I know I'm a little late for these, but life has been one curve ball after another! First my ankle recovery was longer than I expected, then figuring out a new preschool schedule that both kids like (yay a few hours of Mommy Time twice a week!) and then my grandmother died and I've been trying to help my dad clean out her house whenever I can. But I've been doing a lot of thinking about this new year and what I want out of it!
1. This first one is a big one, and it has taken me two weeks to solidify my determination to make this announcement to universe: I want to get a longarm (quilting machine) this year! For the first time since the idea entered my brain (around 3 years ago), I think it might actually be possible. My goal is to start a quilting business soon after getting the machine!
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Me playing on a longarm at a show last year. I try to play with as many as I can at shows--in the name of research, of course ;-) |
2. No more big swaps! I find them more stressful and annoying than fun. Individual swaps, on the other hand, are very fun and gratifying, and I already have 3 lined up for this spring! Also I am doing the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts again, and am really looking forward to working with this group.
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Quilts of 2014--only 8 of these were not for a swap! |
3. Give back by making and donating a quilt. This will be my fourth year doing this, and although I don't have a charity in mind yet, I know one will find me when the time is right.
Last year I donated one to a children's hospital in Kenya. In
2013 I donated one to one of the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots (wildland firefighters) that died in the fire near Prescott, AZ. In
2012 I donated a baby quilt to
Quilts for Kids.
4. Go on a quilting retreat! The kind where the whole time is dedicated to sewing and hanging out with other quilters! I'm thinking autumn of this year--so if you've heard of any, let me know! I know you need to sign up early for many of them.
5. Make more clothes. Last year I made only one shirt for myself (oh and
a swimming suit!), and this year I'd like to make some more shirts and dresses and skirts!
6. Balance: this is so hard with a young family. How can I eat well, exercise, sew, spend quality time with each other, sleep, have a social life, clean
and blog?? I have started with recuperating from my ankle surgery last month, and now I'm experimenting with changing my diet by doing the Whole30, and in an attempt to be fit again I'm also doing the Ripped in 30 by Jillian Michaels and running again (believe me it is a slow start on those!).
7. Saying NO--mostly to people that want me to make them a quilt for a price that doesn't support the cost of supplies PLUS my time and effort. And also saying no to designs that I am unfamiliar with (as they are usually WAY more time consuming than I anticipate), and try to focus on simpler designs. My enthusiasm to try something new needs to be tempered by the fact that I have a huge To-Do list that any commission will displace.
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Showing off the quilt top at the Albuquerque MQG meeting. |
8. Continue to develop relationships with other quilters both online through my blog and IG and in real life through my local guilds. QuiltCon will definitely be supporting this!
9. Stop making quilts to enter in shows! Instead make quilts I love, and then enter them in shows.
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My QuiltCon reject. It is without purpose now (though I will be entering it in at least one more show). |
10. Make myself a new bed quilt! This has been my plan for over a year (I've been collecting fabrics for it for several years!) but other things keeping taking priority.
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My grey and teal fabrics! <3 Destined to be a medallion bed quilt. |
11. Enter my quilts in
at least two quilt show (state fair doesn't count).
12. Buy fabric with more intention. What I mean by this is to think more critically about the fabric I want--do I want it because it genuinely appeals to my tastes and is it something I will actually use to make clothing, bags or quilts, or am I just excited about the newest fabric due to the marketing and hype? It is so easy to be swept up in the excitement! So I am trying to make better choices in my fabric purchases and be more mentally present and not just react to the "Everyone else wants it so I must want it too!" feeling.
13. Continue with this motto: "Start where you are, use what you have."
14. Destash some fabric! I hope to sell some via IG (@quiltsnfeathers) and donate/give away others. I have so much I just know I won't ever use, so I really just need to purge it from my life!
15. Start teaching! I am already signed up to teach a program at the ABQ MQG in April on feather quilting! I'd also like to expand to teaching a class local quilt shops.
This is certainly a big, full and exciting year with all these resolutions and goals! What are your quilty resolutions for 2015?