If I had to guess what took away my quilting mojo, I’d guess that it was deadlines and doing projects from fabric I didn’t choose. While I was so happy to have my designs featured in magazines, most often lately, I was sent fabric to use and it rarely was fabric I would have chosen. I understand that the magazine editors want to choose fabrics that catch the attention of readers, while promoting new lines from fabric companies. One of the last quilts I did was International Harvester related – reds, browns, blacks . . definitely not something I would have chosen. The deadlines are always tight and I would end up sewing 12 – 15 hours per day to meet the deadline. Once fabric was sent to an old address and by the time we realized it, there was a real time crunch and I was sewing all day Christmas Eve and all day Christmas Day .. not that we had any family here but it wasn’t exactly what I would have chose to do those two days.
It got the best of me and I believe that’s part of what helped take away my quilting joy and I’m trying real hard to be sure that doesn’t happen with my knitting. Any time I start feeling like “I HAVE to be knitting” and I’m not thrilled with the project, I being to think about what would happen if I lost my knitting mojo.
I guess what I have to ask myself is this: Is the end result worth the effort? Was sewing all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worth seeing my quilt in a magazine? Probably not but not meeting a deadline would put pressure on the magazine editor and staff and I would never have wanted to do that.
The question at hand with the knitting is this: Is finishing all the Knit Alongs and earning all the Badges at ESK worth making projects I don’t want to make? There are basically three months left this year and now that we’ve seen the new badges, I know that I CAN earn them all . . but will I? Making 30 hexipuffs may be my downfall. I haven’t made any yet. If I make them and realize I can do them while watching TV with Vince or while traveling, maybe . . but I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t get them done.
The Beekeeper’s Tank, one of the Knit Alongs, was a real challenge for me. I don’t wear sleeveless and unless it’s so unbelievably fantastic, I don’t do fingering weight sweaters. Fingering weight makes my fingers hurt! I don’t mind making a few socks but a sweater is a whole lot of knitting.
I started Beekeeper’s Tank in May and any time something better came along, I put it down and made something else. Even less than I like fingering weight sweaters and sleeveless . . I dislike not finishing knitting projects and the competitive side of me wants ALL the badges and ALL the knit along credits.
There was 17″ of stockinette . . plus more! My plan was that this would be a “take in the car” project, or knitting while watching TV with Vince but even that proved to be tortuous. It wasn’t hard . . there were just so many other projects I’d rather be working on.
Beekeeper’s Tank
But . . I’m happy . . so very happy . . to be done with it and honestly, I think it’s something I’ll probably wear a lot . . with something over it. Isn’t the “smocking” at the top cute?
Beekeeper’s Tank
This is how I see it being worn. I had the white shirt handy so I used it for the picture but I think a dark gray, almost black, shirt would be pretty with it, or maybe even a navy shirt.
On to the next project . .
Sherry V. says
Oh wow. . . . such a pretty piece.
Up here in NJ I would probably wear a really thin turtleneck underneath it so that I could show off my knitting (if I could knit that well, that is)!
I love the color you chose.
Have a pleasant day,
Sherry V.
Swooze says
Very pretty!
Cheryl says
LOVE your tank!!! I think dark gray or black would be beautiful with it also!!! You are so very talented!
C.
Sherrill says
The tank is very cute but that’s exactly why I’d never want to longarm for anyone or take an order from someone for something they wanted unless it was something I liked. I can’t even imagine sewing something I didn’t like. Therefore, I sew stuff I like and donate it and HOPE someone else loves it!! 🙂
Denise ~ justquiltin says
That’s why I never sew the quilts myself for magazine publication. I envison the design in certain colors or fabrics and I’d never be able to stitch it up in someone else’s vision and definitely would never make their deadlines, so I let someone else do the stitching and save my sanity (or what’s left of it) 🙂 Same with knitting, when I looked at the ESK rules the beginning of the year I was really only interested in about half of the items and the rest either weren’t my style or a technique I really wasn’t interested in so I decided to opt out of those. I’m the opposite on the fingering weight sweaters tho – while they are a very long slog to make (and thank goodness it doesn’t bother my hands) I love to wear them the best – more than heavier sweaters.
Pam in KC says
Love the tank. As for quilting to deadlines, I’m glad it’s not just me. I did one year of quilting to a magazine deadline and it simply sapped the joy from my quilting — and I was working with my own fabric selections! On the other hand, I have create a crazy challenge of finishing at least 12 quilts (the # keeps going up) by the end of the year and I’m enjoying this challenge. — I guess it’s because I’m finishing up my UFOs, it’s mostly quilting and of course I picked the fabric and pattern.
Joyce says
I don’t do many knit-alongs, because life always happens…then I don’t get it done and I feel guilty. I’m also like you in the respect of not wanting to take up valuable time making something I will never wear or that will never fit me. If I’m going to spend time on it, it had better be something I want to make. I do like that way that tank came out. Very pretty!
Erin says
I love the way the tank turned out! The smocking at the top is cute. I know what you mean about losing the joy with quilting. I ended up not quilting at all in 2013 partly because I was busy, but also because I just imposed all these deadlines on myself and then it became about “I HAVE to get in there and quilt” and not “I can’t wait to get in there and quilt!” It just wasn’t a fun activity for me any longer. I’m doing the same thing as you now, not forcing myself to sit down at the machine, just doing it when I want to. I want quilting to remain a thing I do to relieve my stress, not add to it. I hope you find your quilting joy again, I always love what you come up with.
Theresa says
Seems like for something as creative as quilting or knitting, that it could actually foul up your intuition and creative process if you had several projects every year that you really had no interest in.
Diana G says
Yep I get that way with Crocheting as I never learned to knit (maybe one day!), and then I did so many quilts last year I am burnt out. For Christmas 2014 the granddaughters all wanted matching dresses in their colors, same style and two of each. One short and one long skirted, so in November (when they approached me) Oma obliged in between sewing their quilts, making their dresses, getting the sizes correct,colors correct and one changed her mind (so start over LOL). I haven’t done much this year, but buy a few things for them. Can’t make dresses too far ahead as they grow and grow. At least this year for C(hristmas I have their patterns (a crocheted crop top with a skirt- tops are done!-sure hope they don’t grow!!) with a high waisted long plaid skirt and a shawl (shawls are done too !!LOL) Oh and their Halloween list as well !LOL
OH well that is the fun of being Oma and loving every minute of it. So I will rest my poor Pfaff after Christmas as well as myself !! LOL
Barbara Gardner says
Please come back to quilting, but do it under your own terms. I love your books and your patterns and am sorry there won’t be more.
Maggie says
I love how the tank looks under the shirt. Although the fingering is a pain to knit, it is nice to wear.
Eve in GA says
I think it looks great, Judy! Having finished a fingering-weight tank a month ago, and a DK-weight sweater tonight, I know what you mean about how long the fingering-weight ones take. But I wore that 50%silk/50%merino tank in 90 degrees and in 60 degrees, and it was wonderful in both temperature ranges. I love the feel of it so much that I’ve already gotten more of the same yarn (different color) to make myself another before next summer.
Oh, and I have a fingering-weight pullover with 3/4-length sleeves on the needles now. I’m a glutton for punishment, too. How much do you want to bet I cast on another DK-weight sweater before finishing that one?? LOL!!
Jennifer in Indy says
The top is really pretty and I hope you enjoy wearing it. I have a couple dozen UFOs downstairs for the same reason – didn’t love the project once I started it – and while I plan to get back to them someday, I am putting many others ahead of them on the to-do list!
Karen Sutton says
That tank is on my list but I don’t wear sleeveless either. I love the look with the shirt over it – may have to move it up in the queue.
Gari says
I really like the tank. I think I will try it because I no longer care if my arms look funny in a sleeveless top. But I love the look and think it would look great both with shorts and jeans. And in orange, of course.
Dar in Mo says
Judy, your knitted Beekeeper tank looks great. I don’t like sleeveless any more either, but I usually have an over blouse or turtleneck on most things in winter. I totally agree with your assessment of what takes the fun out of doing things you like — deadlines for others and their choice of colors.