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Saturday, June 2, 2018

OMG; It's June Already!

I know I said I wasn't going to play that One Monthly Goal game anymore, but here it is a brand new month, and I'm trying it again!
Pineapple Progress Is My One Monthly Goal for June
When I first sat down to write this post, I didn't know what my OMG for June was going to be yet.  It was only a few days ago that I finally, FINALLY finished the Tabby Mountain quilt that was supposed to be my goal for February of this year.  Failing to reach my goal by the end of February, I moved the goal back to the end of March, and failed to reach it again.  I didn't even bother setting a monthly goal for March, April, or May, and it ended up taking me until the end of May to finish that quilt.  Yes, you are reading that correctly

  -- it took me FOUR months to finish a goal that I thought I could reasonably finish in ONE month.  

 This just shows how UNreasonable I am at goal setting... And that's precisely why I am going to keep trying this OMG "One Monthly Goal" thing, with an underlying goal of improving my time management abilities by learning to more accurately estimate how long it takes me to do things.
So Far, I Am the Garfield of the OMG Linky Party
So the first thing I did, before I selected a goal for June, was to look at my CALENDAR for June, to get an idea of how much time I might have for sewing.  My kids are done with school on June 7th, then they are both serving as Vacation Bible School counselors the following week before heading to Florida for a week with their high school youth choir, and then they go to Houston right after that for the ELCA National Youth Gathering.  This means that June looks pretty calm and quiet in my household, like a preview of the Empty Nesting that is yet to come.  I'm estimating PLENTY of time for sewing in June!  Now, what would I like to make this month?  Well, there are a bazillion new quilts swirling around in my head that I'd like to start, but at the moment I'm feeling overwhelmed by the six quilts currently in progress.  So I'm NOT planning to start my Esther's Garden, Dear Jane, Love Entwined, Lars's Quillow quilt, or any of those other really involved projects in June.  The goals under consideration for June are:

  • I want to make myself a new knit garment, like a cute top or a dress, with my serger and coverstitch machine.
  • I want to make progress on my WIP quilts -- especially the pineapple log cabin that I started 4 years ago for my master bedroom, the Jingle BOM that I started 5 years ago (currently hogging my design wall), and the modified twin sized Modern Building Blocks sampler that I (barely!) started for my younger son's bedroom a year and a half ago
  • I want to piece a NEW "quick and easy" longarm practice quilt so I can continue building those skills
  • I want to make an upholstered headboard for my master bedroom
  • I want to make a window treatment for my master bath from fabric that I've been holding onto FOREVER...


 And that is when I had to to tell myself:  "ATTENTION, REBECCA!!"
When I look at that list of so many different projects, I just feel paralyzed and nothing is happening at all.  I clearly need to narrow it down.  Since I just finished a project for someone else, since I'm feeling some stress from having too many projects in progress, and since I so very rarely make anything for myself, I decided to  work on something for myself this month.

 And so, without any further ado, my One Monthly Goal for June is going to be my Pineapple Log Cabin quilt!  
Pineapple Log Cabin Blocks for June!
However, in light of how long even the "quick and easy" quilts end up taking me, my OMG isn't going to be FINISHING that quilt by the end of June.  No; my goal for June is to settle on a layout for the 5 x 6 body of the quilt, remove the foundation papers from those blocks, and get them sewn together.  

 I haven't done this yet because I don't have anywhere in my home that is large enough to lay all of the blocks out and view them from a distance, so I can make sure I like the way everything balances.  I need to pack up all of my blocks along with some labeling stickers, enlist my husband and/or my sons, and then lay the blocks out on the floor of the Lower Commons area of my church on a quiet day when there won't be hordes of people traipsing through on their way to and from meetings, rehearsals, or vacation Bible school.  This is not just a sewing goal but a LOGISTICAL goal as well.
The Pineapple Plan, If I'm Brave Enough, And If I Have Enough Fabric
Then, although I came up with a design that I love using partial pineapple log cabin blocks to create a scalloped border for my quilt, I have NOT verified that I have enough of the coral fabric left for all those additional block centers as well as the additional fabric that I scalloped binding would require...  And I have not gone back to the Fedex shop to make the paper foundation patterns for those partial blocks yet, either.  Another factor is whether I will have the courage to attempt to quilt something with scalloped edges on my longarm machine by the time this is ready to quilt.  

That's it; that's my One Monthly Goal.  But maybe, just maybe, if I'm REALLY productive and well-caffeinated and I get a burst of creative energy and ambition, maybe I'll sneak that cute dress or top in there as well.  

 I'm linking up with One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts: http://www.elmstreetquilts.com/  

 By the way, Google is currently working on an issue that is making it impossible for Blogger authors to respond to comments from readers.  I'm not getting notifications about comments, and even when I log into my Blogger account, see pending comments, and approve them for publication, I can't see your email address in order to respond to you.  Please know that I am still reading every comment, I appreciate your feedback, and I am not ignoring you on purpose!  Thanks for your patience while I wait for Google to get this fixed.

12 comments:

  1. SJSMJune 3, 2018 at 7:25 AM

    You are a very creative person with a very busy life. Setting your goals is necessary to make projects a reality. Making progress to reach that goal should bring a sense of satisfaction. I’m looking at your Tabby Mountain quilt and see a quilt with so many added upgrades that it did take more time. You would not be satisfied with less. Pat yourself on the back for being persistent and getting it done in four months. We do need to re-evaluate and adjust. You did that perfectly.

    Regarding Google Blogger, other blogs I follow state if you leave yourself a comment first, you will get comments coming through. Additionally, the bloggers state this is a result of the EU privacy rules. Evidently Google expects a resolution in the next week.

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  2. Frog QuilterJune 3, 2018 at 8:35 AM

    Beautiful pineapple blocks. The colors are yummy! As for quilting it with the scalloped borders, you just have to attach them on your leaders or baste a long piece of fabric to the top for quilting. I hope you get the idea. It's very doable.

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  3. Karen - Quilts...etc.June 3, 2018 at 8:43 AM

    you are so busy it is a wonder you get done with what you do! you have so many outside activities - I love your pineapple log cabin and have been watching your progress for "years" but one day it will be done and it will be beautiful as it already is! Have a fun June with it being a kid free month

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  4. chrisknitsJune 3, 2018 at 9:22 AM

    You can do it, just bite it off in chunks. It will be a stunning quilt no matter when you get it done!

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  5. NIcoleJune 3, 2018 at 10:27 AM

    You are not the only quilter/sewer/knitter that sets many goals and doesn't make them all in that one month. But if you look at what you have accomplished over the years you will amaze even yourself with both your creativity and fortitude. You are so talented. Like everything creative you have to be in the mood to work on it, you can't just say "OK it's that time to do it". But with a busy life that we all have, snatching one or two hours a week is a great feat to being creative. I agree with SJSM, pat yourself on the back. That quilt that you're trying to finish is spectacular, it is an accomplishment in itself at this point, it's just a matter of wanting to work on it again, not "Having to finish it" thing. The joy in the work will bring the item to completion. Enjoy the process and the end result will bring even more job.

    Good luck on your goal.

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  6. JillJune 3, 2018 at 10:58 AM

    OMGoodness Rebecca, I feel your too-many-things-to-make frustration. It is difficult making a choice. I managed to meet two OMG goals, but on the third month proceeded to flunk out which is psychologically stopping me from participating in OMG. However, you have me inspired to try again. Another thing that I have not yet done is dig out my antique quilt appraisal per your request on my blog. I have not forgotten. May we both have a productive June.

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  7. Patty June 3, 2018 at 11:19 AM

    Great goal - your pineapple blocks look awesome! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck on your project!

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  8. Annette MandelJune 3, 2018 at 4:41 PM

    I do love the scallop edge. Can you add rectangle neutral blocks, quilt, draw your scallop line and add the binding to the top? Then trim the edge, after? This should stabilize the edges and make it easier to quilt. Just a thought. A78mandel at yahoo dot com

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  9. KaHollyJune 3, 2018 at 4:44 PM

    I feel your frustration! I often find my self in the same boat. I’m trying very, very hard to focus on just one project (and it’s killing me!)! Good luck with your very achievable goal!

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  10. PamJune 3, 2018 at 5:54 PM

    Dear Cheeky
    First I want to say thanks for the info on the google problem with comment responses. My solution was to just email my thanks for the comment to the sender but without the relevant details it might be a bit confusing. Any i was glad to hear it was not just my computer which frequently has a mind of its own.
    Secondly, I have been following your progress on Disco Kitty-I think it turned out GREAT! Yes it is a simpler version that the one done by that person with years of experience but it is so pleasing to look at. None of our work ends up equaling that image of it we hold in our imaginations but if I were you I would be very happy with it.
    Third, I love your pineapple quilt.

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  11. Rebecca GraceJune 4, 2018 at 11:15 AM

    .

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  12. laughing gas quiltsJune 19, 2018 at 4:41 AM

    That is going to be an absolutely beautiful quilt, but such a lot of work!!! Since you need to make some more blocks, would it be sensible to make the white strips for the outside edges extra long so that you could do the final trimming after it's quilted? I've done a few scalloped edge quilts on the longarm, although never a pineapple one. I'll draw the line for the binding on the flimsy, quilt to that line, sew on the binding and then trim. Good luck!

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Talk to me, Baby! I LOVE hearing from my readers! I read and appreciate every comment I receive. If you ask a specific question I'll do my best to respond to you, but I am not able to respond to every single comment I receive due to multiple demands on my time and only so many hours in the day. I appreciate you and your feedback. Thanks for visiting!