Mid Week Progress : More Time Needed

It's midweek and I am still yearning to have more sewing time. Either I can't get up early enough or I'm so exhausted after work (which is extremely part-time) that I just melt behind the computer screen for hours reading blogs and researching ideas.
Not saying that's a completely bad thing, but when I do that more often than not, it's becoming a problem.I've done really well with limiting my time on Pinterest however!
The quilt top above is almost finished. I've been staring at it for a few days trying to decide if I want to add another border of that darker blue dot (hanging at left side of quilt). I'm leaning toward the yes decision and fingers crossed I get it put on today.

I spend a lot of time away from my home studio due to the fact that it's in my mothers house, but it tends to harbor all the doodads I have grown comfortable having at arms reach when I'm sewing. And my downtown studio has become a nonproductive environment aka someones bedroom. Ha. I feel a bit like a drifter that can't find a comfortable spot to work in.  I am capable of making my sewing projects travel worthy, it just wears me out sometimes dragging things back and forth. But I know this too shall pass.

Here is the other project I'm still struggling with. My desire to be able to design paper-pieced blocks. I searched for days on the internet looking for tutorials. I found lots of great resources about turning traditional quilt blocks into paper pieced blocks. And some very simple lessons on paper piecing in general. But nothing really explained why there are lines here or there. So I'm working on it. And making some progress.

Of course I had to give myself some overly difficult task to learn on...I drew up a Ninja. I'm almost ready to attempt to piece this beauty...but I realized I could make it a bit easier on myself and enlarge the damn thing a bit. The photo above is from revision #2. I have since redrawn my lines two more times.
When I do master this however, I am going to share a nice tutorial with everyone in celebration!

Happy Mid-Week....I'm linking up with
Freshly Pieced and Quilt Story! Enjoy!

Friday Inspirations

1. beehive 7, first quarter 2011, 2. Hunting Season (bottom portion), 3. Jellyfish - Adratic Sea, 4. Amitie BOM the circle game - thinking about quilting, 5. Pickle!, 6. DSC_5889, 7. Jellyfish / Medusa, 8. Shadow Play - Brighton - Late Afternoon, 9. Amish Drag Racing in the Southwest

Evening Beauty

Found Here

Found Here

Research reading

I just came across this little article, which became a treasure, this website is just what every creative person needs to read!!!! from http://www.craftmba.com/

1. Words and actions are both important here.  I’ve said before that use is one of the best forms of marketing, and I think wearing and using your products is an important step.  But so is being able to clearly articulate, again and again, why your product provides the most benefits for your customers.
2. If you can’t naturally talk about why you are proud of your products and what value they provide, then you need to practice.  A lot.  Make a list of the benefits your product or business provides.  Then practice saying it.  Practice in front of a mirror.  Practice in front of friends and family.  Practice in front of a video camera.  (And when you get really comfortable, post that video online.)  Practice until you are comfortable saying to a stranger at a party, “This is what I make, and this is why I’m proud of it.”

Read it Here!!