Clear as Mud

As a long-time member of SAQA's Visioning Project*, I enjoy reading my colleagues' posts, especially at year-end, when many are reviewing the past year and planning for the next.  Such clarity of mind there seems to be!

This year though, for the first time in my life many years, I'm prepared to admit I lack a strong vision for the coming year.  I long ago tossed away my 'word' for 2014 .  Though it continued to follow me around, riding along in the back of my brain like an ear-worm, I realized that while I "finished" many things this past year, those "things" weren't the "things" I'd intended to "finish" at the get-go.  I'm finished with "Finish"!

And I have nothing with which to replace it as a beacon for 2015.


Does this mean I plan to lie around all year and eat bonbons?


Not!

There are a few things I'd like to do/accomplish, to wit:

• Successfully complete Elizabeth Barton's Master Class.  By 'successfully' I mean:
• Go into each monthly theme/assignment with a positive, enthusiastic attitude;
• Face my fears and work at the work anyway;
• Finish (there's that word again!) the assignments to the best of my ability and in a timely manner.
• Obtain meaningful and positive critique of my work and progress.
• Complete the year with a few actual pieces -- in addition to a multitude of samples.
• Enjoy my up-coming holiday to Cuba with a dear friend from university days;
• Enjoy my trip to the SAQA Fiberlandia Conference in Portland, Oregon at the end of April;
• Enjoy sharing Section 'F' of the SAQA 25th Anniversary Trunk Show at guilds around Alberta and at Quilt Canada in Lethbridge, AB, in June;
• Complete my second year (of the two-year term) as SAQA Western Canada Co-Rep and 'retire' gracefully at the end of November, having made some small in-roads in the challenges of communication across a vast region, and of public education about art quilts;
• Do all of this only under the shelter of the Creator's wings...because I've learned that coming out from under that protection leads to falling flat on my face!

And so I close this year-end post with wishes to all of you, Gentle Readers, for a healthy, happy and creative New Year...and with this small prayer for the journey into 2015:

From the late Thomas Merton:

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O.
Jan. 31, 1915 - Dec. 10, 1968

*Note: while non-members can view posts to the VP, one needs to be a member to post a comment.  :-)

"Quilty Resolutions"

On New Year's Day 2012, the intrepid Sandy posted a suggestion on her blog, Quilting for the Rest of Us.  She suggested that it might be an idea to have specifically quilt-related resolutions going into 2012.  I decided to join the participants in this little project.

Well, now.  Hmmmmm.  It's well-past the half-way point of the year, and psychologically for many of us, the real New Year begins in September with the start of the school year (even if we're a) no longer in school and/or b) no longer parents -- or never were parents -- of school-aged children.  (That said, my son is returning to school on his own ticket this fall to get a Digital Media diploma.  Does that count? :-) )

So...where am I with my QRs?  Heck, what were they?!  I just so happen to have the list handy...

1. Something New I Will Try:  I elected to play with bleach discharge on fabric.  As my kids would say, "Epic fail!"  So much so that I didn't even post about it in this space -- or anywhere else for that matter.  The problem?  Turns out the beautiful dark blue jeans I rescued from the thrift shop (broken zipper) weren't 100% cotton.  They were 86% cotton, 13% polyester and 1% Spandex.  Sigh.  Nothing discharged.  Nada. Zip. Zilch.  And as I don't have any 100% cotton denim I'm prepared to surrender, I'll have to get another pair out of the thrift shop before I try this again.
2. The Project I've Always Wanted to Do: I won't elaborate on this here, as it's a gift for someone who might just read this blog, but suffice to say, I haven't started it yet!
3. The One UFO I'm Committed to Finishing: a top that I'm hand-quilting -- sometimes hooped, sometimes free-hand, as the mood strikes.  I've made a bit of progress on it since January, but with the heat of the summer days, have done nothing on it for a good three months.  Definitely a "must get to" in September to finish it by the end of this year!  I have however been finishing some art pieces and working steadily on my C&G...so stay tuned for a 'Finished' post very shortly!