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The Quilting Cottage

Saving the world, one quilt at a time

Diana Tavis

The Bag 08.08.08

When I started to write this I sat down and waited for my inspiration... after a few moments, still waiting... and few more moments, still waiting. You see, Lisa and Avalon had the audacity to BOTH go on vacation this week. I'll dispense with the whining, just suffice to say... "haaaalp!" Lisa is a wonder woman in the paperwork mountain and Avalon handles all the website orders and traffic. I can't imagine life without them.. Or without quilting for that matter.
This led me to another thought as I was tackling the stack of papers on my desk. I had this wild daydream of running out of the office and heading straight for my machine. Here's the setting... a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. For me that is the "everywhere" of where I want to be. No sign of civilization for miles. No telephone, no T.V., not even a car or a road for that matter. Never mind how I got there, possibly helicopter or simply a horse and wagon. Just me, my machine and the creative process of molding fabric into a functional work of art.
I can hear a stream trickling and gurgling in my mind and the wind gently rustling the grass tops as it winds its way through the valley. I can even visualize the birds gliding on the updrafts while deer roam the fields grazing, occasionally stopping to look up at me in my sewing.
I guess my whole point here is that we all can get so crazy busy that we don't think we have even a spare second to pull out the machine. Life is like that sometimes. While I do make a point to schedule "down time" in my calendar and give it the same devotion to attention and seriousness as my accountant would receive, there are many levels of quilting that most forget.
The first step in any quilt is the original thought. I think this part is the most magical of all the steps; sometimes the ideas come at me so fast I need to jot them down. This is where "the bag' comes in. I keep this small bag with me at all times that contains: One reading book, one word search book, one small sewing or crochet project and one notepad for ideas. This notepad contains everything from Homeschooling thoughts and reminders, shopping lists, a small inventory of my freezers so I can maintain a proper rotation of items, Rambling seed for thought that I can expand on later and..... Quilt ideas. Quilt ideas are things like the way the clouds look at a particular moment and how I could possibly make it into a quilt or an absolutely beautiful geometric design I saw in a hotel lobby floor. It may be a quick sketch or a photo from my phone with a few written notes.
Oddly enough, I have never been one to keep a diary and I may even sound super organized... That is so, not the case. I have come to the realization that if I don't write something down it gets lost in the wind. So, out of desperation I write everything down and in those fleeting moments in-between the daily tasks of everyday life, I still get my Quilting time in and if it seems that I am perpetually writing things down and not managing to get to the actual sewing part. That’s ok... I can schedule more "down time" and bring my life back into balance.
So the next time you get that spark of inspiration, jot it down in your notebook. Who knows, it could be the original thought of your greatest quilt.

For that perfect bag, visit www.thequiltingcottage.com. There you will find the bags;"This is a great bag for any day trip. Being 12" tall, and 11" wide with a zippered pocket on one side, a Velcro pocket on the other side, and a small zippered pocket on the inside perfect for your thread or anything else small. I find these things so great, I recommend several of these to coordinate with your different outfits. At $7.99 (USD) They are a great price."

Have a wonderful weekend,
Diana
www.thequiltingcottage.com


Pssst. It's coming... The biggest sale of the year... Keep watching.


 

Published Aug 11 2008, 02:52 PM by Diana Tavis

Comments

 

QuiltFriendly said:

Ooooh I am reading all your threads! Did I miss the Biggest sale of the year! I hope not!

September 16, 2008 2:36 PM
 

Diana Tavis said:

not yet.  Keep watching the front page of the main website for the countdown....  

Diana

September 17, 2008 5:11 PM
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