my blog again. Chris

What is on the sewing table today?

This is what is on my sewing table today. One Quarter Log Cabin Blocks.

This is the shelves with the half yard pieces on them. I need to straighten and as I do it cut some more strips.i

So maybe I will get something done today between laundry and scrubbing toilets. LOL Chris

Done

Here is the final quilt. All washed and on the bed. With the dark Chocolate walls it turned out pretty good.

I am so glad it is done and out of the sewing room.

It only took two plus years to finish. Shame on me. Chris

Another UFO bit the Dust

Two years plus and it is finally done. I have to wash it, but want to get it right out of the washer when it is done so will do it in the morning. I am so glad this one is done.

More thread than what I kept track of was used. It took forever to stitch all the 2 1/2 in squares and then quilt it too. I will take pictures after I get it washed and dried and it is on the bed. I have called this one the Ugly Quilt. I used scraps that were of fabrics I wouldn't normally use. I then paired with the dirty tan fabric and added the rust fabric and we have the "Ugly Quilt."

My husband made a statement last year he would never see it done. He would be dead before it was on his bed. That almost happened and I am ashamed I hadn't gotten it done before this, but it is done now and will be on the bed tomorrow. The other thing I need to finish is his flannel shirt I made three years ago and it is all done but the buttonholes. I hate making buttonholes. So maybe tomorrow I will do that and surprise him with it. It is a weight he could be wearing this Spring and be comfortable in. Will wonders never end. Chris

Been Missing

Well no not really. I have been here, but doing other things. My sister came for my Mother's Birthday and she stayed with me for a couple days and with my Mom for two more days. She left yesterday and went home. In between I have gotten a UFO almost done. It has been a three year quilt. I have three more sides of the binding to sew on and the washing machine has a date with this quilt. Another thing I did while this week went by so fast I cooked and grilled a meal for 36 firefighters. I grilled 72 pork chops outside in a very cold and windy day. So I haven't taken a vacation or anything like that. I have been busy and yet I really haven't been on the computer much in the last week. Yesterday I went out and picked up limbs and trash out of the yard that has blown around all Winter. Today I think I am going to go and mulch up all the leaves that have blown in from everyone else's yard. I take care of my yard and no one else does theirs so I get the mess in the Spring. Mowing in the Summer takes up a lot of my time. I mow three yards twice a week. Little extra money to buy fabric with. This year though with gas prices up maybe won't do as much as I have in the past . Both mowing and buying fabric. To make ends meet on a fixed income you have to sacrifice something. I should quit eating maybe I would loose some weight. Sorry no pictures and not much to report on, but I did enjoy my visit with my sister. She is a widow and been facing some challenging times. She has a birthday in a few days and will be 55 years old. Well off to sew on another binding. Chris