A side benefit of tidying up.

In my last post I talked about how I was using a paper planner to help me stay organised.  One of my sections in my planner is a quilts section and in it, I've listed my works in progress and some of the steps I need to move forward on them.

To list my WIPs, I had to know what WIPs I had, which meant laying hands on each one and tidying the pile.  I kept seeing references to Marie Kondo everywhere, so yes, I went and checked her out and, like many, I've developed an uneasy fascination with the tiny, bouncy, eternally optomistic woman.  I have not KonMari'd my whole house, but I did assess each WIP as to whether it 'sparked joy' in me.

For those of you who have ignored the Marie Kondo fad and don't know what the heck I'm talking about, basically I looked at each WIP while I was tidying and asked myself if I still liked it.  Did I want to carry this into the future with me?  Did I want to spend time finishing it?  If the answer was no, I then dealt with it, either binning it, putting it in the op shop pile, or if it was still in pieces, putting the fabric back in my stash.

I didn't let myself get caught up in any guilt.  Why should I finish something just because I 'should'?  My time is precious.  I'd rather spend it on something I'm excited about!

Working through my WIPs put me back in touch with my projects, a side benefit to tidying up.  I have a presentation that I do about how a little procrastination is good for us.  I believe that putting something away for a while lets the project 'ferment' in my mind, especially if I'm struggling with a problem.  Often, I'll pull out the project again and the solution will present itself.  But that method requires that I keep in touch with my WIPs, or the fermenting process bubbles out and I just forget about it entirely!

So I tidied up, got back in touch, and now I have a pile of things that I want to work on.

Of course I still want to start new things too....

'Heron Maiden' had been having a holiday in my WIP pile.  It was nice to see her again and realise that I wanted to finish her for the GNZQS.  So what was holding me back about finishing her?  I figured out that I didn't know how to quilt the big background hill and if I cracked that nut, I'd be away again.  So I printed out a colour photo and auditioned some quilting lines.  They looked good and I was inspired to continue.

You can see my quilting line design taped to the wall prior to starting to quilt.

So my long and rambling point is: don't get caught up in guilt about WIPs.  Go through your pile, keep in touch with your projects.  Look at WIPs with new eyes.  Is there something else you could turn it into that you would be excited about?  Is there a technique that was holding you back that you now have the skills to deal with?  Can you solve a quilting dilemma now that you couldn't before?

But if you pick up a WIP and truly wonder why you ever thought it would be a good idea, then just get rid of it!  You'll feel so much better.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts about your WIP pile!

Name That Quilt!

Every step in making a quilt is a little step closer to a finish.  But there is 'finished' and then there is 'finished, finished'.  Too often in the past I'd breath a satisfied sigh when I'd taken the last stitch in the binding, then I'd put the quilt down and never get the other little finishing tasks done.   I now consider a quilt to be finished when it is named, labelled, has a hanging mechanism, and is documented and photographed.

When I talk to other quilters and artists, each has a least favourite part of the process of making their work.  For some it's the cutting out, others hate binding.  Some claim they don't dislike ANY part - but I'm sure they're telling fibs!  I bet there is one thing they they always put off, even if just for five minutes...

My least favourite bit varies.  Quite often it's the photography.  I'm getting better at it, and I've got lights now, which make the whole process easier.  But it's just so much faffing around!  I'd much rather sew, or dye, or audition fabrics, or anything else really.  I can't say that sewing labels or hanging sleeves has ever made my heart sing, but I actually quite enjoy hand stitching binding on, when I know it makes many people groan!

Anyway, this last week, my least favourite bit has been the naming of quilts.  I'm trying to come up with a name for my lastest finish.

Untitled as yet by Charlotte Scott 36cm x 55cm

This quilt is relatively small and was started with offcuts from the larger quilt that I'm working on.  

(In case you were wondering about my 'restart my making mojo' process that I was going through - well, it was a success!  I've been working away steadily, and now it's just the usual challenges, like time managment etc)

Here's the larger quilt still in progress:

This one will need a name at some point too, but at present its working name is The Heron Maiden quilt (the HM quilt).  Have you ever read any of the classic Japanese folk stories about cranes turning into women to return the favour of being rescued from a trap?   I've been telling myself those stories as I've been making the quilt, but twisting them into tales about a New Zealand white-faced heron turning into a maiden, then turning back into a heron after she loses her love, or perhaps after she tires of him, depending on how I feel on the day.

 

Can you see how the nameless quilt has connections to the HM quilt?  The branch in the nameless quilt is the cut-away background of the branch in the bottom right of the HM quilt, and the heron is a third, brighter, version of the two herons behind the girl.  The overlay of silk organza on nameless is the same piece of fabric that is used in the sky of the HM quilt.  So they are nicely related.

But here is where you come in, dear reader!  I'm at a total loss for a name for the untitled quilt and I'm hoping you'll help.  Hit me with your ideas and help spark my naming mojo!  Just as a little incentive, I'll do a random draw from all the people who leave me a suggestion in the comments section below and I'll send the winner a bundle of my hand-dyed fat quarters (and I'll send it anywhere in the world too).  You'll need to be a reply-enabled commentor or add your email address to your comment so I can get in touch if you're the lucky drawee.  I'll give you a week, so will be drawing on Saturday 21 April 9pm NZ time.

Please help me out, and join in the fun!  Names can be as silly or as deep and meaningful as you like, but I'd love to hear from you.

COMMENTS NOW CLOSED.  Thanks for all your help!!