I’ve been struggling to feel productive lately. It’s not that I haven’t been doing stuff, it’s just not stuff that makes me feel productive. I started talking about that with some friends, and they rapidly made me realize something. I don’t tend to count stuff that I want to be doing as ‘productive’ time. Productive time is time spent at work or on chores or on the mile long to do list at the farm. Productive time sewing is when I’m doing work for other people. Sewing on things I want to do somehow is considered a luxury in my head and is not productive.
Well. I need to change that attitude right now! What was I doing this weekend, you ask? I was actually quilting my Hexies Pandemic quilt. Quilting AND binding my hexies quilt to be precise. Yep folks, I started this one back over the summer some time, I got it completely hand pieced, added the borders by machine, and this weekend it got quilted and bound and it is DONE. I really do think that’s being pretty darned productive. Maybe I should have put this on my to do list. Either way, I’m thrilled with how it turned out. This one was kind of a freebie. Most of the fabric in this was gifted to me by someone else. She had finished her 1930’s quilt and didn’t want to ever see that kind of fabric again, so she gave me the left overs. I used probably 90% of that bin in this quilt. Enough of the bin that it is now empty and the remaining few pieces have moved to other bins. That’s pretty exciting too, productivity wise.
The quilting itself is a milestone. This was the 24th quilt on the long arm this year. It’s November and I have reached the goal of 24 quilts. I might hit 25 or 26 by year end if I keep at it. I’m stoked. This is very productive.
How interesting that a change in the lens through which I view all this activity and I go from being a slug to being productive. How many other things in my life can I alter by changing my perspective. In this time of things over which I have absolutely no control, it seems glorious to find something that I CAN control.
This week I’m going to retool my to do list a bit, and add some of the things on it that are just for me. I’m doing this to help trick my eye into seeing more productivity in those things. I’m going to remind myself that all the stuff I’m doing is worth while. Ok most everything. Vacuuming just seems like a never ending annoying task but I guess it’s worth while in its own way. I’m busy and I’m productive. I need to say that out loud. Are you short changing yourself on what you are doing these days? Let’s be better to ourselves, shall we?
