2018 Goals In Review

At the beginning of 2018 I set some goals for myself:

1. Finish the year with fewer unquilted quilt tops than I started the year with
2. If I start new projects, use fabrics that I already have on hand.
3. If I buy new fabric, it should be to finish an existing project or complete a project I've previously designed.

So, how did that work out?  Well . . . not so good actually. 

I did accomplish the first one.  I did, in fact, end the year with fewer unquilted quilt tops than I started with.  Of the 19 unquilted tops I started with, I got 7 quilted.  I then created 4 new quilt tops that haven't been quilted, although one is at the quilt shop to be quilted, so I'm not sure that one should count against me.  But that is still a net improvement, so I win that one.

On goal number 2, I was doing pretty good there until I got to July.  The two fabric bargello quilt wasn't really something I designed, but it was something I had been wanting to make for quite a while and the quilt shop finally got in some ombre fabric that I could use.  I couldn't pass that up.  Then I found out that my step-daughter was expecting her first baby, and of course I had to buy fabric to make a quilt for her that would match what she wanted for the nursery.  These seemed justifiable, because one was unforeseen circumstances (new baby) and the other almost meshed with goal #3.  However, in November I just gave up.  There were quilts that I wanted to make that I needed to buy new fabric for, so I just did it.

On goal number 3, I was doing pretty good until the quilt shop had a low bolt sale in August.  Her supplier brought in boxes and boxes of "low" yardage bolts, (I put that in quotation marks because I don't really consider 8 yards that low and most of them had that much) and anything that didn't sell was going to be returned.  It was $6.99 per yard, which is GREAT for quilt shop fabric, so I couldn't pass that up just because of New Year's Resolution (aka quilting goal), right?

So for 2019 my quilting goals are to have fun and enjoy quilting.  My only resolution or limitation that I'm adding is that I want to avoiding making quilts that I don't really want to make.  I made two quilts in 2018 that I didn't really like.  I hope to avoid that this year.  Wish me luck!

Texas Treasure Baby Quilt

Today I finished the quilt top for my forthcoming granddaughter, due in December.  I tried to match the colors and theme that they are using in the nursery.  Below is a picture my daughter sent me of the decorations they have bought so far.  It may not be exact, but hopefully it's close enough.

I designed this quilt based on the Texas Treasure block found in the Better Homes & Gardens 501 Quilt Blocks book.  That's the only place I've been able to find this block, and in the book it is a 4 inch block.  Obviously I enlarged it.  I also added a couple of borders.  The quilt is 38 inches square.  I've actually made a similar quilt top in the past, but the focus fabric had bigger pictures, so it is done in a different scale and doesn't have the outer border.

This quilt doesn't really fit with my goals for this year, because I bought the fabric this year and I had already made a quilt from this design before, but I figure gifts for grandbabies are sufficient reasons to deviate from the program.  Especially since this grandbaby wasn't even conceived yet when I set my goals for the year.

Polka Dot fabric

Today I bought some fabric for the first time in a while.  But I'm still sticking with my goals for this year, because this fabric will be the backing for my Scrappy Hearts baby quilt.  I also picked up a quilt from the long-armer today and dropped another one off to be quilted.  I think that still has me at 14 unquilted tops because I found one from last year that wasn't in the original 18.  It's the one I dropped off today to be quilted.

2018 Goals Update - 4 months in

Since my last update on my goals in late January, I have still stayed pretty well on track.

As for getting existing quilt tops quilted, I have completely finished 2 quilts from the original 18 unquilted tops.  I have 2 more that are quilted but the binding isn't done yet; and I have one quilt that is currently with the long arm quilter to be quilted.  So that brings me to 14 unquilted tops - definitely moving in the right directions here.

I have not started any new quilt tops since my last update.  However, I'm thinking that I need to treat myself to something new soon, because I'm getting a bit tired of working only on binding and year-long projects.  I did, however, make a pillowcase from fabric that I had left over from one of the quilts I finished.

The only fabric that I have bought since my update in January was some more batik fabrics for my 2018 Moda project (Mischievous Wife quilt) and backing for my guild project (2018 Mystery quilt).

All-in-all I'd say I'm doing pretty good on my goals this year.  Definitely better than in years past.

Black & Gray Pot Holder

This is one of my UFO for this year.  The pieces are pretty small and I originally intended it to be more of an artsy piece, but then I really wasn't feeling it as art, so I made it into a pot holder.  It has both regular batting and insulated batting.  It is machine quilted in-the-ditch-ish around each of the little hourglass blocks.

Lots of little pieces, carefully sewn together to form a light to dark fade, now something to set hot dishes on.  Oh well, at least it is finished!

Goals for 2018

This year my sewing goals are more general than specific.  I want to try to focus on finishing things I've already started and using what I already have. 

So here are the goals spelled out:

1. Finish the year with fewer unquilted quilt tops than I started the year with (I started with 18, oops, make that 19, I just found another one). Updated 5/15/18)
2. If I start new projects, use fabrics that I already have on hand.
3. If I buy new fabric, it should be to finish an existing project or complete a project I've previously designed.

So far, I'm basically on track, but it is still early.  For my Moda project, I'm using a charm pack and a jelly roll that I already had.  For my guild project, I'm using a fat quarter bundle that I already had.

I've made a quilt top from a design I made last year and from a jelly roll I already had. And I made a bag from a charm pack I already had and fabric from my stash.

The new fabric I've bought so far was backing for the previously mentioned quilt top, and background fabric to go with a fat quarter bundle that I already had to make my guild project quilt.

And although I have made another quilt top since the first of the year, I've dropped 2 off to be quilted, so that more than balances out.