We both know it is there. Folded, in a bag, on a shelf, somewhere you do not look directly at any more.
Let us go and get it. No judgement whatsoever, I promise. I have three.
Why Quilts Get Abandoned
Almost never because the quilter got bored. That is what people assume, and it is nearly always wrong.
In my experience a quilt gets abandoned for one of four reasons, and all four are fixable.
- Something went wrong and you did not want to face unpicking it.
- You ran out of a fabric that is no longer available.
- The next step was one you had never done before and it felt daunting.
- Life simply got very loud for a while, and by the time it quietened down you had lost the thread of what you were doing.
Notice that not one of those is "I am not a good enough quilter." That story is not true and it has kept far too many lovely quilts in bags.
The Fifteen Minute Reunion
Do not try to finish it today. That is far too big an ask and it is exactly why the bag has stayed shut.
Instead, give it fifteen minutes. Set a timer if it helps.
Take it out. Spread it on the bed. Look at it properly in good light, and write down on a piece of paper the actual next physical step. Not the whole plan. The next single action.
"Sew row four to row five." That is a next step. "Finish the quilt" is not, and your brain knows the difference, which is why one of them gets done.
You Are Allowed To Change The Plan
This is the permission most quilters need and rarely give themselves.
Ran out of the feature fabric? Use a different one for the last blocks and call it a deliberate scrappy finish. Nobody will ever know, and honestly it will probably look better.
Hate the border you planned? Do not add a border. Bind it and be done.
Blocks that will never quite match up? Make it a smaller quilt. A finished lap quilt is worth infinitely more than an unfinished bed quilt, and it is the same amount of love.
The Rule I Live By
Finished is better than perfect. I know you have heard it. I want you to actually apply it this week.
Because a quilt in a bag gives nobody any comfort. It does not keep anyone warm. Nobody wraps up in it on a cold evening. All that lovely work is just sitting in the dark waiting for a version of you who has more time, and that version is not coming ~ she is busy, same as you.
What Happens When You Finish It
Something rather wonderful, and it surprises people every time. Finishing an abandoned quilt unlocks the next one.
That stalled project has been quietly taking up room in your head this whole time. The moment it is bound and washed and on a sofa, you will feel lighter, and you will want to start something new that same week.
(Penny's contribution to this process is to lie directly on whichever section I am currently working on. She considers this supervision. I have stopped arguing.)
Go And Open The Bag
Fifteen minutes. One next step written down. That is all I am asking.
Put the kettle on first ~ Today is a Groovy Day to Quilt is the right mug for this particular job ~ and go and be reunited with something you made.
It has been waiting very patiently for you.
Written by CHIC QUILTER. Thanks for reading.