Enthusiasm again...

I have been enthused to work again.  I started quilting my winter wall hanging on Monday, finishing all the ditch quilting early in the day.  Today, Tuesday, I freemotion stitched around all the applique motifs.  Now I just need to quilt the borders.  I think I will use some swirls and stars for the borders... I don't have any matching thread, so I ordered some more aurifil online, including a light blue I can use for the border quilting.  Now, just have to wait for the package to arrive. 

Having done that, I've run out of projects I want to work on... I have lots of UFOs I COULD be working on, but my enthusiasm is for something new.  There is a new project on the cover of the current issue of Quiltmania magazine.  I am doing this project with 5 friends - we are makiing exchange blocks to make this very pretty quilt called Ryokan:

Each of us is doing two blocks, making 6 copies of each of them.  I'd like to start on this project, but my blocks are #9 and 12 - which won't be out in the magazine until probably February or March (it is being printed in segments spanning three issues).  So I'm kinda stuck in waiting mode. 

Still, I have all this pent-up enthusiasm for working now, so tomorrow after class, I will make SOMEthing... anything... just to work.  Hopefully that will spur me to work on some of my UFOs as well. 

It is supposed to get into the 90s for the next two days - definitely days to stay indoors as much as possible to enjoy the AC.  Maybe I can use this enforced 'inside time' to at least pick my fabrics for my Ryokan blocks.  Or maybe I will work on picking some projects to work on at my guild's quilting retreat in November.  I am trying to find as many hand projects as I can, so I can go to the retreat without my sewing machine.  I hope to have two quilts to bind to bring along - but maybe I should prepare some other hand projects as well... That will give me something to do for the next two days!  I have a plan!

I have also started to make to do lists.  For the past two days, I have taken care of a lot of little projects, errands and such that I have been putting off for a long time - I wrote to my sister, renewed my prescriptions, did some promised computer work.  It feels good to cross things off a list... a sense of accomplishment; endorphins released.  I need to keep these lists going on a daily basis... oh wait, I might actually have to clean the house if I start keeping up on projects lol.  Well, it's still a good idea.