Finally... Fall...

I just can't stand it anymore.  The temps have cooled down to a "Fall-ish" 85 to 89 degrees during the day (OK - remember, while that may be summer temps for some, that is 20 deg cooler than our highs just two weeks ago and all summer - 3 months - long).  Leaves are turning colors (OK - they just dried up over the summer as a defense mechanism against the extreme heat).  

I officially declare that early Fall has arrived in Oklahoma - Fall is by far my favorite season.  I try not to rush this season by starting to take all my Fall stuff out in July or August or March (ha!).  You can't appreciate things if you have too much of them.  But it is time now.  The other sure sign that Fall is arriving?

YES! - the Fall issues of magazines are arriving in the book stores and candy corn can be found at most stores.  

So, I was inspired to start on my Fall quilts.  Here is just a tease of the hand-dyed Autumn Leaf quilt ... pulled it off the UFO shelf to see what was left to do on it.  It WILL be completed this month!

And I pulled out fabrics for my Autumn Wreath quilt and started cutting the circles out.  

This week, the boxes of Fall decorations and quilts come out and I start to decorate.

I SIMPLY love Fall...

Blessings,

Kat

Sleep Eluded Me...

It has been a busy week at work - especially the last three days.  Non-stop brain power - full throttle exhaustion.  Last night, I could not sleep - as it often happens, my mind goes into overdrive and won't let my tired body settle down and rest.  But instead of sitting or laying there worrying about not sleeping and about what will be going on the next day at work, I got up at 3am, made myself some Chamomile Tea, and sat in the recliner slowly doing some simple hand embroidery - until about an hour later when I was so relaxed, I fell right to sleep.  When I woke up this morning, the embroidery hoop was on my chest (luckily with the needle still in it) and my half-finished tea was on the wood chest next to the couch (luckily it wasn't spilled on me OR my hand embroidery).  

Now that is my SIMPLE cure for insomnia!

Blessings,

Kat

What is SIMPLE anyway?

I want to live a simpler life!  What a buzz phrase in today's crazy world.  But what does SIMPLE mean anyway?  Does it really represent what I am trying to achieve? 

Merriam Webster's online dictionary has the following definitions for SIMPLE:

1.  free from guile - INNOCENT

2.  free from vanity, ostentation, display - MODEST

3.  of humble origin or modest position

4.  lacking knowledge or expertise - NAIVE

5.  constituting a basic element - FUNDAMENTAL

6.  free from elaboration or figuration

7.  not subdivided

8.  not limited or restricted - UNCONDITIONAL

9.  readily understood or performed

Synonyms - plain, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unvarnished

Interesting - I think many of these "definitive" definitions can be misinterpreted or misused to describe things that I think are not that "simple" to define (ha!).  I think that something someone else considers complex may be simple to me.  And something complex to me may be simple to someone else.

Would this flower be considered SIMPLE?

By definition, some may say it is not free from ostentation (look at the bright colors and the detail of the veins) or readily understood (what does it take for this flower to grow and survive) or free from guile (a flower often used to "repair" a relationship or encourage someone to feel better).  It definitely may not be considered unadorned or unornamented with its bright red highlights and its showy center.  

But to me, it is simply beautiful.

Blessings,

Kat

Relaxing Sunday (uh, Monday)

Not that I don't appreciate a holiday, but it really does play havoc with my inner clock - even just the one added day this weekend.  I guess I tend to think I have extra time, so I can get a LOT of extra things done.  Wrong!!!  

And of course with the cold front coming in Saturday and our temps dropping to a nice Autumn-like range, I felt invigorated - invincible - insane.  I was a whirlwind of activity and ideas Saturday (and, yes, even Sunday since it also felt like Saturday with being off Monday).  I became a crazy woman thinking about all the Fall projects I would like to do (and all the handmade Christmas gifts I could make - but I will save that for another blog). 

Whooooaaaa!!!  Put on the brakes, put the car in park and turn off the ignition.  I do this every year, and THIS year is supposed to be different. So, I made a thoughful, much-less-than-previous-years LIST for my Fall projects, and even PRIORITIZED them, because I just can't do it all.  (Quick, get the smelling salts for my hubby!  OK - he came to, but is wondering who I am and what I did with his wife.)

So just to prove it to you (and me!!!) - here is a sneak peak at my list and pics of the two patterns for the quilt projects at the top of my list...

Designed by Nancy Halvorsen from her book Bittersweet

So, you can see that even though I am SIMPLIFYING my life, I still have my work cut out for me.  However, I will get done what I get done and not worry about the rest (oops, my hubby just passed out again).

Off to some relaxing hand stitching as usual on a Sunday (uh, I mean Monday) night...
Blessings,
Kat

Grateful Sunday - A Blog Beginning

What a Difference a Few Days Make...

It is done !!!  My QUILT ROOM is clean and organized (as long as you don't ask me to open the closet door - ha!).  Here are some pics.  I no longer have an excuse NOT to be quilting in it any more (except for maybe not finding stuff because it is now organized???). 




Design Wall with awesome Anna Maria Horner fabric waiting for a bright idea!

I am embarassed to admit this, but I am embarassed how much fabric I have.  Quilters have a saying "The quilter that dies with the most fabric, wins!"  I look at it all and see a time in my life when I had no time or energy to quilt, so I bought fabric instead - it was easier and at least I felt I was doing something.  Not anymore.  All that material is now a challenge to me - it is saying "Use me now!".

If I make the quilts SIMPLE, I may be able to use most of the fabric in my lifetime!!!  Of course, that is, if I don't buy any more.  (Oh, now that is really FUNNY!)

Blessings - Don't let that fabric go to waste!!!
Kat 

To Organize is to Simplify???

I am not big on true organization - you know, the kind where you go to the organizer store and purchase every type of color folder, color file labels, sticky notes, bulletin boards, dividers, filing boxes, matching accessories to hold every imaginable item, etc.  OK - now you know I am not the type because I don't even know what all the organizing "stuff" is called.  For those who are (Trish, Lea - but who is naming names) - more power to you.  

I must admit, however, when I do try to organize, it typically does not make things SIMPLER for me.  I seem to remember where things are when they are in messy piles or scattered all over kingdom come.  But put something in some organized system - ha!!!! - I will look for DAYS for it - getting all flustered and driving everyone crazy.  I mean, the "lost" item has to be in some logical (????) place, RIGHT?

Though as I thought about it, it would be nice for my quilt room to look cleaner and, well, simpler.  So, I started "organizing" last week, which basically meant

• trying to get fabrics folded and stacked together in some meaningful manner,
• putting UFOs (UnFinished Objects, of which I have an EMBARASSING number) in one place and hidden from view so I didn't try to work on 10 or 15 of them at a time (can you say ADD?), and 
• storing all my various ephemera and tools away in some form of containers.  

It is still a work in progress, but there is progress.  It may not be the work of an organizational guru, but for me it is an organizational work of art.  

Some BEFORE pics:

And what did I learn from this exercise in organization?  It is AMAZING how much room you save when you fold your fabric instead of just cramming it in somewhere !!!  Now I have room for MORE FABRIC !!! 

Some AFTER pics:

Stay tuned for pics of my finished SIMPLER quilt room!

Blessings,

Kat