I have had a 4 inch week....which makes me REALLY question my sanity. What is a 4 inch week? It's when the thread on my long arm breaks every 4 inches...every day. For the entire 2 hours that I have allotted to quilting. Every day. Did I mention, Every DAY !?!!
What kept me quilting? In the cold damp basement when I would stitch...break! Set it up, then stitch....break! For two hours a day?
Last week, I talked about creating a playlist of music on YouTube that made me feel happy... present... And entertained. Most days this week, I streamed more music while I was long arming.
I also played with my sewing philosophies while I worked. Was this determination to accomplish something a by product of my musician/quilter outlook? (of course!) Was it healthy? (so long as I kept my Zen attitude and didn't get cranky and frustrated) Would I have been better served by the artist/quilter attitude (possibly, probably, but my feelings of guilt may have overshadowed the benefits of that world view....more on that later) Did my stubborn determination allow me to make slow, but measurable progress? (absolutely!)
By Friday night, I was so far behind on my weekly goals that I pulled out the big guns...the down and out guarantee that I would put in a LONG, productive session on the long arm. I invited my husband to join me. He reads, plays darts, pushes our kid on the swing...he WOULD play pool if I hadn't covered the table in batting...His presence in the basement makes it "hang out time" instead of a solo adventure/inner battle.
The other benefit of having hubby around is that he has less tolerance for thread breaks than I do. So, when this: happens, he starts to look stuff up on the internet.
What kept me quilting? In the cold damp basement when I would stitch...break! Set it up, then stitch....break! For two hours a day?
Last week, I talked about creating a playlist of music on YouTube that made me feel happy... present... And entertained. Most days this week, I streamed more music while I was long arming.
I also played with my sewing philosophies while I worked. Was this determination to accomplish something a by product of my musician/quilter outlook? (of course!) Was it healthy? (so long as I kept my Zen attitude and didn't get cranky and frustrated) Would I have been better served by the artist/quilter attitude (possibly, probably, but my feelings of guilt may have overshadowed the benefits of that world view....more on that later) Did my stubborn determination allow me to make slow, but measurable progress? (absolutely!)
By Friday night, I was so far behind on my weekly goals that I pulled out the big guns...the down and out guarantee that I would put in a LONG, productive session on the long arm. I invited my husband to join me. He reads, plays darts, pushes our kid on the swing...he WOULD play pool if I hadn't covered the table in batting...His presence in the basement makes it "hang out time" instead of a solo adventure/inner battle.
The other benefit of having hubby around is that he has less tolerance for thread breaks than I do. So, when this: happens, he starts to look stuff up on the internet.
After some digging, he found a way to change the thread path just above the needle. And suddenly, I had a new machine! In the last 90 minutes of quilting, I accomplished twice as much as I had all week!
Do you mind if I unpack this a little bit? The first question I have to ask myself, "Would I have been better served by throwing an artistic hissy fit at the beginning of the week?" The answer is, of course, complicated. If I could have gotten hubby's help on Monday night, it would have been worth it to indulge in a temper tantrum at the beginning of the week. BUT. There was no wiggle room in his schedule until last night. By using my dogged tenacity to keep working, I still managed to finish one quilt and complete most of the next quilt. It was slow going, and it was hard won, BUT I DID IT MYSELF. And that sense of accomplishment is...satisfying.
And now, my newly happy, totally reborn gammill is waiting for me! Ta Ta, I'm off to sew, my friends!
Do you mind if I unpack this a little bit? The first question I have to ask myself, "Would I have been better served by throwing an artistic hissy fit at the beginning of the week?" The answer is, of course, complicated. If I could have gotten hubby's help on Monday night, it would have been worth it to indulge in a temper tantrum at the beginning of the week. BUT. There was no wiggle room in his schedule until last night. By using my dogged tenacity to keep working, I still managed to finish one quilt and complete most of the next quilt. It was slow going, and it was hard won, BUT I DID IT MYSELF. And that sense of accomplishment is...satisfying.
And now, my newly happy, totally reborn gammill is waiting for me! Ta Ta, I'm off to sew, my friends!
Just a side note: nothing was going to keep ME from sewing this week!