Sew What Now? How to Survive When Your Machine’s in the Shop

You press the pedal. Nothing happens. The lights go dark. The machine lets out one final, tragic beep — and just like that, you’re a quilter without a sewing machine.

Every quilter knows the heartbreak of sending their beloved machine to the shop. It’s like dropping off your best friend for a mysterious spa treatment where you’re not allowed to visit. You tell yourself it’ll only be “a few days,” but deep down, you know it’s going to feel like forever.

So what’s a fabric-loving quilter to do while waiting for the reunion? Turns out, quite a lot.

1) Prepping without Pressure

Just because your sewing machine is out of commission doesn’t mean you can’t make progress. This is the perfect time to plan, organize, and prep future projects.

Make yourself a few “quilt kits.”
Choose a pattern you love, pull coordinating fabrics, and pre-cut everything according to the instructions. Store the pieces and a printed pattern together in a labeled zip bag or project box. Share them with friends or keep them for your own use.  You’ll thank yourself later—when your machine comes home, you’ll be ready to sew immediately (or even whip up a last-minute gift without the frantic fabric cutting).

You can also spend this time starching and pressing fabrics, sketching new layouts, or auditioning color palettes for future quilts. It’s all quilting energy—just in a different form! 

2) Audition Fabrics Like a Pro

If your machine’s in the shop, you’ve just been handed a golden opportunity to refine your color and fabric-matching skills.

Lay out fabric combinations on your design wall or floor, snap photos, and play with value, contrast, and texture. Sometimes seeing the fabrics together in different lighting reveals the most surprising (and delightful) pairings.

And if you’ve ever felt unsure about how to actually learn color theory, you’re not alone! Here are some of my favorite quilt-friendly resources to explore while you wait for your machine’s triumphant return:

• 🎨 Color Confidence for Quilters – Part 1: The Color Wheel by Shannon Brinkley — an approachable, hands-on guide to training your eye for color and learning what works.
• 🧵 Color Theory for Quilters from Cottoneer Fabrics — a clear and visual explanation of hue, tone, and value designed specifically for quilters.
• 🌈 Basic Color Theory for Quilters from the APQS blog — a great crash course in contrast, saturation, and the emotional side of color.
• 📚 Book recommendation: Color Play by Joen Wolfrom — a modern classic that dives deep into the language of color and how to use it with intention.
  

Even without a working sewing machine, you can keep your creativity humming — and you might discover combinations you never would have found otherwise.

3) Handwork Therapy

This is your chance to slow down. Pull out that English Paper Piecing project or work a little hand appliqué. Slow stitching is meditative enough to almost make you forget your machine is gone… almost.

4) The Great Notion Hunt

Time to clean out your sewing space. You might even find a long-lost seam ripper, that half-used spool of Aurifil, or that fabric you “definitely didn’t buy last year.” Organizing notions can be oddly satisfying — especially if you color-code your pins.

5) Education Mode: ON

Catch up on quilting books, watch tutorials, or design something new in EQ8. This is the perfect time to refill your creative tank. If you’re like me, you’ll have ten new ideas before your machine even comes back.

6) Desperate Times, Desperate Machines

If you’ve got a backup machine stashed in a closet, this is its squeaky moment to shine. Maybe it’s the old Singer from the 90s or the travel machine you swore you’d only use “for emergencies.”

You plug it in, thread it up… and realize it doesn’t have a walking foot. Cue the binding event of the century: tugging, wrestling, and whispering very strong encouragement to your quilt sandwich. It’s a test of patience, strength, and humor — and when you finish, you’ll feel like you earned a medal.

7) Reunited and It Feels So Good

When that call finally comes — “Your machine is ready!” — you’ll drop everything, sprint to the shop, and cradle it like a long-lost friend. The first few stitches back together will feel magical.

Need a Laugh While You Wait?

Download our free printable Machine-in-the-Shop Survival Checklist — a lighthearted list of ways to keep your quilty sanity while your machine’s on vacation.

👉 Click here to download the checklist (PDF)

Final Thought

In quilting, as in life, there’s beauty in the pause. Whether you’re cutting fabric, sorting scraps, or bargaining with your backup machine, every moment spent with fabric is time well spent.

So go ahead — celebrate the reunion! Make yourself a cup of tea (preferably in one of our cheerful quilting mugs 🫖), sit back, and plan your next masterpiece. After all, your sewing machine deserves a proper “welcome home” party.