Unfinished Projects

I have an old barrister bookcase where I store my fabric stash. A few months ago, I turned it caddy-corner and dumped my huge pile of sewing stuff behind it. I think my dad was coming down (I'm sure company was involved somehow), and I didn't want the place to look like a dump. My intention was to drag everything back out and resume working on it, but then the holidays came, then New Year's when everyone wants to get organized, and well..... So today, while searching for packaging tape, I had no choice but to face the monster behind the bookcase.

As I started digging, I found not only the sewing projects I had been working on when I moved the pile, but bags and bags of other stuff. There was stuff bought to begin new projects piled on top of the abandoned ones. I did find a few things I have been looking for,(sewing machine needles, roman shade tape) but mostly stuff that I have no interest in finishing any time soon, if at all.

My friend Chris calls these projects PIGs...Projects In Grocery bags. I think all my friends who are creative types and thrift store junkies have at least a few PIGs. Mine are in various states of unfinish for many reasons: I ran out of thread or interfacing, didn't have the right size zipper or had to put it away to start dinner. Some things I picked up because they inspired me and I haven't quite figured out what to do with them yet, and sometimes a project just became more tedious or time consuming than it was worth. I mean making a rug out of old jeans seemed like a great idea at the time, but after braiding what seemed like miles and miles of "rope" then have it be the size of a placemat, made it seem like a shitty idea after all. Aprons, Christmas ornaments, a sundress started two years ago, 15 yards of denim bought from ebay to cover my sofa.....and I feel not an ounce of shame for not finishing any of it.

I have a few friends and family who have, at one time or another been concerned about this behavior. I am no stranger to the words unmotivated, lazy and attention deficit disorder. I just ignore them. I've tried to explain how this process works, but it fell on deaf ears. For every unfinished project I have back there, I have several fabulous, finished pieces of which I am very proud. Besides, what else will I have to do when my children are grown and life is no longer rushed, but relax with a cup of tea and work on a rug I started when I was 30.