Tell me I’m not the only one: You get so excited to start a new quilt and suddenly your quilting motivation wanes, and it becomes the one you avoid.
I know; I also eye-roll at quilting motivation.
You know the quilt I’m talking about:
The pattern you were obsessed with; the fabric you couldn’t wait to choose; the cutting and piecing you happily started… And somewhere along the way, you just stopped caring.
Likely it’s sitting in a bag, basket or corner of your sewing room while you conveniently find twelve other things you can work on that are obviously more important. So you go around thinking you have great quilting motivation and that you’re so productive.
But here’s the thing that most people don’t realize: Losing interest doesn't necessarily mean you don't like the quilt anymore. Sometimes your brain simply isn't getting the same reward from the project that it did when it was new.
Yes, that dopamine hit is strong when you start something.
Novelty is naturally motivating. Our brains thrive on anticipation, excitement, new decisions and planning, and visible early progress.
The further into the project we get, once we hit 3 figures of blocks or so, the novelty wears off a little bit, and it makes sense that your quilting motivation does too. There’s nothing wrong with you, and it doesn’t mean that the quilt wasn’t meant to be.
Apparently, 'I was SO excited about this six months ago' is not enough to make your brain want to sew another 42 identical blocks. Rude.
Why we lose our quilting motivation
Even if we love quilting (or any passion), it’s normal that at some point we just wane.
And there are a lot of different reasons why you might lose interest.
Quilting is quite repetitive, and repetition can often get boring. The further in you get, the less noticeable your progress becomes because it just looks the same for a while. You make the least amount of progress in the middle.
You might hit a difficult section, and things get really slow. Imagine sitting down for an hour and only accomplishing one single block. You begin second-guessing an earlier decision, and it halts your project even more.
A shiny new project can also steal your attention (guilty as charged). It’s easy to do. We just want to finish things quickly and do all of the things. Use all of the fabrics, try all of the new patterns, and get all of the oo’s and ah’s when we present all of our finished quilts.
And at the end of the day, life interrupts and you just lose momentum. The kids need something, the laundry is ready to switch, everyone’s asking what’s for dinner, and that pesky little thing called a job happens.
So, what can you do?
Instead of immediately deciding, "I hate this quilt," ask: What exactly am I tired of?
The quilt itself, or the process you're currently stuck in?
So, how can you find that quilting motivation when you’ve lost interest in it?
Give the Quilt a Little Something New
If you're still excited about the quilt but bored with making it, change something. Find a way to make it interesting again. If your brain loves novelty and is searching for that dopamine hit, switch things up.
Can you do that?
Of course you can… It’s your quilt, so you’re the boss. Your quilting motivation might just be sparked by one simple switch.
Try these switches:
Swap out a fabric you're no longer loving.
Introduce a new color.
Change the border.
Try a different layout.
Add something unexpected to the backing.
Change how you're assembling the remaining blocks.
But here’s the thing: Don't change something simply for the sake of changing it. Don’t just do it for no reason.
Take the time and really look at what's making you lose interest and ask whether a small creative decision could make the project interesting again. Dive a little deeper because the last thing you want to do is be making constant little changes to make things interesting and never actually sustaining your attention.
A new choice creates something for your brain to engage with again. A smart shift can change the entire project.
Sometimes your quilt doesn't need to be abandoned. It just needs a little drama.
Change Where You're Quilting
Okay, stay with me here… Sometimes the project isn't the problem. Sometimes it’s just that your environment has become stale and you’ll likely struggle with anything you attempt to do.
A change in your environment can introduce novelty and disrupt the routines you've associated with avoiding a task. For some people, routines are great; for others, routines can stifle their creativity.
Try taking the stalled project:
to a quilting group
to a sewing day
to a friend's house
to a quilt retreat (wink, wink)
Why can retreats be so powerful in encouraging your creativity and keeping your quilting motivation alive? Check out this previous blog to learn more!
Sometimes a project feels completely different when you work on it somewhere different. I don’t make the rules; this is just how it is.
That quilt that's been glaring at you from the corner for eight months might behave very differently after a road trip to Bar Harbor. All I’m saying is, a quilting retreat might just be exactly what your quilt and your brain need.
And Sometimes... Put the Quilt Away
No, I’m serious here. You are allowed to pause. Just because you take a short break doesn’t mean you’re giving up.
There's a difference between temporarily losing momentum and genuinely not wanting to make something anymore. It’s your job to figure out which one you’re facing.
Do you actually not like the quilt, or does your brain need a little dopamine reset?
Give yourself permission to:
put it away
work on something exciting
come back in a month (or six)
decide later whether you actually want to finish it
Forcing yourself through a hobby you supposedly enjoy can turn quilting into another chore, and we both know that you don’t need any more of those than you already have. (I see that mountain of laundry you still have to get through.)
Sometimes working on something else provides the creative reset you needed. When you pull the old project out again, it may feel surprisingly new.
Breaks aren’t always a negative thing. Sometimes they’re the best way to gain your quilting motivation back — Not just for that one quilting, but potentially for everything else that’s coming.
The quilt will not file a formal complaint because you put it in a cupboard for three months. Trust me… I would know.
You Don't Have to Break Up With Your Quilt Just Yet… You can still find that elusive quilting motivation.
Motivation isn't constant. Just because it wanes doesn’t mean you no longer love quilting.
Sometimes you don't need more discipline to finish something—you need enough novelty, inspiration, or space to become interested again. One simple adjustment might be the key to bringing everything back.
If you've got a UFO you'd actually like to love again, consider making it your retreat project. A new environment, fresh opinions, and a few uninterrupted days might be exactly what it needs.
Plus, the retreat community might be exactly what you need to fall back in love with your passion.
And if you pull it back out, look at it with fresh eyes, and still hate it? Well... at least now you know.
Ready to learn more about whether the Bar Harbor Open Sew Retreat is right for you? Learn more here!
