Overwhelmed and Undermotivated

I'm here to come out of the stash, as it were, to admit that for an entire month now, the month that I saw in my mind as the beginning of my new life as my older daughters went off to Kindergarten and freed me up to quilt and design, I have been seriously undermotivated. There. I said it. I have officially validated the current UFO pile at least.

The problem begins and ends with what I like to refer to as The (insert minor expletive here) List. Having seen the closest thing to freedom that I had experienced in 5.5 years looming on the horizon, during the summer I set about creating a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish now that I would have more time to do so, including long neglected household chores like repainting the kitchen to finally finishing the new quilt for my bed as well as starting in on writing a second trunk show to add to my repetoire and getting pattern #13 out the door. The problem continues as I look at that list, freak out about how there are so few "little" jobs on it that I can easily check off, and decide to go read a book or update my Facebook page instead. Oh, the confessions are tumbling out now! I must stop myself before I share too much about the antics of Spring Break 1992...But today is a new day, and I promised myself that I would blog a very overdue blog before allowing myself lunch. If withholding food is what I need to do, maybe my list will start having more checkmarks! Worth a shot, anyway.

Last night while I was at my own guild meeting I got a call from a woman at Tewksbury Piecemakers Quilt Guild, where I will be vending for NEQDC October 18-19. The message she left indicated that they would like me to be a judge for their challenge quilts, and in turn they will buy a gift certificate from our booth for the winner of the challenge to use. Fantastic idea. I am thrilled to do it, but very concerned about insulting someone or somehow picking the wrong quilt...oh the pressure! Thankfully I do believe they know what they are getting into by asking for my judging (lack of) expertise; I did my Perfection is Overrated trunk show for their guild in the spring and if they didn't figure out that I stand for all that is imperfect and still fabulous regardless, then they just weren't listening and I will not be held responsible for their choice of me as a judge.

Hmmm....I think I hear a roast beef sandwich calling my name. CHECK!

Beth Helfter
EvaPaige Quilt Designs

Gimme a "G", Gimme a "U"......

Last week I attended the Plymouth County Cranberry Quilters spring luncheon in Halifax MA, where I was honored to be asked to present my trunk show, "Perfection is Overrated". What a fun group they are! I have several times already retold a story one of my tablemates related about giving her husband's tropical fish a "vacation" in the goldfish pond only to learn that birds eat tropical fish; the story, and my tablemate, were just too darn funny. They are a talented group and seem to be very "challenge - oriented", with at least one if not up to three challenges going on in their guild at all times. In my world that would translate into way too many new UFOs in the pile, but more power to them.

As I take my trunk show to different guilds, I am seeing so many great ideas to attempt to instill in my own guild. Beginning with the (to me) fairly obvious idea that Show and Tell should be done at every meeting, no matter what the program is. My own guild, Squanicook Colonial in Townsend MA whom I love dearly and is fantastic and I don't mean to make it sound like I am being critical even though I am, only does Show and Tell when we don't have a speaker or other elaborate program, which this past guild year translated to only 3 or 4 times. So when we do get to have it, it takes a very L-O-N-G time. I want to be able to listen to what people have to say about their work and admire the quilts thoroughly without having my eyes glaze over, which can be done when only 10-20 people are showing and telling each month. When upwards of 50 do it because it has been three months since the last show and tell, I personally tend to lose focus after a while. And what is so wrong about having show and tell when a speaker is present? As a speaker myself, I say NOTHING AT ALL! I love seeing what other guilds are doing and all the talent in them. Anyway, I am incoming VP of our guild, and I smell a change in the air!

Update on my totally adorable puzzle challenge quilt that I was sure was going to win all sorts of ribbons at my June guild meeting: It won nothing. Nada. Not even honorable mention. But after seeing the other quilts, it didn't deserve to, for sure. I cannot believe the talent in my guild! Not just trying to kiss up due to my comments in the previous paragraph, I promise, I really do mean it! But I still love my quilt, which my three daughters are enamored with. Since I spend my days with three girls 5 and under, it was fairly easy to pick a theme for my challenge. Forgive the cockeyed state of the photo. One might think I took it after a cocktail or two. One might be right. In any case, you can get a good idea of how much fun I had coming up with blocks for it. The tree actually has a heart on it with "PC + GH" on it like it is carved into the tree - stands for Prince Charming + Greta Helfter, my almost 2 year old. It had been way too long since I created a quilt just for me and I now feel I have to do it more often. When I find the time......

Beth Helfter

EvaPaige Quilt Designs