Thread: It's hard to take that first step....

I remember being hesitant before making my first pieced block. I had prelaundered all of my fabric leftover (like you) from the babydoll-clothes-making days, it was all organized, sorted by color, and nicely folded. I had printed from the internet dozens of block patterns, quilt patterns, hints and tips, and I remember sitting on the couch looking at my sewing area and basically having to kick my rear end in gear to GET UP and GET ON WITH IT ALREADY! I reminded myself that I didn't do all this stuff just to collect quilting stuff, I wanted to do it, so just do it. I made a 6" pieced heart block and practiced some FMQ on it at a later date - this is now my coaster for my sewing room. After I finished that first block, I thought "See, THIS is what you were afraid of?" It was no big deal. Read your directions in your pattern (toss a coin to choose which one to do first), then read them again. Post questions on this board whenever you feel the need for guidance - everyone here is very helpful and encouraging.

Most of all, enjoy the experience! And I love the name of your dog!

We all had our first quilt and felt the pressure of jumping in. As others have said just pick one up and get started. I never had a set place to sew until we moved here. I always had to stay out of the kids way or things got moved and lost. I just told them I am using this space now and hands off. Once you start cutting and working on it you will start having fun and get addicted to it like the rest of us. Good luck with it.

I tell myself over and over, "done is better than perfect"! Also, I take a kitchen timer and set it for 10 minutes with the promise that all I have to do is work on the quilt until the timer goes off; invariably I am very surprised by how much I got done in that 10 minutes and want to continue on. If I'm still anxious, I just reset the timer for another 10 minutes. It's a way of getting over the "hump" of getting started.

Regarding which project to start with, I would recommend Yellow Brick Road just because there really is no right-or-wrong to that pattern, even if you cut some of the blocks incorrectly. Like Tim Gunn, you can just "make it work" no matter what mistakes you have made along the way with cutting or sewing. Easy peasy.

There are really not many unfixable mistakes in quilting. You may not always end up with the exact quilt you planned to make, but you always end up with a quilt. And besides, half the fun of the board is listening to each other's crazy mess up stories.

Take a deep breath and do it. If you mess up, come to the board, tell your story and someone will have a new plan. Remember even if you know about the mess ups after the quilt is finished no one else will ever know.

You all are awesome!!

Take a deep breath and go for it!!! Your about to start on a journey you will never regret, this is just the beginning, and it only gets easier and better. ENJOY!!

There is a time for everything....A full time job, a long commute, grandkids to care for.....sounds like you are a busy gal. You might like to try something like a "sew-in" once a week at your local quilt shop. Most places have them in the evening and during the day time also. You bring your own project to work on, you will make new friends and there is a teacher there to help you if you need it. Your new friends will help inspire you. It is also a few hours for one night that you are away from family and the routine. If you don't have a shop near by that offers this, you might consider setting up a sewing time once a week or once a month with a friend. Sewing with a friend really helps. You can take turns being at each others house. Kits are wonderful but some times they do not inspire us because they are pre-planned. Look in quilt books and pick out some thing small that is exciting to you....maybe a table runner for Christmas time....for your own tabe of course...something that will not pressure you. I was in the same boat you are once and now I am doing quilts on my own. Love to sew and quilt! Good luck Quilt Sister! Love you!