November '05  Hooping it Up

How do you gauge the quilting quality of your day?  Is it the zen-like state induced by chain piecing a lap quilt?  Finding your corners and points matching like little soldiers on the surface of a fabric landscape?  Shopping in your favorite quilty places for batiks and marbles?  Currently, I’m using the “hoop” system for determining the success of my mood altering.  Here’s how it works:  I use a PVC frame, or “hoop” for my hand-quilting.  I spread the project out on the floor making sure it’s smooth and wrinkle free.  Then I pick it up really fast and dump the cat off.  If I’m nimble enough I can get it spread out and the hoop positioned again before he can realize he’s not the center of attention.  Snap the frame pieces on, and voila! the project is taut and ready for some relaxing hand work.  Then it’s just me, my quilt, and my ott light.  Everything else just fades into the background, noises muffled, clutter quieted, family entertaining themselves.  I quilt and daydream about future projects, fabric collections, chocolate, everything that makes me happy.  The more times I can re-hoop my quilt, the happier I get.  On a good day I can get a couple of rounds in.  Today, for example was a “two-hooper”.  Not bad, considering all the other nasty stuff I had to fit in.  Now yesterday, yesterday was a “three-hooper”. Yowza.  That just doesn’t happen often enough.  I was pretty giddy last night, not much could get me down.  Even my family noticed the difference.  I think this weekend I’ll try for a hooping marathon.  They won’t be able to stand me.  I hope your weekend is a hooper one, too.