Yesterday I managed to check several things off the list. Click & Ship with UPS is almost too easy to count as an accomplishment and by the grace of the quilting gods the leftover sample fabric was just large enough to stitch up the backing for the Lindsay Light project and everything has gone off to the quilter.
The big accomplishment was finishing the stitching on the large chenille project. The stitching is done and binding applied. I just have to finish snipping all those channels.
The big accomplishment was finishing the stitching on the large chenille project. The stitching is done and binding applied. I just have to finish snipping all those channels.I have to admit that it is absolutely THE most boring sewing that you can do. Beige thread stitch over beige lines on beige flannel – ugh. It ranks right up there with having to write on a blackboard “I will stitch straight and turn perfect corners” 1000 times! BUT – and this is a big one – the RESULTS are worth it! My husband was watching me edit the video for this project and he made a remark about how I never stopped fondling the finished sample as I was explaining the process – so much so that he joked that it might make him jealous! (I selected the clip with the least amount of fondling for the final edit).
I managed to finish the hours and hours of stitching by applying the fundamental techniques of my M&M motivational program. It is a simple program to follow and you can feel free to apply it to your own tedious stitching projects. It is so effective that I should probably produce a series of books and tapes and sell them on an infomercial for three easy payments of $49.95, but I just don’t have the time. Here is the info for free:
1. Reach into the largest bag of M&M’s available. I personally prefer the 2lb bag if a deadline is involved.
2. Grab the largest handful of M&M’s possible. No cheating here, just the ones that fit into your hand. I will share one tip: Inserting your hand palm down and removing your hand, palm up, yields the largest quantity.
3. Sort the candies by color, noting which piles are the largest. In the past – before blue was added, M&M’s were packed in a specific color ratio; you always had more dark brown and less red. With the addition of blue, they screwed everything up and now you will probably have almost equal amounts of everything (which limits your options in step five).
4. Arrange the piles in color order with blue being first, then green, yellow, orange, red and then brown. Color order is of the utmost importance. Call me a purist, but I like to get rid of those blue ones as soon as possible.
5. Evaluate the sewing that you need to accomplish and broker a deal (yes, you are dealing with yourself so it is hard not to take advantage of the situation – but be firm!). For the chenille project I agreed that I would not eat another color group of M&M until I had stitched at least 5 complete rows of zigzag stitching. Depending on how tedious the sewing, I have also been known to agree to eat the color with the smallest number of pieces, progressing to the largest so that the “reward” becomes larger the longer I stick with the monotonous task.
6. Sew and reward yourself for your accomplishments by sticking firmly to the rules of your agreement. There were 50+ rows of stitching in the chenille project. Luckily I was able to broker a new deal each time I ran out of M&M’s – hence the need for the 2lb bag!
Now I have to unearth the Becky Kelly project that I didn’t touch yesterday and get to work. The chenille project as well as the one for Quilts & More are ready to have the binding hand stitched so I will be packing my needle and thread to take with me this afternoon while I take my daughter to her rehearsal. – There is something to be said for the phrase "There is no rest for the wicked"!
Karen
If you live in Pennsylvania – don’t forget to get out and vote today!
I managed to finish the hours and hours of stitching by applying the fundamental techniques of my M&M motivational program. It is a simple program to follow and you can feel free to apply it to your own tedious stitching projects. It is so effective that I should probably produce a series of books and tapes and sell them on an infomercial for three easy payments of $49.95, but I just don’t have the time. Here is the info for free:
1. Reach into the largest bag of M&M’s available. I personally prefer the 2lb bag if a deadline is involved.
2. Grab the largest handful of M&M’s possible. No cheating here, just the ones that fit into your hand. I will share one tip: Inserting your hand palm down and removing your hand, palm up, yields the largest quantity.
3. Sort the candies by color, noting which piles are the largest. In the past – before blue was added, M&M’s were packed in a specific color ratio; you always had more dark brown and less red. With the addition of blue, they screwed everything up and now you will probably have almost equal amounts of everything (which limits your options in step five).
4. Arrange the piles in color order with blue being first, then green, yellow, orange, red and then brown. Color order is of the utmost importance. Call me a purist, but I like to get rid of those blue ones as soon as possible.
5. Evaluate the sewing that you need to accomplish and broker a deal (yes, you are dealing with yourself so it is hard not to take advantage of the situation – but be firm!). For the chenille project I agreed that I would not eat another color group of M&M until I had stitched at least 5 complete rows of zigzag stitching. Depending on how tedious the sewing, I have also been known to agree to eat the color with the smallest number of pieces, progressing to the largest so that the “reward” becomes larger the longer I stick with the monotonous task.
6. Sew and reward yourself for your accomplishments by sticking firmly to the rules of your agreement. There were 50+ rows of stitching in the chenille project. Luckily I was able to broker a new deal each time I ran out of M&M’s – hence the need for the 2lb bag!
Now I have to unearth the Becky Kelly project that I didn’t touch yesterday and get to work. The chenille project as well as the one for Quilts & More are ready to have the binding hand stitched so I will be packing my needle and thread to take with me this afternoon while I take my daughter to her rehearsal. – There is something to be said for the phrase "There is no rest for the wicked"!
Karen
If you live in Pennsylvania – don’t forget to get out and vote today!
1 comment:
I thought I was the only one who played with her M&Ms. I separate by color, but instead of piles I make a curvy line or a pattern out of the colors before I eat them. Come to think of it, I have some M&Ms in the cupboard - dessert time here I come!
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