I am nothing if not compulsive. Not compulsive in a good way, as in make a reasoned informed choice about a project or goal and work steadily at it without being distracted by side projects and brain farts. Not ODC compulsive as in can't leave the room until a click the lights five times. No. My form of compulsion comes in the form of get an idea of a project in mind, collect all the necessary (or most of the necessary) bits and then don't let it go until someday it's completed even of the inspiration and inclination has faded away (long ago in dust). I'm working on this compulsion. I say to my daughters that compulsions aren't wrong - you just need to make them work FOR you. Now I need to follow my advice. HA! (me-falling off my chair laughing here)
At the moment, my compulsion has come in the form of binding. And, being myself, I have gathered many of the bits and bobs (those are NOT technical terms, just so you know) in the run up to the festivities in this house, and have placed them around my work room in strategic locations. Exactly where my cats can sit on them and deposit hair. And slide around on. And knock off. Because they do.
I finished Patty (and her Pitcher). So now it is on to some unfinished business. I signed up for Diana Trout's Longstitch 2-ways class and then ONLY DID IT ONE WAY. Surely you can see the problem. So having set aside my chosen papercloth, I went about cutting paper and assembling the signatures and cover.
(* I want to note here, that the more classes I take, the more I appreciate Diana Trout's detailed instruction and prompt reply to questions. She teaches a fair bit in person, and she's thought through the process. Her classes have been clear and managable. I highly recommend them.)
Maybe I did some of this when I was supposed to be wrapping gifts.
Maybe not. I'm not saying.
I'm working on two covers simultaneously. I'm amazing that way. I've lined these ones to make the cover a little more sturdy. I didn't with my first book (Longstitch, the first way), so now I can see if there'll be a significant difference. Maybe I'll notice. Maybe I won't.
I also turned some of the edges in to keep them sturdier. The top edge I didn't, mostly because I didn't cut them wide enough to do that, but also because it looks kinda neat. I'm exploiting my mistake (in not making it bigger) by pretending it's a design feature.
Then it was on to making my hole template and punching the holes. I don't love this part, but once I'm doing it, it goes pretty quickly. Actually, by that I mean it feels like it goes pretty quickly but actually it a takes time and concentration so I do this after all the distracting people are asleep.
All of this work is the preamble, as far as I'm concerned. I like it okay. I enjoy getting better at the steps - going from completely not having any idea what I'm doing to having a sense of the choices involved and the flow of the steps.
But tomorrow the fun begins. Tomorrow I get to sew.
Oh, I am enjoying my compulsion.
