Three months in, a few quilts behind, and already more finished than the last three years.
When I committed to the 52 Quilts Challenge, I had a simple hope: that consistency would help me spend more time doing what I love and have more finished quilts to show for it. I wanted quilting to be part of my regular life again, not something I squeezed in only when everything else was done.
I did expect to get more done than I have so far. I’m technically behind. And yet, three months in, this challenge already feels like a win.
Robbing Myself of the Finish
I have a whole studio full of projects I genuinely love. Quilts I started and then got pulled away from. Quilt tops that are finished but waiting to be quilted “later.” Beautiful fabric combinations, thoughtful designs, sample blocks paused mid-stream.
I love sewing. I love taking pieces of fabric and turning them into something useful and beautiful. I love figuring out a pattern or solving a construction problem. I love color. I love useful art.
What I don’t love is seeing all that potential sit untouched.
One of the reasons I gave myself for not finishing projects was hesitation – especially with regard to machine quilting on my domestic sewing machine. But when I actually examined that fear, it didn’t hold up.
The second quilt I ever made was a large throw quilted entirely on my home machine, with very little skill. I still love that quilt to this day.
So why, decades later, was I telling myself I wasn’t “ready” to machine quilt yet?
That realization alone has been worth the challenge.
Finished is better than perfect only became real for me once I started finishing.
Consistency Looks Different in Practice
In theory, consistency meant daily sewing. I still want that.
In practice, consistency has looked like sewing a few times a week. And that’s still wonderful.
One of the biggest surprises has been how little time actually separates a project in progress from a finished project. Mere hours. Projects I let sit for months – or years – were often just a few focused sessions away from completion.
It turns out inertia is powerful, even when you love the thing you’re avoiding. This has been true for me with quilting in the same way it’s true with exercise, writing, or house projects. Starting is the hardest part.
And when I skip a day or two entirely, I notice it. I scroll more. I waste time in ways that don’t bring joy or rest. Sewing, even imperfectly, is more nourishing than most of the ways I avoid it.
The difference between “unfinished” and “finished” was often just a few hours.
Morning Sewing vs. Night Sewing
I love sewing at night. The house is quiet. I’m already awake. My brain works better in the evenings. Time disappears.
And that’s the problem.
Night sewing almost always costs me sleep. “Just one more row” turns into a much later bedtime than planned. Given that I work full time and am actively trying to protect my health through better sleep, this trade-off isn’t sustainable.
Morning sewing surprised me.
Before the house wakes up, there’s quiet and space without guilt or interruption. I get to start my day with something that brings me joy, before demands stack up. It’s still hard to stop, but the boundary is clearer.
Morning sewing feels different, though. It’s time-limited in a way night sewing doesn’t feel, even if that’s not entirely logical. There’s also lingering mom guilt in the evenings, irrational, given that my kids are older and independent – but still present.
Even so, morning sewing has been one of the most meaningful shifts this challenge has given me.
Finding time before the house wakes up changed everything.
Travel, Life, and Adjusting Expectations
The past three months have also included a lot of weekend travel for family activities, especially soccer. That’s meant fewer long sewing blocks than I expected.
Earlier attempts at this challenge felt more stressful. This time, I’m holding it differently. I’ve already sewn more in the last three months than I have in the last three years.
Even if I don’t hit 52 quilts in 52 weeks – though I’m still trying – the time spent doing what I love has already increased dramatically. That alone matters.
What “Finished” Means to Me Now
Finished means finished.
Not just another big step. Not a top completed. Finished means pieced, quilted, and bound. Photography and blogging close the documentation loop, but the quilt feels done when the binding is on.
I’ve grown much more tolerant of (unavoidable) imperfection. “Finished is better than perfect” is no longer just something I say – it’s something I feel.
I’m also learning to balance quicker projects with larger ones. Finishing feels easier now than it did at the beginning.
The Role of Documenting and Blogging
Documenting quilts takes time. Sometimes hours. Content creators don’t always talk about that cost.
I most certainly would finish more quilts if I didn’t blog them. But I’m enjoying that process too. The learning. The visual scrapbook of completed work.
I’ve already forgotten projects I made years ago. Seeing quilts live on the blog has been unexpectedly rewarding. It’s helping me remember what I’ve done, not just what I’ve started.
The blog has become a visual scrapbook I didn’t know I needed.
What’s Still Hard (and That’s Okay)
Machine quilting is still hard. I expected it to feel easier by now. It doesn’t – yet.
What’s different is that I’m curious instead of stuck. I know the only way forward is practice, and this challenge keeps putting me back at the machine.
I also identify more strongly as a quilter now. Spending time doing the work changes how you see yourself.
Final Thoughts: Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely. Do it.
Even imperfectly. Even behind schedule.
I’ve spent more time quilting – doing what I love – in the last three months than I had in months or years before. That alone makes this challenge worth it.
If I could tell myself something at quilt #1, it would be this: the content creation will get easier. Documenting is a skill, just like quilting, and it evolves with practice. The joy from creating is irreplaceable.
This challenge has already changed how I spend my time. Everything else feels secondary.
I’d love to hear what you think – are you hoping to sew more? Please share your tips in the comments!
That’s all for this week. If you’d like to peek at a few recent finishes, you can click their images below.
I’m documenting this process as part of my ongoing 52 Quilts Challenge, where I’m slowly working through unfinished projects. You can find all of the quilts from the challenge collected in one place here (index). If you’re new here and curious what the challenge is about, I’d start here (explanation post).
I also share updates on Instagram and Pinterest.
Love the Quilter life? Quilter-themed merch available in the Studio Shop.
Thanks for being here — and may your bobbin ever last the row.
~Angel
(Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
