The Curse of the Half-finished Projects

In a dark green craft room... at the top of the stairs... tucked into boxes and bags... lurks something every crafter dreads... well, lurks something that this crafter dreads. It eats away at you, those voices whisper to you every time you check out craft blogs and the weekly Michaels sales flyer... "We're still here. You can't get away from us." It's the curse of the half-finished craft projects and the terror it produces is unparalleled.

My problem is that I love the feeling of starting a new project; The possibility, the creativity, the excitement are all things that I really enjoy. Inevitably though I loose steam and I end up either starting a new project or forgetting all about it. To break myself of this bad bad habit I am going to publicly declare my list of unfinished projects and try my darndest to not start any more projects (except for Christmas cards, naturally) until I've finished the others. So here we go...

1. Christmas quilt wall hanging. Started two years ago. I went on a day trip with a girlfriend Arlyn from Fort St John to nearby Grand Prairie in Alberta. We stopped in a fabric store and I found this great fabric which I thought would be a fabulous quilt. So, two years later, I've done all of the sewing, but had lofty ambitions for embellishing it by hand with sequins and shinny threads. Still not done.

2. Scrap booking. Started many years ago. My problem here is that I have several half finished scrapbooks from vacations 5 years ago, life milestones, baby books, and too many pictures that are yet to be developed. I just need to sit down and do it. This could absolutely be multi-tasked with TV watching. I need to schedule scrap booking into my weekly calendar. I am pleased to report that I did accomplish my one pager on my fall list. Hooray.

3. Cross-stitching. Started four years ago. I have two projects still to finish. One lullaby sampler that I started for Rueben when he was born. Ethan's turned out so well that I knew I had to do one for Rueben too. I also have a sampler that I started when we bought our house in Fort St John to commemorate our new house purchase. Four years and two houses later and I still have nothing to hang on the wall in the entryway.

4. Sewing Curtains. One year ago. I have all the fabric, just need to sit down and sew curtains for Ethan's room and the craft room. I also found a very cute pattern for a baby jean skirt that I want to make for my niece McKenzie. But I guess this one will need to wait.

5. Halloween costume. Two weeks ago. Ethan declared "I would like to be Thomas the Tank Engine for Halloween this year"! So, we have a large cardboard box, a papermached balloon with eyes, nose and cheeks. We have made a great start, but it's been sitting untouched for a few days and I worry that Ethan will end up going as a bed sheet ghost.

6. Christmas felt projects. I bought some coloured felt to make quaint handmade Christmas tree ornaments and throw pillows but never got around to making them.

Hopefully, I can finish most of these projects by Christmas this year, although in all honesty, I think the scrap booking will never get done.