Comfort Work

I came across the phrase “comfort work” while reading a recent blog by Austin Kleon.  He defines comfort work as “the work I do when I don’t know what else to do.”

I suspect many quilters, including myself, can identify with this concept.  How many hours have I sat in hospital waiting rooms, hotel rooms and long car rides doing handwork projects for just this reason?  And when I’m at home, I have a new comfort work project to do on my machine.

I have accumulated an abundance of 1800s reproduction fabrics.  Most are small cuts.  These log cabin blocks are paper pieced and the logs finish at ½ inch.  While paper piecing is a messy process, these blocks are proving to be great therapy sewing.

 The golfers have started gifting us with very colorful balls, but they are not the reason for this broken window.  This was the result of debris thrown up by a weed trimmer.  Fortunately, this is a double pane window and only the outer pane broke.

We have been experiencing wonderfully mild weather and even had .96 inches of rain last week!

I’ve run out of quotations about acceptance, so I’ll end this series with this one. 

Acceptance -- My 2022 Word

 Open-minded people just accept all of life’s perspectives and realities by doing their own thing in peace without judging anyone. Can’t say the same for the ones who force their beliefs on others. –Donald Pillai

 

New Handwork Project

We spent much of last week visiting family and friends in Dallas.  It was a good visit but I needed a new grab-and-go project for travel.  I will be working on another group applique project in the coming months, but that is a project that does not lend itself to bumpy car rides and dimly-lit hotel rooms.

 

Since I have a lot of red scraps, I decided to embark on yet another red and white quilt, this time English Paper Piecing thimble blocks.

 

Compared to my last hexagon project, these pieces are huge.  Dare I hope it might move along just a little faster and that the level of red scraps will shrink?  More and more I am having to be careful not to overtax my hands, but I am really enjoying my start.

 

Acceptance -- My 2022 Word

 

The first thing a kindness deserves is acceptance, the second, transmission. –George McDonald

 

A Finish and the Start of a Start

My scrappy double four patch is complete.  I enjoyed working on it, but wasn’t in love enough with it when finished to look for a place to store it.  So, I donated it to a local charity.  The four patches finish at 2 inches square.  

 

And, in the meantime, I have been diving into my overflowing bag of red and neutral scraps for my next handwork project.  This is only a part of what I found.

 

To be continued…..

 

 

Acceptance -- My 2022 Word

 

Panic causes tunnel vision.  Calm acceptance of danger allows us to more easily assess the situation and see the options. –Simon Sinek

 

Temporary Change of Focus

Some time ago, I promised a friend that I would contribute some covered journals for the boutique at our guild’s quilt show in February.  Even though we still have a few months, I knew the pace of life was going to quicken as we approach the holidays, so I decided the time had come to start work on them.  Here are the 12 I have made so far.  Now, I feel like I can resume working on my other projects without feeling guilty.  I used Wanda’s tutorial at her blog, Exuberant Color. I’m relying on themed fabric rather than a lot of piecework.  One of the things I especially like about Wanda’s tutorial is that it calls for fusible fleece which gives the covers a nice substantial feel.

Meanwhile, I have really enjoyed the cooler temperatures we have had this past week even though there is none of the rain we so desperately need in the forecast.  We have been told that repairs need to be made to the dam that creates our water supply and the lake level will be lowered several feet for the next three months.  We are being asked to cut water usage for such things as lawn maintenance by 50%.  

 

 

Acceptance -- My 2022 Word

 

These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed. –Ricky Martin