Saturday, August 26, 2006

Days 23, 24, 25, &26

First things first - no new quilty purchases. Just 5 more days to go. :-) But I think I'll be extending this challenge to myself until the end of the year. Not the total quilty purchases ban I'm currently doing. But no new books, patterns, or magazines (except the Quilters Home featuring Judy's blog). And no new quilty gadgets or gizmos that just sit in a drawer and are never used. So none of those until the end of the year. Now for Sept I think I'm going to let myself buy the fabric for one quilt. I have a pattern I'd love to do but do not have enough co-ordinating fabrics with the yardage required to make the quilt. Susan, it's that woven one in the magazine we both fell in love with. So I'll allow myself to purchase JUST ENOUGH FABRIC FOR THIS QUILT with maybe 1/4 yard extra of each piece to allow for mis-cuts and a bit for my scrap bins. And it has to be made in September or I can't buy any fabric in October. If I can do this then I'll pick another pattern toward the end of next month to be my new October project. It's a plan. Let's see if I can stick with it. LOL!

Hour-a-day. Got stalled early in the week but is now back on track. I put in about 1-1/2 yours last night and again this morning and it now only needs the border. Pictures probably tomorrow as I plan to go when I finish writing this and see if I can get those borders on.

I have learned something about myself this week. The longer I go without sewing the harder it is for me to get started again. Every day I'd tell myself you need to go do your hour. But my back has been really bothering me so I'd just continue to sit in my chair. Well you know what? My back is NEVER going to get better so it's ALWAYS going to bother me. So instead of sitting like a lump in my chair - and still hurting - I might as well sit in my sewing chair and do something constructive. That said I'm headed up front to finish my borders right now. :-)

19 comments:

Melzie said...

I hope your back feels better enough to continue :) I love your idea, finish one that month before purchasing to start another! I fell off the wagon today but only 4 yrds worth, 2 I needed 2 were bargains LOL. Bad melzie bad melzie. xoxo melzie aka bad melzie

Cher said...

hope you can stick to your plan-it sounds good to me! I have been happy sewing away on my current project. But I totally agree, it was hard to get myself back to my machine!

Pam said...

Can't wait to see your finished top! I quit buying those special rules and other such gizmo's a few years back, when it comes to tools I can pretty much think reasonably and know if it is a waste of time, money and space. My down fall is prepackaged BOM blocks...I have YEARS of sets that I have never done!!! why oh why???

Susan said...

Oh, I like your finish-Sept.-quilt plan! That's a great way to limit spending.

Hedgehog said...

I love your goals, rewards and punishments! I've done things like that ever since my piano practicing days. If I play ten scales, I get a chocolate, etc!

quiltpixie said...

interesting idea for Sept Goals :-)

ForestJane said...

Congrats on sticking to the No Fabric challenge!

I wonder how many people who're doing it plan to rush out and spend $$ at the Labor Day fabric sales... lol

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Nancy - you are in the final countdown days for August - you've done really well! I think I have enough rulers and patterns to keep me going for a good while yet too - right now I would rather spend my $$$ on sending my tops out to a long-arm quilter. And, if you back is hurting - maybe sewing is a good distraction.

Cheers!

Evelyn

Eileen said...

I like your September goal idea. It should work out great. And you're right-your back is going to do it's thing,so you might as well be productive. Then you won't think about it as much.
I don't think I'll run out on the 1st. Not buying has not been nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

Linda C said...

I like the finish it in September or no purchases in October plan--might be harder to stick to but might see the project through to completion if there is a reward to be had at the end. We will be happy to cheer you on with this, Nancy.

Cynthia said...

Good luck with your September goal. Please post progress reports.

Hope you were able to sew the borders on your Hour A Day quilt. Hope to see a photo soon.

Gail said...

I agree with you about the longer you are away, the harder it is to get back to sewing. The hour a day has been good for me that way, trying to make it a routine.

Tonya Ricucci said...

The less you sew, the less you want to sew? Uh oh, better get to that machine and go VROOOOM.

Juliann in WA said...

Nancy - your post really tugs on my heart strings. My dh is dealing with back pain too. I hope that your sewing time will bring some comfort to you. I really enjoy your posts.

Vicky said...

Nancy, I had already decided to continue to challenge myself through the end of the year. It's going to be a little tougher than this month has been because my friend, Jane, and I are going to explore new-to-us shops in SoCal. But I'm so out of the buying mode now that I think I'll be wanting to get only necessary things to complete projects. I am, however, looking forward to the inspiration infusion that I always get when I walk into a new quilt shop. I'm just going to try to parlay that inspiration into shopping in my stash first.

I hope your back feels better soon. I cracked a couple of vertebrae in '01 so I know how uncomfortable you are. But you're right about one thing. You might hurt just as much sitting in your sewing chair as sitting in your easy chair - but at least you'll be accomplishing something! Take care of yourself, honey!

Hugs

Libby said...

I like your September goal. Take plenty of breaks from sitting in your sewing chair. You'll have your project complete in no time at all.

Kay said...

Love your resolution not to buy--I've sort of informally resolved that too. I haven't even found it hard.

If more quilters start to do this, and resolve to use up their stashes, what will happen to quilt shops?

McIrish Annie said...

Nancy you are right. sometimes I have to force myself to sit down. I get sidetracked with laundry, or cleaning up but once I sit down hours can fly by.

Finished my mystery quilt top last night. started at 8:00 and next thing I knew it was 11:00!!. Have to buy fabric for the borders. but will post the top tomorrow.

I like you have pain issues but again I agree that we might as well spend our time doing something we love and focus our thoughts on that instead of "being lumpy" LOL

sewprimitive karen said...

I'm sorry you're having back trouble, Nancy. My dad had pretty bad back trouble and now as I begin to get some back aches, I think, no please, not like my dad. Your idea of a goal in one month to allow fabric purchase in the next month is positively brilliant.