Merrily Art Quilting Along

• Good morning!  Just us.  We've been up for a while.  I guess for about 3 1/2 hours.  This last part, we've been talking to Linda.  She has a lot going on - ESPECIALLY because she's between one birthday celebration and the next ON her birthday!  She's already into a very good week AND - there is sewing by Saturday - so she's got that to look forward to as well!  AND US!  We are enjoying very much having it be a quilting weekend very soon...  We've put up a few pictures of accomplishment from yesterday.  Rich has been gone for the last two nights, so we've gotten a lot done with our quilting art project.  The first picture is when we placed the pieces - probably incorrectly, but we placed them directly on our art "canvas."  Then we did this restructuring and moved them properly to the ironing board, or just waiting on the table.  We've been picturing this stuff all along our process, but we continue.  The third picture is a beauty - before the chaos begins, BUT, then if you watched all the steps from the beginning to the end, you would see a lot of pictures "Between chaos!"
• I don't know how it will look at the end, not by a far shot ... it's just that we are taking little steps toward something that will be considered at one point the final version.  It's all kind of a guess, and we're figuring the "artwork," part about it is that you just keep going forward - as we explained on our FB - even though it's taken over a year.  We've spread the pictures around a bit - probably too far for the "middle" stage we're at right now, but if you'd been with us FOR THAT LONG YEAR ... you would really know this is a lot of progress.  Thinking back to when we were just ordering the sticky stuff for the back and choosing from our scraps the fabric that would "make the cut."  Hehe ok, little pun!  At this point, there have been so many steps that part of the tension, is just being able to put things together WITH JUST the pieces that you've prepared.  It's part of the art, behind the art.  Some of those stacks are thick and some are thin, but somehow ... if we relax enough to get back in it ... it's just going to work. 
• We have to be able to hold that confidence, if we are to progress it to the next step.  As we've stated elsewhere this last couple of days, we want all the pieces stuck down so that we can do the stitching down of the pieces on Saturday when our little quilting group gets together.  It's just the right paced kind of thing to do - WITH some nice breaks, because this weekend is going to be a "BIRTHDAY" celebration YAY!  We are going to be celebrating, CS, Linda and Emily's birthday.  It's always a really fun time to be together.  Usually, after we eat lunch, we have cake, and then break out the presents.  It's just magical!  That's what we're depending on now with the quilt - is for the "magic" to just happen!  Ahh, one of the ladies we see a lot on the Twilter's site just commented on our picture as being eye candy.  I love it ... rolling on the floor laughing.  There's a lot of nervous tension going on.  It's like we've prepared our palette, and now is the time to "paint it out!"
• Just not time yet.  We're thinking that we are going to be taking a shower soon, and then take our medicine again in a couple of hours, and then eat lunch, and if we're not TOO tired, we'll give it a go.  I think today, we're going to get dressed.  We'v been slugging it along over the weekend.  We've stayed caught up with our showers, but we've stayed in pajamas without sleeves, so we don't brush pieces accidently off the table.  Pretty sure we'll be wearing short sleeves today.  In-between, we've been warming up with Cari's shawl - the one we got for Christmas!
• Yesterday, we talked to Joe just for a couple of minutes. It was his birthday and we wanted to find a time where we are going to be able to get together.  Saturday is sewing, but we volunteered Sunday, which seems might be free for him, or we gave him the choice to come over while Austin is here with us the following week.  That would be a very good time for all.  I know that Alex might be a little noisy, but think Joe would do good for Austin.  They both have such quick minds and are all good with the online games - like both playing Pokeman.  Austin has two little brothers about the age range of Alex, so knowing he could do well - just we wouldn't make it an all day thing.  Just maybe a very nice afternoon!
• Hmm, wondering now ... Is there anything else, we would like to do before we jump in the shower?  It's just chimed 9 am.  Good time to get things moving, and then by the time we're done and dressed, Dakota will want to go out for a couple minutes.  I have to remember too that I'll still have to wash clothes soon - might have to check the laundry to see if its time, and then too we will be going in to see Dr. Marvin with Rich tomorrow - though we're not sure about Thursday.  I would like to go in both days, but I don't think we'll be able to do the walking if Rich didn't drive us.  The bottom of our feet have been just so sore.  It's something that we have to keep in mind being able to do though.  We want to see Dr. Marvin regular, and I know we can't take all of Rich's valuable time in the middle of the day.  I guess then for today, the most important thing is to get in the shower, get dressed INCLUDING shoes, and then to the project at hand.  Well - TWO projects!  It feels like a writing day too, in-between the art part.  Right?
• Hmm, maybe when we get back too, we should take a look at the journalistic "life organizer" things we started the other day.  Not sure what's going on there, but know it's important to some one or more of us.  Me?  Want to keep looking at the "eye candy!"  We are building up to VERY eager!
• @9:33 am back again!  We took the shower, dressed, and did the dishes - AND, picked-up the kitchen.  There wasn't a lot to do because we've been keeping it pretty picked-up.  Hmm, we're disappointed that the FB pictures aren't going anywhere.  Maybe because we posted so many times, or because we said things on our post that were silly.  You never know.  Just 3 people liked it though out of 30 people who viewed it on Twilters.  Guess that's not our space.  Ok, let it go girl.  I know that positive comments and likes are nice, but not why these kinds of things get done - though are a little bit.  We're thinking it's more magical to us than others.  Hehe - maybe because we haven't made the REAL magic happen yet?  Gotta get on with it, hmm?  Right now we're on a back resting timeout.  AND, we still have to do the kitty litter and garbage.  We're going to save dirty clothes until Wednesday or Friday, because the bags aren't all filled up AND we'd rather concentrate on quilt and writing today.  I know - coming off a grand weekend where we had been playing around too.  Oh well ... truth be told, we have a very good life.  We do want to check the mail today though ... I think our threads FOR the art quilt should almost be here. 
• AHA! On Thursday it started out in Kentucky and shipped through DHL, and then this morning "tendered" to the regular post office in Melrose Park - not too far from here, AND it says that it is estimated to be delivered today.  Not sure if it's going to be stuck in our mail box, or dropped at the door.  Just looking forward to seeing it.  It's medium to dark purples and blues, and like stated above - SIMPLY EYE CANDY!  Looking at our pictures for the 100's of times - this one the black table with all the pieces centered, AND we're thinking we're going to need some white/beige thread too.  We forgot about the center pieces.  We'll take care of that if we get so far on Saturday.  The ONE THING I KNOW!  It would be impossible - or highly unwanted to take the loose pieces ase they are to WI.  We got them set up JUST right now.  It shouldn't be too bad.  We're thinking three days (MON, WED, & FRI) way more than enough.  That's with us going in to see Dr. Marvin the other days.  Do you ever wonder how we can become soooo obsessed?!!
• Equal - parts pulling and pushing us to be working on the project.  I know need to do kitty litter, garbage AND fold the living room blanket.  That will put our house in order.  Hmm, we were thinking too that we would like to go ahead and just sweep the floor for the hell of it.  Figuring loosely that we should progress the cleaning chores a little each week, so they don't add up to be overly much.  See See!  This is what happens when you are MORE on top of your game, than NOT!  Things you get to report to Dr. Marvin as being done - just happening all over the place!  Hmm?!!  Ok, then next?  Go do what you got to this round!
• Pswhoo!  That's done.  The next step will be to brush our hair before it over dries.  OTHERWISE, it gets to crimped and curly.  You know the look!
• Hmm, making it through the morning in good time!  It's almost 10 am.  Yup, almost time for the chimes to kick in.  Can't get enough of it ... thinking that it's ear candy hehe.  Hmm, could be listening to music.  This is about the time during the day we think about that.  What were we listening too the other day?  AHA!  Found it ... can't remember it yet, but it is "Cozy, Calm Crafternoon"  
  • Can't Pretend - Tom Odell
  • Lucky - Jason Mraz
  • Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
  • Up&Up - Coldplay
  • True Colors - Joshua Radin
  • When We Were Young - Adele
  • 1234 - Feist
  • Wasn't Expecting That - Jamie Lawson
  • Another Rainy Day - Corinne Bailey Rae
  • Only Love - Ben Howard
  • Home Again - Michael Kiwanuka
  • I Got You - Jack Johnson
  • When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars
  • Carry You Home - James Blunt
  • All We Are - Matt Nathanson
  • Shiver - Lucy Rose
  • Manhattan - Sara Bareilles
  • I Try - MacY Gray
  • You Don't Know My Name - Alicia Keys
  • A Case of You - Joni Mitchell
  • Can't Be Love - Jill Andrews
  • Daughters [clean] - John Mayer
  • Till There Was You - Sophie Milman
  • All the Stars in Heaven - Ashtar Command
  • Wreck of the Day - Anna Nalick
  • Glitter in the Air - Pink
  • People Help the People - Birdy
  • Latch (Acoustic) - Sam Smith
  • Green & Gold - Lianne La Havas
  • Home - Michel Buble
  • Let Her Go - Passenger
  • Waiting for an Invitation - Benji Hughes

• Pswhoo!  Nice list.  Going over the names of the songs and musicians - I have to admit, that very few names ring a bell.  This is what you get for being so old, BUT I like the music, so we're going to have to pick-it-up a little, Hmm?  I like the part that it's all about relaxing during a period of "Crafternoon."  That suits my fancy!  Hmm, I wonder if it replays if we don't stop it ... I think its 32 songs - Just over 2 hours.  This then would take me to about noon.  That's a good marker point.  We're going to try listening to songs and titles/artists, so we can figure out better playlists.  Love it!  YAY!  We're on our game!  Next?
• Ok, it is getting to be a stall.  We did go brush our hair, straightened the sweater on our working chair, stopped in to see Rich (didn't really need to see me, he was working), AND we stopped for pickles.  I see that we have 2 emails and 5 notes on FB.  OH MY GOSH - how much more can we stall?  You know if we just go and "do" the art quilt, then it is either going to turn out or it isn't and BECAUSE it is an art quilt - it will 99% be fine.  Just we gotta trust our minds will know what to do when we step over the 8-10 feet to the other chair/project.  Hmm, I always have liked Coldplay.  That is one of the artist we recognize.  Are we shifting again?  No?!  Really?
• Let's eat our our pantry pickles before we go over there.  Surely there is something interesting to talk about until we make the next big move?
• Back again - it's almost 11 am.  We've been fiddling around.  Checked on emails and FB.  Probably shouldn't do that so much.  Thinking we're going to close down those windows.  Sort of like you get absorbed into things.  I love the groups we're watching over now for service dogs, quilters, colorers, and Multiples.  Ok, yes, you know there is a "BUT" coming.  I want to be happy, but we're sometimes silly happy and it's especially not appropriate in some circles where depression and suicidal ideation rule.  We didn't mean to scold others ... and we're hoping it didn't sound like it.  But, we did advise to look for the positive.  The negative comes all by itself.  I don't mean to pretend if your depressed, not to be depressed.  Just get yourself out of the crisis stage, between crises.  It's good practice and will go a long way toward helping forward one's life.  I suppose we sounded boastful, but we wanted others to know too that we've gone through 33 years of mostly psychiatry.  Although, we still have problems, most of our life is good.  We STILL PUT OUR 33 YEARS in!  At the rate some of the younger kids going - and yes emotions are more stacked up on young adults, but at the rate they are going, they aren't going to make it.  Don't mean to stand on a stage, but you gotta be practicing more good than bad, and by that I mean - even getting to get up and someone decide to wash dishes ... well, that's good!  AND, even though we're complaining about moving over to the quilt - it is a good thing.  We are working on controlling the balance of excitement and terror to be doing something that is productive and expresses, the us under the us.  I don't know if it's as intense, but sure even singleton's go something like this.
• I do think Multiples have it particularly bad, because they also have to go through somehow getting the right people out from within their systems to take care of the various needs any one-brained person may have.  We don't have anything between us and that creative project, but we keep going over and over it trying to make the move.  We did give ourselves a break earlier, in that sometimes the morning is better for writing and the afternoon/evening for other.  We got ourselves up to the time when - there goes the chime!  But, we're to the point of taking our medicine and eating lunch.  We are going to try to let ourselves in to a groove by trying some news, but we'll be really quick to turn that off if it messes with us too much.  Hmm, don't know where Rich is either.  He just went through here in bringing the garbage out ... it's Monday.  He's back in his office and he usually doesn't eat lunch until about noon.  Think we're going to make some peanut butter/jellies.  Ok, ok - AFTER we take the medicine.  The half hour it takes to regulate is good TV time, and hopefully, we'll be really steady after lunch. Ok, it's going to be about The Donald.  It will be ok, we're working on handling things.  This is especially hard to handle, but we're doing good, right?
• @ 1:33 pm - this is us and we're back.  That's a good thing right?  Going and especially coming back?  We've just gone through our early afternoon.  This isn't a real productive time for us.  Not always.  Today was the variety where we take our medicine, eat - too much while watching CNN and then nap.  VERY long nap - must have been - I remember listening to news, but it is now 2 1/2 hours later.  That can't be a good sign.  We did just turn back the music - back to what we were listening to before.  We had it on pause so came back to ... let me figure that out?  Hmm, True Colors ... that seems to put things back toward the top of the list ... we must have played through the list.  sigh we'll figure it out.  Right now it is cutting in and out, so we're hoping that it stops skipping.  I know we have a bad Internet.  I think we are going to post for now ... well maybe not.  I don't want to lose this avenue, though we're trying to push the artistic one.  I think we have time we might come back.  Ok, what we should do then ... go get our irons and turn them on - then do a little practicing.  We wanted to go back over the couple of blacks we didn't use too ... we thought the gold was too much, but while we were thinking of things, we thought it could do for a black PLUS line across the sand between the buildings being shadowed and the lake.  The picture has a line of color and black, so we're figuring we can use those fabrics we had really enjoyed, but hadn't come up with an excuse for before.  Ok, girl - you got this!