Sunday, September 20, 2015

Liberation!

Your feedback has helped me reinforce my decision to stop at Step 5 of my Mystery Quilt-Along and I'm probably going to take a few days off before starting a new project.

I can now say that I am truly a "liberated" woman...not as in "woman's lib"...but free from all UFO's, WIP's and PhD's.  I am totally caught up and let me say that it's a glorious feeling.  In the past, I've found myself lying awake at night when I have more than one project on the go which causes me to be stressed out and I really don't like that feeling.

Honestly, I'm not here to preach about finishing up projects before starting on a new one.  It doesn't work for me but we're all different and all I can say is if it works for you then that's all that matters.  Different strokes, huh?  *wink*

For those of you that mentioned that they would like to make their quilt a little larger and before I made the decision to end mine at the fifth step, I was considering a final border of either log cabin blocks to tie in with the "house" theme or another border of piano keys to echo the other row.  I'll leave it in your hands or if you have an idea of your own, go with it!  I'm sure it'll be lovely too!

You can certainly tell that Fall is just around the corner with the warm days, cool nights and the noticeably shortened amount of daylight hours.

I've replaced the now spindly wave petunias that graced our wheelbarrow for most of the summer with a Fall mum and some pumpkins. 



The flower gardens are definitely past their prime and it won't be long before we start to put them to bed for the winter.  



In the spring, we planted six tomato plants in the kitchen garden plot just outside our back door and at the rate at which they're ripening, I think we'll have enough tomatoes to open up a roadside stand!

Few things can compare to the taste of a freshly picked tomato.



We can't keep up with them!  The 'beefsteak' variety were bred to be eaten fresh from the vine are not the kind for canning/preserving or I'd certainly be busy doing that.

Some of them are the size of grapefruits!  



That's a quarter, just to give you some perspective as to their size.

So now I think I'll spend the afternoon going through some of my hundreds of patterns, books and magazines to see if I can find a new project that tickles my fancy.  

Failing that, maybe I'll design one of my own!


Happy stitching!

12 comments:

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

Nothing compares to a homegrown tomato! I think I will have to live to be 100 before completing all projects. Am seeing more and more signs of fall with cooler temps, shorter days and mums and pumpkins on every corner.

Teresa said...

If I ever get my projects completed, then I plan to keep only one machine piecing.quilting project and one handwork project going. I think you are smart to approach your projects the way you do.

barbara woods said...

our tomato's here in N. west Ga. has give up, just getting little bitty ones

Janet O. said...

My Mom has always been a one-project-at-a-time quilter. I don't think I ever will be. : )
Really looking forward to cooler days and the golden glow of Autumn--and to seeing what you choose to work on next.

moosecraft said...

Congrats on being UFO free! :-) It's an awesome feeling! I try to work on one project at a time... if for no other reason I don't want to forget what it was I was doing with it? lol! One wool top in the works and 3 lap quilts need quilting... manageable. Enjoy those tomatoes!!!!

Carm said...

Happy that you are project free. I'll never be unless I give away the 100 or so different kinds of projects I have started. I'm a serial starter. I think I have a finish disorder of some kind. With all the projects I have started I have to live to be close to 500 to finish them, LOL! Enjoy you rest and think up a lovely new project!

Carm said...

That would be finishing disorder. I have projects from over 25 yrs ago.

Monica said...

Not only have you finished all your UFOs, but you even have the luxury of choosing the next project! Sounds lovely. The garden may be a little shaggy, but I love all these early fall colours. Enjoy your tomatoes! I know I would. :D

Jackie said...

I love eating tomato sandwiches made with fresh bread, a little salt & pepper, and homegrown tomatoes! (The best-yum!) Glad to hear that you're caught up on all of your projects. I hope to be there one day....

Wendy Caton Reed said...

I wholeheartedly agree that the quilt is perfect at stage 5. Enjoy your new found freedom and happy stitching!

Ann at Prairie Primrose said...

I can only imagine how it would feel to be 'liberated' ! I am too afraid to even count my projects up.Congratulations! And your tomatoes look fabulous!

Pam in IL said...

Love how your quilt turned out and where you decided to stop with it. How fun to have all your WIPs finished! Our tomatoes are nearly done. My MIL gave me some Heirloom Rose tomatoes and I've never seen tomato plants get as big as these. The plants are over 6 feet tall and the tomatoes have been HUGE. The largest one I picked was over 3 pounds and bigger than my out-stretched hand.