Start to Finish

I am an excellent starter. I’m super good at it. I could call myself a professional Starter. I can start anything. My favorite things to start are new quilts and home improvement projects. My hubby dreads my home improvement projects because, unfortunately, they always involve him. Mike likes to start and FINISH a project, one at a time. Weirdo.

My mother once told me, “It won’t get done unless you work at it.” Seems obvious enough but not as easy as it sounds. I do know of quilters like my husband. They start and finish one quilt at a time. HOW? I ask you. How do you have that much self-control not to start 10 more quilts until you finish your first? I must be part squirrel. Oh, look, shiny. I’ve lost my coffee.

3YD Yankee – Free Monthly Download

Do you need a free pattern download so you can be an excellent Starter too? Click this link, 2025 Sew Along. Scroll down to the June 15 post. At the end of the June 15 post will be the download link to this fun 3YD Yankee quilt pattern. In the post are pictures, options, and other fun sewing stuff.

The 3-yard kit for 3YD Yankee is exactly as shown in the picture above. The 1 yard each of Dark, Light, and Medium plus the 1/2 yard of binding are from Riley Blake Designs and only $35.99. I love their stuff. Don’t forget to download and print your 3YD Yankee pattern. The 3YD kits don’t include a pattern. (Free download expires July 5, 2025 – then the pattern goes to our online store.)

Reviewing Our Momentum

Every year I write up a list of my Works in Progress. This year I created a new form to list all the quilts I have started. It is called My EQUIP list (Every Quilt In Process). My 2025 theme is EQUIP Myself with Creativity and Accomplishments. Did you download the list in January too? You can still download a copy here. How have you been doing on your list? It’s been 6 months. I will need to print out another page. I’ve started a few new ones.

Oops! I finished a quilt. How did that happen? I finished Maggie’s Double Irish Wedding quilt, king-size. It did have a deadline and I am motivated by that. I finished a lap-size Mystery Quilt Sew Along I started in January. I finished a Stars and Banner quilt. Of course, I needed the photo shoot for the pattern cover so again, a motivating deadline.

Tripping at the Finish Line

I’ve almost finished. I’m sew close. This king-size Double Bear Paw quilt I had started in 2018. I just need to finish the binding and add a sleeve. I have a deadline for this one. I’m going to enter it in the Delta Quilters show in Brentwood, CA, August 9-10.

I’m sorry we don’t have Double Bear Paw fabric bundles back in stock. All the aquas have been too dark. (I’m picky when it comes to creating our kits.) Hopefully, we’ll have bundles in the fall. Unfortunately, that background word fabric was from 2018 or earlier and I’ve no idea who printed it or where to get it. You can get the Double Bear Paw pattern, $10 includes multiple sizes as a digital download on our Etsy store. OR for a $14 paper pattern, visit MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com.

This is my scrappy version of Stars and Banners. So close, just need to bind it. I’m donating this one for a veteran presentation (another deadline). I used fat quarters from my stash.

Deadlines are very motivating for me. Otherwise, I have a hard time keeping focused. Where did I leave my coffee? If I walk into the kitchen, I’ll start something (like baking a batch of Cinnamon Rolls) and my train of thought will derail.

Dopamine

Is the dopamine you get from starting a project more than the dopamine you get from finishing one?

Dopamine is often referred to as a “happy hormone” or “feel-good hormone” because it plays a key role in our reward system and is associated with pleasure, motivation, and feelings of well-being. It is released when we experience something enjoyable, like eating a delicious meal or achieving a goal, leading to a sense of satisfaction and the desire to repeat the experience. (AI overview)

Lora is an excellent starter AND finisher. She will confess that binding is her kryptonite, however. If it wasn’t for her Finishing Superpower, we would not have much of a yearly Sew Along. Where is that coffee?

Perhaps the Dopamine release is different for those Finishers. They may get a bigger hit finishing over starting. Hmmm, let’s experiment. I encourage you to START a new project. Lora encourages you to FINISH a different one. Which felt better? Starting or Finishing? It’s like the little devil and angel sitting on your shoulders, whispering, “Go on, Start a new project” in one ear and “Thou shalt Finish” in the other. Ha!

I’m going to go find my coffee, bake some cinnamon rolls, and take a shower. I’ll be back – hopefully today. (I did finally find my coffee cup, cold and still in the Keurig coffeemaker. I made a batch of sourdough discard cinnamon rolls and Mike and I drove over to share with my parents, Lora and her husband Kel, for a nice Father’s Day breakfast.)

I’m continuing the Free shipping sale from last month! No coupon is needed. Yay! Find patterns, kits, and fabric bundles all at pre-tariff prices.

Check out our Etsy store for an instant dopamine release with a digital download.

Quilting Cruise

Oh! I forgot to tell you about the Material Girlfriends Quilting cruise. It is now two cruises. The first is to Hawaii in September 2026 and the second is Alaska in August 2027. We’ll have more details for you soon. You can also check Stitchin’ Heaven’s Quilting Cruise page. We should have registration details up soon.

Thank you so much for supporting our pattern business. We really appreciate your purchases!

Happy sewing,