While we live and breath everything quilting, even the most avid quilter gets a case of the blahs and loses their sewing mojo. Nothing sounds appealing to make. Inspiration? *shrug*. Want-to? Nada. So does that mean it's time to pack it up and call it a day on quilting? Nope. It just means we need to have a look at what stole our mojo, and see what it takes to get excited for sewing again. Here's a few things to consider:
Take a Break
Yes, it's allowed. Sometimes we have cranked out too many projects too fast and we're just kind of sick of sewing for a bit and need a little space to get the want-to back. Sometimes the brain needs a little refresh and it's hard to do when you haven't taken the time. And, I get it. It's hard to make the time (what even is spare time)? Life is...chaotic. I'm not sure anyone has made it through the last couple years totally unscathed. We're all t i r e d and there's no sense in adding pressure by beating yourself up for not having the energy to do the thing. Take the time to rest. Get some good sleep. If you're not getting good sleep, get that checked out. Feeling low about everything that's gone on and can't shake it? Maybe get that checked out too. There's no shame in the self-care game. It's hard to do the stuff you want to do if you're not doing well to start with. Pick it back up when you're feeling better - it's not like your sewing machine will grow feet and walk away in the mean time (if it does, that's a story I'd LOVE to hear more about). What does a "break" look like? That's totally up to you and what you need. Maybe it's a week. Maybe it's a year. Regardless, taking the time you need to rejuvenate is time very well spent.
Clean Up/Rearrange Your Sewing Area
Neeeeeat...who doesn't just love choreing. But as unappealing as cleaning your sewing area might sound, it can be a good way to break out of the sewing rut. I know that for one, I find it overwhelming to try create something when I have stuff all over the place getting in my way (literally or visually), so I mean, that's one benefit. But really, you get to rediscover some cool stuff you maybe forgot you had. I can't even tell you how many neat books I've reacquainted with while cleaning, and then got jazzed about something I saw while I leafed through (while yeah, I "should" have been cleaning). When we rearrange things a bit sometimes we find a piece of fabric in the stash that just calls out and inspires after a second look. When tidying up notions, you might find a ruler you bought and thought was cool at one point, but put away and forgot about it. Maybe pulling that ruler out again might spark an idea, or a desire to give it another try.
Go Through Your UFOs
We have allll been there. We start a thing, see some shiny new fabric or book, and start a new thing. What happens to Thing 1? Into the UFO bin never to see the light of day again until ???. If you're already not feeling like sewing, going through old projects you lost time for or interest in may seem counterintuitive. But taking a dive into the ol' UFO stack might as well be a trip through the cupboard to Narnia. Sure, we may not meet Mr. Tumnus, but we will certainly meet some oldies but goodies that are worth revisiting. Just because something ended up in the UFO pile never meant it was a bad project - maybe we got sidetracked, or had to switch tasks and forgot about it, or maybe even bit off more than we could chew at the time. You may find a project that inspires you to finish it.
Get Real About Time Management
Well, if that isn't some gross office lingo. But time management is everything whether we consciously think about it or not. Time is a commodity that, like money, for some weird reason simply refuses to grow on trees. We all only get twenty-four measly hours and we have to spend a good chunk of that time on sleeping, eating, and working (whatever it is that "work" means for you). I don't know where this idea came from, but we don't have to spend hours sewing. We may want to, but it's not required. If you have been feeling like "Well, since I don't have hours to commit, I might as well not bother"...it might be time to look at time management sideways. Maybe we can't make a sew day work, but what if we can make an hour work? Or fifteen minutes spent pre-cutting a project so you can just sit and sew later when you have more time? It doesn't have to be a large time expenditure, especially if you don't have large pockets of time. Any time spent sewing is time well spent. And if you don't feel like you can make it work, refer to Item #1.
Change It Up
As much as this feels like blasphemy to say on a quilt shop's quilt blog...if you have the itch to make something but simply can't get motivated to make a quilt...make something else. There's a plethora of sewing projects that yield something practical - bags, rice heat packs, little wallets, stuff for our pets, notebook covers, soft books, fidget "quilts" (they're more like little lap mats), etc. Pinterest is your friend! Have you ever tried embroidery or cross stitch? Maybe now's the time to try it. What about knitting or crochet? There's TONS of videos out there showing you how (for real, this kid is AMAZING - Jonah's Hands). Maybe now's the time to dust off the ol' Bob Ross tapes and try painting a little happy something. There's all kinds of stuff old and new to try.
Visit Your Local Quilt Shop
That's not a sales pitch! Nothing feels quite as crappy as feeling obligated ot buy something when you're not in the mindset to do the thing. But what taking a walk through your LQS can do for you is fill your eyes with beautiful colors and patterns - the fabrics, the samples, and the atmosphere of being with people who have a passion for quilting. You don't have to buy a single thing, but the love of quilting is infectious. You may well walk out wanting to get back into your sewing space to try out something you saw there, or just to look at and enjoy the fabrics you have at home.
These are certainly not hard and fast rules, or even the only things you can do to get that spark back. This looks different for everyone! What has helped you get back at it? Let us know in the comments below.
