7 Tips for Finding Your Sewjo

I promise I'm not going to whine about this again.  With W.i.P. Wednesday on hiatus I've been thinking about how to change up my blogging schedule.  One idea was to share tips for issues I've encountered during the week so here goes...  7 Tips for Finding Your Sewjo.

Sunshine Roses charm pack pinwheels

1.  Clean It Up - Truth be told I'm a bit of a slob and my studio definitely gets out of control at times.  When I'm feeling stuck the first thing I always do is start cleaning.  You're bound to find some long forgotten treasure.  Tanya Whelan charm packs shoved in a drawer, the Patricia Tunic pattern you printed before realizing you were out of scotch tape, a year's worth of Liberty Club... something is sure to catch your eye and with your freshly organized space you'll be ready to jump right in.

Hearts Mini

2.  Check Your Calendar - Is there something to sew for coming up?  I love rotating seasonal quilts around my house.  It's not too late for Valentine's Day!  Easter is early this year, maybe another set of handmade napkins.  Handmade bags are almost required for the Boston MQG retreat, wouldn't it be awesome to pack my accessories in that Sew Together bag I keep saying I'm going to make.  A good friend with a birthday coming up?  Thinking about what to make for someone else can add some focus to your quest for a project.

Tula Pink Houndstooth Pillow Cover

3.  Think Small - It's a big commitment to make a quilt.  Even a baby quilt require a fair investment in fabric and time.  A mini quilt or pillow cover is a great way to try out a new pattern, color combo, or quilting motif.

4. Check Your Inspiration Boards - You probably have a collection somewhere of things that inspire you.  These days it's likely to be a Pinterest board but it could just as easily be a folder of magazine clippings or a pinboard on your wall.  Browse through that to see if anything jumps out as your now project.  The key here is to focus on ideas you've already collected.  Just surfing the web looking at quilts when you're already feeling uncertain can easily become a giant time suck leaving you feeling even more overwhelmed by an overload of ideas.

Improv Pieced QAG fabric basket

5.  Challenge Yourself - I'm not a huge fan of challenges because I usually want to just make what I want to make but when I can't figure out what that is sometimes a personal challenge is just the thing.  Challenge yourself to make something with that fabulous Tula Pink bundle you had to have 3 years ago (and you just rediscovered organizing your sewing space) or to make something using as many pinks as you can find.  Not scrappy by nature?  Challenge yourself to make something with a bucket of scraps.

6.  Learn Something New - Sign up for a quilting class at your LQS.  Not only will you learn something new but you'll hopefully make new quilty friends as well.  Nothing nearby?  Try a class on Craftsy or just check out some of the amazing tutorials being put out by Missouri Star Quilt Co.

7.  Get Social - Everything is easier with friends.  Invite a friend over to rummage through your stash and create a fabric pull for you.  Create your own bundle and post it on social media asking for opinions.  You're not bound by anything but getting feedback from others can help crystallize your thinking.  If you're really brave ask your kids what they think about an idea, just be prepared for brutal honesty:-)

Are you feeling inspired?  So get out there and sew!!!