Thursday 25 June 2015

WIP Box Overwhelm


One of my first blog posts for this year was The WIP Box Reflections. I shared how the challenge I set myself to empty my works-in-progress box taught me to use the box well, rather than feel guilty or overwhelmed that I needed one. I could freely put projects aside to wait for the next burst of inspiration. I could keep the lid on that box open and available for when I needed a gift or custom order, rather than hide it away to think about later. However, this year I've caught myself often feeling overwhelmed with the amount of quilts I have on the go. And it's made me wonder if my system needs tweaking?


I'm coming to realise that there are two kinds of WIPs: The ones that have been shelved because of lost love or motivation, and the ones that still inspire. The ones that have a clear deadline, and the ones that can be put off till the right time or mood strikes. Last year, my WIP box was full of projects for which I had lost motivation and had no clear deadline. The perfect projects from which to free myself of guilt and let them sit there waiting patiently. This year I seem to keep taking on quilts that I want to be finished NOW. I'm inspired by all seven of them! I want them completed by a blog hop date, or while the fabric line is still current to help inspire other makers or support the designer. When I have several of these quilts on the go, the pace seems frustratingly slow for all of them. They come off and back on my design wall regularly. And I use all my sewing time questioning whether I'm using my time well, and which quilt I feel like working on most, and whether that's even the best way to decide!


Part of my challenge is setting realistic goals. This involves thinking through the details. And I am not a details person. Sometimes, when the week goes well, the babies sleep, and I have an easy chain-piecing quilt to make, I can finish a quilt in a week. But as my designs have become more complex, as I play more with individual blocks and write tutorials, or hand stitch, I haven't readjusted my expectations for how long a quilt takes. Before I took on my Red Sky at Night project this year, I did not take a single second to think about how I was going to write 49 tutorials. That requires day-time sewing for good photos and research for history. At the moment, I'm spending a day a week on that quilt, and only just keeping ahead. Lesson learned!


I am very open to learning lessons. And because I don't always think through things first, mistakes and experience are my constant teachers. I'm learning to embrace that rather than tell myself, "I should have known!"
So last night I wrote out the quilts I was working on currently, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out my plan till the end of the year. One quilt a month. And like every good addict should, I agreed with Tim to check with him before I take on another deadline quilt, for a blog hop or custom order. I find it tempting to just set a no-new-quilts rule. But a creative person still needs a little wiggle room right? A little space to follow whims or exciting opportunities. I'm just hoping the whim strikes in October, rather than next week!


If there's one thing I think I'd love, it's a week, or maybe even a month locked away in my sewing room, so I can dive in to all those projects floating around my head all at once. But assuming that won't be an option for another twenty years or so, I think I'm going to enjoy my sewing time, and my rest-of-life time with this new WIP box strategy. And maybe, maybe next year I'll become a bit more of a one-at-a-time kind of maker? I guess time will tell what this second half of the year teaches me.

And I'd love to hear, how do you combat project-overwhelm?


Linking up with WIP Wednesday

17 comments:

  1. When project overwhelm hits me, I tend to lose my sewjo and stop altogether unfortunately. This year I have been careful about not signing up for too many swaps, and not over committing to making lots of gifts for people either. My sampler quilt is my sit down and sew something new project - maybe one new to me block or an old favourite, just so I feel like I am not constantly working on old WIPs all the time. I think that part of being creative is always trying out new ideas when inspiration hits, just sometimes they can get a bit out of control. Love your red and white series each week, so thanks for all the effort you put into those posts.


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  2. Loved to read your post. I will never be a one-at-a-time kind of quiltmaker. A project overwhelm is what I’ve been facing for some years now. I started quilting about 8 years ago and in stead of learning a technique and finishing a quilt, I started another one, being curious about the next technique or pattern. I took almost every class and workshop available at my LQS and the projects started to pile up. I wish I would have just made smaller quilts or blocks to try out a pattern or technique. I’ve set a goal for this Summer to finish some of the quilts I feel most attracted to, happy colourful quilts. It’s always nice to hear that other quiltmakers struggle with the same issues. I have been self employed for the last 20 years or so, but clients orders have stopped, so I have loads of free time to quilt and all my quilting friends are kind of jealous. But let me tell you, being able to quilt for hours in a day sounds wonderful, but takes away a bit of the magic and it’s no longer a hobby. However, I try to embrace it now and to see quiltmaking as a new sort of daytime job ;-)

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  3. I have a lot of wips but honestly I love to work on different phases of several quilts at the same time. Part of the process is so very much fun and other parts is the tedious implementation. I learned years ago that if I only have one quilt on the go it will take me all year to finish as I get so bored I just quit! Sometimes when my wip list gets a bit overwhelming, I make myself work on about three different quilts a day, even if it's only for 20 min. each. Eventually I get to a finish with one of them and then another. Thanks for writing a great post! I enjoy seeing your gorgeous work and hearing your thoughts about quilting.:)

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  4. Due to space and time restrictions I keep my WIP quilts to a minimum, usually two or three. Just this week I've taken out an epp quilt which had been tucked away for many months - and I still love it. Time to focus on it for a while.

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  5. Totally relate to the project overwhelm ... 'questioning ... which quilt I feel like working on most' made me laugh out loud, because I do this too, but it seems almost absurd (^_^) ... as in, why do we do this to ourselves? My tack now is to just consider multiple projects 'part of the fun', end of story.

    (Can I also just say how gorgeous that flower wreath is?!! All of your WIPs are beautiful really, it's no wonder you're torn.)

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  6. I never use to have WIP's stacked up until recently. It was always rewarding for me to start and finish first. The past year plus has not been that way at all! It can be too much sometimes and I have set aside projects until they 'grab me by the throat' and I get some excitement about the project back. I love your hexie picture...great way to quilt them!
    I think its important to learn, and maybe your WIP Box seems like it isn't working, you can always plan on making changes to it to better fit with you! We all would love to have that week of just sewing, no making dinner, laundry or any responsibilities!!

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  7. I always feel overwelmed not for the amount of quilts in progress but for the projects in progress I always have, clother for my littles, photography books, quilts,... it's never ending and sadly a lot of them are still in progress since years ago :(
    Now I have to tell you I'm impressed with your qip, all of them are SO different, and what I'm most surprised is that I love them all. You HAVE something

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  8. I always seem to have lots in my WiP box but I can divide them into clear categories and I always feel on top of them. Firstly there are the finished tops that I have not had a chance to quilt. I'm very space limited so basting a quilt and quilting a quilt essentially means clearing the decks of all other sewing projects and I only tend to do that periodically. Then there are the EPP projects, usually I have a few on the go but slow and steady work sees them finished so I know that pile will eventually be worked through (and replaced with new projects). The third pile of WIPs I have is orphan blocks. Every time I come up with a design I usually try it out as soon as possible so I can iron out kinks and problems while it is fresh in my mind even if I don't have time to work on the full projects for a long time. Some get worked on, others stay in the pile for quite a long time but as long as the pile never seems to grow out of control I'm happy to keep it there.

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  9. Enjoyed your post and oh how I feel your pain!! I am guilty of having lots of quilty goodness going on at once too. I think this reduces the boredom factor. Slow and steady wins the race!! Right now I have a crib size quilt needing quilting, another larger lap needing quilting, another quilt cut in pieces waiting to be sewn, and an ongoing postage stamp with 1.5" blocks that I've had to shelve until I get more scraps. And a few more projects tucked away here and there that I've lost interest with but still wanting to finish when the moment moves me.

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  10. Hi Jodi,
    First off, your WIPs are amazing; the fabrics in the half-square-triangles are gorgeous and oh, man that wreath!
    A red and white quilt has been on my someday list for quite a while, too. I have the fabric, does that make it another WIP? :-)
    When project overwhelm hits me, I find that I have to push everything away and work on the one thing that's easiest to get going. I just do what's already on the design wall, or whatever's closest to done, or like today, I sorted through files on my hard drive and made new categories, just because it's something I've been meaning to do and I knew it was a mindless task. Then when I am immersed in doing SOMEthing, anything, I find my mind wanders around and soon I have figured out what it is that should be tackled next.
    Thanks for this post, I love hearing about other makers' processes and the thought behind what it is that we do!
    Jessie

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  11. Great post.... deadlines are the only thing that seams to decrease project overwhelm....

    BUT there are still many projects floating around my house.... no they aren't all in my sewing room :( I'm not organized!

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  12. Wow, you have a lot on the go! They are all wonderful things though! xx

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  13. I once made a list of all my "to do" projects and put it on my bulletin board in my home office. After awhile I threw it in the trash. It was mocking me every day and caused me stress. Instead, I created "Project Pouches" and put them in a wooden box beside my sewing machine. I also put all the quilts in progress (the quilt sandwich ones) in a large wash tub and put it in my living room. They look finished and I get to admire them in their lovely unfinished shape. .

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  14. I tackle project overwhelm with spreadsheets. I had a desk job, so sometimes it is nice to sneak a few minutes thinking about quilting at work and making or reviewing a spreadsheet of my projects. One spread sheet lists all my projects: not yet started (9), WIPS (23), and completed (22). Another spread sheet maps out all the projects I'm hoping to finish this year (fifteen projects in 2015). I mapped out what I would need to do each month in order to get them all done. We're half way through the year and I am definitely not on track to finish the 15, but it is helping me get more accomplished than I would have without it. AND - quilt retreats. I try to get away for a day or a weekend with either a large group or just my quilting partner in crime every couple of months and devote some uninterrupted time to quilting. Not only do I get a lot done, but it gets me motivated to want to finish more when I return.

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  15. I've thought tutorials when well done take a lot of time. So here's to you and the generous spirit that does this and does it so well and shares it so willingly. I'm grateful. Neame

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  16. Project Overwhelm . . . I like the way you named that constant battle I have with finishing something I'm in the midst of and plus starting new things and having tons unfinished and in a box. Perhaps it's time I evaluate the box and decide what's really worthy of finishing. I usually jump on the next thing I feel most inspired by unless there is a deadline for something specific.

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  17. I have project overwhelm in my head, but tend to not have too many actual projects on the go at once - two or three is about as many as I can manage!

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I so love your comments! I read all of them and reply when I can. If you don't hear back, I'm lost under a mound of scraps or outside jumping on the trampoline with the kids. Jodi. xx