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How long can you quilt before you're pooped?


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I've been working on another small bunny panel quilt (the person who I'm doing it for liked what I did for the other customer). It's a ton of custom because I'm doing PPP on it. Here's a pix of the square in the quilt.

It's 11:55 a.m. and I've been quilting standing/sitting since 8:30 a.m. with some 10 minute breaks in between. Do ya'll find that you get more tired with custom quilting than E2E or Circle Lord type of quilting?

Just curious 'cause I'm pooped. :P

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I sit too for detailed custom. I can usually quilt for 2-3 hours, then need a drink break, then back at it. I quilt sometimes for 8-10 hours at a time without eating. That isn't good. I have to remind myself to go home and cook dinner for the family. Good thing my kids can cook mac-n-cheese and make sandwiches.

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i'm like everyone else except i'm not a 'sitter'- i can quilt for 8-10 hours straight with bathroom breaks when doing an E2E because it's 'routine', but when doing customs, my hands start to hurt so i take more breaks. about 5 hours in, my back will start whining...it depends....i think that customs are more draining mentally because you can't let your guard down for a minute. they require 100% concentration.

i just take breaks when needed. i get in the floor and stretch. i do loose track of time, esp when i'm listening to the ipod.

all i can say is some days i'm extremely thankful for Motrin.

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My standing limit is about 2 hours, and my total quilting time is somewhat dependent upon how much I like the quilt. :D I need a break at least every two hours. I haven't kept track of how long I have quilted at any one time before taking a break. I usually stand when I'm doing custom and then sit while I tie and bury the knots, so I may be up and down every few minutes. I can sit all day, but can only stand for a limited period of time. I do everything seated when the stitching gets close to the front of the frame.

I recently saw a quilter display her latest work with the quilting finished but with all the threads still hanging--all done except for tying and burying the knots! I was so surprised that anyone did it that way. I prefer to do it as I go along so I can see that one particular section, at least, is completely done.

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I got so involved doing cross-hatching with the quilt I posted pictures of, that I barely moved all day. When I finally did take note, my body was screaming! I took a book and went out to the porch and read.

I'm hoping to get a saddle chair for the new studio and a hydraulic lift for the machine. No room now for the chair, though. I'm hoping that will help when I do marathon quilting, which I tend to do since I only have my days off to work on customer quilts.

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I can quilt for 2-3 hours without a break but doing pantos really cramps me up, so I usually do 1 pass if it's a detailed design and 2 for and easier more open design. I have a stool that I use and I do get lost in time with the IPod on. Usually the furry kids will remind me to take a break.

I do think that I need the hydraulic lift for doing pantos, the table is perfect for the front of the machine but it needs to be a bit higher for the pattern work.

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Sylvia, I should have also said "how long do you quilt before you "rippit"? I'm doing a little bit of frogging on this quilt too.

I getcha Linda - I take a break every half hour or so - or when the quilt tells me I can stop and then I check my emails, check this forum and go get some more liquid to drink - take a brain break.

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Yesterday, I quilted for 15 hours.... I'm really feeling sorry today since I didn't get it done (and I am soooo sore!)... the quilt is "white wedding" for my friend and I had entered it in a show for this weekend and I still have the binding to attach...

I'm gonna see if I can deliver it tomorrow since the show doesnt' start til Friday... we'll see!

My feet, knee and other hip are very "pained" today, so binding the quilt should be good since I'll be OFF my feet!

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I quilt a few hours every night after work and when the weekends come around I can only quilt for about 4 hours than I have to take my nap to catch up on the sleep I missed all week. I'm usually good to go after the nap. Humm when do I clean and shop for food???

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What a good question. Boy I can remember staying up all night quilting a quilt because of the excitement about doing the quilt. The only time I seem to break alot is when I'm doing a quilt that I don't really want to do or it just doesn't speak to me as some put it. I procastinate on quilts that I think are just UGLY. lololol

If I really like the quilt I can work for hours and hours. 12 hours is my tops with only one break. It's easy to do when your pumped about it. When the machine and tension and thread all cooperate and it just has that flow I don't want to quit because I don't want to loose my groove. lololol I never eat a heavy meal. Only finger foods when I'm working or I would get SLEEPY. lolol I drink lots of coffee and I have chocolate always available. lol

The back hurts more these days and my Right Hand, wrist and arm swell alot from an injury in 1996 when it was crushed to pieces and put back together so I'm learning that it is OK to chill. When doing fewer customer quilts and more of my own I'm learning to just enjoy the process.

Burnout will set in sometimes and that gets me. lol I'm easily bored as I've done so many of the same designs again and again. The more I step outside myself and try new things the more I enjoy the process it seems.

Hugs,

Grammie Tammie

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