Yet ANOTHER 10 tops ready to go! Yikes - really?

This wasn’t my original plan for the week - as I didn’t want to have this many blog posts in a row with such a similar theme.

Don’t worry - I am not going to keep it up, but finishing these tops has been a great way for me to make some progress in my sewing room, ease myself back into sewing, AND get these tops ready to go - all three things are quite necessary.

I do appreciate all of the tops that have been given to me, but when they are small (ish), they are yet another project for me to take care of. So, I rejoice, while at the same time, knowing I do have more to do.

I’m learning to deal with the volume of work (in waiting) but moving the tops out of sight - to the room at church. I know that there will be days and times when both of my faithful sewists won’t be able to continue at the pace at which they are now. Then I can get caught up, Lord willing.

Yesterday I went to the Post Office to get a registered letter.

When I opened it, it was some paperwork for me to fill out so I can receive a package from Fran (she makes tops for us) - lives in AZ. Something has apparently changed here in Poland as of March - from what I was told - and every box will be charged a customs fee.

I guess I’ll find out for sure. (In the past, it was very much up to the mood and feelings of the person working in the customs office whether I actually paid a fee or just a $2.25 handling fee also new last year.)

I had to fill out some documents AND then scan them and then email them to the customs place. Hopefully that was sufficient, and I will find out what we will get charged when they bring the box.

Maybe today (Friday).

I did email the information on Wed. late, so I figure that’s enough time if they choose to release it to me. Fran is sending about 20 tops - at least that is one the customs form. When they asked me the value - I said $20 - as she did - but on the form I actually said they were given for me to finish - for charitable purposes - and until they are finished, they are, for all practical purposes, worthless (from a resale point). I guess I’ll find out what they choose to charge me. With the quilts for Ukraine, it really felt like a lottery - sometimes being charged a lot, and sometimes nothing.

Anyway, here are the next 10 tops I did add borders to this week. Some were basically nothing, but the other ones (the small centers) were actually a bit of work. If I had already cut the borders, I was able to get them done pretty quickly, but if I had to come up with the borders (not cut yet), well, of course, it takes longer - all that decision making.

I decided to just really get busy and try to get as much as I could get done in the last few days - as I had been working on my sewing room - there is still far too much in it - and it won’t be all better til all these bags of tops are out of there - so I thought, why not just let myself work on them at least some and move some on out. So that’s what I’ve been doing.

I’ve also been going through the cabinet that is in there - I really didn’t take out much (as in to get rid of). I refreshed what unfinished projects were in there. I did move out one I can give to Ewa’s mom to finish up for me (charity top) - maybe even more than that - maybe two or three that are in block form and she can sew those blocks together for me.

Anyway - here are the tops. Click on the arrow to move to the next top. Once again, I wrote on the bottom what I actually added.

So the next ten are done. Seven of the ten of these - the centers were made by Fran from AZ or Ewa’s mom (Ewa and her mom, really since Ewa does her mom’s cutting). The three larger ones - well, I don’t know who made them - if it is you - then THANK YOU!

I have a hug pile I need to take to the long arm room today (Friday). I also have quite a few tops down there that are quilted and ready to be quilted. This happens to be our cat, Tuq’s favorite time of year because he loves to sleep on any newly brought up quilts. I let him sleep on them until after they have been washed - at which time I block his access to them.

I store them longer term at the church in a room where no animals can get to them.

I checked out my stack the other day and it is pitifully small. I say that, but in truth, my goal isn’t really to have a big pile of quilts at church - but I know that if I am going to have a give-away - I do need a big stack. But all of the quilts I finished last year (120), I managed to give away half of them without an official give-away. I did pack up several of them, however, for Ukraine (actually probably most of the ones I gave away in 2022).

Thankfully I’m about completely used to the time change AND all over jet lag. What that means is that I’m waking up a normal time now with no alarm necessary and not feeling desperately tired when I wake up. That jet lag seems to get worse as I grow older. It left me feeling just draggy and a little bit like I’m in another world.

Sometimes people think that every day and every week is an amazing week (in other peoples’ lives.) But that isn’t true. Sometimes things are a grind and not really all that exciting. That’s kind of how this week has been.

Thanks once again for coming along with me.

Have a great day wherever you are reading this!

Becky Petersen5 Comments