# It's the New Year ... Now What?



## RedHeadedTricia (Jun 20, 2006)

So here it is just weeks past the New Year and I was wondering if Y'all have given any real thoughts to what you want to accomplish in this year. 

I have decided that I want to really think about what swaps I sign up for as last I spent more time doing swap items than working on my own items. I know that I want to do the CF Forum blocks again this year and if at all possible, one of the Block swaps .. maybe. 

Although I did finish 10 small UFO's, they for the most part was given away. Then there was all the items I made for that sale that I ended up given away or packing them in the bottom of a box. :teehee: I made lots of small swap items such as doll quilts or wall hangings. But the only thing that I worked on in the past year for me was the top that was a Challenge piece on another forum with a partner that I am on .. which is not finished. :shocked: 

Well sort of .... according to the pattern the top is done, but I have to enlarge it in order for it to hang properly on my queen size bed. And that entails, adding more sashings and borders. And since this may be the only quilt I ever get done just for me, this has some "extra" touches with some period appropiate hand applique vine work that I'm doing in a teeny tiny blanket stitch in black thread. Those of you who have seen how little my stitches are ... knows that's a LOT of stitiching.:hysterical:

So I decided since I was already keeping a Quilting Journal, I would continue to do so. I know what you're thinking ... Nerd Alert!! :nerd:LOL!! Out of the past year I think I only missed 3 days of sewing of any kind. And it helps me remember things that I can refer back to .. which is always a good thing!!! :hrm:

So I'm setting the goal of 2 "Finished" small items per month. That can include anything from the following combinations: UFO's, NewFO's, WIP's, and Swap items. If I finish those 2 items, I can work on my hand projects, like my hand-appliqued tulip blocks that is one of my LARGE tops for the year until the next month kicks in. 

This month I have a long table runner that is a swap item and a personal challenge swap between me & my friend in Canada. It is St. Valentine's Themed with 4 colors of red, pink, white and Chocolate brown. It's going to be 18 x 22"-ish in size & any techniques that we like. It also must include a charm or bottom fitting the theme & feel added somewhere in the piece. For this, I'm doing an orginial "OOAK" piece that is mostly done by hand.  Big Surprise there ... Right? LOL

Anyhows, I have 3 UFO tops that I have set as my goals this year. 

My "Feedsack Commons" (free pattern from Windham fabrics) which is a "Make-Do" quilt of Scrappy Civil War and Neutral fabrics. This is the one mentioned above. This one was quite interesting since I have never made Flying Geese or Snowball blocks before this. http://www.windhamfabrics.com/cgi-bin/fabricshop/projects.cgi?patternID=110

My Tulips that was a kit from a friend & that is being hand-appliqued 

And my Nine-Patch top that was from the swap here. I also found a free pattern by Windham Fabrics called "Gathered Over Time". The orginal pattern is for 4" finished blocks but with a small bit of math I can turn it into 6" finished blocks so I can use the swap block in it. This one is by machine. 
http://www.windhamfabrics.com/cgi-bin/fabricshop/projects.cgi?patternID=93

I currently have a piece that is my own creative Frankenstein in my 27" oval floor hoop being hand quilting in a 1" crosshatch design. That is my 11th UFO from last year. I started checking out Books on Cd's from the library back in Dec. and I found it to be easier to do while stitching then to have to jump up, across the room and keep changing dvd's. My little boom box is right next to my rocker ... so it's aaalllll good! :thumb:

It would be nice if I have one of these queen/king size tops ready for hand quilting come next winter. It's a nice dream to have but if not, I'm not going to stress about it. :shrug: The actual goal is to get one of the Tops done.

And of course I keep track of all progress made in my Quilting Journal every night before I go to bed. :nerd:

SOOOOOOOO what's your plans this year? Do you think my goals are tooooo lofty & out there? 

Toodles, 
RHT


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I'm not one to ask about goals - I'm optimistic and always set unreasonable ones for me when it comes to what I hope to accomplish. I've learned to be flexible, and be willing to toss out a goal if it turns out to be something I'm not enjoying, or decide it really isn't for the best (like the goal of getting dairy goats). 

For this year, one of my goal is to get started back into sewing. It's hard to believe that at one point sewing was my life - but that was pre-land/home ownership, or should I say before I become owned by houses that needed LOTS of work. I'm finally to a point my life is not dominated by home renovation projects. Been doing major homeowner projects of one sort of another since we decided to sell our first home back in 1999. 

I remember how much I loved sewing - and hope to recapture some of that.


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## happyjunker (Mar 22, 2009)

My new goal is to get my sewing room re-organized. We've been in this new house for about 16 months now, and it's time for a re-do. 

I have a large chrome shelf on wheels, and am making room for a second. I decided one of my sewing machine cabinets was taking up way too much real estate in my room, so I emptied it and had it moved to the basement. I put a 8' table in it's place, and it will hold my embroidery machine, serger and room for my laptop, or room to do some layout work. 

I have an old solid wood storm door I picked up off craigslist, and I want to use it to create something neat to hang my rulers, scissors, tape measures, etc. Maybe even put some cork board on a section of it to pin patterns to. 

I've got an old head board with sliding doors that I want to cut down and hang on the wall for storage. I just want to get more organized, and use some interesting pieces of junk in the process. I have so much stuff! Good stuff, but lots of it! 

My ultimate goal is to make room to give sewing lessons in my home for fun and a bit of extra income.


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## Billie in MO (Jun 9, 2002)

I'm reassessing/changing what I am doing this year. My room needs to be really, really cleaned (too much stuff in it and I still have just as much stored outside in the shop!!). Need to get rid of stuff that I will never do and books need to go. I have been given so much free stuff lately that it is overwhelming. 

I'm not doing Melissa's forum quilt this year because I won the blocks last year for the second time. Since it was the second time to win I decided to sit out for awhile so more people have a chance to win. Just could not believe I won them again!! (kind of felt a little guilty altho I know I shouldn't)

I really want to design a quilt to enter in our county fair in July. I have never entered anything before and it is something I have always wanted to do. This year marks the 150th anniversary of our county fair so I wanted to try and design something to commemorate that.

Also for several years I have wanted to do a quilt for my dad for his car. He has a 1957 Ford Victoria that was restored. The original owner was the deceased husband of my dad's girlfriend. When he became terminally ill he sold it. Several years ago she wondered what happened to it...found the guy who bought it and my dad said if you ever decide to sell it I will buy it. He has entered it in car shows and has been asked to drive it in parades. He has an old ratty blanket in the back seat to sit on. So I have wanted to design a 50's theme quilt for him as a surprise.

And this year I am suppose to design a quilt and demonstrate it at Little House on the Prairie day (May) at the elementary school. I volunteer with a group called Living History. Thru out the school year we help the teachers with reading programs (one on one plus reading books to the class all year). We also do Apple Day, Pumpkin Day, Science Day, Cookie Day, Tall Tales Day and the highlight is LHOTP day for the second grade. We show them how things were done back in the 1800's.....corn husk dolls, making butter, making ice cream, laundry washing on a wash board, shucking corn, etc. We dress in costume and some of the kids do too. So I have to plan that.

I have several projects started that were for me that got pushed to the way side and I really want to finish them.

I have tons and tons of yarn also. In 2011 I gave Bill's step-mom 12 crocheted baby blankets for her to take back to Calif for charity. In 2012 I gave her 12 more. I was simply trying to destash/use up what I had to make room. Her group was so appreciative of what I sent them that they sent me money to buy more yarn so I could continue!! Totally unexpected. Right now I have 7 ready for her. Guess I set the bar too high and feel obligated to continue. I do have 2 charities, here locally, that I crochet for (and will continue to do so for personal reasons).

We have neglected our house, inside and out, and really need to do some work/renovations this summer so I don't want to do anything that has a deadline.

So instead of being so long winded, I should have just said: cleaning my room, getting rid of stuff, making a quilt for the county fair, a quilt for my dad's car and a quilt top for LHOTP day. Finishing a few of my own UFO's and crocheting for the charities.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I'm finishing hand quilting my GD's crib quilt. Then, I need to start and finish GS's baby quilt before he is born in late March. Then, I'm going to finish DD #1's wedding quilt top (the civil war quilt). Then, I have two more wedding quilts to make, so I won't run out of things to do.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I don't have anything planned, except to do some ufo's. I did buy a quilt top kit from Goodwill that I may see if I can finish. Also would like to do the top from the swap I joined last year. Have some small projects. 

My daughter wants me to do some quilts to try and sell next winter at Canton. Don't know if I want to do that or not.


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## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

I too, have thought about what I would like to do for this year. I am calling it my Craft Room Bucket List. I do quite a bit of donations to two different groups by me so I have already been working on those. I have been working on sewing, crocheting, and knitting items up. I too want to de stash my sewing room of older fabrics that I have been hanging on to for Too many years! Same goes with the yarn. Last year I was able to use up over 119 yards of fabric, but most was for Christmas gifts, so I would like to be able to reach that goal and then some this year with the donation work. I would so love to re do my sewing room so that I can have both my sewing machine and serger set up at the same time. I have one desk that I work at and need to re think on how to set up another.
I find that if I write down what projects I complete, it keeps me on track to want to start another. I also find that it helps me from having any UFO;s on my sewing table. 
This year I would love to find the money ( ha ha ) to get the quilt tops quilted that I have packed away in my totes. They range from twin to queen size. I am not able to do much quilting on my machine as my back and shoulders will not allow me too. I'm lucky I can get through a crib size quilt. Since I have been quilting for over 29 years, way before the internet, I have always dreamed of owning my own longarm quilting machine. I would love to have one that is computerize so that I could pin on the quilt pieces, set the machine and go. What a dream that would be.
I love the fact, that in this day and age with internet, you can find so many patterns out there so that this addiction will never get boring. If I see a pattern that I like and really don't want to spend the money, I can draft it out. I still love to collect though, all the old patterns of the past. This year I would like to work on one project that will be all hand done. I have some old Aunt Martha transfer quilt patterns pamphlets that have a few ideas in them. Of course, I also want to get my feet in rhythm so that I can sew a quilt top on my treadle machine too.


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## rkinley (Dec 2, 2012)

Hi,

Guess I'll just jump right in. I'm new to the forum and have been quilting since 1999. I live in California but we will be moving back to my home state (Texas) within the year and looking for land! 

I have a longarm machine and do quilting as a business but this year I am really hoping to get my OWN tops quilted. 

I also made the mistake of writing down all the UFO's and got severely depressed. Even though I gave a bunch to the guild, I still have more than I can finish in my life. So, how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time I guess. The first task is to finish the Christmas Quilt (Baltimore Christmas) that I started 2 years ago. I have finally figured out that when I actually work on stuff, I have a better chance of finishing it! LOL Also the Farmer's Wife quilt I started this past year is on my bucket list for this year.

Are there any other longarmers in this forum?


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

rkinley, welcome to the forum. I'm not really a longarmer but a shortarmer. I have a 12' Gammill table with a Singer 11" throat. I'm new to it, only got it last summer.

We do have a couple other longarmers.


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## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

rkinley, welcome. I have a Gammill with a 16" throat and do quilting as a business. I also have been trying to finish my tops up. Or at least get caught up on them before I do more. I have only been longarm quilting for a little over a year, but I love it.
I made a list of 'things to do this year' also. I will probably never get them done, but it's nice to see what's there. I have several tops cut out to sew up. I have 4 quilts to quilt for others right now. Trying to get them done. I have 2 more of my own to quilt that are already finished. My son is getting married in November and I want to make them a double wedding ring quilt. I still have several sets of blocks from our forum swap that I would like to get put together. I also weave and I have orders for woven dish towels that I put on my loom and do in my 'down time. And of course, when the garden season gets here...........I will be busy with that.
WHEEEWWWW!!! I have already made myself tired just thinking about it. I guess I better get off here and on to some of it if I am ever going to get finished with anything.
Good luck to you all.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

I don't think I have goals for the year. For me, that would take the fun out of it!


However, I will say, I'm just about done making the zip-top, padded bag for my Christmas laptop.


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