Friday, 7 March 2014

DIY Project Overload

I am in the middle of re-decorating the ex-Queenager's room. It's been ten years. and she's blossomed from an 11 year old into, well, a 21 year old. The cabbage roses needed to go as did the dirty hand prints on various places around the room. This time I'm going for a sophisticated dark taupe/brown with cream curtains and bedding (which we already have). I also found some fabulous accent fabric of vintage post cards with which I will make cushions and curtain tie backs.

Which brings me to my point - that's two projects right there. Painting and sewing. I am also planning to put some large vintage maps on the wall. This could become project number three as I never find what I'm looking for and often end up "doing it myself". In this case it would involve obtaining large maps and decoupaging them onto blank canvases. Very do-able, but another project nonetheless.

If I'm being honest, there are projects all over the house abandoned because of project ennui. If I hadn't done a few baseline tests (with negative results) I would worry that I had adult ADD. There's the bag I'm crocheting out of plastic shopping bags still waiting to be finished, (you cut the plastic into thin strips, connect them all up and crochet as normal), the place mats I'm crocheting out of plain white t-shirts (same principle, crocheting into circles), the green velvet hem I need to add to too-short curtains in another room; that project is ten years old and counting - I genuinely forgot about it as it's a room we rarely use. Let's not even mention the various sewing patterns I buy thinking "Oh I can run that up in no time" - and I can, if I could ever find the perfect fabric, etc. etc.

Even when I'm actually working on a project, I can't seem to finish it in one go. If I'm sewing, I always leave a sleeve or a hem to do the next day. Like with the Ex-Q's room, I couldn't just keep going all day. No, I had to paint one wall, let it dry, give it a second coat then move on to the next wall. Admittedly my deadline is May so there's not much pressure to knock myself out painting for two days straight. But d'you see what I mean?

This could be like this for some time…..

I wonder if it's a bona fide syndrome and if it has a name?

8 comments:

  1. Well, if it's any comfort, at least you get your projects started! I have a project list a mile long and just can't seem to get going on any of them.

    Love the color you picked for the walls, by the way.

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  2. HaHa! This made me LOL, ya think it's a peculiarly Brit' expat trait because I am exactly the same! Right now I have a table refinishing project half done, a baby blanket I need to finishing as the recipient is due in a month, plus many other 'ongoing projects'!

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  3. Btw...I believe I have returned to blogging!

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  4. Reluctance to finish projects? I think it's called "Projcrastination" and all the builders who are "refurbishing" the flats here seem to suffer from it, so you are not alone ;)

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  5. Oh dear, I see a lot of myself in this post! The attic is full of unfinished projects and the house partly decorated!
    Maggie x

    Nuts in May

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  6. Yay Sarah - (Brit Gal) BTW - I did my own version of chalk paint a few months ago and it worked out really well. I dragged a small table in from the alley (oh yes I did) and painted it with a mixture of Spackle and wall paint. It works really well although it took a lot of sanding 'cause the Spackle has sand in it. Buy the unsanded stuff (or tile grout).

    Mike - Love that word!

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  7. Many, many UFOs (Unfinished Objects) around here :-(
    When my daughter was a baby, I think it took me close to a year to complete the stenciling on the walls in her room.
    If she wants her current room repainted, she will have to do it herself I think!

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