Do you ever find yourself really excited to start a project and then find a lull in the middle? This has happened to me twice now. I'm working on this mystery and the theory behind it is really fun, but this particular quilt is a pain in my tail feathers. I think it's TIM? that hates flying geese?? I'm right behind him. If I ever see a flying goose in one of my patterns again it will be too soon.

I am on clue 4, and have been about 6 weeks because we moved and everything was all up in the air. It took me working a little bit at a time for 3 weeks on 1/4 of a clue what it took me 3 hours to do on the other 1/4. So, now I have the first half of the clue done and I'm on to easier parts.

What do you do to get out of your funk? I was so excited that the baby was starting school this year. I figured I would have SOOOOOO much time to quilt and craft and play and I've had all of 2 mornings of fun since school started a month ago. How do you keep in the swing of things?

Melissa

I'm like that with practically everything I do. :lol: I start strong and then procrastinate because I simply don't want to do it.

I won't let myself start anything else until I have the current project finished. I can buy the materials, but I won't start the new one. When I decide I really want to do the new one, the old gets finished. :)

Arizona Sunrises, I would never do a thing with your method. I keep lots of projects going, and devote time to each as I feel like.

I've been like this since I've been pregnant. I guess with my slim to none energy, it's harder to get things accomplished. I mean I've been working completely on the nursery and getting ready for the baby but as for my sewing projects, they've taken a back seat. I hate it! Hopefully when I've finished the nursery, I'll get back in the groove of sewing.

i don't get blocked all that often, my problem is mentally preparing for a new project. I sometimes just can't seem to get myself motivated to pull out the new fabric, the new pattern, iron everything, and figure out how to start...but once I take that first step, I can hardly stop!!!

It happens to me on just about every quilt I make. I am always thinking about the next project I want to do. That is why I have about 12 or 13 tops done and they are not quilted. I will have to impose a deadline on myself. :D

Anne

I got that way on the magnolia quilt I did. I had to put it up for a week.

I have a problem getting started on new projects. Deciding which project to start next is hard for me.

It is hard when I get sidetracked on another project to go back to my original project and finish it.

I usually just force myself to get started and that gets me going on it again.

I have noticed several quilt shops are offering UFO sessions where they will help you think through a difficult step.

When it happens to me, I cant force myself to sew or I would be doing more ripping than sewing. I just have to do something else, like hand quilting or I might get another project cut out and ready to go. Sooner or later that "NEED" to sew strikes and I can get back to it.

I have a quilt in progress in there that's been sitting around patiently waiting while I did a gazillion other quilts - I still don't want to go in and finish it..

it's stars of all sizes - I need one more square and the setting triangles but just the thought of working on it makes me cringe...

it may eventually get finished

I have a fantastic stash and now my problem is twofold:
1. I start a quilt and then can't wait till it's finished so I can go work on another one with 'that' fabric

2. I really hate cutting up some of this fantastic fabric :mrgreen: 8)

Since I've learned how to do the stippling/meandering, stitch in the ditch, on my regular machine, and now have the Bailey set up, I'm forcing myself to completely finish a quilt before I start another. In the meantime, I'm trying to get all the tops quilted that were piled up from years gone by.

The project I'm working on is a Mystery quilt. It's the very first one I've ever done. I should interject here that I am STILL a beginner. I've been quilting now for 6 years, but it doesn't feel that long. I still only work with beginner patterns too, I'm just not comfy with anything harder than that. In theory, the mystery is fun, and I was having a ton of fun, until the pieces caught up with me.

The gal who made this pattern is aware of stip piecing because we do a lot of it with the regular blocks. However, I'm not so sure about the short cuts for triangles and flying geese. I've had to cut 120 individual HST for 40 square in a square. I've also had to cut 160 individual hst TWICE for two sets of flying geese 80 units each. Not to mention I took a little peek at the last clue and the whole blasted thing is on point so now I have even more *#@($& triangles to cut. I hate triangles. I almost dread finishing this thing which is why I'm sure, I was blocked for so long. Now I'm just determined to finish it so I can get on to my Christmas projects.

Janeen, I have a cure for the "I don't want to finish that one blues". Tell yourself that you will be giving it to someone you love for Christmas. That has gotten me through a couple that went sour so to speak.

Anne

Everyone gets bored or frustrated with a project now and then.

I used to make myself finish, but that takes all the fun out of it! I decided that, Hey, this an art. Why am I pressuring myself? If I have 20 different things going, and I get a burst of inspiration for one, I switch to that! It is very liberating to "go with the flow" and not be my own task master.

Relax and enjoy yourself!

If you really hate it - put it in a box and forget about it. Read a good book and don't work on anything if your block is really bad!

But have fun!

Loretta,

The mystery quilt that I'm doing sort of has a deadline. They started releasing the clues the middle of June. Then you pick up one clue every 2 weeks for 12 weeks with the last one Aug. 23rd. I have gone and picked up the clues that I'm not ready for yet.

Then they have a "finishing party" at the end of October. Your "ticket" into the party is your completed top or quilt. They put the tops on display for everyone to see on one side of the store, and the finished quilts on the other. Then you get to vote on the best quilt and whoever made it, gets a big prize from the store.

I'm not worried about votes or anything like that. I am curious about what colors other people chose and how they look different from eachother. I'm hoping I can at least have the top done so I can go to the party. Being tonally color-blind I like the idea of looking at other people's color choices. I have to be much more careful since certain tones of colors all look the same to me.

M

I had it happen to me ounce. That is when my Father died. I could not quilt for a year. Tried but could not get into it. I don't know what pulled me out .Now if I have a block I just start another' then I go back to the first when I feel like it.

Loretta,

I'm just the opposite. After I get the kids off to school in the morning it tends to be alternated between work and breaks. I get into my groove so to speak about 8 at night when I put the little buggers to bed.

Then I'm in my quilt zone and have to set my alarm clock so I can stop and go to bed. If I don't do that, it's 2 or 3 in the morning when I'm ready to take a little break and realize the night's half over and I have to go to sleep!

M

I hope you get your quilt done for the party. Years ago my mother took a quilting class and decided to make a king, which of course is twice the work of a twin and she didn't have all the quilting done for the last class, but nobody cared. I know in your case it's a bit different.

I have more than one project going at a time as well. My trouble is I hit the wall on what I know, and if I do a bit of reasearch or watch a couple more quilting shows the answers come to me. Perhaps in your case you could talk to someone about the troubles you've been having. At least a good part of the time there is an "easier trick". Half square triangles being the prefect example. I thought having two sqaures and sewing them together to cut them apart was the best answer, but then on Egg Money Quilts she sewed eight at once and then cut them apart! Talk about easier!

Best of luck to you.

You havnt discovered Eleanor Burns method for flying geese. No triangles.
You must watch her do them, so easy and always perfect. I love flying geese and half squares since I discovered her way. Watch her on her website at Quilt In A Day.
I only make lap and baby quilts, you dont get bored and you learn so much with each project.
I have made 2 large bed quilts and its not for me. I sent them out for quilting on a long arm. With small quilts its easy to quilt yourself.

I am like that on y current project. I cannot get enthused over it. I started hand appliquing all the blocks to muslin but quickly lost ineterest since it was aking so long. I do not like hand sewing! Then I decided to do the blanket stitch in black to add to the look and got all but 2 done---out of 25. Other times, I just have to set it side and go on to something else. If I force myself to work on that project I end up hating it and making lots of mistakes.

I think everyone who does anything creative goes through periods of being 'blocked'. Personally, I can't seem to do creative on a deadline (although many people do so, and successfully); I have to walk away from my problem project. Usually a trip to some good eye candy and connecting with other creative types helps me go back to my project with renewed enthusiasm; some of my tougher block periods require the successful completion of a small project before I can get back to the big one.

I know rotating projects won't be of much use to you since this one is a party invitation :wink: , but maybe thinking of it differently might help (like it being a party invitation and not a quilt on a deadline.) You mentioned that it will be on point - is it the setting triangles you're concerned about? Remember, there may be more than one way to accomplish a particular step :-)

I've never done setting triangles before, so I hope they turn out okay. I think next time, since I always get more fabric than I need, I'm gonna go ahead and do the shortcut stuff. This individual cutting is for the birds!

At least now my hatred for triangles will not be out of fear of trying , but experience with them!

The only thing I can do is put everything away and walk away from it for a few days. It's not so much quilter's block as it is burn out. I think I have to give myself time to replenish the creativity. Kind of let the well fill up again.