Today’s Topic:-Quilt Habits Be Prepared!
Hello, Quilters!
Habits can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
I’ve been thinking about my own habits lately. For nearly ten years, I was in the habit of blogging most days of the week. It was a great habit that pushed my skills in quilting, photography and writing. (Frankly, it changed my life!) Unfortunately, for the past year, I fell out of the habit of blogging. I told myself I was too busy–and I was. But all too often, I was busy doing things that didn’t matter and didn’t make me happier or healthier. I was playing Wordle when I could have been doodling. I was watching TV, when I could have been going on nature walks, and I was dusting when I could have been quilting. (Okay–I know some people think dusting is worthwhile…)
In general, I was doing things that I thought were a good use of my time, but I knew they weren’t the BEST use of my time.
So my resolution for 2023 is to be mindful of how I use my time.
Quilting Habits-Be Prepared!
Today, please join me as we start quilting in 2023 by being prepared!
Ask yourself, “If I had 15 minutes to spare, would I be able to quilt?”.
If the answer is “no”…
What can YOU do today to ensure that when you have a few spare minutes you can fill it with quilting?
A few suggestions:
- Create 4-5 small quilt sandwiches for experimentation and play only
- Clean your machine, and install a new needle.
- Review machine set-up for free motion quilting on your machine.
- And whenever inspiration strikes, quilt for 15 minutes. Don’t plan, just see where the needle takes you!
Please Share!
What quilting habit would help you be prepared?
Do you think you could find 15 minutes to quilt most days this week?
What’s the limiting factor?
We’d LOVE to hear!
Yours truly,
Lazy-no-more, Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com!
Check out my books on Etsy: LoriKennedyShop
83 comments
fly2writer3065
Hi Lorie, this is Agnes. Inspired by your invite Iam very much passionate about joining you – to learn, create and spend time usefully. I have some basic knowledge of quilting, so I think with little bit of pushing I can become quite more creative and productive. I love to put myself into doodling too. Thank you and be connected.
Meg Harmon
I set aside Mondays fir major house cleaning work. The other days have assigned tasks, guild, sewing groups, transport of grandchildren, Bible study group but in and around those days, I do the majority of my sewing/quilting. Weekends? Unless I have to help with granddaughter’s competition dance stuff, I sew quite a bit. Church always unless weather does not cooperate. I need to work in more physical exercise but I am working on scheduling that activity.
Susan J.
Lori, So glad you are back. I have fallen off the quilting wagon, but am ready to get back on! Looking forward to more of your blogging.
Patty
After commuting every weekend to a new job for several months, we finally moved in November. I have not even had time to sew for months or set up my machine since we moved. But today after reading this, I set up my machines! Didn’t do any free motion quilting yet but it felt so good to make two baby burp cloths for some friends that had babies two months ago! Feeling inspired now!
Lorraine Doyno Evans
Almost every day I say I am going to sew early in the morning, but then there is always one more thing to do: put a load of laundry in or out of the machine, run an errand or appointment, call that health insurance rep line that puts you on hold for 1/2 hour or transfers you around the company, do e-mail, quilt guild committee work, etc. It seems like a little string of things you need to do takes all day and then it is evening. I still manage to sew a lot mostly because my sewing friends and I text each other when one of us is sewing to let the others know we are on zoom to sew. This works well and a group of 3 or 4 of us manage to get on zoom a few nights a week and weekends to sew together.
Marjorie Mikkelsen
Very interesting! Today a group in our church is beginning a 21 Day of Prayer and Fasting. A discipline I have needed. When I read these posts I know I enjoy so much quilting and need to pick up my pace here. So as God leads,I hope to get back do more of it. I have so much fabric and ideas and am wanting to do more doodling for projects for others. Thank you for letting me share my ‘walk’ with you. Marjorie from Ontario.
Susan Spencer
This week we have been dealing with a power outage of five days, rain, wind, trees and branches falling all over–so, not much quilting. However–two days ago, I hauled out my antique, hand-cranked Frister and Rossman machine, cleaned and oiled it, and spent a bit of time sewing blocks for a quilt–and then using the flat iron my late mother-in law gave me to press my seams. I felt SO empowered and MUCH happier.
Pam Peterson
Way to make lemonade out of 🍋!
Donna
Lori, I am so glad you are back! Right now I am reorganizing my sewing space and then I will be sewing again! There is so much more to learn.
Jacque T.
I am often fatigued by my job. I am a nurse that travels to see a large caseload. When the end of the day comes, I sit in front or the tube often, but when my kids were little, I would often sneak a little time after then went to bed. Thanks for reminding me that sneaking in a little time here and there is again an option. I look back and see how much more creative I used to be by doing that. We forget those opportunities often. I am glad you are back. I was so pleased to see you in my inbox. Cheers to a year of good creativity for all!
Cathy Stumpf
Lori,
May God continually fill your cup as you so graciously pour out to others!
Thank You for sharing your talent.
Monica
Lori, so glad you are back. I love your doodles and your beautiful designs. With so many quilt tops to finish ( I’ve been frozen in fear of messing up) and a recently retired husband who thinks all free time should be we time you’ve inspired me to give 15 minutes a try. While hubby is on his computer planning our day- I can be in my happy place sewing away! Thank you!
Claudia
Happy New Year and Welcome back Lori!!!!! You are inspiring me and yes I can and need to make time for quilting, so far behind from last years issues etc. This will be a healing to get back and a happiness I have missed. So thank you and I look forward to reading more of your articles and tutorials, love them. Boy do I need practice, feel like a beginner, geesh. Many hugs. Claudia
KateB
So glad you are back here & I needed that inspiration. I walk by my old
810 Bernina every day and just sigh…This is just what I needed to get going
on my UFO’s. Thank you & stay warm.
Margaret
So glad you’re back, Lori, and with great ideas and motivation right out of the gate! This is the year
of “15’s” – 15 minute blocks of intentional action and mindful presence – awareness of just where the minutes of the day go. And those 15 minute blocks can go back-to-back, so that an intentional 15 minutes at a quilting project can easily turn into an hour or more. I will work and play and not judge. I just plan to be more aware of where my time is going each day. It’s a challenge, but a good one. And fun! It should be fun!
Rhonda Renee Goss
Loved your blog and have missed it.
Lori Whitman
I spent many years in a horse development program, and our instructor told us to make a commitment of 10 minutes a day with our horses doing something. most likely you end up spending way more than 10 minutes because it’s just the act of getting going. people of procrastinate when they do have the time. Everybody has 10 minutes.
I started free motion quilting, and then for whatever reason quit. I think a big quilt project happened or maybe a few other projects. Now I’m procrastinating starting again. I know for me. My downfall is fear of failure. I don’t like the learning curve of free motion quilting. Dealing with tension, threads my machine hates, needles, free motion patterns to try and follow etc. (that’s why you’re doing is so so important Lori. You gave us homework). I used to doodle every day on my break from work at lunch and now a year has gone by and I haven’t done any of it! I always say TOMORROW I’ll start again.
Carol Elmer
Glad to see your blog back. It was missed!
Nelwyn Torres
I love your post! I finally decided this year I would clean off my quilting table so I could quilt when the moment strikes – 15 minutes here and there throughout the day and it is wonderful! It used to be stacked with new fabric I bought and quilting books and rulers and all the things so anytime I wanted to quilt I had to move all of that – which was a big hassle and so I wouldn’t. But this year I did it and I couldn’t be happier! Finally getting my sister’s quilt finished and got plans for man6 quilts afterward.
Barb Roe
When you mentioned dusting, I was reminded of a comment I heard many years ago that cracked our class up. We were in our 30s and 40s, but one senior citizen of 80+ was in the sewing class we were taking, and the topic was using compressed air cans to clear dust out of our machines where we couldn’t easily reach with a brush. Our instructor (it was in a store that sold and repaired machines as well as offering fabric) was adamant that we shouldn’t use compressed air on our high-end machines. But our experienced seamstress said, “I always use compressed air cans – I shoot them all over my furniture and quick as a bunny, I’m done with dusting and can get to my sewing.”
Cynthia A Schwenck
Hello, I have never tried free motion quilting, and I admit it scares me. I retired 12 months ago, and for the previous year I stocked up on quilting supplies. I spent the first month of retirement inventoring my supplies. I measured and tagged all the pieces of fabric over 1/3 yard. Placed pieces together that I think will be great together. Typed up the contents of each tote with the size and description of each piece. Also included how I intend to use that piece of fabric. I typed it all up, taped a sheet protector to the top that contains the inventory. When I was done I had 12 totes + 1 of scrapes. I stared at the totes for 2 weeks, completely overwhelmed, then moved them to the back room. That was it. One year later I am trying to gather the courage to dig in. I can across your blog today. You are inspiring me to go forward with my dream of making quilts for each family member. (Forgive me for the long post.)
Diana LaBonte
I’m relatively new to quilting and extremely new to free motion quilting. I absolutely love the idea of putting small sandwiches together and quilting 15 mins/day. Thanks so much for this great idea.
Janice
There was a time in my life it was hard to find a few minutes to sew. I had recently become passionate about making quilts, and I was swamped with other duties. I was raising 3 kids for my niece, running two full time businesses from my home and keeping a house functioning for the other two adults who worked outside the home. The only minutes I could find to sew was when I sat at the window in the morning and the afternoon waiting to put a child on a bus or get them off the bus. Some days it was 10 minutes and some it was more.mouth I got a lot done i those minutes. So I am living proof that you can squeeze time out of your day to feed your soul.
annieofbluegables
Dearest Lori!
Welcome back! I love the comment above, you took a sabbatical. We all need rest breaks. I was beating myself up for not getting my step goal to my physical therapist, and she said “you took a rest day”.
I have missed you, and am so very glad to see you again. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years, but I think I’ve been a fan from the very start.
I LOVE your little birdie doodles.
Cheering you on from Washington state!
-a
Helene Thiessen
Thank you for those ideas. Your quilting is amazing 😻 😻😻😻
Esperansa Loughran
Love all your designs!
Deb Grundman
Good to see you in my inbox again! Blessings to you Lori!
For me, having a cleaned up space is most inviting – so I try to tidy up when finished one day so the next opportunity has a fresh-start feel. I know not everyone has a dedicated space, but making whatever space there is a ‘welcome’ one helps a lot! Happy Quilting everyone!
Angie Lamarche
If you really want to do something you WILL find the time, if you don’t you will find an excuse. The problem I have is I have so many things I want to do, I don’t know which one to do first.
Joan
I am glad you are back! This is the year to actually quilt all of my finished tops. No more succumbing to the fear of ruining them. Yes, I have 15 minutes to dedicate to quilting.
Lois
You’ve inspired me. I need to get out your books and resume doodling.
April
Ok, this is my THIRD rewrite of this post trying to keep it shorter! Not sure I will succeed this time…
Lori, thank you for your very timely and heartfelt post on a very important subject facing all of us at one time or another! I’m glad I’m not the only one…
Sometimes life transitions (even if GOOD) knock you off track. Before you know it you find yourself doing LESS of what YOU WANT AND NEED and MORE of what the moment seems to dictate! Sometimes it just happens cuz “you didn’t know WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW” about protecting your time and energy in an unfamiliar situation!
I retired last summer and was actually getting more quilting in and that made me HAPPY! My best friend/quilting buddy and I were able to spend many happy hours in my Happy Place with regularity. Life was WONDERFUL!
Here’s the transition part… Hubby hasn’t retired (yet) but did a kind of “trial run” of it by taking vacation for most of the months of November and December. Retirement is a GOOD THING we have planned for YEARS… BUT, OH MY – before I knew it, I found that ME time quickly became WE time.
Soon despite my best intentions/plans/habits, regular time to quilt got back-burnered into almost nothing at all. Then one thing led to another and we BOTH found that the ME/WE quickly turned into a ME/WE/THEY proposition. You know, everybody and everything just kinda piles in there cuz you “have the time now”! What did we know???
I kept promising myself that tomorrow or next week I could work those blocks of time back into my life. The harder I tried the more I failed. And the more I failed the worse I felt about my failure to even come up with small blocks of time to quilt. Soon even walking into my Happy Place reminded me of my failure and all the time I had lost.
As they say, in life when a vacuum is created other things inevitably will fill it. Even if these things are good (more time with spouse, helping others, keeping the house cleaner!) a person needs BALANCE in life. ALL of these things are GOOD and NEEDFUL, but there are only so many hours in a day!!!
Make no mistake I am NOT blaming hubby! I just think that neither of us realized how important it is to have a plan to make room for the ME in WE and then to consciously make good choices about allocation of THEY time and requests.
Balance is important… Hubby is back to work for a few months now and I think we have both learned something valuable. I am using this time as a RESET. I am slowly getting things back in order on the home front (how much time REALLY needs to be devoted to cleaning house without being enslaved by the process?). We are also much more thoughtfully aware of our need to be a little more self-protective when weighing THEY time to keep us from becoming so overcommitted that ME/WE time is endangered.
The Rubiks Cube of life didn’t get skewed out of order overnight, so getting it back in order isn’t gonna be quick but I’m workin’ on it! Hopefully soon I will get back to the HAPPY in my Happy Place instead of feelings of failure and guilt. Sorry this is still too long, but hope it helps somebody!
Edy
I’m totally in the me time is we time camp as my husband retired a year ago. Trying to get back on track with that as well! Also I am one who thinks of sewing as being a big block of time event.. trying to combat that idea by making sure that when I finish sewing, I set up my machine for whatever I intend to do next…needle threaded, correct foot on the machine, etc.. That way if I only have 15 minutes, I’m all set and ready to go…. no excuses!
annieofbluegables
April, I totally understand this. When my hubby started working out of town for the week and home on weekends, I had to be totally in charge of everything. This meant taking care of five kids ages 0-10. I found my stride and had things running smoothly until the weekend arrived, then he would sail back into our lives for three nights and two days and totally disrupt all my schedules. Dinner time, bedtime, scripture reading all got blown up. Then Monday morning he was gone, and I had to get us back into the groove, only to get blown up again the next weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband very much, and I felt terribly guilty resenting him, because at the same time I was missing him very much.
It was a tough time. But like all things, that too has passed.
I think we all go through stages in our lives. There was a time I couldn’t go into my happy place (sewing room) and find happiness. I would look, and see all the UFO’s and exclaim, “what was I thinking?” and shut the door I realized I was depressed. I concentrated on getting sunshine and fresh air. That’s all I could do.
Now with traveling, I carefully plan my traveling time, and have things lined up I can hand sew. I’m making an ongoing Cathedral Window quilt I’ve been doing on and off for decades in my downtime. I’ve cut and ironed all the pieces and they are assembled in a plastic box with needles, thread, and scissors and I’ve found a perfect bag. I’ve also got socks I’m knitting and dishrags I’m crocheting. All are assigned to certain bags that I can grab at a moment’s notice. Sometimes I bring all three if the trip is longer than a couple of days. This last time I noticed my duffel bag was ripping by he zipper, and I had no time to shop for a new one, so I grabbed some items and learned Sashiko. I’m so proud of the results, I don’t want a new bag.
These all make me happy.
-a
April
Thank you, Annie… YOU are inspiring! And yes, like you – I love my husband too and don’t want to bring contention into this part of our lives!
This all takes a lot of planning… and even MORE PRAYER 🙏 in fact, we BOTH came to the conclusion that NOW was the time to begin a 40 day Bible study. It helped us both in getting back to THE BIG PICTURE! Sometimes OUR plans really arent the point in life and there is so much we miss when we dont keep things simple!
And yes, ORGANIZATION really does reduce the stress even if things don’t turn out how WE planned! LOL… I try to keep my Happy Place clean and in order (yeah, i know – how hard is that when you arent using it at all)! But I am hoping to lay out a couple SMALL projects this weekend so i am ready for when I finish a project I promised to someone else (a friend lost her husband and i offered to make her a memorial quilt with his shirts, having no idea they would be TSHIRTS! This was instead of giving her flowers, except I never made a tshirt quilt before and most likely never will again!). Everything is a learning experience!
Susan
Hi April. I truly hope you can find your happy place again. I am a perfectionist and my husband used to tell me, you are your own worst critic. It was true. I have learned to loosen up. Every morning is a new start. Do what brings you joy, and don’t focus on past failures. Just get started, and eventually good feelings will follow.
April
Thank you SO MUCH, Susan! Yep, you got me pegged! That’s what my Quilting Buddy tells me too – I guess it really DOES take one to know one. LOL! “Loosening up” is not one of my strong points, but I know that if I am going to be able to use up all of this fabric I have curated over the years I gotta get past this! I’m also making it a point to not take on any projects not my own for a while! Thank you, again 🥰
Terri
I’m so glad you are back. I try to keep some pre-cut quilt blocks in a zip bag by my machine. Then I can piece when I have a few minutes. I also try to keep a quilt sandwich ready to go by my Q20. I can sit right down when the spirit moves me, even if it only moves me for 10 minutes.
Kitty Ann
In continuing from my last comment – Last year I gave a program for my quilt guild on effective methods for bettering FMQ skills. I included information and a live demo on your doodling method – the members loved it! I gave your website info to the membership so they could follow up on their own.
Kitty Ann
Woo Hoo! Glad to see a post from you today. 🙂 I’ve been a long-time follower of your blog and magazine articles. We all need a break at some point or the other, whether we wish to admit it or not. Blogging has fallen by the wayside for many creatives in the last few years with the advent of Instagram. I really do not care for IG, and I’ve read many quilting folks are going back to blogs = YAY from me! Like many other commenters here I’m retired, since 2019, although I enjoy less stress now than when I was working, I do miss having a schedule. When I was working, I knew how much time I had per week to devote to quilting or other creative outlets, I would sew a bit in the mornings before work, and after dinner – everyday. I’d sew on Sat/Sun if I had no other commitments or plans. When I retired, and no longer had to worry about when I could sew, I found I didn’t sew nearly as much because, in my mind, I thought ‘Oh I’ve got allll day to sew, it’ll wait.’ Not a good idea, I have become less and less productive! This year I’ve made myself a schedule, printed it out and put it on my Google calendar with reminders. I have so much fabric to use, so many WIPs and UFOs to finish and now that I have a schedule they will get done!
stripeyquilter
Glad you’re back! You needed the recharging.
When I have 15 minutes I try to take care of the things that slow me down when I have bigger chunks of time. Find the right thread, look for that fabric or pattern I want for the next project, sometimes even doing a little clean up.
piecefulwendy
I have a bunch of fat quarters in colors I don’t really use anymore, and I keep telling myself to make them into quilt sandwiches for free motion practice. So maybe my first 15 minute homework should be that – getting those sandwiches ready. So glad to have you back and popping into my inbox!
Meg Harmon
You really were the one that got me started with free motion. My inspiration. Thank you. Thank you
Lynn
Me too, Meg!
Meg Harmon
😉 Quilting is a wonderful fellowship of friendship, sharing and learning. Bless you.
Cathie Houtcooper
I tried everything I knew to do to find you when your blog no longer appeared in my emails. It never occurred to me that it was on your end. WELCOME BACK!! I have missed you! Thank you for all your hard work and willingness to share with us. What Joy I experienced when I received that first email. I am happy. I do understand that you needed a break. Sometimes I journal. But I don’t feel compelled to journal. So, whenever you decide to blog and share, I want to extend my gratitude. Cathie Houtcooper
Kari Elliott
Hi Lori..like you I also paused on most creative activities. It gave me time to reflect on how limited my time here on earth is (70) and how do I want to spend it. I have taken to having something ready to sew by my machine, selecting a UFO to work on for the month and planning by using a white board in my sewing room for inspiration and lists. If I only spend 15 minutes a day in my room, I pick up one activity and do it. I am glad you are back blogging. Yours is one of the first blogs I checked for inspiration when I was planning on getting back in the groove. Welcome back!
Cathy Stumpf
Yes, turning 70 next month and I too have realized how fast our days past. I have set goals for finishing my projects and I am sticking to it. It is so satisfying to use time for something that doesn’t need done all over again tomorrow. I spent 35 years walking the halls of a hospital caring for patients . Retired 3 years. I still care for people but now in another way—I just cover them up in a cozy quilt and wrap them in love. Sew on quilting friend.
Bobbie Elder
I’m so glad to see your blog today! And you are so right about the choices we make to use pour time wisely. Thank you!
Lynn J in Wis
Hello Lori! I’m so glad you are back. I was getting worried something had happened to you or your family. So you have greatly relieved me. Enjoy you and all your help tremendously.
Cathy Bischof
Not lazy, just preoccupied with other things and that’s okay too. Sometimes a little stint away brings us back more determined. My focus this year is to get projects done, either started and never finished (I have one from 2010 that I am working on now) and to start and finish several other projects that I bought fabric for. It’s the journey!
Jaya Kamdar
Lori so happy you are back. Missed your posts so much. Thanks for for that wonderful advice. yes I can definitely take out 15 minutes to do some quilting or piecing or stitching one block.
Rozamond Hemberger
Welcome back,Lori! I know I’m one of many who have been inspired by your writing and taken up doodling and FMQ We moved back to Minnesota last month and these cold snowy days are great for organizing my new sewing room and getting back to quilting. I love it!
Marsha Thornburg
Planning! When I plan on quilting, I usually get it done as it is my focus for that day. I am a fairly organized person, but if I make a plan I usually achieve it. I just have other important things to do in my life, even though I am retired, that get in the way of my plans for quilting!
Doreen Sherk
This was up my alley, I too have done things when I could have been quilting, tv, computer games, etc., I need to make 2023 to get in better quilt habits. I like your idea what can you get done in 15 minutes, I like it!
Thank you
Christine Reeves
I think having my scrap fabrics already cut into shapes or strips to sew repetitive blocks would be easy to pick up for a short amount of time, and help eliminate those scraps at the same time!
maryhonas
This! and figuring out a way to store my stash so it’s usable and accessible.
Lois Stimax
You took a sabbatical from blogging. You didn’t stop creating or quilting-you just slowed the pace. After 10 years, you took a break. You had a season of calm, which has renewed your commitment to blogging. I think you needed it-even if you didn’t plan it. So glad you are back, but it was ok to pause.
Lynn Serio
Dust if you must but living a block or doodling is better 😌. Seeing your blog is back made me do a happy dance.
Suzi McVicker
I love to read your blogs
I am a confirmed procrastinator. That habit is worth trying to change!
Jana Pratt
So happy you are back to inspire me (us)! I try to keep the “mess” away from my sewing table – so when I have a few minutes I can sit down and sew rather than put things away.
June Neigum
That’s my problem too Jana. I got to keep things unmessy? I resolution for 2023 is to get the little piles taken care of. Either put in my scrap saver system or folded up and put in the color appropriate drawer. Glad to see you back Lori. Missed your blog.
Debbie W
So glad you are back. I too find myself doing something that doesn’t really give me joy. I have to tell myself to quit wasting time and go do something else.
Noreen Borys
Such good advice! Our time is valuable, but we don’t realize it and get into those bad habits that waste our time. Thanks, Lori!
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