2016 Goals and 2015 Recap

Time to look ahead to the new year and set some new quilting-related goals to work toward in 2016:

1. Use at least as much stash fabric as newly acquired fabric.

2. Complete at least four donation quilts

3. Log WIPs and UFOs and finish as many on the list as possible. Or if appropriate, get rid of any project that I'll absolutely never finish.

4. Complete quilts slated for 2016 Christmas gifts (QF Main blocks, Antler Dance, QF Alt Blocks)

5. Complete Kaffe/Batik Flying Geese quilt

6. Participate in Hands to Help

7. Participate in Christmas in July blog hop

8. Blog at least twice a week

9. Design a bee block (for October) that's forgiving and beginner-friendly

10. Don't stress. Quilting is my hobby, not a business, so no need to feel guilty about not doing more to monetize it.

That last one is important. I've been on the fence for over a year about whether to make quilt-related activities a business or keep it a hobby. The reality is, book and pattern sales will never generate enough to make all the effort needed to make it a business worthwhile. After much discussion with my DH, I've decided to keep it a hobby. That way I'll be able to enjoy quilting, not worry about deadlines and marketing and expenses. I may continue to write patterns occasionally, just because I can and I enjoy it. I'll definitely take advantage of any teaching or trunk show opportunities that arise. But I'm not going to stress over making money from quilting.


I didn't set overall goals for 2015, just monthly goals. Let's see how December went:
1. Finish texture quilt for CJ.  DONE
2. Write tutorial for texture quilt for blog. Wrote brief instructions, no pics.  Also wrote tutorial for easy practice quilt top (See #5).
3. Learn how to use new sewing machine. Still working on this but it's getting much less frustrating.
4. Layer, baste, & quilt at least one WIP. Layered & pin-basted Antler Dance but did not quilt it.
Need to get more comfortable with new machine first. Made & quilted a practice project to become familiar with new machine.
5. Design something new to use up some stash. Made top, backing & binding for practice quilt from stash.
6. Keep up with bee blocks. DONE

January 2016 Specific Goals:
1. Assemble Dancing Plus top
2. Quilt and bind Antler Dance
3. Locate and make list of UFOs and WIPs; prioritize them for completion.
4. Complete one WIP (if still in piecing stage, complete the flimsy; if already a flimsy, get it quilted and bound)
5. Keep up with bee blocks

And how did I do at managing the stash in 2015? The goal was net zero/break even. Um, no, I added a few yards more than I used.

2015 Yardage IN:  160-1/4 yards
2015 Yardage OUT: 145-1/8 yards
2015 net change: 15-1/8 yards added to stash.

Still, 145 yards is a lot used. What did I accomplish? Here they are in roughly chronological order:

Baby quilt for CJ's mom

Baby quilt for CJ's Dad

Pillowcases

Plus Dash

Hands to Help

Bumper pads

 

Gramercy and Friends

Large handbag/small tote

Donation quilts using batik dot fabrics, boy colorway and girl colorway

Collection Challenge Plus

Flying Geese Flimsy

Basketball donation quilt

QF Main Blocks Flimsy

Not shown: QF Alternate Blocks Flimsy

Cut and Shuffle Donation Quilt

Antler Dance Flimsy

Christmas Stockings

Dad's Blankie

CJ's Texture Quilt

Table Runner

Practice quilt

Linking up with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for 2016 Planning Party

Practice Progress and a Successful Gift

I'm done with the quilting on the practice quilt. I'm glad I decided to practice and get used to my new machine before tackling a "real" project. Today I'll get the binding on and call this one done. It'll be a donation next time one is needed.

 

Some of the spirals turned out better than others, but overall it's OK. Every wobble shows, but that's to be expected because of the high contrast between the black thread and the white fabric. I still need to remove the blue markings at the centers.

In other news, CJ liked the texture quilt I made him. Cotton and fleece on the front, minkee on the back, and crinkly in selected spots. Perfect for nap time!

Linking up with Let's Bee Social over at Sew Fresh Quilts

Last DWM for 2015

More Dancing Plus Blocks

 

I've been rewarding myself for plugging away at the spiral quilting practice project by making Dancing Plus blocks. Happy to say, the spiral quilting is completed. I'll get the practice quilt bound and take a photo later in the week, if it ever stops raining.

The dancing plus blocks will be trimmed down to make them dance, and will join their friends on my wall. Some of these were made for me as bee blocks by my friends in Sew Bee It (STLMQG).

Dancing Plus Blocks on the Wall 12/28/15

The ones on the wall will have to be moved around, of course. It's always fun to play with the arrangement.

Speaking of playing, DS and grandson CJ are with us. CJ is ten months old now. We had our big Christmas yesterday. We're having fun playing with him and enjoying their visit.

CJ - 10 Months - 12/27/15

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times; check out the other design walls over there.

Stash Report 12/27/15

This may or may not be the final stash report for the 2015 - after all, there are still a few days left....

I finished quilting the practice quilt, so I can count the backing. The spirals did get a little easier and my skill improved. I have the binding prepped and I'll get that sewn on this week, so I'm going to go ahead and count it now.

December IN: 17 yards (14 yds - In Stitches Sale; 2 yds - Sew Bee It Xmas party; 1 yd yellow for table runner)
December OUT: 10-1/2 yards (1-3/4 yds Cannon's texture quilt;  Practice Quilt 3-1/4 yds top, 2-3/8 yds backing, 1/2 yd binding;  table runner top, back, & binding 1-1/2 yds; 3/4 yd damaged; 3/8 yd leftovers from practice quilt backing donated to STLMQG free table, )
December net change: 6-1/2 yards added

YTD IN: 160-1/4 yards
YTD OUT: 145-1/8 yards
YTD net change: 15-1/8 yards added to stash

Didn't break even. But overall not a bad year. I have two tops done and their backings prepped, one already basted and ready for quilting. That'll be a good start for the new year.

With all the busy-ness of Christmas, etc. (we're having our family celebration later today) plus the challenge of learning to use an unfamiliar new machine, I haven't thought about January goals.  I'll have to let the goals go for now and get to them later.

Linking up with Patchwork Times - check out the other stash reports there.

Spiraling and Dancing

I'm slowly working on the spiral quilting on my practice quilt. It's not going very well. I now have three more spirals mostly done. I use a template for the center, and I'll come back and FMQ on the lines later. The outside line from the template serves as my guide for the gauge on my even-feed foot, so I'm doing the even-feed work first and I'll come back and FMQ all the centers later. As frustrating as this is, I will get it done by the end of the year. And I will get better at it and it will get easier.

Since the spiral quilting is so frustrating, I've been rewarding myself with a little piecing:

They'll be Dancing Plus blocks when they're trimmed down. My bee-mates in Sew Bee It made Dancing Plus blocks for me which I received in November. I've been making some of them occasionally, too.

 

I'm rewarding myself for making progress on the spiral quilting by playing with these little blocks on the wall. I need 18 more to complete the columns at the right and add another row at the bottom for a throw-size quilt.

I can see in the photo that I need to move some blocks around - too many darks too close together. I'll wait 'til I get the new ones done and then swap them out. When I trim up my latest ones, I need to make them mostly dance to the right. I seem to have more dancing to the left already.

Link ups: Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
                Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

To everyone reading this, I wish you a very merry Christmas / happy holiday season. Thanks for visiting!

Stash Report 12/20/15

This past week I had progress and a finish on two projects so I get to count the fabric out. 3-1/4 yards used for the practice quilt top.

And 1-1/2 yards used for the table runner top, back, and binding. I did buy a yard of the yellow, so I have to count yardage in, too.

I threw away 3/4 yard of damaged fabric that I found in my stash when I was looking for a yellow or gold for the table runner. It had stains all over it, so out it went.

IN this week: 1 yard
OUT this week: 5-1/2 yards. 

Moving in the right direction, but not enough to break even for the year. I'll add up the total ins and outs at the end of the year.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

Table Runner

No, I haven't done any more quilting on my practice project. When reviewing my list for Christmas giving, I realized one more gift was needed. So that became my priority, and I made this:

I confess, I "cheated" and did the quilting on my old machine with the walking foot. With the Christmas deadline fast approaching, I didn't have time to fuss with trial adjustments and the seam ripper if I used my new, unfamiliar, machine, so I went back to the old one.

 

If that paisley border print looks familiar, it is. It's leftover from this:

Too bad I don't have any more of the fabric to make one for me - it looks good in my dining room! It'll complement the recipient's décor nicely.

Linking up today with Whoop Whoop Friday over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Friday Finish at Crazy Mom Quilts.