To Sew or Not to Sew...

Lots of things get in the way of me being productive.  Things like family visits, lazy Sunday afternoons, naps, going to the park, and well, a host of other events that allow me to procrastinate.  I know I'm blaming all of the above, and that all of above can be avoided and/or rescheduled, but if I don't take time to do some good 'ole nothing, my projects suffer. I give you exhibit A:

In the past, in order to de-stress, I tried to crochet.  I decided that I would maybe take this approach this afternoon. I opened up my drawer of half-finished crochet projects and found this- evidence that crochet is rarely a stress-free activity for me.  I'm so focused on making sure it's square and even and has the right amount of tension that I tense up and it's not square, or even or loose.  On the right is what happens when I try to crochet and I'm not relaxed.  On the left is what happens after I've had a beer (or 3) and told myself that it's okay if it's not perfect.  

I'm not even really sure what to do with my NINE crocheted-so-tightly-I-could-hardly-get-a-hook-in-there squares.  Maybe I'll make Duncan a vest and give him more of a reason to bite my ankles in the morning. 

After seeing the squares and realizing that I was nowhere near being relaxed enough to go to war with a ball of yarn, I decided that maybe I would finally cut into this stash.  

I've been hoarding these fabrics for a few months now because I'm having a hard time deciding what I want the quilt top to look like.  And, I have a hard time cutting up any fabric that I really love because, well, then it gets used up and I don't have it any more.  It's like being 8 years old and eating all of your Easter candy in one night.  Guess who never did that and still had purple Peeps chickens come Christmas?  That's right.

But, I enjoy reading blogs in which I get to see projects come along, so I figured I would do the same. Plus, it gives me more motivation to move ahead and *sigh* cut up my tiny collection.

This is a quilt that is pleading to be finished and put up on Etsy:

I created the pattern myself, and I haven't decided how to quilt it.  I believe I may give my first try at free motion quilting, which I'm sure will include lots of prayers, cursing, and maybe a few tears.  I suppose I should go ahead and have a drink first too, because if my experience with free motion quilting is going to be anything like crochet, Duncan's getting a vest and a quilt.  Merry Christmas, Dunk-a-Dunk.