I actually try to have three projects at the same time. One in what I call each stage of the process. For example, I have one that I am cutting out, one that I am in the process of piecing and one that I am in the process of quilting. That way I don't have to sit and just do one part of the process until all done. If my fingers hurt from quilting, I take a break and do a little piecing or cutting on the next two in the que.