Pat Sloan's Blog

🙋‍♀️ Oh the word of it! Word of the Year

April rolls into May and I'm writing about my Word of the Year, this might be a record!! One BIG goal that I set for myself was to write about my word each month, woohoo!

(be sure to watch my video below, it's part of my story today)

 

 

** Word of the Year Monthly Reflection **

 

My word of the year is 'Do'. 

 

I've joined Ali Edwards One Little Word so each month is a prompt. 

 

 

Krystal Idunate  was our guide for April and the prompt is about 'Letting go'.  

 

She had a great analogy of our life is a full glass of water. 

We have an extra set of little cups with water in them that we want to add to the glass. When we try to put them into our full glass something spill out, there is no room for anything new.  It could be physical items, emotional items, and/or relationships. 

 

In Recap I was able to sometimes catch myself on that treadmill in my head, running something over and over and over, like losing my quilt in the mail on the way to be quilting... At some point we all need to let those things go. So I made progress on that.

** Daily Video **

 

I talk about the word of the year and show you my favorite photo of my Dad

•  Watch my FREE Videos & ‘Like’ my channel by clicking the ‘subscribe’ button so you don’t ever miss a thing!  https://www.youtube.com/user/PatSloan?sub_confirmation=1 
• Join my community https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuiltWithPatSloan/ 
• Sign up for notices https://madmimi.com/signups/354180/join 
•  Find all the Sew Along project pages at https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/ 
•  Pat’s Quilt Gallery https://blog.patsloan.com/pat-sloans-quilt-gallery.html  

** May Feelings behind the photos **

 

May is hosted by  Azzari Jarrett   at azzarijarrett.com/blog who is an amazing photographer working in film photos right now. I really love her approach to our word. Her focus is for us to look at the feelings associated with our photography and our word of the year.  

 

In my video today I show you my favorite photo of my dad and why I took it. It has all the feels.

 

This month I'll be stopping to think about my photo taking more than usual. I do a lot to tell the 'story' of my quilt making' but don't always write WHY that photo is done the way I do it. Or even think about that.

 

Similar to other things we create, like quilts, we don't' always have a story, but we usually have a feeling.

 

Here is the book of paper ** For the Love of Paper set https://amzn.to/3w1vklz​ 

 

Visit Azzari Jarrett   at azzarijarrett.com/blog

Find Ali Edwards classes and online at https://www.aliedwards.com/

I am actually doing this goal, so far so good!

First.....

 

 

yesterday there was a glitch and the email for the next block of Home Is did not send

You can dowload and see my video and Download the block at https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/2021/04/-free-sewalong-home-is-block-14.html

 

Here we are in April and I'm writing about my Word of the Year, this might be a record!! One BIG goal that I set for myself was to write about my word each month, woohoo!

(be sure to watch my video below, it's part of my story today)

 

 

** Word of the Year Monthly Reflection **

 

My word of the year is 'Do'. 

 

I've joined Ali Edwards One Little Word so each month is a prompt. 

 

March was to create a habit. Honestly in March I could not add one more thing to my life. My long recovery from my two broken wrists had not yet let me think about anything new.  I was still trying to get back into a regular work flow.

 

So In March I did "DO" things, but not adding anything new.

 

Now in April I am adding cross stitching each day as something I'll do, tracking it on my April Calendar like I showed you in my videos. I'm excited that I have the energy to do this.  

 

But April has it's own prompt, let's take a look

 

 

Krystal is our guide for April and the prompt is about 'Letting go'. 

 

She had a great analogy of our life is a full glass of water. 

We have an extra set of little cups with water in them that we want to add to the glass. When we try to put them into our full glass something spill out, there is no room for anything new

 

It could be physical items, emotional items, and/or relationships. 

 

This is a cool prompt to look at our word and our 'full glass'. What is not serving us? What is not serving me well?

 

My layout above is the first page for April. I wanted it happy and the birds are so inspiring, so SPRING! The rest of April I will be hand writing in my journal looking at what I can 'LET GO' of in my life right now. I've decide to find one thing that is not serving me well and work this month to get rid of that. 

 

Visit  Krystal Idunate  and her youtube

Find Ali Edwards classes and online at https://www.aliedwards.com/

 

** Daily Video **

 

I talk about the word of the year and few more things today.. like this super cool panel below

 

**Goodies

• Panel of applique blocks from Apricot & Ash line  https://shrsl.com/2wcge 
• Wide backing of newsprint https://shrsl.com/2wcjf

Pattern for this panel https://shrsl.com/2wfbk

• White fabric sampler https://shrsl.com/2wcgl
• Monthly Markings patterns and thread kit https://shrsl.com/2pwf5  

Download your March ‘Hope’ April  calendar ***

• https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/pat-sloan-calendar-challenges.html

The Rest

•  Watch my FREE Videos & ‘Like’ my channel by clicking the ‘subscribe’ button so you don’t ever miss a thing!  https://www.youtube.com/user/PatSloan?sub_confirmation=1 
•  Join my community https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuiltWithPatSloan/ 
•  Sign up for notices https://madmimi.com/signups/354180/join 
•  Find all the Sew Along project pages at https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/ 
•  Pat’s Quilt Gallery https://blog.patsloan.com/pat-sloans-quilt-gallery.html  

Oh the word of it!

I'm committed to living my Word of the Year each day (well.. most days) and to do a recap each month, no matter what. 

 

Having that One Little Word has the potential to change how you look at things.

 

In the past, after a few months, I have stopped doing anything with my word

 

This year will be different. And to help me make it different, I have done something new

 

Read on!

 

 

** Word of the Year Monthly Reflection **

 

My word of the year is 'Do'.

 

I've joined Ali Edwards One Little Word for almost all of the 10 yrs she has run it, I was doing one little word prior on my own.

 

I've never created a journal for it. I also drop out of doing prompts after about the 5th month.

 

Every single time.

 

This year when I was looking for a word it was delivered to me due to my circumstances, isn't that the way they sometimes arrive? I was picking my word about 5 months after I had broken both my wrists. I still had trouble 'doing' a lot of things. it was an extremely frustrating time for me. I was exhausted. Gregg was exhausted. I just wanted to be able to do things for myself again

 

Do

 

Do things

 

Do things for myself

 

My word arrived in that sentence

 

 

'Do' meant getting control of what was going on again.

 

To be able to DO for myself again. about a month ago while watching all the  instructor intros I was inspired to get the journal, some pretty papers, and trinkets, I wan to work in this journal for the year. This is all from Ali's store (link at the end)

 

I love words.

 

Love Love LOVE words

 

The guest instructor for February was artist Lucrecer Braxton who talked about words (and so much more) which resonated with me.

 

 

I spent an evening 'Doing' the journal, it was So FUN! I had to catch up as I started very late in March, I'm ok with that. 

 

Our February assignment was to create a vision board.

 

In a perfect world I'd 'Do' my vision board as a quilt. But not this year, although that would be fun.

 

My vision board was created from one mail order catalog and one magazine (which is all I had in the house). It Proves you can create without a lot. 

 

I'm going to stalk Lucrecer plant account at Instagram now. I have one plant (his name is Albert) .. it's been years since I had plants inside due to heavy travel schedules.  Lucrecer mentions how she loves to go to the nursey just to see the plants. It made me think of us quilters, we go to a quilt shop for the same thing. The colors, the beauty.

 

So you might spot me at the nursery just visiting with the plants, i love doing that too!

 

For March I might have to change up what the assignment is, or maybe I will be able to rock into it eventually.  I'm ok with that to. Because I'm 'Doing' every day.

 

Visit Lucrecer at https://www.instagram.com/lucrecer/

and her Plant account https://www.instagram.com/soulsistaplants/

Find Ali Edwards classes and online at https://www.aliedwards.com/

 

** Daily Video **

 

Catch up on what is new in my Daily Video

Crumb blocks - watch this video https://youtu.be/-EVAKvlhtBs  

Zoology panel and fabric https://shrsl.com/2l2tj 

**Cross stitch

• -Just my type items  https://shrsl.com/2u5st 
• -Monthly Markings patterns and thread kit https://shrsl.com/2pwf5  
• -Floss Bitties the holders I use https://shrsl.com/2t4on 
• -Flower needle minder https://shrsl.com/2qd1m 
• Rainbow Mug rug pattern https://blog.patsloan.com/2021/02/rainbow-love-notes-for-everyone.html 

*** Download your March ‘Hope’ Block a Day pattern &  calendar ***

• https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/pat-sloan-calendar-challenges.html

The Rest

•  Watch my FREE Videos & ‘Like’ my channel by clicking the ‘subscribe’ button so you don’t ever miss a thing!  https://www.youtube.com/user/PatSloan?sub_confirmation=1 
•  Join my community https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuiltWithPatSloan/ 
•  Sign up for notices https://madmimi.com/signups/354180/join 
•  Find all the Sew Along project pages at https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/ 
•  Pat’s Quilt Gallery https://blog.patsloan.com/pat-sloans-quilt-gallery.html  

Have you ever pushed something off?

I hope you can relate to this today.

*** Do you do this too? ***

It's WAY too early to feel this way, but I was putting off talking about my word of the year, working to convince myself I'd write about it later.

Sometimes it feels hard to think about things right now. I have pandemic brain. So many months of this .. AND.. winter... February Winter... 

So I pulled on my big girl panties .. let's get to it!

*** I'll tell you other things about it on my video today ***

Right now my word 'Do' needs a friend, so I've selected 'Grace' for the month of February. 

I made a decision to move a big project off 'indefinitely' and I'm SO good with that (I tell you about the project on that video above, just click it to listen).

Thinking about my word I realize I am someone that needs many prompts and to take the time to think.  Instead of just letting the word sit on my sidelines, I have to pull it into my daily game.  In all the 15 years I've had a word (see list at HERE) I have always dropped off thinking about my word part of the way through the year. 

Also my life flow is off kilter right now. Pandemic, broken wrists, now winter, I'm only just starting to feel like I can get back my rhythm. 

So what did I do? I ordered a journal and kit of do-dads to create a physical journal for 2021 of my word. I might even have some real photos made to put in it. Do you have digitals photos printed off? Where at? leave me a comment.

Keep reading, I have one more thing ...

The things I mention in my video:

• Cindy’s Seam Ripper https://shrsl.com/2rjga 
• Her video https://youtu.be/yA7PDwHXjfI
• One Little Word course https://aliedwards.com/shop/classes/one-little-word-2021 
• Download your calendar
• https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/pat-sloan-calendar-challenges.html
• Join my FREE Video community by clicking the ‘subscribe’ button so you don’t ever miss a thing!  https://www.youtube.com/user/PatSloan?sub_confirmation=1

*** Some quotes ***

One of the assignments in Ali's workshop is to find quotes that relate to your word. Here are a few that resonated with me recently

Quote:

• Have Nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to  be beautiful - William Morris 

I’m not sure how that relates to ‘Do’ except  that I want to declutter and to make that happen I have to plan some big ‘Do’ actions to make my space beautiful.  My outdoor space will be my main focus this year. I still have that panel with this quote to 'Do' something with. 

• “I had to decide what I was going to do, and what I was going to be. I was standing there, waiting for someone to do something , till I realized the person I was waiting for was myself.” ― Markus Zusak (writer)

SO true! How often have we said 'they did this' or 'they did that'? There is no 'they'. There is just 'you'  We are in control 100% of the time of how we feel and of what we do. Take back your control if you have gotten into the 'they' trap. There is no THEY... there is YOU and ME. 

• “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda The Empire Strikes Back

My Muse for the year

• “When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.” ― Roy T. Bennett (author)

This is what I want to channel. When I pick the right path it does feel so peaceful. I know I made the right choice.

• “To have what you have never had, you have to do what you have never done.” ― Roy T. Bennett (author)

Guess what? to learn something new or experience something new, you might have to do some hard work. Try making it fun.

And........ I did it! I wrote about my word, even though it felt hard today. I did it! 

Leave me a note about your word of the year, or partner word of the month in the comments below. You are never alone, we are on this journey together