I needed a nap today. My younger daughter left this afternoon after a six-day visit and my older daughter and her husband and my grands (Malachi, 4; Olivia, 2 1/2; and Isaac, 7 months) left on Tuesday after a busy, almost hectic, four days. I love having all of my family here together no matter how crazy it gets. I also end up tired beyond making sense of things by the time everyone leaves. It's times like these that I realize I'm no longer young (no matter what my brain tries to tell me).
Needless to say, I did nothing on the quilting front over the holiday weekend, nor the week before while I was preparing for their visit. I hope tomorrow I'll have a little more energy and focus. Unfortunately, tomorrow is Friday and I don't start projects on Fridays. My mom used to stay, "Never start a project on Friday that you can't finish on Friday." As a child and youth that never made sense to me because, after all, there was the whole weekend ahead to work on the project. But I've since found that when I start something on Friday my enthusiasm wanes by Saturday evening, even if I began knowing it was a long-term project. Perhaps there's a subconscious expectation of not finishing planted by my mom?
(Okay, to be honest, I've set myself a sub-rule for this no starting on Friday thing, just in case you're wondering. If I can successfully finish all of one step in a bigger project I allow myself to begin on a Friday, such as cutting out all the pieces for one quilt block; sewing a quilt block till it's finished; cutting out a pattern for a dress; layering and basting a quilt; etc. That usually works.)
So tonight --Thursday!-- I cut out a little basket to applique. (I was in advance of Friday by an hour or so.) I don't have any specific result in mind, just the idea to applique an autumn-ish basket and flower, and maybe several baskets.
On Saturday I'll resume my quilting efforts in earnest:
- thinking about my Gwenny medallion and "something fishy" for the last border
- finding/making backing for the Mornings Star quilt for Baby Isaac
- cutting and sewing more Buckeye Beauty blocks
- appliqueing this basket
Just out of curiosity: When do you decide it's time for a nap? And, do you start projects on Fridays? If so, do you have success finishing them if they take longer than one day? I suppose there probably aren't any other moms who planted that idea in their children's brains, are there?
I'm going to link this post to Brave Quilter for September at Pink Doxies. I expect to make several of these basket blocks. My "brave" this month will be pushing myself to use something other than a pale neutral background, i.e., a safe background, on at least one or two of these blocks. I may or may not like them but at least I will have tried something different. Thanks for hosting, Julie.
Happy Friday to you.
--Nancy.
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Cute basket, Nancy. : )
ReplyDeleteI decide it is time for a nap if I can't keep my eyes open, or if I know I'm feeling drowsy and I have a drive to make later on in the day.
Yes, I start projects on Friday without giving it a second thought. Since I rarely finish projects within a day or two of starting them, it doesn't matter that it won't get finished. My sewing machine often gets shut down Friday evening because I am too busy on Saturday cleaning house and cooking for the 12 people we have to dinner on Sunday--and finishing the prep on my Sunday School lesson if it is my week to teach. I don't need the temptation and distraction of my sewing project sitting out when I have so much else to do. My projects are always ready to go if and when I can get back to them the following week.
My Mom didn't teach me anything about not starting projects on Friday, she just taught me not to sew on Sunday. : )
Hi, Janet --
DeleteIt sounds like many people don't have any problem finishing projects they start on Fridays, though I have a friend who, when she heard my mom's teaching, commented that that could be why she had so many UFOs. I suppose it's just a family thing. My parents never started any kind of large, long-term projects, like painting or home repairs, on Fridays, either.
I grew up in a non-LDS home where my parents sent us kids to the church around the corner. It was pretty standard in those days to "keep the Sabbath" by refraining from work and being restful. (Restaurants were open but businesses were not.) We learned no working on Sunday by example more than from earnest teaching on my parents' part. My mom never said anything specific about not sewing on Sunday but I don't remember her ever sewing on Sundays. One Christmas when I was about 8 I received a doll with one set of clothing but no blanket. I promptly found some fabric and began sewing a cover for her. I remember my mom's sister telling me that I'd have to pull every stitch out with my nose. (That information did not deter me. Stubborn child!) One of our sister missionaries when we were investigators told me that her mom used to do hand sewing on Sundays while listening to conference talks or LDS radio. And we used to have a sister in our ward whose mom always brought knitting or crocheting to church every Sunday. I thought that was unusual. These days I do not sew anything on the machine on Sundays but I do occasionally hand stitch while I'm listening to conference talks, LDS music, or the Mormon Channel.
I've never made anything quilty that I could finish in one day, so starting a project on Friday isn't a problem for me. ;-) And I don't have a problem with working on my projects on the weekends.
ReplyDeleteI hit publish too soon. I lovemyourmlittle basket and can't wait to see what you do with it.
DeleteHi, Kathy --
DeleteMy mom's "adage" involved not just sewing projects, but any large projects -- painting a room, washing the walls of a room, home repair projects -- any project. I have a friend who heard this "rule" and suggested that could be why she has so many UFOs.
I suspect that little basket will be joined by some others but I don't yet have a plan. I can't wait to see what I do with it, either!
Never had the Friday rule embedded into my brain....thank goodness. I start a project when the spirit moves me....just like napping...LOL.
ReplyDeleteI try to stave off the naps until necessary, Jennie, but I can hardly resist. ;-)
DeleteI've never heard of this Friday rule. How interesting. When I worked in the big city, commuting up to 3 hours per day, I soooo looked forward to Friday evening. If I was too tired to sew, I cut out 2" squares. If I was too tired to cut, I sewed 2" squares. A lot of sewing went on back then. The nap rule is as follows . . . when I'm too tired to do one more thing, it's time for a nap. Even 20 minutes of closing ones eyes can help. Love the basket.
ReplyDeleteHi, Gypsy Quilter--
DeleteI'm sure it's a rule my mother created after observing her lack of success in completing projects she began on Fridays but not got around to finishing.
A 3-hour commute sounds just awful! I can imagine how thrilled you'd be to begin your weekend on a Friday night with sewing or cutting.
About naps -- yes, it's that way for me: when I can't think straight or can't do one more thing.
I've never hear the "don't start anything on Friday" saying before. I start lots of things on Friday or any other day of the week (except, perhaps, Sunday) Like you said, there is all weekend/Saturday to continue on the project. Napping is a difficult decision because if I nap then I have a hard time going to sleep at night. But, I do lay down and watch some TV for a while to rest. That seems to help.
ReplyDeleteHi, Robin. I told someone else that my mom's "rule" probably came about from her own early failed efforts to start and finish a weekend project.
DeleteI do that, too, sometimes -- just sit and watching a bit of TV (and sometimes doze off). If a nap prevented me from sleeping at night I would probably try to hold out until bedtime.
Love your choice of fabric for the basket! What is it going to be? A mug rug, perhaps?!
ReplyDeleteHi, Beatrice. This basket is not as small as yours nor as large as my first. It will finish at about 7 1/2" wide by about 8 1/2" tall. I will probably make more but I don't have a specific plan yet. I really just needed to have some hand work to do.
DeleteI really like this particular basket shape, the one I used for the medallion, but hadn't thought of changing it's size and using it for another quilt until you sent me the link to your mug rug. When I get this basket and perhaps several more sewn I will write a post about my medallion basket, your mug rug basket, and these baskets, and link back to your post. Would you mind if I used your photo in that post, when I write it?
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
I start projects any old time since I've come to accept that I'm a bad finisher and actually the enthusiasm generated by starting something new plays over onto making progress with existing projects. I guess those rules about not sewing on a Sunday stem from when sewing was a household chore rather than a relaxing hobby? Enjoy a peaceful, restful weekend ☺
ReplyDeleteHi, Allison. Yes, there is enthusiasm with starting a new project, isn't there? About finishing.... A friend made the connection that the reason she has so many UFOs is possibly because she starts so many projects on Fridays. I wonder.
DeleteI suppose sewing was "work" in earlier times and the teachings of the time were no work on the Sabbath.
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
I wish I could nap. I just can't do it and I read somewhere that people who nap live longer so I really really wish I could nap. Sometimes I'm so tired and a few minutes of a nod off would be wonderful, but no.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard about the Friday rule, but Sundays were definitely off limits for work of any kind. My grandmothers could sew on a button on Sunday in an emergency but they would have to take if off on Monday and resew it. Even the vegetables for the big Sunday meal were peeled the night before and kept in water overnight. Though my mother relaxed with some of this, I still think of Sundays as special but I will sew.
I'm sorry you can't nape, Jocelyn. It is one of the pleasures of my life!
DeleteWe rarely did much work on Sundays, except in the case of an emergency. But we always had a big Sunday dinner, though I don't remember my mom or grandmother cutting and peeling the day before.
I occasionally do hand stitching or quilting on Sundays but never cut fabric or sew on the machine.
It's interesting to think about what you've written. I don't think about my week in those terms, and will start or finish a project anytime. I've really tried to move away from the mentality that I have to 'finish' something before the end of the week.
ReplyDeleteAs for naps, Yes!, I do those. I will admit to needing them more to clear my head, but try to really limit the time I nap. A 20 minute nap can rejuvenate me, but a two hour snooze kills my need to go to bed on time.
As for your #BraveQuilter project, I'm happy for you. I like that you're using color to stretch your boundaries, and I think a variety of backgrounds gives a quilt depth. I'm also happy to follow along with your applique projects as it's an area I'm just starting to enjoy in my own sewing. Thanks for linking up, and see you at the beginning of October, Nancy.
Hi, Julie. I don't think about when I start or finish projects, either, except that I don't start projects (large or small) on Fridays. And, well, I do try to finish projects by a deadline if I've chosen one for myself (such as #BraveQuilter and OMG or a quilt in time for a baby's birth, etc.).
DeleteThanks for your encouragement with my backgrounds for the appliqued baskets. If I knew, or even had an idea, how these might go together I think it would be easier to choose backgrounds. So far I have several baskets cut out and prepared to applique. I need to pull out some backgrounds and lay all of them together and see if that sparks some ideas.
Thanks for hosting #BraveQuilter.
I'll just be cowardly and stick with what I like. LOL I do like your basket! Yes, I take naps ... whenever I'm tired. Sometimes that's 0 in a day, and sometimes, it's even 2. The not as young as I think thing. Yes. Your plans for the week are good ones. I don't do things that finish in a day, so I never worry about what day I start. =)
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan. I suppose it's best that we do what works and what we're comfortable with.
DeleteI'm making slow -- very slow -- progress on everything except the Buckeye Beauty blocks (on which I've made no progress). I've probably taken too many naps this week. ;-)
I have never heard of the not starting anything on Friday. I usually try to keep Sunday's for time with my husband but if he's watching football, I'm upstairs sewing. As for naps, I've been fighting back issues for a while and when I start hurting from sitting or standing I lay down. Five minutes later I'm snoozing away. Also if the thought processes are off I know it's time to sleep. I really like your basket block. I have a fat quarter of a basket weave print. Maybe small basket blocks are in my future.
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan. I'm sure not starting something on Friday was probably just something my mom noticed in her own life and passed on. Or perhaps she noticed that when I was younger I started things on Fridays and didn't finish them.
DeleteI hope your back problems improve so you don't have pain, but it's great you can fall asleep in five minutes despite the pain.
Thanks for your comment about my basket. I haven't made any progress on any of the baskets since I posted other than to cut out a few more.