Semi-Resolutions

December 31, 2006

Edited to add: This post threatened to rival War and Peace in length so I've decided to do it in two or more parts. This is part One. Who knows when part Two will be written...

Happy New Year, all!
The healthcare provider group that Mr. W. and I belong to is great. I mean, of course there are some things that aren't perfect, but for our needs I can't complain.

Much.

It seems like every time we go in, one of the first things we're told is, "Lose weight and stop smoking." I swear, if I went in with a rotary-cutter-induced arterial bleed, the first thing the ER doc would say is, "Lose weight and stop smoking." But when I/we indicate that we're ready to DO something about losing weight or stopping smoking, we get, "That's great! Sign up for this 12-week cla$$ and when you're done, we'll talk about diet plans or the patch or the gum..." (Stick with me, there's fiber here, not just babble) Well, if I'm ready NOW, why do I have to wait 12 weeks to start doing something about the problem? If it's such a big hurkin' deal, why isn't the doc jumping to give me the help I need right away?

True story: I had a killer case of bronchitis one year. Couldn't smoke anyway, so told the doc I wanted the patch to help me while I was already part way to quitting. His response? "Let's wait until you're feeling better to talk about it." Well, for crying out loud. By the time I was feeling better I had to start all over gathering my willpower. I didn't quit.

When I told a (different) doc about my frustration, she explained that they have much more success if patients go through a support group type experience as opposed to just passing out chemical aids.

Hmph.

I am not a support group kinda gal. Why would I want to spend 12 weeks of my life sitting around with other people who are just there to whine about how hard it is to change a lifestyle or kick an addiction (no offense to 12-steppers - apples and oranges). I already KNOW how hard it is. I don't need other people to help me find even more reasons that it's hard.

Now, here's the fiber part. I teach quilting. I knit (and have begun to teach, but that's probably just a fluke). I crochet. I love fondling fabric and yarn. A great sale on yarn will make all kinds of wanna-do projects just pop into my mind's eye, unbidden. So, I buy. I start things. I make samples for classes, samples for the pattern company.

Finishing is not one of my strong points.

What I end up with is a closet overflowing onto the shelves overflowing onto the floor -



all UFO's, or supplies to make those wanna-do projects and some more stuff just because it's so yummy.

So, my semi-resolutions for this year will focus on lightening the load. Stashbusters is a Yahoo! group that encourages you to use up your (mostly) quilting stash, only making allowances for purchases of the B's - batting, backing and binding - to turn your stash into quilts. A portion of this group participates in the UFO Challenge, intent on finishing those UFO's (you know, finished quilt tops and things that are cut out and/or partially finished).

I joined this Yahoo! group a few years back, and while I didn't "play" in the non-buying game, I did join in on the UFO Challenge for a year or two. And reading the posts about how someone was so proud of themselves for NOT buying fabric and seeing all of the links to projects that would USE UP their fabrics was pretty inspiring. I don't think I'll be terribly active in this group's challenges (again) this year, but I will continue to learn from, sympathise with and cheer on those who are participating. [Hmmm... apparently I was feeling preposition-deprived there for a sec...]

Semi-resolution #1:
Finish 10% of my quilting UFO's by June 1. (10%, I can assure you, is NOT a small amount in my case)

I tend to collect used denim. Mostly from popcorn jeans that have really had it, sometimes when Mr. W. gets a new pair of jeans. I can't bring myself to throw away such a large amount of almost-perfectly good and sturdy fabric. My storage box runneth over. {Maybe if I lost that 10 pounds I wouldn't have so many pairs of popcorn jeans. Of course, all or most of the poundage would need to come off of my inner thighs. Yeah, that's it. Any weight I lose will auto-magically just melt righ off of my thighs. Happens all the time, right?}

Semi-resolution #2:
Find a use for recycled denim and reduce the stash to fit in a smaller container than the one it's overflowing now.

My last resolution regarding quilting is this:

Semi-resolution #3:
Do not buy a suite of coordinating fabrics for a specific project in my brain, no matter how cool and inspiring the intended finished project might be. Remember that by the time I get to that cool project I will have completely forgotten what it was and why I was so thrilled in the first place.

Now, this one will need a caveat: If I am teaching or taking a class, or if I have a pattern drafted, semi-cut and/or partially sewn, I am allowed to buy fabric to COMPLETE said cool project. No fair starting from scratch, though.

Semi-Resolutions part Two will address yarn-ish stuff. What a shocker, eh?

Labels: quilting

permalink 1 Comments:

At 1/02/2007 10:40 AM,  N. Mallory Babbled Back:  

I know what you're saying. I completely understand. I just started learning to knit and I've already bought the yarn for my next two projects, and I'm already thinking about project #4.

This of course goes back to my cross-stitch days...which is now in a huge Rubbermaid tube in the closet...kind of like the Island of Broken and Discarded Toys...

You can do it! I have faith in you! You go, Girl!

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