Color Therapy Thursday--Keeping it real

I have been enjoying everyone's end-of-the-year review, seeing the quilts and other sewn items that people have made.

Here's the thing for me. 2010 was a completely low-output year for me. My friend, Sue, was sick most of 2009 and then passed away at the end of March 2010, and this year, to put it mildly but honestly, was pretty sucky for me.

I started a lot of projects:

I thought about starting many more.

In reality, I completed...um...hardly any.

There was this quilt, which was donated to a charity auction:

These two, wedding gifts:

This one for a modern quilt exchange:

And a few bee swap blocks:

But the rest of the year, I really only had the creative energy to complete some of these:

And sometimes even that really taxed my creative energy.

Have you ever had one of those years? Or even a month? It didn't come as a complete surprise to me that Mark and I seemingly sleep-walked through much of 2010. We did the same thing in 2005. I know that quilting can be a wonderful antidote to hard times. And it has been the same way for me at times. Just not in 2010. At first I kind of beat myself up for it. You know. "Snap yourself out of it. Get busy and do something. You'll feel better." This year it just didn't work.

So instead, I read countless blogs, looked at, and was inspired by, what everyone else was doing. Did I feel, dare I say it, jealous of what everyone else seems able to accomplish. I did.

I also did a lot of what I called "grief therapy" fabric purchasing. A lot.
To combat that, I gave away/donated to church quilting group/sold a lot of fabric. And tried to simplify my life in other ways. Cleared out closets. Cleaned out drawers.

By December, I literally felt myself coming out of the year's fog. Our Christmas was more focused on spending time together and making memories, something you can't begin to put a price tag on.

My downer year of 2010 has not ended on a downer note. I feel light, and light-hearted. I have looked at relationships. One in particular had suffered as a result of this year. But that too has been repaired and restored.

Yesterday I read these two posts back to back. Oh, the conflict. The joys of simplifying one's life? Yes, please. The price of fabric going up? Seriously? And I may or may not have hit the "purchase" button once or twice. But with a little more control this time. I looked around my sewing room (and office...and spare bedroom). I have stacks of really gorgeous fabric that have been waiting for me to emerge.

I hear it calling me.

And finally....finally...I am ready to answer the call.

Thank you to all my blogging friends who have sustained, inspired and encouraged me throughout 2010.

Happy Creative New Year to you all.