Finally finished & on to new things

I quite literally let out a "WHOOP" when I finished the plum & gray quilt. (I don't know why, even though it seems a little pretentious, I feel compelled to name my quilts. This one I have dubbed "Rock the Casbah". The rich colors & the pattern make me think of Morocco. And then there is the memory of walking past my 3 or 4-year-old niece's room, she was in there playing with her dolls & singing "rock the casbah, rock the casbah". So, the plum & gray quilt is "Rock the Casbah".) Then I said a prayer to the goddess of quilts in transit & sent it on a journey to its owner.

It arrived safely & -- my Birthday Girl loved it. So pleased, so relieved. Her sister said the nicest thing, "it really is "her"". {happy sigh}

After that, there was a period of post-finish slump, that little let-down after something you have worked on long & hard is finally done. Then I started thinking about what is next. Of course, there are the WIPs/UFOs I pulled out as diversions while working on Rock the Casbah -- WIPs still, just a little farther along. And there are the new projects I began, also as diversions -- broken dishes with the 60s prints, hummingbirds with Cherrywood scraps, string blocks. But, something new, what could that be? Handwork, hand-sewing, has been on my mind. Appliqué? English paper piecing? Plain, old hand-piecing? Hmmm? Well, since moderation is not my strong suit, how about one of each? I was in the process of planning 2 queen-sized EEP quilts & a hand-pieced quilt & a big 4-block applique quilt, when I gave myself a shake & said, "hold your horses, Big Eyes, lets keep your focus small." So I am thinking of a 4-block applique (or maybe just one block, we'll see) with EEP hexagon flowers & a second project of hand-pieced bow ties. Those sound do-able!

Hives

I know you know what I'm talking about.

You've been going along for a while (doesn't it seem like *forever*?), things are moving forward, things are good, but they just aren't -- well -- exciting anymore. It has become routine & almost seems like work now. You are easily distracted. A quicky detour here & there helps scratch the itch. Then there is that new, fresh face that has really captured your attention. And the old familiar one that you are seeing in a new way. Or? Hmmmm, maybe the two together ........

Wait a minute! You didn't think I was talking about Shug, did you?!?! No!!!!
Quilting projects!!! I'm talking about quilting projects!!!!!
Phew! OK, now that we are on the same page.

I know you know what I'm talking about.

Much of my summer was spent with the 3 + quilts. I enjoyed them, though on the downhill side I did get a little tired of them. I was itching to sew on something different. I could have taken a break & dipped in my deep pool of WIPs -- spike-y batik stars, wonky vintage brown stars, Terra Australis zigzags, my own + quilt, etc, etc -- but I *had* to start something new, so I started some flying geese with men's shirts. (Which brings me to a philosophical question: when does a Work In Progress become an Unfinished Object? Not working on it for 6 months? A year? Longer? Or does it have to completely sink from sight & mind for 6 months? A year? Longer?
Hmmmm, a question to ponder .....)

Now that the + quilts are finished, my time is more free. And even though I've got one more WIP than when I began them, I'm still looking at fabric stacks I've pulled -- MIL's skirt with a recent fabric gift, Liberty florals with solids, scrappy 2.5 inch squares from almost 20 years worth of projects -- & wanting to start something newer.

 
I have no trouble being true to Shug. But when it comes to my patchwork projects, I'm not so faithful -- a real bigamist!