cricket_iscute

I make a lot of quilts for homeless families (425 since 1996) and always have a lot of projects going at one time, and I sometimes do get into marathons where I will cut for 40 hours in one week, piece for 30 hours in a week, quilt for 25 or 30 hours in a week, etc. I generally don't stop what I set out to do until I reach the end, but might do some each day, not do it without taking breaks.

What would prompt a marathon might be a fabric donation, where new-to-me fabrics need to be washed and cut, or where I'm making a quilt in a class and need to cut pieces (35 hours of cutting with a rotary cutter for a Bonnie Hunter mystery), or when a cable station does a marathon of shows I like and I piece while watching. Sometimes friends might sew with me and we get on a roll. Recently, a friend had a deadline and we both pushed the quilting/binding for eight hours until done. It could also be prompted by lousy weather when I'd rather be inside. It is always nice to have pre-cut strips waiting for me when I need them.

I have different stations set up for quilting, piecing, serging (I also make clothes), pressing, cutting, etc. However, I do need to alternate between jobs so my muscles don't get sore. I always want to have another project to turn to, that is ready for me to do, when I finish one. If I have a couple different types of projects ready, say binding, or quilting, or piecing, then I can choose what I feel like doing. That might be something to keep in mind.

Currently, this is what I am actively working on:

1 quilt to be bound
3 quilts sandwiched, pin basted, and ready to be quilted
7 quilts and backs waiting to be sandwiched
1 quilt cut out and ready to start piecing
1 set of blocks done QAYG style and needing sashing; I have to find the right fabric
Another 5 sets of blocks ready to be made into tops
One set of blocks waiting to be put into a top; I just made the back
Another set of blocks set into groups and waiting for their turn on the design wall
A number of inactive projects or those waiting in the wings. I have a whole shelf of those.

Is that 20 quilts I'm actively doing at the current time? They will get done. Having more projects in the pipeline keeps me interested. I also have several in the design stage.

I finished ten (10) quilts in the past month. Most of these were adult size. I used various patterns.

If you keep your stuff organized so you can find it later, and you also be sure to take breaks so you don't get hurt or sore, you should be okay. If you are like me, you won't want to cut out too many in advance in case you change your mind about the pattern before you get to it. Go for it!