Tuesday, December 18, 2007

How I get so many quilts done

Jennifer ( who has the best ever titled blog by the way) left a comment on my last post saying she was impressed by my abilty to get quilts done quickly. Several other people have said the same to me recently so let me dis-abuse you. This is how it is done:

I do not....

1. Clean my house iron my clothes or wash up dishes.
No, my house is not a midden ( well the sewing area can get a little middenish I suppose) - I have a fantastic cleaner Pam, who cleans, admires quilts, and finds lost things. Dennis will not let me wash up dishes because I do it so badly... that one worked then :)

2. Have children to look after
I do have a nephew who is now 10 who lives in N Ireland. I saw him last Saturday evening. I had a deep and meaningful conversation with him about his new step-family and how he was getting on in his education. After that five minutes I lay on the floor with him to play Playstation ( I am rubbish, but then he won't tell me the rules) and then had a pillow fight. I won because he is only 10 and so he (a) didn't work out that if he took the little 15" cushion and I had the actual sofa seat cushion he had no chance and (b) when he turned out to be quite nifty with that little cushion I just hit harder and then sat on him. This is why I am not allowed kids. I think it is called child abuse.

3. Watch soap operas, Pop idol, X-factor, Big Brother or the like.

4. Bother too much about perfection.
Its the overall effect that counts. After all, if you found out that George Clooney had an appendectomy scar would it make any diference at all? Apart from you needing to strip him to find out if it was true, I mean.

5. Mark quilts to quilt or hand quilt.
Bung it under the machine and scribble all over it ( call it free motion if you will) . Quick quick quick! Or tie them. Ten inches apart.

I do...

1. Make the most of every moment. I was laughed at at my quiting group in Penrith last month for being at the cutting table with my coat still on ten minutes before class actually started. In my defence (a) It was snowing outside and it was only a little coat (b) I knew that once class started Mrs X would need the table for her Baltimore

2. Have an attenion span of a gnat
Mrs X has been working on her Baltimore for the whole 2 years I have been in the class. It is exquisite but it is all she works on and frankly I am bored to death just watching her work on it. I make quilts quickly because I make quick quilts!

3. Watch property programmes.
We call them hotel TV in our house - stuff that I like to watch in a hotel to stop be being lonley even if its not the most stunning TV. Only I got addicted. I like the propery renovation- to-sell ones in particular. When the participants lose tons of cash I can sit on my sofa feeling very clever that I was so risk averse I would never do that. And when they make £100,000 on one house I can be glad for them knowing I'd rather be safe and lazy on my sofa than take such a risk!

4. Do two things at once.
I can piece and travel. I tie quilts and sit on my sofa feeing smug at others' misfortunes. I can I can design in my head and do pretty much anything. Except watch George Clooney. That deserves ultimate concentration. I frequently pull out a basket of fabric and place it on the floor next to me to admire as I sit to dry my hair. By the time my hair is dried I can have it spread all out around me with new combinations inspiring me. ( I am not so good at picking it up again.)We even now have a new recordable DVD so I can record said property programmes and watch through my laptop while I sew. Dennis is happy! May be I should get voice activation software so I can blog and sew at the same time....


4.

7 comments:

Vicki W said...

I like your priorities! I also 1) do not clean - her name is Lisa and I make sure to give ehr a good raise and bonus every year, 2)cook, DH does that gladly, 3) grocery shop, DH again, 4) have much of a social life - allergies or 5) have kids - even my Mom said I shouldn't have kids - the child abuse thing. It's amazing what you can get done when you simplify your life! I also can't sit still. I have to be doing something even if I am watching TV.

Donna said...

sounds like a very simply/focused life you've got going there.... One day I too can forsee that, but right now I must work to pay for house so cleaning person is just out... spend time cooking and with son since I'm a single parent and it would be abuse to not feed him :-)and all the other bits of keeping the household running since I am the only adult/parent here. Sigh. retirement and an empty nest sure sound good right now :-)

Kate North said...

people often ask me a similar question about how I get so much stuff done, especially as I do have those little kids to look after. And my response is similar to yours - I do several things at once, and make the most of my time. I also have a cleaner :) It's buying myself free time as far as I'm concerned, so why should I feel guilty?

Gina said...

I don't watch the tv unless there's soccer on. Then i hand sew. I haven't worked out how to get a cleaner in but I do the bare minimum. I also find that bright quilts spread around the house distracts the eye from any mess.

love and hugs xxx

Teri said...

that's the life for sure.
I'm a "hotel" and "restaurant" tv person for sure. I'd drop just about anything to watch anything with Gordon Ramsey.

Happy quilting!

Teri

Jennifer said...

I loved this -- great! And it sounds as though you are the very best Aunt your nephew could hope to have (no boys, by the way, actually tell adults how to play the games before handing them the controller -- universal kid code at work, apparently).

Happy holidays, Helen. Looking forward to all the adventures of the coming year--

Felicia said...

Merry Christmas :)