Iceblossom

I had a long TL;DR post written out but let's try for short form. Yes -- this is the short form!

Yes. Sometimes we all get overwhelmed. Sometimes we all question our desires to keep quilting (if you haven't had one yet, well it can be hard the first time!). Sometimes we lose our mojo. Or our physical abilities.

Is ok to change our minds, to like different things, and to move on -- either from the hobby as a whole or to specific projects or specific fabrics.

I still have a lot of fabric, but I used to have more... My first purge was about 15? years ago now when I got my vision diagnosis and I decided that I was going to get rid of everything non-quilting. That was pretty easy, and took out maybe 1/3 of what I had. It's been a work in progress ever since both with my physical stash and my mental goals.

I find that even when I really don't want to do it, when I am feeling overwhelmed it does help me to organize things. Like actually make a list of UFOs (none) but unquilted tops (lots). Each top has a description, size, back, and binding and maybe some notes about the quilting design.

I keep a notebook that lasts about a year or so, just a normal three ring binder. I have graph paper (that I use for design/templates, all sorts of things) and if there is a print out, I put it in the notebook. It's not strictly time based, I move things around from time to time, but it is my one place to look for things, and then I have previous years in a desk drawer so I can usually find the things I am looking for. I can even put things like trimming templates I made for that project in a ziploc bag and punch it and keep it in the notebook too!

My fabric I put in themes or colors. I haven't found a perfect method for storage, but having piles of loose fabric with no order to the madness gets to me. I still may have to open 6 totes to find the things I'm looking for, but at least I don't have to got through 6 totes of randomness to find it!

I am horrible at it, but making time to clean up my space turns out to be pretty important to me. I'm finding that at this point i my life, I want space more than I want some things. Even if I grumble as I do it and have to push myself, I like having a clean desk and being able to find stuff.

It's been a long drought for me, but I'm getting my mojo back and discussions like this, and a place to go where people understand is a big part of it.