Do you like to make quilts? (in the spirit of psychology rather than actual making)
 

This may be in the wrong spot, but I wasn't sure where it would fit.

I feel like I'm stuck. I don't really know if I patchwork or sew or cross stitch because I like to, because I have the supplies, because I have the know-how, or because I feel I need to do *something*, and it's what I've done for the last 30 years. Or maybe it's been 40.

I feel like I would like to do something else, but I cross those off my list and go back to what I've been doing, but somehow that doesn't make me any more productive, lol.

Do you ever go through this over-analysis of why you do what you do? How do you get away from it? Or figure out what you really enjoy?

I truly enjoy making quilts. I don't do it because I think I need to do "something." I do it because I enjoy it. Quilting is fun for me. It can also be challenging and exasperating, but I love it. It's ok to try new things. Find something you enjoy!

I quilt as a way to express my creativity through fabric. I have a problem following patterns...lol. Many of my quilts are happenstance and serendipitous. I don't have an artistic eye like some, but just like to play with color and pattern. Many times I mindlessly sew say 9Ps's or crumb blocks and find myself humming and am so relaxed. I guess I find satisfaction in just sewing....Hesitantly started when I was 10 yo..55 years later my day usually revolves around what I'm going to make. I belong to our local small guild and love the socialization of others and their special creativity.

I do have times that I am "not feeling it". Not sure if that's what you mean or not. But with me, my "not feeling it" has more to do with what's going on in life... work has wore me down or I am worried about my kids or family or too much other stuff going on. I just don't sew or worry about it when I am in that mood.

I sure wouldn't worry about it at all if I were you. Sew when you want to - if you don't want to there's nothing wrong with that.

Not that this applies to your situation... but I have learned that when "life" has kicked my butt and I am not feeling anything... if I give myself a little push to the sewing room its always worth the push ha ha. The sewing purges all of the ugly out of my head and I get refreshed

but everyone is different

I honestly enjoy making quilts. I love the pretty fabrics and the endless possibilities in patterns, and then seeing the ideas in my mind come together in quilts. Since my life seems to be getting busier as my toddlers grow up, I am finding I am turning towards simpler patterns, like 9-patches, log cabins, samplers and such. I am surprising myself by enjoying these more than the more challenging quilt patterns. It's probably just a passing time in my quilting life, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

I have 3 needle arts that I really love: quilting, knitting, and cross-stitch, however quilting is number one with me. I just started knitting a sweater. This time of year I seem to get the itch to knit. I love having something to do at night while relaxing watching TV or whatever.
I guess I have a need to always work on something. We were on vacation last week and there were times where I just wanted to sew. I did bring a hand project with me but didn't do much. That's fine because we had a lot of fun but I did miss it.
For me it's all about relaxation. It's like therapy for me. Makes me feel good about life!
So yes, it's psychological indeed.

I quilt because it gives me so much pleasure and it is good therapy for me. I do have to have something to do but never seem to want to change from sewing/quilting. I am always looking for a new pattern for a challenge or want to make a quilt for a growing family member.

I do like to make quilts, but more than that, I want to make quilts. The first time I looked at a photo of a hand-stitched quilt, I thought, 'I want to do that.' But I do thoroughly enjoy the process, except for trimming threads on the back of a finished top.

I have a few hobbies and they all involve color! I can't explain why I am so drawn to color and how it affects me but it's all positive. There are so many reasons why I love quilting but I feel one of the best parts of quilting/sewing is the "gifting" part of it. It's fun to find out what colors my friends/family are drawn to, what they might like and sew it up for them. It's just the best. I just finished a quilt for a relative who is way into Denver Broncos. It really turned out and I absolutely cannot wait to give it to him. My daughter in law loves butterflys and she also loves snowmen. How fun to find theme related fabrics and make her table runners, lap quilts, small purses, tote bags...whatever. I just love to get involved in my hobbies and all I think of is what I'm working on. Everything else goes away and that's the best therapy there is!

I have to say that in the last 8 months especially quilting has definitely been therapeutic. I lost my desire for quilting or anything else for that matter after losing my grand daughter. I couldn't find joy in the normal creative things that I had enjoyed prior to the tragedy. But like Angela Walters says "Quilting is my therapy" at least after a long while it is! I love quilting it's just so fulfilling to make something that you or especially others can enjoy.

Reading your post reminded me of my grandmother. She would often say, "Don't just sit there, daughter, do something."

bkay

ha! Now that you mention it, I rarely saw my mother or grandmother sit idle, they always had a crochet project or puzzle going while they were sitting. Maybe they had the good sense to stay busy, maybe that's how they got thru life.

On one hand you may be overthinking it, if you enjoy it that is enough. You may be someone who needs challenges in their life and maybe you need to push yourself sometimes to find the challenge.

On the other hand, I have a theory that most people are looking for the thing that really resonates with them and that they are good at, finding their joy -- and maybe you haven't found it yet. We all get so caught up with the day-to-day aspects of living that we can miss finding our happiness, we all have different gifts and for some of us it is a simple thing. I use the example of a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, seems like a really simple thing but I don't make them well. The peanut butter tears the bread, the jelly soaks through, the bread is a bit stale, whatever -- mine is usually a pretty unattractive lump. But other people spread just the right amount of peanut butter and jelly, they know what bread to use, and it looks like it should be on the cover of a magazine. Finding your joy doesn't always mean something is easy however, talk to authors or poets, some of them hate the process of writing yet they are drawn to it. Try new things, be open, find the joy!

For me I'm 58 now and I started quilting as a senior in high school, I don't come from a quilting tradition, it was just something I wanted to do. And then I wanted to do it again, and then some more. It is my creative outlet, and I enjoy seeing the progress I make, in my work life I did office work and when you shuffle paper around on a daily/weekly basis, it can be hard to see the progress. But with quilting I can see "today I cut X amount of fabric, I made X numbers of blocks", etc. I really enjoy the planning and piecing process, I even like the math involved. I'm not so big on the quilting part, I really need to find one of those lovely people out there who love to quilt and hate to piece so we could team up, but I do what I need to do to get the results I want.

And then on the third hand, you may be dealing with depression. If it is a lack of joy all around you and not just with the quilting (or whatever) you may need some help. I was first diagnosed as depressed before I started quilting and although most of my life I've been "high functioning" I've had some pretty bad episodes and it is one of the many issues I have to face. Some years I'm more productive than others, but I always find comfort in playing with my fabric.

Whatever hand it may be, I hope you find your joy.

Maybe you are depressed?

How is your health?

How old are you? (Not that any of us need to know - but from what I've read, there are certain ages that are "hurdles" for some people.)

Does it really matter? I know that sometimes I feel "guilty" when I'm not doing anything "productive" or "useful" - but we are human "beings" - not human "doings."

(I wrote this post before I carefully read the one above this one - it seems like writer and I might be on the same page.)

Oh Arriana I'm so sorry for your loss.

I am wondering why you cross other things off your list? Explore that —I encourage you to write your feelings down and what you want (and don’t want) to do .

There was a time I feared starting to paint bevause... because... why? Why did I feel reluctant to express myself in paint? I wasn’t gifted in art. Never took lessons. Stuck with academics in college rather than “waste time” lollygagging with paintbrushes and messy paint.

Why did I always talk myself out of it and go back to my lifelong creative expression of writing? When I dug down deep, I was able to overcome my hesitation and just experiment. I realized that I really wanted to relax and produce with a new medium—not just stick with pen or keyboard. I was afraid I’d spend money to make a mess and have nothing to be proud enough to keep or give as a gift. But the desire to paint drove me to try!

And, guess what? I loved to paint! i ended up becoming an art teacher and enjoyed teaching what little I had learned. The most valuable thing I learned was empathy for students who were afraid to try art. I told them I didn’t really paint till was 43 years old and I was not talented . I just found it relaxing and I loved to make pretty things. If I hated it, I could trash it. It’s just paint and paper. Not everything we make is gonna turn out —so what?

In short, I don’t think you are over-analyzing. I think maybe you are under-analyzing. For some reason , you are hesitating to ask yourself all the questions and face a truth. For me, the truth was that my parents had so valued academics (both hold multiile degrees) that I felt they didn’t value the arts enough to encourage us to spend $$ and time in college on artistic pursuits. So it was a value judgment I had to face. The irony is that my maiden name means “painter”!

I try to avoid analysis paralysis. I like to sew, I like to piece, I like to FMQ and now I'm getting back into doing handwork. I spend many enjoyable hours in my sewing room. When I feel like doing other things, I do. Good enough for me.

Iceblossom, bearisgray, zozee, definitely points to think about. Maybe there is something there.

Ariannaquilts - I am so sad to hear of your loss. I hope in quilting you find some peace.

I have enjoyed the insights of others on this thread...thanks all.

I've always loved the tactile part of fabric. I'm always thinking outside the box and "what if", which I consider an artist. When I'm playing/working (plorking), I'm focused and can't/don't multi-task, that includes communicating with other people. My first approach to a project is to reach the goal (type A?). I've learned to enjoy the process and am much happier. And I'm expanding my communication with friends.

So I guess it's a form of expressing myself, touchy/feely, therapeutic, and making friends.

I always feel better if I've been able to get a little sewing time worked into my day. Good therapy.

I have found the quilt projects I enjoy the most are when I am gifting a quilt for someone. As I piece the quilt I think about the receiver and often pray for their happiness and think about how the quilt will comfort them. This is why I quilt. By giving away the quilts I make, I receive joy and then I wish to make more quilts. :)

I quilt because I love to. I think a few of the others that replied have some good points to think about.

For me, quilting is my PASSION. It's something I MUST do to make my life complete. I make a lot of charity quilts. After I was diagnosed with the big C requiring surgery, my surgeon told me no sewing for several weeks. That was a dark time for me, as much for what I was going through as the inability to put my passion and love in stitches. I went through a year of very tough times, but being able to go to my sewing studio and sew for a while helped me through it. I now donate quilts to my local cancer center for the patients going through chemo.

My mother sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear many of her favorite sayings, one being "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". So I crochet while watching TV, can't just sit there doing nothing.

Sometimes it is hard to find just what our passion is, but with patience and perserverance it will show itself. Just keep plugging along with what you want to do, or feel the need to do.

I like to stay busy, but have learned not to "have to" get on every new craft surge that comes my way. I am into quilting. Well, mostly into piecing and letting a LAer do the quilting. I also like stamping for greeting cards, and reading is my escape. So these things are my "go tos" when I need to focus on anything but real life.

Like some on their responses I never could draw and paint but so admired those who could...i.e. my husband.
I painted walls, then got into stenciling which became my form of art. Then I discovered embroidery machines which then was followed by quilting. I've stuck w/it longer then any other hobby I've done including refurbishing furniture and broken china. After yrs of making quilts and keeping, gifting, donating I'm done w/quilts and have moved on to art quilt wall hangings which is now my art. My imagination can run with any theme and I'm loving it.

Arianna, I am sorry for the loss of your granddaughter...I cannot imagine.

I love every step of the quilting journey...I feel it is therapeutic and lets me be creative. I don’t get to sew year round so I try to take advantage of the months that allow me the most time in my sewing space. I hope you find the “sweet” spot in your quilting journey as well.

I am in that spot right now. Hope it ends soon.

Arianna, I too am so sorry to hear of your granddaughter. I have grandchildren and the grief would be so heavy.

To answer the original question, I love to sew and I love fabric. I learned to sew when I was 12 and from then on have never been able to go past a row of fabric without touching it. I stopped making clothes many years ago and picked up and did intricate crosstitch for 20. I decided to try quilting which I enjoy but it's still more because of the beautiful fabrics and the actual act of machine stitching, not so much the finished product. I don't have time to quilt and crosstitch both. I have fabric and patterns for 5 quilts, plus the ever growing stash. I went through my cross stitch fabric and patterns last week and pulled out several I want to do. Quilting or crosstitch, which will win?

I can’t sit and do nothing, I have to have something to keep busy and cooking and baking are not good for my hips, yet they are things I’m very good at. While seeking a hobby I came across quilting and as the years have gone by I’ve gotten better at it and have acquired the tools to make it more enjoyable.
I do have times where I’m not motivated and can’t get in the groove, and it’s usually when something is stressing me out. I have been getting better at letting things go, and not allowing things to steal my sunhsine, but it does require effort. I just started to try my hand at yard work, landscaping and gardening and I must say that it does keep me active and is a great way to ensure a good nights sleep. At the end of the day I’m far too exhausted to think of anything but a hot shower and bed. At the end of the day it’s just me and my cats, I have no one that requires my time or emotions and I have long ago weeded out those that are draining, it was the best thing ever. I’m quite content to stay at home and quilt or do yard work, I don’t have cable TV, and if one of my jobs didn’t require my physical presence I would be hard pressed to leave home but a few times a month. We are all unique in what we need and want in life and it evolves as we do, as long as you’re happy that’s all that matters.

When I'm in my sewing room I feel the happiest. Since I retired 3 years ago if a day or two goes by that I haven't done any sewing I feel like I've been deprived. I find myself looking for an excuse to make something for someone and then when I give it to them i feel like it's more for me than it is for them.

Do what you enjoy most. Quilting can be quilts, bags, placemats, table runners etc.

I love creating beautiful things and quilting has come down in my family so I have a early love for beautiful quilts. When I was in the early years of my life I would see a beautiful quilt and ask my DM to make it for me. When I was older she ask me why if I loved making clothing so much I did not try quilting. I did and have loved doing it all these years and hope I can keep on a few more.

I love hand work, I have been embroidering, knitting, tatting or crocheting since I was 5 years old, taught by my great grandma, grandmother, mother and an assortment of aunts. It is a tradition, it's also peace of mind, time to reflect and reminisce or to listen to books while my hands keep busy and yes, I love the end results.

I too, have been quilting for about 40 years....on and off. More on than off....I gravitate back to quiltingso much so, that I now struggle with "regular" clothing patterns!

This is a valuable topic. We all need to stop and take a look at why we enjoy or dislike doing the things we do. I have enjoyed everyone's comments. I quilt to satisfy the creative urge in my life. I sing in a community choir, a church choir and play handbells because music is such a big part of who I am. When I lost my voice, I whistled to let the music out. I read for entertainment, play bridge for mental stimulation and friendships, and finally I train my dog in agility because we are a great team and she is very smart and loves to work. With all these hobbies, I am certainly glad I'm retired. I would hate to give up any of them. I just love to look, caress, compare all the fabrics in my stash. I'm a piecer, don't necessarily finish the quilts, but I surely do love looking at patterns, colors and fabrics. I collect pictures of quilts I would like to make, many of them taken from this very blog. I hope to quilt up to my last days.

I started quilting when I retired back in 2004. I didn't ever have any intention of doing it, but did watch Alex Anderson every morning before work. I never even told anyone I did that. When I retired, one of my sons said "now that you are retired you can make me a quilt". What??? I said, I don't quilt. And he said, now that you are retired you can learn. I have always sewed and did have (and still do) have the sewing machine I bought for myself in 1964. I really didn't give it another thought til a few weeks later I opened the local paper and saw "beginning quilting class". I took it as a sign! Went to the class and made some good friends and the rest is history. Now I quilt for my own pleasure. I have no deadlines, do what I like, and have given a few away. They will all get donated when I pass. I am not a big producer. I am liking FMQ lately so piecing is a means to get to that part. Not that I am an expert, but, I really like it. Quilting satisfies something in me, so I'll keep doing it til it doesn't.

I did get bored with sewing, whether it was quilting or clothing, even very creative sewing. So, I started to use paint on my sewing projects because it was something new and challenging. Ever since my 1st grade teacher held up my purple orange juicer as a bad example, I knew I wasn't artistic. Well, I showed her -- and myself. Even better, it's something exciting for me to do, and challenging. And therapeutic! And I've won "Best of Show." Maybe a new direction, still using the talents you have but adding to them, would be an answer for you.

I do quilt making because I love all aspects of it. I sew just about everyday. I like to keep busy and quilting is how I choose to do it. I mainly make donation quilts for kids in the foster care system in my county. No way could I keep all the quilts I make and I am happy to share my talent with others. Quilts will help keep them warm and give them something to call their own.