No New Projects...

             Down in the dungeon of a sewing and craft room that I have for myself, there is a note, or a sign, if you will,  that I put up for a few years ago.   It seems that many who are blessed with creativity are also cursed with the worst case of ADD the world has ever seen.  It all starts with one idea and as you begin that one project soon more ideas and tricks about how to do it better next time, along with spin off ideas bubble up and before you know it your brain is bubbling over with thoughts.  And it’s not as simple as covering the pot or turning the heat down by scribbling the new ideas onto paper and setting them aside.  It’s quite different, like those little ideas, so new and exciting, have their very own gravitational pull.   And like a magnet to fridge, like a moth to the flame you drop what you are doing and try out the idea.  

             After years of jumping from project to project, along with wedging in projects that people are paying you for,  sneaking in time for the holiday sewing & crafting, being on the receiving end of boxes of fabric from old ladies who have gone to heaven & rescuing fabric from friends who might have otherwise tossed it, this stuff really starts to pile up.  Tucked deep inside the bundles of fabric are often UFOs {Un-Finished Objects} as if you don't already have enough of your own!  The sewing room begins to resemble something out of hoarders, minus all of the dead kittens.  No dead kittens yet.  Add a side of "two boys who love to craft, but not put things away" and it’s the perfect storm of unproductiveness.  Most times if I am lucky enough to spend a minute down there, it’s to organize and put stuff away.  Don't we spend half of our lives putting stuff away?  It sure seems like it.  So, anyway, I tacked up a sign a few years ago that reads, “No New Projects.”   Hahahahaha!!!   It taunts me and looks over my shoulder.  Quietly smirking,  “I see you, starting yet another project”  Well not today!!!  Today was the first day of making a true effort to stop piling it on! 

                
              

              Check out these beauties!  Four UFOs completed and quite a bit of progress on some others.  I did come across some fabric that I had cut on the diagonal and have no idea what the heck I had planned on doing with it.  Don’t cha love that?  I’m sure it was something brilliant, too bad I didn’t leave my future self a note, some instructions or a picture...oh well!

             In addition to finally getting off of my butt and finishing some projects I had finally come to terms with the fact that the dungeon, I meaning sewing room was out of control.  I swear, I had been almost paralyzed by the shear mass of what had piled up in that room that I just didn't know where to begin.   So, about a month ago,  I started spending an hour here and there sorting through fabric and craft supplies that I had accumulated over the years and did that whole, “save, donate, trash” routine that I had seen on Clean Your House.  I filled up the back of my SUV with boxes and bags...three times!!!  Once I came to the realization that there just wasn’t enough time on God’s green earth to do all of the things that I wanted to do, nor did I really want to spend all of my times doing them, then the purging process sped up quite a bit.  Do I need these dishes from college?  Who was I kidding, making mosaics with them? Pfiff.  And the beads?  I don't bead, never had and probably never will.  Goodbye beads.   Oh and the yards and yards of fabric that I've inherited which is the type of fabric that I pretty much never sew with, umm, because it's slippery, stretchy and for making clothes.  Yeah, I don't make clothes.   Well, not unless you are a cutie p'toodie five year old who begs his mommy to make him a green bathrobe with Rex from Star Wars on it.   Yeah, that's pretty much the only time I make clothes.    

And just to recap, if you're in need of scaling down and getting back to what you love, follow these steps:

Purge

Purge

Purge

No New Projects {unless it's a frivolous blog that contains ranting & tells people what to do even if you're no expert on the subject - then it is completely acceptable.}

Finish your UFOs

Rinse and Repeat