How To Build Moxi In Quilting And Find Your Jam

Wondering how to become a more confident quilter and how to zero in on what type of quilting really sings to you? How do you identify if you are a maker of quilts and keep believing in your abilities even when others question whether you should continue to quilt? Wanna know what mindset you need when answering these questions? Find answers to these questions and you are on your way to becoming a more confident quilter.

Let me help you.

• Identify the “Why” you quilt. (Might be more than one reason.)
• Find Your Quilting Jam by studying quilt designers, fabrics, etc…
• Practice what you love and practice outside the box.
• How to hang on to your quilting dreams and don’t let go.
• Benefits of getting into your flow mojo.
• What mindset you need to have.
• Share the love.

These questions might sound a bit like talking to a therapist. I’m not a therapist but I get why it is so important to answer each question individually. Been there done that for good reason too. If you love quilting, whatever style it is, it is like therapy. Quilt therapy for your mind, your emotions, and maybe your soul so to speak. So start getting in the zone and let’s take some time to help you get answers so you can give yourself permission to enjoy and permission to build your moxi in your quilting journey.

Find The “Why” You Quilt

I never thought I would be a quilter. Oh I knew how to quilt and all. Grew up playing under quilting frames where my Grandma Gladys and my sweet mom would sit and quilt and chat for hours. Years late when I met my husband, his sweet mother quilted beautiful chiffon like fabric quilts with the outline of a Latter Day Saint Temple quilted on it where her son or her daughter married and it became an heirloom precious wedding keepsake. Still have the one she made my husband and I on the foot of our bed.

The point is I admired quilting from a distance. I found my why years later while blogging about quilting and home design. I decided if I was going to blog about quilting, I better know what I was talking about. So I started learning, practicing, and experimenting with quilting projects. I was smitten, bitten whatever you want to call it with quilting. Over time I discovered my why. This process might help you to identify your why quickly or it might take a while. No pressure because knowing your why will give you more confidence in your quilting adventure. The following questions will help you know yourself better.

Ask yourself these questions are you ready? Write these down and answer them:

• Does quilting bring me joy?
• Does quilting hold adventure for me?
• What is it that makes me want to quilt?
• Do I feel a sense of accomplishment when I quilt and especially when I finish a quilting project?
• Why is this hobby and its learning qilting skills important to me?

Once you have thought about these questions and answered them, move on to the next thought.

Be Curious About Your Quilting Jam

There are many, many ways to quilt. It took me two or three years to nail down what I love and enjoy in terms of quilting. I educated myself on various quilt designers. and started studying their styles and the fabrics they created. I started dabbling in quilt applique because I was really drawn to those type of quilts.

I discovered I had a whimsical side to my quilting personality. Loved hand stitching words, and added in a bit of patchwork in my quilt blocks. Hand quilting brought me joy. All of these quilting skills sing to me. And that in a nutshell is how I discovered my quilting jam.

Now consider this…

• Get curious about your quilting likes and dislikes.
• Do you like sewing quilt blocks that match or do you like putting a variety of quilt blocks together?
• What kind of quilts make your heart sing?
• Search quilt designers that you like and take a look at the quilts they make? Which ones draw you in?
• What about fabric? Do you like a mix of solids and prints? Are their certain fabric designers that create quilts that you like?
• What colors do you like to use in your quilts? Sometimes quilters find that they gravitate to the same colors that they love.

Get curious! This is a great way to start pinning down what you love about quilting. Maybe you like all the styles (that might make it a bit harder but oh well…) Pinpoint a few things that make you happy when you quilt.

Put together a vision board with styles of quilts that you really like. Include the info above that you came up with like putting colors and swatches of fabric you really like. Examine the quilts you chose. Identify what it is that you like about those specific quilts.

Little by little narrow down exactly what quilting styles make you happy. Then you will have a better idea of what your quilting jam is. Finally put it altogether and try making a mini quilt combining the things you love about quilting. There you go! On the road to success to discovering what your quilt jam really is and backing up your why you quilt.

Practice Brings Quilting Adventure

When you quilt, there is a certain adventure about it. You learn really fast what you are good at and what you need to improve at. That is exactly my point! You don’t have to be perfect at quilting just start practicing and dreaming up what you want to accomplish with your quilting time. I am not afraid to admit that I am not a perfect quilter. However let me add, I’ve gotten pretty good at my quilting style and what I love to quilt because I had the courage to practice. Yep it boils down to practice equals courage. Sometimes on this adventure your quilt block doesn’t turn out or you have to unpick (and unpick and unpick talking about me). Nothing wrong with making mistakes because you become better at what you do. Give yourself some grace and learn the basics and then quilt or bind the way that works best for you. For example there are many ways to bind a quilt and you can choose the method that you like doing the best.

Don’t Let Go Of Your Quilting Dreams

While appliquing a mini quilt one day, a relative of mine sat down by me and said something like, “I see absolutely no benefit in doing something like that”. I just smiled and kept sewing. She was a nurse and I guess she didn’t see the vision in being a maker. While she was in the business of healing so was I.

I mean her work is pretty obvious. She assists a doctor to help a patient get physically better. There are many pros to mental and emotional qualities that a quilting hobby (business for me) can give not to mention when you actually give your handmade quilt to someone it can be comforting, lift their spirits and in a sense provide some healing.

If you enjoy quilting, don’t let others dictate whether you should quilt or not. You decide what is best for you even if you are not very good at it yet. I recently heard a podcast where Peter Vidmar former US Olympic gymnastic champion was interviewed. He had heard it said, it takes 10,000 hours to master something you are trying to get good at. Maybe??? but the point is just keep working at your quilting craft until you master what you enjoy doing with it. If you find joy in quilting, or you find fun in the challenge, or just get some plain validation out of it, then go for it. Embrace your quilting adventure even if you can only sew or quilt for a few minutes each day. A few minutes each day over time can make a big difference and will bring you more confidence in your craft.

How To Get Mojo In Your Quilting

Don’t know if you’ve heard or not but when you get in the “flow” of your hobby it does wonders for your stress. Like makes it disappear which is really easy to figure out that it is good for you.

When you start hand quilting along or you batch sew quilting blocks one right after the other and you get lost in thought, this is called flow. It shows up when you enjoy doing something so much you more or less get lost in what you are doing. Time passes without you noticing it. It gives your mind relief from the cares and worries of the day. Quilting can do this for you. It is good to get in the flow daily. Good for your brain and good for your mental health. Who’d have thought????

Once you reach that state with your quilting, you will become more dependent on doing it. Consistency is a good thing. When you do this often even if only 15 minutes a day you will become consistent with your sewing or quilting it also counts as practice which leads to improvement of your quilting skills.

When you know, you know they say and in quilting I take this to mean that as you continue trying new quilting skills and work on new quilting projects or revive old ones it takes you that much closer to quilting success. Once you start experiencing success and have a firm grasp on what your style of quilting is, you will build confidence or quilting moxi as I like to call it. Quilting moxi in your talent and abilities as a quilter.

Mindset Is Key

You know how you feel after a workout? That I’m so glad it’s done feeling it was so hard but oh worth it? You an achieve this in your quilting workouts. My hubby and I decided when we married that we would continue to value our health and work out at least five days a week. Fast forward to now are we ever glad we kept that promise to each other!

We love keeping up with our grandkids in their various stages of life. It’s pretty important to us! We never gave up on it. Even when I broke my arm or he sprained his shoulder. We forged ahead and just had the mindset we are doing this today regardless.

You can approach that way of thinking with your quilting. Never give up just because it gets hard. Try a different way of creating a quilt block or try a different way of binding. Just because it gets hard, don’t stop figuring out a way to solve the challenge. Stay committed to the task. If you want to just abandon that difficult block and try another do it! Just keep trying. There have been quilt blocks that I created but they didn’t fit in the quilt I was designing so they became an orphan blocks. Many of my orphan blocks have become useful for other quilts and quilt projects.

Fabric isn’t cheap that is true but don’t let that stop you either! If that is a problem for you try these tips looking for fabric.

• Buy a few fat quarters to start your quilt project with.
• Search online fabric stores and shop their deals. Sign up for their newsletters because they will alert you to their sales.
• Sign up for your local quilt shop emails and newsletters. Same as online fabric store you will be in the know about sales.
• Check thrift stores for discounted fabric.

Follow the ideas I gave you for finding your quilting jam and building quilting moxi. This will help you to be successful in your quilting adventures. It’s worth putting time and energy into it if you enjoy it. Happy Quilting and much success as you journey forth to find what sings to you and makes you a happy quilter.

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