The Wall Behind Me

I love the idea of using fabric-filled embroidery hoops as wall art, especially in a studio/craft room/atelier. (Desire to Inspire has a great collection of hoop art photos here.) And today I finally got started on my own.

Well, actually I started last weekend at the huge neighborhood-wide garage sale, when I found this in a “FREE” box.

Poor Mr. Bear is now in the garbage, but the 10” hoop that was holding him is up on my wall, full of blue fabric from the scrap box and adorned with a princess one of my kids drew. (I think it would be a cute design to embroider on something someday…)

And a few houses later I found an even bigger hoop; had to pay for this one. A quarter. I was going to leave it just fabric, but then while tidying up found this card that makes me smile.

It’s just pinned at the corners from behind. But it got me thinking, I could add some cardboard circles behind the fabric, so I could pin or tack stuff to the now-sturdy-backed fabric if I so desired…

I hope to find some more hoops (for cheap/free) to fill things out a little more. Hey, if you run across any, can you send them my way? I’m sure I could find a little sump’n-or-other for you to show my appreciation.

: )

Oh, and I added one more tack in the wall for my project list so it’s always close at hand. (It’s being used a LOT! Yippee!) I had to laugh when I read Quilary’s comment last month; like her, I almost let my brain derail me. In my case, it said “A clipboard, I can’t start using this list until I have a clipboard.” But then remembered my pile o’ cardboard and box o’ binder clips – derailment avoided. Take that, Brain!

P.S. I’d actually gone downstairs to work on the squares, but then started tidying up, which led to ripping Mr. Bear apart, which led to…. Then suddenly realized I’d “started” a project but had no recent “done” ones! Scanned my list and quickly found some to finish up and cross off. I think I’ve finally found the balance of structure and spontaneity I needed in my creating.

My Project Plan

I know I am not alone in starting way too many projects without finishing current ones, and I thought it’s “just who I am.”

But recently I’ve been trying a new tactic, and am liking the results.

After just two weeks of working this new system, I’m feeling less weighed down, more able to make creative decisions and move forward. I think that’s because it makes me stop and think about what’s really holding me up on a project instead of just steamrolling on to a different one.

Today, to get my current project list written down instead of endlessly swirling around in my brain, I made myself a tracking sheet, so I can see at a glance what I could work on next.

Now, off to go fill it in. Hmm, might need two…

If this might be helpful to you too, click the images below to download a letter- or A4-sized pdf:

(The little speak-bubbles at the start of each row are there to be
colored  in when I’ve “used” that project as one of my “done” ones.)

Edited 4/15/2010: What was I thinking having a “Duration” column? Do I really want to know that some project took me 1 year and 5 months?!? Great idea, Chris, to change it to a “Hold Up” column, i.e. what’s keeping the project from being finished! I’ve made the change and uploaded new files.

The Wedding Budgeter

or, I Love Spreadsheets Too Much

My bro (the one with the quilt) got engaged last weekend. Yay, Al and Mary!!!

In honor of the news, I dug through my old files and found a spreadsheet that I created last decade, based on the budgeter I’d found at theknot.com when I was planning my own wedding. Loved theknot’s planning tools but this was back in the day of dial-up and I didn’t want to have to log on every time I wanted to update our budget. So I made my own. (See subtitle above.)

If you know someone who might like to use it, it’s available for download here.

And wow, supposedly the average cost for U.S. weddings these days is $20,000 more than the total shown in the photo. Wow. My sister-in-law was such a great example to me when she and my older brother married; when faced with decisions, when things weren’t done right, or done at all, when stuff went wrong, she just kept saying, “I don’t care; I just want to be married.” And she meant it!

And recently I came across a classy-looking affair done with a $4000 budget, the wedding (photos and description) of the two creative souls behind younghouselove.com! Sweet!