Getting back on the horse

When you stop the AL part of a QAL

It always looks so great, so easy, so much fun to jump on a year-long quilt-along (QAL) train.

A new row/block/pattern every month and by the end of the year, a whole new quilt. Also, if it’s a mystery quilt it feels way more exciting. Well that’s how I am with every.single.quilt.along. I could easily sign up to them all but it seems that now I’m an old lady, I might have learned to be more judicious with my time. Maybe.

I signed up for the Sugaridoo Bernina Mystery QAL at the beginning of the year. The first couple of months I was busy patting myself on the back because I was uncharacteristically keeping up.Then the Delta row landed and I was not happy about it. I didn’t like the triangle along with not enjoying foundation paper piecing, and then I ran into problems with large enough pieces of background fabric and boom: I was derailed.

I completely missed the next row, then the next and before I knew it I was so far behind I realised I hadn’t learned a gosh darn thing about managing my time after-all. But wait, I said to myself, it’s not over until the prizes are allocated!! All I really need to do is buckle down and finish those rows. I cleared my decks, wrote a checklist on my whiteboard and just - did the work.

And it was work - but I just plowed away - block after block; updating my checklist. Working my way until I was up-to-date.

My advice to you, my future-self, and all others who think that falling off any horse is the end of the road. That old saying isn’t there for nothing; get back on that horse and keep going.

It’s not over until it’s over and life is long, my friend! stitch by stitch, block by block, we are quilters and we have resilience and perseverance, and we CAN finish things!