The Burnt Out Quilter

Once Upon A Time:  Yes that is it; we all had a dream of creating that great quilt.  We joined quilt guilds, took classes, went on quilt trips, brought fabrics, more fabrics, a lot more fabrics,  quilt books and magazines, and all kinds of gadgets to make quilting even more easy and we were happy.  We neglected or should I say forgot all about the family and their needs between all the quilting. We did try to fit them in and to keep them happy we made them a quilt.  Our whole being was nothing but quilting.  We made quilt for charity, family, friends, co-workers and challenges.  Every new technique we wanted to learn, we need more classes, new sewing machines, a better place to work and still we are not happy with our sewing room.  We envy those who are retired, because they can pursue their “Love of Quilting” because they have more time than those of us who still have to work.

Now are economy is in a hole, we cannot seem to fine the extra cash to buy that new sewing machine, to spend on classes, trips, books, magazines and gadgets.  It is time to catch up on the bills not make more, but as quilters we will find a way.    We look around our sewing room (if we have one) or it could be the bedroom, the basement, or living room and see all that fabric that we brought doing the years because we just had to have it for that next “great quilt”.  We’ve had it for so long that we forgot what we were going to do with it in the first place.  Then we realize that “hey I need to go out a buy more fabric to match with what I have”.  “I cannot find the right color or print to match this”, the viscous cycle is repeated.

I am a “Burnt Out Quilter” and you may be one too.  I say this because I just sit in my sewing room (I do have one off the dining room) and look at all the fabric I have brought during the years, and still buying.  I don’t know what I want to make, then again I do, but it seems that I do not have the right fabrics (color, prints, style).  I cannot make up my mind what I want to do to use up the fabric that I have.  Why am I buying more fabrics, patterns, etc.?     I don’t really feel like looking through all this fabric trying to come up with the light, dark and medium combination to make the “quilt of my dreams”.  It is too much of an effort, maybe I just go read a book or watch TV.  Oh God, I don’t know what to make, my creativity is in the toilet.   Help me someone to get out of this slump.  Well, I can always count on inspiration from my fellow quilters.  Just going to the Bee or Guild always inspires me to make a quilt just like I saw in show-n-tell.

While writing this article, I had to run to the Safeway.  While in line I saw a quilting magazine on the counter, I picked it up and look through it.  I brought the dame magazine, which I will look thought and think, “Oh I should make that”.  It will be on the bookshelf within the week, and I most likely will not make anything out of it.  This is a sad situation.  I must stop the madness.  Are you feeling the same way I am?  If not you will get to this point in your quilting life and understand what I am saying, or maybe you have been through this already.  But what every I am feeling about quilting, I know I will still quilt something, if not the “quilt of my dreams” or  that “great quilt” it will be something.

Happy Quilting or Not