Disconnected and Distracted

I've hit my very first genuine impasse in quilting! Yesterday I worked on cutting out fabric for my skating coach's birthday gift - this ice skating/Christmas theme piece. I had purchased this darling large scale fabric and was trying to fussy cut it. EEK! I just couldn't do it without cutting off the heads of the carolers or the legs of the horses drawing the cute little carts. What to do, what to do? I was getting very frustrated (still am) in part because I don't really know how to fussy cut (never done it before). I decided that I would take some other holiday/skating fabric I have and combine the two. I would have used the other fabric exclusively as the focus fabric, but only had two fat quarters, so that wasn't an option. Bummer. 

Now I have to decide if I should make this and see what it looks like or just throw in the towel and buy some new fabric and start again. My inclination is to give it a whirl, just to see what it looks like. It will either be darling or a disaster!

Rather than being excited about starting this piece, I am feeling somewhat disconnected from my quilting activities right now. I have a class next week (thank goodness) and hope to get kick-started again. This too shall pass, right? But it's an interesting feeling to have as I have been so engaged in quilting since November. Just something new to contend with. "Ponder, ponder," she notes.

But tomorrow we skate! Nothing like cold air, hard ice, and splats to move one out of a malaise. 

Finally, how could I not mention Susan Boyle, who the entire world seems to be talking about? What a woman, what a voice, what an example of "Don't judge a book by its cover." I love this woman's spunk, personality, and sheer unadulterated honesty. You go, Susan! I'm here in Loomis, CA cheering you on.