Resolutions: NOT!

 

Today things start anew. I got up early and hit the treadmill. I’m backing off the sweets and junk now and getting back into healthy eating. Although I confess that I will never be a fan of vegetables. So I shall have to focus on fruits instead.

This is the time of year when people start making New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve basically stopped doing that. I never follow through on them anyway, and end up feeling bad about it later on. Oh, I know that there are many things in my life that need improvement, but over the past couple of years I have tried working on small changes as I notice things that need improvement or tweaked.

My current focus, which started last summer, is to get healthy. I am working out on a fairly regular basis. (Not as often as I should, but more often than I used to.) I am eating healthier. I am trying to reach my goal weight. But I am not dieting; I am just focusing on smaller portions, less junk and healthier foods. I try to hit the gym six days a week, but usually only make it four times. Still, that is a huge improvement over the way things have been for the past twenty years. With these small changes, I have managed to lose 35 pounds. I have another 35 or 40 to go, but I feel confident that they will slip away as well. I just need to keep on with the changes I have made, and slowly work those portions down from gargantuan to reasonable. I admit it; it is nice when someone notices that I am shrinking.

But back to the resolutions … no I am not going to make any actual resolutions. But here are the top ten things I know need work.

1. I will swear less.

2. I will eat healthier.
3. I will hug my friends and family more often.
4. I will try to control my temper.
5. I will work out regularly.
6. I will do some housework. (Note I said some….not a lot. LOL)
7. I will indulge in some random acts of kindness.
8. I will let my loved ones know I appreciate them.
9. I will try to be a better person.
10. I will write more.

Are you making any resolutions this year? Any big changes planned? Any small changes? I would love to hear about them.

Hugs

Cath

UFO Revisited

Wow! You can just call me one big slacker.

Lisa's Cat Quilt

Life is crazy in my world, but I expect it is the same for everyone this time of year. However, I'm using that as my excuse for not posting often enough.(Pathetic I know!)

Here is the UFO Contest Update.
Our big winner is Marcy Y.  She had 39 UFOs and has finished 8. (She has asked me not to post the pictures she sent as many of them are to be gifts.)
Audrey R. had 18 UFOs. Finished 4.
Kayle P. had 41 UFOs. Finished 4.
Becky A. had 3 UFOs. Finished 3.
Linda N. had 86 UFOs. Finished 4.
Lisa E. had 17 UFOs on her list. Finished 1.

Another sweet quilt from Lisa.

Marcy: Send my your mailing address and I'll get your kit off to you. I'm sending you the pattern and fabric for a double sized Butterflies in My Garden...all in lovely bright batiks.
Aubrey: I'll be emailing you a copy of the pattern of your choice. Let me know which one you want.

Here are a couple pictures of Lisa's work from this year.


Just so you know: My website is down. I'm looking for a new host. With luck it will be up again soon. Watch here on my blog for pictures of my patterns and how to order them.

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.

Nothing New to Report

Well people. Fall seems to be a busy time of year for most of us. Its time to finish up the yard work and get the kids ready to head back to school. (Thank heaven I'm finished with that chore.) We get our homes and cars ready for winter and start thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. (I've even started my Christmas shopping, how sick is that?)

Hubby and I bought a saws-all a couple weeks ago. We took it outside and started trimming back the branches on the overgrown spruce in the front yard. What a riot! I had so much fun. (Must be my destructive side.) I chopped off the lower branches and hacked them into bits before loading them in the truck. The tree looks a lot better and has room under it for snow when we start shovelling the driveway. But more important than that, I enjoyed myself immensely. Every woman needs a saws-all. If for no other reason than to work off some anger and aggression. LOL.

Yesterday, when I should have been working, I took the time to drag out my multiple bins of seasonal fabric. I think I could make a dozen Christmas quilts without buying any more fabric. Plus I have enough Halloween fabric for at least three quilts. And that does not count the two Halloween quilt tops waiting to be quilted. Yikes. It took  a lot of effort to drag myself away from that huge pile and put myself back in front of the longarm. Really, this week I would rather be piecing.

Maybe if I work really hard today and tomorrow, I'll be able to free up some time to play with fabric.

Cheers.

UFO's SEEN IN CALGARY

Okay, it is update time in our UFO contest.

Lisa E. had 17 UFOs on her list. Finished 1.
Audrey R. had 18 UFOs. Finished 3.
Kayle P. had 41 UFOs. Finished 1.
Becky A. had 3 UFOs. No updates.
Linda N. had 86 UFOs. Finished 4.
Marcy Y. had 39 UFOs. Finished 2.

I have finished: Not your Grand Mother's log cabin, Marnie, Kathy, my parents quilt (and a whack of accessories for it.) Charmed to Bits and Baby Bunting. (Pictures coming later.) This gives me a grand total of SIX. Holy crap, I had best get moving here I'm never going to finish them all.

Come on girls, I'm beating you. Lets all step up the pace and get something done. Lisa has sent me pictures of her UFO and some other projects. You'll see them after she has given the quilt away. It is a gift and meant as a surprise for one lucky person!

I haven't finished many of my UFOs yet and now I'm going to make excuses. I'm busy! So ha!! Can't beat that can you? Seriously, things are hectic in my life right now. You, over there on the left, stop heckling. I know we're all busy. I just got back from vacation, then spent a few days in Edmonton. I took a machine maintenance class with APQS at Sparrow Studioz.

I've got a huge queue of client quilts to do and am puttering away at them. But what's really keeping me busy is writing. When I should be quilting my own stuff or writing and editing the new patterns for the sale I am attending in October, I am typing away on my computer writing romance novels. Wicked naughty novels. This is something that I've played with for years and every now and then it gets out of control and consumes my life. Now is one of those times.

The ideas come and the words flow and I type until my fingers cramp. Anyone out there know a massage therapist who specializes in crampy fingers? This is not something I can control. I simply cannot stop the words from coming every bit of scrap paper has an idea scratched on it. I even dream the stories if I don't write them down. It is simply easier to sit at the computer and write until the obsessive flow of ideas slows to a trickle. Now I'm not saying I'm good at it, just that something compels me to write.

Matt Sparrow (Man Quilter)
and one of his lovely Children.

Okay, back to Sparrow Studioz. I met Matt and Bradie Sparrow. Lovely people. Sparrow Studio is a fabulous spot. Mark has a gallery of quilts for sale. There are many longarm machines for rent so you can quilt your own work. He has his own machine where he quilts for clients and also has other longarmers renting space for their machines. I would show you pictures, but some idiot left the camera at home. You'll have to trust me on this. Sparrow Studios is an inspiring place. Now if only we could talk them into selling fabric!

Mark Carahar (sorry if I misspelled your name!) of APQS taught the class. Who knew these machines were so complex? (Okay we all did.) What I didn't realize that they were designed for easy maintenance. Mark showed us how to repair virtually everything that could go wrong. Wow. I'm way smarter now and if I ever drag myself away from this computer I'll know how to fix the little glitch I've been having. I have to tell you that judging from Mark's stories, it seems that I've made just about every possible screw-up with my longarm. (I'm not sure if I was a good student for having stories to relate or not ... I'm thinking that with my history I may have been the class dunce.)