Monday, August 1, 2011

Checking In

On the soccer field, checking in is a move that offensive players should make when the ball has the possibility of being thrown in to them.  Those strikers/forwards/midfielders should be moving around the field near when the thrower is, in order to field the ball and ultimately score a goal.  A static player is of no use to a thrower as they are unlikely to receive control of the ball.  So what's my point?

I'm checking in by moving around the internet quilting world: sewing/quilting, tweeting, reading blogs, commenting and now posting a blog post.  I'm ready to field the ball and move it down the field to score.  I have not defined what the equivalent of scoring a goal in soccer is to the quilting world, I just know that I want too.

After almost a week of minimal sewing I was able to get back into the swing of things this morning to work on some projects.  My super cute nephew Nick just turned five and so I made him a pillowcase out of San Francisco Giant colors.  My siblings and I were all born in the Bay area and although we were all raised and live in Southern California, they remain die hard SF Giant and SF 49er fans.

Pillowcase for Nick
Yesterday I listened to Episode #14 of the Crafty Garden Mom podcast and when I was about 10 minutes into the episode, convinced that I needed to let go of the Summer Sampler Series and be happily content with what I had accomplished.  Tanesha of CGM is an excellent speaker (she belongs on NPR) and her pep talk about how we should not be intimated by quilt bloggers whom are very prolific or have skills above and beyond our own and that we should give ourselves a pat on the back for what we ourselves, accomplish.   Her pep talk was just what I needed to move forward.  This morning I sewed the four blocks of the Summer Sampler Series together to make myself the perfect table topper.
Yet to be named table topper with backing fabric on the side.
After my WIP Wednesday post last week where I had taken a photographic inventory of my quilts in progress, I went fabric shopping to find quilt backs.  I found fabric for the back of Italian Sorbetto and Sliced Coins and I also picked out a darling dot fabric for the Dots Swap hosted by Debbie of A Quilter's Table and Rachel of Snippets of Sweetness.  

I just this minute ran to the front of my house to get the mail and I had another envelope with a dot fat quarter!   So much fun reading the return address (the traveler in me craves far away places), carefully opening up the envelope and gently pulling out the contents inside.  This is my first swap and I'm already hooked.   My envelopes are ready and will be mailed out tomorrow.

~Posts coming soon:  A wonderful gift sent to me by Debbie of A Quilter's Table and my visit to the Long Beach International Quilt Festival.~

Enjoy the remainder of your Monday,
Susan

6 comments:

  1. Swapping can be loads of fun Susan. And, what is better than dots and spots. Enjoy your summer.

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  2. I'm dying to hear how the quilt show was over the weekend! I was afraid to go since I knew I would spend way too much money on fabric I really don't need. I'm looking forward to living vicariously through you.

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  3. I love your table topper, and I think you did the right thing for you! Yay. AND yay for dots!

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  4. Your blocks are adorable and put together so well! I love the one on the lower right. Dropping out of BOM or things like that can be hard to do but is usually the right decision if you just have too much going on. You can always go back later and try again.

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  5. I'm loving the dots I've gotten so far from the swap!

    Tanesha's definitely right - people now know that I quilt, they want to show me all this fancy stuff their grandmothers have done... and I'm just left thinking "Um, I've mastered the jelly roll race quilt..." But I'll get there! :)

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  6. Susan, long overdue but I'm finally stopping by to say thank you for your kind words about me and my podcast. I always thoroughly enjoy yours too, and will also leave a short "story" about my own hope chest given to me by my mom. I'll leave it under that podcast's show notes.

    Thanks again and keep up the great work you do...at your own pace of course, lol.

    Tanesha (CraftyGardenMom blog and podcast)

    Reply