Changing the Stacks

Over the last couple of weeks, I've whiled away many hours thinking about this New Year. To be specific, my brain focused on future goals, long term activities, what to start and which bandwagons to jump on.

I came up with some very good ideas: one mini quilt per week; an open challenge to other quilters to join me in reducing the size of our quilter's butts; a block a week; even debated finding childcare and joining the ranks of employees at my LQS. All of these ideas were rejected.

So what do I resolve? Since I always break my New Year's resolutions then logically I should resolve to gain as much weight as humanly possible. This is a tactic that has worked before. Do I have any quilting goals? I am committed to making one wedding quilt and the rest of my plans are open.

Today I did the one thing that refires my imagination and desire to create: I changed the stacks.

Every quilter that I know has piles of fabric in strategic locations around their creating arena. They may be testing the viability of colour combinations; they may be WIPs or doodles or daydreams; it may be that having favorite fabric to look at and touch is enough to satisfy the urge for beauty when you haven't the time to sew.

I usually keep my stacks on top of my 1877 Singer treadle. In the house changing and rearranging this past month my antique machine has been all but buried, therefore these stacks were spread out on my desk to peruse.

There is a lot of poly-cotton, some gingham, a couple of old sheets, a piece of seersucker, tie-dye, stretch knit, and even velour. These are not fabrics for quilts.

Because I am a seamstress, first and foremost, and my babies need clothing.

This piece:

Will be made into trousers for this Pixie:

And most of the rest will be sewn a few sizes bigger for the girl who does not get hand-me-downs.

It's not much progress to start off my personal kid's clothing week challenge, but a little is better than nothing.

So here it is: I resolve to do a little every day. Maybe this will change the way some other junk is stacked in my life, too.