Back to School time

I always feel much more "New Yearsy" in September than January.   Probably because I always loved going back to school and the new clothes and birthday gifts that came just before school started.  It's so much more of a time to take stock, make resolutions, and re-focus after a summer off.   Days are getting shorter, evenings darker, it's okay to stay in and work on projects again.  Here in the far Northwest, we didn't get much of a summer at all.


But I cannot complain about that, our wedding day turned out to be one of the best of the season, and everyone enjoyed the event outdoors.   Pulling the whole thing together while also being crazy-busy at work, without having a major stress attack or disease relapse was a big challenge, and took all of my "spare" time and attention, but I succeeded.  


So as the blog shows, I've done almost nothing quilty or arty since I got back from Ohio at the end of June.  I did work on the Round Robin art quilt project, since I had responsibilities to others to get that done and out the door.  However, I still haven't connected with my partner-in-lateness in order to trade with her.  I will now have to finish the October piece in less than a month... hope to get it soon!


I still have to take some photos of it, as I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out.  The theme was "Words" (Powerful Words? Words of Power? Something like that) and I chose to use words from languages using scripts or characters completely different than ours... ( I know there's a technical term for this) which included ancient Chinese Seal Script, Hebrew, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.    To incorporate them into the shared piece I photocopied them onto muslin, then fused them to the back of the quilt, cutting away ragged and irregular patches to reveal them, hopefully giving it the sense of an archaeological discovery.  It was fun and for once actually came out the way I'd hoped and envisioned.


Well, Grateful Threads is scheduled for next Wednesday, and I didn't finish anything like I'd hoped.   Three day weekend with minimal commitments ahead, but weather should be good and I'd like to enjoy that rare occasion with my new husband.  Wow.  I have a husband.  :)


Finishing the piles of projects I've started is my goal for this month and beyond.  I need to feel like I'm achieving something.  There are a number that are "almost there" and another number that are not really even started, that I need to decide if they are worth pursuing - since my interests and goals are changing and evolving. 


Although I also resolved to stop taking so many classes that just result in more started projects and ideas - I have followed up on a lead about a Nancy Crow workshop that will be within driving distance in February.  Nancy Crow!  The Godmother of Art Quilting!  How can I pass this up?  I can't.   So I have six months to start collecting fabric for that!


In lieu of quilt pics,  I offer this wedding photo -

Dad, Me, Groom