Does anyone else feel like this after Christmas? I have oodles of ideas and projects and new patterns and .. and ... Every year I get like this, just can't settle to anything. Is it because I have time on my hands, the only spare time in the year, or just the letdown after a busy end of year and celebrations. To really produce I need to be pushed to the limit and time poor. Another good reason could be that we have had continual rain for well over a week and much of Queensland and northern NSW is flooded. You might think that is a good time to get organised, but I get out patterns, sort my stash, scan through my craft magazines, print off projects found by Crafty Bear, decide I am going to finish that Christmas present that has now turned into a birthday present, prepare the backing for a quilt finished 6 months ago and so it goes on. Don't give me motivational hints! I have already given myself a good talking to! But I would like to know I'm not the only one - please!

You aren't the only one!

I understand what you are saying. One really cool discovery that I have made since moving to Louisiana is that the Mardi Gras season is about to begin and that is a sure cure for the doldrums here. I hope you can find an early spring to perk yourself up! Take Care...

I'm there with you. Been there for a few months myself. :? Hopefully it will all pass, for both of us.

You're not alone - I find myself with more time now that winter's here.

I spend too much time on this Board and trying to keep warm.

Tomorrow's another day though. Let's think happy motivational thoughts tonight and wake up ready to go!

I seem to go through this most every year after Christmas. I think we just plan so much, and are doing so much that the days fly by, and then , wham! it is over and done and we have to stop and reconnect with everyday things. Give our minds time to adjust. LOL

I feel this way every year and i hate it!! I have such a opportunity to get so much done, but just can't seem to get motivated, its cold here, its cloudy all the time. I need some sunshine!

I think this is the only time of the year that we can truly sit back and relax for a couple of days. Someone once convinced me that I had to learn to smell the roses once in a while. Granted, the roses might be frozen right now, but you get the idea.

Join the club. I'm from Seattle and the constant gray can get to me. I do try to plan in advance each year for a new project to start after the holidays. This seems to helps. Hang in there.

You are not alone, but I make myself start another project right away. My mom suffers from depression and will just sit and do nothing and the depression gets worse and worse. I will not allow that to happen in my life so I find something to make me do a happy dance. I am shopping all of the fabric shops with bargains and buying for my next projects. This gets me going and excited about starting my donation quilts. Not trying do be motivational to you, just what I do out of determination not to be "down". Hope you have a "happy dance" soon!

You're not alone. I'm on my 2nd round of 'doldrums' for this year. The last one lasted a month or longer. Hopefully, this one will be shorter.

Yup! You are not alone!! Have projects planned, fabric galore and just can not find my start button!!!
Projects all got done just in time so all came to a dead stop...and now it feels like a system failure!!! And re-booting seems like it is taking f o r e v e r ! ! !

I am super motivated right now. Maybe it's because I thought we weren't exchanging gifts so didn't make any or shop for any and I got several little gifts from some I never have gotten from before. Feeling embarrassed by that now and thinking of all the things I coulda, shoulda, woulda made. I have to get busy now so next year won't be a repeat.

I have found that if I do a lot of Christmas quilting and sewing then afterwards I am tapped out for awhile. I think it is just that I need a break from the sewing room. I did not have that problem this year. I did not plan as many projects.

It's the end of the year blues

I am trying to figure out how I am going to remember to write 2011 on next years paperwork - when I can't remember to 2010 on this years items

I hear you loud and clear! My husband and I decided to join the fitness center b/c we both need it and I get so BLAH this time of year.
Tomorrow we are joining!! Maybe I'll be fit and skinny next Christmas lol :D

Honestly, I always get let down after the holidays. And when we don't get to see any family, I get pretty sad. I try to muddle on through to the other side of it. I'm pretty happy 99% of the time, so I know it's just around the corner. I just have to be patient with the blues and let them work themselves out. And I make myself write in my gratitude journal every day at least until it passes. Today, I am thankful for my friends here on the board. (O:

Unfortunately, you are not alone. So many of us suffer from the mad-rush letdown. We gear up to so much during Christmas and then when it is over, we just crash. Maybe it is not so bad to take a day or two to re-group. For a few days I find myself doing things like working on some sample blocks or just reviewing new techniques. Maybe a trip with a dear friend to a great LQS to see their new work and then a coffee/dessert time will help.

We are always here if you need to share. Hope things get better for you very quickly. I also have to guard against doldrums, especially this time of year. God Bless!

I planned to start sewing a new project over last weekend as I had 3 days off. On Sunday, I just could not get going. Today, I also planned to sew before I went to work and I went back to bed. I just barely got to work on time. Blah!!! Then when I got here, my boss said, oh, can you show these two women from our training department how to use this computer system? Oh, no! Let me get some coffee, first!!! Oh, well, maybe tomorrow will be better. I agree that we need to find something to get excited about. Happy New Year everyone!

You are definately not the only one - I am affected by the weather also. Rainy days I don't feel like doing much, but give me a nice sunny day and I can sew for hours.

You are definitely not the only one. My doldrums sometimes last for weeks.

You aren't alone! Seems like that always happens to me after the holidays AND I have the week off between Christmas and New Years with plenty of time to quilt. So, this year I decided to plan a project for this time off of work - a quilt just for ME in my favorite color combo with stars in it (I love stars in quilts). I planned it in September before the mad holiday sewing rush started - transferred the pattern in to EQ7 and colored it with my colors (the EQ7 rendering is my avatar), got the fabrics, studied the pattern, planned the quilting, etc. Then I set it aside - but NOT out of sight; left it right where I could see it everyday. I really got myself excited to start this project, but made myself hold off until after Christmas. So, yesterday I started cutting and piecing. So far, so good - I'm really jazzed to keep going. Maybe making myself wait to do a really neat project helped me stay motivated this year.

What a great idea! Good for you!

Nope, you're not alone. It's the let-down after all the madness and rushing about to get everything perfect.
Our bodies kinda go into hibernation for a while. Probably a very natural thing. Sleep late a couple of times, stare out the window while drinking coffee while visions of...new quilt patterns dance in your head. Then get up and go outside, if possible, and get some exercise. If not do some inside to get your blood moving.

Or, when all else fails, go into your quilting room and sob into a fat quarter of your favorite colors.

I have been in a slump for over a month have not touched my machine! I need to gear up as soon as the Grankdids leave tomorrow night I have lots of ideas just not the motivation!

I don't get that way after Christmas but that much rain would do it to me. I need sun.

I always feel that way after Christmas is over. Then the day after being my birthday, I'm never excited over it. Frankly, I'm just to darn tired and worn out. I have so many project to get started on, but my family has kept me to busy to 'play'...woe is me.

Been doing all of the above, except exercise in pouring rain is not an option. A small flooded town of pop. 300 is being evacuated today but we are OK.

Thanks for all your replies. So glad its not just me then. I pulled up my socks slightly and started off on something small and useful - tissue covers for handbags. I have just made 6 and as a bonus feel a bit virtuous by using up bits and pieces. Think tomorrow I might get on to some more breast cancer pump bags. Making for people in need can be good for the soul and spirit. In a couple of weeks' time I will be back to normal when everything gets back into the after-holiday routine.

I hate to sound stupid, but what are breast cancer pump bags? I have never heard of them.
And yes, after Christmas we usually have to regroup, out bodies cannot keep going non=stop forever. I take a few days just for myself, and zone out reading or watching tv. I don't even feel guilty about wasting time doing these things, because it has been a mad dash since before Thanksgiving.

Feel the same here in MO. I decided that I did for everyone else before Xmas now I can do what I want to do. Started a new quilt. Hang in there.

I should have said breast drainage, not pump - something entirely different! See, my brain is still not in gear.

They are bags with adjustable straps, worn over the shoulder or across the body, for the Breast Clinic to give to patients who have had a mastectomy and are sent home with drains in situ. Usually they are discharged with two drainage bottles in a hospital pillow slip. Making these bags to carry the drainage bottles makes life more pleasant and convenient for the ladies (and men) as they are often in use for 2 - 3 months. It is a challenge to make them attractive as well as functional.

Hi. Australia. My oldest is there for a year at Griffith in Brissie and has been in shock over the rain. It was supposed to be unbearably hot! Sometimes the best thing for quilting doldrums is just to leave it, go have coffee with a friend, go window shopping at stores you never get to, exchange some mags with another quilter just for fun, walk off some of the Christmas indulgance even if you have to go to an undercover mall. Hope it gets better for you.

OMG, u r sooo right!!! ROFL!!!

I am in Brissie (Brisbane) too and believe me, it usually is unbearably hot. This time last year we were in a very bad drought.

I have 2 weeks off during Christmas/New Year's. The lst week I'm busy preparing for Christmas. My son usually arrives Christmas Eve for a 10 day visit and we spend that week doing absolutely nothing. We both are night owls and we like the same movies so we sit and play on our computers and rent movies and eat fast food and by the time the week is over we're ready to get back into the swing of things!

So sorry about all the rain. I am sure that doesn't help with the doldrums. We have overcast all winter (our time now) but today the sun peaked through and it makes you forget all the clouds. Hope you find a sunny day, inside or out.

I experience this 'post Christmas lull' no matter what the holidays bring. Emotionally, Spiritually, Physically - my entire being craves peace, quiet and no expectations of myself or from others. Life doesn't always offer the luxury to give into it, but if at all possible, embrace it and nurture yourself with doing absolutely nothing. Allowing ourselves to be still enables us to regroup, recharge and resume living the productive life we enjoy. You are most definitely not alone -- you are human.

I to have have the blas. I had Xmas for four days. They all couldn't get here at the same time. The last was here for dinner tonite. I've done nothing all day. Waiting for them to show up , all the cooking, baking, and sewing I finished up on Xmas morning at 2:30 AM. I've been walking around all day looking for something, but I didn't know what. Tomorrow We are going to the gym for two hours, maybe that will get me in the mood to do something productive. I have another quilt that I need to get started , hopefully tomorrow. Have a wedding Sat, and next week I'm staying with my grand daughter for four days while her mother goes on her honeymoon. She will be in school all day, but we'll find things to do in the evenings. Something to look forward too. So hope I'll getting in the groove soon.

I am always glad all the hussle and bustle is over. I rested two days..spent a lot of time on here but, today got right back to work..Using my new twister templates I made MOM a lap quilt to use inher wheelchair. Tomorrow is her 83rd birthday and we will visit the nursing home on Saturday..too bad she remembers nothing..danged Alzheimers.Also have tow king sized Dresden plates to complet by the end of January..so no time to stop now

You're not alone. Don't think it's just you and blame yourself. You probably work too hard at other times and it exhausts your inner strength. Give yourself permission to recover.
Hugs from England.
Annie