zozee

Mojo comes and goes. Oddly enough, my tends to slack off after Christmas when it's "quilting weather" here on the East Coast.

I find a few things help if I want to sew but don't know what:

-I sew strings together, a simple string block using scraps I try to keep ready and waiting (cut and ironed, not wrinkled)

-clear off my cutting table

-go to bed early Friday night, and if I wake up early Saturday and feel the urge to sew, i do

-do something for 15 min in my sewing room that will show improvement in the space (declutter, refold fabric, pick up all debris off floor, whatever)

- give myself a date to start a new project and, whileI'm waiting, find the pattern that inspires me

-make one block that's new to me. Doing a new thing sharpens the brain and boosts creativity

But those are just things that MAY work and HAVE worked form time to time. Don't feel guilty. It's a hobby. Nothing says you have to be producing all the time. Even the trees aren't blooming during winter. They're getting ready but aren't putting on much of a show.

osewme

I say you are on the right track by purchasing now while you can. I retired in 2009 & then went back part time in 2010 & then fully retired in 2016. I wish, wish, wish I had bought & stashed more fabric while I was working and had the money. You will have a lot of time to quilt when you retire. I only make one or maybe two lap/baby quilts a year & the majority of my sewing is charity sewing ... not big quilts but small charity projects or blocks for charity quilts. This keeps me active in the sewing room. Also, I commit to the organization that I am sewing for & actually tell them what I will do for them. Once I commit to something by actually, verbally telling them then I am more likely to follow up on my promise & keep going. My commitments are short term...no longer than a year at a time. Then after that year I will re-commit if time allows & they still need my help.

Teddybear Lady

I find it hard to get motivated too. I'm 64 and don't work. My husband is 62 and retired. Most of the time we work around the house...laundry, dishes, sweeping, mowing, weed eating, etc. By the time we get finished with our "chores" I don't feel like doing anything but sitting and reading the posts on this board, looking at quilts and reading facebook. I go to bed thinking about the quilts I want to make. I have lots of fabric, lots of quilts that are started and two right now that need my attention. I think part of the problem is my sewing room has overwhelmed me with all my stuff just laying around. Time to get some organization going in there! haha Some days I want to go in there, some days not. I seem to take my sewing in little spurts. I'm just glad I have a place to sew and lots of fabric to play with. My latest craze has been making the microwavable bowls. They are easy for me to do and don't take a lot of time to put together. Maybe taking a break will help, it does for me. When I don't want to sew, I come here and see what all of you have been up to. It helps inspire me and gets those creative juices flowing again. Thank you to everyone who shares on here. You make my day brighter!

tuckyquilter

Make a monthly DATE with yourself with a block of time JUST FOR YOU TO SEW. Then start with the smallest project you have and work on it. Before long you'll have it done, and you'll feel much better about picking up the next one. We all go through slumps. AND I had much less time when I was working and had family that needed tending. NOW I'm full steam ahead. Kids grown, retired and sew almost daily.

Crispy_Frog

I love this Board and all the quilters on it! I know you understand my dilemma because of all the good feedback I'm getting! I have donated unused fabric before and it helped to reduce the anxiety.

Part of my problem is I don't think I'm good at piecing, so I avoid it. I'm a much better quilter in my imagination.

I will work on it! With your encouragement I'm taking off work early tomorrow to start off a quilting weekend!

Bless you all for taking the time to write!

~Crispy~

Vicki1212

Crispy_Frog, I could have written your first post! It describes me to the T! A month ago, I sat in front of my computer and couldn't even motivate myself to ASK fellow quilters how to motivate myself! Like you, I would dream of making quilts during the day but be way too tired to physically do any sewing when I got home and too busy over the weekends. I am much better now and am making headway with my unfinished projects. This is what I did:

* I decluttered my sewing room, packing things away and dusting, making it a pleasant environment to be in.

* I made a point of putting time aside each day (minimum of 30 min) for 'me time', whether it was to sew or do something else (not house work!)

* Then if during this time, I looked at a quilt project and felt my mojo slipping, I would convince myself to just sew 5 pieces of fabric together. Once I had done the 5, I usually had the urge to just carry on going. If on occasion I didn't, then at least I had done 5 pieces.

* When I was finished for the day, I made a point of leaving my quilt (or blocks) on display in my sewing room so that each time I walked in, I would be motivated by what I had accomplished and have the desire to carry on.

The above steps worked really well for me and I have been happily reunited with my mojo!

NB: Your comment "Part of my problem is I don't think I'm good at piecing, so I avoid it. I'm a much better quilter in my imagination."

Remember, most quilts (I would even go so far as to say ALL quilts) have imperfections of some sort. The most important thing to remember is that you are not making the quilt in the pursuit of perfection, you are making it because it gives you pleasure. So what if the seams don't match, so what if your points have disappeared......so what! Stitch it all together, revel in the quilting and every time you snuggle under your quilt, remember that it was something you ENJOYED creating! And believe me, gifted 'imperfect' quilts are just loved and loved and loved some more by the lucky recipients!

Jeanette Frantz

I think we all go through times when we just don't want to do anything. I bought fabric for myself for a quilt, then developed serious back problems -- that fabric sat for 3+ years -- I just didn't feel like working on it -- in truth, I think I was a little intimidated by the project I had (not quite) launched. Even though the quilting is not completed, the quilt is well on its way to the finish line. The top's finished, and I just finished a top and pillow shams for my youngest sister. After two low back surgeries since 2013, I can sew a lot of times when I don't feel like cooking or heavy housework. I'm proud of both of the tops I've got ready to sandwich and quilt. They're both log cabin blocks, and the one that sat on the shelf is my avatar!

EDIT: None of us are perfect -- that's just the sad truth. Only one man walked this earth who was perfect, and they nailed him to a tree. The best we can do is strive for excellence -- knowing in your heart that you've done "your" very best --that will get the mojo going! Best wishes.

Fastpedal

I know what you are talking about. My advice is after your day is done (work and what must be done at home) decide to do one thing. For instance, decide on your next project. Next step, cut out one fabric each evening. Store the parts lined up in a pizza box (line the box with batting for stability of the pieces). When the quilt is fully cut start by piecing a block. I often find that once I start doing something in my sewing room I forget how tired I am and end up doing more than I intended.

illinois

Start with a quick and easy project. A mug rug, table runner--something that gives you a sense of accomplishment very quickly. And use those gift certificates! Maybe use them on batting or something such as that which is a necessity but not something you later will wonder why you got it.

JENNR8R

What I find to be the most motivating is a deadline.