Discouraged
 

The past few months I have had trouble figuring out my quilt patterns. I don't know why but it is causing me a lot of discouraged moments. I, almost, feel like quitting quilting but I have so much involved in it with fabric and a new machine that isn't a good idea either. Does anyone else get discouraged? What do you do about it?

take a step away. Do something else for a time, like look at old magazines and try to rediscover why you liked quilting in the beginning. Maybe you are working on things that you don't like? or aren't your style? sometimes, we just need a rest and time away. When you get back, it may be better.

Maybe do something quick and easy. The feeling of accomplishment might get you going again. Do a few simple potholders.

I agree.. It took me until now since just before x-mas to want to quilt again.. Or even be in my sewing room.. Take a break.. It will call you again.. tuck that project away and when quilting calls begin a new one. Sometimes UFO's are meant to be UFO's..

oh definitely. At least once a month. I go on sewing binges. as I call them where all i want to do is sew and then a few weeks of not going near fabric at all. Especially when I am having difficulty with a pattern or a top is just not doing what i want it to or looking right. I find stepping away from the sewing is good for me to figure out what to do next with a top or a pattern. if you want to get sewing maybe find a baby who is just born or going to be born and make a simple fun cute baby quilt for them. that is always how i get going. everyone i know is getting a new baby in the next year or so it seems. makes me want a 3rd. and if making a baby quilt is not your fun thing then just go pet some fabric and not worry about patterns or blocks and maybe pick out two or three fabrics that you love and just cut some squares out or strips and just sew them together and see what you get. sometimes it is just a matter of plowing right threw the feeling and not worring about perfection or doing it right. I make doll quilts for my dd and ds when I get stumped and no baby quilt is needed. they are always good inspiration to get sewing especially since my dd is almost 4 and constantly wanting to make little quilts for her dolls.

Oh, I'm always getting discouraged but find my way back to sewing/quilting eventually. I'm still learning so much, so I make lots of mistakes, too. Like sahm4605, I'll go on sewing binges and feel all excited about fabrics and patterns, and then won't want to go near any of my UFOs for a week or more. Guess you're like us! Don't let yourself get totally discouraged!

Not sure if "discouraged" is the correct term - I just lose interest on occasion. Sometimes it is the project and sometimes I just have so many other things to do. Coming to the forums always perks me up - particularly looking at the pictures. Before I know it I'm back in the saddle. Suggest you make a small project. A quick finish may be what the quilting doctor ordered.

Sometimes I too get discouraged or confused .. unsure ... about either a fabric, a pattern choice, a technique ... whatever.

My sewing room is the small bedroom at the beginning of the long hallway. I have to walk past it to get to the bathroom or my bedroom - so I pass it several times during the day.

When I'm having one of these moments I make a point of clearing off my cutting table (which sits in the center of my sewing room so is easily visible from the doorway as I walk past), and placing the "offending" quilt flat out on the table with nothing else on it. I have no choice but to look at it several times a day. But, in walking past and looking at it, I get ideas. Patterns suddendly "make sense", color choices pop out and hit me, new techniques look clear, and idea's come to me. If something occurs to me while walking past - I'll pop in and audition it, work out the math, draw sketches, or even just run it over in my brain some more. Eventually ... it comes. I've had projects (bargello are a good example as I usually take a lot of time auditioning colors/fabrics for those) sit there for weeks just looking at me. I've even had visitors make comments that led to the right idea. I may pop in and remove a fabric and replace it, make a quick sketch, hold a thread up to it to audition quilting motifs, and often I'll walk away because not every idea is a good one :)

So, walk away ... but not completely. You never know where inspiration or sudden clarity is going to come from, or when.

Dear Discouraged
 

I get discouraged with quilting quite often. I'm a newbie so I try the patterns out on scrap fabric first. A lot of times no matter how careful I am with cutting and sewing, the block will come out wonky or the wrong size. This frustrates me to no end. I'm stubborn and find it hard to walk away for awhile so I just keep plugging along. But, it's probably a good idea to take a break and recoup some enthusiasm. Hang in there. Good Luck!

We all get a little down and discouraged. Just last month I closed the door to my room and just recently opened it up. You need to walk away and then come back with a frest attitude. Attitude is everything. I was doing embroidery, I'm very ew to this, and I couldn't get te machine to work properly. It was operator problems. I came back to it 2 weeks later and voila, it worked. Don't give up!

I have decided that quilting just isn't for me, at least right now. I don't have tons of fabric because it's just not in my nature to stockpile stuff. I don't have any new machines although I have three. I like sewing and will putter with doll clothes, pj's and purses. Maybe you need other sewing projects to do that are more of an instant gratification. Just don't worry so much about it and it will come or you'll find other things that interest you. Take a break, as others have suggested. Let us know what you come up with.

I get discouraged as well, everybody does. I have my other love, cross stitching to go back to when I'm not in the mood for dealing with the fabric. I'll do that for awhile and then go back to quilting. Right now my basement is awfully cold and I don't feel like going down there and messing around, plus I just had shoulder surgery and would rather just sit in a chair and hand sew for a bit. You'll be fine, just breathe.

I few summers ago I lost the desire to quilt anymore. I don't know what caused it. I got to the point where I was seriously thinking of giving all of my fabric away. I just closed up my machines and didn't even want to go into my sewing room. This lasted for nearly 3 months. I took up crocheting again and that took me thru the summer. Luckily in the fall I felt the desire to quilt stirring up inside of me. Slowly I started to quilt again and havn't stopped since. I think maybe we burn out. Sometimes we just expect too much or ourselves. Give your quilting a rest for a while or work on something simple and see how it goes. Good luck.

I feel for you. Allow yourself a break and go back when it's the right time. Most of us have been there. Good luck.
Annie

Aw-w-w..Sorry you are feeling like that. Remember, quilting is a hobby and you can do it as much or as little as YOU want. I made a few quilts and clothes when my kids were young but lost interest as I didn't have a dedicated sewing area and life is busy with 4 kids. When I got laid off from my job due to school budget cuts I took that as a cue to find other interests and within a few months I rediscovered sewing. Also, kids were leaving home so I had some space to setup a permanent area. Now I can leave everything where I left off and come back to it undisturbed so it makes it easier for me. If I had to clean up and put away everything when I was done sewing, I wouldn't sew much! Sometimes I don't quilt but make small easy projects to learn a new technique or just to be able to mindlessly enjoy my sewing with little risk or messing up-no pressure!

What frustrates you the most RIGHT NOW and makes you feel discouraged? Maybe we can help! Most of us have been there for sure! We are our own worst critics and put too much pressure on ourselves because of it. A hobby should be fun MOST of the time but all hobbies have their bad points...and the GOOD points too. Talk about pressure...With quilting we are supposed to match the darn points!

Take some time away from it.

I find that if you exactly what it states to do it will make sense. If I get too far ahead of myself in the pattern I have alot of trouble understanding it.

Take a break and empty your mind of it. Sometimes when the pattern doesn't seem to make sense, I go through it almost backwards. The block looks like this when finished. I take out my graph paper and do it as if there was no pattern and I have to do it all myself. Then compare what I come up with to what the pattern says. Usually this helps me get into the thought process the designer used. Sometimes it is just a difference in how people think. After all, we all know that all computer user manuals are written backwards--to find out how do something, you need to know what they call it.

Maybe you can go check out You Tube for videos for help or someone on the Board. If you have a local LQS you could go to them for some help. Just don't quit. Hang in there!!!

I think we all have our days but I find if something just doesn't go like I want I get frustrated and just let it go for a while even a few hrs and then go back. I'm like that also when I crochet but when I get frustrated with the fabric I try either reading or crochet to try to think of something else and this QB is a good place to come and just read about the problems someone else is having and it makes you feel a little better. Don't be to hard on yourself you may be stressing yourself out and that's why you can't figure the pattern out or maybe after you start it's not what you want. Don't be to upset if your memory keeps giving you a problem see the Dr. it could be something simple. I just found out I had an underactive thyroid and it affects your memory and so do blood sugar problems you may already know what may be bothering you. Hugs & Prayers to you so you can get on with your quilting. Don't give it up just yet. Sue

We all have our moments. Just step back take a deep breath and take a break. Sometimes we all need it.

I find watching the videos on utube is so helpful. it not only gets me modivated it also shows me how to easily put my blocks together.

I often get discouraged when someone brings me something to do and it's a pattern or fabric that I really don't like. I find that I have to force myself to work on it and it seems like it takes me forever to complete it. So, I keep several small projects around that I can stop and work on when I start feeling bored and if that doesn't work, I just walk away from the project for a few hours or the rest of the day. Good luck and may things get better for you real soon.

Put the complicated pattern aside and find an easier one. We have all been there. You can always talk to a quilting friend to look at the project with you and sometimes a different pair of eyes helps. Let us know how you make out.

When having difficulty in interpreting a quilt pattern, invite a friend or two in to help you find the way. You know, we quilters, have a sisterhood that calls us together. I am sure your friends will stick with you until the answers are found and the pleasure of having them help will be a blessing to all. Good Luck!!

I get that way. I'll go for days and not even want to touch a piece of fabric. That's when I walk away and work on my Redwork, read a book or watch a good movie. Then in no time I'm thinking about that project that's in the works and get back to it. I find it also helps if I get myself organized and clean/straighten up my sewing area so when I do feel the urge to get behind my machine again there's not a mess staring me in the face. You'll get back to where you love to quilt again. It just takes some time. :)

I think everyone gets discouraged here and there. Step back, maybe work on something completely diffrent. Even a standard "block" quilt. I like doing a Raggedy Quilt when I feel discouraged. Basic blocks, AND the fringe will hide most imperfections. It sure takes the worry out and lets me relax and ENJOY quilting. :)

I have been that way. I have never been able to aplique right... It really gets me because I could always draw and can just about draw any design I see onto fabric. I just can't get it to look right. I have never had much experience hand sewing and I don't like the look of machine sewn aplique. Recently I tried to do a mystery quilt and most of the blocks I could piece but two of them I just can't get right... I haven a tendency to wad those pieces up and stick them in a drawer but the drawer is getting full! lol Take a nap and try again, thats what has worked for me a few times.

Change gears and do other patterns that you are familiar with. Try a table runner or potholder. I get inspired by going to quilts shows or looking at new displays at LQS. Do you have a quilting buddy that can help you with patterns? Don't give up!

Time for simple patterns, the fabric is what makes a beautiful 9 patch, relax, slow down, and promise nothing. It is time to enjoy..

As everyone says, take a break away. Then when the little urges come, start with string quilts.

Don't give up! Is there a local quilting shop you could go to for help? Hang in there :)

I think we all get discouraged at times. Just leave it for awile and do something else you enjoy. I had the problem recently of feeling sorry for myself because I cannot afford fabric and such right now but, I discovered that I had a baby quilt to get don in one week and just said "Lord, show me what I have that I can use." He came up with enough pieces of this and that to make a nice quilt.
You will get a lot of encouragement here so use the board as often as you need to to talk to others.

I agree with Newbee, don't get too far ahead in the pattern and try to understand it all at once.
Just take it one step at a time.

Hang in there!

<hugs>

I got into a quilting slump right around thanksgiving. I had so many things to make for Christmas and I just started things and didn't complete them. I was just not interested in quilting and was thinking of just getting rid of all my fabric and stuff. I have way to much and it makes it hard to decide what to work on and have lots of UFO's. My husband sat me down and talked with me and encouraged me to just pick a UFO and remind me how much passion I have for my sewing and not think of the next project. He took me to Joann's and told me to pick out what I wanted and then he took me out for lunch. I am now out of my slump just by taking time out.

Take a deep breath and know you are not alone. When it's problematic put aside and work on something else.

When I get that feeling, I know time to take a break. It's better for me to do something else and take some time to re-gather my thoughts