Jul 20 2009
Questions for the Cosmos
Much like Meg Ryan’s character in You’ve Got Mail, I’m not expecting any answers–I’m just sending these comments and questions off into the cosmic void. [I'm not even bothering to put them into coherent paragraphs...] It’s become apparent to me that I enjoy starting new projects more than finishing old ones. Okay, that fact has been apparent to me for a couple of decades actually… but I do finish things. Eventually. What I should say is that this has become more of a concern during recent weeks. I have noticed lately that I further procrastinate on finishing old projects by continuing to dream up and start more and more new projects. [Who needs patterns and magazines when your brain is overflowing with ideas?? I fell asleep the other day thinking of a pattern for a Christmas tree skirt and woke up with a pattern idea for kitchen accessories too.] What’s even more problematic is that recently I’ve started cutting out several new projects without even beginning to sew the last projects I cut out–ones that were just started within the last few weeks. Is it an obssession? A new disease? Why do I enjoy dreaming up new ideas, figuring the yardage, and printing and/or cutting the fabric bits for these projects? Why am I then letting these new projects languish at that point?? And then starting another project??? Is there a point where your WIP and UFO list, like a fabric stash and number of question marks at the end of a sentence, becomes utterly ridiculous? Who determines that point anyway? Or is all of this because I have these three other little non-quilting projects to do that I’m totally avoiding? Is starting more and more projects a way to feel too busy to do the non-quilting projects? I know it’s one way to avoid doing housework. Am I afraid that once I lower the presser foot to the fabric that I won’t be able to quit until I have half a dozen projects to the completed top stage? [Hey, I've done my share of quilt binging.] But then I’d really be behind on those non-quilting projects. Which would probably cause me to want to start even more projects! That’s it! I’m a quilt binger or a quiltaholic or something. Hmmm. Actually, I think I just answered my own questions… [Thank you, Cosmic Void.] Yes, I’d much rather do the fun stuff and only the fun stuff. I need to get motivated to finish up those three computer-related, non-quilting projects. And yet I have no valid excuse for not doing them. It’s funny to me that they are computer projects that are quilting related but not quilting projects. And, get this… I’ve started those three projects… just haven’t finished them. I think I need a taskmaster–someone to tell me what I should be doing when and making sure I get it done. My mother would be a good candidate. Nevermind. I’d surely rebel and run for the hills screaming. Perhaps just some dark chocolate would help.
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Hi Erin,
I love your story, it “sounds” so familiar.
Do take some dark chocolate, it is so goooooooood. But don’t spoil any on your fabrics or quilts.
Co-antique-quilter Gerry