Yes I do have character flaws and procrastination is the one I indulge in the most. I can always find something else that urgently needs to be done, like cleaning, when I have a deadline and this new Intro to Sashiko class sample needs to be done next week. But it is not turning out the way I envisioned it so I have to step back and either accept the way it looks and finish it or banish it to the closet of no returns and start over.
First I was hoping I could use the circle fabric as both the vertical and horizontal sashings. I did the horizontal sashings first so I could line up a circle in the center of each block. After that was done I wanted to use the same circle fabric and have a circle in the center where the sashings join, but I couldn’t make that work. So I pivoted and auditioned some other fabrics. The black Moda Grunge worked the best and I thought I would just make circles with big stitch quilting at the intersections. I seem to be on a circle binge at the moment. Would that scratch my circle itch?
So I marked the circles, basted the whole thing together, and started in on the Big Stitch quilting. I originally wanted to use the thread I bought at the Houston show in November but none of the colors would work. So I hauled out all of my perle cottons, sorted out the blues, and started stitching. First I tried to stitch without a hoop and am not liking the result. So I had to figure out a way to add fabric pieces so it would fit into a quilting hoop without slipping. Also I couldn’t decide on a shade of blue that would give me a color pop in the center circles but that wasn’t happening also. That was when the procrastination set in.
Earlier in the week I ran across a blog post on the MDK knitting site about, you guessed it, procrastination. One of the two ladies who blog there couldn’t get started on a sweater for a knit along. So as any good procrastinator would do, she googled procrastination and came up with some interesting information. It seems that procrastination is not a character flaw, but a product of dealing with “challenging emotions and negative moods.” Hummmm, that sounded kind of familiar. But also “sometimes better ideas emerge when we slow down on a project.” Well that sounds a little better than avoidance. Procrastinating can have a positive influence on a project. So I said to myself, self let’s give it a try.
Ha! I gladly put off working on it for two days and haven’t seen the ideas emerge yet. Guess I’ll have to just keep going and maybe it will turn out okay.
Edited to add: on Saturday, with the help of the Giants Spring Training game radio broadcast, the ideas came. I added a woven stitch to the Sashiko blocks and did a small amount of hand quilting to them. It looked a lot better and the results cracked the procrastination blockage. Then came some more big stitch hand quilting to the fabric blocks and the sample began to look like my original vision. I think I can get this done!
Self promotion is back. I am doing a guest teaching appearance at New Pieces in Berkeley for my friend Janet’s Sashiko Stitch In on Monday April 8 from 10:00 to Noon. I will be teaching Woven Sashiko aka Kuguri Sashi Link . Sign up early as it sells out and if it is sold out put yourself on the waiting list as Janet will open up another class if we get enough people.
And I have a Beginning Embroidery class at Cloth Carousel in Vacaville on Saturday April 6 from 10:30 to 2:30. Link Again an early sign up is recommended.
Last self promotion, the classes for the Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) are open and I am teaching 3 classes, Visible Mending the Boro Way (I have expanded the class from 3 hours to an all day class so we can stitch a beginning Sashiko pattern and make a patch for your garment), Intro to Sashiko, and Beginning Embroidery. I am so honored to be chosen to teach there again and am very excited to be included in the Meet the Teachers gathering on Thursday night.
Timing of this post is perfect Pattie! Procrastination is something I'm quite challenged with as well and today I worked on a dear abby letter to Jurline to outline why I'm procrastinating on final work on a special quilt that incurred some staining. Writing really helped! If you ever need a partner to "check in" with feel some sort of accountability with projects, I'm here for you and could use the help too!! much love, Liz P.S. Wish I could come to show next weekend. I'll be there in spirit!