Are you deadline oriented?

I have always been most productive when faced with a deadline. In my working life, everything had a deadline, so I was very productive.

That same trait rules my "making" life as well. If I have a hard stop for a project, it will get done. Birthdays, Christmas, baby gifts. All delivered on time. But give me an open timeline, and it will linger - and linger longer.

Lately, there have been lots of deadlines, and so far, I have met them all.

The OHCG Annual is this coming Saturday in Cobourg. A new model, with just one single day. The costs of the weekend affairs were just getting higher and higher, so this is a new test to see if it satisfies the love without blowing up the wallet.

The theme of this annual is Peace, Love, Rug & Roll, and it relies heavily on all our fondest memories of the 60s and 70s. Our icon for the annual is a Hippie Van, which became the star for our first ever hook-along. We hosted this event on Zoom, and we had a ton of folks signed up to attend. Everyone hooked the same pattern and the results, as you can imagine, are as individual as the makers.

Here's a link to a dedicated blog https://2025annual.blogspot.com/ where you can find lots of groovy images of the van and other "wardrobe suggestions" for the day.

This is how my version of the van turned out. Still debating on whether or not it should be a pillow, since it has button hubcaps and other scratchy stuff. 

And look in the background of this photo - that's right, a granny square vest that I made just for the occasion.  I had to relearn the granny square, but it was worth it - and all from stash yarn. 

Another project that had a hard deadline was this little mat for International Punch Hooking Day. Life got in the way, and I didn't get to attend much of the Zoom get-together, but I did get to see Amy Oxford (the queen of punch needle) gush about how far this form has come since she started many years ago.

Again, everyone did the same pattern, called "The Ripple Effect", designed by Robin Whitfield. And there were lots of interpretations.  I am still a relative newbie at punch, but I enjoyed doing this little mat.

One other little project that had no other deadline that a 7-year old's impatience, is Evvie's first quilt. It is for her dolls and stuffies. She picked her fabrics and hand stitched a few of the squares together. Grandma did the rest. It is not perfect, but I didn't change a thing. I hope her love for quilting lasts for years and years.

The projects without deadlines are all waiting patiently for attention. I am working on three sweaters. I am poking away at them, and hope to have one finished in the next few weeks. Not many weeks of sweater weather left, so I am tempted to let them sit until fall.

A Farewell to Edith.

Back in 2009, I bought a UFO (unfinished object, in case you don't know) from an older rug hooker in Toronto. She was well into her 80s and knew that she would never finish it. The price I paid was embarrassingly low, for the pattern (which she had started) and all the wool to hook it. She just wanted someone to finish it. I promised I would. Here is a picture from 2009 when I began. 

Over all these years, I have worked on it in fits and starts, making very slow progress. I realized that I was not emotionally attached to it, and guilt was not a great motivator. I was struggling to get anywhere close to the 40 x 60 size, so I made the decision to cut down the pattern. Then I could sort of fulfill my promise. I reduced it to 24 x 36, a doable mat size versus a full size room rug.

The ends that I cut off will eventually be hooked into pillows, in colours that are more my palette. 

Here is the rug, which I nicknamed "Edith" after the woman who sold it to me, all finished and ready to be part of a fundraiser on Monday. 

Our local rug hooking group is having our second "Estate and Stash-Buster Sale", where people bring things from their stash - or things we have been give by people who are giving up rug hooking. I decided that in addition to many other supplies I don't need - hoops, hooks, an extra gripper frame, and a cutter, I will bring a few finished rugs and see if people are interested.

All proceeds of this endeavour go to our local Kawartha Food Share. Last time we raised over $900 dollars. We hope to do the same again. 

Last Monday I took Edith to our usual session and was whipping the edges. One of the women there (part of the Scandinavian embroidery group who share our space) was drawn to the piece and asked what I was going to price it at. I thought $100 as a minimum bid would be good. People could go higher if they wanted. So she made a "reserved bid" on it, saying that I should take a higher bid, but that might prompt higher bids. I have no idea what to think, but I have a guaranteed $100, which I know is too low, but it is for a very worthwhile cause. 

I am very relieved that "Tribal Kilim" aka Edith will go to a good home. And that I "sort of" fulfilled my end of this bargain.