They call it "work"

Very few of you out there in the blog reading world post a comment on my ramblings. That sometimes makes me feel like I’m writing to myself. I recieve lots of comments in person, so I know you are out there, you’re just very quiet. When I don’t post for awhile all I hear is “Why haven’t you kept up with the blog”? The funny part is that when I ask someone why they didn’t post their comment they almost always respond that they don’t want the rest of the world reading what they have to say. Funny. Here I am yacking to the world and you don’t want anyone to know that you think I’m nuts? I think Freud would say that one of us has a complex. …. No wait, Freud would say BOTH of us have a complex … or is it our mothers fault?

What I have been doing – instead of blogging - is “work”. Yes, it IS work. I’ll admit that it is the best kind of job I can imagine, but none the less, the IRS acknowledges that it is my job, so therefore, I’ve been working.

Last week I “slaved” over the 208 four patch blocks for this scrap quilt that will be part of a club program here in the store this fall. The pattern had an option for inserting a solid square, the 4 patches (the option I chose) or mini 9 patch blocks. Can you imagine? Two hundred and eight 9 patch blocks using 1” squares – that WOULD be work!

The program is all about scrap quilts. It includes 12 patterns designed to help you use, organize and make beautiful quilts from your fabric stash. How many scraps did I use in the construction of this quilt? ….. That’s right, none. Zip. Nada. Zero. Every piece of it was cut directly off a bolt. Oh, I have PLENTY of batik scraps. I could probably make something to rival the size of Rhode Island if I dipped into my batik stash. But those are my FAVORITES, I don’t want to USE them, because then they will be GONE. …… now who needs psychiatric help?

Don’t worry, I’ve got “crazy” covered. I spent a few days catching up on our Crazy Patch Block of the Month too. We are just past the mid point in this 9 month program and I needed to finish up a few of the older blocks. That might be a revelation for those of you that are in the program. No, I don’t always assemble all of the pieces right away. I normally go right from filming the video to editing (because I’m usually right up against the deadline and have to upload the video the next day) and all of those “parts” get swept into a big clear storage box until I have time to sit down and sew. Now I’m not only caught up, I’m ahead! Ahh, the pleasure of calling your husband and saying “Honey, order a pizza for dinner, I have to work late” only to return to your sewing machine and a pile of ribbon, lace and a pile of beautiful fabrics!

Ok, it isn’t ALL fun and games. I spent the better part of yesterday, a gorgeous, sunny, perfect temperature Sunday, sequestered in my office here at the shop. I was pretty much chained to the color printer, scanner and work table trying to prepare the artwork for my next fabric line. I’m flying to New York tomorrow to work with the art department at Timeless on my next two fabric lines and the merchandising ideas for Quilt Market in Houston.

Early yesterday morning I had more than a dozen good ideas for where I want to go next with my fabric line. Unfortunately the ideas don’t work together. Two of the ideas are pieces for a killer floral graphic line. Four pieces are for a way-out-in-left-field graphic collage looking line. Three or four others would make great fabric prints, but don’t necessarily work with the other ideas. One of those ideas is based on a Fimo clay project that I made with Lindsay another is a bandana style print. What I really want to do is a tone-on-tone graphic print collection. After 9+ hours yesterday I’ve managed to clean up the art and loosely organize it into possible collections. Tomorrow I will sit down with the Art Department, Sales Manager, Advertising Manager, Owner and we will look over everything they have in the works and decide which ideas should move forward. Then the real work begins. I’ll keep you posted.

Karen