Quilting Time VS Computer / Internet Time

[QuilterLynn]

I have been watching some reality shows where they take away TV, computer, phone etc with the idea the time is wasted and you can get more accomplished if you give up those electronics.

I am wondering how much time do we spend at the sewing machine ( on a project for the hand sewers)
VERSES
How much time do we spend surfing the web and coming to the various internet forums, blogs, etc.

Do you know how much time you spend on the computer? ( using a design program does not count in this) Internet? Actually quilting?

I am putting this out there and I will add my confession at a later time.

Lady Rags AKA Anna

[BethMI]

I admit it. My computer time has definitely cut into my quilting time!

BethMI

[BethMI]

I spend several hours every morning on the computer. Then of course my iPhone can receive any emails I get and alert me when they come in. My days are then spent either quilting/sewing or gaming or shopping and the evenings I do hand work while watching TV. Definitely have enough electronics in my life but it makes it interesting. Bobbi

[suehenyon]

I KnoW I spend too much time on the Forum, yahoo groups, and reading Blogs. I'm thinking about keeping a timer that runs continuously by starting & stopping, just to track the time spent at home online Tracking for awhile might be humbling and eye-opening. Checking at lunchtime doesn't count. I'd rather do this than sit in a faculty room!

[suehenyon]

I do not watch very much television. In fact, I don't know how to turn on the big screen in the living room! So I don't feel very guilty about my computer time.

Maggie in E. Central Illinois

[QuilterLynn]

computer cuts into the day more than I usually expect.

If I watch TV, I'm usually sewing so that doesn't cut into it.

[QuilterLynn]

I do not COUNT doing actual work on a computer as wasting time. COMPUTERs are GREAT TOOLS. I have several quilting and photo editing programs And yes you have to communicate with family and friends ( My mother in law loves my daily emails since she is HOH and cant hear well on the phone. This to me is a duty as well as a pleasure.) I discovered I like FACEBOOK cause I now know what the kids, nieces and nephews are up to.... LOVE THAT! I really think I have to limit the amount of time spent just surfing (Yes forums and blogs even quilting sites as I spend toooo much time there,) playing games and goofing around. I think it comes down to what is productive and results in a product/ project and what is frivolous and non-productive.

I work full time so I have to make every minute count.... I now surf on the internet on my lunch hour and do not allow myself to surf again unless I have done 2 hours of sewing. I do have a TV in the sewing room so I can keep up on the news and a few favorite TV shows ( NCIS/ CSI/ BONEs... I will not miss an episode. ) Most of the time I have quilting DVDs on and I am listening while I sew. I love the hum of another sewing machine and I think I absorb some of what is said while I do my own work.

I am trying to do at least an hour of sewing daily... cooking dinner, dishes and playing with the grandson does take precedent and priority.



Have a good quilting day... off to 2nd quilting class of the day.

[GloriaH]

I don't do a lot of surfing on the net and I don't do facebook but TQS has definitely cut into my sewing time. What is really strange is that I checked this site more religiously when I was working full time than I do now that I'm part time. I think that may be related to more strictly managing my time then. I usually check email before I go to bed which sometimes sucks me into a surfing session. I can't imagine not spending some time on the computer every day though. Gloria

[eileenkny]

I'm supposed to be upstairs on the longarm right now. I'm on a new laptop and I'm watching The View. What does that tell you? I need an intervention!!!
eileenkny

[eileenkny]

I will sew some then out the net and then sew I do have a tv in my sew that I listen to when I sew and when I on the computer Happy

[Lorchen]

I'm too tired to quilt during the week because of a quite demanding job. But I do spend about an hour on the computer, late in the evenings before going to bed. I play with fabric and threads for about 3 hours on saturdays and sundays (but only if I don't have family visiting, or go out).

Lorchen

[Judymc]

One of the things I want to do this year is manage my time better. I usually don't get on the internet every day because it eats up too much of my time. I can sew while I watch TV, so that's not too much of a problem. I usually put callers on speaker phone so I can sew while I'm talking. I REALLY want to get more quilts finished!!! I also don't do Facebook--my daughters do and I get all the family news from them! LOL

[Judymc]

I spend way too much time on my PC surfing the web--mostly for quilt related stuff. Since I have Media Center on my PC, I can watch TV on my PC monitor in a separate window while I'm surfing. My PC is located in the office side of my loft, with the sewing area on the opposite side. So, I can watch TV and sew and surf concurrently. I do not need to print the quilt patterns that I have saved online--I just leave the documents open on my PC monitor.

I also use my PC for lots of other things, including volunteer work for my church and the math museum. So, it's not all a guilty pleasure. Today, I spent most of the day setting up and testing a weekly automatic backup of my PC--necessary, but certainly not fun!

[Judymc]

I'm on the computer every day checking email. I don't do alot of shopping on-line, spend only maybe 15 minutes at TQS unless I decide to watch a show. But I DO tend to check email a few times a day.

I usually knit or do hand sewing while I watch a TQS show. I have a game called Snood that I play on my computer that eats up ALOT of time. It's my one guilty pleasure and I DO waste lots of time playing it. The way I tend to justify it is that I play while listening to the news on the TV!

I try to do something while watching TV such as fold laundry, so I'm never just sitting there. It IS tricky ballancing it all!

Nancy in Finally Above Freezing Western NY

[RobinQuilts]

I kind of blow hot and cold on using the net/computer and not. I have gone through periods where I spent way more time on sites like TQS, reading about quilting, than I did quilting. And, of course, there are lots of other quilt sites. As much as I enjoy watching the shows on this site, my infrequent blog posts and checking out the forum, I finally figured out that if I don't quilt much then I won't be able to contribute to the site at all. I have so many projects going right now, that my internet activity has got to be cut way back.
Effective time management is a great tool, but face it, the day just doesn't get any longer no matter what we do!