Saturday, March 19, 2011

I know what my problem is

Why I've had so many UFOs lately, so many started-but-not-finished projects.

I'm sewing just to sew. I know, it sounds weird, we all sew to sew, because we love it, but what I've wanted to be doing lately is working outside. Since I can't, I retreat to the workroom and start another project. Sewing is what I do whenever I can't do something else; I love it, I'm good at it, and at the end, I have something wearable or usable to show for the time I've spent.

But lately, not so much. I've turned out 2 skirts I've been happy with, but those were both impromptu projects, done within 2 days and already worn. The UFOs on the table are longer term pieces, started with the best of intentions (and in the case of the dress, much inspiration and a stalking incident, to be explained later). So what's wrong there?

I think started most of them just so that I would have something to do. I don't need a pair of cargo pants. I didn't need skirts, either, but they wanted to be made. The cargo pants didn't want to be made in the same way. I was standing in the workroom, having pushed the dress to one side, casting around for something -- anything -- to make, and I latched onto a khaki green stretch twill and remembered that I wanted to make another pair of jeans, but I didn't really feel like making jeans just then . . . so the cargo idea was born. I cut out the pieces with great enthusiasm, got the pockets and flaps all constructed, and then stopped. Okay, so Lily helped - I had the pockets placed on the back ready to pin down for stitching, and she jumped on them and knocked them out of place and I just haven't been able to face working on them again.

But is that enough of a reason? My cat knocked my pockets off? Not if I'd been into them, it wouldn't have. If I'd been going full throttle, I would have chased her out of the room, picked up my pockets and continued on.

Now, I think the problem has grown beyond itself. The UFOs have become the problem. I need to get them out of the workroom, or I'm afraid the next project I really want to make will end up keeping them company. Whether getting them out of the workroom means finishing them or chucking them into the fabric recycling pile, well, that remains to be seen.

But Mario's been away for a few of days, and while I have a bunch of other things that need to get done in his absence, the bulk of my non-working, non-sleeping time is going to be spent with the sewing machine.

Whether or not that will leave me any new garments to show off when he returns remains to be seen. But what will be there to be seen, hopefully, will be a woman who's cleaned off her work table and is ready to face a new day.

Hopefully.

6 comments:

Gail said...

Don't remove the UFOs from sight or they will never be done. Take them out. Look them over. Evaluate why you haven't completed. Prioritise the projects you want to complete. Take the highest priority project to your machine and start. Easier said than done I know!

Little Hunting Creek said...

I have the same problem - is it Spring Fever? I have lurkig UFOs but I just can't seem to finish...you're right, I'd rather be gardening.

KayY said...

I know exactly how you feel about the mocking, lurking UFOs, having wrestled with a couple of them really recently.

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

Hide them! Find a place to put them where they won't taunt you and think about the next thing you really want to sew ~ then dive in and make it!

Elaray said...

I try really hard not to have any UFOs. But lately, like you, I've been sewing without a real purpose. I want and need to finish my SWAP, but I don't have the motivation to do so.

Tina said...

I have the same problem with UFO's. I try really hard to not have more than one at any time. However, every now and again I get a few laying around and it starts to overwhelm me. I have no problems trowing things away if and when it gets to that point.