I'm having one of those weeks (or maybe months) where my planning is going something like this: I want to finalize my sweatshirt pattern so I need to make another sweatshirt but I can't find any fabric, so I'll spend my time cleaning off my cutting table instead, but it has some unfinished projects sitting on it, so I should work on those, but I need my husband to help me mark some things and he's not home so I can't clean off the table, so I'll clean off the counter but before I can put away the things on the counter I need to make room in the drawers, plus the unfinished sweatshirt pattern is on the counter and if I put it away I'll forget about it... (pause for a deep breath).
It actually gets worse. I want to paint my sewing room but that would mean moving everything out of the room. Do I really want to tackle that right now? Maybe, because I can move everything into my son's room and he doesn't need his room for another 10 months. But if I'm going to paint I really should do our bathroom door first because that's been at the top of my to-do list (and the top of my don't-want-to-do list) for a couple years. Guilt tells me the bathroom door has to come first and laziness tells me that's probably not going to happen anytime soon. It's no wonder I can't get anything done. My thoughts keep going in circles and I need to just jump in and start somewhere.
Here's what actually is happening in my sewing room:
1. I have some fabric prewashed and ready to go for a second try at my sweatshirt and button-up shirt patterns. I think it's safe to say that JoAnns is single-handedly responsible for the overabundance of black in my wardrobe. Is it just me, or does it seem like the colors of most of their fabrics are just a little bit weird? Maybe they were the stylish or trendy colors a couple years ago but now they look a little bit old and tired? Or maybe it's just the fluorescent lights. Whatever it is, it seems like I always end up buying fabric with a lot of black or gray in it because everything else just looks off to me. For now I'll just say that both the fabrics I bought are partly black. Pictures will follow eventually if I ever find my motivation again.
2. I took my sewing machine into the shop yesterday. It's not running as smoothly as it should. Maybe because it's nearly 20 years old, or maybe because I've been overworking it lately. Nothing is seriously wrong, it just isn't making it's usual happy purring sound when I sew and I miss that. A little TLC at the sewing machine spa should fix everything. Except that I won't see my machine again for FOUR WEEKS!! Luckily I have a "guest" machine in my sewing room and I don't think it's owner will need it back anytime soon.
3. I bought myself a book for my birthday last month: "The Couture Cardigan Jacket" by Claire Shaeffer. Now I have absolutely no use for a couture cardigan jacket, but I'm getting some ideas about how to adapt this for my lifestyle. Hmm, we'll see if I ever get past the "idea" stage. I can at least read the book at watch the included DVD while I pass the time waiting for my sewing machine to return.
4. I bought myself another book. (You can never have too many books!) This one is "Draping: the Complete Course" by Karolyn Kiisel. It also came with a DVD. Looks like I better figure out how to use the DVD player. I'm really looking forward to working through this book. I want to get my dressform padded to my size first, but that's the project that actually bogged me down a couple weeks ago and sucked all the motivation out of me. I'm so close to finishing, I should really take a day off from all my other responsibilities and get it done.
I have plenty of things I should be doing. Sometimes with so many things to choose from it's easiest to do nothing. I'm going to blame it partly on October. I love October in theory. It's warm but not hot, the nights are cool but not freezing. There's not as much yard work. I don't have to run the air conditioner or the heater. It should be the perfect month! But for me, it's not. The ever-shortening days wear on me. I sleep more, I lay around and do nothing more. I feel a little out of sorts. Sorry October, you just don't measure up to April.
