Doodles

This week has been loaded with meetings.  Institutes, workshops, lectures and presentations are fine but we have been at this for four days.   Well --- I have a difficult time sitting for that long.  I get antsy.  I really need to move around.  I always want to be respectful and stay in my seat but it's not always easy.  After all, I'm usually on the move.  Teaching school, teaching quilting, quilting, cleaning (OK, as little cleaning as possible), yardwork, gardening, playing with my grandson etc. keep me moving.

I doodle.  I always have.  As far back as I can remember, I remember doodling!  If I doodle, I can still pay attention to the speaker.  If I try to just sit, I find myself thinking about all of the things I could be doing instead of listening to the speaker.

Usually, when I doodle,  I doodle the paper full of quilting designs.  Sometimes I create a new quilt pattern but most often I doodle as if I am quilting the paper with my pen or pencil rather than my longarm machine.  During one of our presentations I meandered an entire piece of paper and crosshatched another.  I was working very hard at filling a whole piece of paper with a rather intricate design of feathers and swirls when I was caught!!!  I felt like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar! 

"What are you doing there?" came the question. 

"Hmmm...doodling."  I answered.  

"Yes, but what are you doodling?" I was asked. 

My friend next to me said, "That's how she quilts!  She's practicing."

After a long pause came,  "Well at least you're being productive!"

I was relieved yet still a teeny bit embarrassed!

I have to admit, I can't wait to try the feathers and swirls on a real quilt.

Happy Quilting,
Laurel