Monday, December 27, 2010

Procrasticcomplishment

I have finished it! 
My project is completed! 
Never mind that I started the project just over three years ago!
And just look at how small and simple the object is!
Obviously something of this magnitude could be finished by a slug in just a few short days!
But ....
I ....
finally.....
did.......
it!
(Do you notice a distorted sense of accomplishment?)


There is something about the cold weather that makes me want to practice home crafts. So, when our weather took a turn for the worse, I pulled out the knitting. Buried under skeins of yarn from various projects I unearthed a relic from the past. The object was supposed to be a pillow. I began knitting the pillow in '07. I don't know why I stopped. I attended a knitting social group recently and became consumed with finishing the simple rectangle.

DONE!

The next morning I continued my fixation on finishing the pillow. I washed and blocked it. I made and stuffed a pillow form to go inside it, and I made buttons. Made buttons?!!! Am I insane?
Oh wait, please don't answer that. 
It might hurt my feelings! 

Let me explain....(if I can)! All along I had pictured the edges of the pillow being held closed with rustic buttons. I never had taken the time to purchase the buttons. A store that would sell rustic buttons is at least 20 miles away. I was feeling lazy. Well, lazy in that I didn't want to get into the cold car and drive into town, but....

I recalled that we had some Aspen branches on the edge of the pasture. I realized that I could cut slices of a branch and I'd have just the sort of rustic buttons I had envisioned for the pillow. On top of that, the time it would take me to make the buttons would probably be less than the time it would take to make a trip into town, and would provide me with much greater satisfaction.


Pippin helps me pick out just the right size Aspen branch.
 
I cut the branch into slices, just over 1/4" in width. 
I sanded the discs - thinking to myself this is one great way to file the finger nails!
After drilling two small holes in each disc,  I attached them to the pillow.
So....what to do next? 


Blog about it, of course!

So, what projects do you have sitting out there, waiting to be finished?
What things do you tend to procrastinate about?
What accomplishments have made you do a happy dance?

8 comments:

  1. Love the pillow, and the buttons --- brilliant!

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  2. I am dying laughing that you were "too lazy" to go buy buttons, but, why not make your own.....hahahaha!!! The finished product is great!!!

    I have some woolies that I started crocheting last year...that will end up being doll ones at this rate!

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  3. I'm impressed with your button making skills. The pillow looks great!

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  4. I'm SO glad I'm not the only one who plays time capsule with projects. You know, buries them for years to be unearthed and [hopefully] finished at some vague and distant point in the future *grin*.
    I love the colors and neat pattern; most awesome (and the buttons are just phenomenal (have to tell DD about those...she's totally into woodworking ;o)

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  5. Good for you, but it turned out so gorgeous that you can't stop now. You just have to make more. At least more buttons and then something to put them on. Great job!--Inger

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  6. Congratulations! and great to 'meet' you! I love the Aspen buttons! I have boys here who study trees to make bows and arrows with. So the aspen thing is a big deal to me. lol

    I absolutely HAVE to catch up on my 4 years of photos since going digital. First I MUST buy a hard drive to back them up onto. My 2011 goal...we'll see...

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  7. Oh wow! That pillow is really pretty! Nice work, especially those handmade aspen buttons. Very clever idea, too.
    I have alwats had a special place in my heart for aspens, especially in groves. My twinling, Jem has picked up the same affection for aspens after hiking in the mountains above Santa Fe last summer. Walking among the aspens feels magical somehow...as if you're walking though a faery glade.

    I'm thinking you should make a matching pillow for the other side of your sofa ;)

    As for what I procrastinate, I'd have to say it's handspinning my wool, because I can;t stand being interrupted once I get started and have a had time getting restarted if I am. So I just avoid getting started at all. lol!

    I also procrastinate reading books
    , which frustrates me, because I have lots of books waiting for me to read right now. I think it's like spinning, I just want to curl up and read all day, with no interruptions, but that doesn't happen around here. lol!

    ~Lisa

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  8. Lisa, you made me laugh suggesting I make a matching pillow...I cringed a bit, too, thinking of the lousy, cheap yearn that I used - I have no idea where I bought it or if it is even manufactured and sold any more!
    However, I love cable knits, so I may do another one with cables on it...and of course, aspen buttons!

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