I loved to hand quilt, sew clothes, make furniture, wood work, cross stitch, embroider and I loved my job as an accountant and computer programmer but then I fell at work and fractured many disks in my neck and thoracic and then developed MS and became inable to do about anything. I gave up for a while but then I stopped feeling sorry for myself and tried start again. I of course pushed my self to hard, made my self worse and then tried to do just machine embroidery and while it is pretty it did not give the same satisfaction. I could not use the rottary cutters any more and then I found the AccuQuilt die cutting system which was used for business. (I wish I could have waited to get this because they have personal units that are just as great but do not cost as much) They were alittle expensive but worth every penny because, I found I could do some quilting. I had accurate cut pieces and very quickly. I still can not sit very long and I have alot of trouble keeping the seams stright and I get quite flustrated. I know I can do it but I can not get my self to try again. Thats were I hope this group can help me. I do not have the ability to join a group physically to get the support from people who love quilting as much as I do and maybe just give me the right kick to get me started again. I have a wonderful grown son who has been paitently waiting for his mom (me) to finish the two quilts I started for him long time ago and who needs them badly but refuses to buy any because he wants his moms and my wonderful granddaughter who is waiting for her horse blanket to be finished and then I am going to really have to get started some how because I am going to be a grandmother again and my daughter says I have no choice but to get to it, as the new little one needs his/her blanky to come home from the hospital with. So as I am sure that I am not the only one that has/is going through this, I will gladly take any and all the help I can get.

Welcome, waving from central Indiana, USA

Welcome from Iowa. This is an extremely helpful place :thumbup:

Hello and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! Glad you joined us :lol:

Jump in and ask any questions- we also have a wonderful tute section and search features :lol:

Hello Irene and welcome from Nevada!

Hello from Idaho!

welcome from mo

Just take one day at a time . Do the best you can .

Maybe if accurate seams are the problem, you could make a crazy quilt!

I'm sure you'll find a way to create a wonderful quilt for your new family addition. This board is full of helpful folks.

I was born in Oregon soon after my parents had moved from Boise. Most of my family reside in the two states. What city do you live in?

Welcome from Arkansas! You will find a lot of support on this forum.

Thank you for the vote of confidence. The problem is not really fine seams. Everything just takes alot longer and is harder to do and of course that makes it harder. Like I said, I just need to learn all over again but doing it different. Basically, I have to have confidence and patience.

Sounds like you are a fighter, a person who looks for solutions instead of for excuses. We're here, we'll encourage you. Don't worry about straight seams in these quilts. Your son and your daughter and their families want a quilt that came "straight" from your heart! That is all the straight they need! They will love them forever!

I have found that piecing takes as long as it takes. Some projects are more fun than others. I like big blocks in the quilts I make - they seem to go faster.

welcome u r in the right place

Thank you. I should have remembered that they would love what I made no matter what. See you gave me just what I needed. A positive kick. I always loved the small, and difficult ones but I forgot that in starting over again, I need to start out with the easier quilts again and learn how I can do them now and after I complete them, I can take small steps upwards and not cause myself the stress. Thank you very much for stating the obvious. Which was not obvious to me. I am sure I can do the large blocks and make them look just as nice as the ones I did before and maybe I will be able to make the small harder ones in time.

Greetings and welcome to the board!

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!

Hi from Oregon. Oh, you are going to love it here & learn so much while being encouraged & encourage others.

Many here have disabilities but just do what they can. I cannot sit very long at a time, so I just do my quilting in short spurts of 10-15 minutes at a time, but it eventually gets done. Enjoy the doing as well as the completing.
Your children & grandchildren will love everything you make.

Waving you a big hello from California.

Hello and welcome from California.

Welcome, and good luck with exploring some new paths in quilting. Have fun!

Hello, welcome and Happy Quilting from Germany!

Welcome from Michigan.

Welcome for Pa.

I want to welcome yoou, and encourage you too. I am 72 years old, and sewed most of my life. I was very good at it, it just was second nature to me. I stopped sewing for quite some time, except for some very basic mending. In the past year I decided to get back into quilting, and it has been so frustrating to me. My hands are shaky now, and I have arthritis in both thumbs, my eyes aren"t good, and I have back, hip and neuropathy in my leg and feet. NOthing cames easy like it once did, and I almost decided to forget my plans for quilting ( making baby quilts for future great-grandkids) when I saw all the mistakes in that first try. I put it up for a few days, did a little more, and finally finihed. The whole thing is made from leftover fabric from clothing I made for my first granddaughter 21 years ago. I look at the quilt, and all I see are the mistakes, but when I gave it to her, she thought it was beautiful, and other family members love it also. So, while I look at new patterns now, I look for ones with little bigger pieces ( first was 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 strips), and I am ready to try again. These are all going to be for my family, and they will love them regardless of my errors, and they will know it was made with love, and that is all that matters. You sound ready to keep trying, and I sam sure that is what matters to your children also. Sounds like a new grandchild coming and a son waiting for "Mom's quilt" is their way to push you into not giving up. I hopre I didn't bore you, but as most on here know, I love to "talk".LOL Bless you!!

welcome!

Vermia you are an inspiration for us too.

Welcome from southeastern PA!

Welcome from Oklahoma!

Hello and Welcome to the board :D:D:D

Maybe try and just sew in 15 minute increments, set a timer and then rest for a while. Many of us here have different physical issues and we find frequent breaks to be very helpful.

Sometimes posting pictures of your work as you go, also helps when you get encouragement to keep working on a project :wink:

Welcome from Ireland

Welcome from MI

Hello and welcome from Ontario.

Hello Irene and welcome from northern California!

Welcome from Illinois

It was great reading what you wrote. I knew that I was not alone out here and everything you said was just wonderful. I admire you because you have actually completed something despite all your difficulties. I have only made it so far as making a few blocks from a quilt started long ago. I had a lot of trouble with them and I will have to take them apart or make some new ones before I can finish the quilt. I think I will be leaving this one alone for awhile and start a new quilt or maybe I will just start even smaller and make some newborn clothes and then make a baby quilt with lots of colors and some cute animals or something for either applique or even maybe use some preprinted animals and do some fussy cutting. I should be able to complete something that easy and motivating. I really appreciate you sharing with me and I hope you can continue quilting, one step at a time. Good luck and I look forward to speaking with you again.

Hello from Western Maryland !!

Hello from West Virginia and welcome to the group
Happy quilting

Hello, and welcome from Michigan! Sounds as if your family is VERY motivating, not just for themselves, but for you, to regain a part of yourself that YOU think you lost--I think you'll find it isn't lost, just not quite within your grasp yet. Keep working in the ways that you can and it will come back or you'll find a new way to do it. When I first started quilting, someone told me that we don't make mistakes; we have learning experiences, so that's what I try to remember when things are difficult. (It now is a family thing to view things differently & not just in sewing!)

Welcome from Virginia