I love getting things in the mail, I work better with deadlines, and I love surprises, so swaps are great for me, but...

I'm not getting any of my other quilting done! I have been working on a queen size sampler for my bed for forever (0kay, maybe just about a year and a half) and I keep getting sidetracked by the smaller projects. Not just swaps, but gifts and things like that.

How can I make myself finish this? I told myself it would be done by June, and I have all the materials (except batting) to do it QAYG, but it just sits, while all the new exciting projects lure me away.

Does anyone have tips, advice, encouragement?

When you figure out the answer to this question please pass it on to me.

oh my, you need to make yourself to get it done by September 1, 2010 and focus on your quilt

when I run into those types of issues, I try to make small goals. ifeel like I'm getting somewhere and making progress. I try to keep a to do list for the project.

oh those shiny objects. they get me every time.

this sometimes works for me. i work on two projects at the same time. i have both on my work table in separate piles. i work some on the first pile, and then switch to the second. i go back and forth between both until one is done and ready to be sandwiched. then i try to get that far with the other. if i get bored before it's done, i haul out another WIP and switch between those two.

it satisfies my short attention span and things get done by about the same time they would have if i'd worked all the way through one before starting another.

doesn't always work, but it does help sometimes.

Quilting is fun for me... Gifts are a priority, but the rest? It is what I WANT to work on LOL be it swaps or other projects :D:D:D

Patrice - I am usually working on at LEAST two projects, but right now it's three. I did make myself do a tiny bit on the center medallion square, which isn't finished yet, before I worked on my swap blocks today.

To do list - that sounds like an idea that might help me. I love making lists and crossing off things.

ETA : Whoops, I meant to quote StPatMom. :oops:

I am going to ground myself from the computer if I don't get a quilt done that has to be finished soon. I get to the stage of putting the strips together then I want to work on something else. Maybe I will put it in writing and then be embarassed if I don't have anything crossed off. Maybe????

Well, it's still 10 months til June. hehehe
Carol B

:lol: :lol: :lol: :roll:

I think you want to make the quilt, just sit down and map out your plan of completing it. Starting with day 1 and what you wish to get accomplished that day.. so forth...

Take a weekend just for that quilt - and stick to it!

I think it's best to make small goals ... when I need to get something done and don't really want to work on it I force myself to work on it for 1/2 hour before I do the things I want to. Sometimes I lose track and go for longer than my 1/2 hour ... I do eventually finish things!!

I love all the suggestions.... especially the one about working on two projects at the same time. I'm going to have to try that! Here's one more. Invite a friend to come sew with you all day, fix a yummy lunch and sew all day while you visit. I get so much done when I have a sewing day with a friend. If you're lucky, she'll help work on your project!

I don't know the answer, but I know the problem. I had planned to take my Funky Neighborhood swap blocks to my sewing club meeting today. Got there, no houses. It worked out okay because I did have a couple other projects in my bag---ones that HAVE to be done by Dec. 1st. I worked on one of them instead. So maybe what you need to do is to go to retreats or sew-ins and only take your queen size quilt to work on.

Mine is RR. I love them. Everytime there is a new one I join. Oh well, it's my hobby and if it makes me happy I'll do what I want.

I love the swaps too but I think I need to sit out for awhile after this last one is done. I have at LEAST a dozen quilt tops that need to be quilted and two other WIPS (that I can think of off the top of my head) that I want to complete. I need some major LA practice too.

I don't know what to tell you other than sometimes you just have to make your own work a priority.

I am so bad at getting anything done for ME! Of course if I didn't have deadlines I wouldn't get anything done for anyone else either! :roll: Christmas eve day is always a stressful one for me as I am typically hand sewing a binding to a quilt back!

I like the idea of working on more than one project at a time. Or even alotting a day to "sewing for yourself". You'll see how much progress you've made and that will motivate you to finish it!! :-D Good luck and keep us posted!