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So, I have many interests besides quilting and really, there are only so many hours in the day. How do you portion your time?

If I'm quilting (I don't always have one in the works) I try to sew 1 hour a day. It's not fast, but usually because my time is limited, I'm careful and the results are pretty good.

But I also like to read (I'm a bookworm, I admit it), garden, cross stitch and then of course, there are the grandkids.

I cross stitch from Thanksgiving until spring. I don't know why, it works for me. I garden for a few minutes every day, Saturday mornings I go through and try to work on every bed for a bit. The grands always come first. But they like to garden, so they get little chores while I work and then I let them water - they love that. And if they get wet - well, sometimes we'll take out the soap and call it a shower and we're done! Hey, my standards have lowered, what can I say?

So how about you? How do you get in all you like to do?

Sewing has to be squeezed in somewhere between housework, errands, and dinner. Usually I do housework & errands morning to afternoon. Then there might be an hour or so before I have to start dinner. That's also when the light is best in my sewing room. But I often sew at night, sometimes not starting til 8pm (especially if nothing's on TV). I'm a night owl & can go til 1 or 2am, once I get up a head of steam.

Summers include having to water or weed the garden every morning. Often I multi-task and return phone calls then, while out in the yard. I keep a timer in my sewing room, in case I'm in there while laundry's drying or while dinner is in the oven. VERY easy to get busy & forget about time!

I love to read and once I get caught up in a book it's difficult to spend any free time on anything else Working full-time plus additional responsibilities for DH business take up the majority of my time. I have my "cleaning" scheduled or it wouldn't get done and try to run errands one at a time on my way home from work each day. DH is responsible for grocery shopping so that helps a lot. If I get a couple of hours of sewing a week in I'm doing well.

When I worked I sewed on Sunday afternoons between laundry loads. When a tv commercial came on I'd jump and run to do quick chores. CommerciLs are verylong so I got lots done. Now that I'm retired with grands in Italy and no one here in town, I do whatever I want. My stash was a retirement investment. LOL I figured I wouldn't be able to afford fabric. I even bought new car and sewing machines before retiring. Been retired three yeRs Nd I've already replaced most ofmy investments;-)
Evelyn

Pesky job takes up my time from 8-4, Monday to Friday, Sept til the end of June. If they didn't pay me, I wouldn't go.

I like to crochet, and do that when I watch TV. Love to read, do it on my lunch break and before going to bed. Since my knee has been an issue, I haven't sewn much. And now that my new knee is getting broken in, I haven't tried to sew yet.

Housecleaning? I pay someone to come in. DH is retired, and he does the food shopping til my knee is better.

And when the grandchildren visit, all bets are off!

I used to listen to books on tape when I cleaned and sewed, It was a great way to combine 2 activites. I always have a book going, but I don't always have it on tape anymore. I found that I kept going until I absolutely HAD to stop and cook so that isn't so good for me anymore. Now I sew with Sue and we chat our way through the morning working on our sewing, Then she goes home and I clean or do other errands and of course cook supper for DH. It is working for us and I'm a happy camper.

I have a one of my DD's and DGS and of corse DH with 2 four-leged babbies living with me, oh and my youngest DS has moved in on my couch. I sew as much as I can to get away from everyone!

What a great question!
Like Holly, my job is during the school year so I have the six weeks of summer break to sew. I do a lot of it then. I try to sew in the evening. I don't watch too muc TV so i do that while hubby watches TV after dinner.

I also crochet (mostly in winter) and am an avid reader too. I read every evening before bed and every luch during work. While I am at home I read during the day too...sshhh! don't tell anybody cause I should be doing housework!

When the grandson is here...well nuff said; NOTHING else gets done. LOL!

I am a bookworm and tend to do that more than anything. I used to cross stitch until I got into quilting, now I tend to do embroidery with my quilting so it's a two for one deal.

I love my flowerbeds and tend to spend time in them before it gets too hot outside. Once it gets hot, I come inside and play in my sewing room.

I also like to do beadwork, not as much as I want but I still try.

The grandbaby rules over anything, I just spend time with her.

Currently I'm reading more than anything else. I really, REALLY need to set aside a set period of time to read each evening...and no more. Then perhaps I'd be in the sewing room more.

Its impossible to do everything I like/want to do and must do....I work so much and that always comes first,since I work for myself in a highly competitive field. Spring until the fall time change I work a lot,try to keep the yard,flower gardens and the house up.I don't do a vegetable garden anymore. I quilt in the evenings usually 9-11, after it is too late to work-work anymore except email. I also do NOT work in the yard when it becomes to hot/humid. I keep telling myself I'll get to everything once I retire. I do set time aside like this Aug. I'll do the AQS show in Grand Rapids. Housework ..wellll that eventually gets done too...I just don't worry too much about it,you can do that when you live solo...Everything is a compromise...I never get everything done....

... well the HONEST answer is I just don't bother much with things around here .. I have stuff that belongs to my kids, and stuff that was my late daughters, and stuff from my DGD and stuff from David (DNSIL) and Anthony who live here - and I have stuff ... I have a lot of stuff. So I do what I feel like when I feel like it. David does the shopping and cooking and does Laundry for himself and son - but that's as far as it goes at him keeping anything up ..
I have very bad Fibromyalgia and RA factors with my arthritis ... live with pain 24/7 ... so, I do what I can when I can and don't worry about things - but I certainly do try to work in doing the things I WANT to do I read and do embroidery //redwork and play on here and hang out with the charity group of quilters .. it's what I like to do and I get to do those things My DNSIL drives me a lot, I'm not crippled yet but it's hard to drive and do a day of activity .. so he drives me most places.
............PS .. KYIS .. yes, that hat makes your butt look big - but don't change it - it has real character.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: City/Sandie,

This has been an "issue" of mine since for EVER!
I am interested in TOO MANY different things. I have a tendency to overwhelm myself. So I try to stitch some every day whether it be a quilt block or ripping out a pair of pants for a pattern for a new pair. (I used to be able to buy a pattern in my size and sew it up and wear it! Not any moooore! Now there are all kinds of alterations to make before cutting and while fitting it to me!)
I'm a huge reader as well and love it...
Speaking of which...if you haven't read it Marie Bostwick has written a series of books that are FANTASTIC! Here is her website http://mariebostwick.com/index...m_frontpage&Itemid=1
I'm sorry...but I can't do the URL thing here... I can't do the smileys either ETA:Well at least from the smileys and stuff to be done here...
The series begins with A Single Thread. About a quilter who's husband divorces her...she goes into a complete funk....her children encourage her to do something...so she packs up and leaves. Opens a quilt shop in a quaint little town....I can't wait until the next one!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: luvthosequilts,

Well, I guess the moral of the story . . . if it's something we really want to do, we find or make time for it.

My grandchildren are coming over for a sleep over tonight so not much sewing for me. My granddaughter is learning to embroider - she really likes it and works hard at making her stitches small and neat. Does my heart good to see her trying so hard. So I will get a bit of time to work on the CQ RR. She loves all the beads and stuff and has no problem giving me her opinion on what needs to go there. But we'll be cooking - little pizzas in a cupcake tin (cool idea I found), working in the garden (and getting wet, I'm sure), sewing and having a movie night.

I hope you all find the time to do the things you love. If you don't, then what's the point? I've been working hard at removing the things I don't like to do. I'm just getting too old not to do what I want. I've looked forward to finally making time for me and darn it, that's just what I've been doing.

That's awesome, Lynn - I guess you just know how to live life.
I have friends who don't have one single hobby. Working out...puh-leeze, cleaning your house until it's perfectly spotless and then hollaring at the kids because they're getting it "dirty" - no way!
Life is too short for that.
I find time for things I love to do. Not enough time most days, but that's life.
I guess ya just have to find balance somewhere.
Learning to say "No" to other people is one thing i'm working on. I serve when I can, but I need me-time, too.
Things will change for me when I'm finished with school though. right now I dont have a job; stying home wiht the kids has been my job. I'm a little nervous about juggling a career outside the home as well. My balance will shift, but until then......
life is GOOD!

Katie, Pizza in a muffin pan?? Sounds interesting. When you aren't so busy could you send me the recipe? I have a 5 yo grandson and this sounds like something fun. Was it? You could pm me. Thanks Pat

Pat, sent you a pm about the pizza. The munchkins and I are going to try them tonight - I'll let you know how it goes.

Quilting, books, quilting, garden, quilting,laundry,quilting, cooking, quilting,begging dh to load dishwasher, quilting,nap etc.

Sometimes other things interfer with my quilting, but I try not to let it get me down.

City/Sandie
Brutal honesty! That's what I like.

Hey Lynn-pm me that pizza recipe-my GK'ds would love that. Several months ago I went for a visit and we all made Toryam's paper beads. We had so much fun!! I'm always looking for something new and fun for them!

I just do what I can each day-which has been a little sewing, reading and a lot of swimming! Some gardening on the flowerbeds.

I prob need to find a part time job real soon-really missing my play money!!

Pam

Well, count me in on the avid readers' list. I've always got a book by my side. luvthosequilts, I discovered Marie Bostwick just before my trip last month and have finished the series. Can't wait for more from her. Finished James Patterson's "I, Michael Bennett" last night.

As for quilting, I'd love to sew every day, but ... My project for this weekend is to clear off my sewing table and get back to work on a few things I left on the back burner when I went on vacation.

Since I live alone, except for the new furkid, cooking and cleaning are at the bottom of the list.

Mostly I quilt and go to garage/church/estate sales. And I go to work 5 days a week and church on Sunday. Quilt after dinner and on the weekends and will spend a few minutes in the morning organizing things if DH isn't ready to leave for work when I am.

DH is working 20 hours 2 1/2 days a week, so I figure he can do the housework and he makes most of the dinners. When I can't stand something around the house, I will do that cleaning.

I love to read and when I retire I plan to read all the books I have bought. Right now I have all I can do to read the newspapers and quilt magazines I get.

Have the flowers to a minimum and most are perennials, so all I do is trim them back when they need it. Really have gotten out of working in the yard anymore.

Oh yes, must add all the time I spend on the computer. Would get a lot more done if I weren't here... Chris