Tackling the Big Project: Sewing for Quilt Market

Today I want to talk about how I tackle a big creative project! Diane of CraftyPod invited me to share my experience preparing for a large event like Quilt Market as a part of a blog hop, Tackling the Big Project.  Make sure and check out Diane's post as well as posts from Lisa, Liz, Martine, and Wendi.

Quilt Market - Jeni Baker's Booth, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I wish there was a magic formula I could give you that says do this and this to get X result.  If only it were that easy.  Tackling a big project, whether it be outfitting a trade show booth, writing a book or even designing a quilt from start to finish, it can at first seem overwhelming.  Everyone approaches projects, large or small, in different ways, but there are a few things that have helped me power through a big project, especially with sewing for this past Quilt Market!

1. Plan, plan, plan

Quilt Market Set Up, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I am a huge planner.  I love the problem solving aspect of figuring out what projects to make, how to make them, and then actually seeing them through from start to finish.  Quilt Market adds it's own set of challenges, primarily limited time and limited resources.  I received my first fat quarters of fabric approximately a month and a half before Quilt Market, and was unsure of how much I'd have to work with in the end. Having to plan without knowing how much fabric I'd have was really hard.  It requires a plan, a back-up plan, and then another back-up plan! Thankfully I planned enough projects, so when I received 2 yards of my fabrics a little over a week before the event, I was able to scramble and get a lot of projects done. Always plan more than you think you'll need!

2. Create a schedule

Binding, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I'll be the first to admit I didn't do a very good job at this.  To be honest, I worked on little else during the month and a half leading up to Quilt Market.  It was unhealthy and left me feeling burned out when it was all over.  As I'm gearing up to sew for this Fall's Quilt Market I'm trying to set certain hours of the day for project sewing, leaving time for regular everyday tasks and things that can't be pushed aside like pattern writing and blogging.  It can be hard to find a good routine working from home.  It's far too easy (and sometimes necessary) to work too many hours a day and wear yourself out. Set boundaries for yourself and know when it's okay to break them.

3. Take it one day at a time

Nordika Drawstring Bags, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

This is the number one thing that helped me continue to sew for hours on end each day leading up to Quilt Market.  I set a goal for each day, along with mini goals throughout the day to keep me motivated.  When you have such a large project, there isn't a lot of instant gratification, so create some using small goals.  It keeps you motivated and also makes the project feel more manageable.  I would often set chocolate goals.  "If I get all of these blocks pieced, I can have a piece of chocolate." Or, "If I cut out the rest of this project, I can hop on Pinterest for a few minutes."  Creating rewards for getting things done not only helped me get more done, but it helped me save time. 

4. Don't cut corners

Nordika Side Braid Quilt, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

When it comes down to it, try to find shortcuts to make your life easier, but don't cut corners.  Use quality materials and tools. Do things the right way, even if it takes a little longer.  I rushed on basting the last quilt for my booth and I ended up with huge puckers on the back.  I ended up having to unpick most of the quilting (which took about 5 hours), re-baste part of it and then re-quilt it! If I had taken a little extra time in the beginning and basted it correctly I could have save myself loads of time!  20 minutes versus 6-7 hours, I think we all know which is the best choice!

5. Be reasonable

Rug Failure, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

So many of these things I learned as I was going through the process of preparing for Quilt Market, rather than before I started.  It's hard to know what is going to work until you've tried it.  This is my biggest piece of advice.  Be reasonable about what you can do given your limitations.  As I mentioned, for me those limitations were time and resources.  There were a few projects I tried to tackle that were unreasonable given the time I had.

For example,  I spent nearly 5 full days last Spring trying to make a braided rug from scratch.  It took forever to tear the bedsheets I'd chosen into strips, braid all of the strips and then sew them together into the rug.  In the end, it was a total and absolute failure! I sewed it on the machine and it didn't turn out flat.  The silly thing was, it was purely a decoration.  It wouldn't have helped me promote my products any better.  It should have been insignificant on my priority list and instead I wasted 5 days on it.  This time around, I'm really thinking about each possible project and evaluating whether it is a good use of my time.  Bounce your ideas off of friends or family if you can.  They are often the voice of reason!

Quilt Market - Jeni Baker's Booth, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.

I felt a real sense of accomplishment when I put the finishing touches on my booth and stepped back to admire all of my hard work.  It was a huge undertaking, but it all came together in the end.  I didn't take very good care of myself while I was working, and now that I'm about to do it all again, I'm being more thoughtful about how I'm approaching it.  At the end of the day, big projects demand that you make sacrifices. Make sure it's worth it! :)