Process Tip: Dealing with Distraction

Has this happened to you?

It started innocently enough. I have a new placemat pattern I'm working on and decided I needed to get quilting them. Last weekend my husband and I moved a big desk down into my quilting space and today I used it. It's wonderfully big - there's easily enough room for a 24 x 36 inch cutting mat. This morning it's a waiting station for the placemat backs. 

I bought this orange fabric to use as binding for my Halloween 1904 quilt. Recently I realized that the orange would not go well with the chocolate 3 Sisters fabrics I am using for the back. So now this fabric is up for grabs again and I decided it would go great with these new placemats - you'll see next week so you can let me know if I'm right!!



Okay. So here comes the distraction.

Cutting the orange fabric for the back made 2 leftover cuts. There's lots more of the orange, but it will now get to go into my stash. My brain started wondering what to do with the cuts? 
I could cut them down into units for Little Wishes blocks.
I could just fold them and put them with the larger piece into my stash.

THEN I remembered this panel! I think I bought it 2 years ago at my local quilt shop. It came in a kit to make a bag - which I promptly took apart and used the other fabrics for other things! 

I've never made anything from a panel (that I can remember) in my almost 20 years of quilting. Really. I kept this panel because of the cats and the green and the cute use of candy corns. 

My orange fabric looks good with it. I could make it into a bag or a banner for Halloween.
Then I remembered the little mini charm pack I just picked up at the quilt shop. Reel Time by Zen Chic. 

Hey! I think I just made my own kit:)

Now I'm already working on placemats today, but I took a moment to take apart the mini charms to see if the fabrics liked hanging out with the black kitty cats. They did! They did! But look - there's BLUE in there too?! hmmmmmm.

Can you tell I'm distracted by this possible project?


Here's my tip for Dealing with Distraction when it comes to a new project - or anything really:

Make a Decision


It really can be that simple. Make a choice - do I want to invest time into this project right now? All the other head noise/chatter/excuses won't stop until you make a decision. Then stand by it and enjoy the outcome, whether that means you start a new project and enjoy it or you pass on it and continue doing something else that is already bringing you joy.

The decision is yours to make.

Once I realized that I could make a Decision instead of staying Distracted, I felt a lot better!


What do you think I decided? What would you decide?


With Joy,

Sarah V