New Energy = Renewed Energy

Briar Rose by Windham... and a couple blenders.

I have been in a funk.
For awhile.

I am grateful that I work in an industry that I love, with my mother and my daughter in a great town with a wonderfully supportive 'family' of small businesses.

I have to confess that some days it is challenging. And sometimes I let those challenges get to me and they bring me down and I lose focus of everything from the customer/friend walking through the door to the beautiful fabrics and new notions that usually bring me such joy.

I use tags to help me keep track of what I need to cut next.

Given all the things that bring me down and distract me,  I decided to (like some of my friends) to pick a word for the year to focus on each day.

I chose energy. Namely I want to focus on my own energy. What I bring to my own day and how that affects me, those around me, and the space around me. It didn't take long for me to sense a difference in my attitude.

My new focus on energy made me be open to a friend who encouraged me to participate in a Quilt A Long.

Cutting... DONE!!

What is a Quilt-A-Long you may ask? The best explanation I can give is that is it's like a mystery quilt, but you get to see what the end product may/will look like. There is a schedule so that you know when you need to have each step done and be ready for the next instruction. Not only does this give me a goal for when I need to complete my next step, it also gives me a community of quilters to keep me on track.

I selected the picnic blanket size and I picked fabrics I have always wanted to use, but needed a project that suited using bright and fun fabrics.

I will be posting my steps along the way and there is still to join in if you'd like. It's already been a lot of fun for me. 

Here's to new & renewed energy in 2014.