Dear Jane, Why are you mocking me!?

I must be the queen of the unfinished projects! I dubb myself "Queen Startsalot!" I just get so excited about the fabrics and the colors and the fabrics and the designs and the fabrics, and -- oh! Did I mention the fabrics!?

Dear Jane on a Hanger, of course!

And it isn't a lack of work ethic that's the problem. Take Dear Jane -- the infamous civil war quilt of impoverished widow Jane A. Stickle with some 5,602 pieces!!! I've done the blocks!! I've cut my border triangles. I've even pieced some rows together with extra wide sashing so they can be gloriously hand quilted!!! (Ooops -- see my last blog to guess how THAT will go!)

I've displayed the thing on a hanger in my sewing room so I will be inspired to take those last few steps and finish -- the top at least (hand quilting...? well, maybe!).

And while I wait for the aforementioned inspiration, Jane mocks me! "Why are you looking at me!? Shouldn't you be sewing!? Don't you have forty-'leven projects to do!? No! Don't fondle your fabric!!!...Sigh."

I want to scream, "YES! Jane, there IS a Santa Claus, but he's not coming to see you tonight!!!!"

Actually, I just want to say, "Thanks, Lord, that I'm not Jane!" -- the quilt or the widow -- because God is not King Startsalot. Paul writes in Philippians 1:6 that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God finishes what He starts! I don't have to complete what He is doing in me; He'll take care of that Himself, more's the praise!

I wonder if I can get Him into quilting!?

Oh, fine! Jane, here I come!

Why do we have to sleep!?

I read somewhere that the great Thomas Edison -- inventor of the light bulb and a million other things -- rarely slept, and when he did, it was in "power naps" of twenty minutes or so. WHO can live like that!

Well, I would LIKE to, of course. There are ONLY 24 hours in a day, and I could fill them all with the things I need, want and like to do! There are the books I want to read (not to mention actually being consistent with a quiet time to read scripture and pray!), the dozens of quilts I have in the process, the dozens more in my brain wanting to get out. AND I'm a homeschooling mom! -- so there are lesson plans and activities and actual teaching and learning I need to do with my boys (Sam, 16, and Will, almost 11). And, of course, I'm certainly not going to give up eating! :-)

Then there's the Mountain Laurel Quilt Club Sampler -- a quilt I had the privilege of designing and showing/teaching (with lots of help!) to my quilt guild. The top was completed, hmmm...January 2008? and I started hand quilting it. I've gotten 24 of the 48-8 inch blocks and their immediate sashing strips completed. But it's getting embarrassing! At our October 2009 quilt show, there were TWO of these quilts, one hand and the other machine quilted!! I designed the dern thing! Why wasn't mine in the show!? Why won't it be in Oct. 2010?

Because there aren't enough hours in the day, of course!

Scripture tells us there is a time and purpose for everything under heaven....The time of this quilt is ...? The purpose -- CLEARLY -- is to teach me patience, endurance, and persistence :-), one of which, Patience, is a fruit of the Spirit.

Hmmm...maybe that consistent prayer time would help! :-) Or maybe I just need a nap!
Blessings!
Mary Lou