Hello, Blog Friends! Did you miss me?
When I looked at my last post, it was hard to believe the last 4 months of the year flew by. Mom came into town just after that post, and she and I went to Chattanooga for Quilt Week. There were some classes and purchases, but mostly a lot of quality time with Mom. If I can get to the point where I can take some pics of the projects I worked on in classes and fabric purchases, I'll make a post about it. In the spirit of complete honesty, the packed bags are still in my sewing room. I've rummaged through a few, but for the most part, I didn't make it into the sewing room much after I got home.
Why? The short story is my husband went to Peru. It doesn't sound like too big of a deal, until I explain that first I had to prepare him and get him packed to be in the middle of the jungle. He was working at an orphanage near Iquitos. I spent about 2 weeks trying out snacks and putting together his backpack for 100+ degree heat, without clean drinking water or medical facilities. Good thing too. While he was there, he slipped and fell several times. I had sent him with a bandage, which he was able to wrap his knee with so he could hobble around until he got home. When he arrived home, he fell again and could no longer put weight on it. Several Dr. visits and a surgery later, he has a new ACL in his knee, but is still unable to walk without crutches. He is steadily getting better, and we anticipate he will be off the crutches in the next week or two.
It is amazing how much something like this impacts your life, especially when you add in the holidays. He can't do things like carry his own cup of coffee from the kitchen to the table, and there was a 6 week period he couldn't drive. That meant me taking the kids to school (both at different times) and taking him to work. I'd have a couple of hours (assuming I didn't need to take him to a lunch or get him something to eat), and then it was time to reverse the process and pick everyone up. Between housework, the extra help to him, and the holidays, there was simply no time to get to the sewing room. I did hurriedly make a few things, like a clear plastic stadium bag for my mother-in-law and a bag for my sister. These were quick, less than 1 hour projects, squeezed in at the very last moment. Naturally, this was the year we spent Christmas in Texas. After all, I had a new nephew to meet!! (I have a new grand-nephew due any day now, and another new nephew due in April. I'm so excited!!)
Now that things are a little less hectic, and he is starting to put weight on his leg again, things have started to get back to normal. I've been able to spend several hours in my sewing room, both evaluating where I am and goals for the year, as well as trying to catch up on blogs I've missed. (That's how little time I've had...not even time to read!). Just in case you are wondering...I didn't accomplish any of my goals for last year, except getting a quilt repair finished for someone else.
So, as I look forward to this year, I've tried to simplify my goals a little.
1. Reduce Project Pages to 1 1/2 pages
I keep a Quilting Journal. In fact, in December I filled up the one I've been using for the last 5 years. So today, I started a new one. It starts as a standard spiral, and then I add lists of projects, both started and planned, followed by when I work on them. It includes days sewn, monthly goals, any project planning I do, purchases I make, project quantities I complete, number of blocks I make, any guild or class notes I take, and anything else sewing related I want to write down. Right now, that project list is 2 1/3 pages. Many are sewing projects, which could be completed in under 2 days each. If I focus, I can just sew them up and get them off the list and out of my sewing room.
2. Use More Fabric Than I Purchase
I don't have a specific usage amount...just to keep it in the black. The good news is, I have most of the fabric for my projects that have actually been started. I'll be reporting these most Sundays at Patchwork Times.
3. Complete 15 quilts
Normally, this would be a lofty goal. But the truth is, many of my quilts are near completion. In many cases, my projects are basted quilts that just need to be quilted and bound. I am sad that Aunt Marti at 52quilts.com will not be continuing her UFO Challenge and monthly parade this year, but I still plan to complete many quilts that I worked on this past year as part of the challenge. I've decided to report these as part of Judy's UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times.
4. Spend at least 15 minutes sewing for at least 200 days this year.
I'll be following Kate's good example over at Life in Pieces. I've limited it to 200 days, because I need to be realistic.
5. Make 500 Blocks this year
I'll be following along with Shelley over at Prairie Moon Quilts and their block challenge. She hasn't released any updates to last year's challenge yet, but 500 is my personal goal for the year. I have several planned quilts that should be quick quilts and make that number doable.
6. Assimilate all scraps into a scrap system.
This year, I made a start, but I am finding more and more scraps that need to be cut down to various size. I basically follow Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User's System from Quiltville, but I am also reviewing the way Lori Holt at BeeInMyBonnetCo.blogspot.com organizes hers. As I finish quilts and I am finished with the project, I will take all of the fabrics and put them back into my stash and scrap system.
7. Start Pineapple Crazy Quilt
I know this sounds "crazy", but I am going to start this quilt from Bonnie Hunter. My goal is to use up some of the scraps that I have now, especially the smaller pieces. Because the pineapple blocks are small, so are the pieces needed to complete it. My goal is to complete at least 1 block with fabrics I use on each quilt I make. This will allow me to have my own personal quilt of my quilting journey. It is not a quilt I plan to complete, or even at a specific time in the future. I am just going to start it and enjoy the process of making each block.
8. Blog 40 times.
In 2016, I blogged 25 times, so I am looking to increase the frequency this year.
Those are my goals for the new year. I wish you great success as you evaluate where you are in your quilting journey. Thank you for joining me on mine.
Blessings,
Joy :)
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