You aren't just going to leave those socks on the floor, are you?

My mother had a friend when I was growing up who was good at everydamnthing you could imagine. She sewed like a fashion designer, she cooked like Paula Deen, she was always tastefully and appropriately dressed, and most of all, she did everything she ever did neatly, tidily, and without the least little bit of muss, fuss, or apparent disorder. Her children were also well turned out, organized, and high achievers.

Understand that I grew up in a wonderful house with everything I ever needed and much of what I wanted, but we were not tidy, we were not orderly, we had lots of muss, fuss, and disorder. I didn't like to comb my hair unless there was a good reason. We were not neat and tidy children, and our Dad - whoa damn, don't get me started on that. He likes stuff, lots and lots of stuff. Mom fought a pitched battle to create order, but you know, chaos theory: One woman cannot hope to win against three people who leave chaos behind them like slugs leave slime. My own house of today is my childhood house Part Deux. It's a lovely little place filled to the gills with lots and lots of barely organized stuff.

Anyway, this friend of my mother's, let's call her Betty Sue, has been on my mind a lot lately because I am drowning in clutter. How did Betty Sue keep that house so organized? I am willing to lay money that Betty Sue never had the experience I had today of digging a pair of pants she wanted to wear out of a laundry basket full of shoes (don't ask) to find that apparently the last time she wore those pants they had a four inch long tear in the groinal region. Sigh. I really liked those pants.

Now I am upstairs in my sewing area cutting out a multitude of 8" squares for MAQ in July. (I am at home today because I did not sleep at all last night and could not function. Instead I slept until 1pm and am now enjoying the rest of my sick day.) I took some pictures so you could see some of what I am doing. Also some of my new fabric. It's from a line called Sherbet Pips, and I just love it. I want to marry it. I may not even make anything out of it, I could keep it and fondle it and lick it and luxuriate in OWNING it.

Here are the fabrics from the Sherbet Pips line. The blue fabric has little dogs chasing balls.

Cuuute! The other are various pink and gray (with touches of blue) that coordinate perfectly.

Here you can see the little dogs and all the dots and squares and details.

37 of the 88 8" squares I need for MAQ. I've got red, blue, black, more blue, purple, more purple, brown, tan, orange, more orange, and yet more orange. I have other blues, purples, and oranges to add.

It's gonna be colorful!!!

Chaos anyone?