The Queen of Procrastination or maybe Perfection

[susank]

I'd like to know if there are others out there like me. In August 08 I posted a question about window treatments for some fabric I bought for my bedroom. I got a lot of helpful suggestions but still I wasn't sure what to do. So I did nothing and the fabric sat there. Last month I couldn't bear the guilt anymore so pulled out the fabric again and decided to tackle the project - 3 pairs of drapes 102" long and lined in velvet, a duvet cover and matching shams. Ugh! I laid out the fabric on the dining room table and again thought about the type of pleat to use and still could not decide. I went to my desk and pulled out the phone number of the work room I had been given - called - got an answer I liked, packed up the fabric and took it to them. Three weeks later the drapes were back and I felt a huge burden had been lifted from me. I happily made the duvet cover and shams and am also thinking about making upholstered valances for the bedroom windows.

So after my long story - here is my question - how many of you are like me? If I can't decide the "perfect" way to do something I won't do it at all. I buy many embroidery designs with ideas of what I would like to do with them but until I am positive of what I want to do they sit there. It drives me crazy! I wish I could just do things without obsessing over whether it will be perfect.

For any of you who followed the thread last year and for those who offered advice, here are some pictures of the finished result. The funny thing is that after the endless obsessing over the best top treatment for this fabric - I now think the windows need a valance in the brown fabric to break up all the green/blue. I really am never happy!!!

[StitchinGrandma]

Oooooooh it all turned out just gorgeous even if you didn't make the drapes yourself. :p

HA ~ YES!!!! I am terrible at delaying things if I can't decide one way or another which would be THE perfect option at completion of a project. Why do you think it's now almost December and not June when I said I was going to start my holiday sewing??? And now I can't do any of that without major pain and mobility problems with my fingers because about 1 1/2 months ago now I woke up one day and found overnight my body decided to give me more daily pain to deal with and I now have been dealing with trigger finger in my thumb so it's not usable for anything. :( See? That should teach me to stop being such a great little busy bee worker when I'm pushed to the last minute and then work so great under pressure the way I do. Now I can't do ANY.

[SharonK]

I have never had this dilemma mysleft as I am relatively new to sewing but I just had to comment on your 'bathroom?' window.....wow is that amazing or what!! In the UK it is unheard of to have a bathroom window that is not frosted. Of course this may be the case in the US too and maybe that is not your bathroom:rolleyes:

[StitchinGrandma]

I have never had this dilemma mysleft as I am relatively new to sewing but I just had to comment on your 'bathroom?' window.....wow is that amazing or what!! In the UK it is unheard of to have a bathroom window that is not frosted. Of course this may be the case in the US too and maybe that is not your bathroom:rolleyes:
Oh yea THAT is her bathroom. Makes ya just want to drool eh? LOL

[lizanne]

Your room looks just divine it must be a joy to walk into it every evening! The drapes are beautiful and you did a wonderful job on the quilt cover and pillows.

I think I am a little like you although my problem starts earlier. I even have trouble selecting fabrics and patterns. I can spend hours, sometime I even have to make return visits to the fabric store before I can make up my mind. I think one of the problems is that with things I make myself I do want them to be perfect (or nearly) I hate the thought of all that time wasted if I complete a project and I'm not happy with the results. I'm not as bothered if it is someone else's time that has been wasted and I'm far less critical of my girlfriends' projects that I am of my own. I guess we are always our own worst enemies!!

Luckily for me though I have the funny knack of being able to love and accept the project as soon as soon as it's completed (in most cases) even if at the start I wasn't sure about the style or the fabric, once it's done I usually love it. This makes my husband wail in despair, he suggests that I just "close your eyes and buy it, you know you'll love it once you get it home and made up". Luckily for him he's only invited to come along to a fabric store if we are on holidays or I'm not sure he'd still be here.

Lizann

[susank]

Ladies - I am glad I am not alone --- although I'm sure you would also like to be over this affliction. Sometimes it's paralyzing!

On the comments on my bathroom - yes its nice and the view is nice - we have a two acre really treed lot. The master bathroom is actually about 3X what you see. It is HEAVEN - although I hate baths and just use the 8x6 shower - 2 showers heads, rain, jets - all of it - its great! My husband and I designed/built this custom home 4 years ago and we love it. I guess that's what 25 years of 18 hours a day gets you .... but it does not get you over your obsessions. I like hearing that I am not the only one.

[SharonK]

An 8x6 shower??? My whole bathroom is that size lol. It looks like a beautiful house, you are so lucky designing it your own specs, what a dream. Hmmm just thinking, have you ever thought of stained glass in those windows? They remind me of a church, absolutely stunning shapes. Ohhh not to mention the trees...sigh.....

[susank]

You know Sharon we did think of leaded glass instead of stained glass because we did not want to block the light. However, we thought of it after the house was built. I have spoken to an ironworker about putting ironwork in some of the tops of these windows - although these big arches are in almost every room in the house and some of them are huge (as in 20' across). Again - I can't decide which ones to accent!!! But you are right it might just suit this one.

[idesign]

It is all very beautiful! When I read your post I was thinking how much alike we are. The smallest detail not worked out ahead of time can stop me in my tracks for decades. I have rolls of floral drapery fabric bought for other houses in our past that I never got made up into drapes before we moved. Now florals are "out" and who wants to put all the work of making drapes into something that is out of date. Meanwhile the guilt of having fabric and not covering my windows is there, so I can really relate.

I think you came up with a smart solution--sub out the difficult parts, and make the other things yourself.

[katiedoodles]

Susan,

What an absolutely beautiful master suite! I have the same colors in my bedroom as well, aqua is a very relaxing color. You had a great idea to have someone complete the draperies while you took on the rest. I for one, do not think that the windows need anything else, the valance would block the pretty pleating on the draperies.

I think we all suffer from massive amounts of procrastination...why else would so many of us have hoards of fabric in our closets? I have moved fabric from place to place that I had bought with the intention of making curtains, roman shades, etc that have never come to be. Last year when we moved to TX I made window toppers for the kitchen and living room (finally). I love the ones I did for the kitchen but have never been satisfied with the way to ones in the LR turned out and have thinking of what to replace them with since I put these up!

[katherineF]

absolutely beautiful !!! I love the colors. I want to redo our bedroom but trying to pick a color. My husband wants one color and i want a different color ! LOL

[susank]

Glad to hear all over again that I am not the only one with this problem. It makes me feel a little less crazy. The next thing I am moving onto is some Christmas napkins. I bought some plain red napkins last year and never settled on a design to embroider on them. I went through my designs again the other day and was still not sure what to do. I went shopping on the weekend though and bought a beautiful quilted throw that has sort of country snowmen on it and that was all I needed to set the tone for my Christmas decorating at the cottage. Country snowmen on everything. Sometimes it just takes one little bit of inspiration!

Hope all you other procrastinators find your bit of inspiration that gets those projects out of the closets!

[Emma]

Look at those rooms!!!! how absolutely stunning, and that bathtub, wow!!!!!! I always love seeing peoples houses on here, because they are so different to what we have over here in NZ.

I've just done Christmas place mats. Had to put them on the table 26 days early, hehe, I am looking forward to Christmas this year. I've had these place mats for two years now, and haven't been able to find the right design. I finally found it last weekend, so did all 8 in one day, they look just so stunning!!!

[susank]

Good job Emma - one more thing out of the closet!

Glad you like my master suite!

[Juli]

Gorgeous! You did a wonderful job on the pillows and cover!

[Jami Johnson]

Wow, I totally remember this post. In fact, I was wondering the other day if you had time to finish it up. It was soooo worth the wait! Way to go!! Would you like to come sew for my house? :)

[susank]

Sure Jami - as long as you don't mind how long it takes me to actually get around to doing things!

[Belleamie7]

Wow! Absolutely beautiful!

Toni in Michigan

[susank]

Thanks Toni - you can see what a labour it was!