Thimbleanna

It’s a Matter of Balance

We’re having a severe lack of balance here in ThimbleannaLand.  Not that I want to complain or anything, but somebody has to do it.

Rain Balance:
For Starters, there’s this annoying drought.  The farmers are really being hit hard and it’s so sad.

Thirsty Plants

But many of you reading this live in areas with too much rain.  TheSecondChild called this morning and said it’s been raining all week — just 6 hours south of here.  He lives on a second floor overlooking the apartment complex pool and all the rain is cutting into his sightseeing.  (If you know what I mean and I’m sure you do.)

Work/Life Balance:
It’s a Corporate America buzzword.  But, there’s too much work in my work/life balance and it’s cutting into my quilting time.  I did manage to make these pillowcases (with stash fabrics woohoo!) for BigDaddy using Cassie’s fabulous tutorial.  I LOVE this pattern.  No more manky pillows peeking out from under the cute fabric.  And as you know — every man wants a scalloped crochet edge on his muscle car pillow cases.  ;-)

Car Pillow Cases

Quilt Shop Balance:
Do you have the quilt shop finder app for your iAnythings? (I tried to find the link with no success – if anyone knows where it is, let me know and I’ll add it here.)

Here’s a map of quilt shops for my area:

Quilt Shop Map

And here’s a map of quilt shops for the Salt Lake City Utah area:

Quilt Shop Map

WHAT????? Is that even fair???? You Utah girls are hogging all the quilt shops! No wonder you all make such gorgeous quilts.

OK. I’m done whining now. It’s TheManoftheHouse’s birthday so I must run and scare up some birthday activities.
Have a good weekend!
XOXO,
Anna

40 thoughts on “It’s a Matter of Balance”

  1. Yep, Salt Lake City quilters are hogging all the shops. Explains why there are only two quilt shops around here! Do you think I can persuade any to re-locate to central NJ?

  2. Happy Birthday to the ManoftheHouse! I hope you guys finally get the gift of rain up your way. We got a little today but still need more!
    Thanks for the info about the quilt shop app. I just bought one of the Quilter’s Travel Companion books last week. Knew I should’ve waited!
    Have a good week!

  3. We need rain too. :(. And I about as many “local” quilt shops as you do as well, Anna. Time to move to Utah.

  4. It is a matter of balance…and I’m in the whining mood about our lack of rain. There have been clouds all around for the past 2 days…we were supposed to have all the elements in place…but nothing. Las Vegas even got rain…but out here it’s still dry and hot.

    I wish I could balance my schedule better so I could sew more too…although with my machine in the shop this week I did get some painting done that had been on the list for awhile!

  5. The balance is definitely out of whack! You should have plenty of time for sewing, that’s imperative (I say)!!!
    Sorry about the lack of rain at your end while in other places it never stops raining! While looking at the quilting map of your area it suddenly occurred to me that you live very close to Berne and Geneva where I have family! Isn’t it a small world?

  6. Happy Birthday, Mr. Man of the House! Hope it was a good one and that Ms Thimbleanna dreamed up something that was lots of fun. I’ll bet she did!

    And Anna, I would so gladly share some of our rain with you. We’ve needed it so desperately but enough already!

  7. Droughts usually go in 20 yr periods. Our drought broke about 2 yrs ago now so at least we get some rain during the summer, but the sun still dries things up fairly regularly. I am sure once the summer is over you will get some rain. Love the pillowcase, and hope you can get some more quilting time into your work/life balance.

  8. With a map like the one in Utah I think, my friend, you have only one choice! ….ROAD TRIP :o)

    Hope the weather breaks for you soon…seems we are all out of whack this year too hot, too much rain…no balance.

  9. That’s a lot of quilt shops in Utah!! Do they have other kinds of shops?

    Well, you’re going to love it here in Scotland!! Apparently Edinburgh had only had 1.5 hours of sunshine in the first week of July! It’s all grey and wet here! Bring some of that drought with you and we’ll let you take some of our rain back!

  10. OH MY… I could have written this post! Minus the sightseeing son and month of man’s bday (although my shipping dept had one in June and he does love to sightsee)

    we have about 5 quilt shops in a 30 min drive… I want one next door.. actually I’d like it in my plaza.. and I do think Utah could give up that up! Have you looked at Wisconsin on the map? I think they are the other hoarder state

  11. Loved this post. I suffer from balance issues a lot, too. Your map of the quilt shops is too funny. You are right on the money! Sometimes I am glad we don’t have so many quilt shops around here, though. It’s bad enough for me with internet shopping! LOL.

  12. Sometimes things are just not fair, I too feel blessed to have so many quilt shops to visit here in southern California. Believe me, I understand work cutting into play time, not to mention just being too worn out at the end of the day to get much creativity done.
    Hope the birthday plans work out!
    :-}pokey

  13. I am off to find that app for my iPhone and I definitely need to talk my fiends into a Utah road trip. even in SoCal we had a little rain this week, enough that we pulled the cushions up and so then it stopped. Today and tomorrow I get to sew…all by myself, hurrah!

  14. Ooh, behind in my blog-visiting but have just been catching up and have seen my birthday wishes. Thank you so much!

    I think you should go on holiday to somewhere that isn’t suffering from drought. Just saying.

  15. I can count of the fingers of one hand the number of quilt shops within a reasonable distance ….. and probably have a finger left!!
    Happy birthday to the ManofTheHouse ….. if only I could send him soe of our rain! However, it should get better, as today is St Swithun’s Day, and as it hasn’t rained, then the weather should be better for the next 40 days!!

  16. Hi Anna,
    Well, you know I’m already aboard the work/crafting balance out of whack train (say it three times fast :) As I was reading your post, we had a five minute rain here. Now the sun is out just about as bright as ever…..not long enough! I’m off to keep sorting through the sewing room, just in case I get the chance to use it. Happy Birthday to the hubby!

    xo Amy

  17. I shoulda been born in Utah..dang! ;p tell second child that he should be studying and not ‘sight seeing’. ;p

    have a wonderful bday celebration and try to stay cool! ;p

  18. Happy birthday, Man of the House! You sure do have a fabulous Mrs. :) I don’t have an iAnything so I will have to count on you, Anna, to tell me where all the cool Georgia quilt shops are. Well, I do know of one….ha ha
    Hope you get rain soon, but not too much! We get a some every day but it was our air conditioner that caused a flood- in my sewing room! Aargh. Not cool.

  19. Balance? What is that?
    I too have the annoying drought and it’s making me crabby.
    I have even less quilt shops here – I’ll have to look for the app.
    happy B-Day to MATH

  20. The quilt shop maps are severely out of balance. Both of them. Ours have too many and yours not enough. Really. When we start having this many quilt stores, it seems like quilting has jumped the shark.

  21. Commiserations on the drought – we had 11 years of it, so know what it’s like! We have lovely green grass this winter, first time for a long time. You need to retire Anna, that’s a good way to get work/life balance!!! ‘Cept money gets tight then! Hope “he” had a great birthday.

  22. Me – I’m always out of balance. :) I think I told you I could stand the heat last time – WRONG! Yesterday we had what I would call a MONSOON and tomorrow’s prediction is more HOT-HOT-HOT! I do LOVE those pillowcases – I’ve made quite a few – and the crochet trim is the best part. Happy Birthday to the man of the house!

    P.S. – I was going to comment yesterday, but I was too hot to do it!

  23. happy bday to MOTH and i hope SC gets a reprieve from the rain, we wouldn’t want his social life to suffer further. what is MOTH going to do w/his pillowcases? remember those cute ROADTRIP ones you did a few years back? i’ve been meaning to do those forever. i have to go and put my hair in rollers so i look better than usual… hubby said something like this: “if i worked from home i think i would get up in the morning and get dressed and fix my hair and just get all ready for the day”. i refrained from making a snarky comment. instead, i’m curling my hair and he can take me to dinner and movies! i’m brilliant!

  24. No rain here either. Just 20 miles from us they have had INCHES of rain. A gully-washer kind of rain, but still. I don’t know if I’ll get anything out of my garden even tho I water a lot. We need God to do some watering for us.

    Sorry you don’t have more quilty time. I can see why by the quilt shop app. Poor you.

  25. Balance is good! Out of balance….not so good! :) This lack of rain has been awful! We got a little rain this evening, but it was short lived. Your muscle car pillow cases made me smile though. Very cute! :)

  26. I hope your day was great with some rain today! I think the app is a bit off, though, The shop in Roanoke is quite nice, admittedly I love it because I love Moda fabrics and they carry alot. I’ll have to find that app for when I travel!

  27. We are really lacking rain, here, as well. City’s reservoir has low and they have requested not watering as well. Although it really wouldn’t be helping anyway, except garden plants by hand. Hope you get some rain soon! And when we’ve gotten it, it’s been big storms!
    Not a lot of crafting going on, here. I like to use my summers “off” to clean and purge! Been getting a lot done. Will be blogging this afternoon! :)

  28. I hope all will balanced for you soon, Anna. Love the muscle cars with crochet edgeing. I think that is a perfect girl/boy balance. Thanks for the shout-out too. Have a lovely weekend. In fact, I hope your weekend is all fun and no work. That will counter balance the weeks where there is too much work and not enough fun. Right?

  29. Well it surely looks like Utah has some serious quilt shop hopping to offer. Although I won’t complain – I think Minnesota has quite a few as well. I’m very behind – I hope themanofthehouse had a great birthday and some fun events took place. I’m sure you made up a darling cake or his favorite treat knowing you. Love Bigdaddy’s pillow case and that trim is seriously cute – those muscle cars always need a little cuteness on the side – I’m just sayin. Hope your “job” at your parents house went ok – I didn’t envy you lol and was sooooo busy or I would have offered to help – oh that’s right I live a bit away :). Your a good daughter Sweet Pea :). Sure would’t mind taking some of that rain from your son – we could use it.
    Hugs – Mrs. Farmhouse

  30. Wow, that is a lot of quilt shops!! Yeah, I hate to whine about the rain but I need some summer before fall hits!! LOVE the manly pillow cases!! Clarice
    ps. thanks for understanding about turning 50 xoxo

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