Oh boy, have I been overthinking my one of my oldest UFO's. But I am back on track now. But's going to take much longer than I originally thouight. 🙄 Thank you Birch Living for sponsoring! Click here birchliving.com/quilts to get 20% off your Birch mattress (plus two free Eco-Rest pillows!). (plus personal comment about the brand) #birchliving
My super power is buying beautiful fabric. My failure is not wanting to cut into it! Recently I was 70 and I realised that if I didn't use it, someone else would. I've had great fun since.
@@janinenankervis9477 I watched lots of you tubes until one clicked. I'm not keen on anything that wastes fabric. So that eliminated a lot blocks. I also don't like quick and easy. For me, if you're in a hurry, this is the wrong hobby for you. So I like little bits of fabric and fairly intricate sewing. I'm in no rush to get to the quilting part, which I don't really enjoy although I love when it's all finished. I'm currently working on an English paper pieced project with one inch hexagons. I do intend to apply some embroidery and maybe simple applique. Thanks for asking. 😊?
I have to keep reminding myself that we only fail when we quit. Every quilt, every undertaking is a success, even one that we only learned what NOT to do, as long as we finish it. We are our worst critics. ❤
Also, if we decide NOT to finish a quilt because it just doesn't fly, it's not a fail. Not if it's an active decision that the work isn't worth it, then it becomes a win, imho 😊
Funny - I just read a good quote this morning: "You would think with the amount of over-thinking I do, that I would make the right decision". Thanks Karen.
Hi again, Karen. As usual, this video is helping me to jump in and get started on the many projects I have. I know setting deadlines really works. In 2009, my husband and I were given the opportunity to borrow his high school's yearbook collection and scan all of them for our website devoted to the high school. Summer was coming and my daughter was out of school, so she helped with half the project. Then, we backplanned with 2 volumes on each day posting each assignment on a calendar square. We would do 2 volumes per day. The older ones were smaller, so as we finished one, we moved on to another. We also planned to not work weekends or on our vacation days. In the end, there were 80 pages of one volume to be done when my daughter returned to school, which I finished in an afternoon. Without this planning we would not have finished. Sorry for the rant, but thank you for your videos.
Recognizing that I might be one of the 75% of women with ADHD that are undiagnosed has been huge. Now I am learning some coping strategies to make my squirrel -brain into my Superpower! And now I'm giving myself lots of grace, allowing for self care, getting Progress, not Perfection. Thanks for your inspiration over the years, Karen!❤
Hi, Karen. 💜 I’m 27 and got into crafting for mental health. I’ve done hand embroidery, punch needle, crochet, painting and many more. Quilting has been so hard for me because it pokes at my perfectionism. I feel like I can’t do it perfectly, so I just don’t do it at all. Thanks for the video. I have watched it over and over as a pep talk
I would absolutely LOVE you to please make a video about how to use your fabric collections - no one seems to be putting any videos like this in UA-cam. We go to the quilt shop, come home with say a few fat quarters of fabrics, then what? All this stash and what the heck to make with them all? This is my main problem. I love my little fabric story I have so carefully chosen and also those odd fat quarters that are random purchases which I just cannot resist because they are beautiful...but again, they sit there in my stash with a big question mark over their heads, for a very long time... HELP! And I have been quilting for almost ten years and I still have this issue. I clearly have pattern paralysis. Yes design dilemmas...hmm.
You got me! Thank you for this video. It is me 100%! The positive is that I am not alone. 😂. There must be a lot of us out there I am going to put some of your tips to work. I just need to get at it ❤❤❤❤❤
Holey schmoley, I just left my sewing area and string blocks a friend gave me (110) 7 inch squares for me to have fun and make a quilt. the single string quilt blocks have no rhyme or reason, I love it, I am a scrappy person, but... I had sewn about 15 quads of 4 single blocks only to have my poor head explode. It looked like Walt Disney threw up just after colorization came to Disney Land. So I ripped them out and started looking for similar color family prints - you know, the triangle ends and started putting those together... I have spent about 8 hours so far... I just stepped away, and with a cup of tea I fired up UA-cam, and here YOU are! Whoopeeeeee, there's hope for this woman who is overthinking it! Thanks toots (my mom used to say that). I just reread the post and I can't even make a coherent paragraph. LOL
Scrappy blocks can look so ugly until you get them sewn into a quilt. I even find just trimming them square is a great improvement. Having one common fabric in all of them can also calm them down
Hello from Plymouth in England.I have a favourite saying about mistakes..... ALL MISTAKES ARE MADE WITH LOVE !! Love your videos and am learning a lot from them xx
Great advice and encouragement. I overcame perfectionism in my garment sewing and quilting by the mantra "This isn't brain surgery, no one is going to die." I'm so much more relaxed now.
....'baby squirrels!!!....'... I had a good laugh at your squirrel analogy! We call it Down the Rabbit Hole over here! Lol! So easy to do... whether rabbits or squirrels...so easy to get completely distracted online, or in our sewing room, or otherwise... when Focus is so very important to keep on track!
My biggest fear is to waste precious fabric. I'm playing around with a beautiful fat quarter bundle I've got from my daughter for months now and still haven't found the perfect pattern and the perfect project and the perfect........ Think I will watch this video again! 😂 Greetings from Germany
I absolutely loved seeing how you put your large squirrel image together. I used to look at those and marvel how they came about, and now I know. Fascinating project.
My Mum and I speak every day by video as I live in Scotland and she lives in Northern England. We bounce ideas around and discuss things to find solutions, and share with each other what we are currently working on. It always works. We make each other laugh too so if one of us is having a bad day we can leave each other happier than we started. We have both benefitted from your wisdom this year by following your de-cluttering videos. ❤❤
Since I prefer quilt patterns that look old, so I don't prefer to make "Modern Quilts", so there is less likelihood of many of the problems you mentioned.
I have learned a lot and changed my ways after watching Dave's Craft Room. He has no fear, he just creates in the most awesome way. I have watched all of his videos twice. He even mentioned Karen in one of his videos, I think he used a pattern of hers.
Thank you so much! My hang up has been free motion quilting a raffle quilt. You've inspired me to "just do it." I love to free-motion quilt. This is just one I'm afraid of messing up. I'm going to set the timer this evening!
I'm thanking you, Karen, for always thinking about the subjects common to all of us, but not addressed by most quilting posters on UA-cam. This one hit the mark for me.
I am an overthinker or as my friends say - I procrastinate too much. I can help them pick out colours and fabrics for their quilts but for myself cant pick out "exactly what I want" or fabrics I will use. So loved this video - thank you
Last year I started a hand sewn 3/4" hexi quilt. Slower than slow! This week I read a book that clarified why I designed it both in colors and placement. I love each color, each design element, and hand sewing has been zen. Now I also see what its meaning is to me, like the other quilts have done. They all represent parts of my life. My first teacher told me they don't ALL have to be works of art😮, as I hand beaded my garden's lizard in the center square. My extended family all want one, but my son insists I keep them all with me, then for him. He takes great care of all grandma's hand made treasures. He wanted me to write a book about my life, but will get my quilt story instead. He keeps a journal of his life, which I hope his son loves one day.
Ultimately the only thing that matters is that the quilt is structurally sound. It's awesome when your vision comes to fruition, but failures are excellent for skill acquisition.
I can do that!! 🙋 😂. I am guilty of all of these. I'm sitting here going through my scraps deciding if and how to cut them up. I had a plan but now I'm second guessing myself.
You've been spying on me not cutting my fabric! My fabric that, thanks to you, I've now counted and measured and thereby come to the realization that I don't actually need to buy more fabric. What I need is to not, NOT cut the fabric I already have. 😂 This video is going to need to play on repeat for a while!
Oh, dear! I shouldn’t have seen you putting the squirrel together. Now I want to make something like that! (I’m easily distracted but shines new objects. 🤪)
Karen! I haven’t seen your videos in a few months, and am pleasantly surprised - and impressed! - that you are up to 400,000 subscribers. That’s fantastic! Congratulations 🎉!! It’s nice that not only GTA locals can benefit from your wisdom and skill. Celebrate the win.
You peeked into my head with this one. Wait ... squirrel! Did you say squirrel? Looking forward to seeing your Hazelnut; on my to - do list is a mosaic of our favorite backyard squirrel.
Karen.... you read my thoughts! I did a quilt a month in 2024 and that last quilt was spectacular.... so far this year is zero ... yes ... I am stuck!!! Thanks for a heads up ... I need a good shake😂
Thank you for kicking my brain out of that endless loop! Before watching this video two days ago, my project had progressed as far as picking five fabrics, and a whole evening of looking at (translate: fretting over) layouts for rail fence blocks. As of today, with the number of fabrics increased to ten, I've made two-hundred and forty 3" squares, which I'll pair with an equal number of black pieces to make HSTs (good-bye for now, rail fence!) I've even gotten a start on the black squares, if you can call nine out of two-hundred and forty "a start." Thanks again for getting things jump-started 🙂
Another great video, thank you. I struggle with three things. Finding the perfect pattern for what I have in my mind's eye, finding a pattern to suit the fabric I have, or having trouble finding one particular fabric that I know MUST be out there! Once I get going, I will quilt binge, and often get a oversized throw done in a few days, start to finish. I don't obsess about layout or imperfections, as I know the intended recipients will not look at the quilt the way I do, and that washing is like soft touch on a photo. I do get overwhelmed with the clean up after, so I guess that's four problems. All the scraps (I don't fuss with crumbs), just stress me out no matter what, even watching and rewatching your videos on scrap related things.
It turns out that I have several personal cheerleaders when it comes to quilting. My cousin came up for a last minute visit last weekend. I'm making her a baby quilt for her fourth kid. I stashed it in my linen closet, because it wasn't quite done, but she was really impressed with what I've done with my other projects.
I also struggle with over-thinking. I used to 'blame' my grandmother, who was more a starter, less a finisher. It is time I broke through and work on these partial projects. 😊
It's okay to love the planning and the dreaming. You just need a strategy to get them done. I think that 80% of my fun is done by the 5th block...then it's gets harder with each stitch
I really need the last step. I made a big mistake on a bag I'm making. I haven't touched my sewing since. Just can't get started again due to self doubt. But I know I can finish that project and no one will know the mistake unless I point it out. Just need to start sewing again.
I have so many starts & not a single finished ANYTHING. I buy so many jelly rolls, layer cakes & charms (I don't have your skill for color/value) but I can't seem to finish a single project. Even placemats!😅 I think I'll go back to my very first project & make myself finish it & ignore everything else. Um, from seven years ago...🙄
I excel in something quilt related - finally. I don’t do any of these things. I just get to it and sort it out as I go. It’s only fabric and if I mess it up the shop will sell me some more!
This was very helpful to me. I've been stuck with analyzing why I'm making quilts, feeling guilty about all the fabric I've bought, and wondering if I can use it up before I die! I love making them and love giving them away. Now to begin anew! 😘
Thank you! I needed this. The procrastination is overwhelming. I love quilting..I don't understand why I stop & stall. I enjoy seeing the final quilt. "Just do it" is the perfect slogan. 💕
That’s just what I have done, taken a deep breath and decided to finish binding a mountain of quilts and just say NO to myself, don’t start anything new until they are done. 5 finished, I’m almost there!
I thought I was the only one!! I've pretty much stopped doing improv piecing because the decisions are just too much. I decided to stick to patterns. My first quilt after this decision had a lot of leftovers, so I was mentally adding blocks and borders and driving myself crazy again! What helped was a pencil and some graph paper (or Excel) to work out what exactly I could do with the leftovers. Logic helped. Thanks for this great video!
My daughter, her cousin and I have a text chat group. We talk about life and Quilting. But when I'm really stuck, They come through and tell me where my mistakes are and that it's good enough! Since it's only the three of us it's a perfect size Group. I'm also in some Facebook quilting groups but I never ask design questions there Because 150 answers would be no help at all!
This is so accruate it hurts! Also, a good kick in the pants for me to continue working on my improv quilt that has been staring at me for several weeks. Just move forward and let it be :)
I pulled out a quilt kit from 2017 as one of 3 projects at a retreat - figured I would never get started I’d I kept it at home. Instructions called for snipping and gluing under for appliqué and that was putting me off. At the retreat I dug in on the simpler blocks/rows and decided to defer final appliqué and only basted in place while making blocks. After 2 days of this, I had only finished 15x48” of the48x48” quilt! So I switched to another quilt kit that was straight forward piecing and finished that over the next 2 days! Felt a lot better. Upon my return home,I tackled the first quilt again and finished the bottom 15x48”. That left the really nasty blocks with more complicated piecing. Finished those ( a week of effort mind you) and put it all together and then started the outside ‘rings of appliqué’ towards the center. When I was at the closest ring to the center, the appliqué didn’t continue as expected -- I had turned one of the 3” blocks and the appliqué lines were wrong. This was very noticeable and had to be fixed but I had to work around some of the appliquéd stitches. Ripped out the 3” block, turned it and machine sewed it in place on 3 sides, then hand stitched the fourth side and got it all to match and I could resume the appliqué step. So, I’m glad I went back to it and can’t believe that I didn’t look that closely on my last interior 4 (9x12” ) blocks to correct the error earlier. But it is done and I am rethinking the approach on another quilt by same designer to do raw edge appliqué instead, as it is less detailed!😅
Did you climb into my head for all the source material for this video?? 😊 All of it applies to me - and I greatly appreciate all your strategies! Just the encouragement and reset I need. Thanks so much 😍
Mine is I get so busy and my kitchen table is my workspace. I don't know want to clean it off and get started, to only do an hour before I have to stop and put it all away. Again!
I totally get this. Kept me from seriously quilting for years. Having supplies in various parts of the house is also a huge obstacle. When the kids were grown and a bedroom available I found everything changed.
Agree - you’re a mind reader, Karen!! Or else you’ve been peeking in my sewing window! 😂 Needed this. Will probably listen a few more times. Thanks for your terrific content, time and time again. ❤
I loved "every mistake is part of a quilts story" Will keep that quote with me always. I am relieved to see I am not the only one who is struggling with over thinking. Thought it was just me. Thank you for the video.
There are only 28 more days and school left in this school year. After that, I should have free time to sew anytime I want to (during summer break). I can even stay up all night, if I want to. Having to keep myself ready to cover a job (keeps me from doing a lot of things I want to do). Getting to stay home is a real vacation to me.
Karen how did you get into my brain? I can look at quilt patterns for hours and not pick one. When I finally pick one, I search again because maybe there is something better. Maybe I should try different fabric. It seems never ending. I am going to try the timer technique and also remind myself that I am overthinking and move on. Thank you for this video.
I’ve been putting off watching your videos and I think this was the right one to watch first. I picked out material and a pattern for an adorable bear quilt for my grandson right after he was born. He’s three now! For just about every reason you listed, I have been putting it off. The idea of working 30 minutes at a time has truly motivated me to work on it again. Thank you for your motivation! ❤
I’m in the overthinkers club, too. I have made some progress by trying different patterns, different techniques, color combos I normally wouldn’t pick. It helps, but planning is my hero. Get it together before I start, and if I am stuck, take a few hours (or days) to contemplate. Oftentimes I will have a new perspective or even a brilliant solution to my “issue” by just hanging what I have on the heavy drape I have in front of my recliner…sitting with a cup of coffee, casually living with the current work I have (or haven’t) completed. I work in a very tiny space, so try VERY hard not to have more than one ufo at a time. This has helped me a lot to complete work. ❤❤❤❤
Yes! Just start the project and deal with the questions and mishaps along the way. That’s me. Which irritates my husband who holds fast to the “90% prep first” rule.
My first time using jelly rolls to make an irish chain quilt, 2 different manufacturers, plus different pinked edges...catastrophe!! None of them lined up. Now I'm cutting them down and making a keyhole quilt.
Oh my! I buy and buy only to have TONS of fabric…. Only to let it sit! I do nothing with it! I have no one to inspire me so I don’t even go into my sewing room!! I just SPIN!!
Design dilemma is my bugaboo. I can't over think it too long, because I have to lay blocks out on a bad. If my daughter is home she helps check for color and pattern placement. These two strategies definitely help me to not overthink, most of the time. 😂
Interesting! I don’t think I suffer from overthinking. My life is less stressful than many and quilting with a scrappy look I am not trying for “perfection.” What did strike me is that maybe this is why people describe me as a “prolific” quilter. If I don’t get bogged down, I can complete more quilts! I will admit, though, to spending time just sitting and admiring my quilt when it is coming together, like at the end of the quilting session. Thanks again for your insights! I love your channel.
I love making scrappy quilts. I had never thought about what you said - scrappy helped me get over the perfectionism because it does go with that style.
I have just made my 1st string quilt 8 inch squares and all the colours of the rainbow and more. I thought they looked messy until I sewed them altogether and just added a plain binding and now it looks great. So happy and thanks for your video tonight, I shall watch it regularly until it's embedded in my brain, as I'm guilty of some of your comments. Thank you for sharing with us Karen x
With all the reasons you listed....sometimes I just can't move for no reason!!! I'm there currently, but I just started with just 1 thing yesterday. Today or maybe tomorrow it will be 2...only!!!! Thanks for your approval! See you again soon in my studio, alwYs enjoy your visits.
Hi Karen! You knocked this one out of the park. So good. I suddenly felt very self-aware of what’s keeping me from just starting. I am definitely a detail junky but I tend to ignore my timer. I try not to but it is what it is. But making a list of what comes first and second and so on gives me my starting line. I truly enjoyed your video and feel much better, and more equipped for having seen it. Thank you so much. I have one request. I inherited some sewing items and I find when it comes to many of the presser feet I’m lost. Can you please talk about presser feet for those of us that are self taught home quilters. There are several here that I can’t identify nor have I been able to find specific info on and I just need to know which feet are useful for quilters. Any tips tricks or strategies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again. Have a beautiful day. ❤
Congratulations Karen on reaching 400,000 followers! I’ve been watching those numbers creep up recently and knew it wouldn’t be long until you hit that milestone. I hope that there are some extra perks for you from UA-cam. Well done!
As always, such great advice. I find making my nursing home quilts is when I am the most relaxed with my choices and quilting. I have so much self doubt when making a quilt for someone I know.
Without knowing it, listening to you was just what I needed to get me back into my projects that I have been putting off because of too much other stuff going on in my day to day life. I feel now that I'm able to move forward without feeling overwhelmed. Thanks Karen for your great videos 🥰
Thanks for this. My life changed a lot this week and now I have a toddler telling me that she wants to be in the sewing room more than I have been in over a year. Even with a tiny cheerleader, I have been intimidated. Thanks for the realistic pep talk!
I made an I Spy quilt this past year and there were a number of parts to it that I had never done before. I kept telling myself to stop overthinking everything and to Just Get It Done. It turned out great and I thank you.
This video hit me - there is so much truth to what you said and it refers to other aspects of one's life, not just quilting. "Overwhelmed in fear..." I didn't know I needed this today, but I did. Thank you!
I try to improve a skill with every quilt and so find that my anxieties are reduced as my confidence increases. Am also learning that patterns have mistakes and skip over entire steps and processes..and that's on the writer. Not on me!
I wish we had family doctors in Quebec! We are four people without one. I lost mine recently since she’s moving. I had asked for help and she gave me a web site to read..😳 no more health care here. But thanks for your video, I’ll be thinking of you every time I hesitate to start because I didn’t think of everything or before cutting my material.
Just this past few days I have been sewing scraps together in a decidedly “not thinking too much” way. The result has been that I do not actually like most of it. But it’s a good exercise in not overthinking, and I’ll see how it turns out in the end!
Thank you Karen, excellent advice. I am still procrastinating my 100 blocks from 2022. I made two of them! One with a layer cake and jelly package I won and one from my scraps. Neither is done. I was so proud of myself to have made 200 blocks in less than 100 days. Two years later, not so proud, more disappointed in myself for not being able to make a decision. I know I cannot handle large quilts anymore due to shoulder problems, even lap quilts are a challenge. So I need to pick myself up and decide on much smaller projects or pass them on which I really don’t want to do. All your videos have given me inspiration when I’m down and I hope this one will motivate me to just go ahead and do it! Should be hard to decide if I want table runners, baby quilts, placemats, etc. lol, enough blocks to make all. I am going to make an effort to set a timer and try to begin. I will also try seek opinions from a quilt buddy. You are the best Karen. Looking forward to more of your videos, especially scrap busters.
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts No I haven’t, it would still get big and I know my arms couldn’t handle it. I have a hard time maneuvering a baby quilt. Torn rotator cuffs both shoulders and ruptured bicep on left. Haha, lucky I can still se2!
From the beginning of the 100 days / 100 blocks sew along, I planned to use the blocks for smaller projects. I have finished a couple tote bags with square blocks centered on the large sides and rectangular blocks centered on the ends. I didn't sew much in 2023 due to preparing a house to sell, showing the house and then moving to a new house. Before I put sewing on hold, I had chosen from the block set for a sewing mat/sewing machine cover project. It was just as well that I didn't start that project as I now have a larger sewing machine. I can add a few more blocks to make a cover for the new machine. 😂
@@annataylor7226 Thank you Anna, any chance you have a picture of one of the totes? I do make a lot of totes and zips now as smaller projects are easier.
I have photos of the first tote, Christmas themed, posted in Facebook. I tried to post the links but was unsuccessful. In the private Home of the Gnome (Angel) group, my post is by Anna Taylor and dated 24 July 2021. I also posted in the private group RSIslandCrafts - the group on the same day. I probably posted to my personal page on the same date. If you can't see either of the above posts, let me know and I can make my post public.
Thank you Karen…for me it’s choosing a pattern & fabrics…I seem to have problem with colors. I’ve tried ‘everything’ so I can be more confident but O my…I struggle. Lord help!
Oh boy, have I been overthinking my one of my oldest UFO's. But I am back on track now. But's going to take much longer than I originally thouight. 🙄
Thank you Birch Living for sponsoring! Click here birchliving.com/quilts to get 20% off your Birch mattress (plus two free Eco-Rest pillows!). (plus personal comment about the brand) #birchliving
I can’t wait to see your Hazelnut either!!! She’s fabulous!! Great color choice, and I loooove that design!! Go KAREN, GO!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉
I shall try the 30 minutes to finish the current UFO.
My super power is buying beautiful fabric. My failure is not wanting to cut into it! Recently I was 70 and I realised that if I didn't use it, someone else would. I've had great fun since.
Yes! :D
Buying fabric is called curating in my world 😂😂
How did you decide what pattern(s) to use the fabrics in?
@@janinenankervis9477 I watched lots of you tubes until one clicked. I'm not keen on anything that wastes fabric. So that eliminated a lot blocks. I also don't like quick and easy. For me, if you're in a hurry, this is the wrong hobby for you. So I like little bits of fabric and fairly intricate sewing. I'm in no rush to get to the quilting part, which I don't really enjoy although I love when it's all finished. I'm currently working on an English paper pieced project with one inch hexagons. I do intend to apply some embroidery and maybe simple applique. Thanks for asking. 😊?
Add this title to your resume, "Quilt Psychologist". As Yoda said, "There is no try, there is only do."
I have to keep reminding myself that we only fail when we quit. Every quilt, every undertaking is a success, even one that we only learned what NOT to do, as long as we finish it. We are our worst critics. ❤
Also, if we decide NOT to finish a quilt because it just doesn't fly, it's not a fail. Not if it's an active decision that the work isn't worth it, then it becomes a win, imho 😊
Funny - I just read a good quote this morning: "You would think with the amount of over-thinking I do, that I would make the right decision". Thanks Karen.
Love it
Hi again, Karen. As usual, this video is helping me to jump in and get started on the many projects I have. I know setting deadlines really works. In 2009, my husband and I were given the opportunity to borrow his high school's yearbook collection and scan all of them for our website devoted to the high school. Summer was coming and my daughter was out of school, so she helped with half the project. Then, we backplanned with 2 volumes on each day posting each assignment on a calendar square. We would do 2 volumes per day. The older ones were smaller, so as we finished one, we moved on to another. We also planned to not work weekends or on our vacation days. In the end, there were 80 pages of one volume to be done when my daughter returned to school, which I finished in an afternoon. Without this planning we would not have finished.
Sorry for the rant, but thank you for your videos.
That is an excellent example of planning!
Recognizing that I might be one of the 75% of women with ADHD that are undiagnosed has been huge. Now I am learning some coping strategies to make my squirrel -brain into my Superpower! And now I'm giving myself lots of grace, allowing for self care, getting Progress, not Perfection. Thanks for your inspiration over the years, Karen!❤
Hi, Karen. 💜 I’m 27 and got into crafting for mental health. I’ve done hand embroidery, punch needle, crochet, painting and many more. Quilting has been so hard for me because it pokes at my perfectionism. I feel like I can’t do it perfectly, so I just don’t do it at all. Thanks for the video. I have watched it over and over as a pep talk
I would absolutely LOVE you to please make a video about how to use your fabric collections - no one seems to be putting any videos like this in UA-cam. We go to the quilt shop, come home with say a few fat quarters of fabrics, then what? All this stash and what the heck to make with them all? This is my main problem. I love my little fabric story I have so carefully chosen and also those odd fat quarters that are random purchases which I just cannot resist because they are beautiful...but again, they sit there in my stash with a big question mark over their heads, for a very long time... HELP! And I have been quilting for almost ten years and I still have this issue. I clearly have pattern paralysis. Yes design dilemmas...hmm.
You got me! Thank you for this video. It is me 100%! The positive is that I am not alone. 😂. There must be a lot of us out there I am going to put some of your tips to work. I just need to get at it ❤❤❤❤❤
Holey schmoley, I just left my sewing area and string blocks a friend gave me (110) 7 inch squares for me to have fun and make a quilt. the single string quilt blocks have no rhyme or reason, I love it, I am a scrappy person, but... I had sewn about 15 quads of 4 single blocks only to have my poor head explode. It looked like Walt Disney threw up just after colorization came to Disney Land. So I ripped them out and started looking for similar color family prints - you know, the triangle ends and started putting those together... I have spent about 8 hours so far...
I just stepped away, and with a cup of tea I fired up UA-cam, and here YOU are! Whoopeeeeee, there's hope for this woman who is overthinking it! Thanks toots (my mom used to say that). I just reread the post and I can't even make a coherent paragraph. LOL
Scrappy blocks can look so ugly until you get them sewn into a quilt. I even find just trimming them square is a great improvement. Having one common fabric in all of them can also calm them down
The only thing worse than my cupboard full of UFO's.... is someone else, giving me theirs! Lol!
I know you didn't ask me but maybe sashing them in the same color would help
Hello from Plymouth in England.I have a favourite saying about mistakes..... ALL MISTAKES ARE MADE WITH LOVE !! Love your videos and am learning a lot from them xx
I started making a scrappy 9-patch at quilt club and the woman across from me said, “You’re overthinking it”. How true!!!
LOL...thankfully we have friends to snap us out of it
Karen how did you get in my head, LOL, you are reading my mind.
Great advice and encouragement. I overcame perfectionism in my garment sewing and quilting by the mantra "This isn't brain surgery, no one is going to die." I'm so much more relaxed now.
As The Quilting Marine says: “It’s only fabric, and it’s only thread.”
I had a teacher who always said "this isn't going to change the price of milk". I find that saying in my head alot lately
I needed this! Thank you!
....'baby squirrels!!!....'... I had a good laugh at your squirrel analogy! We call it Down the Rabbit Hole over here! Lol! So easy to do... whether rabbits or squirrels...so easy to get completely distracted online, or in our sewing room, or otherwise... when Focus is so very important to keep on track!
My biggest fear is to waste precious fabric. I'm playing around with a beautiful fat quarter bundle I've got from my daughter for months now and still haven't found the perfect pattern and the perfect project and the perfect........
Think I will watch this video again! 😂
Greetings from Germany
Fat Quarter bundles are tricky to turn into quilts. There is usually a lot of contrast between the fabrics plus all the colours.
My grandma's name was also Karen Brown. I miss her very much! I think she would have enjoyed your videos as much as I do.
I absolutely loved seeing how you put your large squirrel image together. I used to look at those and marvel how they came about, and now I know. Fascinating project.
As The Quilting Marine says, “It’s only fabric and it’s only thread.”
My Mum and I speak every day by video as I live in Scotland and she lives in Northern England. We bounce ideas around and discuss things to find solutions, and share with each other what we are currently working on. It always works. We make each other laugh too so if one of us is having a bad day we can leave each other happier than we started. We have both benefitted from your wisdom this year by following your de-cluttering videos. ❤❤
That sounds lovely
Since I prefer quilt patterns that look old, so I don't prefer to make "Modern Quilts", so there is less likelihood of many of the problems you mentioned.
Finished is better than perfect.
I have learned a lot and changed my ways after watching Dave's Craft Room. He has no fear, he just creates in the most awesome way. I have watched all of his videos twice. He even mentioned Karen in one of his videos, I think he used a pattern of hers.
Thank you so much! My hang up has been free motion quilting a raffle quilt. You've inspired me to "just do it." I love to free-motion quilt. This is just one I'm afraid of messing up. I'm going to set the timer this evening!
I'm thanking you, Karen, for always thinking about the subjects common to all of us, but not addressed by most quilting posters on UA-cam. This one hit the mark for me.
I hope it will help you get unstuck 🤗
I am an overthinker or as my friends say - I procrastinate too much. I can help them pick out colours and fabrics for their quilts but for myself cant pick out "exactly what I want" or fabrics I will use. So loved this video - thank you
Thank u for addressing the inner critic that shows up when we create ❤
Just sitting there in waiting for trouble to start.
Last year I started a hand sewn 3/4" hexi quilt. Slower than slow! This week I read a book that clarified why I designed it both in colors and placement. I love each color, each design element, and hand sewing has been zen. Now I also see what its meaning is to me, like the other quilts have done. They all represent parts of my life.
My first teacher told me they don't ALL have to be works of art😮, as I hand beaded my garden's lizard in the center square.
My extended family all want one, but my son insists I keep them all with me, then for him. He takes great care of all grandma's hand made treasures. He wanted me to write a book about my life, but will get my quilt story instead.
He keeps a journal of his life, which I hope his son loves one day.
The message at the end about being self compassionate and tending to your mental health was really lovely and a nice surprise for a quilting video. ❤
Excellent video…. I needed to hear this today! I can’t wait to see Hazlenut 🐿️
Ultimately the only thing that matters is that the quilt is structurally sound. It's awesome when your vision comes to fruition, but failures are excellent for skill acquisition.
And as we both know....once the binding is on, it's still full of warmth and love
I can do that!! 🙋 😂. I am guilty of all of these. I'm sitting here going through my scraps deciding if and how to cut them up. I had a plan but now I'm second guessing myself.
You've been spying on me not cutting my fabric! My fabric that, thanks to you, I've now counted and measured and thereby come to the realization that I don't actually need to buy more fabric. What I need is to not, NOT cut the fabric I already have. 😂 This video is going to need to play on repeat for a while!
Oh, dear! I shouldn’t have seen you putting the squirrel together. Now I want to make something like that! (I’m easily distracted but shines new objects. 🤪)
If I did it again, I would probably take a class. I can do it but I think that it would be more inspiring to work along side other people
I too am intrigued!! I did a few pigeons for a rescue dear to me, but totally winged in with so so (IMO) results. Can't wait to see more!
Karen! I haven’t seen your videos in a few months, and am pleasantly surprised - and impressed! - that you are up to 400,000 subscribers. That’s fantastic! Congratulations 🎉!! It’s nice that not only GTA locals can benefit from your wisdom and skill. Celebrate the win.
You peeked into my head with this one. Wait ... squirrel! Did you say squirrel? Looking forward to seeing your Hazelnut; on my to - do list is a mosaic of our favorite backyard squirrel.
they are such a fun distraction
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts -- You hit 400K ... congrats!
Oh my goodness!! It's like you know me!! :)
Karen.... you read my thoughts! I did a quilt a month in 2024 and that last quilt was spectacular.... so far this year is zero ... yes ... I am stuck!!!
Thanks for a heads up ... I need a good shake😂
Thank you for kicking my brain out of that endless loop! Before watching this video two days ago, my project had progressed as far as picking five fabrics, and a whole evening of looking at (translate: fretting over) layouts for rail fence blocks. As of today, with the number of fabrics increased to ten, I've made two-hundred and forty 3" squares, which I'll pair with an equal number of black pieces to make HSTs (good-bye for now, rail fence!) I've even gotten a start on the black squares, if you can call nine out of two-hundred and forty "a start." Thanks again for getting things jump-started 🙂
All of those apply to me 😊 I think it’s time for me to just set a time and get started
Yes, yes, yes 🤣🤣 Thank you for letting us know that we are not alone!! And giving us ideas of how to fix it. And cant wait to see Hazelnut 😊
Another great video, thank you. I struggle with three things. Finding the perfect pattern for what I have in my mind's eye, finding a pattern to suit the fabric I have, or having trouble finding one particular fabric that I know MUST be out there! Once I get going, I will quilt binge, and often get a oversized throw done in a few days, start to finish. I don't obsess about layout or imperfections, as I know the intended recipients will not look at the quilt the way I do, and that washing is like soft touch on a photo. I do get overwhelmed with the clean up after, so I guess that's four problems. All the scraps (I don't fuss with crumbs), just stress me out no matter what, even watching and rewatching your videos on scrap related things.
It turns out that I have several personal cheerleaders when it comes to quilting. My cousin came up for a last minute visit last weekend. I'm making her a baby quilt for her fourth kid. I stashed it in my linen closet, because it wasn't quite done, but she was really impressed with what I've done with my other projects.
I also struggle with over-thinking. I used to 'blame' my grandmother, who was more a starter, less a finisher. It is time I broke through and work on these partial projects. 😊
It's okay to love the planning and the dreaming. You just need a strategy to get them done. I think that 80% of my fun is done by the 5th block...then it's gets harder with each stitch
I really need the last step. I made a big mistake on a bag I'm making. I haven't touched my sewing since. Just can't get started again due to self doubt. But I know I can finish that project and no one will know the mistake unless I point it out. Just need to start sewing again.
I have so many starts & not a single finished ANYTHING. I buy so many jelly rolls, layer cakes & charms (I don't have your skill for color/value) but I can't seem to finish a single project. Even placemats!😅 I think I'll go back to my very first project & make myself finish it & ignore everything else. Um, from seven years ago...🙄
I excel in something quilt related - finally. I don’t do any of these things. I just get to it and sort it out as I go. It’s only fabric and if I mess it up the shop will sell me some more!
YES...keep it as one of your super powers
This was very helpful to me. I've been stuck with analyzing why I'm making quilts, feeling guilty about all the fabric I've bought, and wondering if I can use it up before I die!
I love making them and love giving them away. Now to begin anew! 😘
Thank you! I needed this. The procrastination is overwhelming. I love quilting..I don't understand why I stop & stall. I enjoy seeing the final quilt. "Just do it" is the perfect slogan. 💕
I have made mistakes that turn out to be improvements
true...it can start with an oops
That’s just what I have done, taken a deep breath and decided to finish binding a mountain of quilts and just say NO to myself, don’t start anything new until they are done. 5 finished, I’m almost there!
I thought I was the only one!! I've pretty much stopped doing improv piecing because the decisions are just too much. I decided to stick to patterns. My first quilt after this decision had a lot of leftovers, so I was mentally adding blocks and borders and driving myself crazy again! What helped was a pencil and some graph paper (or Excel) to work out what exactly I could do with the leftovers. Logic helped.
Thanks for this great video!
My daughter, her cousin and I have a text chat group. We talk about life and Quilting. But when I'm really stuck, They come through and tell me where my mistakes are and that it's good enough! Since it's only the three of us it's a perfect size Group. I'm also in some Facebook quilting groups but I never ask design questions there Because 150 answers would be no help at all!
This is so accruate it hurts! Also, a good kick in the pants for me to continue working on my improv quilt that has been staring at me for several weeks. Just move forward and let it be :)
I pulled out a quilt kit from 2017 as one of 3 projects at a retreat - figured I would never get started I’d I kept it at home. Instructions called for snipping and gluing under for appliqué and that was putting me off. At the retreat I dug in on the simpler blocks/rows and decided to defer final appliqué and only basted in place while making blocks. After 2 days of this, I had only finished 15x48” of the48x48” quilt! So I switched to another quilt kit that was straight forward piecing and finished that over the next 2 days! Felt a lot better. Upon my return home,I tackled the first quilt again and finished the bottom 15x48”. That left the really nasty blocks with more complicated piecing. Finished those ( a week of effort mind you) and put it all together and then started the outside ‘rings of appliqué’ towards the center. When I was at the closest ring to the center, the appliqué didn’t continue as expected -- I had turned one of the 3” blocks and the appliqué lines were wrong. This was very noticeable and had to be fixed but I had to work around some of the appliquéd stitches. Ripped out the 3” block, turned it and machine sewed it in place on 3 sides, then hand stitched the fourth side and got it all to match and I could resume the appliqué step. So, I’m glad I went back to it and can’t believe that I didn’t look that closely on my last interior 4 (9x12” ) blocks to correct the error earlier. But it is done and I am rethinking the approach on another quilt by same designer to do raw edge appliqué instead, as it is less detailed!😅
Wow...that takes some mental stamina. Gold star for persevering ⭐️
Did you climb into my head for all the source material for this video?? 😊 All of it applies to me - and I greatly appreciate all your strategies! Just the encouragement and reset I need. Thanks so much 😍
Mine is I get so busy and my kitchen table is my workspace. I don't know want to clean it off and get started, to only do an hour before I have to stop and put it all away. Again!
I totally get this. Kept me from seriously quilting for years. Having supplies in various parts of the house is also a huge obstacle. When the kids were grown and a bedroom available I found everything changed.
Agree - you’re a mind reader, Karen!! Or else you’ve been peeking in my sewing window! 😂 Needed this. Will probably listen a few more times. Thanks for your terrific content, time and time again. ❤
Actually, I've been overthinking a bit myself 😎
I loved "every mistake is part of a quilts story" Will keep that quote with me always. I am relieved to see I am not the only one who is struggling with over thinking. Thought it was just me. Thank you for the video.
There are only 28 more days and school left in this school year. After that, I should have free time to sew anytime I want to (during summer break). I can even stay up all night, if I want to. Having to keep myself ready to cover a job (keeps me from doing a lot of things I want to do). Getting to stay home is a real vacation to me.
Sounds like fun times ahead
Oh I just love that star quilt. Would just love to have that pattern.
Karen how did you get into my brain? I can look at quilt patterns for hours and not pick one. When I finally pick one, I search again because maybe there is something better. Maybe I should try different fabric. It seems never ending. I am going to try the timer technique and also remind myself that I am overthinking and move on. Thank you for this video.
OMG! You are talking to me!
OMG there she goes again, nailing exactly what's going on with me.
I can’t wait to see the finished Squirrel quilt!!
😊☕️
Wonderful advice! Thank you for sharing!🤗
This is definitely me! In many aspects not just quilting.😊. Your message came at the best time. Thank you!!
I’ve been putting off watching your videos and I think this was the right one to watch first. I picked out material and a pattern for an adorable bear quilt for my grandson right after he was born. He’s three now! For just about every reason you listed, I have been putting it off. The idea of working 30 minutes at a time has truly motivated me to work on it again. Thank you for your motivation! ❤
Glad it was helpful!
I’m in the overthinkers club, too. I have made some progress by trying different patterns, different techniques, color combos I normally wouldn’t pick. It helps, but planning is my hero. Get it together before I start, and if I am stuck, take a few hours (or days) to contemplate. Oftentimes I will have a new perspective or even a brilliant solution to my “issue” by just hanging what I have on the heavy drape I have in front of my recliner…sitting with a cup of coffee, casually living with the current work I have (or haven’t) completed. I work in a very tiny space, so try VERY hard not to have more than one ufo at a time. This has helped me a lot to complete work. ❤❤❤❤
👏👏👏
Yes! Just start the project and deal with the questions and mishaps along the way. That’s me.
Which irritates my husband who holds fast to the “90% prep first” rule.
Same here. I often think we balance each other....though often it drives me bonkers
My first time using jelly rolls to make an irish chain quilt, 2 different manufacturers, plus different pinked edges...catastrophe!! None of them lined up. Now I'm cutting them down and making a keyhole quilt.
Oh my! I buy and buy only to have TONS of fabric…. Only to let it sit! I do nothing with it! I have no one to inspire me so I don’t even go into my sewing room!! I just SPIN!!
GREAT advice. Thank you for sharing this with us. It so applies to me 😉🎉❤ Huggles Always 🤗🥄🥄🦓
Design dilemma is my bugaboo. I can't over think it too long, because I have to lay blocks out on a bad. If my daughter is home she helps check for color and pattern placement. These two strategies definitely help me to not overthink, most of the time. 😂
These are all of my ADHD symptoms in one video! Great advice on coping strategies!
Interesting! I don’t think I suffer from overthinking. My life is less stressful than many and quilting with a scrappy look I am not trying for “perfection.” What did strike me is that maybe this is why people describe me as a “prolific” quilter. If I don’t get bogged down, I can complete more quilts! I will admit, though, to spending time just sitting and admiring my quilt when it is coming together, like at the end of the quilting session.
Thanks again for your insights! I love your channel.
🤗🤗🤗 Good for you. Both in the making and the admiring
I love making scrappy quilts. I had never thought about what you said - scrappy helped me get over the perfectionism because it does go with that style.
I have just made my 1st string quilt 8 inch squares and all the colours of the rainbow and more. I thought they looked messy until I sewed them altogether and just added a plain binding and now it looks great. So happy and thanks for your video tonight, I shall watch it regularly until it's embedded in my brain, as I'm guilty of some of your comments. Thank you for sharing with us Karen x
Wonderful! glad to hear that you are moving forward
With all the reasons you listed....sometimes I just can't move for no reason!!! I'm there currently, but I just started with just 1 thing yesterday. Today or maybe tomorrow it will be 2...only!!!! Thanks for your approval! See you again soon in my studio, alwYs enjoy your visits.
I loved this! Over-thinking and self-doubt are my two worst enemies! I see you have reached 400,000! Congratulations! 👏
Hi Karen! You knocked this one out of the park. So good. I suddenly felt very self-aware of what’s keeping me from just starting. I am definitely a detail junky but I tend to ignore my timer. I try not to but it is what it is. But making a list of what comes first and second and so on gives me my starting line. I truly enjoyed your video and feel much better, and more equipped for having seen it. Thank you so much.
I have one request. I inherited some sewing items and I find when it comes to many of the presser feet I’m lost. Can you please talk about presser feet for those of us that are self taught home quilters. There are several here that I can’t identify nor have I been able to find specific info on and I just need to know which feet are useful for quilters. Any tips tricks or strategies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again. Have a beautiful day. ❤
Congratulations Karen on reaching 400,000 followers! I’ve been watching those numbers creep up recently and knew it wouldn’t be long until you hit that milestone. I hope that there are some extra perks for you from UA-cam. Well done!
Thank you Karen! As a new quilter my doubt meter has been working overtime but I am ready to plunge back in and be brave again . 😂
How did you read my mind so accurately? :::looks for thought balloons overhead:::
ALL of the above I have experienced!
As always, such great advice. I find making my nursing home quilts is when I am the most relaxed with my choices and quilting. I have so much self doubt when making a quilt for someone I know.
Without knowing it, listening to you was just what I needed to get me back into my projects that I have been putting off because of too much other stuff going on in my day to day life. I feel now that I'm able to move forward without feeling overwhelmed. Thanks Karen for your great videos 🥰
Great episode as always, I wish there was a button somewhere in the beginning which said ‘yes to all’ 😂 I’d clicked on it 💯
Thanks for this. My life changed a lot this week and now I have a toddler telling me that she wants to be in the sewing room more than I have been in over a year. Even with a tiny cheerleader, I have been intimidated. Thanks for the realistic pep talk!
And there is so much to learn
Even a kick in the butt is a step forward .. thanks for the boot today ☺
I prefer to think of it like a soft slipper
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts ☺❤
I made an I Spy quilt this past year and there were a number of parts to it that I had never done before. I kept telling myself to stop overthinking everything and to Just Get It Done. It turned out great and I thank you.
good for you
I let fear stop me from starting to quilt. Now I am almost done with my first quilt
🎉👏🎉
This video hit me - there is so much truth to what you said and it refers to other aspects of one's life, not just quilting. "Overwhelmed in fear..." I didn't know I needed this today, but I did. Thank you!
🤗🤗🤗
I try to improve a skill with every quilt and so find that my anxieties are reduced as my confidence increases. Am also learning that patterns have mistakes and skip over entire steps and processes..and that's on the writer. Not on me!
I wish we had family doctors in Quebec! We are four people without one. I lost mine recently since she’s moving. I had asked for help and she gave me a web site to read..😳 no more health care here. But thanks for your video, I’ll be thinking of you every time I hesitate to start because I didn’t think of everything or before cutting my material.
Just this past few days I have been sewing scraps together in a decidedly “not thinking too much” way. The result has been that I do not actually like most of it. But it’s a good exercise in not overthinking, and I’ll see how it turns out in the end!
It might take until you get the binding on.
Thank you Karen, excellent advice. I am still procrastinating my 100 blocks from 2022. I made two of them! One with a layer cake and jelly package I won and one from my scraps. Neither is done. I was so proud of myself to have made 200 blocks in less than 100 days. Two years later, not so proud, more disappointed in myself for not being able to make a decision. I know I cannot handle large quilts anymore due to shoulder problems, even lap quilts are a challenge. So I need to pick myself up and decide on much smaller projects or pass them on which I really don’t want to do. All your videos have given me inspiration when I’m down and I hope this one will motivate me to just go ahead and do it! Should be hard to decide if I want table runners, baby quilts, placemats, etc. lol, enough blocks to make all. I am going to make an effort to set a timer and try to begin. I will also try seek opinions from a quilt buddy. You are the best Karen. Looking forward to more of your videos, especially scrap busters.
Have you tried quilt as you go?
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts No I haven’t, it would still get big and I know my arms couldn’t handle it. I have a hard time maneuvering a baby quilt. Torn rotator cuffs both shoulders and ruptured bicep on left. Haha, lucky I can still se2!
From the beginning of the 100 days / 100 blocks sew along, I planned to use the blocks for smaller projects. I have finished a couple tote bags with square blocks centered on the large sides and rectangular blocks centered on the ends. I didn't sew much in 2023 due to preparing a house to sell, showing the house and then moving to a new house. Before I put sewing on hold, I had chosen from the block set for a sewing mat/sewing machine cover project. It was just as well that I didn't start that project as I now have a larger sewing machine. I can add a few more blocks to make a cover for the new machine. 😂
@@annataylor7226 Thank you Anna, any chance you have a picture of one of the totes? I do make a lot of totes and zips now as smaller projects are easier.
I have photos of the first tote, Christmas themed, posted in Facebook. I tried to post the links but was unsuccessful. In the private Home of the Gnome (Angel) group, my post is by Anna Taylor and dated 24 July 2021. I also posted in the private group RSIslandCrafts - the group on the same day. I probably posted to my personal page on the same date. If you can't see either of the above posts, let me know and I can make my post public.
Thank you Karen…for me it’s choosing a pattern & fabrics…I seem to have problem with colors. I’ve tried ‘everything’ so I can be more confident but O my…I struggle. Lord help!
Cutting has to be the hardest part when it comes to over thinking!
That's me!🥴 You are excellent at helping put things into perspective....cheers!❤