Happy New Year’s Eve! Time to take stock of my goals for the year.
2017 Goals
1.Sandy’s (Quilting for the Rest of Us) word this year is “Balance”. I have the opposite problem from many of you, in that I have plenty of time to sew and don’t always take advantage of it. My life has definitely gotten in the way of sewing this year. There are lots of reasons, but a lot of it boils down to distraction and/or laziness. I developed bad habits of sitting around while my knees were recuperating and I need to replace them (the habits! Already replaced the knees!).
I’m making an appointment with myself to sew every day from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. If I start earlier, fine, especially in warm weather. If I go back to it later, fine. If I tweak the time, fine. I just want a target and to know that I can put the housework, etc., aside and go quilt.
-This was partially successful. The times didn’t always work, but I did get into the studio more. As my walking stamina improves, my schedule continues to evolve, but I am sewing more.
2. This year I want to finish my largest UFO, the Slow Quilt. I have some ideas about cutting it down or otherwise changing it to improve it. Finishing it will free up a lot of physical and mental space, and take some fabric out of the stash.
-No, I didn’t finish this. Because of this goal, I did take it out, do a lot of thinking about it, and made a little progress. So, it will go back on the goal list for 2018.
3. Continue to work on the way I store things in my studio. My personal quilts are hard to reach and take up space I could use for other things. The fabric needs to be refolded and organized. And going through it will make sure I see it all again.
Yes! I revisited and refolded a lot of my stash (although some of it is messed up again). I cleaned out a cabinet, hung up some small quilts, and stored others out of the light in that cabinet that is hard to access behind my ironing board.
4. Work on those art quilts again!
No. Nothing happened here. Maybe it was this crazy year, but I just didn’t feel moved to create anything this way. I made three mystery quilts and many donation blocks where others made all the decisions and all I had to do was sew patches together. It seemed to be what I needed this year. Another one to revisit in 2018.
5. I’m going to take another fifty yards out of my stash this year! (Four hundred yards in the past five years!)
Yes! So that’s a net reduction of 450 yards from my stash since I started tracking. And there’s still so much there! No, I am seeing it turn over and contain more fabrics that are to my current taste. To that end, you’ll see me continue to purchase new fabric as I use the old. This year those last eight donation pillowcases put my over the top.
This week: + 0 yards, – 8 yards
This year: + 109.25 yards, – 165.75 yards
Net destashed added in 2017: 56.50 yards
December Goals:
- Cut scraps for Charlotte Hawke’s mystery quilt, Stars Over Fawn Lake (begins in January). Yes! Waiting happily in their basket.
- Make blocks for Kat’s Nov./Dec. block drive for Covered in Love. Yes! I made a dozen.
- Make donation pillowcases for Case for Smiles. Yes, I made eight.
- Make nautical baby quilt. Yes! Here.
So, a pretty successful year, but room to improve for 2018. I’ll be back soon with my new goals. In the meantime, I’m going to use this quiet day to sew! Hope you can, too!
Evening in the Garden Quilts 
January 1, 2018 at 12:57 AM
I think this looks like a very successful year. Maybe that whole art quilt thing is trying to tell you it is not something you really want to do but more like you feel like you have to do it.
January 5, 2018 at 10:44 AM
Thank you. I though about this, so you’ll notice that I wrote it differently in my new goals.
January 3, 2018 at 3:16 PM
Your approach is great! I love the way you don’t berate yourself for not completing one of your goals. I like the way you analyze what happened so you can try again. This is a very positive approach and I appreciate the kindness you are showing towards yourself.
I find that writing about things (like with a pen on paper) helps my thinking process, so perhaps you need to write or draw something out for the art quilts. I make art quilts, but I have to have a firm idea in my mind otherwise, I just like to piece.
450 yards over 5 years is a fantastic achievement. You should be very proud. Good work! My net used was 32 yards, which is good, but could be improved, though it is an improvement over 2016 by 7 yards. You made me add up my total for the three years I have been tracking and the total is 163 over three years, which isn’t shabby.
Keep up the good work!
Jaye
January 5, 2018 at 10:49 AM
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and encouragement! Everyone’s stash is different and has different needs. Mine was enormous and no longer to my taste, so I’ve been glad to rejuvenate it.