I think I need help! Anyone else out there struggling a little bit?
Here is what's happening for me. I have the Task Master and she is keeping me on track more or less. I try to prioritize the tasks and then break them down into little bits so I can check them off and it looks like I'm getting stuff done.
Now don't get me wrong - I'm getting stuff done, but I'm NOT good at respecting my own deadlines. I'm behind on the February project, although I have to realize that it's a HUGE project (basically an entire heavily pieced quilt from scratch) and I don't just sit down and sew that. It's my "ender and leader" project so it only makes sense that it's taking longer than expected. The important thing is that I have a lot of it prepped for this coming weekend of sewing. I hope to show some progress on it by next week.
Should I have chosen a smaller project than I knew I could get done in the month? I could have, but I didn't. What is important here and thanks to this entire process, I haven't shelved this project which is what I've done in the past. I'm still plodding along on it and making decent process. But it's a lesson to be learned for choosing the next projects - perhaps I don't want to pick something that is barely started.
Then I have a couple of smaller projects - well one in particular, that needs to be done. I rushed into it without a lot of thought. The item is made, but now it needs to be remade because the squares are too big. This doesn't normally happen to me, but of course when I'm in a rush for time - this happens! So what did I need to do? A bit of planning before I rushed into the project. Thankfully it's small. I can't even share it with you at this time because it's headed for a magazine. Thankfully, there is time to remake it, but if I had marked that deadline down and NOT been in such a rush, I would have made a prototype to see if the block size worked.
I also have a number of items on that Task Master list that are still waiting to be done. I haven't copied them over to new pages. Nope - but there are some glaring un-highlighted areas on a few pages. Mostly has to do with labels and sleeves.
That means that I need to be a little smarter in writing things down. Perhaps what I need is a master list (like I had in that darn book I lost but is NOW found). If I write down all the niggling things that need to be done - like sleeves and labels, then when the time comes, I can pick from that list. There are quite a few quilts that are almost finished, but not quite!
I'm breaking with precedent here and I've packed the old book and the Task Master with me for the retreat. I will NOT lose them. I plan to sit down one morning when it's quiet and go through the books and write these lists (as best as I can remember without the visuals at home) or should I say - review the lists that are in the book. Then I need to do something very important that I haven't been doing.
I need to sit down once a week - just like I told you all. Sit down - look at the calendar for the week ahead - how much time do I have, what is the priority and write ONLY those things down. This delusional doability gets me in trouble every time!
Case in point - I can't sleep last night. Why that happens is beyond me! Thankfully it doesn't happen often, but it was the night before the retreat and I had a stupid dream about rescuing one of my dogs. Yes, the dog fell through the ice and me (who doesn't swim - jumped right in to save her). The good news is, we both survived (well sort of as Little Sammy is no longer with us in real life, but I saved her in the dream). I think you can seem why I had that dream! Anyway, I decided to get up and look for something that I have misplaced. It's 5 pieces of blue/green fabric that I had cut to finish my Gravity quilt. Yes - I know Gravity isn't on my Task Master list, but I need it for work. I've been looking for those 5 pieces for a couple of months and NOTHING! I can't find a single piece of it anywhere. After going through my stuff several times on several occasions, I can only guess that when I was working on this project that those five pieces got mixed up in scraps that had been given away. It's the only thing I can think of. I'll get more, but I shouldn't have put it off so long.
HOWEVER, as I was searching through stuff, I found a number of things that I had been looking for (I'm going to start keeping a list!). I'll share them with you later, but for today, I'm sharing this one.
At the last retreat, I worked on my witch blocks. Again - NOT on the Task Master. Retreats and the Task Master don't go together for me (perhaps that's part of the reason I''m in trouble!). It's like the calories that don't count because you're standing at the kitchen counter!
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| The witch blocks |
I knew that I had a tub of the fabrics chosen for this quilt on my work tables. I removed all the stuff that wasn't on the Task Master, but I had forgotten that I had done that. As if I could ignore that huge pile of stuff in the corner. But I did ignore it until last night.
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| Tub of "finishing" fabric |
It just so happens that I have two HUGE chunks of that green - one in the tub and also in my stash of Halloween fabric. Oh god. Now I think I'm going to have to throw some of that in my project bag to take with me so I can finish the top as I had planned to do, but was only going to use the one (green) fabric. Now I have choices.
If you're slipping like I am (and I also need to make sure that I'm keeping track of the finishes - which I'm not!) so that when I'm having a moment of self-pity, I can realize that I'm in fact getting things done. Getting finished is another story!!!
Time to get this show BACK on the road! I see from the Facebook group, there are some amazing finishes. WOW - so many talented and creative people, I'm duly impressed and hope to take some time this weekend to zip through the pictures to truly appreciate what everyone has been working on.
Have a super day - I'm off to pack the car (with my TWO project boxes) and a whole lot of other stuff for 5 days of sewing.
Ciao!!!
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