Suffering from Quilter's Block

I am suffering from quilter's block. 

In my case this means that I have more creative ideas that I could possibly fit into three livetimes. At the same time, I don't seem to be able to summon up the drive to actually sit down at my sewing machine, put fabric under the needle, lower the pressure foot and just - go!

And it isn't that I don't have more than enough unfinished projects which would be yearning to get finished. I could simply jump on the wagon and let it roll. 

There is my Pipes project which I am actually quite proud of although not even the top is done. Only four more blocks would be needed to finish the centre of the quilt. Then I could proceed with the fantastically creative border solution - "only" nine half blocks and one quarter block for the corner and this future masterpiece would be ready for sandwiching and quilting. 

But no luck. 

Every time, I go to my workroom with the full blown ambition to tackle this final frontier, I find that something is amiss. Last time, I had decided to get back in the figurative saddle, I realized that a few of the (cardboard) templates printed from my quilting design software needed to be replaced. Big drama. My workroom is under the roof while the computer with the templates lives three storeys down in the basement (in between, other people live, just so that you don't get wrong ideas about my housing situation). 

Poofff, ambition imploded (again).

This has gone on for weeks and months now and I am getting VERY FRUSTRATED.

So I decided to find some kind of self-therapy to get back into my beloved productive swing. But how?

First approach: Plan an entirely new, virginal project and buy new fabrics. 

Bad idea. Already much too many projects ongoing, planned, or being dreamt about. And way too much fabric in my stash. 

Second approach: Go through the various sketchbooks, both real and digital, and sort and catalogue all unfinished objects? Devise a point system based on various categories to determine THE project which would be best suited to end my quilter's block? 

Mediocre idea. While basicall probably a good idea, it would take years to get all that material collected, harmonized into one storage container and assessed as to "finishability". 

The same would apply to sorting all my fabrics according to colour, pattern and style and to structuring notions and accessories according to techniques covered. No, this would be rather suitable for an active and purposeful retirement, which for me, unfortunately, is still 10 - 15 years away. 

So nothing, no viable approach in sight to release me from my quilter's block? No low-threshold fun sewing warm-up, reasonably sensible, neither leading to fanciful purchases nor increasing the chaos which reigns in my workroom anyway? Nothing to set my brain to zero while totally focusing on getting into the groove and rhythm of my sewing machine again? 

I look up from writing this, try to fight back the mounting despair, and let my eyes wander around my workroom in search of an answer to my predicament. 

Suddenly, my gaze becomes more focused and takes in my scrap box. It usually sits in the farthest corner of my workroom, hidden from sight and for most part of the year, mercifully forgotten. Right now it occupies quite a prominent position in the middle of the room to make room for the meter reader. 

Scraps... hm... mmmhmmm....

Picking through that box, taking out a handful of varied shapes, coincidental colours, no pressure to plan and scheme, just delve into this discarded richness, get to play, be surprised by the treasures to be found there, relax my brain, and just MAKE something, anything... 

Sewing machine, here I come!!!