Why I Wrote Stress Free Quilting® How to Lose Weight While Quilting
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For over a decade this idea has been living rent free in my brain. I can tell you the exact moment it started. I was standing in a quilt shop looking at all those delicious Moda Bake Shop precuts with names like layer cakes, jelly rolls, honeybuns, turnovers, and charm packs. I remember laughing to myself and thinking, “Of course I’m hungry. Even my fabric is carbs.”
That tiny spark stuck with me. What if those same treats that tempt us in the kitchen could inspire healthier habits in the sewing room. What if the joy of quilting could make building better habits feel less overwhelming. And what if I could bring together the two worlds I live in every day in a fun, supportive, and actually doable way.
So, I stopped dieting. I started focusing on lifestyle instead. Small realistic changes I could stick with whether I was in my sewing room or halfway across the country. More movement, even in small silly ways. Better habits instead of “rules. Smarter snacks. Hydration I would actually remember. Routines that didn’t require perfection. Strength instead of punishment. Consistency instead of perfection. A kinder mindset. And grace. Lots of grace. I worked to build habits I could take on the road. I wanted changes I could live with for decades, not weeks.
And once I started doing that for myself, the book practically started writing itself. Because I knew I wasn’t the only one. There are so many quilters who struggle with the same things. Who want healthier habits without the guilt. Who want to feel better without giving up their joy. Who are tired of the all-or-nothing approach and looking for something that fits their life instead of fighting against it, and who want something sustainable, not something that collapses the second life gets chaotic.
“How to Lose Weight While Quilting” is the book I needed all those years ago. Realistic. Encouraging. Practical. And filled with the kind of humor that keeps things light even when life gets heavy. It’s the guide I wish I had on all those long drives when I was trying to cobble together something sustainable. It fits the way we actually live, not the way diet culture expects us to live. It blends quilting joy, with healthier habits, in a way that feels approachable and sustainable.
It’s fun, it’s honest, it’s practical, and it’s full of movement and mindset shifts that fit our creative lives. No diet rules. No shame. Just gentle changes wrapped in humor, fabric, joy, and a little elbow-grease.
Writing it took years of thinking, trying, failing, learning, and trying again. And I’m still on the journey. I suspect I always will be. But that’s the beauty of it. We don’t have to wait to be “done” to make things better. We can start right now, exactly as we are.
If you’ve ever struggled with dieting. If you’ve ever felt like being healthy is one more thing to juggle. If you love quilting and want to feel better doing it. If you’re ready to make changes that actually fit who you are and how you live. This book is for you. And if you love a good jelly roll joke… well then you’re definitely in the right place.
Thanks for being part of this journey with me. I hope this book brings you encouragement, laughter, and the reminder that you’re not alone on this path. Let’s stitch together habits we can live with. Let’s make it fun. And let’s do it one small step, one small change, and one quilt block at a time.
Here’s the truth. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I have done every diet, every program, every “reset.” And I would do great for a while. Then I would get back on the road, packing up the van, heading out for another marathon stretch of teaching. Hours of driving, erratic schedules, grab-and-go food, exhaustion, and hauling equipment in and out of venues. None of that pairs well with diets that rely on perfect conditions.
I would try to stay on track, but after a week of living out of gas stations, hotel breakfast bars, and “what’s open near the convention center,” I would fall out of the routine, get frustrated, and slide back into the same patterns. And then of course I’d blame myself for not having enough willpower. It took me years to realize that the problem wasn’t me. The problem was the dieting mindset itself.
Diets don’t work. Not for me. Not for most people. They’re too rigid, too unforgiving, and too unrealistic for those of us who actually live in the real world. And they don’t take into account real life, real schedules, real stress, or real travel. Especially the kind of travel where you’re hauling quilts, kits, products, and everything but the kitchen sink from show to show.
They rely on willpower that dries up the minute you’re tired, stressed, or staring down gas station cookies. Diets fail because they don’t fit into real life. Especially our real lives as quilters and makers who spend hours on our feet, hours at a machine, and way too much time making sure everyone else is taken care of.
A Little Truth: I’m Still Not Perfect
I want to be honest. I’m still not perfect. I still have a long way to go. I still fall off the wagon, especially when I’m tired, stressed, or halfway through a show weekend with a schedule that barely leaves time to breathe. But the difference now is that I don’t give up.
I’m learning to love myself exactly where I am. Not when I hit a number. Not when I “get it right.” Not when life gets easier. Right now.
I’m learning to keep going even when I get derailed. To start fresh without beating myself up. To celebrate progress instead of perfection. To trust that every small change matters. And to remember that I deserve kindness from myself just as much as from anyone else.
That’s a huge part of why this book exists. Because healthy living isn’t about being perfect. It’s about staying realistic, not letting setbacks derail us, and giving ourselves grace when life gets messy. And quilters know all about life getting messy.
Ready to Join Me? Preorder the Book
If you found yourself nodding along, laughing, or saying “yep… that’s exactly me,” then you are absolutely who I wrote this book for. I would love to have you come along on this journey with me.
You can preorder “How to Lose Weight While Quilting” right now, and your copy will arrive just in time for the new year. It’s the perfect way to start January with habits you can actually stick with. Not rules. Not restrictions. Just simple, realistic changes that fit a quilter’s real life… even the kind of life that involves driving across the country, hauling a booth, and living on hotel coffee.
Preorders help me know how many books to print, and they truly make a huge difference for small authors like me. But more importantly, they tell me that this message matters to you too. That you’re ready for something kinder, more joyful, and way more sustainable than any diet I’ve ever tried.
Thank you for supporting this book, for cheering me on, and for being part of this beautifully imperfect journey. I can’t wait to share it with you and cheer you on right back.
Let’s do this together. One tiny step, one tiny habit, one quilt block at a time.
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