Finish Something Friday
Some time ago, I set myself up to finish things on Fridays. I kept it going for awhile and then, as things changed, I didn't hold to it for every Friday. Yet, here it is again, and can say that two of my projects are completed for the week & one more at the ready to finish. I've never been one to wait passively for changes, and enjoy taking action, whether it is a small step or a huge leap.
Both of my Sons are grown men and its always difficult to find something they would like as a gift from me that has meaning and doesn't cost me more than I can afford to give. One non-quilting project I started recently came from a site with information about monthly, weekly & daily celebrations: http://holidayinsights.com. I took each of the daily national holidays and printed off information for it, and in some cases, pulled books or other small objects from my shelves that were significant to the daily event. I wrapped the gifts and put the print material in that folder off to the left of the box for him to read. Now, he will either enjoy reading the trivia or roll his eyes at it all.
As a bonus, I used up most of the wrapping paper scraps as well, clearing that whole space as a bonus to the downsizing I am committed to doing in my home. I am only sending him things I think he will appreciate that are either new (that I bought this week) or like-new, such as a few of my books or trinkets that signal the daily holiday celebration.
Another project I finished was a prayer flag for a swap that is going to a partner in TX. The theme for it is "Trust", which I think is very different for every person. It seems to me that all the layers of this value start within a person and then extend outward to those people surrounding them. Its quite a fragile concept that includes confidence in self and hope in others. As I worked on it last night, it just reached that place of completion even within the space where there was no further design. My partner's profile doesn't give a lot of information so its like trusting on my own instincts.
This morning, my attention turns to the last 12" block for this month. The pattern is called Interlocking Seasons from the parfait cafe site. My partner requested a block made with red, pink, yellow, orange, lime green and black. That seemed like a tall order until I found this pattern calling for six different colors. Its at the cut stage now and only requires my attention and patience to complete it.
The air here is quite chilly this morning and gives me a renewed sense of energy for the season. With windows open in the studio-office, the fresh mountain breezes come in and make me smile. I love this time of year.
