Making Progress Anyway: Getting Unstuck and Finishing Those Stalled Quilting Projects
Stuck on a quilt top? Here’s how to make progress on stalled projects, choose fabrics, and reignite your quilting spark—plus tips for machine quilting.
Every quilter has a few stalled projects somewhere in their sewing room.
The half-pieced quilt top hanging on the design wall.
The blocks cut neatly with a rotary cutter but never sewn together.
Or that one table runner that just needs quilting—but has been sitting folded on the corner of your work surface for a long time.
If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company.
Let me share you my stalled projects first and I’ll share with you tips later down this blogpost.
The Designer Mystery Quilt 2023: When Motivation Fades
I loved working on my Designer Mystery Quilt 2023 at first. The blocks came together beautifully and I love piecing the blocks each month as the kit arrive at my doorstep. But by the time I reached the final layout, my enthusiasm started to fade.
I had already cut all the finishing pieces because rarely ever I actually bought the finishing kit for the project! So I was very eager to get it all done once all the blocks are ready —but something about the final design didn’t excite me anymore.
And I stalled. I stalled as I no longer love the final layout as suggested. The indecision made me stopped making the blocks altogether, I was left with 2 more blocks to piece for quite a while. I love the blocks, and yet I can’t seem to make any progress for a long while.
But I’m glad I picked it up again this week, made the decision to work on the last two blocks and simply make a decision on what I can do to alter the finished layout a little just so that I love it again. And I’m so glad I did!
(using AlphaClippies for my last two blocks! Feeling so organised. Check out AlphaClippies HERE>)
Getting back to sewing the blocks reminded me why I love block-of-the-month and samplers. I truly enjoyed making the last two blocks, and now I’m ready to make the move to put it all together. Let’s push through and I’ll update you that later.
The Abloom Quilt: Running Out of Fabric Mid-Project
And then here’s another project that I made progress on this week too!
My Sew Sampler “Abloom” project was cruising along nicely, and I counted the blocks made, and I was actually short of ONE block! The fabric is gone, how could I’ve miscut and short of one block???
For a moment, I froze. Again, it became the pile of blocks that I haunts me every time I came into the sewing room. I thought about waiting to order more fabric, but in the end, I pulled out my scrap fabric bin and auditioned a few prints that blended with the collection. Mixing fabrics into an established palette isn’t easy; it’s harder than starting a completely new quilt from a jelly roll or fat quarter bundle. But I decided to move forward anyway.
And so this week I completed the FINAL block! And I have already pieced the quilt top together. So happy to make progress and finally just wing it with what I already have in stash. The substitute block might not be identical, but when it joined the rest of the quilt top, it looked right at home. Progress made!
You see,
Sometimes our creative juices just… shift. What once felt exciting can start to feel routine, and before we know it, our momentum fades. Maybe we see a new quilt pattern on social media and suddenly our current project doesn’t feel as thrilling anymore. Or we walk into our local quilt shop, flip through a new book, and discover a different quilting technique that sparks new curiosity.
It’s not that we’ve fallen out of love with what’s on our sewing table — it’s that our creativity is evolving. Our tastes change, our mood shifts, and sometimes our hands simply crave a different rhythm. Life plays a role too — work deadlines, family needs, or a season where the sewing room stays untouched for weeks.
And that’s okay. Creativity isn’t a straight line; it ebbs and flows like fabric through our fingers. The key is to give ourselves grace in those pauses — to recognize that stepping away doesn’t mean we’ve lost our spark. Often, it just means we’re gathering new inspiration for when we return.
Why We Stall (and How to Restart)
Even seasoned quilters—hand quilters and longarm quilters alike—hit walls. Here’s why we pause, and how to move past it.
1. Lost excitement
Sometimes a project just feels done before it’s finished. Change the layout, add sashing strips in different directions, or turn leftover blocks into a baby quilt or small project.
2. Fear of imperfection
We worry about uneven straight stitches or lesser-quality seams. Keep a seam ripper nearby for corrections, but remember: perfection isn’t the goal—joy is.
3. Decision overload
Backing fabric, batting size, quilting plan… the list of quilting terms can get overwhelming. Tackle one decision at a time: today, choose batting; tomorrow, thread; next week, binding.
4. Running out of supplies
No more cotton thread? Low on safety pins? Use what you have. Substitute with Aurifil, baste with spray instead of pins, or piece leftover bed sheets for backing. Creativity often begins at the end of the line.
Picking Up Where You Left Off
Need help to audit your UFOs? Grab our WIP Inventory List HERE> to come back to the project exactly where you left it off. My suggestion is to start putting the project on the design wall or lay it out. Maybe that way you’ll get a fresh look at it again and it may spark those ideas on how to get it progressed.
Stuck on the final finishing step? Here are some ideas on Quick & Easy Ways to Finish Your Quilt
If you’ve finally made it to the quilt sandwich stage — batting, backing fabric, and quilt top all layered together — congratulations! That’s already a big win. But now comes the question every quilter faces: how to quilt it.
When a project has been sitting for a while, the best way to move forward is to choose a quick finish option so you can enjoy that beautiful quilt sooner rather than later. Here are a few ideas:
1. Send It to a Longarm Quilter
If you’re short on time (or space), your local quilt shop is a great place to start — they often have lists of trusted longarm quilters in your area. A professional can add stunning texture with edge-to-edge designs while you move on to your next quilt project. It’s the fastest way to turn your quilt top into a finished quilt.
Before sending it off, make sure your quilt top is pressed, square, and free of loose threads. Label the top edge clearly, and include your preferred batting if it’s not part of the longarmer’s package.
2. Choose a Simple Quilting Design
If you decide to quilt it yourself on your domestic machine, keep it simple. Straight line quilting using a walking foot is a beautiful, timeless look that works on almost any style of quilt — from baby quilts to big throw quilts.
Diagonal lines, gentle waves, or crosshatch quilting are all great techniques that don’t require dense quilting or hours of marking. You can even quilt “in the ditch” along your seams for a subtle finish that highlights your patchwork.
3. Go for a Fast Free Motion Design
If you love free motion quilting, pick designs that are forgiving and fast to stitch — like loops, meanders, or large swirls. You’ll cover the entire quilt quickly without stressing about perfection.
I’ve shared a few of my favorite quick quilting designs that are perfect for finishing in a weekend — you can find them HERE>> Easy FMQ designs to quickly finish off your quilt.
Quick Note 🌿
If you’re feeling stuck, download my free WIP Inventory Checklist — a printable mini-workbook to help you restart your stalled projects, plan your next step, and fall in love with your quilting journey again.
