stitch678

I always though l'd have plenty of sewing time when l retired. Well, that hasn't happened. 😅 Babysitting grandkids, travel, doing things with hubby ( "camping" trips in motorhome, golf, shopping and errands together) and housework, gardening and cooking make sewing time a rare pleasure...so, l have to stay focused when l do get to sew. I find quilts eat up a lot of time. I try to have other types of sewing to do waiting in project boxes with fabric chosen and pattern all together. I've made costumes for a little local dance school, new curtains for the kitchen , seat cushions for diningroom, figit lap quilts for Alzheimer patients,placemats for Meals on Wheels, walker bags for nursing homes, food tote bags for local food bank and even a modesty skirt for a baby grand piano at the chapel where our QOV group sews. My stash is large enough that l seldom need to buy fabric, and it's organized for my needs by colour and size of piece so everything's easy to find. My sewing room is not large ( in with laundry) so it has to be organized and tidied during last 15 min. of sewing therapy time.
lf you aren't enjoying the quilt making, consider sewing something else! You can certainly contribute to your community in more ways than quilting. Give excesx fabric to a group who wil. Use it and use the reclaimed space for something new.

Anniedeb

I love what IceBlossom said....It's OK to change our minds... I have evolved a lot as a quilter, and while I love everything I've made, I'm just not in that same space anymore. I have a good sized stash, and may never use it all, but that's OK too. I can now "see" what my quilt will look like, using specific fabrics, or patterns. That is something I struggled with for a long time, and then it just happened. During my struggle periods I often felt like giving up, because I'd had enough, but never did. Just worked through my thoughts, and decided what I really wanted to do, and went from there.

Mkotch

As many of you, I'm a great starter but not a great finisher of projects. I have a large pizza box full of orphan blocks, too. But we have a long winter here in Vermont, so on the snowiest days I get out my orphans and make table runners and table toppers. These might have been bigger quilts at the beginning. Anyway, finishing these little projects helps me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. And the backs are perfect for that nice "I can't cut it" fabrics.

But now that it's summer, I find myself starting a few new projects, pecking away slowly at older ones, and not doing as much quilting as in winter. I am kind to myself and sit and read for a whole afternoon if I feel like it. My best advice: lose the guilt, enjoy the hobby when the mood arises!

WMUTeach

Just a couple of thoughts. 1. You don't need to print every pattern that catches your eye. Create a file on your computer and save the pattern or the web address. From time to time look them over and delete what in reality you will never use.

2. Not quilting like you wish you could is common to many quilters. We set high standards for ourselves. We compare our work to master quilters or pieces entered into shows or competitions or what is mass produced by machines. STOP. Make what you like, and give it away. Few, very few recipients will know if there are missing points or if the meandering is imperfect. They will look at the colors and pattern and bask in the snuggle of warmth.

3. The more you make the more your skills will deepen and I just bet you will be more pleased with your efforts.

I speak from experience. I don't make perfect quilts, never have. But I try new patterns, because its fun, like figuring out a puzzle. I use what is at hand and don't buy without a plan for the fabric. Results.... less stash, better skills and a very happy heart when I give away a pile of warm hugs to an organization that can distribute them.

Final thought, enjoy the process, for you it us piecing. Revel in it, and stitch away. Big breath and start cutting your next warm hug.

Lena1952

WMUTech, your statement was perfect. Many of us need to hear this. Like you I don’t make perfect quilts. I try to make them as close to perfect as I can. For me the joy is in the making and gifting. In the past I entered quilts in our state fair but after a few years realized I don’t feel the need to have my work judged. No one I have gifted a quilt to has ever asked if their quilt won a ribbon. I’ve sewn in joy, sorrow and everything in between. Sometimes I’ve taken a short break. But I always come back to quilting. I don’t recommend giving everything away. Purge if you feel the need and if it helps make your life more manageable.

bkay

There's a lady in our Guild who just does piecing. You can give her a kit and she will return it at the next meeting. One of our long-armers will quilt it and our recently retired community service leader's Mom will bind it. Of course, there are lots of steps along the way.

When you are doing community service quilting, every step is very important. I particularly like to cut. Some people hate that step. Doing something for someone else feeds the soul.

Maybe joining a guild that does community service will spark your mojo.

bkay

Iceblossom

Coming back to chime in on the idea that finished is better than perfection.

I believe I have solid skills but that my best, or at least, most complex quilts are behind me. But there are all sorts of wonderful projects that I can do within my current skill/vision set and still enjoy both the process and the finished work. I am lucky that I will be able to shift my attention away from piecing to improving my quilting down process and that I have plenty of completed tops to work on for at least (my estimation) a year. If not -- I can whip up some more, but I'm not sure who/what my target audience will be. That's ok, I can think about that when then time comes.

Even with a different primary emphasis, I still feel that I will want to do a bit of sewing on a daily basis. Now that I know that I can see and will be able to drive and all sorts of things like that, I plan to join and get active in my local quilt guild. I'm hoping that maybe I can find someone that does primarily applique and that we can work together where I give them a pieced background for their work. I'm pretty bored myself with strings or log cabins or various other things -- but as a background with a lively applique, I can still get into that especially if I don't have to do the applique. Even better if I can use up color groups of stash fabric to do that. I would just consider it as time sewing and donation fabric. Maybe after a couple I might want to keep one for myself but that's not the plan.

bearisgray

People play golf and other sports - and most feel that the activity is "the thing" - not any product or item from the activity.

Maybe if we think of sewing or piecing as just an activity - like going to a concert - or eating out - the money spent will be thought of as "experience" money instead of an investment.

That would be hard for me to do - but I'm getting close to thinking that my shopping was "an activity" and all my fabric is "travel souvenirs".

Why should fabric buyers donate all their excess? Are gun collectors or stamp collectors or car collectors expected to donate their excess?

stitch678

Bearisgrey, l collected fabric at every place we went when we travelled. After the pandemic, we no longer travelled far. In 2021, l made my " travel quilt"... like postcards from every place we ever went that had a fabric shop. It's my most cherished quilt. I've only kept a few for myself, and this one's my favorite. 🙂

joe'smom

I don't think we should donate 'excess' because we're expected to, but because we feel burdened by it and we want to. If you're not burdened by your fabric (or something else), then it isn't excessive, imo.