Changing My Mind

I can't stand to be left out... even when it's been by my own design, I didn't have the time to start the Summer Sampler sew-along from Temecula Quilt Company this time. I had done the Alphabet Sampler last fall and enjoyed it, but I just didn't need to start one more project. Quiltkeemosabe showed me her 4" blocks on Wednesday when I was at her house, hers were wonderful. I was still resistant, but wearing down. On the drive back home I kept thinking about those cute little blocks. My mother had bestowed upon me her leftover black and white scraps from a recently finished quilt. "I wonder"... I thought, "how would those blocks look in all black prints with a controlled background fabric"?  You can see for yourself. I've finished week #1. I'm late to this party (they're already on week #7) but the blocks are small and I am eager, I'll catch up. I believe I'll set mine alternately with the flax linen blend shown behind the blocks, this looks classy to me. Do you ever decide that you're too busy to participate in "this", "that" or "the other thing" and then wish later that you could have joined in the fun? I do it all the time. I've tried to learn to loosen up a little and refocus, I know that if I don't I'll miss out on a lot. Like all this cuteness!

I've been saving all of my own leftover scraps from past projects into a designated laundry-sized basket for a few years. I had intended to take a day each month to press them and cut them into usable sizes. These scraps were (in my estimation) too small to shelve but too large to toss. The appointed "cutting days" never quite made it to my calendar and the days filled up with other activities... however, that basket filled up too. This week I dragged it out and sighed, the idea of spending time and energy on these scraps was daunting and, frankly, a little draining. I wanted to change my mind about ever holding onto them in the first place but somehow I felt committed to seeing the task through. My husband walked through the room while I was deliberating this decision. He asked me why I felt obligated to a basketful of scraps, I really couldn't answer. "Throw them out", he advised, "and don't look back, it's not like you're going to run out of fabric anytime soon".  I took his advice, the scraps went straight to the trash can (he volunteered to do it for me, I didn't have the heart). He was right, I was liberated from something I thought I ought to do and am rejoicing once again after having changed my mind! Lesson learned, I'm not going to beat myself up over altering courses either, I'm blessed that I have that prerogative.

And sew, here I go... 

(quite contentedly using someone else's scraps!)

Life is Good!