5/8/12

Boring

Are you boring?

To yourself?

Me, I get bored with myself, even when I’m not bored.  Usually, when I use the phrase bored with myself, I mean I’m bored with not doing something I want to do or bored with thinking a certain way or bored with doing the same thing over and over again in precisely the same way and expecting that something different is going to happen. 

This usually signals a time of change.  Change is uncomfortable and when my reserves are low, I put change off.  Until I get bored with the way things are.  And, then I get off my duff and do whatever I’ve been putting off. 

When I started the green feathered star, I was getting tired of starting new things.  I was feeling the weight of needing to finish.  I think we all talked about that early in the year…this year and as many years as I’ve been blogging.  I needed to make finishes, and instead, I was having to make starts. 

So, I put it down and let it sit.  And, when I picked it up, all the fun stuff was done.  All that was left were six borders with mitered corners.  Hard work, not fun and exciting work. 

And, now is when I confess something.  I put off finishes.  I put them off because I like things better before they are done.  Oh, I rush toward “done” just like any other quilter, but once something is done, that excitement of “doing” and “accomplishing” is over. 

For me, enjoying “done” is not as exciting as enjoying doing.  Doing things like advanced quilting and difficult piecing like a feathered star is so exciting and I’m just a bit of an excitement junkie about some things.  Not about everything, but about some things.  So, I did the fun work of the feathered star quilt and then let it sit, because that meant it wasn’t done and I could hopefully still hopefully enjoy the excitement rush of the feathered star while not actually finishing it.

When it comes to quilting and sewing, or anything else I enjoy like cooking or gardening or crochet, doing is best.  And, that’s why I sometimes put finishes off.  At least part of the reason.

Not saying that well, but my thoughts about it are confused and so is my writing about it. Me. Always fumbling about, trying to find the way.

But, while I’ve been doing, I made blocks 15 and 16 for the Jubilee quilt.  Two more and I’ll be half way there. 

100_3606

100_3607

Lots of background in these two blocks.  Very unlike the next one, which looks extremely difficult.  Can’t wait to start enjoying the doing of that one. 

Everybody have a great Tuesday.  Lane

7 comments:

Vesuviusmama said...

I put off the finishes, too, for much the same reason. That and because when I am finished the quilt will go off to it's new home (unless, of course, I first remove all the color from it).

Kath said...

I get bored with myself,

I'm now humming Bruce's "Dancing in the dark" :-D

Shay said...

I get bored with myself, with my life and with my projects. that's usually when I start something new.

Im not good at change either for the most part. Then I'll bust out and do something really big like move to another state and surprise myself.I get the impression you and I are a lot alike.

Elizabeth said...

I love a challenge, so I can relate. Starting something new is fun, but at the same time hard because there is always the factor of the unknown, which is scary. For me, getting to the finish line when the excitement wears off is a challenge I love. I love putting all the pieces in place, working through the doldrums, thrilling at the finish line and then looking back at all the work I put into something and loving it still. I find it really interesting how different people like to work.

Thanks for sharing! Love your Jubliee blocks.

xo -E

Anonymous said...

I think I relate to your feelings Lane,
I tell everyone that I really enjoy the journey, the destination is not important, might be why I have way too many PHD's
Cheerio
Marie from W.Aust.

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

That must be how my husband feels, he will do all kinds of projects around the house, all of them are 90-95% complete. But NONE of them are 100%. Hmmmm maybe you just solved the puzzle of why he never finishes anything around here.

lw said...

I don't have time to get bored. Any time spent doing something that I want to do is good time. I love everything about quilting-- from deciding on a project to sewing the binding. What I don't love is never having time to do it.