The blouse is off my (way too many) lists

After a few weeks of running around - well, I never really stop running around, but we had a guest researcher at work whom I entertained a lot in the past few weeks, so it meant a lot of going out, restaurants, diners, concerts, festivals, eating too much, going to bed late, drinking alcohol every night and not sleeping enough - so, after all that running around, and with the researcher gone back home on Tuesday morning, I had a little time to myself to do things. 

Things like weaving for Emöke:

and sewing for me: 

Pre-ironded, pre-washed FINISHED blouse!

(Don't worry, nothing weird grew on my chin over night, it't just that our mirror, being from the 60s, is stained.)

I can't, can't believe I finished my blouse! It's so wonderful to put it on, and that it fits! I'm so not used to it! 

So this morning, I was very happy to cross that off my several lists. 

Yeah, I have several lists. Almost like a list of lists. 

1. First, I have  my little notebook. It seems to be a very mysterious thing for people around me, who keep asking me what I write in it. I started to carry a notebook on me over 10 years ago, when I spent my summer in Europe a few years in a row. It was so convenient to have it to note the train schedule, coordinates of people we met, things we saw or heard about as people kept suggesting what to visit, recipes and even things to remember do when I get home. I still always has one on me, and over the years, I developed strict criteria of what a perfect notebook should be like: plastic cover, so it lasts for a long time in the bottom of my bags, spiral binding, so it's easy to tear out pages when needed, and the right size so it doesn't take too much room, but you still can write enough on it. In that note book, I have, on the first page, the schedule of buses between 3R and Montreal; at the end of it, I have a list of random things I would like to do eventually (having it at the end of the notebook means I can add items indefinitely). And in the notebook, I have several lists: what I have to do this week, things I would like to do to the house (room by room), knitting patterns, grocery lists, etc. 

Over the years, several people have questioned me about this notebook. They like to open it, and look at my lists as if it was a secret code, or as if they expected to find out I'm a famous poet writing under a pseudonym or something, and they are usually disappointed by my weekly menus, shopping lists, website addresses and ideas for next year's garden. The blouse was in both "to be done eventually" and "to be tackled this week" (for a few weeks in a row) lists. 

2. Second, I have a craft notebook. Once in a while, I receive notebooks as presents from people who want to make sure they really understood my somewhat obsessive standards, and be part of that mysterious thing I do.This is actually one of those, and, as it didn't fit any of the above-mentioned criteria, I just could not use it as my next lists notebook. But it was cute, with a matriochka on the cover, and I still wanted to use it...so I transformed it into a "craft database", with lists of what I would like to knit, sew, weave and crochet (whenever I learn) in priority (because, with Pinterest, it's easy to get carried away, n'est-ce pas?). I also added a list of fabric I have, so I know what I can do with what I have. I was hoping it would stop me from buying more fabric. 

Except that it doesn't work so far, because I just spend my last weekend buying a ton of material. 

Hello, partial result of my last shopping spree! 

Anyway, fabric shopping is another issue I'll discuss later in another therapy session post. 

So, basically, I crossed off that blouse from 3 lists. 

I have a problem. I know.

(don't talk to me about apps, I tried a few, I need to be able to physically cross off items, otherwise, I get nervous).

If at least, being over-organised on paper meant I was organised in real life. But not. Or at least, it takes me a looong time to find the perfect settings that will lead me to actually do something concrete. 

Like, for example, my "studio" (part of the basement that I took over). 

Every time I go downstairs, I see this, take a deep breath, roll my eyes, and go watch tv. Sometimes, I try to move a few things around, but that never last for long, and never give much result. I just din't know where to put all my stuff. Until last week, when I did this: 

Weaving was so much easier after I got organised! 

And then, 2 days ago, I did this: 

I think that explains how I was able to finally finish my blouse. I really need to spend less time on paper, and more time getting things organised. 

Anyway, further house organisation will have to wait a bit, this weekend I'm going away to a family reunion, and I'm helping organize the last km of a race between Toronto and 3R (I'm very good at organizing things for others...) 

Have a great weekend!