Focus

The definition of focus is: Noun – Center of interest or activity. Verb – Pay particular attention to.

Somehow, I don’t seem to focus on one quilting activity for a long time. I flip from one project to another and it seems as if I don’t finish anything. I have decided to announce to myself every morning that I will focus on one project that day. It will be the only thing on my table. Everything else will be out of sight. Of course, gardening, cleaning the house and cooking will be allowed.

My new plan has worked for two days. A bird or bird house block is due at the Guild in a few weeks. I realized that I wouldn’t be here for the drawing. I had to submit the block early. This is where I really miss my sewing room in N. H. I have no bird house patterns. Also, no fabric except for the Japanese fabric that I left here over the winter and the fabric for the Flower Wall hanging. I didn’t want to use the Japanese fabric so it had to be made with the wall hanging fabric.

The Internet is wonderful. I downloaded images of several bird houses. I was able to enlarge the images and used the computer as a light box to draw the bird house. Ideas from several houses were used. The designing took most of the morning. I couldn’t make a fusible applique as the Misty Fuse is in N. H. Paper piecing was the answer. I paper pieced the house and then hand appliqued the whole piece down. That was all I did on that day, A piece started and finished. Focusing worked for one day.

Today. I finished the 12 fabric boxes. All the hand sewing is done. They just need the buttons which are in N. H. The boxes are in the suitcase, waiting to go South. Sewing the buttons on the boxes will be my focus for one day. Or evening while watching TV.

There are a few projects left in the blanket box. Most are hand sewing projects. The hand sewing projects would be perfect to work on while sitting on the porch. The weather has finally warmed up and is beautiful. Every time that I sit on the swing, the black flies drive me inside. I needed something to sew on my machine. I had a choice of Dear Jane, a box of 2 1/2″ squares and a very large bag of Mile A Minute stuff. The mile A Minute bag will be my next focus project. There is so much in that bag. I will have to focus for more than one day. When it is finished, I will have lots of blocks to work with. After all the blocks are made, I can put that project aside until I can get the fabric to complete the quilts. I should have enough blocks for several quilts.

I have been working in the gardens in the mornings. I am about half finished with the last one. Then, I start all over again. I can see some tiny green plants where I planted the wild flower seeds. I hope that they are the flowers and not more weeds. Time will tell.

The pretty, little purple flowers are under the birch trees again. I don’t know what they are. I didn’t plant them. They come every June for me to enjoy. The lupine are almost ready for their display.