to being so productive? Many of you post a lot of pictures of your completed projects - soooooo many beautiful projects!
I get in maybe an hour or two every couple of days on average. Sometimes I have a "marathon sewing" opportunity and sew for hours on end, but these sessions don't happen as often as I'd like. I finally got around to it and had a top (queen) LA'd that I had finished 2 years ago. Daisey on this Board did the quilting, which by the way, was absolutely gorgeous and perfect for the quilt.
Just wondering what your secrets are to being so productive? I'm more than willing to let the dust and laundry pile up and eat take-out - please someone tell me these are the secrets!

i need those secrets also

Me, too!

bet they are busy at machines while we surf this site LOL

*snort* :thumbup:

A member here posted that she did 15 minutes a day quilting. I try to do this about 5 days a week.

I too want the answer, half of my quilt time is now spent on this board!!!!! Enough said?

I do find that if I spend a lot of time on here, I have much much less time for sewing!!!!

When I whipped up my 11 quilts, I was not on here a whole lot. I cooked a few meals but we ate the leftover's a lot and I do not watch television. So instead of being on here or playing spyder solitaire or another computer game, I got to work on my quilts as soon as I got home from work and had most of the evening to work on them.

Somedays I sew for hours. I put a load of laundry in and then sew until it finishes. I will clean for 1/2 hour and then reward myself with 15 minutes of sewing. DH is retired and has a lot of volunteer jobs. I sew while he is out volunteering. He takes naps during the day, I sew. I only work 12 hours Sat. and Sun. That being said I am also raising a 10 year old grandson. I just catdh a few minutes when I can. I think that is why I am stuck on string quilts. They are easy to sew a few strips and put down and come back a little later and sew a few more. We do not eat take out. I cook M-F. Don't cook on the weekend becasue I am too busy working. I am out of the house 15 hours a day on the w/e.

My secret if you can call it a secret is that I spend hours quilting. I don't get on the board often and when I do I can catch up so to speak. I get my home in order every morning if need be and have my days of antiquing, enjoying my friends, church and doing the necessary errands and anything else that may pop up in life.
I priortize my time so everything is taken care of (cooking & gardening, etc.) and quilt to my heart's content. I have never found it difficult to do and have a very full and rich life and make many, many quilts each year. I think we make up our minds as to what we want in our lives and then you are the master of your fate.

Enough said! I agree - maybe that should be my new year resolution -
5 hours of sewing and only 30 minutes on the Board! Or better yet only check in here in the early morning or late at night.

That second one would work for me...gonna try it.

i'm just always doing something...and
i'm the queen of timers. if i get on the computer for 'browsing-socializing' i set a timer for 45 minutes. when it goes off...the computer goes off.
i do prep work when 'sitting-around' such as tracing appliques or cutting i have a table behind the couch where i can sit on a stool, still watch tv with hubby and work away. i hand piece, hand applique and hand embroider watching tv or during breaks/down time at work. also when sitting in dr. offices or riding in the car. usually (5 days a week) i get home from work about 3:30 and sew until time to start dinner in the sewing room on the machine; or quilting on the long-arm; then i go back and sew until 7:30--gotta watch jeopardy...
if i am 'involved' in my project i will go back and sew until time to go to bed. on weekends i spend most of my time at home in either the sewing room or the quilting room. so, i get alot done...but i work at it. :thumbup:

I wrote an article on this once! SEwing is no longer a common place household chore, it is a luxury..there fore you have to work at fitting into your daily routine..just like personal hygiene...right..

#1-First you pick a project. #2-If it is small and something that might be good as an everyday and a holiday item, I find the fabric for more than one..#3- then all fabric is washed/dried and pressed if it has not already had that done. #4-then I cut them out. This might take a day or two depending on the project(s) and the amount of fabrics used.#5- I start to sew. I making multiples of a pattern, I do all of step 1, before moving on...that way all the projects are done at the same time!

I like to take long days and work up "kits" so that when I get those days of only 30 minutes to sew (or less) then I can do just that...mindless sewing...

It is so much easier to sit at the computer though...then the UFO's just pile up though...

I'm soooo guilty of being on the board too much! Right now I'm trying to finish a quilt that I'm hand quilting so I pick it up every night. Very relaxing for me :)

I hear you on that one :thumbup: More ufo's than I care to admit to :oops:

I need to stay away from here so much during my day....
I never pick up a book to read anymore either..

I've found that I need to make the time to sew. Even if it's just every Sunday afternoon for a few hours, or one block an evening while watching tv (commercials are great to get some sewing in!).

Holding to a schedule and being retired helps.
I start my days at 6am by cking the board, ebay, news etc..till 9am. Then it's up to the sewing rm from 9-4 taking a quick 15 min break for my lunch yogurt.
Quit at 4 for the day and Judge Judy, make dinner, relax after dinner and bed...That's of course in the winter. Summers sewing time is cut down to 9-12 then outside to get my summer tan. I average 2 quilts a wk in winter, one a wk in summer....allot of gift giving and donating....only have rm for so many...

NO TV!

I am an insomniac.

Now if I told you it wouldn't be a secret!! I don't work maybe that is it :)

Get out of the house to sew with friends and groups--no distractions like at home. And the cleaning fairy never comes here so I get stuck on the chores. I try to sew every day even if for an hr--sometimes only 15 min and some days it is most of the day--those days are special. I don't sew at night and even if I can't sleep I don't get up to sew.

Yes, this board can eat the time up. I try to keep it to a minimum. I have been trying to read the same book for over a week now--have only a few pages done. Find it difficult to read and relax when the sewing room is calling me.

I spend too much time on here lately but I love it! I sewed many quilts when I could stay home all the time. I work now so my quilts are really piling up in my head instead of on my machine!

Not that I get lots of projects completed, but I find that it helps to get on the computer only at night while "watching" TV. Also, DH helps with chores. He doesn't argue or fuss, so he gets the dishes and sweeping. I have clothes and bathrooms and we share the cooking. My time in the studio is precious, so I fight for it!

I'm the most productive if I sew a lot of the same thing at one time. I like to make baby blankets with matching burp cloths so I'll make 2 or 3 blankets, then I'll make matching burp cloths, I usually make 3 burp cloths for each blanket. Then I move on to several of something else.

Being retired helps! I set limits for myself. I clean my house and do all the laundry. Then I prepare several meals that I can freeze, large enough for leftovers too. My husband does the shopping so that helps. Meals are easy and I visit with DH while we eat. When all of this is done, I sew, and sew, and sew. My computer is behind my sewing machine which lets me check in on this Board OFTEN!!! When the meals are all used up and the house needs dusting, I start all over again. I will work on projects (various stages) for 10-12 hours per day for at least 4 days. This includes time on the QB. The other 3 days are days where I clean, cook, bake or take care of things outside the home. And I love it!

I browse this board while having my morning coffee, while my DH is having is coffee,at his computer. I am really fortunate, I can quilt as long as I want, on my days off, or depending on my shift, for a couple of hours in the morning. We do the housework together, and he does most of the cooking. He knows quilting is my passion, just as music is his. We tend to spend our days together off, me in my sewing room, him in his music room (basement) and then around 2pm, we put away what we are doing and spend the rest of the day together. It works well for us. Don't forget, life does get in the way somedays, and there is no avoiding that. Most days I get to quilt, but, there are somedays, you never turn on the sewing machine.

I love quilting and sewing and the one thing I am not going to do is burn myself out! So if I get three hours here or 15 minutes there I will be happy I got something done. The dog helps. In and out, in and out. I do what I can, and I will not do anything under any kind of pressure to be done at a specific time. If I make another cancer quilt this year, it will not be due until August. I may start it in January. I also may skip around a bit. I don't like WIP's, but sometimes I manage to get two coals in the fire. But, most importantly, I will not allow myself to get burned out. Edie

Like the tortoise I plug away even working full time 4 grown children and 2 grandsons. Basically have no interest in TV so I persist and love to be a finisher. Make all sizes of projects machine hand and occ send out for quilting.

Secrets: Retired, no kids, no husband, I have my meals cooked for me and the cook washes up.

That is impressive. I'd prob be a bag of nerves waiting for it to ping.

Annie

Get up - feed the critters (dogs, turtle, chickens) do chores - then I make a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee - and sit down to read the Board. Can't start my day without it. By that time I am guilt free and can jump into quilting.

I like to get books on tape from the library & listen to them while I quilt. Even if I finish a project, sometimes I'll stay in the sewing room and clean up while I hear the end of the story.

Perhaps it is partly dependent upon where we are on the time line of life. I did not even begin seriously to quilt until after I had retired from my regular job. I used to spend a lot of time reading, but find I use most of that time now to be at the sewing machine.

I do my quilting in spurts, but I get more done when the weather is really bad, and I know I can't be getting out. I

There is a live in maid, cook, driver/go for, the pets' sitter and grounds keeper. NOT, NOT only in my wishes.

Right now, have almost an empty nest, own "boss" but I keep active. A member of four groups which are all focused on quilting. What else LOL the QB, guild, charity and a faith/spiritual group.

It also helps to be an insomniac. No secrets just lots of me time, of course with all of the -s & +s. Just try to keep the energy level up and positive most of the time.

Even ten minutes while waiting for the potatoes to boil, etc. makes a BIG difference--don't forget to set a timer so you do not burn stuff!

This is going to be one of my new year's "resolutions" - spend more time at the sewing machine! I work full time and do almost all the work around the house, but I have to prioritize! and quilt making is moving UP the ladder this year.

I find myself on this board way way too much and getting nothing accomplished