Sensible Goals? 2017 Finish-A-Long - Second Quarter

It's Spring here in NEOhio and I don't just quilt!  I'm a birder, too and spring is our big season!  So I need to take a sensible approach to my second quarter goals!!  Right now I want to be out on one of my survey routes to see if any new migrating birds have arrived since I was last there 6 days ago!!

 

I also need to keep in mind that I'm enjoying two sewalongs which continue through the next three months. Since I'm keeping up and having fun and I'd like to keep it that way!

 

These are my blocks so far with Lorna over at Sew Fresh Quilts Have a Jolly Little Christmas (HERE) -- I'm making two sets of the blocks with the idea that I'll gift them to my grands this year!

And I've also started the Long Time Gone sewalong with Marti Michell (HERE) and Angie at GnomeAngel (HERE).

I'll share some of my progress on this one later this week!

So making sure I have time to stay caught up with those two projects and the birding has set me on an atypical path by setting just three goals for the current quarter.

 

My Lichen quilt is a rollover from the first quarter and I want to keep the momentum going on this one -- needs quilted.

This cutie is a crib size adaptation of my Sandstone pattern to include flying geese units.  It needs quilted and if a baby doesn't appear on the horizon, I'll list the finished quilt in my Etsy shop. 

Third and finally, to quilt the Smorgasblocks top I pieced last year during Anneliese and Brenda's sewalong at EyeCandyQuilts -- check them out HERE.  I know exactly where this is destined to live so I want to get it to her sooner rather than later. 

This is a little like packing for a retreat -- so tempting to run back up to the studio and tack on just one or two more projects -- but I really will appreciate the lack of pressure and the flexibility of fewer goals during the spring season so I can dash here and there to catch the birds as they travel through

(like those golden-crowned kinglets I can hear squeaking outside my office window)!!

 

Linking up HERE.

Hope your April showers don't dampen your spirits!!

Mary

 

Thoughts on Balancing One's Quilting Act . . . . . .

The beginning of any year is a reflective time as we look back at what has been accomplished and forward at what we hope to accomplish.  This weekend as I've been working on machine quilting a teaching sample, my mind has been contemplating how to prevent begin overwhelmed with projects and deadlines in 2017.  Perhaps you struggle with the same challenge? 

It occurs to me that some of my students and readers would be surprised this is a struggle for me.  Readers of my blog who I met face-to-face often mention "how much you get done" and I'm thinking, "yes, but you should see the list?!?"  This is a good illustration of the principle that perception plays a big part of one's attitude.  Others are impressed and we are overwhelmed but it's a mistake to compare our lives with another's because our view of our self is uncut while our view of someone else is the cleaned up, edited version -- the highlights! 

You don't see what I don't do around my house that you do everyday. 

I don't see your "to-do" list. 

You don't watch me cut corners to make things work because I have too many deadlines this week. 

I don't see you start over and over to get that amazing idea out of your head and into fabric.

And so on and so on and so on.

Looking through my pictures from the past two years, I realize how much fun I've had with new projects.  I enjoy scrolling through my Instagram feed several times a day.  I love all the inspiration from other quilters around the world and the encouragement they share with one another!  

And the challenges and the follow alongs and the swaps -- oh my!! 

It's so tempting to join all of them!! 

That's how I stumbled across this project last fall!!

But TIME is finite and so I find myself reconnecting with the decision several years ago to (attempt) to evaluate how accepting/participating in a project, swap, or challenge will benefit my interests.  

Will participating help me build skills or broaden my perspective? 

Can I use the final product to meet a goal or need? 

 

This coming year, one of my goals is to manage my work load in such a way that it gives me time to be distracted and have a bit of fun with a pile of fabric even if it doesn't seem productive because I might not be finishing a UFO or planning a workshop or writing a new pattern to promote my DVD, Set-In Piecing Simplified.

Perhaps an example or two will clarify my current approach. 

Last week, I shared my response to the Project Quilting Season 8's first challenge.  One of the things that appeals to me is the challenge of interpreting a theme/idea "my way".  I believe the time constraint of one week will be a good exercise to help me loosen up again and regain my sense of confidence about being spontaneous.  So "my" rule for participating is to pay attention to my intuitive reactions to the challenge prompts and go for it without a lot of deep contemplation.  At the same time, I've decided to consider each of the projects I complete as potential donations to my favorite causes.  

When the prompt for the second challenge was announced on Sunday, I was delighted (and a little surprised) at how quickly I had an idea.  By the time I had to watch Victoria on Masterpiece while knitting a pink hat for a friend headed to the Woman's March in Washington, D.C., my idea was sketched out plus diamonds were cut and pieced.  I left my block units spread out with a variety of background prints so that when I returned to the studio Monday morning, the best choice was almost be apparent with my first glance at the design wall.

My excitement with the results thus far might lead to a new workshop or pattern idea but that's not my motivation -- enjoying the process is enough for now.  Ideas are fun but they often lead to more work.  The important thing about having ideas is to realize that one doesn't have to act on every idea.  Some ideas are meant to lead to other bigger and better ideas. 

Some ideas are meant to be merged together meaning less work. 

Some ideas are meant to be passed on to others. 

The trick is to make sure to enjoy that aspect of "having ideas" and not let the ideas overwhelm or create an unnecessary burden!

Another tempting sew along popped up in the past few days.  I've been following Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts on Instagram for 6 months -- I love her playful designs.  If you aren't familiar with her, you can find her HERE and on Instagram.  Lorna did a wonderful and silly sew along in 2016 -- the Ugly Sweater Quilt.  It was mid-year before I found it and I successfully resisted getting caught up in it.  At the beginning of January she started showing peeks of a new Christmas themed sampler -- Jolly Little Christmas -- and I caved! 

How could I resist simple cute fun!!

  I was first introduced to the main piecing technique used by Lorna by the legendary Mary Ellen Hopkins 20 years ago -- she called it "connector corners" and it has spread through out the quilting world to the point that I don't think many know where that egg was hatched.  It's going to be a cheerful, easy quilt so I'm going to make two -- one for each of my grandchildren.  The first set took about an hour to cut and piece.  

 

Both of these projects run through March and sooooo, I think I'll draw the line and wait to jump on any more band wagons until these are finished.  There will be lots of temptation I'm sure.

Some BIG reminder notes to myself might help -- "Don't clog the schedule" or something like that to remind me to leave space in my goal setting for spontaneity!

And maybe one that says "WHY" to remind me to stop and think?

How about "are we having fun yet?"

 

How many sew-alongs and challenges can you handle at the same time?

 

Mary

Q1 Finish Along 2017 Goals

Time is running out for me to make these decisions and join the linky!!

With a couple weeks of travel coming up this quarter, I'm trying to be practical about how much studio time I will actually have.

I've also considered what projects have deadlines.

So here are the five I've chosen.

This is my simplest 6-pointed star sample and its going to be the display piece for the Studying the Star Workshop I'm teaching in March at the regional Lake Metroparks Farm Park Quilt Show.  Since I've entered Smitten in the judged show, it will give potential students a better idea of the range of possibilities for their own workshop project.

Want more details about the workshop?  HERE they are!

The quilt is layered and I'm currently contemplating quilting thread and designs . . . . .and trying to find my working glasses  )-;

I'll need to have this plus quilt ready for a graduation celebration in May or June, so hoping to get it finished way ahead of time!!  Backing is ready and I've done some experimental quilting on a smaller plus project.  This will be the easiest finish of the quarter!

I don't enjoy making totes and pouches, but I'm so draw to all the Sew Together Bags I see on Instagram (and no one has gotten the message to make me one) that I'm going to make my own.  The outside patchwork is finished, fabrics pulled from my stash, and I have to make a shopping run for two more zippers.

Please send me good vibes so I enjoy this make!

I came across these improve 9-patch blocks during the winter tidy up of my studio.  The color palette is inspired by lichen. I don't know much about lichen, but I'm always photographing it.  This particular set of blocks were inspired by a winter photo of a tree covered with lichen and plastered with snow.  The blocks have been in my stash for too long!!  I've moved them onto the work wall and am waiting for the inspiration to assemble them into something!!

Finally, I hope to get this set of Morris Hexathon blocks from Barbara Brackkman's sew along last year organized into a small quilt.  I've been playing on the design wall with different layouts and need to work up the incentive to make a few more blocks since I don't have quite enough. 

I'm recording all my layout experiments to share in my Studying the Stars Workshop in March and hope that this quilt will be a top at the very least, but finished would be better.

How about you? 

Any goals for your winter stitching?

I've found participating in these challenges to be more and more motivating.

And that's good!!

If you have been looking at some classes on Craftsy, they are having a BOGO sale this weekend!

Buy a Craftsy class and get a second class of equal or lesser value for free! Use coupon code BOGOJAN17 at checkout. *Some exclusions apply. Shop Now by clicking HERE!

(This is an affiliate link and I earn a commission from your purchases.)

Here's to a stitching weekend!

Mary 

2017 Goal Pondering

I spent time over the New Year's weekend reading other quilters "goal setting" posts to help me focus on my own process.  If you are new to goal setting or struggle with the process there's lots to read out there and it might just trigger some productive pondering.  A student e-mailed me last week looking for some insight and so much of what I'm sharing today is based on what I said to her. 

The source of some of her frustrations in 2016 were family health issues which demanded her attention.  I know from my own experience that it's hard to keep focused on personal goals when the people around you require your attention.   It's important to refocus one's energy in those circumstances.  But it's also important to take care of oneself by maintaining a connection with the craft that energizes and calms you. Designating daily time just to stitch works wonders for me when I feel like I'm going off the rails -- stitching for a little bit calms me down enough to reassess the situation and move forward.  It's a healthy habit but it needs developed BEFORE the chaos.  So if it's not already part of your daily life, I urge you to start today!! 

A current hand-stitching project nestled in the "new" hand-stitching corner of my studio.

As usual, my projects that were deadline or purpose driven were the ones that got done in 2016.  Out of the 9 projects I put on the 2016 APQ list --four were completely finished, good progress was made on three, and nothing what so ever happened on two of them.  I left 3 blanks at the bottom of the list and used those months to revisit a project on the list which didn't get finished in "it's" month.  That worked well and I'll do that again.  I tend to put rather large projects on that list and used smaller projects for the 2016 Finish Along quarterly lists.  Sometimes, okay much of the time, my lists were simply unrealistic because I didn't allow for the distractions and inspiration that sets me off down yet another path.  One can't read magazines and blogs and follow quilting on Instagram and troll through Pinterest and not be distracted!?! 

Brainstorming results for a (distraction) challenge project!

The challenge this year is to be more realistic.  Historically over the past few years, I am able to finish two quilted projects a month plus a couple general sewing projects and a couple knitted items.  I'm going to base my 2017 goals on that track record.  And remember, setting goals hasn't necessary failed just because we don't reach all of them -- we have also striven and that's just as important as finishing.  I'd also like to develop the habit of finishing a big quilt project several weeks ahead of the deadline rather than on my way to the party!

Need to allow more time this year for clothing sewing!

My thought for the 2017 APQ Challenge list is to confine it to quilting tops that I like from my stack that have loose deadlines and as yet undefined purposes -- so the one I need to finish for a graduation gift in June won't be on that list.

A dozen or so tops (with backing) ready to meet George (my APQS quilting machine).

My quarterly 2017 Finish Along lists need a more thoughtful approach.  Not only do I need to consider specific deadlines or purposes, I also need to pay attention to my "life schedule".  I'm turning 70 this year and planning some travel adventures to celebrate -- that will impact my "at a machine in studio" time but will also allow me time to focus on hand-stitching projects that I can take along with me.  There are also "important quilts" that I don't want to slip into the big yard sale -- I want to finish them and give them away myself!!

Destined to be this year's BIG hand quilting project.

That will require orderly prioritizing of my projects -- which goals are the most important -- so I can focus on those and use the less important ones to fill gaps of time that occur during the year. I used a couple of my APQ goal projects in 2016 as "leaders and enders" while working on other more pressing (deadline driven) project sewing.  That is a great strategy and I was able to finish all the piecing on two or three projects that way.

Blocks finished, top set together, purpose determined!

Another strategy that has worked well for me for many years is to merge two or three goals together.  For example, I want to give my niece's three children and her husband quilts this year -- notice that I said, "give" not "start" or "make" -- right now I'm reviewing my finished stock and my UFQ's to see if there are any that will fill that purpose.   There are two finished quilts and a third top ready to quilt that will fit the need.  That means only one new project to be started.  And it's already underway -- I was inspired to begin a quilt I've wanted to make for quite some time (a bit of pre-Christmas proquiltinating) and happily a pleasing scrappy color palette emerged during the experimentation -- it will be a perfect 4th quilt for this goal!    I'm experiencing a win-win!  I'll reduce my stock of finished quilts (with close to 100 in the house, that's necessary), I have a purpose for quilting another top from that UFQ pile, I get to play around with an appealing pattern/technique and I'm using up stash!  Doesn't get much better than that!!

A block a day is moving me rapidly towards a finished top!

Finally, I'm finding so much more satisfaction with my machine quilting since accepting it's not the part I love best.  Since simplifying my expectations and going the utilitarian route (thank you modern quilt makers),  I can envision that pile of tops shrinking even more this year.  One of the things we often say to each other when we are working on our "good deed" quilts is that "it's going to a five-year old not an art critic" -- the most important aspect then becomes that it's sturdy, cheerful, and warm.  Yes, I want every quilt to improve my skill at my craft but if I can't move forward because I don't think my work is "perfect" yet, I won't have the opportunity to build my skill -- think that's called a vicious circle.

One of several "good deed" quilts I finished in 2016.

So bring on 2017 and all the interesting, exciting ideas and challenges!! 

I'm ready!!