Time Management for Quilters

One of the challenges that many quilters and stitchers have is finding time to sew in their busy lives. This was the biggest challenge that came out of the Quilters Community Survey at the end of 2024.

Whether you are a beginner quilter or a seasoned stitcher, we all face the challenge of juggling our love for sewing and quilting into the demands of daily life. In this blog, we will explore practical tips and creative strategies to help you find precious moments for you to stitch.

Discover how to maximize your sewing time, streamline your projects, and find joy in every stitch. From scheduling techniques and time-saving tips to creating a supportive sewing environment, this blog will give you some good ideas to get more stitching time in.

Time Management

Let’s look at how we can schedule our sewing time. Below are some tips on how you can carve our a bit more time for sewing into your weekly routine:-

Establish a Sewing Schedule:-

Assess your week:

Look at your weekly schedule to identify gaps or free time. Consider mornings, evenings, or weekends. Even look at your lunch breaks and see if you can schedule in some time for a bit of hand stitching.
Use a planner or digital calendar to map out your commitments and find consistent slots for sewing. You will be surprised what pockets of time you can find.

Set Realistic Goals:

Determine what you want to achieve each week, whether it's finishing a project, trying a new technique, or simply enjoying some sewing time.
Break down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

I like to cut out all of my fabric for a project in one go, and more often than not I won’t start any actual sewing with it for a few days.

Create Dedicated Sewing Blocks of Time:

Allocate specific blocks of time for sewing. Even short sessions, like 15-30 minutes daily, can add up.
Consistency is key—try to sew at the same time each day or week to establish a routine.

Prioritise Your Sewing Time:

Treat your sewing sessions as important appointments. Avoid rescheduling or skipping them unless absolutely necessary.
Communicate your sewing schedule with family members to minimise interruptions.

Maximising Your Sewing Time

Prepare in Advance:
Set up your sewing space and gather all necessary materials before your scheduled time.
Having everything ready means you can start sewing immediately and make the most of your time.

Use a Timer:

Set a timer for your sewing sessions to stay focused and avoid distractions.
Timed sessions can also make it easier to fit sewing into a busy schedule.

Batch Tasks:

Group similar tasks together to save time. For example, cut all fabric pieces for multiple projects in one session.
This approach streamlines your workflow and reduces setup time for each session.

I like to prep all of my half square triangles first, before I start any other sewing.

Incorporate Sewing into Daily Life:

Find small windows of time to sew, like while waiting for dinner to cook or during a break at work. This is easier with small hand sewing projects.
Keep a portable sewing kit or a small project handy for such moments.

Join a Supportive Environment

There are lots of virtual sewing groups out there on line for you to join. We have Quilters Showtime here at Rope and Anchor which is a Show n Tell session, where we all chat about what we have been sewing in the month.

Tracy Perks' Online Quilting & Sewing Workshops - Learn From Home — Rope and Anchor Trading Co.

There are many Facebook Groups that you can join as well, that will support, inspire and encourage. Don’t forget we have the Made on the Cut Facebook Group that has a lovely community with great ideas and tips from other quilters.

(1) Made on the Cut, quilting and sewing group | Facebook

There ae some great communities on Instagram and YouTube as well.

Finding time to sew