Focusing on the Ever Lengthening To Do List

My friend Thelma (Cupcakes 'n' Daisies) is a very focused person.  I love how organized she is, and how she mostly limits herself to working on one project at a time.  She also often gives me pause to think on things in myself I would like to improve.  Make that things in myself I would rather were more like Thelma.

Because you see, even though we are friends, we are very different in our approach to projects.  I tend to have a ton of things going on at once, and I thrive on the creativity and "buzz" I feel when I have multiple things pulling at me simultaneously.  More is more.  However, my sewing space is often a disaster, with project boxes and half started things draped all over the place.  (Witness my recent Scrappy Trips strips hanging off the arm of my rocking chair for lack of any other surface to put them on).

Thelma picks a project, organizes her space and her materials carefully, and embarks upon working on it.  She sticks to it until it is finished.  And ta da, she has beautiful finish after finish.  I want to be like that, and even picked my word of the year to be "Focus".  I am afraid that this leopard may not be able to completely change her spots though.  But you know what?  I am coming to see that there may be a sort of compromise I can come to.  As Thelma said in a recent post "Having a plan and place to execute my plan makes me feel like I am accomplishing something".

Today I spent some time organizing my sewing space and finding proper project boxes for the current things I have in process.  At the very least, the exercise gave me an overview of what all I have in the works.  At least two projects are 95% finished. Truly, maybe it isn't so bad.  If I can at least put the brakes on starting anything new.  My problem is that I get these ideas for smaller projects that I figure I can fit in between the larger ones, and I never seem to be able to say "no" to launching into them.   I believe I have made five or six table toppers recently instead of plodding along with my blinders on sticking to working on my larger projects.

So here is a recap of what I have on my sewing plate.

Long Road Home.  Get those rows sewn together and this baby is done.  Come, on.  I am almost there.

Message in a Bottle.  This quilt top is actually sewn together, I just didn't take a picture.  What I need to do is trim it up and add on some borders.  That won't take long.

Hill Country Baskets.  I just had to set this aside.  I got so weary of making all those endless baskets.  I vow I will finish up my blocks and get this one completed.  It is beginning to weigh on me.  I need to get it out and try to feel the love again.

Red Pineapple.  Scrappy Trips.  These projects are those that I will pick up from time to time and make eight or ten blocks.  In a few months I should have something to show for my work.  Blogger Girls BOM.  I am keeping up with my two blocks a month, but am thinking I should maybe start work on the lattice/alternate blocks so I won't be spending the entire month of May doing that!

Hope this wasn't too boring a post.  It sure helped me see what I have in the works and how I need to be spending my time.  And I am not even going to think of the things I started last summer that are still far from done:  Birdie Stitches, Dresden Plate, Granny Squares...

 

Comments

[Jan]

Look at it this way...you're never bored because you have so many projects to choose from! Remember, there are NO quilt police! If there were I'm afraid I'd be arrested for hanging strips from arms of chairs & worse!

[Butterfly George]

Never boring! We can't all be Thelma's or Nicole's.........sigh. I am a creative quilter and have to go with the moment when inspiration hits... so I always have random things going on in my sewing room. If a project doesn't "SING" it is put aside until I find the thing missing to make it sing again. Can't put it AWAY though! LOL May never find it again........Keep on keeping on........you already have lots of finishes........G

[Kerry]

I swear we are related!!! EVERYTHING you said in your post is me! I also love your patterns of quilts from previous years. I too have many of them. And your post is never boring! I look forward to it every day. Now there is pressure!

[Barbara Anne]

Methinks your spots are fine just as they are and don't need changing a bit - unless you would be happier if a change was made.

Your method has a few lovely large quilts on the go and allows for the spontaneous creation of smaller, satisfyingly quick projects, too. What could be better? Besides, of course, a larger storage system for those in-progress projects!

Today we unload the moving truck... tomorrow we fall apart.

Hugs!

[Mary Kastner]

Not boring at all. The last couple of years I have made a list in January of all my UFO's. It does feel good to cross one off the list. My hope is that it controls my starting yet another project but that hasn't worked so much! What's a girl to do? If you figure it out Nicole let all of us know.

Mary

[Anita]

I love your post! You forgot to mention the cute table runners you finished up plus all the caregiving you do! I tend to get distracted way too easily, attention span of a gnat I say, so I am so there with you! I hope to focus more this year as well, but so far that hasn't happened...tomorrow is another day :)

[Linda Kay]

I really enjoy your blog. You get so much done it makes me feel like a sloth. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Denise]

Some people can have several projects going at the same time and others just do one project at a time. I'm with you, I have so many UFOs that I've lost count but I like organization at the same time...organized chaos!! Thanks for the inspiration, love your posts, I look forward to them.

[AnnieO]

While I like multiple projects going at once, like you I get overwhelmed with them sometimes! It's good to step back and see the "percentage to completion". I don't know what it is about nearing the end of a project that makes you want to start something new!

[sillysally]

Yes, you do have lots going on. I wish I had that much going on, but my lack of space limits me! Most of us apparently struggle with the multiple-projects-at-one-time dilemma and the quilter's ADD.

[Candace]

It all boils down to what works for each of us, Nicole and I think you do quite well! The clear boxes are a great idea - I started using them recently and find I am much more organized!
Cheers!

[Debbie R.]

So many beautiful projects! Looks like you're so close to a finish on Message in a Bottle (beautiful!) and Long Road Home (also beautiful), and won't you feel great when they're done. Those baskets are really nice, too. But maybe they should go into the do-several-blocks-a-month category, so they're not so weary-making.
Like you, I have some near-finishes and keep wondering why I don't just get them done. It would feel so good to have them off the list.

[Jennifer G]

How about another gratuitous picture of your baby boy soon? Has he been good lately?

[audrey]

I am a lot more like you than your friend although I have found that the project boxes and to-do list keep me a little more on track. hehe I do know that I would never get anything done if I only worked on one project at a time because I would be soooo bored. Compromise, compromise!

[Sarah]

I think we're quite similar. I seem to have a thousand things going on at once, but I don't know it's because I enjoy the business. It's probably because I am too easily distracted. But I wish I was more like Thelma to. Focused, able to stay on track, organised all the time!! A happy medium would be nice too!

[Michele]

I also have several projects going on at one time. To do one at a time is boring to me! My house and sewing room are living proof I have too many projects going on at one time but I wouldn't change it for the world...It's what I am and I'm happy!

[gail]

We all work at different paces and comfort levels. What works for you, you should do and looks like you are doing very well. Great work and much progress.... ;))
Gail