Tag Archives: sewing

OCD vs. Perfectionism Part 1

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According to Psychology Today, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions).

I work with someone who claims to be OCD about needing to have everything put away.  Most of the time he has nothing on his desk besides the telephone, keyboard and computer monitor.  Once in a while there are neat stacks of papers or files that need more than one days attention.

He hates clutter.

He probably cringes when he walks into my office as I have stuff on my desk.  Box of tissues.  A printer.  Rolodex.  Telephone.  Pencil cup.  Desk calculator.  A stack of paper towels and napkins.  Photos.  Candy dish.  A lamp.  A plant.  Some office supply catalogs.  A stack of note paper.  Two piles of miscellaneous stuff.

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I’ve never been to his house but he says he is constantly cleaning up after his wife and three kids.

If you want something neat, he will gladly neaten it.  Unfortunately it doesn’t matter if it’s organized or put away properly.  He wants it done and gets it done.  Fini.  Out of sight.

I, however, am not ODC when it comes to being neat.  Just ask Mr. Aitch.  No, don’t.  I consider myself to be creative and creative people have other issues.  When I create, I want it to be perfect.  I will redo somethingas many times as it takes to get it as perfect as I can.

My grandmother used to say “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” “Right” to others might mean to the best of ones ability.  “Right” to me means perfect.

I view myself as a perfectionist.  It truly is a challenge to try to rid myself of this malady.

Mr. OCD and I work together a lot so I’m used to his work habits.  Occasionally I ask him to help me do some physical project for the office.  Like move something that’s too heavy for me.  Four hands are better than two and strength is better than none.

I recently recovered a desk chair for the office and I needed Mr. OCDs strength.  And my malady.  Because it has to be right, not just done.

June update

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Between repairing nine window screens, doctor appointments, hospital tests, a visiting grandchild, a flooded basement, work, and life in general, I finished a couple of things. Nothing knitting related but still creative or challenging.

In a previous post I showed you some pictures of our front porch.   I don’t know if you noticed the screen on the bay window. Probably not. Well, it was torn at the bottom. An over zealous power washer was, um, over zealous and several screens were damaged.  We don’t take the screens out of our windows in the winter so twenty year-old fiberglass mesh screens are fragile.

I learned how to replace window screens. YouTube is wonderful. I could pick all the components locals except for the plunger pins that hold the screen into the window frame.  I found a place on-line and ordered enough to replace all of them in our windows should the need arise.  Good thing I did as I ended up having to replace some in our other windows before the job was finished.

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I also decided early on that ivory cushions on an outside sofa was not a good idea. I purchased some fabric on-line and made new cushions.

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I plan on making new pillows as well but thought I’d give you a sneak peek of my progress so far.

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I even did the top stitching like the original cushions.

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They seem a bit bright and busy but anything would after plain ivory, right?

The last minute

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Remember when you would wait until the last minute to do your science project?  Book report?  Plan your Halloween costume?  Tell your parents that you were going somewhere?  Or needed a ride?  Had to take a snack to school?  Buy a gift?  Or card?

We all did that as kids.  And some of us still do it.

Everything takes more time than we think it does.

At the beginning of the school year my daughter said she wanted me to make box bags for the twins Pre-K teachers.  As a Christmas gift?  No.  As an end-of-the-school-year gift?  No.

Well, when?

I was at my daughter’s house last week helping her build something.  I’ll post pictures once it’s finished.  Anyway, while she was cutting the plywood, I asked her again about the box bags and when the end of school was and what colors/fabric did she want me to make box bags.

I didn’t know if these were to be for personal use and filled with personal goodies or for school use filled with school related goodies.  It makes a difference when choosing the fabric.

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The bags were for school related goodies and she wanted them for Teacher Appreciation Day.  Which was yesterday.

The fabric was purchased Friday and washed that evening.  I was too tired to think about cutting and sewing.  Saturday was spent cleaning out the garage but I managed to get all the pieces of fabric and fusible fleece cut.  I dug out the directions on Sunday and made one bag.  Monday evening I had a hair appointment which involved color so I didn’t have time to finish the second bag until last evening.

The teacher’s names were machine embroidered on the strap.

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And my daughter’s tag was sewn in the seam.

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I like them.  I just hate waiting until the last minute to make something as there is always a glitch.  Like sewing the strap in upside down and having to redo it.

But they are finished and on the way to my daughter to fill with goodies.  I hope the teachers like them and use them.

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Do you still wait until the last minute to do something?  Do your kids?

Needle and thread

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What’s one thing worse than hemming a pair of pants?

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Hemming the same pair a second time.

I bought a couple of pairs of pants a month or two ago and hemmed them.  The first pair was the perfect length when I was finished.  The second pair?  Not so much.

By an inch.

An inch too long meant that I stepped on the back hem.  Every.  Single.  Step.  Every. Single.  Time.

I’ve known about this for at least a month but I HAD to do something about it last night.  Procrastination is my middle name.  I’m headed to my aunt’s house after work today for a luncheon she, my sister, and I are going to tomorrow.

Plan A Outfit was a dress.  I love wearing dresses.  I dislike wearing pantyhose and with coolish weather and my brilliant-white legs, pantyhose is a necessity.

Plan B Outfit involved the above mentioned pants.

So out came the scissors, ironing board, needle and thread.  A two-and-a-half inch hem was a bit too much for a pair of pants.  But a three-and-a-half inch hem was more than I could deal with so I cut off an inch.  You know, in case I grew and needed to let the hem down.

Or made them too short.