Make room in your life for good things to enter

This months mini quilt is my “prompt” for 2023. As my husband and I move forward with our intention of relocating to Portugal in 2024 we will be downsizing to live a bigger life. Making room will be our mantra in the coming months as we empty our house of belongings, of lots of “things” that no longer serve us and that we would not even consider taking with us. After nearly 22 years in this house there has been a lot of accumulation! Our cabinets, garage and my studio are all packed solid with “stuff”.

My studio also contains a lot of unfinished projects. 2 years of my online Rettabug’s UFO Club have helped me to complete a big chunk of those projects. This year as I make my list of 9 projects to finish by the end of November, I’ll be looking at my remaining projects (still quite a few more than 9) and asking the same questions I’m asking about all my possessions, “Do I LOVE this?, Does it spark joy?, Would I take it with me when we move?” only projects that pass this 3 question test are going on my UFO Club list. We draw the 1st number for this years round of UFO Club on March 1, so there is still time to join us if you have projects you want to finish with a “support group” you can find the details here. Rettabug's UFO Club

I created this mandala design with room to add not only color but some of your own personal expression within the mandala itself. To test out my ideas for adding additional “flair” I printed the design on paper, and looked at mandala designs on Pinterest to get ideas for the details - the swirls, lines and dots that I added inside and outside of the original image. I tried a few things I didn’t like (that’s why working ideas out on paper is a good idea!) but I did achieve a design I love and feel adds to the overall look. I then added colored pencil to my paper drawing.

I almost always color a paper version before the fabric one, for the same reason I tested the ink designs on paper, paper is much cheaper than fabric. I’d much rather make my mistakes on paper! I printed the design onto the inkjet printer sheet, then I used a micron pen to draw the details I had decided on, moving quickly to avoid bleeding. When the ink designs were complete I covered the image with a piece of parchment paper, my preferred “press cloth” and pressed the ink to set it. I didn’t want to take a chance the ink would smear when I colored over it.

This is the way I typically audition mini quilt border fabrics, I fold them into a roughly 12” x 12” square and place the trimmed mini quilt design on top. For this mini I auditioned 3 different fabrics for the border and I had a hard time choosing between the middle fabric and the one on the right.

In the end I felt the fabric on the right, made the design “pop” just a bit more and that made the decision. All the ink and coloring was done on a Friday afternoon. Choosing the fabrics, adding the borders, layering, quilting and binding was done the following afternoon. I find it so satisfying to be able to complete a project, especially one that flows and comes together easily and well.

If you want to create space for new projects to come in or just make space in your sewing room with fewer boxes or bins of unfinished projects, please join us in UFO Club. It’s fun and there are prizes, but the true prize is the space you will create and the projects you will finish.

My mini quilt will be displayed where I can see it everyday to keep me moving toward my hearts goal, to make space in my life - and I look forward to the good to come.

Once again, with feeling...

As the pandemic has continued, I’ve found myself slipping back into old thought processes and feelings. Allowing my energy to drop into a depressed state. Sadly falling, once again, into negative thoughts and forgetting to protect my joy, or even to find a little. I had 5 days at Carlsbad beach recently and never once walked ON the beach, something that brings me joy and connects me with nature. I love the feel of the salt spray on my skin, hearing the birds call as I walk along the water’s edge, sometimes having to make a quick dash back away from the waves to keep from getting soaked to the waist. I usually do this at least 2 or 3 times but on this particular trip not once, nada.

Enough of that! Time to get back to what I know works, and what I know is that, when I feel happy my life works better. Also, I know from past practice that feeling happy is an inside job, the trick is to experience the joy. We all have at least 1 thing we do every day that brings us joy. I regularly do many things on my “joy” list. We just forget to soak it in, to actually experience the joy as joy. So today, I once again dedicate myself to two things 1) Watch my head trash – how much of my thinking is negative? Catch myself in the act and change the subject. 2) Do at least 1 thing on my joy list and actually experience the joy, everyday.

Is it time for you to make “ a list of 12 things that lights you up” and do at least 1 every day?

Here is mine:

Today I choose Joy

1.       Eat Chocolate

2.       Listen to music that makes me want to dance

3.       Dance

4.       Make quilts

5.       Play with fabric

6.       Watch old movie musicals

7.       Cuddle

8.       Sing

9.       Dig in the dirt

10.   Call a friend

11.   Savor something delicious

12.   Call it quits

I read somewhere that if you have had a regular practice of exercise, and you become fit, that if you stop exercising it will take less time for your body to get fit again, once you return to exercising, or something to that effect… not being a fitness person myself. A meandering walk around the block with my dogs is about the extent of MY exercise. However, I expect to achieve similar results with my “joy” exercises… that with a little focus and repetition I’ll be mentally and emotionally more fit, kicking my mental trash talk to the curb and be FEELING my joy once again.

I’d love to know what makes it onto your list!