slow and measured steps...

Well true to what they say, 2015 came in like a Lion! Life has been keeping me busy, with lots of travel for work and the ticking along of 52 Quilters... but I'm pleased to report that I have been maintaining my 'focus' and staying true to that as my word for the year!

My first exercise in focus was working on my project for the Rainbow Mini Swap - my second ever swap, and so I set out to do a few things on my list and really focus and force myself to do more with this mini project. I wanted to created something entirely new, and work from my own pattern so I designed a geometric foundation pieced design in Illustrator and then had a go and piecing it together.

Above: my first two test pieces for the project - and - Below: my many segments in the stages of piecing things together.

This has been a really great project for me because it has basically served as a big heavy-handed metaphor for 'focus': with all the lines and segments shooting out in a fractal-like pattern, but all anchoring in a single point of focus in the centre.  It's a lot like my life right now - lots of wonderful distractions in the big picture, but I'm learning to prioritise, focus (get ready for a year of overusing that word!) and not just deal with things one at a time, but really be in that moment of dealing with things instead of half-completing something while my mind is wondering about everything else.

And Tad-dah! The final project (front and back) - well final-ish, I still have to quilt and bind it (must remind myself that it is not finished!)

Still a little bit of work to do, but I'm really pleased with the project.

My next step in focusing my attention has been to try my hand at english paper piecing (having sworn several time that hand-sewing was "Just not for me") and so far its going so good. Stay tuned to the blog and my instagram for updates with how that challenge goes... Right now I'm still very much in the honeymoon phase, so we'll see how I feel a few rosettes in.

My optimistic start to Rosette #1:

Making good progress, despite proclaiming several times that I'd never hand-stitch patchwork. #ItsNotThatBad #lapassacaglia #menwhoquilt

A photo posted by Chris Webb (@chrismakesthings) on Mar 1, 2015 at 4:13am PST

Thanks for stopping in as always, if you have the time to comment I'd love to hear about what you are working on and what your biggest hurdles have been - whether it is specific projects you had trouble finished, or the more general hurdle of patience like me!