getting it done

Oh I have too much work to do before the Washington Craft Show. Orders to finish. Work to make. The list just seems to go on forever and ever.

This week I have been struggling to finish a long--or should I say --l-o-o-o-o-n-g wall hanging. They need it before Thanksgiving. I want to get it done. The piecing seems to take forever. It is a huge quilt. One hundred and two inches long.

Finally I get that done--then I must sew it together. Hand finishing all those seams. I turn on the Diane Rehm Show--learn about Cleopatra--interesting. The fiscal policy--not so interesting. My DH tells me I should just work faster. I can't. I don't want to do anything stupid. There is only so fast one can sew anyway. I plug along. It is hard because hand sewing is sufficiently reflective that I can think of all of the projects I want to finish. I look at the studio and want to clean it--but no I must focus. I want to update my web site--but no, not now.

Finally it gets done. I just have to "finish" it. Wrap it up. I iron it. Pick threads. Add the Velcro for hanging. Pick more threads. Luckily this time I have tried to be neat in the work. It is not that bad. Label it.

I hang it up over my design board so I can clean the back of the piece.

 Hang up the quilt on the wall so I can pick threads once more. Get a snapshot of the piece.

Then I have to make the boards for hanging. I have been using a pressed board Venetian blind that is easy to cut to size. They can just be screwed into the wall. Of course the quilt is so big I need four boards. I wrap them together and cover with paper--I will roll the quilt around them. After the boards are mounted,  the Velcro can put in place. I measure the Velcro. Wrap it up for packing. I make a muslin cover for carrying the quilt. Put my web address and phone number on it.

Then I put one of those plastic drop sheets on the floor. It is clean and lint free. Spread the quilt out on it. I put a business card inside--just in case. Put the boards on one end and start to roll the quilt--again hunting for threads. I know I will miss some but I don't want to miss too many. I tie the quilt into the roll with a few muslin strips. Slip it into the muslin cover. Then wrap the whole thing in some of the plastic drop cloth--tape it shut and put it into the box. Yes, this took a couple of hours.

Now I must just contact the future owners. Add another card or two. A bit of padding in the box. Then tape the box shut and ship it. How nice to have this piece done. Though there is just a tiny bit of regret--an absence. I have grown accustomed to the piece on my design board and miss it though I know it will have a good home.

But I can't linger long in this feeling of regret--there is too much to do. I eat lunch and then get back to work.

And you--do you miss work when you send it out into the world? Or are you so eager to move on to a new piece? Any any tips on working faster--is it possible?