diary of a cranky quilter.

some of the blogs are REAL.  they show everything,  warts and all.  they don’t just blog the good days.  they blog all days.

and then some blogs are just …  pretty,  you know?  you open up the page and it’s like a lilac scented breeze washes over you …  and it’s all baby powder and brown sugar.

both blogs have their merit.  i love the REAL …  but sometimes you just need that breath of simple,  fresh air.

this blog?

yeah,  i think it’s gonna be real.

i mean REAL.

i try real hard to be the pretty.  the lilac scented.  the perfectly perfect.

and then,  i sit down to create.

see that quilt top up there at the beginning of the post?  i’m pretty proud of it.  i LOVE color …  and i wanted to make some little quilts for my upcoming craft show …  so i had wednesday off and decided to make something.

i can do a mini quilt top in a day,  right??  some people make a full sized quilt in a day!  and they have kids!  and dogs!  and husbands!  and then they make dinner,  blog about it and get to bed by 9pm.

i can SOOO do this!

so.  here’s how that little quilt top got made …  in MY world.

 

diary of a cranky quilter.

i got an accuquilt go! from the hubby for my birthday.  i love it.  but because i don’t have a sturdy enough table to cut on …  i am on my hands and knees on my sewing room’s floor.

the floor that is covered in dog and cat fur.

i cut my HSTs but i still struggle a bit with the go! and have to trim some of the triangles.

i lint brush all the pet hair off the fabric.

i sew and iron,  iron and sew.

i start to put rows together …

…  and the triangles are not matching up.

i am using a DIE CUTTER.  how is this even POSSIBLE???  i ask myself.

so i get out my seam ripper …  rip rip rip …

maisie comes in,  sniffs at what i am doing …  and starts to nose in my garbage can.

“maisie out!  OUT!”

she trots out with fabric scraps in her mouth and i pretend not to see.

i sew and iron,  iron and sew.

some of the squares are matching up!  huzzah!

i love the colors!  the birds are chirping!  the sun is shining!

mittens comes in,  settles on my chair and starts to take a snoozle.

all is right with the world!  i can’t wait to blog about this!!!

sew and iron,  iron and sew.  lint brush,  lint brush.

maisie notices mitttens and comes over to play …  mittens is having NONE of this …  hissing and growling and chasing ensue …

MAISIE!!!  STOP!

my squares stop matching up suddenly.  i get the seam ripper out again.

grrrrrrr.

sew and iron and RIP and sew.

i give up on the lint brushing.

i decide i need a snack.  i go downstairs and get some cookies and soda.  maisie trots after me desperate for a crumb.

back up we go.

no crumbs.

she grabs a skein of yarn off a shelf.

MAISIE!!!! NO!

she drops it and walks away.

sew and iron.

rip rip rip.

i’m starting to sweat.

sew and iron.

RIP RIP RIP.

stupid mistake.  STUPID!

maisie did you just …..?

oh gross …  my sweet sewing room smells now!!!  thanks maisie.

i really wanted to have the top done by bedtime.

i stop to have dinner.  i think i need a break.  a breather.  a time out.

we eat dinner and dave asks how it’s going.

“it’s ok.  i think i will be done by bedtime”  i say.

and i start to believe that again.

dinner’s done,  back up i go.

maisie stays downstairs,  mittens comes back in and sits in my lap while i am at the sewing machine.  it’s a little cumbersome,  but she needs the cuddles …  as do i.  so i sew around her for a little while.

i’m getting things done!  it’s starting to grow.  and,  although it’s not completely perfect,  it’s looking pretty darn good,  i think.

sew and iron.

iron and sew.

not too much seam ripping.

i’ve got a few more rows to go …  i pause and take a look at it …

it’s not perfect.

i mean,  maybe it’s ok?  do people look for perfection in quilts?  does this look even sort of good?  would someone buy this? or will people walk by my table at a show and snicker.  look at that poor girl.  and her table of crap!   maybe we should buy something out of pitty.  oh gosh, no.   it’s all too awful.   THIS STUFF BELONGS ON REGRETSY!!!!!   maybe i wasn’t meant to be a crafter.  maybe i should sell everything and just read blogs about other people’s sewing.  “HONEY!!!!!  DO YOU THINK I SHOULD STOP SEWING AND SELL OFF EVERYTHING BECAUSE I SUCK?????”  i yell.

dave comes into my room and calms me down.  tells me to knock it off.  keep at it.  asks me if i enjoy crafting for the fun of it.

(am i enjoying this???   i’m not so sure anymore.)

tells me to create because i enjoy creating …  and stop worrying about what other people will think.

he kisses me and heads to the bedroom.

maisie trots off after him with a skein of yarn in her mouth.

MAISIE!!!!!  LEAVE IT!

i keep sewing and ripping and ironing.

at one point i go into the bedroom,  get into bed and pull the covers over my head.

dave tells me to stop.

i sigh.  he doesn’t understand.

back i go.

i wanted to be done by bedtime.

it’s now midnight.

i’m sweating again.

i finish the last row.

i run to tell dave but he’s asleep.

HOW DARE HE SLEEP WHILE I AM HAVING A MELTDOWN CRAFTING!!!!!

i go back into my sewing room and look at the quilt.  it’s …  ok.  but far from perfect.  i mean,  look at all those misaligned HSTs!!!!!!  no one will buy this,  for sure.  i love it.  i would even hang it on my wall.  but,  as a business?  yeah,  i should never EVER think about starting a business or going to shows.  i mean.  this is laughable.

i just bought business cards,  i think.  i sigh.  how much money have i wasted on crafting supplies???

i sigh again,  defeated.

i turn off all the lights.  i shut everything down.  i pick up all the half chewed scraps and pieces of yarn of the floor and throw them away.

i get into bed …  and go to sleep.

~*the next day*~

i walk into the sewing room and look at my doll quilt hanging up in my room.  i stand there for a few minutes …  just looking.

“hey, honey?  can you come in her a second?”  i say.

dave shuffles in with maisie at his heels.

“what’s up?”  he asks.

“it doesn’t look that bad does it?  i mean,  i would buy it.  would you?”

he looks at it with his critical artist’s eye.

“it looks pretty good babe.”

“i know, right?  like last night i was ready to throw it away but …  it’s really not that bad!!!!”

i’m happy.  he looks at me and shakes his head and sighs.  he walks out.

maisie trots after him with a skein of yarn in her mouth.

“what?!?!?!?”  i cry.

from his office i hear a muffled,  “i told you so.”

“shut up!”  i yell,  and smile.