I'm with all of you. The post-Christmas slump has hit. I have been knitting and crocheting more than quilting. I am one of those who gets the Christmas blues until around February. The blues should be lifting soon. I'm hoping then to get back to my regular quilting schedule. It helps with my stress and believe it or not my fatigue. It gets my mind on other things. Hope you all get back with it soon. Thanks for being here.

YES!!

OOOOOOH YEAH! If you find a fix for it ...please let us all know..lol

If you want to do it, you will. It's supposed to be fun. Don't force yourself.

I just did some sewing last night for the first time since Christmas and it sure felt good! I agree that we rushed so hard to get things done for Chrismtas and now that Chrismtas is over and we're into winter, maybe you needed a mental break. You'll get back into it when you are ready. :thumbup:

I WAS just thinking the same thing about getting motivated and I bought a brand new Janome 6600 and that isn't motivating me. Guess its the Christmas burn out. Too bad because now is the time to be down there sewing while the weather is not nice. Oh well it will come.

Yes indeed, I share that same dilema right now. Only have to sew on the binding, "what am I waiting for"! I think my "get up and go" got up and went - without me! :)

I think we all hit that "slump" now and then. It usually takes me going in there and touching some fabric for a while, or working on something small to get myself motivated to get back to it. I am working on a very tedious project that I can't wait to have finished, but its so beautiful that I just have to keep plugging along.,

Yes, I am in that same slump right now...

I'm in a stump now too. Rather than berate myself, which is normally the case, I'm trying to use the time renewing my creative side by surfing different sites looking at new patterns, fabrics and finished projects. I live in a conservative area of the US so I've been checking out what's new in the west coast shops and guilds. I've found fabrics (such as laminates for dye-aprons) that haven't made their way to my little corner of the world.

I've also sorted through a bit of my stash and rediscovered fabrics I just couldn't live without at the time. I've forgotten the project, but put the newly discovered fabrics in a group of projects I want to complete come spring.

Keep your sunny-side up. :-D

You just need a break - sounds like you're a bit burnt out. So take the break. Enjoy it. Eventually you will return to your sewing machine.

Yes, yes, yes. I can't get motivated. I guesss it's the winter doldrums.

I do something similar to this. I have set a goal of doing a 9 patch every day from my scraps. Once I do that I am set to go on to larger projects and before I know it I have been at my machine for a couple hours. At the end of the sewing session I lay out 9 more squares so I am ready to start the 9 patch the next day when I go down to my sewing room. Once I get behind my machine I do stick to it. Seems to work for me. Good luck to all of you and I'm sure the "quilt bug" will hit you again :thumbup:

Yes I do some times. Sometimes I am overwhelmed and don't know what I want to do first.

Yeh, sometimes have too many patterns that I want to try. End up digging thru all my quilt books for something easy until I find that one pattern that inspires me.

Yes. I was in a slump all summer. Even thought about giving my stash away. It passed and now I'm quilting again. Your slump will pass too. Just don't force yourself to quilt when you just don't feel like it.

I am also finding it a bit tougher when not making them for presents. I am now making them for my husband and I . I try and pick a theme...(this time spring material with bird houses) during the beginning of the week...then thinking/searching for a pattern...something fairly easy....during the week, Friday cut them up and Sat or Sunday spend the day sewing. The following weekend FMQ,,,,I try start and finish a quilt within three days...that gives me a goal. I also signed up for a class that will begin in March. I have my pattern picked out for me...and they helped me pick out the colors...

This happens to all of us. Go into your sewing room and start organizing your sewing stuff, all of it. Then sit and go thru your mags or books. D o you have enough fabric? Sometimes that b ums me out when I don't have enough.

I've been going through the exact same thing; perhaps you just need a little break or maybe you're feeling lethargic like me. Someone on the site made "mug rugs". They're unbelievably adorable. I'm thinking a small project with instant gratification may give me the kick I need to get moving again-maybe it would help you too:-)

It's possible Christmas was a flurry of work and we're just tired. I am having a hard time getting started as well. I just pulled a stack of good quilting magazines from the bookshelf and turned on my heating blanket...this too shall pass.

It's usually because I'm tired, stressed, or depressed. It's ok to take a breather. Just don't forget the path to your quilt area!

Being a nurse who worked in the Emergency Department for over 16 years, I can tell you that this is absolutely normal for a lot of people. I call it the post-holiday depression -- kind of like post-partum depression ("baby blues"). If this goes on for more than a month, you should be checked by your healthcare professional (aka, MD). Give yourself a little time. Make a list of what you would like to do or what you have started. Maybe that will get you going. Good luck.

i think i am starting to come out of a slump like that, ive had it since Christmas!!

All the time that is why I need my quilting group that meets once a week for about 6 months out of the year.

That's happened to me, too, but I'm thinking it's just the weather up here in Seattle. I retired this year so can't use th excuse that I'm worn out from teachiing, although I really, really miss it!
I am seriously considering buying a "sun" lamp. I know I feel a lot better when the weather is sunny. Has anyone else used one of these? Does it help?

I think it is the time of year. The holidays and weather drain me and I don't have anything more to give for a while. Try to get as much light in your face as possible, either sun or indoor. And cut yourself some slack! Your worthiness is not tied to how much progress you make on any project ;-)

I've been feeling like that for a while. The only time I sew anything lately is when we have a group sew in. I'm hoping this will pass, especially since I plan to retire in June and will have more time to quilt.

Oh yes. Especially back in the day when I thought I had to make all my gifts. After Christmas it might be 3-4 months before I could stand the sight of my machine. I would cross stitch or crochet but not sew.

I do. But I think it is kind of like rests amidst the notes on a music score. Our bodies just kick back for a little rest, and hopefully we emerge refreshed and ready to start our next project, or finish one we've started:-)

It happens to us all at sometime. We just need to recharge our batteries.

Allow yourself 'me' time to recover. Don't get into the self-blame game.
Positive thoughts from across the pond.

I am so relieved to see so many others in the same mode. I haved clean & reorganized several areas in my sewing rm,even painted a few old storage type containers to hold fat quaters-its everything but sewing lately...I tell myself its all good because its sewing related. Like so many of you I also have other hobbies so I feel they all get equal time. yep don't stress over it..."This to Shall Pass". Thank-you everyone for sharing.

Don't beat yourself up for "wasting time" when you don't have the energy to quilt or create. Think of it as a resting and rebuilding time.

I'm in Mesa also. Is that the show at the Fairgrounds? I haven't been for a while and thought I might make it this year. Thanks

i'm in the same slump. i feel burned out. i've been to a couple of quilt shops, walked in and walked out with out buying anything. i told my husband something is seriously wrong with me.
i guess i'm on a time out from quilting for a while. eventually, inspiration will strike and i'll be back at it as well.

I wish I lived in Mesa, too! I lived in Phoenix when I was a kid and loved it there...I hate being cold!!! It would be fun to get together with someone from the board : )

I don't know how I broke out of it- but I finally got into my sewing room and got out a project that I cut out before Christmas. Now I have it spread out on my sewing room floor- my "quilt wall". I am going out of state for a four day weekend, have mixed feelings about leaving my quilt in progress... I am going to see some friends from high school, class of '67!

Same here.....I don't have the get up and go I've had before Christmas.

Too much going on and not enough strength to keep up.

I'm changing my pace just a bit to see if it helps.
Also, I've built my stash up to such a degree that I don't go shopping for more fabric. Trying to use what I have and only add when I need it. It seems that a trip to a quilt shop stirs some enthusiasm and it's fun to see the new stuff.

Yep, sure does! Just enjoy the respite and don't kick yourself. You'll get back on track soon. :)

I do believe I read the advise of " 15 minutes of sewing" here but..... {& I apologize I don't remember who posted it}
I took that adivise last week and it worked for me. I think we get this mental thing going of the task as hand & end up telling ourselves we don't have enough time right now but telling yourself you will sew for just 15 minutes,,,,,it really does work...TRY IT..and again thank-you to the orginal poster.