5 Motivation Boosters for When Your Quilt Stalls

I love English Paper Piecing. I don't mind that it's slow because it keeps my hands busy while watching TV in the evenings or waiting in the car during after-school dance. I love it so much that each morning, I work at my computer for a few hours, and then my reward is to head to the couch, turn my story on, and stitch. But every quilt reaches a step in the process where the fun stitching on the couch ends and a bunch of tricky, 'up on your feet' jobs begin. Maybe it's preparing joining shapes after the satisfaction of finishing your blocks, maybe you've finished your quilt top except for those last little joining pieces. My Good Things are Coming Quilt was making such happy progress until I got to the section above. Blocks mostly done, corner triangles to cut and baste and stitch, and then a bunch of pressing, trimming, machine sewing jobs that was out of my EPP flow. There's something about a change of process that always sends my motivation scurrying, and the final stages of a quilt involve lots of changes in process.

I want to comment here that when I get stuck, sometimes the exact right thing to do is to set it aside and come back later, let thoughts like, "I've been stitching this forever and I have so much left to do!" subside, and wait for interest to spark again. For me it almost always does. Putting a project down and working on something else for a while is a great response if I'm feeling uneasy because I don't like it as much as I hoped and I need time to ponder, or if my quilt requires something of me that I can't offer right now (I'm terrible at making fabric choices when the kids are home on school holidays - I need quiet!). But I've discovered a few points in the making of a quilt where I always put it down, and I never feel like picking it back up again. Points where I will never feel a natural sense of motivation. Points like adding a zillion joining shapes, or machine sewing rows, or pressing a quilt, or basting it ready for quilting. For these steps, I can't just wait until motivation sparks. If I want to finish the quilt I've started, I have to just do them. For these times, I use the following motivation hacks to help me get started and enjoy the process more.

The number one reason any of my quilts stall is because the next job is BIG, and too big for what I have time for or feel like doing that day. I have a terrible habit of finishing a quilt top and then calling the next part on the to-do list "Finish the quilt". But finishing the quilt is made up of lots of little jobs, and while I might not have time or motivation to check "finish the quilt" off my list, maybe I could press the quilt, or choose the backing, or sew the backing?

For my Good Things Are Coming Quilt, once I finished all the blocks, the next task was to make the quilt top. For my list, I broke this right down into little steps I could do over a few weeks:

• remove papers
• press blocks
• tidy cutting bench
• trim blocks
• cut sashing and setting squares
• sew sashing to blocks
• sew quilt top together
• press quilt top

Often when I write a list, I discover little obstacles I hadn't registered because they aren't on a usual quilt making list. I include tasks like tidying up the cutting bench or clearing the lounge room floor because they're usually a step I need to take before I can move onto trimming blocks or basting a quilt.

Writing a list of bite-size next steps always helps me see that the next thing I need to do isn't so big afterall.

Ever heard of the 10 minute rule? You set a timer for 10 minutes and get whatever you can get done until the timer goes off. This can go two ways. After 10 minutes, you might decide you're in the groove and are happy to keep going. I often find this with the dishes, or a cutting-bench tidy up. Setting the timer just helped me start the thing, and now that I've started, I'm good to keep going.

If, after 10 minutes, I'm still dragging my feet, I put it down and go work on something else. It's much easier to make myself come back tomorrow for another 10 minutes if I keep my word to myself.

I often find myself trying to get through a big task on my list until it's done. But for the last two weeks, I've really enjoyed the steady, pain-free progress of pressing my 9 Good Things are Coming blocks, 1 block per day. I'm in no rush, I have no deadline, so I can press one a day, and then go back to my EPP on the couch. Maybe you add the joining shapes to 3 blocks before switching to the quilt you're really motivated for, or you set a timer as above and make progress on something 10 minutes a day. Whatever you decide, putting a project that's become a grind on the back burner, rather than packing it away altogether, means that it still makes it's way to the finish line without so much friction. 

I'm such a sucker for a reward! Knowing that I can sit and sew in the afternoon with a story on, after I've done all my computer work helps me stay at my computer. Placing a little carrot (start that new quilt/buy that new fabric/order those paper pieces) after I finish this quilt, makes it fun to keep pushing to the end.

I've set up a reward system for myself that I call Finish 2, Start 1. I can start any new quilt I want, after I finish 2 WIPs (works in progress) first. It's just the push I need to tackle the final stages of an almost finished quilt, because I love starting new quilts so much! 

When setting a reward, tune into what makes your motivation sing. It doesn't have to be big or expensive or full of sugar. I've been amazed to watch my boys do their French lessons on Duolingo every night, just because they don't want to lose their streak! I also recommend collecting reward ideas. Maybe an upcoming fabric collection or quilt pattern, a trip to a favourite quilt shop. Rather than just diving in and buying, maybe you could make a deal with yourself that you'll get it after you do that thing you've been avoiding!

Yesterday, I pushed through and finished my Good Things are Coming quilt top. I did that by putting on a TV show. I'd only planned to add the sashing yesterday, but I was enjoying the show so much, I just kept going! 

Finding company is another great way to get through the boring bit. I like taking a few blocks that need joining pieces whenever I catch up with a friend who crochets. We can sit and chat, and I don't even notice that I'm making progress. 

And now I have a beautiful quilt top! Isn't she well worth the effort? 

I love having the freedom to switch what I'm working on if I get stuck or bored with a quilt, but there are some tasks that I'll rarely come back to if left to my own devices. Using these gentle motivation tricks helps me push a quilt through to the finish line in a way that's pretty fun and satisfying. Is there anything you'd add to the list? 

Check out my other tips on loving your Quilt WIPs below!