a world of Quilty Challenges
How absolutely fascinating it's been to study your detailed and thoughtful responses to my question "What one main thing would enable you to enjoy this hobby more?" Seems like many of you dug deep and gained a new, hopefully helpful perspective of your main sewing challenge(s). Knowing where you're stuck is surely an important step in the right direction. Kudos to you!
For my own benefit, I made a list briefly summarizing your challenges and noting which ones were most common. (You already knew I geek out about fabric, quilts and color... Go ahead and add this sort of thing to the list! Ha.) Here are the most popular "needs". Some are grouped together where I made connections:
Time Management + Organization - Many of us have to snatch our sewing in 15 minute intervals. Especially when we have to pack our things away each time, this makes gathering supplies and getting started feel hardly worthwhile. How can we keep our supplies, scraps and works-in-progress well organized so that starting/finding is as painless as possible? Are there more efficient ways to sew in 15 minute intervals? 18 points
Focus - Inspiration abounds, overwhelms and threatens to distract us from just about anything we set out to do. Many of us lose interest easily or abandon ship when we feel stuck. When we have many things in progress we can't decide where to focus our energy. How can we maintain momentum and still enjoy the process? 13 points
Smaller Projects - Although we love to make quilts, we don't need a ton of them and we would so enjoy some faster finishes. We're looking for small, practical projects for the home or to gift. Extra credit if we can make them from scraps! 11 points
True Scrappiness - Maybe we've inherited fabrics, changed our style or made some bum purchases. One way or the other, we have fabrics that we don't exactly love... and we still want to create from what's on hand. Show us how to love real, clashy scrappiness. 9 points
Most of the other challenges mentioned have to do with developing a particular skill set such as free motion quilting, choosing fabrics, making design choices, etc. These are the types of "help" that quilting bloggers usually offer, I think.
I had not at all anticipated the outpouring of interest in time management and organization! And that intrigues me. I guess, to be honest, that part comes kind of naturally to me so that I take it for granted. I wonder if I could help out somehow along those lines? It's all so personal though. I'd hate to give the impression that doing things any one way is "the right" or "the efficient" way to do it. Hmmm...
As it happens, yesterday I pulled out these not-so-loved fabrics and tried to think what I could do with them, using scraps as well. (Disclaimer: I do not hate these fabrics at all. They're just not my favorites right now. I fully realize that I could happily use them in some contexts!)
What I came up with did not At All please me! I scrapped the whole idea. Which is all to say that you're not alone! I think the most sure-fire solution to unloved fabrics and scraps is to sell or gift them to someone who can love them. But, I agree that using them and enjoying it would be way more rewarding.
Ok, that's lots for me to think about. Thanks for coming through with such great material! I make no promises, but I'll be brainstorming.
xo,
Rachel
For my own benefit, I made a list briefly summarizing your challenges and noting which ones were most common. (You already knew I geek out about fabric, quilts and color... Go ahead and add this sort of thing to the list! Ha.) Here are the most popular "needs". Some are grouped together where I made connections:
Time Management + Organization - Many of us have to snatch our sewing in 15 minute intervals. Especially when we have to pack our things away each time, this makes gathering supplies and getting started feel hardly worthwhile. How can we keep our supplies, scraps and works-in-progress well organized so that starting/finding is as painless as possible? Are there more efficient ways to sew in 15 minute intervals? 18 points
Focus - Inspiration abounds, overwhelms and threatens to distract us from just about anything we set out to do. Many of us lose interest easily or abandon ship when we feel stuck. When we have many things in progress we can't decide where to focus our energy. How can we maintain momentum and still enjoy the process? 13 points
Smaller Projects - Although we love to make quilts, we don't need a ton of them and we would so enjoy some faster finishes. We're looking for small, practical projects for the home or to gift. Extra credit if we can make them from scraps! 11 points
True Scrappiness - Maybe we've inherited fabrics, changed our style or made some bum purchases. One way or the other, we have fabrics that we don't exactly love... and we still want to create from what's on hand. Show us how to love real, clashy scrappiness. 9 points
Most of the other challenges mentioned have to do with developing a particular skill set such as free motion quilting, choosing fabrics, making design choices, etc. These are the types of "help" that quilting bloggers usually offer, I think.
I had not at all anticipated the outpouring of interest in time management and organization! And that intrigues me. I guess, to be honest, that part comes kind of naturally to me so that I take it for granted. I wonder if I could help out somehow along those lines? It's all so personal though. I'd hate to give the impression that doing things any one way is "the right" or "the efficient" way to do it. Hmmm...
As it happens, yesterday I pulled out these not-so-loved fabrics and tried to think what I could do with them, using scraps as well. (Disclaimer: I do not hate these fabrics at all. They're just not my favorites right now. I fully realize that I could happily use them in some contexts!)
What I came up with did not At All please me! I scrapped the whole idea. Which is all to say that you're not alone! I think the most sure-fire solution to unloved fabrics and scraps is to sell or gift them to someone who can love them. But, I agree that using them and enjoying it would be way more rewarding.
Ok, that's lots for me to think about. Thanks for coming through with such great material! I make no promises, but I'll be brainstorming.
xo,
Rachel