Originally Posted by
DawnFurlong
I go in cycles. Mostly I love it all (though sometimes I feel like I have a love/hate relationship with various aspects). Love fabrics! While sometimes cutting can be tedious, I try not to be in a rush and enjoy the process, thereby making it more relaxing. Somewhere in the middle of piecing, I get tired of it and just want to be done! I do not enjoy basting the quilt part together. The more I practice my FMQ skills, the more I like it. When it's going smoothly, I love it. Then again, somewhere in the middle of that process I find my eye/mind wandering to another project. I really don't care for binding, BUT since I have decided I will become proficient at machine binding (front and back) - that task is a bit less tedious. Maybe someday I will find it relaxing to hand stitch - but that day is not today!
I find that if I have a couple of different projects going, so I can switch back and forth, that helps keep away boredom. Also, I quit telling myself that I *need* to do this or that (such as - I need to learn more complex piecing skills). Now, I just allow myself to go where I feel drawn. If it is a simple project - great! If it happens to be more complex and I am really drawn to it - great! And - I allow myself to be open to new ideas, I try not to say *never* or *always*. Leaves myself open to new experiences, new ways of doing things.
This is pretty much me, too. I'm all eagerness at the beginning, filled with passion about the project, then get gradually tired of it as I near the finish. But I always finish! Well, tops, anyway. I now have about 5 that have not been quilted. I handquilted my very first quilt and am currently handquilting another. I'm very slow and my handquilting leaves a lot to be desired but I persevere and hope I'll get better. I like quilting small things on the machine with a walking foot-- mug rugs, a couple of Christmas wall hangings--but haven't yet worked up the nerve to try a large quilt. I like most of the entire process: the cutting and the piecing, applying the borders, etc...what I like most about this part is the creative decisions. I find the sandwiching tedious and I HATE having to square anything up, from HSTs to blocks to the quilt itself.