28 Days Project: Binge and Purge

I hit a small stumbling block with the box: for the past few days, I simply haven't been inspired to complete anything from it. At all. I feel good - lots of energy, good mood, not stressed - but I don't feel like revisiting projects that, in many cases, didn't hold my attention long enough to make me want to complete them to begin with. The fact is, some of the projects were started quite some time ago, and I am no longer the same person I was then. I haven't changed dramatically, but some things just don't float my boat the way they used to. Or I have no need for them now. Or my style has changed. So my impetus to complete these projects is gone.

Since I haven't posted in a few days, I've imposed a penalty for myself, (or, strangely, maybe I'm rewarding myself): I am ridding the box of some projects that are, obviously, not completed, and are now headed for greener pastures with another crafter because I don't really want to fix them up. Perhaps a hoarder will find some of this stuff useful (not that I'm enabling, but it's stuff I don't want here, so whatever. I can't be responsible for where it ends up once it hits Goodwill). I've weeded through the box and come up with the following projects that have hit the road and are now in the back of the van, ready and waiting for the next Goodwill dropoff:

Placemats

Original Plan: Purses. I found the placemats in various places - Target, ReStore - for next to nothing and planned to make purses. Sew them up the sides, add cute handles of some sort, and there's a cute bag.

Why I haven't finished them: I hardly ever carry a purse. Of any kind. And certainly not a purse that needs to be carried by two handles, since my hands have usually been full (babies, groceries, car keys...I don't need something else to carry). I often lose purses, anyway. Plus, even if I DID need a purse...do I need six or seven of them?

New Plan: I kept two of the Madras plaid, the red one (Christmas) and the funky striped one on the end (looks very Pier 1-ish). I'll use them for - gasp! - placemats. They'll go in the linen closet. The rest will find a better home.

Crochet Square

Original Plan: There are many charities that collect 12' crochet squares, to sew into blankets for various groups who need extra comfort (abused women, people suffering through illness, etc.). I was going to contribute to one or two of them. When I realized that I don't crochet quickly enough to contribute to this project, I was going to make a pillow of my one square.

Why I haven't finished it: I hate the color of this yarn. It feels good, it's super-soft...but what's up with this color scheme? Why did I ever even buy that yarn? Plus, the white border is just fugly. I added it when I realized that my square was too small to fit the 12' requirement for the blanket project, and I needed to add more area. I had white yarn here. That's all.

New Plan: I'm just giving it to Goodwill (does Goodwill even accept stuff like this? I bet so. It looks like a washcloth). I don't want to finish it. I certainly don't want a finished pillow of this sort in my house.

Mary Engelbreit Peasant Dress

Original Plan: A peasant dress for Kate, from this awesome Mary Engelbreit fabric that I found, of all places, at Wal-Mart.

Why I haven't finished it: I have done a lot of sewing for Kate over the past few months. She has five peasant dresses in her closet right now, along with all of the other goodies I've found/made for her. She has plenty of clothes right now. Really. She does.

New Plan: I'm putting the fabric (and that cute button) away for now, to be reabsorbed into my stash. I really love that fabric. There's nothing saying I can't make the dress at some point down the road, when she could actually use a new dress. In the meantime, no need for the materials to sit in a Ziploc bag, taunting me, a constant reminder of another unfinished project.

Simply deciding NOT to do certain things and to actually get them out of the house feels really liberating. I don't mean to sound all Feng Shui about it, but I really feel like it's getting rid of some negative energy in the dining room. I don't want to spend time completing projects that I don't want or need right now, and to have them just sitting around, half done, is dragging me down. I'm going to go through the box again tomorrow. Trash, be gone!