I don’t how I get myself into such panic-stricken situations with looming deadlines with such consistency.

Today, for example, I need to take care of some business correspondence, write this column, and stitch “full speed ahead” on a new quilt. Oh, and I almost forgot, I need to do a “facelift” on my PowerPoint presentation to make it sleeker, tighter, and more up to date! As I accomplish some of my tasks, it occurs to me that I skipped my daily shower, still have on yesterday’s makeup, am still in my jammies, and my hair is sticking out at odd angles. The question is, why do I continue to put too many things on my shovel and then convince myself that “Yes indeed, Joyce, you can do it all?”

It makes me feel better, though, to realize I am not the only crazy quilter stressed to the max running around like a chicken with her head cut off out there! I can recall many situations where my quilting friends and peers have put the pedal to the medal and finished projects just under the wire for quilt-show deadlines. In fact, I’ve seen quilters stitching down bindings on quilts into the wee hours of the night for a “quilt entry” deadline the next day. Those who sadly don’t make the deadline, come up with all sorts of lame excuses, like “The dog ate my quilt,” or “my sewing machine died,” or “my mother-in-law dropped dead.”

For now, I’m damn proud of myself. I’ve spent the last several days getting my teaching supplies, hand-outs, and class samples, ready to take with me for an upcoming “gig” at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA. The only teeny tiny deadline I sort a slipped up on was; shipping “kits” and books in a timely manner. My husband, bless his pea pickin’ heart, noticed my kits and books were due in the next two days and he rushed out and had them shipped two-day air for me. This was a costly and unfortunate mistake. Will I repent or change my evil ways??? Since I can’t blame the dog (we don’t have one) and my sweet mother-in-law passed many years ago, I guess I’ll have to place blame where it belongs. I, Joyce R. Becker, fully acknowledge I screwed up and I don’t promise to meet my deadlines in the future.

Happy Stitching,

Joyce