With Thanksgiving past and marketing wizards trying to whip up the annual American Christmas shopping frenzy, I realize my plans for making Christmas gifts may have exceeded a realistic level. To assure that I succeed, I rely on my daily habit of stitching every day!
And the most important key to being able to maintain that daily habit is to always leave something ready for my return the next day!! I started this habit many years ago when I was still operating my quilt shop. I discovered that taking a few minutes to set up the next day's work enabled me to come home and no matter how tired I was, it was easy to pick up something and begin to stitch.
The hardest part of staying motivated for me is getting started when I'm tired. If I don't have to think about "what to do", it's so much easier to start. And once I start, the work calms and soothes me. When it's time to stop, it's easy to decide what needs to be done next and lay it out for tomorrow.
I have three sewing areas (what a luxury!) and generally, there is something going on in each of them. I invested in an APQS George quilting machine a year and a half ago. It lives in my office adjacent to the kitchen. I work there in 30 minute spurts to prevent neck and shoulder discomfort. If I'm not working on one of my own pieces, there is usually a charity quilt on the table. My machine quilting skill remains well honed if I quilt regularly so a bit every day is best.
Then there is my studio with my beloved and reliable Bernina 1031 - I've used it so much over the past 25 years that I wore out the feeddogs and had them replaced last year! I never leave without setting up the next phase of the current project. And I never work on a project without something there on the right to use as "leaders and enders" (ala Bonnie Hunter).
And finally there is my little cozy hole in the living room where I do all my hand stitching. It is stocked with everything I might need -- fine scissors, a variety of hand sewing needles, basic threads, pincushions, and thimbles. None of those items are allowed to leave there under any circumstances!! If I'm traveling with hand stitching, there is a separate pouch with another set of those items. Right now, I'm spending most evenings knitting for my family -- sweaters for the grands and socks for everyone who has ever said they "love them" to me.
So if you are under the gun to get too many Christmas gifts made in time, try this approach to keeping yourself motivated. Let me know how it works for you!!
Must go piece!!
Mary Huey
www.maryhueyquilts.com
This is an excellent article Mary! I am going to have to share it on FB!! Such good advice
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth!!
DeleteI, too, have the luxury of two places to sew and a hand stitching area. For my sanity, I do 15 minutes a day or more. So soothing. Thanks, Mary.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting again, Ann!
DeleteThank you for the tour of your work spaces! I like your set up! Question - I'm in need of replacing my scissors. You mentioned fine scissors - what brand/s do you recommend? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMost of my scissors are Ginghers which I've had for years -- love that they can be sharpened and I send them to the US Gingher office in South Carolina -- you can find that information on their website. Recently, I needed a new pair of 4" scissors and found one that Omnigrid sells one (manufactured by KAI) -- wow, are they pointy and sharp!! Anyone else out there have some experience to share with Sharon?
DeleteThank you for the info, Mary. I'll go take a look!
DeleteWhat a great article, Mary! I like to prep work ahead of the next day too! Although I only have two workstations (hand and machine). I've been looking at George for a third workstation. . ..have you ever quilted a king or queen sized quilt with him?
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Emily -- the largest piece I've done on my George is a twin. Since I developed shoulder and neck issues, I've been doing anything larger than a twin in sections -- either two halves or thirds or quarters. I suggest you contact Beth Schillig via Facebook -- she is the rep for APQS here in Ohio and might be able to put you in touch with someone who is doing larger pieces. Hope that helps!!
DeleteThank you, Mary!
DeleteThanks for letting us come into your home and learning your tricks of the trade!
ReplyDeleteMary, I would like to know more about your APQS George quilting machine. I am looking to purchase a sit down long arm and wondered if you have any problems with this machine, approximate cost, how well you like it compared to others on the market, etc... mamiebudgeese@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI enjoy working on my George -- it was a fairly easy transition from my Brother 1500. I did have to get over being shy about adjusting the tension -- different ballgame than a home machine! I confess that I didn't do a lot of comparison shopping. The gal I bought it through was a Bernina dealer with me for many years and if George was good enough for her, it was good enough for me. Retail is around $6500 and that includes the table. The table is a good size and the long head of the machine simplifies managing the bulk of a large quilt. I would advise you go to one of the large quilt shows and try all of them!!
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