Moving on . . .

This has been a fun space, that I've enjoyed for the last 6 years and 839 posts. But I don't have the energy to figure out what is causing the malware warnings, after the most obvious solutions failed. So I'm moving on to a new blog. Same sewing, same family, new look and name (and possibly some new features). From now on you can find me at: http://jillisdreamingof@blogspot.com Hope to see you there!

To change or not to change?

So, my blog is doing strange things. I keep having these malware warnings pop up, but then they go away again. The problem is that I dont' know if there's actually something wrong with my blog or not. After I tried to fix it, and the warning started to pop up again, I started to set up a new blog. But it looks like you're all here and my blog is working again anyway.

What to do? Do I switch to a new blog, or do I stay here? This blog has 6 years of history on it and a few tutorials. But I am in a new place in my life as a stay at home mom again in a new city. Does that require a new blog?

Can you share some opinions, my dear readers? Can you still access the blog? Are you getting malware warnings when you try to view it? Would you move with me to a new blog? What do you think?

Where there's a will, there's a way.

That's what my mother used to say. So, while I've been frustrated with my lack of space for a design wall in the living room, I have been mulling over other possibilities and blank wall spaces in my house. And look what I found:

A handy space to hang some quilt batting and mess around with giant star blocks. I have to cut the rest of these out, but this is the start of my bed quilt for my bed.

This is the space between my (messy) desk and the change table. So it doubles as something stimulating for the baby to look at while I'm changing his diaper. Because, you know, there's no stimulation in our house at all. No noise or action to keep him insterested and occupied.

Speaking of the baby, Owen is doing well. He has quite the mop of hair, and it has the funny effect of making him look much older than 2 months. See:

He's also started smiling. If his little smiles are any indication of what is to come, he's going to be a fun little boy.

Releif!

So, my blog seems to have got hacked into. And after a frantic night of messing around in Webmaster Tools and a night of panicing about what I would do if I had to erase the record of the last 6 years of my life, including all the details and funny stories about my kids. The question, then, is does anyone know how to backup a blog? You know, just to give me something to do in my spare time?

You know you live in Montreal when . . .

the weather man says, "So, if you're planning to go to a festival or go protest tonight, make sure you bring a warm layer".

In Bits and Pieces

I'm trying to sew in bits and pieces. In the midst of the recent 4 child chaos, I do have time to sew, as long as I pace myself. No pics yet, but I sewed a wrap skirt (initially backwards, but that is another story). Tonight, I'm tracing patterns, instead of thinking about which pattern to start sewing. If they are all traced, then I can actually pick one up and cut the fabric the next time I have a few moments to spare.

I think I might get to blog more if I do it in bits and pieces too. As much as, to quote my highschool art teacher, I tend to be "prolific", I feel better if I at least get to write a little bit. Hopefully stay tuned for more short blog posts soon.

Crafty comparisons

So, I have had a lot of time to roam around the crafty blogosphere lately, what with all that breastfeeding I've been doing lately. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time cruising Flikr and blogs and quilters blogs linked to Flikr. Not to mention all the regular blogs I follow that keep me up to date on the latest and greatest in quilting.

This is the thing; I have no time to make quilts right now. No. Time. Yet I keep seeing these increasingly complex quilt blocks that would be cool to make, and these wonderful improv quilts that are amazing displays of creativity and careful design. Not only that, but it seems like many of these bloggers produce at least a quilt a week. Seriously. And I think I made two quilts last year.

I've been thinking, for instance, about how much I'd like to make a scrap quilt out of tiny pieces (it will have to be done eventually before my house is taken over with scraps). And I always start with a simple - ish plan (why don't I choose a block and make a scrappy quilt using that block, or make a basic spider web or string quilt). But then I start thinking of all the creative things I could do - a medallion quilt with five or six different kinds of scrappy blocks. A tricky paper piecing something or another. A postage stamp quilt. The Maple Leaf rag with all those tiny pieced centers to the spiderweb blocks . . . and my head starts to spin. And I think "I will never be the quilter I want to be. I don't meet up to the standard. All I do is sew squares together and that is not very creative. I give up."

But the problem with this thinking is the people I am comparing myself to. I forget that a lot of the bloggers I am following are trying to make their living by quilt blogging. They get sent bundles of free fabric, on the condition that they can turn around a quilt top with that fabric in 2 or 3 weeks. Their kids are in school or out of the house or they have help. Or they just devote a lot more time to sewing than I can at the moment.

This is sort of like when I was a kid and teenager. I always felt like I wasn't meeting the standard set by my siblings. But I was ignoring the fact that they were 10 or 15 years older than me, so of course they were more mature / had more experience / were doing more than I was.

I think I need to give myself the grace to just enjoy making simple quilts. I need to release the inner over-achiever that wants to make something fabulous that will wow the blogosphere. I just don't have the time, and that's not why I quilt in any case.

Instead, I need to remember that this is my HOBBY. I don't want to make money off of it (despite many people's insistence that I should try). I just want to play with colour and pattern and make beautiful things for my family and friends. I have some quilts that don't quite work like I thought they would, yes. But then, I was pushing myself outside of my comfort zone when I made them. And often I really enjoyed the process of making them. So who cares? Is the quilt police going to come and ban me from quilting for lack of productivity? No. Are my quilts going to get confiscated for using slightly clashing colors or unsucessful designs? No. Are the Flikr police going to take away my contacts (and online friends) because I don't meet the mark as far as comments or favorites or admirers? Nope. Nope. Nope.

So why am I so hard on myself? Why do I compare myself to professionals and super popular people? I don't know. I think its time to let it go already. Make things I love with fabric I love and not worry about wether it is what the cool kids are making or doing or using in their quilts. And realize that its okay not to be quilting like crazy with a 3 week old and 3 other kids, when I can barely get sleep and showers in.

I think "Let it go" is actually my new mantra for the next 3 months. Sounds good, no?