Twenty-five Days Behind Everyone Else

In 2013, I finished 22 small quilts and weaving projects, but in 2014, I only finished 17, and 3 of those were just tiny practice pieces.  In a way that was okay, because I took the last months of the year to just play around with techniques that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time.

But I think with a little structure, I can accomplish more this year.  I saw a planning idea I liked from Laura at Made in Oxford ( I was led there by Nana Cathy) and I am adopting that for goal-setting this year.  It’s fun to see what plans different people fit into this format.  Here’s my list:

15 in 2015

  • 15 fused applique blocks – just blocks that I will join together into one quilt at some time in the future.
  • 14 finished-up fabrics,and scrap bags.  I say this every year, but this year I have pulled the ones that I want to bid adieu, and I am going to work with them first.
  • 13 technique try-outs.  This will be continuing my foray into the miles and piles of articles I have saved.  I am going to join in with the Love Your Library challenge group hosted by Emily at Snapdragon Crafts (and I was led there by Laura, above).  Emily even has monthly themes for working through your library.  Unfortunately I cannot figure out how to get her cute banner as a widget in my side bar, so I will just have to link to her periodically.  (I did not add “become more technologically ept” anywhere in my list of goals for this year.)
  • 12 mini practice quiltlets.
  • 11 video segments viewed.  I have some Craftsy classes and Quilting Arts videos and I never watch them!
  • 10 materials try-outs.  These are materials I have on hand, mostly for surface design or embellishment.
  • 9 new dye plants.  In 2013, I sampled about a dozen plants from my yard.  Last year I looked at how colorfast they turned out to be, but I didn’t throw even one more plant in a pot!  This year, I need to sample more, especially the fall plants.
  • 8 small quilts – crib quilts and lap quilts.  I already have one done!
  • “7 layers of design” cloth.  This is a concept I learned from Jane Dunnewold and I want to make some practice pieces.
  • 6 activities to share textile skills, like giving weaving lessons, speaking to an afterschool group, or volunteering at a quilt show.  I already have 3 of these scheduled.
  • 5 fiber field trips
  • 4 warps
  • 3 tops (the kind to wear, not quilt tops).  I have the fabric, I have the patterns, I just need to make them!
  • 2 larger quilts – large for me is twin-size and up.
  • 1 show entry!  In each of the past two years, I have taken on one thing that is a challenge for me.  One year I joined an online quilt show, and one year I submitted an idea to a magazine for their reader’s challenge.  This one is less challenging than it sounds, because a local church is having its first quilt show, and they will take all entries with no fee and no jurying.  🙂

Laura points out that this equals 120 total goals!  But most of mine are small, and things I normally spend time on.  I may not achieve all of them, but I think this structure will help me achieve more than I did last year.

 

Category : Craft Projects
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