Do Other People Do This?

It started with a sweater pattern,  Bauxite by Samantha Stadter. (Love her stuff by the way!)  Liked the look of the piece, though with an eye to making it slightly less over-sized.

Then my brain had a suggestion; "What about making it sparkly?  We saw that Alux over at KnitPicks...it would make a lovely top for a holiday party!"   

Logic then chimes in; "We haven't been to a holiday party in at least five years.  We don't need a holiday party top."

But by then, it's too late, the outfit design is off and running.

A black velvet skirt would look lovely with the soft, sparkling alpaca!  After searching for just the right black velvet skirt ready made, fabric is ordered.  Before I check out, I realize the sweater is possibly a bit revealing in the back, I should find a camisole to go under it (like the designer suggests).  After much searching ready made items,I pop a yard of linen silk in the color closest to the yarn I've bought into the fabric.com cart, muttering to myself about having a pattern around here somewhere.

Oooh! I have Santa Jack earrings!  And red heels that match!  If you finish that Heads Will Roll shawl you would have a matching sparkling wrap.

Hmmm, needs green.  How about a vintage style hair snood?  Has to be just that right shade of green though.  I'll just head over to Potion Yarns and see what she has in stock.  That Forgeries of Jealousy is perfect!  And it's in a merino silk blend?  Perfect!

Oh goodness! I almost forgot.  What about stockings?  They should have sparkle too, but not be overly distracting.  H&M is the only place with any in stock right now, black and sparkles should work out nicely.

It took ten minutes for my brain to throw together the outfit.  It took an entire evening to find all the bits or the supplies to make them.

All the pieces finally arrive.  Fabric is washed.  I draft a full circle skirt pattern using measurements from the Mood calculator and dig out a rather old Vogue lingerie pattern, playing mix and match with pattern pieces to get the v-neck I want in front and in back.

The skirt and camisole are cut out, just awaiting sewing.  Yarn is wound and knitting is in progress, (though I am wondering if I can find a different lace chart for the snood, maybe I'll just roll with the original).

But the holiday party outfit that I am unlikely to need really is in progress.

It's a glorious combination of color, texture, and sparkle waiting to be completed.

This is how my brain works.  Entire projects, outfits, or other sorts of designs pop, ready to be made, into my head, despite (or perhaps in spite) of all other things already in progress.

This is why most surfaces in my house have some sort of project in progress on them, usually multiples. All still adored, randomly worked on for an entire day, then put down in favor of something else, though only temporarily.  Another idea will strike and I will have to write it down, draw it out or research supplies.  Possibly, I have everything at hand, then another thing will be started, smiled over, and completed at some undefined point in the future or in the next hour, depending on the item.

The one thing I cannot do is ignore the ideas. If I don't acknowledge them, the inspirations become distracting, popping into my thoughts when I should be doing laundry, worrying about what is for dinner or working on the thing that was causing the distraction yesterday.   Thus my piles of lists, notes and sketches for things to make is a collection that rivals my store of craft supplies bought to bring the ideas into reality.

This is my normal.  I know there have to be lots of others out there.  How do you deal with it?