Originally Posted by JanetM
I visit here each day and I see all of the quilts that are being made. It seems to me that most, if not all of you, are far more productive than me.
It got me to wondering how many hours you spend sewing each week. Do you make "sewing time" a regular part of your routine...get up, breakfast, read the paper, sewing time....
Being retired and living in an active retirement community, I quilt or work on a quilt in some form all the time. As a hand quilter, every time I sit down, there is a quilt in my hands. At the same time another quilt is in the process of being pieced. I use a quilt as you go method where I quilt in panels. By the time one panel is quilted, the next is pieced and ready to be added on to quilt. I try not to end up as I am at the moment without any hand quilting to do. Actually I do have a top ready to sandwich but have to get going on a birthday gift quilt that needs to be completed by March 23rd. Cut it out this afternoon and hope to get the top pieced tonight so I can sandwich tomorrow or the next day and begin quilting. Since this is a gift for a friend, it will be mostly machine quilted. Only family get my hand quilted quilts.
I'm involved with quilting as often as possible in the course of the day but I also do other things as well as it's never to overdo on doing anything. The key is to enjoy it. During the years I worked, I would take me 2 - 4 years to complete a queen sized quilt start to finish. Recently I'm doing twin quilts for 7 grandchildren plus our quilt chapter projects.
How prolific you are as a quilter isn't important. How much you enjoy quilting is important and if you're proud of your quilt when it's finished. I'm frequently told I'd be more prolific if I'd machine quilt but it honestly isn't my thing although I am trying to learn how to do basic machine quilting at the moment.
Being retired I'm with ladies who turn out quilts - yes plural each week and there is no way I can do that nor is it an affordable option for me. My family tell me that they feel all of the love that goes into each quilt that I'vemade for them and they look forward to ending each day wrapped up in a "grammy quilt." Recently I've been getting pressure to put a quilt into our upcoming quilt show but I don't need ribbons or accolades of others when I get a blue ribbon every time one of my family members uses and treasures my quilts which are machine pieced and hand sewn.