A Really Good Weekend

I just had an amazing weekend and had to share it.

First, I’ve started working on a super-complex quilt pattern. The final product is a secret because it is going to be a gift – but this is the list of pattern cuts for ¼ of the final product:

I finished that quilt block yesterday and it is almost perfect! There were a few spots where it got a little wonky – but I can work with those parts.

I sent a progress pic to a friend and she said, “I’m jealous of your skillz.” And I realized that while there is some element of skill, it is really that I’ve been able to practice and build up my confidence so that I could make a quilt square that complicated. I have so much more confidence going into making the next blocks!

Then I decided to take a quick break from that to work on a side project. My friends and I have recently started playing Dungeons and Dragons. If you’ve never played, there is a lot to keep track of. Not just game pieces, but throughout the game your Dungeon Master is telling a story – so you need to be able to remember which town you’re headed for and what pieces of equipment you are carrying. (My character is a middle aged halfing bard who is also a weaver. She also has a very cranky attitude.)

All that to say, there aren’t any patterns out there for “Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Folio.” So I decided to make one! For the first time ever, I took inspiration from several different patterns that I did find and completely altered them to suit my needs – creating an entirely different product!

That’s a huge milestone and tells me that I’m not simply following patterns, but that I’m able to think for myself and make something functional and attractive! I also didn’t have to buy anything for this project – my stash is now big enough that I just did some picking and choosing.

Next Goal: I took a ton of pictures while I made the Campaign Folio because I thought it would be a good tutorial to have out there. Creating that will be my next challenge – even as I was making it I kept thinking, “Oh. That wasn’t in the original plan – you’ll have to explain it. And don’t forget that you used another cut of fabric.” I have a newfound respect for all the pattern writers out there.