scan we talk about procrastination?
 

So I have this quilt that is nearly done. It is a quilt as you go, I have them all pinned into their sandwichs. On my sewing table they sit. It is an ok quilt, a fan quilt made to use up a pile of scraps. So I just don't want to work on it, I guess....Mid quilt I stop to piece a large table runner from a honey bun. Then I clean the oven, and organize a few drawers, finish a wedding gift, embroider six dishtowels. So far my procrastination is following along familiar lines. Every now and then make myself machine quilt a few of the QAG blocks. It is now half done, at least I have that. I work on how I am going to put them together, I make a few samples. Good at least I am making progress. So here now is how I digress. I find a block pattern on line, I like it. I find a fat quarter bundle in a drawer. Great I will make a table runner in Jade, teal and goldenrod. I make four blocks....not enough, sigh, in the process of looking for four more FATs in those colors I clean and organize about half the stash. I am exhausted, go watch some TV, clean the fridge. Next day I cut and stack new blocks...I move the now hated QAG stack to another spot, muttering how I now hate you to the stack. I decide that the table runner needs to be a full size quilt.....I rampage through the sewing room searching for many more FATs in my needed colors. I end up organizing the other half of my stash.....I find the remaining needed colors....I have now depleted my entire FAT stash of teal/jade/goldenrod. I sit in despair at just how much fabric I do have even though for the last two years I have been on a fabric buying moratorium, vowing to sew only from my stash. New vow....clear, sew up all the fabric on that small, shelf over there, a solemn vow. Just to prove my sincerity I pull all the blues from the shelf and put them on another shelf that is all blues. I am redeemed and energized. I cut out all the blocks and partially seam them. I sit at the cutting table congratulating myself on my self control. Oh no I see a pattern for a boxy bag hanging on the wall......what if I just made one from the scraps of the quilt blocks I just cut...I reach for the pattern.....later, much later....I leave the sewing room and see those hated orphan QAG sitting in their new place.....I think, tomorrow I will finish the quilting on those....tell me I am not alone in my particular madness, tell me that some of you have been here at least once in your sewing life. Early this morning I got up went to the sewing room and pin basted the stripy table runner and put it over on the stack of smaller quilts waiting to be done up....we are NOT going to talk about the basket of larger tops waiting to be basted and done up, ok.

Been there, done that, and will again! I promised a great grand nephew I would make him a military quilt, for when he gets out! I only had 4 years to make it! Just heard he`s coming home soon! I would bet anything those 4 years went faster for me than it did for him!

Sometimes procrastination motivates you to get other things done that are just more interesting or necessary.

You are not alone!!! I am glad you posted this. I will be watching for some suggestions to get moving.

Wish you had posted a photo of the project you are working on.

This sounds like the story of my life!!!;)

Me too, since I retired, LOL.

Me also, except my DH needs help doing a lot of things around here that really DO require 2 people, like setting a wall in place, building shelving, leveling a storage room.......you get the idea. So, my quilting gets to take a back seat, unless it's raining, then I'm too tired to do much!

Now that the weather is warming up I have started spring cleaning. I start the day out with 101 things on my list of to do's and I've worked my tail off all day but at the end of the day I still have 100 things to do. And I still have an unfinished quilting project that I'm needing to finish for a chair I'm reulpholstering. I'm thinking a cattle prod might make me work faster and take less breaks. Oh well it will all get done eventually.

Are we sisters? Separated at birth maybe? :)

How I deal with procrastination is to not sink into it. I don't want to feel bad and when it's me making me feel bad well that's silly. I take a deep breath and say okay job here I come and soon I'll be done with you. I win. It works for me. I rarely have the feelings now since I started doing this. I know I can win so it's not a challenge anymore.

Been there too, done that, and that, oh yes, and that, too. You, however, wrote it down so beautifully that maybe I will get to my sewing machine earlier today.

This is why I don't do commission quilts for other people. Because if they want a quilt in pinks and purples and I don't feel like working in pinks and purples it "WILL NEVER GET DONE!" I just sew/quilt what pleases me, otherwise its a job and not fun.

Sigh, I wish I had some great advice but I suffer from this too. I "try" to schedule myself to get through those dreaded tasks... just a few minutes each day. I also like to create "to do" lists. When I can cross out tasks, I feel like I am making progress and I feel re-energized to finish a project.

OM Goodness, that sure sounds like me.

Sounds like me!! Except I've custody of granddaughter who's 11 now and time spent taking her 3 times a week for cheer & dance practice in addition to taking her and another GD to bustop and picking them up in afternoons, trying to decluttering house and then I get waylaid looking at MQ tutorial or reading the Block mag and want to try out a few blocks, ooops, remember I need to finish up a load of laundry and get supper started, neighbor sometimes ask for little help with something so off I go to do that and my best friends says I'm never sitting down! Oh yes now I've been delegated to pick up 2 small kids on Mon and Fridays, by the way I'm not young either. Whew! Some people thinks cuz u r retired that time is on your side! Lol

I like to do things when I am in the mood. Last week I decided that the stack of UFO's needed to be finished, so I was in the mood to get them ready to finish. I now have 8 lap quilts to twin size ready to knot. But haven't gotten back to them yet. Must do's gets in my way like cooking and cleaning. I also have about 5 patterns with fabric ready to start on but I need the shelf room that the UFO's are on.

Yup -- only around here the other projects are called "But firsts" I will do that but first I will do this. At least something is getting done.

sounds like ADD to me. I have it, attention deficient disorder. and have a hard time staying on track. without getting distracted to do something else. I just have to stop and make myself finish what i am doing first, Sometimes i slip up but then i force myself to get back and finish it. It is pretty common. cmaras1234