I managed to carve out a couple hours yesterday afternoon for doing whatever I liked, and as I was trying to decide how I would use that precious chunk of time, I was a bit tormented by all the stuff piled up in my workroom. Like a lot of people, I like starting new projects and tend to lose focus at the end — my attention wandering off toward whatever is next. As a result, things pile up and bog me down. Which meant part of my precious chunk of time was spent going through the piles, sorting out what really needed attention and what could be eliminated from the mix in whatever way. In the end, I was left with a short list of to-do’s:
1. It’s been my plan to dye my Audrey hat. There’s a bag of avocado pits in the freezer that I’ve saved up for this purpose, but since I won’t have need of a hat for several months, this one can wait for a rainy day.
2. That skirt. While there’s only a 50% chance I’ll like it after it’s modified, I have to know. So one evening when I don’t feel like knitting any of things in my bag, I’ll sit down with my seam ripper and set this in motion.
3. One of my favorite shirts — a linen/cotton button-up from Madewell that I cut the sleeves off of last summer — has reached the threadbare stage. Holes have formed at the corners of the pockets, and I’m wondering if a little visible mending would extend its life a bit, or if it’s too shabby looking to be worn anymore anyway. I hate to let it go!
4. The top-secret green sweater needs buttons and blocking. One of these days I need to photograph it in anticipation of the time I reveal what it’s all about. And I’d really like to wear it! So I guess that’s the top priority on the list.
5. Not pictured is a dress my friend Alyssa made me two summers ago that I never wear as a dress and need to hem to tunic length. Meanwhile, it’s hung in the back of the closet, out of sight and mind.
I’d like to tell you I proceeded to knock one or two of these items off the list right away — progress toward a clean slate! But as happy as I am to have them written down in tackle-able form (out of my head and off of my tables), my life is ruled by lists. So with those two hours I had saved for myself, I started something new. :)
I love those days when you give yourself the day to do as you please. Often I find that those free days are really quite productive & good for the mind.
I need to do this right now, too. I also suffer from the end-stage bog down! Feeling particularly guilty about one project that’s a much overdue gift and has been languishing for 2 months waiting to have one button re-sewn. Argh.
Regarding That Skirt, ran across this pattern the other day and wondered if the midi version might be along the lines of what you were trying for?
http://megannielsen.com/products/brumby-skirt-sewing-pattern
(lovely photos of a promo make in cotton voile here: http://sallieoh.blogspot.ca/2015/05/sherbert.html)
I know there’ve been a number of pattern suggestions in the comments to the skirt post, so maybe it’s already been mentioned (in which case — apologies!). I’ve also been on the hunt for a simple skirt pattern and not finding anything that quite hits the mark for me, but this one has piqued my interest.
Yeah, that one just came out in the meantime and I’ve made note of it as one to try!
Oh, wow, still laughing over that last line :)))) Exactly what I did yesterday. I had a whole day to play in the studio and managed to do everything but. Including starting a top down hat (my second ever) of handspun. I woke up this morning and realized that I’ve created such a mess in my studio that I just go blank walking in there. So this morning its clean up time and FOCUS. Finish something. Must get stuff in the gallery (the driving incentive to finish and send off.)
LOVE the look of that green sweater… Can’t wait to hear about it!
I dread the long-standing WIPs. Maybe that’s why I try to resist the temptation of startting new projects if I have 3-4 going on – this is the maximum that I can actually keep track of :)
My studio has been looking at me reproachfully. There are piles and piles of stuff that I just come home, bring in, and dump. Meanwhile, my new solution to several dresses is that I’m going to take them up at the shoulder so they hang better on my short torso. That should also solve the too deep armhole problem. And knitting. Squirrel!
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