Turning to Aim at 2018

 

This is the final weekend of the calendar year. 2017 was meant to be (for me) the year of finishing things. Looking back, I've done reasonably well.


In 2018, I will do even better. I currently have at least 6 quilts that have completed tops, but need to be quilted. My goal is to complete them in 2018. I have another 4 tops that are in progress - I intend to finish those as well - if quilting happens on them, I've learned to make more time.  :)


I also have a book to write.
A rug to make.
A series of cross-stitch patterns to figure out.
And whatever else turns up.

So really, this will be the year of Channeling Hawkeye. He's a mortal man, no superpowers (just mechanical alterations made, depending on which version of Hawkeye we're talking about). He's just a normal guy. Who plays with superheroes and supervillains, and keeps up with them.

I will be adding one to the tally of tops to make: the symbol up top - the minimalist Hawkeye look. I will put it on my bed when I am done to remind myself that I'm not super, but I can be mighty.

Maybe that should be a more common goal. Be the mightiest you that you can be.

Scrappy-dappy-do? (aka, what am I doing??)

Yes, this mess is what I am doing these days... between work stress, sickness all through the house, Christmas blahs, anxiety over gift-giving, this is an innocuous craft. If you can't tell - and you probably cannot - I am plying fabric to make a rag rug. It is similar to braiding fabric strips for rag rugs, but I am learning to ply - like you do for yarn. I hope it will help me when I finally get the spinning bug again.

There is no plan, no pattern for the rug this will wind up being. It will probably be oval-ish, and stitched by hand unless Frank (the mid-arm) will stitch it. Need to check that.

It seems to be an excellent way of using up scrap fabric. Right now I am plowing through pre-cuts from jelly rolls. If the rug isn't big enough when I am done, I will have PLENTY of scraps to cut up, and the rule is simple: once it hits the scrap bin, anyone can use it.

In some ways, I cannot wait for the holidays to be over. Not that I don't wind up enjoying them - I am not claiming that. But... I am looking forward to a slight reduction in stress and anxiety, and being able to apply myself to Ballet Folklorico and other quilts.

I want to turn this pic into a quilt. It's my pic, so why not? It is the inner roof of the Japanese Tea Pagoda (?) at the Sunken Gardens in San Antonio, Texas. If you get the chance to go, you should. It is beautiful, and a wonderful way to re-purpose an old quarry.

When I looked up at this, it cried out to be made into a quilt. So, it's on the list.

And, of course, there are the geek-themed quilts that I want to make. Some for others, some for me, some just because I want to make them.

Like this one - this is going to be the theme for the upcoming year (which for me will start on the winter solstice, because I can). It will be detailed and time consuming, but so be it. I also have the Hulk quilt planned out, another Iron Man quilt planned out, and am currently mulling over a Wonder Woman quilt. Although if I start there, I will wind up adding Hawkgirl (why is she a GIRL???) - probably the bombshell version, but you never know.

Part of me also wants to do a whole-cloth quilt... maybe I could use the poster to the right for that?

But first, I am going to continue the process of finishing UFOs: Clipper Ship, Fabric Homicide, and Crazy Diamonds. Those come first for quilting.
For those that read this, I have a question....

If we started making geek-themed batiks, what themes would you like to see?? (oooh, we could make batik shirts....)

S