Roxanne Lessa's Roadmap

Lately, I've been sort of spinning my wheels.  I've been trying to take care of the house (seemingly a loosing battle), trying to get rid of things and trying to work  on some quilts.  There's a ton of quilting I'd like to do to enter some shows coming up in September....but I'm having  a hard time starting.

Going for doctor's appointments, handling the stuff that comes up, looking in dismay at my very weedy (and dry) garden....and sorting through tons of stuff...well, it's just easy to get distracted and not get a lot done...and then, of course, there's my low red blood cell count which means that in the evenings, I'm sometimes just too pooped to blog...or do much else actually.

Today, Roxanne Lessa came up with a wonderful blog about having a roadmap derived from Christine Kane's from her Uplevel Your Productivity, because, and I totally agree with her here, being successful at whatever you do requires discipline...something I have to keep on having in the front of my brain.

Roxanne broke it up into an on ramp, driving down the highway, and an off ramp.  I really suggest you take a look at her post....and maybe incorporate a thought or two...if not, you can just enjoy her wonderful quilts in the gallery.

Now, off to get the stuff ready for tomorrow's work on a nautical piece.....

PS.  You can find more about Christine Kane's program here:

http://www.uplevelyourlife.com/

http://christinekane.com

Discipline

Last year, I selected "discipline" as my word for the year.  I didn't do too well at incorporating it into my daily life.  However, I'm working on it.

This week has been frustrating.  Partly because I thought that since it was my week free of chemo that I would have energy.  That didn't prove to be the case.

The other point of frustration is that I have been trying to find the big box of beanie babies to send off to Afghanistan....only I can't find them. I have looked for hours and I'm hoping that perhaps they are in the attic.  I know WHAT the box looks like...I just can't lay my hands on it.

Then, I intended to finish up my quilt for the Fast Friday Fabric Challenge...I have the greatest design and I'm really excited about it.....but I decided that it REALLY needed some bobbin work.  I have two extra bobbin cases for my sewing machine, one for monofiliment thread for the bobbin and one for doing bobbin work with larger threads such as the variagated perle cotton I intended to use for this project.  I can't find the bobbin work bobbin case.  I looked...and I looked....and I just can't find it.   I tried to use my little light weight Brother sewing machine which has a drop in bobbin....and I did, for about 1/4 of the way, then it started making horrendous sounds...I think there's something in the bobbin area but my eyesight isn't good enough at present to clean it out.  Heck, I can't even see the regular thread!  I looked for 8 hours for that bobbin case before giving up and going on to the month before's Fast Friday Challenge which I didn't finish either.


It is infuriating how much time I spent looking for things.  I could have been using that time to create instead.  Just a couple of days earlier, Lyric Kinard wrote about this in her newsletter.  I encourage you to not only read it, but to subscribe.  I'm enjoying it completely.  Take a look here.  Her article is something that Vivien Zepf and I have talked about in the past...how some quilt artists such as Lyric and Natalya Aikens are able to quilt, teach, write, AND be mothers.  They have the same number of hours in the day.....

I determined back in March when I realized how bad my sewing room had become and how I hated my office that I would start following what I knew to be true.  Put things where they belong and clean up each time...you'll save both time and money because you won't have to buy duplicates and you'll be able to get right to work.  Lyric asked in her newsletter how we're going to exercise discipline.  I have vowed to handle things once...putting them right where they belong not setting them down to get to them later...because later often comes when there is a mountain to deal with which then takes days....and just serves to frustrate.

I've also vowed to unpack bags from classes, etc.  This came after I discovered 6 pots of Stewart Gill paint int he bottom of the bag I took to Carol Taylor's class at NQA in Columbus last year.  I had been looking for those pots! 

I am also labeling boxes and containers so anyone can find what they are looking for in my sewing room.  That way, I won't be stuck going "now what did I do with that?  Which box holds that little wonder???? 

It will take time.  It is, however, markedly better than it was just a month ago.  Big thanks go to Chris Landis and Beth Ann Miller who came and helped by labeling putting things in while I directed.  What a great thing!...now, back to working on the very fabulous design. :)