Time Change, Business Trips, & More
Is anyone else still yawning from the Daylight Savings time change this past weekend? I love the extra hour in fall, but somehow this spring adjustment always comes on a busy weekend and steals an hour of precious sleep!
Speaking of busy, I’m finding it harder and harder to make time for personal quilting these days. My 2-year-old is fairly content to play in my studio or with toys nearby, but the minute I turn on the sewing machine, he’s at my side. He’s a ”button” kid, and the lure of the buttons to push and the changing graphics on my Janome are just too tempting to avoid. That narrows my quilting time down to either the evenings my husband puts Thomas to bed, weekend nap time, or after Thomas goes to bed. As you can imagine, when you factor in chores, spending time with my husband, exercising, and other projects in the works (printing/cutting invitations for my sister-in-law’s upcoming wedding), somehow quilting draws the short straw.
One of my solutions: When I have time, I press and cut fabric and organize pieces for blocks into piles. That way, when I do have time, even 20 or 30 minutes, I can sit right down to sew rather than trying to figure out what’s next or find time to do the boring parts, like ironing. One block at a time I make progress.
Another temporary solution: My husband has a week-long business trip coming up. That means takeout or leftovers for dinner (so no cooking and minimal cleaning up), an early bedtime for Thomas, and 2 hours per night that I can spend in my studio! I’m excited to spend that time sewing. Now, the only question is, do I try to finish a project already in the works, or start something new just for fun? Hmmm…
How do you carve out time for quilting? Post a comment here or on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quilt-Magazine/187279727971589
About the Author: Lisa Swenson Ruble
I made my first quilt when I graduated from college and realized that I needed a hobby to fill all those hours that used to be dedicated to homework! Eleven years later, I'm completely addicted to quilting and thrilled that my day job as the managing editor for Quilt, Simple Quilts & Sewing and Quilt Almanac allows me to "play" with quilts and the friendly world of quilters!
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