Basic Quilting Class #1

This week we have 3 blocks to make - each of them different. The first one is a lo cabin. I've done several log cabins and am totally intrigued by them. There are so many different ways to put this block together the options seem endless. I got a little obsessed (big surprise) and made two from the material for the class quilt and then spent some time in my Fat Quarter stash and pulled material to make a few more blocks. Who knows what I'll do with them but I thought I could use the practice.

Even Michael likes the blocks for class:

Wedding Guest Quilt

I spent a little time at The Quilt Loft with the owner of this quilt so she could arrange all the blocks. She had a very different idea for how they should be arranged so I'm really glad we got together - this would have been quite difficult via Pinterest.

Over the weekend, I got as much of the sash done as I could. The owner took one of the black blocks to put the details of the wedding on. Once I get that last block back, the piecing can be finished.

Here's what it looks like so far:

And, yesterday I finally finished the binding for G's RCA quilt. I've decided I just need to go to a coffee shop to get into binding. If I'm home, I want to sew - another big surprise. There is a shop next to the quilt store so I'll just kill two birds with one stone. Yesterday, just as I was leaving the parking log, the Long-arm quilter called asking questions about the RCA quilt she has. I just stepped into the Quilt Loft and we got that all worked out. It should be ready by the end of the week. Oh joy, another binding project :) But I'll work on the Baker's Dozen binding first.

Daring Greatly

A couple days ago, I had lunch with a friend and heard myself explain that the last couple months off (not working) had given me time to really dig into this book and consider how I want to change some things so I can engage and be more connected. As much as I need to work so I can finish paying off the mortgage, the things Brene' has explained are things I was ready to hear and do something with. Universal timing is the best, isn't it?

The Vulnerability Armory is filled with tricks we learned as kids to become invisible - so we didn't get hurt. I've known for a long time that invisible is one of my key personality traits. I even joke about wearing an Invisibility Cloak some days - people bump into me and are surprised to see someone there (if they notice bumping into anything). Invisible was a way I could avoid being abused. I never considered it was also keeping me from connecting, from living a wholehearted life.

The first step in moving toward engagement is what Brene' calls the Enough Mandate. Believing I'm enough comes with worthiness, boundaries and engagement. That second one is intriguing to me - who knew being vulnerable, engaging could have boundaries?

There are three shields (weapons) we all have in are our armory. To disarm them requires a belief of "being enough." The key is to recognize which shield we are using in the situation and decide to disarm it.

Shield 1: Foreboding Joy
This is a curious one to me. When something good/joy filled happens; instead of diving into the goodness you expect something terrible to happen. True joy - the kind that fills me up to overflowing - happens when I am willing to be vulnerable.

So here's my confusion... I'm not aware of expecting the other shoe to drop when things are going well but I am very aware that I don't do vulnerable much. Maybe this isn't a shield I use often?

And then, I turn the page and see the title Daring Greatly: Practicing Gratitude. So when life is good; which required being vulnerable, instead of expecting something bad to happen I say "Thank You!" Gratitude is the antidote for Foreboding Joy.

Brene' talks about joy and gratitude as spiritual experiences, not just human emotions and I totally agree. Several years ago when I decided to be more grateful, I started by doing exercises in a book - it was homework that needed to be checked off my To-Do list (really connected, huh?). I didn't believe it would change my life in any way.

Now, I can't imagine doing anything without saying thank you and believing that there is a Universal force (bigger than me) who hears my gift of thanks and returns that energy to me. This book is a great example of that gift return - I was ready for the next step and this is a great study guide. Yes, there are things in my life I'd rather not face - like making a house payment when I haven't worked in several months - but I have a beautiful home in an amazing neighborhood that I love. How can I be anything but grateful for that?

I love the way Brene' explains joy:

1. Joy comes to us in moments - we risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary. For me, the extraordinary is no more mortgage payments but what I'm so grateful for is running water, heat, an amazing view of the bay, and the list goes on.
2. When I honor what I have, I'm honoring what isn't in my life. I am learning to love myself and am grateful to still be alive. I no longer have to carry the tape that tells me I'm not smart and not pretty.
3. Every time I lean into joy and give in to those moments, I build resilience and cultivate hope.

Joy and gratitude are part of me - embedded in my thoughts, behavior and the fabric of my life. I've left things behind in the past few years that have governed my entire life and in their place, I have love for myself that I'm not sure what to do with. Knowing that this new attitude is paving the way for more connectivity is very satisfying; very exciting.