Episode 444: What to Do When You Lose Interest in a Project
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What To Do When You Lose Interest in a Quilting Project
Sometimes you start a new project, and your enthusiasm quickly wanes. These tips from American Patchwork & Quilting editor Jody Sanders may give you the motivation to push forward or move on!
- Consider changing the color or styles of the fabrics you are using. For example, if it's a two-color quilt and you are bored, add more fabrics either in new blocks or add color by using different color fabrics for the sashing, the borders, and the binding. Or add more modern fabrics to traditional for a scrappy design.
- Set goals. Make a certain number of blocks a week. When you reach a goal give yourself a prize, like a trip to the local quilt shop to buy more fabric! You can also set goals like sewing for a certain amount of time a day. Breaking down larger and overwhelming goals into bite-size goals can help you feel accomplished and give you the drive you need to cross projects off your list.
- If you don't feel like spending more time or fabric on a project, you can use the parts and pieces you have completed to make a mini quilt, pillow, or bag that can be given away as a gift. And if you don't think a smaller project is right for those blocks, you can use the them to practice your machine quilting. Simply layer the block on extra batting scraps and backing fabric and practice away.
- If you're still stalled, look for an online group that might be making the same or similar project. Maybe others are stuck, too, and you can find like-minded people to encourage and cheer you on. Our UFO Challenge Facebook group just may be the perfect place to join other quilters who are looking for the encouragement and help to finish their projects.
- And if all else fails, give the project away. Someone else will appreciate having a head start on a project. Many quilt guilds or quilt shops collect unfinished projects for charity projects. Or maybe a friend admires the project and would love jumping in to help! Either way, you won't need to lose sleep about the project anymore.
What We're Loving
Jody talks about her love of paper pieces for English paper piecing. She uses the ones from Paper Pieces. If you're doing a lot of EPP, these sets of paper templates give you a jumpstart on your project without having to trace and cut out your own pieces. And they offer a wide variety of shapes and sizes of templates.
Collector's Corner with Jody
Jody shares how an antique quilt top can be like a textbook of a particular time in history. She talks about a few popular colors you find in antique quilts and their history.
UFO Challenge with Doris
Doris, the editor of Quilt Sampler, shares tips for making progress on your UFOs during the busy holiday season. From getting your projects organized, keeping your workspace tidy, and carving out pockets of time, these tips will help you knock out those UFOs while staying stress-free.
Getting Sewcial with Jess
On today's show, Jess Zeigler of Threaded Quilting Studio chats with Meghan Buchanan of Then Came June, who is a quilter and pattern designer based in Portland, Oregon. She talks about where the name of her company came from, how a local quilt shop gave her savvy business advice, and the popularity of her Meadowland quilt. She's now running several quilt alongs a year for her patterns, so visit her website for all the details and to shop her patterns.
Follow Meghan on Instagram to keep in touch.
