I'm a teacher and think I know what Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) looks like, but never saw it in myself, until .... I found that I flit between projects like a hummingbird - with the attention span of a flea! Right now I'm doing a block from the Farmer's Wife Sampler that has (for me anyway) teeny tiny tedious pieces. I'll do a bit of that - like cut the pieces out - then go to a Quilts For Kids project with large, simple pieces. I'll do a bit of that - like assemble the 4-patches - then back to the tiny ones.

Anyone else have such varied projects going on?

Edited to add: I just have to be sure I change the speed lever on my machine when I change projects. Those itty bitty pieces don't do well at the speed I sew the bigger blocks!

cute projects you are making

:).... PWB = Progress without Boredom, kind fun to break the rules, No Quilt Police !! Enjoy:)

No we all do it from time to time your normal . :-D :thumbup:

I always have more than one project going on. But, then I am ADD.lol So that is how I am in a comfort zone. But I truly do find it helpful when working on something tedious, to go back and forth between it and something simpler. It gives you a chance to relax in your stitching.
A while back I started forcing myself to complete projects before moving on. lol Which is working for me. But when I do get on one with tedious work in it, I still do have a easier project going to bounce between. So don't feel to bad. At least in the end you should end up with 2 finished projects not one. :D :thumbup:

I always thought I could finish a small, simple quilt top in the time it took me to make one of these blocks - now I know that's true. :)

The fact that you come back to them is a good thing. I have ADD and interuptions often lead to never coming back to a project. I have a ton of UFO's. When I start something, I am in a hurry to finish. If I walk away for too long, I lose interest.

What ever works for you. Some people do one at a time. I have them at all different phases so that if I feel like sewing, I can, if I feel like quilting, I can.

My old quilt guild dubbed me the queen of unfinished projects. Fixed that problem by selling some of them at a quilters garage sale. I get excited by starting something new but will lose interest if it is taking too long to make. Sometimes I need some inspiration to finish stuff (like my Double Irish Chain that I started 15 years ago and is now being quilted).

I thought that behavior was a sign of a creative mind.
Rita

My children and family made me ADD. I used to complete what I was doing but now...they call me away demanding attention for this and that....they are all adults...worse than my babies ever were.
LOL!!!

I do not consider myself ADD, but I tend to do a couple of projects at a time. It gets boring to keep doing the same pattern over and over so I like to switch things up.

I also have more than one project on the go no matter what I do. So you are not alone ... Love your fabric picks.

I'm not ADD and I will have a few projects in motion at the same time. Sometimes I am too tired to sew (late p.m. after work) but I want to sew. Having a few projects to choose from will (most often) make me go to my Happy Room when I'm tired. Once I'm there, I'm doomed to suffer from lack of sleep the next day:)

I have ADD. But I just thought everybody had multiple projects going! I'm actually doing pretty well with that, at the moment- am on a mission to get one thing finished ASAP.

I like the variety having more than one project going at a time. It helps to have an easy one to go to when the tedious one is driving me crazy!

Don't think I have ADD, either, but I've found after working like crazy on my Dear Jane for a while it's good to switch gears and work on my ongoing applique project, or even a simpler, quicker project. DJ, like your Farmer's Wife is all very tiny pieces and some can get very tedious. I think switching off keeps us from getting bored with one thing and then putting it on the UFO shelf.

Only two projects?

You described me...almost. I flit between different quilting projects in different phases and then I'll sit down and knit for a little bit or spin up some more yarn and then head back to quilt on the long arm machine. The one good thing that comes from this 'method' or 'approach' is that about three years I finished over a dozen knitting projects, beading projects and two quilts in about a six month span. People thought I was super-woman and I had to actually get back onto my blog and 'confess' that they were all projects I had been working on for a couple of years. It just felt great seeing so many projects come to an end...but then...I have the habit of starting just as many projects...it a cycle in perpetual motion that will last for decades!

I think I do that too. The "tedious" blocks take such attention and time that I feel the need to do something "quick."

I have found since I have been on this board I have several projects going on at a time. I am working on the BOM Baltimore, and the Affairs of the heart quilt, I have already started a patriotic quilt for my FIL for Christmas, and am working on a Tshirt quilt for my daughters marching band raffle. I have the king size quilt for our bed for the winter, 2/3 done. I just got a frame for my Juki and really love the stitch regulator so I am trying to get other stuff done so I can quilt it on the frame....LOL

Isn't that multi-tasking? :)

I teach too and I have way too many projects started. That's my goal for the coming school year: destress by finishing some of these up! I have a built in pep squad at one of my LQS that will probably cheer me on as I go. I don't know if it's because I have so many "must dos" at work that this happens to me....

I love your take on this, Rita. I often feel very guilty about the number of UFO's I have....it really is ridiculous. Lately, I've really started finishing some of them up & it feels good.

I have decided in my teaching I have to be ADD. Keeping kids engaged requires you to "flit" in the classroom. Unfortunately, it also carries over into the rest of my life and quilting, too.

Welcome to the ADD club :thumbup:

That's what I do too. I usually have about a dozen projects going at once. If I don't feel like one, I do another. I generally pause in big elaborate ones and do quicker charity quilts. As a teacher, one HAS to have global attention.

One time I had about 10 students all asking for attention at once. When I answered them all (Yes, no, this page, check the board, not now, etc) and returned to the one with a complex problem, her jaw had dropped. She could not believe that I remained unflappable and got everyone back to work so smoothly.

So...maybe it's just that we are so used to multi-tasking, we can't do one thing at a time???

On NO!! Not me :-D :-D :-D

I love your analogy,"I found that I flit between projects like a hummingbird - with the attention span of a flea!" I find I do the same thing. I have about three different quilt tops I am working on right now. I asked my sister if this was normal, and she assured me that it is because she does the same thing......so if we are normal, what about the people that stick with their one project????

i must have it too i always go from one thing to the next i see a pattern have to try it

I started the summer with about 11 UFO's and vowed to not let that happen again. THe problem was that I love to piece and hate to sandwich and quilt. I have been quilting for a few weeks over a year and ... ta-dah!... in that time have finished 32 quilts. Two twin sized, 3 baby sized, the rest lap. Add about 10 table runners and I feel that it's been a wonderful year. Getting those UFO's finished was such a motivator and I found some ease in the sandwich/quilt process that makes it not so dreadful after all.

Right now I have 4 tops that need to be sandwiched, but they are large lap quilts and I'm waiting for a friend to work with me on the library tables at school. We're getting together this Thursday to get going on that. The backs are pieced and ready to go.

Only one of the tops I had at the beginning of the summer is still unfinished and it's going to have to have a deadline before I get to it. I just don't wanna! :)

I've found success in setting little goals. Tonight I WILL finish piecing a top for Quilts for Kids - it lacks borders only. And I WILL do one more block for FW - it's cut out and I just need to sew it together. I've done 12 blocks in 2 weeks so I'm okay with that progress too.

I'm just surprised at how much I can get done with this hummingbird-flea process!

I also teach piano lessons after school. I usually have 15 students and this year I'll have 22. This will seriously interfere with my quilting! I'm hoping I can still get a bit done each evening - if not then the weekends will just have to do.

As long as you are happy, it doesn't how you work on a project. I finish one before starting another, just the way I always done.