Monday, August 22, 2011

"Lastminute-itis"

Its a serious disease, and I have it! I believe it is quite possibly genetic, passed down from my mother, but I have managed to mutate the disease to a whole new level, and I fear I will never be cured!

I always knew it lurked within me, I tried to ignore it, but last week I did have a breakthrough, and discovered WHY it has such a firm hold. When there is time to spare (more that a day...), my brain will just not sit still. It wanders, shamelessly I might add, and CANNOT focus! I drive myself crazy with this, I know I SHOULD be doing something in particular, but find myself doing something else, usually the exact opposite. It is not until something absolutely positively has to be done with no time to spare, that I can focus like a genius. I always manage to pull it out of the hat, but get so frustrated with myself for making so much more stressful than it needed to be. But it was a bit of a lightbulb moment, realising that this is why I do it. That because with limited time, it is the only time my brain will not wander.

The story was that I was teaching a paper piecing hexagon class last Thursday night. It was only a technique class, but I still wanted to have a little sample made up of something they could make, and had promised a pattern to go with it. So, about 9pm Wednesday I started stitching some hexies together (after going through fabric... preparing hexies..). I stayed up until approx midnight joining about 25 together. Thursday was student free, so amongst other things, I finished joining hexies about 4pm. Starting making project about 4.30pm, finished about 5.15pm. Then after making dinner and picking hubby from the train station had pattern finished around 6.35pm (class STARTS at 7pm). mmmmmm, no time for printing at home, so email to the shop, run to shop, (drive actually) open, print, greet, teach! See? easy, almost had time to spare too!

So this week, out come the lists again! The strategy being to write very small achievable things on my list. Instead of "write pattern for .... quilt" (which is no small task), I wrote "write requirement list for ..... quilt". A lot more achievable, so hopefully this will head me on the right direction.

Incidentally, this is the project I made. I wanted something a little more contemporary as I could easily show photos of the more widely used way of using hexies. Daughter #1 wanted to know if I had run out of hexies! The cheek! It WAS meant to be this way!



Have a great week,
Michelle x

8 comments:

Leanne said...

Ah Michelle, I love reading your blog! This was very funny, you can almost feel the stress jumping off the screen. I think I was holding my breath while I was reading it. And then went, Oh cool she got there! You can't change who you are just enjoy the ride. Leanne x

Anonymous said...

and what a great class it was!
Jenni :)

carina said...

How nice that you can work with your hobby im a dutch girl (48) and i love your blog greating carina

Quill and Ink Handmade said...

I'm a last minute kinda gal too, Michelle - I don't know why, but the pressure to get things done by a certain time (especially when that deadline is mere hours away) is a HUGE motivator.
If it makes you feel any better, I was still sewing birds on my beginners block at 6pm, an hour before our class started on Wednesday. Finished the last stitch with 20 minutes to spare :)

x

circle retreat quilter said...

OMG talk about cutting it fine. you did a brilliant job, under pressure. love it...

Kate said...

Hi Michelle - it was nice to catch up with you yesterday. I've posted about the workshop if you want to check it out
http://kateoz.blogspot.com/2011/09/blogging-workshop-part-1.html
http://kateoz.blogspot.com/2011/09/bloggin-workshop-part-2.html
Cheers
Kate

Sandy said...

Hi Michelle - I totally relate to the leave it to the last minute thing - trying desperately to overcome and be organised. Love the hexagon bag.
Cheers
Sandy

Tania said...

I suffer from the same genetic affliction. I have no grown wise enough to realise that it is best to just ignore the issue at hand until the VERY LAST MINUTE, rather than to waste time actively procrastinating!

You have done lovely (last minute) things with hexies.