Friday, January 20, 2012

The start of something new.

It has been a long time since I have had a chance to sit down and quilt! In the little snippets of time I have had over the past months, it felt too overwhelming to use them to start a bigger project. But this past weekend, I took a little time, let the dishes and laundry wait, got the kids out of my hair with some video games...and I started to splice up some fabric.

(I admit the time was at the expense of my iPad tutorial....promise to have it tweaked and up for next week!)

This one will be for The Middle Child. May take awhile to get this to the finish line, but I am excited to embark on the journey. Feels so good to be back at it!

(And finally! My Heather Ross is out of its box!)

I have so many quilts in my head, and I wish so badly that I could just sit home and hammer them out! Do you ever just get so frustrated that you want to do something, but can't find/make the time to do so? I feel like I am spinning my wheels all the time, torn in so many directions. Each day is just a race to bedtime, and it seems all I have time to do is to put out fires, repeat the day to day necessities, and then the day is done and it is time to go to bed. Sometimes I wonder...what is the point?? Not that each day doesn't offer its laughs or joys, but so much of it is spent with the drudgery. And so many of the tasks that take up much of my time just have to be done again tomorrow.

I read a great article today about the ups and downs of motherhood, here. If you are a mom who sometimes feels the same, give it a look. Seems we are in good company- about 100, 000 and counting have apparently shared this one on Facebook this week!

I wish there was more chances to just bask in the little things that we love, be it fulfilling hobbies, cuddling our children (who grow far too fast), going for long walks, or spending time connecting (and I mean talking, not texting) with family and friends. I guess I should be doing that instead of typing right now..... ;) Off to spend a couple hours with girlfriends, then snuggle on the couch (under a quilt) with my hubs!

10 comments:

Michele said...

I SEW know what you mean. It seems like the dirty laundry piles magically triples overnight. It makes me crazy. Add on top the speech therapist sessions and my private clients, it is a wonder that I get time to sew at all. Good luck to both of us to find time to do what we love.

Kati said...

Thanks for posting this. I needed to read that article today. After doing loads of laundry, wiping up spilled food multiple times off the newly mopped floor, telling my kids 1000 times to get off the table and picking up a million toys, it gets tiring. I've been told so many times by well meaning people to enjoy it as my kids are going crazy at the store. I love them like crazy, but I'm really happy when bedtime comes and it's quiet again. I don't feel guilty for that, even though sometimes I get the impression that I should be feeling guilty. I need my quiet sewing time to maintain my sanity.

Katy Cameron said...

Oh yes, totally, so much to do, so little time! I don't have kids, but I do have a day job that often feels like I do... (and no, I don't work with any, I'm a software tester, it's just that developers seem to behave like toddlers the entire time, tantrums and all!)

bethanndodd said...

I just told my hubby the other day that Motherhood is a thankless job. I know one day the boys will realize all of the hours I spent just driving them to practices & other activities and hopefully appreciate all of the encouragement I have given them during a game or simply a bad day. Well, at least I hope they will. Until then, I will thank YOU for continuing to make time for your readers and for keeping things real. Hope you enjoy your evening. Smiles~Beth

Marian-Lady Face said...

I know how you feel! That's why I hate doing the dishes so much (no dishwasher but me and my awesome hubby at our house), they're just going to get dirty again so fast! And the floor never seems to be clean longer than 5 minutes with two kids and a hairy dog...

I started about 3 new quilts this week though, my dedication to finishing my others isn't as great as it should be. And from the table I cut at I can see the kids playing so that's helped me out.

I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this way lately, it is wonderful though, to have something we love to do to help refocus and relax! I also hope you get time to do this in the winter weeks ahead!

Kate S. said...

I totally know what you mean, Kristie, I have been feeling the same way (minus the kids but with lots of time getting eaten up with my job and long commute lately)... I am trying to carve out time for crafting but sometimes I'm just too tired or not feeling it. Oh well... at least I can knit in carpool :)

That is awesome that you are making a FFA2 quilt though! I love that fabric line, I can't wait to see it come together.

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

You can learn to do it all. It is possible. I was a foster parent for many years, and at one point I had 7 teenage girls living here. Plus we raised two girls as well. They all had chores including cooking too. Here are some pointers......Who says that pan HAS to be done now, it can wait till tomorrow, and you can wash two pans then. Use your busy in and out of the house days to do laundry, moving the clothes from dirty basket, to washer, to dryer, to clean basket everytime you come and go. You will be amazed at how much laundry you can get done without even being there. Once the kids can put laundry in the washer, make them do their own clothes too. You will be surprised at how much is all of a sudden clean instead of dirty. Also, make it a rule everyone in the house puts their OWN laundry away. So what if they put socks in the jammie drawer, so what if their pants are not folded the way you WANT them folded. Those are petty things that are not going to make the world end. Be grateful they are helping, and freeing up some time. Put "ME" time on the schedule too, and when everyone else is doing their part in all those chores you think you need to do all by yourself, that is the free time you now have for you.When it seems no one is helping anymore, go ON STRIKE! Oh yes, that works. It is amazing, but you have to wear blinders for a week, and touch nothing chore wise, let everything go to shit. Then employee EVERYONE in the house to clean up their mess when you come off strike. Years ago when I about died in a car wreck it made me look at life in a different persceptive. I realized all the little things that I would go bonkers over, and WASTE so much time on. These are a few that I have listed here. People still always ask me how I find the time. Well if I should die tomorrow, I will not be remembered as the one that had every dish washed every minute of the day, or the one that never had dirty laundry to do. But I WILL be remembered as the one that lived her life to the fullest each day, and always got so much done each day, and always had adventures to talk about. Remember no one is guaranteed tomorrow.

Little Island Quilting said...

Just go to bed later and get up earlier. Sleep is for wimps ;-)

Go-Go Kim said...

AMEN!!!!!! I recently have spent time literally walking in and then walking back out of the sewing room...TOO many projects and too LITTLE time. I am taking one project at a time for a bit and getting some smaller things off my plate :o) I even joined a quilt a long and a bee/swap to keep some small projects on my plate.

I think your idea of being on the sofa, under a quilt is an awesome one!

"Sleep is for wimps"...LMAO!

Amy said...

Those could be my words you're written... I am so with you - spending hours every day doing repetitive things that will only need to be done again tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing your progress on the new project!