So I began to clean. And stew. And get angry at my self. And wonder why I have so much stuff. I love this hobby of mine. I really do. I love creating. I love the feel of the fabric; the possibilities in every book, fat quarter and piece of trim not only in my room but in every quilt shop and fabric store. AHA! Therein lies the problem! I love the possibilites! I love the dream! Sure, I like to actually DO a project or two but the dream! AH, the dream! It's like dreaming of being a size 5 or being tall. It's like thinking what would I do if I won the lottery. It's that magical dream of a beautiful completed project. The thrill of buying the fabric and the possibilities within the new magazine. The problem is, there is always a bigger and better dream around the corner. So, we buy the dream faster then we live the reality! I have patterns that I've been dying to do.....for YEARS and years! The same patterns. I look at them and LONG to get them done. I can't though because I've got this unfinished project or that unfinished project that must be finished before I can start. Then, a new dream enters the picture and off I go again. Sometimes I can live with this and sometimes, like recently, it becomes overwhelming and paralyzing.
To be very specifiic, I HATE borders. I can't move on and finish anything else until I get one border on one quilt. I've been stuck here for months. Then I look around and see sooooo much stuff. It's embarrassing. So much gluttonly. There are people fighting to survive and I have a mini Joanns in my house! It wouldn't be so bad but I'm not using it. It sits. It waits. It collects dust. It becomes a junk room. Sigh, sigh, sigh.
So I am cleaning up the mess. Literally and figuratively. I went to a quilt shop yesterday and what did I buy? Exactly what I went in for. Yeah me! I needed an Ultra Glide foot and that's what I bought. Oh I had fat quarters in my hand. I put them back. I had a bolt. I put it back. I did buy one impulse pattern. I will use it this week. I used to belong to stashbusters but I barely have time to maintain my blog let alone that busy online group.
Sooooooo......what is the answer? How do I stay strong? Here is my tactic.
1. Rejoin Flylady....When I am this out of control all I need to do is look around and see that
other areas are also out of control. I don't actually read much of anything
flylady sends. It's too preachy for me but it reminds me to do
something. I see her emails and it gets me off my duff to clean up
something or maintain something. Her basic premise is all I need.....Get
going and do something. Keep it clean and neat.
2. Try that 15 minutes in the sewing room thing.
3. Talk to Mrs. S. Explain about the whole borders thing and put her anniversary quilt away
for a short time until I can face it. It still needs to be finished within a month or so but this
way I can move on and not feel guilty.
3. Keep the checkbook in the wallet.
Judy L coincidentally has written recently about the same issue. She said to me "I am beginning to see it more as clutter and an obsession rather than "my wonderful stash." She hit it right on the head! Soooo,..... like Judy, I have a new mantra. Mine is Lose to Gain! I'm losing weight to gain physical health. I'm losing fat to gain muscle. I'm losing fabric to gain shelf space. I'm gaining happiness by giving a finished project away. I'm gaining peace of mind by losing (finishing) a project. I'm gaining control by losing the clutter and finishing what I have started. I'm gaining control by not losing my hard earned dollars to sit on the shelf!
I'm off to start. And clean!
6 comments:
Find someone whose quilts you like and swap tasks - you'll do blocks for her and she'll do borders for you. She or He. I hate binding. I have a friend who does all of mine. We used to swap my quilting, but now that I don't have a machine, I just swap money. =)
I know exactly what you mean about being swamped and overwhelmed. I don't have a HUGE stash -- but I have so many projects lined up I don't know where to begin sometimes. My goals for this month are to get some of those "this won't take long" projects done. Since most are meant as Christmas gifts -- there's some incentive!
I am with you Morah.
I will continue my fabric diet in 2008. It is nice to know others are doing the same :-)
You go girl! We will support each other!
Good for you Morah....I've come to the realization and I'm going to fly along too. :)
Love your slogan "lose to gain", - that's what I'm going for. Thanks!
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