Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Stitching and the Art of Procrastinating

Well, another week has gone by!  Hope that everyone is having a great one!  Why does this year seem to be going by so fast?  Do you all feel the same way - that this year is going like a train out of control?  Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner!  YIKES!    I'm trying to get ready for my trip - I just can't wait!!!!  As my DD used to say when she was little, "I'm Excitedly".  And that I am!  But I'm not ready in the least - I don't have a darned thing packed and I leave Thursday.  I procrastinate quite a bit, but find that I work better under the gun, then I fly around like a chicken without my head on!

 I've made a little more progress on A&E (pictures are clickable finally):


Not the greatest pic.  I'm still loving this, but I swear that if those fig leaves were any lower on those two, there would really be no reason to wear them, don't you think?  They kind of remind me of the way kids wear their pants down around their hips these days.   I had hoped to be further along on this, but as usual, too many other things going on that have prevented me from landing in the stitching chair at a decent hour.

I've managed to get a little more sewing done on my quilt:


Those went really quickly - maybe an hour tops - which has been all the time I've been able to find to sew!  They're part of the pieced border (picture in my last post).  Only problem is - I'm missing a couple pieces of fabric - there are suppose to be two more of these little flags.  GASP!  I've kept all the scraps so don't know what I'm going to do - it's the red that I'm missing.  This was a BOM (Block of the Month) from a few years ago, so getting the same fabric is out of the question.  I'll just have to come up with something similar.  Whose going to know?  Well, I guess you all will now!  LOL

I mentioned being a procrastinator and I must be one in the first order.  Digging through things has made me realize how bad I am.  Should I make a New Year's Resolution to stop that?  Hmmm, I don't know if you can teach an old dog new tricks, but I guess I could try.

I came across some more goodies this week in my quest to get myself organized.  Here are a few of them - yes, there are more, but I'm not going to bore you with all of them.  Now, how bad is this one?


Meet Me At the Field
Sheepish Designs

Do you not see the date of this thing?  It's been done for over 10 years and never framed.  I suppose that I should so something about this.  The figures aren't A&E, but close enough.  Then I found these - how pathetic is this:






Okay, now before you all go thinking that my kids didn't have stockings at Christmas, rest assured  they did, just not the ones that I so lovingly made for them.  I had a chuckle when I found these because it reminded me of Siobhan's recent trials with her stocking and her comments about stitching with burlap!  Man, is that fabric count HUGE!!!  Looking at these I'm wondering how I did them too, but that was back in the day before linen became the fabric of choice.  I guess that these should become a project when I get back - my kids are 16 and 12 - I really should get them done.  I hang my head in shame.

Another further embarrassment.  I do birth samplers for my kids.  Nick's is done and framed, but Catie's is in this state.  I repeat - she is 12 YEARS OLD:


Without digging the pattern out, I think that there was some sort of arbor over the woman's, but I was going to omit that and put in Catie's name and birth date.  I know I cut the picture close to the woman's head, but rest assured there is no name or birth date.  I hang my head further in shame.

One other piece that would probably look good in my stitching room:


Yes, I used to love those Lavendar and Lace and Mirabilia patterns.  I still do, but samplers call to me more.  Looking at these two, I'm wondering why I never became a stitcher of those wall-to-wall stitched Heaven & Earth Designs patterns.  I think that I should get this one framed and put in my craft room, don't you?  Won't go with all the A&E's I plan to put in there, but I'm a ways off before I'm going to be filling that wall, so this will work in the meantime.

Then I did more digging and came across this quilt that I was making for my sister.  I think that when we moved, I tucked it away and it just reared it's head this week:


Now I think that it would have been nice if I had found this three months ago so that I could have had it quilted and taken it with me this week when I went to see her.  Maybe with some luck, I can get if off to her sometime around Christmas time.  She's probably been wondering where it was, but too nice to say anything about her sister's procrastinating ways!  Looking at this picture, I'm almost thinking that I would have liked to see some red in the center.  Oh well, next time.

Well, that's about it for me this week.  I need to go get my packing done!  Thanks again for all your wonderful comments - I love each and every one of them!!  Hope that everyone has a great week and makes a lot of X's. 

36 comments:

Berit said...

Oh, the procrastination!! I'm so bad with that stuff, myself. All your works are beautiful; those large Miribilia/L&L designs are crazy!! It would take me 10 years to make one for sure!!

Hey, if your sister doesn't want the quilt due to no red in the center I'll take it. ;) Though I do see what you mean about it being nice there.

As for A&E, those are some low-slung leaves!

Love to Stitch said...

I know what you mean about other things pulling you away from doing what you really want to do! Your A & E progress is terrific, you will be done in no time at all! You have alot of beautiful pieces done, the L & L are gorgeous, and you know, they are a lot of work, and yes they should be framed and hung, but I am sure at that time, framing wasnt a priority, it does cost alot, and with a new baby.....! The burlap, is so funny, we have all had a run in with it. The stockings still look great, and someday I am sure they will be hanging! Keep it up!

Unknown said...

Deb, what fun to see all the projects you unearthed and I can't wait to see how you finish each of them. The quilt for your sister is just lovely (yes, even w/out the red)

Oh, those flags are wonderful - I look forward to watching your progress on this quilt.

And your A&E - how funny those leaves look - they remind me of puzzle pieces.

Have a wonderful trip with your family.

Jennifer said...

Wow I love those stockings! And my son (15) has the same name!!! I have all the stash for one for my daughter but will also get one for my son . Maybe when they are in university.....Yes get those beauties framed.great to see your work and look forward to hearing about the trip, have fun!

Cindy F. said...

So many beautiful pieces!! WOW!!
Procrastinating or not....you've gotten more done than I have!

Missy Ann said...

Love those fig leaves. They almost look like big Xs.

Great quilt for the sis, so holiday in color but it doesn't beat you over the head with Christmas if you know what I mean.

I really like those little flags. The fabric for the stars block is perfect.

Patricia Lessell said...

Oh well I used to procrastinate all the time but now I just can't make up my mind. It's really bad. I have three 3/4 finished things in my UFO box which sits in my lounge because the box is really lovely and maybe one day I will get the impetus to finish them. But then again maybe not.

I always order my food last in a restaurant in case I want what somebody else is having better but then again I am just as likely to change my mind at the last minute as for anything else.

I hope you have a great time away.

Love
Patti xxx

Kathy said...

I know all about procrastination! That's why I have a whole box of things waiting to be finished or framed.
Great progress on your A&E. Your Lavender and Lace pieces are gorgeous. Love the SB stockings too.

LoriRay said...

Ohhhhhhhhhhh I love your flag quilt! No one (except the readers you confessed to -- hah!) will know if you need to do something a wee bit different for the missing pieces. Hope you find 'em!

I am a procrastinator, too, but let's worry about that tomorrow.

HAHAHAHAHA

Have a great week! :-)

valerie said...

Omgosh, I was going to say the same thing Cari did...that the fig leafs remind me of jigsaw puzzles! Your A&E is really coming along. You have some beautiful treasures hidden away. Wow!

Mel said...

So many great projects on the go!
I love the story about how she's 12 now. :)
It's cute. We are all like that at some point I think.

Jan said...

Gosh Deb, you certainly have been busy unearthing some lovely pieces!! And I love, love, love that quilt, so I know your sis would be overjoyed to have it in her possession!!

I missed your last couple of posts, I have been ahmmm procrastinating myself, specially on keeping up with my reading and commenting on blogs. Have missed it, just been super busy with other things! I know we have both talked about this, but HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT WHERE TIME GOES YET????

Your craft room, oh my goodness it is so lovely with such special treasures and a real cozy feel! I say get that little fridge, and maybe a hot plate, and go on vacation!!!!! (^-^)

You have been busy and a little procrastination, is not always a bad thing, as full as your plate is!! You are woman, and I hear your roar!!

Enjoy your vacation and will 'see' you when you get back!

Margaret said...

Oh nice! I love all your found items!! Meet at the Field or whatever it's called is one of those I'd love to stitch. I also have a couple of stockings waiting to be made into stockings. Hopefully sometime soon! lol! I have so much framing to get done as well, but none from 1998. :D Have a great time on your trip! Get that packing done!

Laurie in Iowa said...

Wow... you found some really nice stitching and quilting projects. Enjoy your trip!

staci said...

Beautiful stitching! And those older projects are lovely and like a fine wine, they just get better with time ;)

mbroider said...

Thanks for showing those pieces, they are so nice - i love the birth sampler (and you can say, i completed BEFORE her teens!!) and the mother-stiching, daughter-watching one. You have got to get it framed and in your stitching room:) A&E ones can surround that one, LOL.

mainely stitching said...

Wow, when you go digging around, you really come up with GOLD! Amazing pieces and I really hope you'll do something grand with them. :D

Your DD's use of "I'm excitedly" makes me think of Nick and Rowen who, until recently, always said, "I'm exciting" instead of "I'm excited." I never corrected them - it was just too cute. :)

Lois said...

I'm with you on how fast the year is going Deb. As for the procrastination, I can do that with the best of them too! What lovely projects you unearthed. Oh, SB stockings, I always had high hopes of stitching those but only ever managed one and even then never got it put together. A&E is looking good! Have fun with your sister!

Siobhán said...

The thing I try to focus on is that I enjoyed working on them at the time. I have Mirabilia's Titania somewhere floating around in the house, I have SB's Wool Gatherer 3/4 of the way finished, and I won't even tell you how many quilt tops I have that need to be quilted. I figure I liked doing what I did and that's enough. Each one of those projects is so pretty, though! I know it's a toss up... do you finish them and hang them or save the framing money for something else!?

Your A&E is coming along so nicely! Like Cari said, the leaves look like puzzle pieces!!

If I don't get an e-mail out to you before you go, have a fabulous time with your sister!

Alice said...

Those must be hipster or below the belt fig leaves. Hilarious!!! You have progressed for a procrastinator. : )) Those quilt flags are real cute. Nice progress. I also have Meet me at the Field, and I really want to stitch my one sometime. Love the air-balloon. Yes, what a shame you have not framed it!!! I really had to smile about those shepherd bush stockings. You can always change the names and keep it for your grandchildren? If all else fails backup plan. : )))What a beautiful birth sampler. Love the dresses of both the designs. The quilt for your sister is so pretty! I love the colours and the design. She will love it for Christmas, of that you can be sure. Have a great time away.
Alice

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Oh cheese and crackers...look at those beauties your found. You need to get those framed up my dear :) they are too lovely to squirell away :)

Pat / Silver Thimble Quilt Co. said...

By the looks of those projects ME thinks you have not procrastinated too much.

Pat

Unknown said...

Wow, what a treasure trove of goodies! Theya re all beautiful, and I am sure you will find the time and energy to get them completely finished and off to their new owners.

Enjoy your trip!

HAPPY STITCHIN'
Terri

Giovanna said...

Oh I'm the queen of procrastination, lol! Lovely pieces, all of them, especially the stockings.

woolwoman said...

what a treasure trove of goodies you showed us here Deb - I love the L&L and Mirabilia pieces too - have never completed one - I just hand them over to my dad and he finishes them but believe me - they get expensive to frame. Love the quilt for your sis - yep you should get it quilted for christmas - just drop at a LQS and let the long arm do the walking and your credit card do the talking. Enjoy your trip! Melody

Loraine said...

Hi there Deb!
First of all, let me apologize for not commenting on your last entertaining post. I tried, but I was on vacation and my slower-than-tar laptop, with a very low connection signal, would not cooperate! Love the samplers, and Oh my goodness, the quilts are so fab.
I love the samplers and quilts on this post as well! Girl, you've got to frame your samplers, and get those stocking done! They are soooo cute. I would love to stitch those for my kids, but I think I've decided I'll make them for grand kids. (That gives me plenty of time!)
LOL about your Adam and Eve fig leaves! I agree with your assessment, totally.
Take care dear friend. I hope you have a wonderful time with your sister. I'm envious of her quilt!

Jennifer Ann Fox said...

Oh, man, I love those L and L pieces! I think you should still frame that one that was for your daughter, it's beautiful!
Your sista's quilt is awesome!!!
You have been very busy.

Yes, I have procrastinated this week because I have to catch up tomorrow when I'm off on all the things I haven't done in the past week. I promise to get out your pattern to you.
Hope you have fun on your trip!!

Jennifer

Deb said...

Thanks Greg for the links! I couldn't find a link to email you and thank you personally (is that because you procrastinate setting up a blog or you just don't want people finding you?). I'll take a look at them one of these days (yes, I'll procrastinate on reading these). I doubt an article is going to erase years of living in the this way, but I appreciate the information!

Sharlotte said...

These are fab progress Deb! Love the quilts especially. Oh don't you wish procrastination didn't exist!? I am so so bad about it.

Anonymous said...

Debbie -- my goodness! All your projects are lovely.

Yes, I feel like the year has darted by without me knowing!!!!

JOLENE said...

Wow Deb, where should I start? I love the quilt you made for your sis. Absolutely beautiful! And it's fun to see some of your projects from the past and do a little show and tell for us, I think you should share some more of them with us. As for your A&E, I think those two were trying to be a little sexy wearing those leaves so low, who needs an apple anyway? Ha ha!! I hope you create some wonderful memories with your sister while you're away. Have fun!!!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

How in the world did I miss this post? No idea except that I've been very busy at work and not on the computer for fun much in the last week. Great pics, Deb! I do agree that a couple of those need to get framed and hanging in your room! And, yes! You must finish the stockings before the kids are grown and moved out!

Now that you mention it, those puzzle piece fig leaves do look kind of low.... my mind is heading right to the gutter so I'll not say what you can probably guess I'm thinking! LOL!

The quilt is gorgeous!

I hope your trip was grand and I can't wait to hear all about it!

doris said...

I feel like I'll never, ever get caught up, so I know just how you feel. There's always so much to do.

Your progress on Adam Alone is wonderful. I love seeing that in progress.

My mom used to stitch a lot of L&L and Mirabilia, but I never really got into them except for a couple of small ones. Yours are beautiful.

Nancy M said...

Those are some really nice finished pieces and need to be displayed somewhere! I guess I'm doing good to have my grand daughter's birth sampler already hanging in her room and I'm almost done with her stocking! I think I saw someone's blog that did the A&E anatomically correct....I think I prefer the figs!! LOL I hope you are having a great time out East.

Brigitte said...

Oh procrustination. At the moment I read thsi word on a couple of blogs. Seems to be the time of the year, lol. I could tell your the same stories about procrustination but I won't. I can only say that I have the same New Year's resolution every year: stop procrustination. Lol.
That quilt for your sister would be a terrific Christmas gift.
You have some wonderful finished projects. I also started The Quilter once but then it became one of my UFOs.

MyLifesAStitch said...

You are making wonderful progress on the A&E. Looks lovely... but I do have to admit those leaves are a bit... well... odd. LOL!! :) Love the quilty pics, too (you know me - that which I cannot do I enjoy vicariously through others that can!! And that would be you, my dear!!)!! I hope you're enjoying your trip!!