Week in Review 2017 - 06/09

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

Multitasking is a myth. What you are really doing is alternating tasks rapidly or as Dave Crenshaw has defined it, you are Switch Tasking. If you think you are the maven of multitasking, I highly encourage you to go to the this link Crenshaw's exercise and take the test. When I did this years ago it changed how I managed my time. 

One of my tasks is co-managing
Knitted Knockers of the Fox Cities.
These are knitted and crocheted breast
prosthetics. They are more comfortable to
wear than the standard plastic prosthetic.
We will be delivering our first set of 
twenty-five pairs of knockers to the 
Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology 
Center shortly. There are a group
of us to knit knockers. Mine recent
pair is the beige set lower left. 

I am often asked how I find the time to do all that I do. Like most people I find there is never enough time to do all I wish to do. Still, I find by compartmentalizing my time I get more done than if I bounce back and forth. I still struggle with ignoring checking my email, but for the most part, I read and respond to email three designated times a day. I assign Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday as my studio days. I will not schedule appointments or visit with others during these days unless there are no other options. On Wednesday I take care of the business of being a professional fiber artist. Fridays are set aside to write my blog, do the laundry and pay the bills. Saturday my husband and I look forward to running household errands together and treating ourselves to lunch out. 

What I have learned doesn't work for getting into the studio is clearing away business, emails, household chores and other tasks first, then hoping there is time to work in the studio. If I do all that I believe must get done before I give myself permission to head to the studio, I am guaranteed never to see my studio again. 

Yes, I did manage to spend time in my studio on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week. Not as much time as I might have liked due to inbox overflow for my volunteer work, but enough time to make progress on the following:

1) Work on Picking Up the Pieces #4 - Done!

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3 - Not yet.

3) Pot(s) made this week - Done!

Four of the sixteen blocks needed for
Picking Up the Pieces #4 in a
pleasing arrangement.

I've been paper piecing the same block over and over again. Last week I said I would make six blocks in total. What can I say? I laid out the first five blocks and decided the piece would look better with sixteen blocks. Although each block looks the same, I can attest to the fact that I am learning, or relearning the nuances of paper piecing which work best for me.

4) Free motion quilting practice - Didn't get to it.

I am combing FaceBook, Leah Day's Newsletter and Pinterest for free motion quilting motif ideas for when it comes time to quilt Picking Up the Pieces #4. 

It hasn't taken me long to get back into the flow of my compartmentalized life since I returned from my travels. It feels as if I never left, which for me is a good thing. It means I have a natural rhythm going, allowing me studio time to attend to the following next week:

1) Work on Picking Up the Pieces #4

2) Finish Picking Up the Pieces #1 and #3

3) Pot(s) made this week

4) Free motion quilting practice

I am now linking up to two blogs on Fridays. The first is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays and the second is Free Motion Mavericks.