Saturday is finally here. I have had an interesting week of ups and downs. I am so glad that work was slow because it was a struggle to get through it. I have had a need to sleep more at night, very slow in the mornings, and my breathing was not as good this week. So only simple exercises and walking at work was all the physical activity I did. I have been moving at a snail’s pace on projects however, I realized, I am still moving forward.

I was able to stitch 2 more sections of the You are the boss cross stitch project. I am keeping up on the SAL! I really like the meditative, relaxing feeling cross stitch gives me. I finished long arming a quilt for Angel, 2 rows, and I need to take it off the frame and bury the threads so I can mail it to her. And I realized I need a quilt for a baby shower in November.

So earlier in the week, I decided my craft space is just too much of a mess and it is becoming a hazard. I need the little table to work at when I am at home for my day job. I use it for Zoom meetings that are non-work related, too. It is a mess in the background. I just can’t find anything anymore. When I start getting frustrated with not being able to move safely and find things, I know it is time to reorganize it. This is my winter project. I have to sort what needs to go, that I will never use, and make this my creative space again. This little room is off the dining room and that is where my sewing machine is, but this tiny room barely fit a twin bed and a dresser in it when it was used as a bedroom. It isn’t as big a job as you may think, but like I said currently I move at a snail’s pace and making decisions about things sometimes take a little longer too. I am ok with that; I just need to be in it 15 min at a time and be consistent.

I have started the process. I gathered up my quilts that need binding and there are 6. I found the quilt tops that need to be long armed and there are 6 of mine and 5 customer quilts. I have 2 UFO’s and 1 Wip, and a box of orphan blocks. Then I started to rummage through my orphan blocks and found left over blocks from my arrows project and sewed them together for a table topper. I decided it wouldn’t work as the baby quilt needed but there was a new quilt in the “binding” stack that will be perfect. I don’t have the energy to make a custom color quilt between now and November. That’s ok. One of my scrap quilts will find a home. Sidebar note, I need to learn to machine bind these quilts this winter to make this process faster!

I am able to do a lot more slow stitching projects like cross stitch. I have loads of hexies prepped and I would like to make a small Manx quilt now that my split thumb nail is nearly healed. That nail was a 9-month process because it kept splitting open even with salon care! I have loads of things I want to do however, not machine piecing a ton of quilt tops is happening this winter. I say this but sometimes I do get distracted by a good Quilt along .

Sept is when I start setting my “New Year” goals for making things because I have always thought it was really my New Year vs January. I have been thinking about the changing of the seasons, getting things organized and changing my routines up a little to accommodate my current life situation and abilities. When I get that all sorted, I will share but it is still in the beginning phases as well as a bit of trial and error happening to see what will work for me.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and I have joined a Long Covid group that has helped me realize that I need to make a few adjustments to my life to do what I what to do. It is just taking me longer with a lot more rest and pacing of activities. It seems to be working!

I am going to finish my coffee, eat my whole grain muffin and start a little cleaning and organizing this morning. I decided that I wasn’t ready to make my annual trip to the AQS show in Grand Rapids this year as it is happening this weekend. I have been looking at the quilts online and they are absolutely fabulous. More inspiration to keep working my self-made rehabilitation program!

Have a great week!

Vicki