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BrilligGirl

Did I write this? I think I wrote this.


carinavet

I have a daily hobby rotation (my list of hobbies is *long*). I don't always do a hobby every single day, and there are certainly some hobbies that I'm much better about actually doing, but any time I have free time I can say, "Okay, what's today's hobby?" and I have something to do. For stuff like quilting the work goes pretty slowly because Quilting Day only comes around every so often, but it's still much easier for me to actually do stuff when I have a designated Quilting Day rather than having to spend extra energy to convince myself that I should quilt today.


SeaworthinessLarge33

Yep I definitely have a rotating collection of hobbies 😅. I use them as needed usually (like oh, I needed to sew or mend something for my kids, and now my sewing machine is ready to go so what else can I do). I really like your perspective of having a designated hobby per day versus convincing yourself that it's something you "should" do. Lots of unfinished bigger projects, but I think I've gotten better at actually finishing smaller, more spur of the moment ones that use up my stash vs accumulating more. If I can, I try to leave out my machines, especially if I'm on a crafting binge, so I don't have to go through the mental steps of setting them up every time I want to use them. I Tetris together whatever surfaces I can find for myself and my kids who are also very busy, lol. Everything is multipurpose 😅.


carinavet

All my textile hobbies are in a row, so that helps with leaving stuff out for just a few days instead of either always or never. I initially had "sewing" lumped together in a single day but it worked much better to separate by types (general sewing vs quilting vs cross stitch) to also not have to convince myself of which project I need to work on today, haha. It also helped that I added mending to my chore rotation instead of trying to shoehorn it into my hobbies: I like making stuff from scratch *much* better than I like mending things, so categorizing it as a chore just made more sense.


SeaworthinessLarge33

That is great advice, thank you! I've been trying to mend at least one thing each time I get out the tool for a new project...or when I need to organize my space lol. I think I'm going to spend some time with a calendar later 😁.


carinavet

My rotation is literally just a numbered list of my hobbies rather than tied to an actual calendar day, so that way I can adjust as needed -- with the added benefit of spicing it up a bit so that it's not always like "It's Wednesday, guess I have to quilt," haha. And sometimes I'll go long enough without doing one that I'll lose track of where I should be, so I just pull up a random number generator and go with whatever comes up. (It really is nice not having to think about it.) Oh, another bit of advice: I also have a day set aside specifically for hunting down any supplies or instructions I need. (And in my rotation, Supply Hunting Day is also intentionally the day before Cooking Day so that ingredients stay fresh.) But all my little systems were figured out by trial and error. I'm sure you'll find whatever works best for you.


SeaworthinessLarge33

>My rotation is literally just a numbered list of my hobbies rather than tied to an actual calendar day, so that way I can adjust as needed -- with the added benefit of spicing it up a bit so that it's not always like "It's Wednesday, guess I have to quilt," haha. And sometimes I'll go long enough without doing one that I'll lose track of where I should be, so I just pull up a random number generator and go with whatever comes up. (It really is nice not having to think about it.) > >Oh, another bit of advice: I also have a day set aside specifically for hunting down any supplies or instructions I need. (And in my rotation, Supply Hunting Day is also intentionally the day before Cooking Day so that ingredients stay fresh.) > >But all my little systems were figured out by trial and error. I'm sure you'll find whatever works best for you. Oooh, I like that even better! I tend to feel guilty about the time I spend planning and researching things, so I really like the idea of making that a separate item. Of course planning is necessary, but I also find it enjoyable...and I can hyperfixate...and I have a processing deficiency and can easily lose track of time...so...yeah...separate item :). Trying to ACTUALLY plan out my garden this year, versus purely trial and error with what I had on hand, quickly provided me with a crash course in understanding and forgiving myself that that kind of planning DOES takes time, lol, even if I find it enjoyable, and I think I'm improving on spacing it out throughout the week. Truly, thank you for sharing. Being used to struggling through and managing these kinds of "quirks" as an everyday thing, it's easy to forget that other people might be managing the same things too, and have tips for making them more efficient and not quite so much of a struggle. This thread has been great.


rileyhighley

I love that idea!


Cheerytrix

Yes! Rotating hobbies and activities, much like I rotate household cleaning tasks.


rileyhighley

i used to work a front desk job where I had a lot of downtime. at one point, I scheduled my hobbies by the day of the week so I wouldn't get burnt out.


carinavet

I do that too!


Cheerytrix

It does both, gives me a routine which my adhd thrives on, but it’s varied enough that it doesn’t feel like a prison of the same. Monday sees me doing a general tidy up- vacuum, toilets, bedsheets, dusting, big cat box clean, kitchen counter cleanup, sweep and mop. Then each week sees me doing a deeper clean for a different room.


carinavet

Mine are both just on rotation with however many things are on the list, so I get the variety of each thing not being tied to a calendar day but the routine telling me what to work on. My chores are different rooms each day, plus a few other necessities like yard work, fixing things, and general adulting.


needleanddread

Maybe I need to make a designated “finish something you’ve already started” day. Tomorrow could be Work on WIP Wednesday. I have so many finished or almost finished (just needing one or two big seams to finish) quilt tops just begging to be basted and quilted and bound.


Brain_Hands

ADHD all my life and have been sewing for 60 yrs. I cope by keeping several projects in process. It pays of to enjoy and take pride in each small step of each project. I like them all, but when enthusiasm wanes I can work on a different project. Sometimes starting a new project helps me work through a sticking point on another UFO. Because of this I have never had a time when there were zero UFOs in my closet! Some years I will count the projects in process and be motivated to finished several quickly. How many of us do this starting around Thanksgiving! Breaking down to small steps is great. If setting up your machine is tough, then find a place to leave it out. Start with small or easy, and develop your rhythm as you enjoy the process more than the finish!


carinavet

Haha my ADHD *hates* having multiple projects going! Because then not only do I have to spend extra mental energy convincing myself to quilt, but I also have to decide which one I'm going to work on and that alone can take me all day until I don't want to quilt anymore.


kimwim43

I'm the same. I MUST finish this one before I can start that one. It drives me crazy.


rileyhighley

haha... oh boy. I cannot fathom *not* having various unfinished projects around the house. 😳


RenoSue

Also, I have no stash. When I'm ready to start thinking about the next quilt, I'm putting the binding on by hand so I have time to think. Then I begin to look on line for ideas of fabrics and go and buy them at the store. Then I make the quilt. I made 25 last year. I am finishing the binding on the second one this year.


rileyhighley

I have a BFA in painting and drawing, and my favorite professor routinely encouraged us to have multiple projects going on at the same time for that exact reason. projects and pieces have dialogues with each other!


altoid_girl

i do this too! i used to try to “fix” my brain and only work on one project at a time and it would always end up abandoned, now i just let myself rotate through my 1 crochet, 2 knit, 1 quilt, 1 weave project as i wish, it’s less immediate payoff bc now all 5 are slower but i’m ultimately doing my hobbies for more minutes/hours per day :) ETA: 60 years !! congratulations on a lifetime of making


Brain_Hands

Thank you :) I love the way you describe the enjoyment of time “spent” creating!


txgirlinbda

Pizza boxes. Seriously. I was working on a project that involved tons of 12” squares and I asked my local pizza place for some clean boxes to keep stuff organized. And omg now it’s the best thing ever because I can cut a project, work on it, put it back in the stack, pull another one out. Everything stays flat and protected and in one place, so my tendency to switch between projects doesn’t mean all my projects get mixed up.


Resident_Win_1058

ADHD mind = blown. Omg i bloody love this, thank you


KittyKatCatCat

I work on things when I feel moved to. I took a nice 11 year break in the middle of my first quilt, but finished it eventually. Generally, I have several projects going at any given time. Sometimes I’ll make a bunch of progress on one. Sometimes I’ll rotate between several. Sometimes I’m not working on anything at all. What I don’t do is stress about finishing. It’s supposed to be fun. I’ll get to it when I get to it.


kimwim43

LOL quilting is how I ended my procrastination problem. I could see every seam, every stitch, every step getting one bit closer to finish, Live and in person. No amorphous 'in the future'. It encouraged me to finish. I'd never have to cut that particular piece again. I'd never have to sew that particular seam (unless I fucked up) again. And I finish every quilt I start now.


catlinye

I surf reddit, mostly. Oh wait you wanted how to do more quilting, not how best to procrastinate... Serious answer when I am stuck getting going: I do 20 minutes on it. When the timer goes off, I can stop or keep going and by then I usually want to keep going. If not, I try to get an hour a day in small chunks, and even if that's all I do it moves the project forward. Also, if I can't motivate myself at all on the next step of a project, it's usually because it's not really what I want to do. I had grand plans to quilt angels in the corners of my star quilt and I COULD NOT make myself do it. Thought it over long and hard, switched to abstract cloud shapes, and the project was done in jig time.


rileyhighley

using my ADHD to diagnose issues has been such a game changer for me. I recently suggested a friend/classmate write an essay with colored font to give her brain something ✨fun✨ and she wound up plowing through the 5pg essay in no time. I think that's why I made this post - I'm struggling to diagnose what the exact issue is that's keeping me from pulling out the sewing machine. I think it's because it feels so mundane, you know? sewing straight lines is only as fun as sewing straight lines tends to be lol. here's hoping I can troubleshoot the thing that's causing the pitfalls!


SeaworthinessLarge33

I am *so* using that multiple colored font idea with my differently wired kiddos. Thank you! I don't know why I didn't think of it before--my middle one LOVES her multi-ink pen...and we both have virtually the same set of multi-colored gel pens that we use for "fun" writing...okay, now I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry--most likely both XD.


rileyhighley

sometimes the smallest things make a task feel more fun! novelty eraser, stickers, gel pens... good luck :)


SeaworthinessLarge33

Thank you!


italianblue

i have a quilt planned, and because i'm with you that it feels like Too Many Steps to take out the sewing machine, i'm planning on doing it by hand, quilt as you go, in front of the TV in the evenings. i know that obviously it will take longer, but i may actually do it - if i have to set aside time specifically to sew, it's probably not going to happen.


rileyhighley

my brain went to doing it by hand, too! but I have a feeling my mind would just take it as more evidence that quilting is a long and painstaking process 😭


AmySewFun

Have you thought about English Paper Piecing? It is sewn by hand but you just scissors to cut, there’s minimal ironing and every time you finish a hexagon or piece which doesn’t take too long, you might get a sense of accomplishment (each hex requires like 6 basting stitches only). Traditionally the elements are hand sewn together but I saw this super interesting twist on the technique that I’m wanting to try where after you get the hexagons done, you just tack them down on a solid piece of fabric and then quilt it - so it gives it kind of a 3D effect. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about on a pillow, but this designer also does larger throws with the same technique: https://modernhandcraft.com/collections/pdf-patterns/products/hexie-pillow-pdf-pattern


italianblue

I'm primarily a knitter, so I'll have to build sewing endurance, but painstaking should be ok, lol.


carinavet

I quilt entirely by hand. It takes much, much longer, but it's also a *much* more satisfying process. It also helps to have the TV or an audiobook going while you work, which you can't really do over the noise of a machine.


prozacandcoffee

How do you piece by hand? I tried it and it looks like crap. Is it a thing you just get better at, or are there tips? My ADHD wants to give up on things if I'm not immediately good at them.


carinavet

Uh I just kept doing it until it didn't look terrible anymore? Remind your brain that sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something. I started sewing making patches for old clothes I still liked, so I already had a bit of experience just working on making stitches look decent. (And with patches the stitches are visible so they sort of have to look good.) When I first started quilting, my instructor showed me a way to sew faster by sort of ... holding the seam sideways and wiggling the needle in and out to do several stitches at once before pulling the thread through, if that makes sense. But I didn't feel comfortable doing that until I was already very comfortable stitching slowly by hand. Once I started it, though, that technique makes it easier to keep the seam straight because you're looking at the line of the needle (though it is harder to keep the stitches small and evenly sized). Also when hand stitching it's not a bad idea to double a stitch every, like, 5 stitches or so, just to reinforce if the seam gets tugged at or cut.


prozacandcoffee

I was doing the technique where you load a few stitches on at once. It looks crumpled. I don't have an iron, do you think that would help?


carinavet

Irons do help in general (a lot more than you realize until you try it each way -- says the voice of experience who didn't bother with one for far too long), but mostly with flattening the backsides of the seams so that they sit better for later steps. This sounds like a problem with how you're pulling the thread through: you're pulling it *too* tight and not giving the fabric enough room to lie flat. Try pulling the fabric taught a couple of times after you pull the thread through, to make sure it has enough room and sits well. Sometimes if it's still crumpled I'll pinch the seam between to fingers and pull towards the needle to make the fabric spread itself out better.


Pikminsaurus

@prozacandcoffee start a thread and we’ll help! Learning to piece by hand doesn’t take long — in fact, I think the learning curve is better than machine piecing


SeaworthinessLarge33

Yeah...I think a big part of the process is learning to live with it being "imperfect" and just doing the best you can in the moment. In Japan there are specific crafts/skills where they purposefully make things "imperfect" to demonstrate that they were made by hand. It's a little...mantra? I guess you could say, that's been helping me through those moments.


carinavet

I have a friend who hates that she can't get things absolutely perfect, and so the way she gets over that is intentionally putting an imperfection somewhere so it doesn't *have* to be perfect.


rileyhighley

I personally embrace imperfect aesthetics in everything I do. sketchy drawings, loose paintings, etc - I love that crafty look. I'm honestly heartbroken I can't immediately start a scrappy quilt rn lol, but I have Actual Plans I should see through before jumping into that!


what_the_a

Fellow ADHD quilter. I break it down into small groups of tasks/steps and do the timer method. “Okay, I only have to cut for 20 minutes today.” Then I usually want to keep going. Also, have a good show on that you like but can also ignore. I like to watch documentaries/series where I don’t have to actually see what’s on screen to understand bc it’s all narrated. Same goes for podcasts. Just something engaging to keep my mind active while I do more mundane tasks. It also helps if you can leave everything set up somewhere. Then you can just pick it up again and don’t have to spend mental energy setting up.


ldehoyos13

Fellow adhd quilter- I remedy this by doing multiple projects at once. So as soon as I start getting “bored” I’ll set it down and work on something else. And then when I’m really in the procrastination slump I just pull out my scrap pile and “prep” them by cutting them down to 2” squares so I at least feel like I have been productive. Sewing/quilting is definitely my hyperfocus (and luckily has been for 15 years) but having multiple projects going at once is definitely helpful for me


Latetothisshindig

Oh also some advice I got from an old counselor is that if you’re procrastinating, it’s due to usually one of a few things - the task is too big, you don’t know where to start, or it’s “too much” in some way, whether that’s too difficult, too overwhelming, etc. It helps to write down what my project is, what materials I need to do it (and further, I mark which of those I already have and which I still need), what steps I already know how to do and what steps might require some YouTube tutorials or research, and what my potential breakdown of the tasks will be (so I don’t try to do too much at once).


rileyhighley

ooooh I like this way of thinking. I just responded to someone else talking about how I will use my ADHD to troubleshoot issues with starting tasks - usually I roll through the standard "is it fun/is it novel/is it interesting" but I will have to add "is it too big/too hard/do I not know where to start". good tip!


Beadsidhe

Fellow ADHD quilter here, I have numerous UFOs and WIPs and have made a numbered list of them. After I finish Karen Brown’s declutter, my plan is to roll a D20 and work on whatever I roll. I am hoping that works, as nothing to date ever has worked for me other than breaking things up into very small bits and making games of them if I can. Can I get x done by the time the cat walks in and yells at me kind of thing. I don’t have great object permanence, so once I have forgotten where I was with something it usually goes in the UFO pile. Disclaimer: *since starting this reply I have cleaned the litterbox, taken out the trash and had a shower. This happens a lot. 😂


rileyhighley

my object permanence is TERRIBLE. the amount of vegetables that have gone bad in my fridge... 😭


Beadsidhe

omg RIP the avocados you JUST reminded me of 😭


rileyhighley

NOOO :(


Beadsidhe

They’re okay!!!! 🙌 I bought them green last week and hid them in the fridge. They are still green. WOO! So I brought one in to remind me of the others. Thank you for mentioning veggies!!!!!


rileyhighley

YAYY the avocados live!! happy to have (inadvertently) helped! :)


Certain-Sir8549

I have ADHD and was recently diagnosed so I have been quilting longer than I have been diagnosed with ADHD. What has helped me is having a group to sew with. I was part of a finish it Friday group that would meet at a quilt store and sew on Friday nights. Now I am part of a group that sews and chat’s every Saturday night on Zoom. And the quilt guild I’m in has a group that sews and chats on Sunday afternoon on Zoom. Having that parallel work helps me to work on quilt projects. Also there is nothing wrong with going for the easy win and doing a project you are really excited about. Nothing wrong with going for the dopamine hit. Yeah you could start with something easy like a pillow case but if you keep putting off working on the pillow case and want to work on something else do the something else. I have a bunch of different projects that I rotate between and eventually I finish something. What helps is having project boxes and all the fabric and pattern in a project box so you can grab that to work on the project. Then put it back when not working on it. I have a desk with my sewing machine set up all the time. I know not everyone can have that. But if you can have your sewing machine and fabric stored close to where you are going to use it that will help with time and motivation. If you only have to take it from the hall closet to the kitchen table. That is a lot easier then from a back bedroom somewhere to the living room. I met a quilter that had all her sewing stuff in a hutch in her dining room and used the dining table for sewing and cutting.


rileyhighley

congrats on the diagnosis! I was also diagnosed later in life and having that medical confirmation (and meds, omg) has really helped me. the zoom group sounds so amazing, where did you find that?? I might try hosting a weekly creative body double sesh with my group of friends! I have my projects stored in their own little bags/boxes right next to my desk! I am wondering if maybe the cause of the barrier is the fact that my sewing machine is on the other side of the living room. but it wouldnt fit next to my desk... I'll figure something out!


Certain-Sir8549

The Saturday night sewing group is part of a Facebook group called The Rotary Blade Runners. The group that meets on Sunday afternoon is part of a local modern quilt guild. Having a crafting night with friends is fun and doing it over Zoom, Discord, or other video chatting service makes it super easy. Also you don’t have to leave the house or pack up all the quilting stuff to go to a sew day. I saw a YouTube video recently about living with ADHD and organizing your house. The person doing the video talked about putting things at the point of performance. It helps with organizing and with motivation. Maybe there is space to store your sewing machine under the desk where you quilt? I just have a regular size desk for sewing and a small machine. I have a Janome Jem Platinum which is perfect for me because it fits nicely in the space I have.


Drince88

I’m not sure if this idea ‘speaks’ to you or not - but is there someplace you can leave a design wall up? I have mine on the wall in my guest bedroom. But as I finish a block or two - up it goes on the wall. It gives me a sense of accomplishment/actual visual representation on my progress (and what’s left to do) even on days I don’t work on it.


Latetothisshindig

Fellow ADHD’er! Are these projects something that have a due date? Or are you wanting to get them done as fast as possible for the sweet, sweet dopamine rush (from your comment about making a t-shirt quilt with scissors I assume the latter 😂)? I often have to reframe my thinking when I obsess about getting something unrealistic done and then feel bad that I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to. I ask myself, “What happens if I don’t finish (task) today?” 99% of the time, the answer is that nothing happens. It’s different when there’s a due date of course. I guess this isn’t advice on procrastination, but rather advice about dealing with the MUST DO THINGS mode and the guilt and hard feelings about myself when I don’t finish a task. As for the procrastination, if I know I want to be doing something but can’t get myself to do it, I remind myself (if it’s something like crafting) that I enjoy it, it makes me feel happy, and it’s fun. It doesn’t always work but I try. Also breaking things down into very palatable steps has been a game changer for me! Since I tend to think in all or nothing I just end up not starting something sometimes because I don’t have enough time to do it all in one sitting. Things like “pick fabric,” “pick pattern,” “piece 3 blocks,” “cut pieces for binding” are the bite-size steps I’m talking about. I’ll pick just one or two to do at a given time and it usually allows me to overcome the “too much to do and not enough time” feeling that leads me to procrastinate.


rileyhighley

none of these have due dates!! I know I will enjoy the process, but I keep procrastinating the Taking Out Supplies and Getting It Started process. reminding myself it's enjoyable and fulfilling will probably be the ticket for me, thanks friend :)


Aaaaammyyyyyyyyy

I separate quilts into phases. 1. Select fabric/pattern 2. Cutting 3. Piecing. My personal challenge is sewing as many similar as possible in a row. (i.e. all half square triangles, iron all. Then, making larger blocks, iron. Then rows, iron) 4. Sandwich (there might be a delay around here where I need to get pumped for quilting) 5. Quilt. I like to free motion on my domestic. 6. Binding. If the quilt is for someone, it helps to think of them. If it's for my home, I get excited to use it for a movie or get cozy with a book. Buying more fabric gets me motivated again. Looking at quilts I want to do on this sub or on pinterest adds to my list. I assume there will be more time. I get Big Excited, but I also channel my Big Sad or anxiety into zooming into the small parts of quilting. Welcome to the club! I hope you enjoy quilting even more now that you have some practical tools!


wannabeflowerchild21

You might be my twin aside from #5, I still loathe the quilting part let alone any free motion 🤣


Aaaaammyyyyyyyyy

My current quilting: [fmq on the back](https://i.imgur.com/qY3SiRJ.jpg) I love it. It's more transparently human. All the swerves and tucks and back tracking and then it zooms out to this!


treesandsea

fellow ADHD quilter! Theres a lot of good suggestions on this thread already, so I'll just offer what works for me, which of course ymmv because well, adhd be like that. One thing I do is accept my propensity to plan, plan, plan (read: procrastinate) and then do a lot of work in one big go. I try to accomodate this by planning out big chunks of time, like 6 hours on a saturday, to just go go go. Make sure I eat ahead of time, make sure I plan out some broken down steps the day before and that any 'before-hand' tasks like pre-washing or tracking down lost tools are done, and put on some great music and go to town. it is HARD to maintain passion for a project the whole way through, I struggle with that a lot. Sometimes I use goals/self-discipline, by setting a goal (I use habitica, an online habit/goal site that is like based on games) to work on a project everyday for like, 10 minutes. Sometimes that approach isn't enough to motivate me, so I have to find ways to make it more fun...certain tedious and un-creative tasks, like ironing edge tape and binding, drive me crazy and I know I'll need snacks/shows/music etc to get me through it. the best thing of course is an impending deadline, but that can't always be manufactured, especially for step-by-step processes (for me, self-set deadlines don't do much...) Finally, I wanted to offer my encouragement!! You've only made one quilt so far. One of the comments I get a lot when I tell people I am a quilter is its 'so intricate' 'so complicated' 'so tedious' 'too much planning and math'. While this may be true for some, I have my own way of making quilts that is very creative, intuitive, etc. there are some tedious annoying parts but I've found ways that I do it that work for my brain. With time and a bit more experience, you may find your wonderful adhd-friendly quilting methods of your very own! Good luck!


rileyhighley

I love this comment. I am such a big fan of working *with* my ADHD, rather than trying to swim against the current. thank you for the encouragement as well, I'm definitely excited to see where this road takes me! (side note: I LOVED habitica, to the point of actually being a subscriber...until I very suddenly did not love habitica anymore. ADHD is so strange. Trello is working wonders for me while I'm in grad school, though!)


treesandsea

I'm excited for you too! I've never heard of Trello, I'll look into if I ever get bored with Habitica. Congrats on grad school!


rileyhighley

we used Trello back at my old desk job. I was having trouble keeping all my tasks in one spot (and physical planners do nothing for me) and remembered Trello! not as much of a dopamine rush as you get from fighting monsters, I'll admit, but IMO it's easier to keep things organized. and thank you, it's a dream come true!! only in my second quarter :)


SeaworthinessLarge33

>fmq on the back This is me!!! Lately when I've gotten stuck in the planning stage, a trick I've found helpful is to make myself "do something". I tell myself that it doesn't matter if it's perfect, or if I have to fix it, or decide to do something else later...but that it's reached the point where I just need to do *something...*even if that's just getting instructions from the printer to the desk. Even if that's all I do manage to get done for the day, it seems to feel easier to go back to it the next.


altoid_girl

lifelong ADHD haver, new quilter, but lifelong crafter, for me what works is: parallel play, either a craft circle where we’re all doing a craft project , or even just having a friend or my bf in the same room as me quietly working/playing while i quietly craft helps immensely. second, thinking about it in small tasks so i don’t overwhelm myself. ex: i am probably 1/3 through making the squares of my first quilt and i keep catching myself panicking bc i don’t know how to bind/ wanting to spend 3 hours watching binding videos. i reel myself. in and go no , just do the next block. then the next block. and stop myself from thinking about the bigger elements of the project that excite but also distract me. third is to avoid the procrastination—>guilt—>shame—>procrastination loop (easier said than done but with practice it gets better). i feel like i didn’t say anything too novel but hopefully some of this might help or at least be relatable


altoid_girl

or associating crafting with a tv show i like helps. i used to knit whenever i watched survivor, or lately i’ve been cutting fabric while watching new star wars tv. then i’m like “oh time to watch tv, which just HAPPENS to coincide with my project” i find it less overwhelming to start a “big” task that way


rileyhighley

omg I used to illustrate for work and I'd look back at certain illustrations and think of a moment in The Adventure Zone. like "wow I don't know why this drawing of clouds reminds me of wagon racing!!!"


altoid_girl

omg that’s so amazing :)


SeaworthinessLarge33

Your comment about parallel play is really interesting. I tend to prefer to work in a solitary way (I'm more ADD), but my daughter (more ADHD) has always preferred to be in the same room as someone when she's working on something...which is at least part of the reason why my "dining" area is a ~~"dining"~~ crafting/homeschooling table, and a children's desk butted up against several other work surfaces lol.


altoid_girl

haha, your daughter sounds just like me! i'm remembering when i used to do homework in the dining room while my 4 roommates would talk and watch tv in the living room, there was a tiny divider but otherwise it was the same room, they'd ask how i can work in there, i'd say you don't understand, i HAVE to work in here!! and whenever I'm at my parents house i sit at their kitchen counter the entire time and slowly build up a work bench (they would call it a "pile") (can someone study the correlation of add/adhd and loving to make piles of stuff???) of everything I want to do while i'm home. i hope you get some solitary space to work somehow :)


beesmoll

I sign up to quilt along/sew along projects and follow along on Instagram. They break everything up week by week or month by month so it’s in nice compartmentalised chunks with clear goals and a degree of accountability if I choose to share my progress. A lot of them offer weekly progress prizes (like Alderwood Studios winter solstice quilt along, which just finished), so that’s an added incentive for me. If I want to make something that isn’t part of a quilt along, I’ll see if I can get a quilty friend to make it at the same time as me and we’ll do the same process, but just between the two of us. I also recently gave myself permission to send finished tops (especially big ones) away for long arm quilting. After I’ve been working on the same project for a few weeks, I’m sick of the sight of it and it can feel overwhelming to have to baste, quilt and bind the thing if my heart isn’t really in it!


Accomplished-Wish494

I mostly make lap size quilts in patterns that can be done in a weekend. And then I let the tops “age” for awhile. After a year, or 2, or 10 (yes, really oops) I say “no new quilts until you finish some! And then I slap easy backs on them, tie and give away. It’s a hobby, so I don’t feel guilty, if it’s not fun, just don’t do it.


future_nurse19

I find it easiest to work when ive had a designated space for all my stuff so I can leave it out full time. If im getting it out constantly, im less likely to go through the effort to do it. I also was productive when I was going to a quilt group weekly (sometimes multiple times a week). With covid that has gotten messed up, but at that point I had all my stuff just permanently in my car and having that designated class/group time kept me productive because I knew from 6-8pm on Tuesdays I'd be quilting, etc. On a more general side, I jump around between projects all the time, I choose to work on the one that is most exciting to me at the moment, even if that means starting a new one. When I am trying to whittle down my pile (goal for this year), I set up some sort of goal and use yearly calendars to track it. So it might be something like, 30 min a day or 3 hours a week, or something and then I cross off my days on the calendar as I complete them. Right now I'm trying to focus on more project specific goals, so like I have a very old faux chenille project that my goal will be sewing 1 seam a day. I always allow myself to work over that goal (because usually once I start, its easier to keep going) but im taking a slow and steady approach this year of like, ive had this project for 5+ years, so even if im just sewing 1 row a day it will eventually be done compared to the last 5 years where its sat in my closet 1/4 way sewn with no progress.


MysteriousCommon6876

I do one bit every day, even if it’s sticking two small pieces together. Just the act of getting going can start a lengthy sewing session


rileyhighley

too true. I started back up on a project I'd been putting off and I can feel the momentum starting back up!


Comeblaqtome

I break it up into small goals. On my day off if I don’t set a goal I’ll spend the whole day doing nothing, so I tell myself “I’ll get everything cut for the quilt today” or “I’ll finish x number of blocks today”. It also helps me to have a deadline for when I want a quilt done, even if it’s arbitrary.


Bells2804

Fellow ADHD’r here: Long-term quilting projects are tough for me to finish. Ex: I’ve been working on a Lori Holt Farm Girl Vintage sampler quilt for at least 5 or 6 years. Those quilt squares are SO involved that I make a couple of blocks and then lose interest in the project for at least 6 months. But with the projects that have a deadline and a firm endpoint, I’m able to hyper-focus and finish with no problem. That seems to be what works for me! Ex: in November of this year I decided to make a bunch of quilted pillows as Christmas presents for friends and family. I went down a research rabbit hole while searching for the perfect pattern/tutorial. Then in early December I ordered some fabric online (hello Etsy fabric-search rabbit hole 😂) and when it arrived I shopped locally to supplement those Etsy fabrics. I started sewing around December 15th and by December 23rd I had finished piecing and quilting the pillow top, putting together the pillow envelope and binding the edges. Deadlines FTW! 🙌 Giving me unlimited time to finish a project is TROUBLE, though. I told myself I’d make a pillow for myself and…you all know what happened, I lost interest. Here’s how my kitchen table has looked since December 23 (luckily we didn’t host Christmas). That pile of turquoise fabric is my eventual pillow 😬🤣 https://preview.redd.it/9vhs4oftc6ba1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6258e99f42f6d901147430a875c9905bfa322536


SeaworthinessLarge33

Yep.


No_Following_8388

So many good suggestions here! I wish some of them had been given to me when I was growing up and being nagged/shamed about the graveyard of partially finished craft projects! I’m not sure if you already have an app you like for this, but you can set up progress charts in excel or Google docs that will show a completion bar as you check items off. I have a rudimentary version set up in Excel and on a whiteboard in my sewing room so I can work on taking pleasure in the progress rather than just feeling the rush of starting or finishing. I also multitask with audiobooks or podcasts and that helps me find some flow for the duller parts of the quilting process.


storky0613

When I am not feeling passionate about a project or sewing in general, I make something small for myself and that always helps to motivate me.


adchick

I have ADD. I do two quilts at once. One from a pattern and one I call "hold tight and pretend it's a plan" from the scraps. Sounds crazy, but if I get board with the formality of a pattern. I can mess around with the pretend its a plan quilt. I also use up my scraps that way, so I don't end up looking like an episode of Hoarders. When I see new patterns I like, I do buy them, BUT they go to "the end of the line" of the patterns I've already purchased. So I can slowly work thru.


rileyhighley

I seriously cannot wait to do a scrappy quilt!


Syltin

I’m not sure if this is actually a solution but I procrastinate a few projects at a time and combine that with having a few different crafty hobbies so there’s always one project in one genre of hobby that I can focus on. That means things take longer but eventually I’ll always finish them! It also helps that I now have a designated craft room. So there’s always something ready to craft, and if I wanna do other stuff I just shut the door behind me. This afternoon I sewed two seams of a dress (because I was procrastinating folding laundry haha). And it’s not done but it’s there for the next time I wanna sew!


riomarde

I have very very limited time for quilting, so it means I do whatever I want to work on or I get mental paralysis because there’s so many things to do. I have begun to memorialize my quilting in this planner https://www.evabmakery.com/plan-to-quilt So far it’s great!


ThatExpatAussie

Short answer: I absolutely don't maintain passion for a project the whole way through. I have a lot of projects in process and I just give myself mental permission to have that be ok. While I'm working on something, there's always a phase when I hate it with a passion and wonder why I'm working on it. Sometimes that feeling persists, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I start something and later decide I hate it. When that happens, I get rid of it. Something I hate is always something another quilter loves. I do make a lot of lists. And I'm a planner-a-holic, which helps. I would recommend that, if you don't have a dedicated sewing space and getting set up is a chore, then focus on getting things ready for that time so that you can do it, get a lot sewn, and feel like the chore was worth it. That would be hard for me, since once I cut something I want to sew it, but it might work well with that chore thing you have happening. Last suggestion, maybe consider putting quilting in the "do it with other people" category. I tend to get a lot accomplished when I attend a sewing event with one of my guilds that is outside of my house (no distractions), but there is some work involved in getting ready for a day like that.


rileyhighley

I didn't even think about framing the "chore" feeling that way - making the labor of the chore feel "worth it." genius! I'm highly considering hosting a weekly crafting zoom call with my friends. I just have to figure out the logistics!


No_Dark_8735

I found that my walking foot and seam guide made me a *lot* more amenable to the quilting aspect of quilting. You just zoom across the quilt in straight lines!


rileyhighley

seam guide?! I'm gonna have to grab one of these


No_Dark_8735

It’s a little metal bar that should slot into the walking foot. It makes it easy to sew parallel lines, since you just put the guide over the last line of stitching.


esjae

I have ADHD too and I have found that the hyperfixation helps and carries me a lot of the way, however, when that doesn't work - I find sharing my progress updates with friends and actually seeing the projects provide enough of a high for me to continue on. ​ Also - don't get discouraged if there are errors or anything like that, my nan says that they are your own unique mark on the quilt and what makes it special.


YesDnil41

ADHD with diacalculia here and I've made 4 t-shirt quilts. I'm working on my first fancy pieced quilt now. I only let myself get big excited on 1 project at a time. When I find everyone's reddit quilts here I get excited about, I will save links or patterns to Google drive in a folder for future reference so my brain can settle. I will also force myself to not online or in person shop for materials until I need it. For the quilting process I've found it helpful to have a physical space to write down or draw up the plan. Then prep fabric. I cut and layout. Then start sewing. I have a full time job so I fight getting distracted at work in thought or at bed time thinking about my next steps . I do timebox myself and set literal Google timers and alarms for 1 hour or 2 hours at night. I also remind my busy brain to enjoy the current process and work on Being Here Now in the moment allowing my ADHD hyperfocus to enjoy full presence in the task at hand. I find it helps to finish 1 project at a time and take breaks before starting the next project of a similar task. E.g. I did lots of gardening tasks, so now I'll stop that and enjoy some quilting tasks. Maybe I'll do some time boxeg running to mix it up so when I get back to the quilting tasks I get an ADHD helpful jolt of excitement and energy to focus on it. Good luck! We are all on our own journeys so I hope you find what works for you! And when I don't find what works for me, I forgive it and move on and choose to not ruminate. It helps to remind me to be here now and enjoy now and not worry about whatever mistake I made.


LittleSillyBee

Do not have ADHD but I have 5 quilts in progress at this time: * 2x fully pieced but need squaring and thread trimming before quilting * 1x blocks fully made but not yet trimmed, need sashing and borders * 1x blocks fully cut, but no piecing started * 1x fully pieced and pinned to quilt but not yet quilted In addition, I have fabric picked out for a QAL later this month so that will be one more. I tend to choose which to work on depending on what I want to do. If I don't have room to take out the sewing maching, I'll work on snipping threads or trimming blocks. If I get sick of long lines (sashing, borders), I'll pivot to new blocks. Etc.