Trying to enlarge my Comfort Zone, Anyone Else?
 

I know many think educators have it easier because of summer break, but after 10 months of routinely 18 hour days, when you count our "second job" as wives, mothers and hands on grandmothers ( plus all the night & weekend school activities (I'm in a middle & high school) we arrive gratefully to summer. (I won't list all I need to do to be ready for next year, can't face it yet:shock:). Anyway I am trying to stretch myself in trying new things, including color choices, techniques, etc. Our house is neutral so I can change the seasons and holidays more easily. Chose these colors for summer in the family room- red has equaled Christmas, Valentine's or patriotic before this:). I want to practice with my free motion quilting rulers on my Babylock Unity, get better with the embroidery software and options on my machine, and make some soft books for my granddaughter. Anyone else trying some new things?
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I can definitely say that you are not alone. I am a hand piecer and hand quilter. This year I have decided to stretch my comfort zone. I have started to machine piece some of my quilt tops and I have done some simple machine quilting on a few baby quilts.

It's beautiful! I love those colors! I just started a Dear Jane quilt to challenge myself. I hope you enjoy your summer and get a lot of sewing done. :)

You are not along in wanting to expand your talents/comfort zones. I am finishing up two quilts for a friend's little girl and baby to be named when it arrives later this year. Then I am going to start working on my quilting. Seeing what people do here totally amazes me and I need to improve. Only way to do that is to do it. Right?

I hear you, I too have been trying to expand my quilting abilities. I have a bunch of UFO's that will keep me busy for the remainder of this year but I am trying new techniques on each as I finish them, even if it's just a new type of FMQ design. New techniques that I have recently tried are: designing a quilt label online and printing it on my inkjet printer, basting with washable glue, using starch and washable glue for binding prep, micro-stippling, using built in embroidery stitches on my Bernina. I get a lot of inspiration online, I'm always łooking for new uTube videos, reading, and of course looking at QB. I just ordered a bunch of Kaffe Fasset fabric - that should help me be more adventurous with large scale patterns and bold colours. I miss the quilt guild back home and their library of books.

i like your new pillow - the colours are vibrant and work well together.

Wow OhCanada, just moving to Pakistan makes you Queen of expanding your comfort zone! Excited to hear what everyone is trying and working on-we are a vibrant, creative bunch on this board!

Just making ' jungle patches' which will test my patience in zigzagging around all the shapes and I plan to hand stitch a blanket stitch around the patches. I've done a applique before but never with so many tiny pieces.

I am taking a winding ways disaster (all the pieces were cut for a king size but they all blended because my color/contrasts were all wrong) and I am turning it into a crumb quilt, something I have never tried.

I very seldom try new thing because of being disable. I know how hard educators have to work. Every evening my mother would sit down in front of the TV with her desert of a couple of cookies, and start grading papers or filling in the schedule for next week.

Challenging ones capabilities is always a learning experience and quite satisfying when accomplished. Luckily most educators can enjoy the summer break....whereas most who work 12 months a year, do not take the two or more weeks per year allotted to them as vacation time, because of work pressures or just fear of being replaced. A recent study revealed that.....and yet, I understand, European workers take "holiday" of a month.......I thought that the technology/electronics we so enjoy would have made the work day less stressful allowing for more, not less, rec time....