Fidgets, Tangles and Distractions

As you probably know, I work for myself. This is a mixed blessing. I can set my own hours and take time off whenever I feel like it. However, I am seriously hampered by the fact that, as a general rule, I am fairly lazy. I work best with deadlines; in reality that is the only way I get anything finished. This often means long days and weird hours. Procrastination can lead to some pretty busy days.

While quilting doesn't take much focus, concentration, or brain power; pattern design, instruction writing and novel writing does. I do a lot of plotting and mental revisions while I quilt, which means my brain is quite active. No snide comments please, I'm trying to make a point. The point of this is ... crap I forgot.

Oh yeah ... sometimes, the mind just needs a rest. The trouble with me is, I get twitchy if I have to sit still for too long. I need something to occupy my hands while my mind unwinds. I do hand applique, some crochet, embroidery and knitting, but find that they often require more brain power than I am willing to expend. This is why I took up doodling.

I blame Jill Buckley for this. I was reading blogs in late 2010. (Yes, I was procrastinating.) Anyway, I stumbled upon The Quilt Rat Blog. This is Jill's blog. She is an artist extraordinaire. At the time, she was having a contest to win one of her doodles. I entered and I won, and I was completely inspired. I rushed out, got myself some books, pens and card stock and started doodling.

Pardon the flash spots.
I have them behind plastic in an album
to protect them from coffee!



Ya, I sign and number them. Some day I might be
famous, er infamous, or something. LOL

I will never have a steady hand at this...because I am twitchy, and impatient. Another important fact is that I cannot draw. I took a drawing class once, but the instructor told me to give it up, I would never be able to draw. I was young, I listened to her. Today, I might just give her a cuff upside the head for being nasty.

These days, my creativity is geared more to quilt designs and writing, but I do love to doodle. If you want to see some really impressive work, check out Jill's blog or pick up a Zen Doodle Book like this one.

Hugs
Cath

Winter Sloooow Down!



George

Okay, I guess I have to admit that winter is here. Old Man Winter has arrived. Yuck! I hate the cold. I hate driving on snow and ice. But I do love the way snow makes things all pretty and perfect outside. The biggest trouble with winter is that all I want to do is curl up with a good book in front of a roaring fire. When I do that, nothing gets done. No laundry, no housework, no shovelling, no pattern work.

Marnie

You may have noticed that things progress slowly around here. I would love to tell you that my latest designs are up and ready for purchase, but sadly they are not. The are designed, written, tested, edited and almost ready to go. "So what's the hold up?" You ask, even though you already know the answer. The hold up is me. I need to finish the cover quilts. They are started. Marnie just needs quilted and bound. (Sadly, she's been that way for months.) George is about half finished. I won't even get into Scrap Therapy...she is finished, but the pattern needs major edits and further testing.

The biggest trouble is that I have magpie syndrome....I'm distracted by bright colorful objects. The current object. Writing a novel. Some of you know that I've been dabbling in writing for ages and ages and ages. (Since high school. Holy Crap! That's decades. LOL.) Recently, I signed a contract for digital publication of a novella. Novella: a very ugly word that means a short novel. Editing this has taken some time, but is finally complete. My tentative release date is December 2nd. Before you ask, I am not going to tell you my pen name. Suffice it to say that the publisher described it as 'a delightfully risque romance.'
Now realistically, the editing has taken a lot of time, but it shouldn't have taken as much time as I have let it take. The truth, in a nutshell...I'm just lazy. Then of course is the Christmas rush for my long arming services. It never ceases to amaze me that people start calling looking for a spot... and say "Can I have it back by December first?" My standard wait time, when its not rush season, is three weeks. Rush time, expect five to six weeks. And I've said it before and I'll say it again...come on ladies, Christmas comes the same time every year. Prepare in advance. LOL. Now if someone would just write my Christmas list, do my shopping and baking I would be ready.