Ack - the tedium is getting to me... 14 done, 6 to go...
 

The quilt I'm working on now has 4 small (1 inch) borders and then a large border - which adds up to 20 border strips. I pushed through the first 10 strips over the weekend and have managed to get 4 more on tonight. I'd really like to get the last 6 on, but ADD is striking hard and I'm getting easily distracted.

Measure, pin, sew, press, measure pin, sew, press... repeat... repeat... repeat...

I keep telling myself that it will be worth it, and it will look really good... but then I get drawn back out to find something else to do...

Anyone else reach this point at times? I'm sure I'm not alone.

Cheers, K

Wow, that's a lot of borders! Don't be too hard on yourself, though. Make a small goal, do that much, then give yourself a break. Chocolate maybe? Leftover pumpkin pie?

Good luck!

Post a pic for now and then each couple of days or whenever you get a bit more done, post another so we can see your progress and encourage you. Will be worth it when finished.

I did a paper pieced quilt for my father, the same block over and over again, and you can't chain piece it to make it go quicker, I was bored to tears with it.
Persist with it and I'm sure it will be worth it in the end ;)

When I'm quilting a large quilt with the same motif block after block, it can get tedious too. What I like to do is listen to a good audiobook. I only let myself listen to it when I'm working on the quilt, so if I want to find out 'who dun it', I HAVE to go back and keep working on the project! LOL

Something to consider next time you have a lot of border strips is this - if you miter the corners, you can sew all five strips together first as a strip set, THEN add that to the quilt top. Mitering a border is a little more difficult than a straight border, but can save you time when you have multiple borders.

Keep going, you're almost there!!!!

AndiR good advice...I think I'll try the audio book with some of my Christmas presents I need to somehow do.

I usually get bored with one project, so I will usually work on at least 2-3 at a time, course it takes longer to complete any one project.

If I get like this I do the opposite of DonnaB I tell myself I have to complete the tedious project BEFORE I start another one so I get it accomplished, don't have another UFO and then miraculously I get it finished. Good luck, find a reward for yourself.

Yes, I find my mind wondering and also will get up and go do something else to get away from it, then I forget what I was doing and don't get it done.

I'm working on a quilt for my Mum - same block, 30 times, with only an occasional piece in a different colour to break the monotony. It seemed like a good idea when I started...am trying (and failing at the moment) to do a block a day, and am also working on other projects.

No, you are not alone. I am working on a quilt in a day that I started a year ago. Sooo boring.

Thanks all. I'll have to remember the tip on mitering the corners if I ever decide on a border intensive pattern again. I haven't mitered corners yet, so this might not be the best on to learn on. I ended up going to bed last night. Will try again tonight while the guys are at hockey practice. At least the last 6 strips are cut and ready.

I'll post pictures this evening, as the camera is at home.

Cheers, K

Oh I do feel your pain! I have to make myself complete a tedious project by rewarding myself with a fabric purchase when its done. I will not allow myself to purchase any new fabric until I get it DONE. If I let myself start a new project or do anything else.. I will drift further away from ever completing it. Confession- I have had a few quilts that are smaller than intended!
Do post photos . I am excited to see the quilt top !

I guess that is why I like doing scrappy quilts...each one is like something new...but when I start putting it together and adding border(s), then I too get antsy and the mind starts to "plan" the next project and can't finish fast enough!!!!

I' m right there with you. Borders always slow me down, even when they're simple and few. It's that "measure, sew, pin" process that I don't like. I agree with those who advised a chocolate break. :)

I am always planning the next quilt I want to make as I am finishing one. When sewing the binding on by hand I race the clock to get to a certain time, or I race a talk show on the radio.

You are not alone! I discovered what works best for me is to set a timer for a 45/15 minutes combination. I'll sew for 45 minutes, then get up and do something totally different for 15 minutes - water the plants, dust, vacuum, etc.

CorgiNole, I hear you! Sometimes, it feels like it takes as long to put borders on as it does to make the rest of the quilt.

AndiR and KarenK: I am going to have to try your ways to stay on task. I think they would work for me.

so how many blocks have you done? I have been working on a quilt with 25 blocks. Have 3 to go. Actually have had 3 to do for quite a while! A block a day sounds so easy. Can't understand why it's not! Good luck with yours. Maybe we'll both finish them soon.

PS Love your avatar!

Thankyou! It's a Hidden Wells pattern - looks impressive but isn't really that difficult.

I'm only halfway along the second row of my quilt top - have done 8 or 9 blocks of the 30. It took me a long time to get going because I really struggled at first - made every possible silly mistake, so the first few blocks were all made twice! I really do need to get back to trying to do a block a day - it would be finished by the end of the month!

There has been some good advice posted here.
Keep up the good work ... it's worth it.

I do the same thing! I love audible books. I listen more than read and get so much more quilting done.

I agree with AndiR. Even if I only have 2 borders, I sew the two pieces together (X4), sew them to the quilt and miter the corners.

I seem to be promoting music this morning. When I am reach this point , I like to turn my music on and it seems to distract my attention away from the blandness of the moment. Sometimes I sing along and I have been known to jump up for a minute and dance around. Maybe it's a good thing my sewing room is upstairs. LOL.

Yes! I know what you mean - with this type work, or long hours of machine quilting they go by much faster listening to a book on my iPod as I go.....

see...I know I would have been bored with that..so I would have sewn my strips into one large piece and then added as a border!

When I have to do something repetitive, my mind wanders, even cleaning toilets sounds exciting. What helps me is some good old fashion Springstein music. I sing along with the oldies, if I have it really bad I play Meatloaf!! Need some medication, don't I. Singing out loud and even sometimes I get up and pretend I am 20 years or more younger and get up and dance, but it keeps my mind off of the measure, pin sew press measure pin sew press.

Ditto. Or, will set the timer for 15 minutes and say, "I'll work on it for these 15 minutes, then I can do something else if I want." Often by the time the timer goes off, I'm on a roll and just keep on going.

You're right though, no matter what kind of project you're doing, there is always a point where the excitement of starting has worn off, the excitement of finishing seems far in the future, and you're just bogged down in the middle of it all.

i work on my quilt projects a few minutes a day,with an hour or two added in when i have time.you would be surprised how excited i can get when i finally have two hours to work on a project=even if it is tedious! usually 1/2 hour tops during the week.most quilts done totally by hand,i set the timer.

I did the same thing. I'm quilting and I get up and find something else to do. I'll get back to it today.

Right now, I am working on a stained glass quilt that I am sure will be very beautiful. However, after all this cutting, piecing, sewing and pressing, I am near the arrgh point. I want to get it off my design board to do something else! I am down to the last 18 blocks (out of 100) and can hardly wait. I am going to do this, I am going to do this! I do not want another UFO. I will do this, I will do this!

Well I am so bored with what I am doing, a super king size with pieces from 1 1/2 to 4 1/2. Like I cut for a month and now I am sewing for ????? so...my decision is after I sew the 4 rows of blocks that are pinned together I intend to sew them onto the quilt base and then put it away until after New Year. Then I can concentrate on a few Christmas items I want to make. If I wait much longer I won't need them this year. By the way the quilt has well over 5000 pieces depending on how large. The more I sew the smaller it becomes in my mind. Never will make another quilt this scrappy.

That's why I don't do most block quilts.... go crazy before I'm 1/4 done! Big blocks or artsy fartsy for me!

Would love to see pictures when you are done. Please post some.

The good thing is that you're on the 'downhill' side! Keep pluggin' and then go treat yourself to something chocolate.

This is exactly what I was going to say! If we see and tell you how great you're doing it will really encourage you!

Pictures
 

I need to take more pictures tonight after hockey practice. A detailed look at the process leading up to the borders ACK is on my blog: http://quiltingcorgis.blogspot.com/2...unner-and.html

Included here are the mockup of the top before I stitched the rows together, the order I chose for the borders - the strips are laid along the quilt but not sewn down in the picture - I was auditioning the order of the strips, and a picture of a portion of the back as I know some people like to see that.

So far the four mini borders are on the long sides and all but the bricks are on the short sides. The fire trucks (final border) are waiting for their turn.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Cheers, K

i do this also. i thought it was only me.

When I have multiple, thin borders, I usually sew strip sets...long ones...Cut to the length needed and then attach them to the quilt. Saves having to measure each time. Makes it much easier when you want to miter the border also...everything matches up (as long as the strips are sewn correctly).

You can do it. Rah-Rah! Do so much each day.