Finding Time to Quilt + Get Creative: When Life is Busy

Let’s face it - life doesn’t slow down just because we have a gorgeous fat quarter bundle whispering our name from the sewing shelf.

Between work, school drop-offs, meal planning (or, let’s be honest, emergency toast dinners), and the thousand tiny things that demand attention each day, carving out time to quilt can feel like chasing a unicorn. And yet, somehow, we keep chasing. Why? Because quilting grounds us. It brings order to chaos and it lets us breathe.

As a single mum with two girls, a business to run, and a laundry pile that could legally qualify as a third child, I know the feeling of being pulled in all directions. But I also know the magic that happens when I do find the time: even just 20 minutes at the machine can feel like a soul-reset.

So how do you make space for creativity in a life that’s already bursting at the seams?

1. Rethink What Time to Quilt Looks Like

You don’t need a whole afternoon with a cup of tea and a soundtrack of birdsong (though wow, wouldn’t that be nice?) Sometimes, it’s a sneaky 10 minutes while the kids are distracted by Bluey. Or chain-piecing a few blocks before bed instead of scrolling your phone. These micro-moments count and they add up.

2. Make It a Date

Put quilting in your calendar.

Yes, I actually schedule it. If it’s good enough for a dentist appointment, it’s good enough for your sanity! Even an hour once a week that’s “your time” can make a difference - not just to your WIP pile, but to your sense of self.

3. Lower the Bar, Raise the Joy

It’s a-ok if you’re not pumping out a new quilt every month. Or even every year. You’re not a factory - you’re a creative human with a full life. Celebrate progress over perfection. A single finished block is still something you made with your hands and heart.

4. Get the Kids Involved (If You’re Brave)

Depending on their age (and how patient you’re feeling), invite the kids into the chaos. Let them choose fabrics, sort scraps, or design their own quilt block on paper. You’ll be surprised at the joy that comes from sharing your creative world with them - even if it means your thread stash ends up looking like spaghetti.  Better yet, make the thread sorting a game..?  My two loved being close and being allowed to play with the thread.

Quilting when life is busy is not always easy. But it is possible, and it’s always worth it. Even the messiest, slowest, most interrupted sewing session is still time spent doing something for you. And that matters.

So, pull out your project, shake off the guilt, and stitch when you can. The quilt will come together, piece by piece - just like everything else in life.