not enough time

I lived way up on Lake Michigan in Petoskey for a number of years and my favorite book store McLean & Eakin

http://www.mcleanandeakin.com/

is in that town. I bought my all time favorite mug there that said "too many books...too little time". That is how I always felt and I snatched it up when I saw it. I am sure there were lots of others that felt the same way and it was popular. I feel quite sure many feel the same way about other things they love to do and quilting would be right there with my passion to read. So, "too many quilts, too little time". And, if you are reading this you can put your own passions in that same little quip "too many ____, too little time".

Well, what we really need is more time huh?? And, since we search the world over for other things we want to have more of, like the grocery store, the book store, the kitchen store and ultimately the online store etc., which store can we run to for more "time"? As yet, I have not found one. If you do, please share it with me.

Of course we think in terms of 24 hr days. If I could "find" more time, would it be more than 24 hr days? Or would I like more days in the month or more months in the year? I guess that determines what kinds of goals or deadlines we have. But possibly most of us are looking at the short term for relief and that would be a longer day so that tomorrow I can wake up without any feelings of "here we go again" or maybe just with a feeling of guilt and panic.

I started this blog to try to meld together two issues. One my passion for quilting, for constructing with beautiful fabrics and the other for working on managing my finite 24 hr days. Since I can't beg, borrow, steal or even purchase more time, I am stuck with managing better the time I have been given and "find" the time for the necessities and the passions (which might overlap if you are lucky) and get up tomorrow morning without any guilt or panic and with relief that I chose well yesterday and "found" time for what was needed, both the necessary and the fun.

If we "don't have enough time" then I believe we have not identified our priorities. I once had a Pastor that said "you can tell a man's (or woman's) priorities by they day-timer and their checkbook". Now of course he was challenging how much time we spend with God and how much of our blessings given to us by God, we are honoring God by giving back to Him. But, I think I can use that same principle for the other parts of my life. There are barometers for how I spend my time and energy of the day I have been given and as I discover them, I will see where my real priorities are. Then....oh yes, what then?

Well, that is where the real work begins. What ARE my priorities in this life - what is really important to me, what are my goals and aspirations? What is the real order of importance to the activities I engage in?? I don't really need to do more, do faster, do less, slow the pace etc. First I need to prioritize my life. If I don't like where the current activity choices are taking me (and even if you haven't listed your goals and aspirations and priorities...you are choosing every minute) I can choose differently and that is freedom. There is freedom in managing my time. It is not a straight jacket to inhibit me. Dr. Phil McGraw once said "insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results".

So, if I am feeling like there is not enough time, I can put a few things down that are priorities to me, number them in order of importance and begin to choose to give them that level of priority. Step number to change might be doing something different or nothing needs to change, in which case I don't need to continue writing this blog. I will forever be challenged to use my time more wisely, more to the level of the priorities I have given my activities. Back to my reason for this blog, to encourage myself and you my readers, to "find" more time for the priorities we have chosen.

This quilt was made using a "time management" process that I will share next time. It is a Split Rail design - simple and fun and now it's my Granddaughter Dylan's quilt.

Now it's time for something else

Wendy...making every minute count

the rest of the story

I am getting used to this techy stuff - so here are the rest of the pics of the "do over" as my kids used to call it, when you wanted to get a chance to re-do something but actually no one really wants to do a quilt over - or any other project for that matter. You know that idea " measure twice, cut once" - it's something like that I guess.

...saves 9

Wow, the information you can get on the Internet huh?! I looked for the origination of "a stitch in time saves 9". Only on the Internet can you find so many ways to say the same thing. The proverb does actually use stitching for the example and the idea of closing up a hole so it doesn't get any larger -all to remind us that do something right the first time so it doesn't take more time later, do it right away before it gets more difficult etc. And the "9" doesn't really have any direct meaning but was used to give it rhythm so it could be remembered more easily.

Well, I had the enriching experience to learn this proverb first hand this last week, maybe 2 weeks. I had made this quilt, seen in earlier post, for my son when he graduated from high school 9 yrs ago. He apparently has loved it because when I was in Manhatten last year and used it, I found it lovingly worn in many places. The holes and tears were just evidence that it has warmed and cuddled many a moment all these years. He has taken it from home to college both in Chicago and Holland, MI and then a semester in Australia, then to San Diego, to Manhatten and Williamsburg and then back to Encinitas, CA. That is where I finally retrieved it and brought it to NC to be refurbished.

During this process, I learned how much I did not know about quilting when I made that quilt, which was my first one. I spent almost 2 wks repairing this quilt, more than "9" anyway I look at it.

First, I this is a queen size quilt - he is nearly 6' 4" and needed all that space to cover his toes and fingers. I used a Double Irish Chain - wow what a lot of seams for a quilt that would be used, and washed in laundromats around the world. Also, black fades more than most colors. Then I tied it rather than hand or machine quilting it. That is fine for some projects but for a guy that is going to actually use it, it allows for too much tugging a pulling and sliding side to side. Then I did not put a binding on it. I did the "pillow case" style of putting the layers together. That allowed for too much wear on the edges - a binding may have worn out too, but then I would have only been replacing the binding. Lastly, I used cotton on the top and flannel on the back and I doubt I pre-washed either. The flannel seems to have shrunk some and became slightly smaller so it too "pulled" the edges around to the back allowing for even more wear.

So, after a couple days of assessment I just had to begin. I have never restored a quilt either so maybe later in my lifetime I will be writing this again and telling of how I could have saved time in the way I restored it too.

First I re-tied the whole quilt. I considered quilting the layers this time but decided it should be refurbished as it had been done. Also, the fabric was quite stretched in places and it would have been very difficult to have even gotten a seam without puckers. Oh yes, you read earlier about me trying to find the floss. Many of the 2" square seams had pulled out so they had to be hand repaired with sort of an applique stitch. Then I pinned the whole quilt just inside the borders. One inner border fabric seemed to not hold up well and had shredded in places at the seam. So, I ran a new seam all the way around that inner border, making it slightly smaller but got into better fabric. Then I hand basted in outer borders and cut away the worn edge all the way around. There were 4 holes in the inner border and rather than try to replace any of the borders, I chose to hand sew thread across the holes and give strength to the hold before appliqued small round "patches" over the holes. I used original fabric which wasn't too noticeable even tho it did show how the color had faded. I put a new French binding all the way around. My husband made me a new label for it in the computer and I attached it too. I wanted to add the refurbishing of it to the label, so I opted for an all new one.

After 9 years of quilting, I know now to make the quilt differently in order to last a much longer time. However, I am actually quite please that it lasted as long as it did considering my lack of knowledge at the time and how much he has used the quilt.

I was a labor of love when I made it, a labor of love to restore it and a wonderful opportunity to learn first hand that I really will save time (or 9 ) later, doing it right the first time. Phew!!