Finding time to quilt
 

Anyone else out there like me just can't find the time. I work , then come home, feed, bathe and put my toddler to bed and am just beat. So tired I just get on here and look at all the pretty stuff everyone else is making and dream of a work/child free day when I can finally enjoy my new machine thats collecting dust literally. How do those that work find the energy and time or am I going to have to wait till I retire in 30 more years to have the time. I just feel like I never get anything accomplished.Even on my days off I am cleaning, and watching the toddler who if I even try to sew she has to be in my lap to play with the machine which again leaves me not being able to get anything done on my little dream machine

When I took a class on Family Living way back in the dark ages the teacher said that the hardest working person on earth was the mother of young children so ... that's you.

I work from 7 AM until 4 PM Monday - Friday then start my second job from 4:00 - almost 8 PM 4 days a week. On the weekends we have our 5-year-old grandson 2 weekends each month and the 4-year old grandson about one weekend each month. So ... busy, but I still have some down time in there. I sew an hour or two each night and go to bed between 11 and midnight. Of course, there are days I don't sew a stitch - just too tired.

I have also learned that I don't need a big stretch of time to get things done - even a few minutes here and there make baby steps towards a finished project.

This phase of your life will be over sooner than you can imagine. I blinked and ...

Like the second poster, I agree. This IS the hardest time in your life. Young children are demanding on your time. I didn't sew much when mine were that age. But now that the youngest (of 5) is 15, I feel like I've earned this time to sew/quilt.

keep up your interest by looking on line+ magazines etc eventually children grow up--but try to clear some time for you--2 hours family free time per month is not too much to ask -- your partner could also take their 2 hours per month also----cover the machine to keep the dust off but keep it set up ready[statement of intent]also small portable handwork [hexagons tumbler+triangles are portable when organised]

I agree with everything said here. You can do a lot in 15 minutes. Maybe you could put the toddler to bed 15 minutes earlier or if your child sleeps later on days off, you can get up a few minutes before she does to get some sewing done. Try to train her to sit in a chair next to you while you sew, it's okay to say no to her sitting in your lap constantly especially when you want to play with your new machine. Hope you can find some time to play soon.

everyone has their own (time restraints) to deal with and those with young children certainly can be (stretched thin)
when my children were young i sewed when they napped, i prepped projects during those moments they were pre-occupied...such as cutting out, marking, pinning, organizing so when i did have some sewing time i could sit right down & do it. I've made many quilts just by sitting in the breakroom at work stitching away for 10 minutes while my co-workers went outside to smoke- at lunch i would eat (quickly) & maybe have 15-20 minutes to sew.
it is all organization & motivation...everyone has their own way to relax...if i just sat on the couch & stared at the tv for 2 hours it would make my crazy---i sit on the couch & sew while watching a game or a movie...i have a small tote in my sewing room that catches all of my little scraps---when the youngest granddaughter is visiting if i want/need to get some sewing done i pull out that tote for her- she sits on the floor in the sewing room & plays in those scraps for hours sometimes...she glues them to paper, covers boxes with them (makes what we call treasure boxes)...sometimes i will sew together a pocket/pouch & give it to her to stuff...she has lots of fun & i get lots done..i work full time (60-70 hours a week) but have a pretty good system that works for me- when i get home it's usually fix dinner, eat, clean up kitchen- then i have 1 - 1 1/2 hours after dinner to go to the sewing room...then i bring out what ever hand work i am working on & join hubby in the living room to spend time talking, watch what ever he is watching, while i sew along... on an occassional day off i spend lots of time in the sewing room.
take advantage of naps, down-time, find things to occupy toddler in your sewing space with you, i've found little people LOVE playing in scraps! and can show some amazing creativity when given the opportunity :thumbup:

I too have to MAKE time to quilt. I watch my 3 yo DGD and will soon add her NB brother to the mix....try the scrap idea...my DGD HAS to have her fabric while I'm quilting.....she will literally sit for hours making her own "quilt". I will admit, if I let her "help" me sew....she lays her hand on top of mine to guide the fabric thru the machine....then she'll go and "work" on her quilt, so I can work on mine :D

I found that if I keep all my sewing "stuff" ready for use I do much better. I only have to plug in my sewing machine. All small notions are kept in a colorful box so there is no hunting for things. What ever I am working on is folded and placed in my chair so all I have to do is pick it up. Often I think that I will sew for only a few minutes but then do so for a couple of hours. When I stop for the night, I replace everything and put it where it will be ready for the next time.

I too work a full time job, have two children (10 & 15), husband, house, online business and a 3 hour commute every day. My kids are older so they are more independent but I still get the "ma, mommy, mom" calls which means I have to stop what I am doing. Once I think I got them out of the way my husband calls me to see or help him with something. Most of my time sewing is a little bit and I mean little bit of time I can fit in after helping the kids with homework they didn't understand. I also find in order to get more done I sew late into the morning hours on a Friday and or Saturday. Then there are times where I will actually have several hours or even a whole day to sew but don't get any sewing done cuz I am so exhausted from my daily hectic life routine. I guess since you have a toddler maybe you can sew when your child s napping (that is if she naps neither of mine did) so in that case maybe you can have someone watch her for several hours just so you can have some " you" time. I know this can be hard for some people because they have guilty feelings about it. My kids are older and I still struggle with allowing myself to have "me" time because I work all day and get home by 7. My husband has told me over and over again there is nothing wrong with that. I guess I suffer from guilt mom syndrome. Lol. Another way would be to take a quilting class at your local quilt shop even if it is for something you know you can do on your own. I do this on occasion because it is nice to be around other fellow quilters as well as it gives you an opportunity to learn tips and tricks in quilting. I always learn something new and it is awesome. Plus now you will have no interruptions and several hours of dedicated time to just sew and many times you will have a completed project which makes it even more rewarding. Hang in, you will find a way and before you know it your toddler will be a big girl. Reading magazines and looking at pics on the Internet and the board inspires me a great deal so continue doing that as well. Happy sewing!

The good news is.. no, you won't have to wait till you retire to have time to sew/quilt. It just feels like that now!

When my daughter was a toddler, she too wanted to "help" me when I sat to the sewing machine. Makes me smile now, but then.. it sure was hard to concentrate with her standing in the chair behind me with her hands on my shoulders saying "faster, faster Momma!" So, I got a box and put bits and pieces of fabric, lace, etc. And would only let her play with it while I sewed. That helped some. There will be time for quilting... our children are little for such a short time.