Something always doesn't get done. Work full-time, care of house inside and out, shop, cook, clean, laundry, go here, go there, blah, blah, blah.

Daughter is 22 and on her own and son is 16 and at home - both sweeties and don't need me to do much anymore - but where the heck does the weekend go? I feel guilty when I let stuff go but then Monday morning comes and I'm sad because I didn't get in enough sewing time.

So tell me...how do you all do it? Do you have a plan? Let stuff go? How much time do you spend daily or weekly sewing? What do you tell yourself about the other stuff, that it's OK to leave it for now until you get that tote bag pieced?

I want to do this as a small side biz to supplement my income and maybe retire by the time I'm 60 (9 more years) so it's not like I'm goofing off, but I still feel guilty. Make it stop! lol

That's a hard one for me. Right now I don't work, only because of the tax laws here on Guam.
When I was working, I was working afternoons/nights, so had most of my day to get things done and had a few hours at night to get things done also. My days off were spent either catching up on what I didn't want to do on the other days or sewing/spending the day to myself.
It all depends on your priorities, I guess.

i've learned to let things go.

the worst time was when i was doing my PhD - time was very tight and i had to pick and choose what was important to me.

i used to keep a spotless home up until that point - since i've learned to accept some disorder in the home so that i can spend more time devoted to the things i love to do.

when i die i'd rather see cleaning chores left on my "to do list" then quilting.

i have started to work in a more assembly line fashion. i'll spend one weekend just prepping and cutting up fabric for a few quilt tops.

then i spend the next month making the quilts.

then i spend the next month or 3 quilting the tops.

my quilts are typically around 3-5 feet is size so it isn't that hard to make a few a month.

i typically set up for 4 quilts at a time.

Ha, ha. You sound like me, a person who would like to do it all. I work long days Monday - Friday so I try to keep weekends as mine. If I try to sew in the evenings after work I make mistakes so have learned that lesson the hard way. Even by stating that weekends are mine doesn't mean that I manage to sew each weekend as we use weekends for trips to the city, visiting, bigger chores....but quilting is always available.

If you want to retire into a "hobby-job", I recommend making it a real priority now. You're definitely not goofing off if this will be income for you! My DH retired to work with wood, but prior to his retirement he spent a lot of time not necessarily building, but researching how to best run a business - customer base, market demand, shipping, prices, etc. Now that he has retired from the corporate world he works just as rigorous a day but as his own boss. Good luck and enjoy!!

This reminds me that I forgot to take the clothes out of the dryer last night. Oops!!

I feel for you.
I did not take up quilting till I retired so no problem with having the time.
My daughters are overwelmed all the time and they dont even quilt.
Both have raised there kids to adults but they still have no time, always busy because they work full time. Weekends are for cleaning,shopping,running errands. No time for exercise but they manage to see me at least once a week.

i forgot to explain how i run the business.

in order to get things done i do the "quilts for sale" on a commissioned basis.

i meet with my client determine what they are looking for and only then does their quilt go into production.

i take in orders 3 or 4 at a time and when those quilts are done i take in the next 3-4 quilt projects.

i took in 4 projects at the beginning of april and those have due dates to their new owners of june, july, sept, and december.

i have a june deadline to all my clients who want quilts for the winter holiday gift giving season.

this is my busiest time of year because its not only quilts but i get a lot of orders for handbags.

i do imagine that this year will be slower than normal due to the current financial crisis.

You are working three full time jobs:

1. raising a family and keeping a home and husband. Don't try to tell me they become lower-maintenance as they get older. I have a few of my own.
2. your paying full-time job
3. establishing a small business of your own.

Plus probably work in the community/church/etc and maintaining friendships, etc.

Oh, yeah, you are also supposed to sleep for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are never enough hours in my days. My three adult kids and grand daughter live with me. I used to work five 8 hour days and spent every day off trying to catch up at home. The kids were not helping with the house work at all so I set them down and gave them "chores" just like when they were kids. I learned to accept they may not do them like I do but they get them done. That gave me a little more time, then my work restructured and now I work three 12 hour days. Wow, four days a week off!!!! I still have some things that get put on the back burner, but I need my quilting time and my family loves the quilt they get.

I too work full time and try to find time for sewing i think the thing that has suffered the worst is my social life but oh well who needs people when i have this right? I usually sew week nights or do all my planning and cutting so im prepared to sew for the weekend i guess its like managing myself as if this wer a bussiness exept for me this is a hobby. And then there have been times where i needed a break from what i was doing and i would go do something else smaller hope this helps. chris