Organizing my Efforts

I've been sorting through my collection of projects, fabric, and assorted bits and pieces of crafty endeavors. 

I seem to spend a lot of time starting things.  I'm not quite so gifted in the finishing department.  Starting new projects and trying out new techniques and color combinations is very exciting to me.  That's good.  Since that's an exciting part of my creativity, I want to keep it.

But I also enjoy seeing projects through to completion.  This is a deeper joy.  This is an area that I need to further develop this year.

Bonnie Hunter has been talking on recent Quilt Cams about Finishing.  She is choosing Finish as her word for the year.  She suggests that people stop working on so many projects at once and devote their energy to seeing one at a time through to completion.  Bonnie recommends having one project that you are piecing, one that your are quilting / finishing, one that is being pieced as a Leaders / Enders project, and one that you are hand piecing and carrying with you for all those odd little moments that come up in the course of life.

I like this plan.  I'm trying to corral my efforts to line up with her ideas (in my own quirky way, of course!).  In addition to her project designations, I also have one quilt that I am hand quilting. 

As I sorted my projects, I figured out another way to help myself keep moving forward with my projects.  I chose a project and designated it as being "On Deck".  I put all the parts for that project together in a box along with a list of what needs to be done.  This is very helpful to me because I tend to lose steam when I do complete a quilt or project, because I can't seem to decide what to do next.  Now that decision is already made and I can look forward to the On Deck project!  Plus my mind is now thinking about the On Deck project and puzzling through the creative questions involved with putting that top together. 

The list helps me to clue in to where I was headed with this
project and what still needs to be done.

How do you keep your projects moving along?  Please share your tips with us!

Praising God today!!

many blessings,
pam