kay carlson

I had taken a break from sewing and now am setting up a sewing/quilting area in lower level of our home. My machine, ironing center and rolling chest of drawers is on one end of the family room. So far, I have a 6 foot folding banquet table in the adjacent former bedroom. The table is up on bed risers so I have a sturdy work surface without bending.

One of my ------ UFO's has been pulled out of storage. I've been working on it for three consecutive days, when I have had the time and energy. This has been very enjoyable.

So far, I have straightened things up when I feel my creative juice drying up. Then, I go upstairs to prepare a meal or do something else. What are your signs to quit for the day before you become frustrated?

Tonight, the patches on a quilt had been sewn together. All of the math for the inner and outer borders has been done. I need to do some touch up pressing, but otherwise the center is done.

What really got to me was that the material I had planned to use for the outer border is not appropriate. I don't want to spend any more money and planned to piece the backing with a remnant and some leftover fat quarters. I just feel deflated!!!!

Is this when you walk away and wait for a fresh perspective? Should I have noticed something earlier so that I didn't become discouraged?

Thanks for letting me rattle on......

imdelagarza62

I have learned to stop when I get tired. Once I was making all of my nieces bunnies in dresses for Easter, was so tired, but had to make 8 in 1 week. I ended up making 16 because I kept making right sides, so couldn't just waste those, ended up selling the rest at craft sale. Rabbits really do multiply!

cindypierce

Yes I'd say it was time to take a break! When the joy becomes frustration I set mine aside to let my subconscious think about it and either go to bed or do something else. I usually have several things going at once. I crochet, quilt,knit and if I'm really aggravated I make bread. Pounding the bread dough makes me feel better and I have adifferent perspective when I go back to it.

DogHouseMom

Yes, this is often when I walk away from the project - for lack of the perfect fabric. Sometimes it's just something I want to think about (do I want a pink or a yellow border) and I'll lay it on my cutting table where I see it every time I pass the room.

I've got two at the moment hanging on my design wall. One hung for a while (few weeks) until I decided what color border I wanted and I just haven't gotten it yet. The other has been pieced for several weeks and now I'm mulling over quilting ideas - I like this one enough that I want the quilting to be just right - with luck, I want this to be my first show quilt. So I hung it up and looked at it for long time while I pieced another project (the other one on the wall), the whole time it's in the back of my mind and I think I finally found the quilting motif's I want to use for it, so now I'm practicing those quilting techniques.

I seldom get discouraged when I hit a "writers blank" so to speak. I just move on to something else for a short while and always keep that other project visible as a reminder cause you never know when an idea is going to hit you.

As for your immediate problem that the fabric you planned on using is now not what you want - but you don't want to spend more money on new fabric .... why don't you offer the fabric you have up for a trade for a like amount of fabric here on the QB. Post a picture of what you have - and the quilt top as it is now as folks on here often have great ideas that you may not have considered!! Ask everyone here to trade your fabric for something of theirs that will work (ask for pictures of their fabric of course!).

Tartan

I quit for the day after making a few boo boos. I rip out the spots and wait for a new day to tackle them fresh. Work on something else and come back to your problem child later. It can just pout in the corner until you find the perfect border.

ChaiQuilter

I've learned the hard way to quit when I get tired...it's very possible that I will chain stitch several blocks incorrectly if I don't!

Lori S

I quit when I start making the same mistake , or dumb mistakes , more frequently then my usual.

GingerK

Time to quit?? Oh I really should have done that half an hour earlier last night, because this morning, I spent 2 hours piecing and then realized that I had miscalculated and had added an extra row on the WRONG side. Oh well, my ripper needed the exercise. After ripping, and recutting (yeah my math was off too) and putting it all back together I am thrilled with the outcome. So, a bit of frustration, a lot of head-smacking-what-was-I-thinking!! but a good outcome.

Oh, and Cindypierce--I love to make bread the old fashioned way. Helps my arthritis and the repetitive motion really does seem to focus the mind!

Gramie bj

If I start to get tired I quit! just turn everything off and leave the room. If I make a mistake and am tired I don't even rip it out that can waite untill tomarrow too. I learned the hard way not to rip out when tired. I have ripped out wrong seams only to discover the next day, they weren't wrong I just looked at them wrong!! Boy was that a mess to sort out! LOL

BETTY62

When I make my 1st really stupid mistake and then immediately do it again when I try to correct it. LOL.