Prism99

You know how advice about improving your financial situation starts out with "pay yourself"? (Meaning when the paycheck comes, put some money into savings or a retirement account first, then use the rest to budget for bills.) I think the same is true for quilting.

My husband and I are starting a home business together. He still works outside the home 60 hours a week, so most of the actual startup work is mine. What I have found is that I have to do the home business work first; housework has to wait. Since implementing that plan, I can safely say that all of the housework has deteriorated! Laundry piles up like never before and the dust bunnies are forming play groups. However, our business is coming along just fine!

Unlike me, you basically only have weekends to get some serious work done. (If you are like me, after working a full day outside the home there's not a lot of constructive energy left at night.) I'd say your best bet is to set aside a couple of hours to quilt at the beginning of each weekend day (paying yourself first). This gives it a high priority. Whatever is left after that can be budgeted for your ordinary chores.

Marcia

Good for you, Loretta---I did the same thing-raised self-sufficient adults!!

I do not work outside the house, and some would say I do not work inside the house either!!! :wink: Since it is just my husband and I now the house does not get as dirty, there is not as much laundry, etc. But, I do find that I spend a lot of time on the road going to visit my grandchildren and then cooking and cleaning when everyone is coming here for a meal.

I quilt when I can, savor every moment of my life and don't sweat the small stuff. I no longer find the need to "do it all".

pocoellie

I barely have time to sew and I'm retired.LOL We moved in Nov., and now with the weather getting nicer, we're painting, need to redo the fencing (80 acres), build a barn, take everything out of the barn, and garage and clean, then organize it, finally got my sewing room somewhat organized, at least I can use my cutting table now, take gd to/from school, etc., life gets in the way. I also would like to earn a little extra money by sewing/quilting, but just don't know when I'll get the time.

Barbm

Once upon a time there lived a title insurance agent. Married to the man of her dreams with lovely children, they moved into their "retirement " home although each was to young to retire. Her home was immaculate, the flowers garden weeded and tended and bouquets graced her table and countertop.

And then, she discovered quilting. The menace is a drug, taking over her life, forcing it's existence into her every inch of her life. The beautiful home- still beautiful but sometimes the dust bunnies are visible and she doesn't sit on the couch because the dog hair will get on her work clothes. The pretty flowers- you can see them- just push the weeds out of the way. Now there are grand babies, the kids are almost gone. She thought she was Wonder Woman and started her own business- it has taken off. But Wonder Woman wonders how she can fit it all in? The quilting needs to be done, the laundry needs to crawl back into the basket, the floor needs sweeping... the list goes on and on.

What is the happy ending for this fairy tale? Certainly one cannot give up quilting. That's it- the housework must go! Back to my sewing room- have table runners to quilt for the wedding shower next Saturday. Laundry is getting done- I can talk to hubby and son while I change loads. Son can vacuum the dust bunnies and the couches. Hubby can fend for himself. As long as no one is starving or ill from the squalor, who cares I'll be upstairs, de-stressing in my sewing room- quilting. And I'll live happily ever after.

Barb

KGoodhand

I have two small girls (5 & 8) and I hear that question a lot - how do you find the time??? Well I am definitely NOT my mother's daughter. I have learned that not only do I want time for quilting but it also makes things easier with the girls. They have the rule to keep their rooms and toyroom clean. They are both good with helping clean up after dinner or that also. But while I was growing up my mother's house was Spotless!!! Always!!! I haved learned I don't need that. Now I do make an exception if I know we have company coming but even then. We live in our house, it is not a musuem or the cover of a magazine!
Kendra

BlueChicken

It's a fine balancing act some days, that's for sure!

My sewing is mostly confined to the evenings after dinner. If hubby is feeling neglected I'll sit in the lounge and watch a movie with him, but bring my hand sewing to do.

As for the housework, I make the kids help out too. They're old enough to vacuum, and unload the dishwasher etc. We all do the housework at the same time, then it gets done much faster. Maybe not to my mother's standard, but good enough for us! We have four kids, four dogs, two cats, and numerous birds, so a showhome finish was never going to happen! lol

Knot Sew

This is an old one but a good one. When you are on your death bed do you think you will wish you spent more time cleaning? First comes family, then sewing then the rest :wink:

amma

When my children were still at home, between work, housework, laundry and cooking....I never had time much for a hobby, or myself. I finally said enough!!! The kids helped with chores, I would cook up several meals at a time and freeze the extras for later and found ME time. It may be an hour in the evenings, a couple of hours early mornings, or a whole afternoon/evening (especially in the winter months) I made it more of a priority and I chose what I wanted to do during ME time :D :D I would rent the kids movies, trade off sleep overs, find something that would keep them occupied :lol: :lol: I may nap, do crafts, sew or read, it did not matter what, as long as I was doing it for me. :D :D Now I am retired and their is mostly ME time :lol: :lol: Dust, a full laundry basket, half a sink of dirty dishes quit being a priority to me now.....they will wait there patiently for me to get to them, when I choose!!! :lol: :wink: :lol:

MadQuilter

I don't - do it all, that is. I am blessed with incredibly thick blinders that can overlook a mess. :D Someone in this blog has "I Quilt - Of Course my house is messy" in her signature and I am in the process of borrowing that sentiment in form of a sign in my entry way.

There are things that NEED doing and I make time for those, but life is too short to waste on housework when there is quilting to be done. I am also blessed with a DH who doesn't care what the house looks like.

MollieSue

Same here. I joke sometimes that if the health department ever seen this place, they'd condem it! :wink: lol!!! Every now and then I'll go through and thoroughly clean everything, but a spotlessly clean house is not my goal in life. It's me, my husband, one adult son, 3 large dogs, and 2 cats here, it's usually 'messy'. We pick up for company. :-) KGoodhand, my mother's house would have passed the white glove test too.
Clean houses don't last, but quilts do! :D