I am calling these "soft" goals because, for 2019, I resolve to remove all stress and anxiety from my creative hobbies, and that means no more deadlines, no more guilt, no more internalizing other quilters' goals and values around finishing UFOs, not buying new fabric, or not allowing myself to start anything new until I finish what I've already begun. If I run out of room for my fabric, I'll buy more shelving or commandeer the guest room. If I get bored with a project or run into a roadblock, I hereby give myself permission to set it aside and start on something else.
However... I do have a few works in progress that are well enough on their way for me to look forward to finishing them. SOFT goals, see? This is what I LOOK FORWARD to working on in my studio during the month of January:
- I look forward to finishing the borders and assembling my 2013 BOM Jingle quilt into a finished top! The border stripe is slow going because I'm cutting it single layer and decided to "edit" that outer stripe by cutting away the small scale floral stripe in the middle and seaming the other stripes back together again. My neck is still a little stiff and sore, so I only cut for 15-20 minutes at a time. Hence the delay, even though I love how the "edited" stripe looks for that outer border:
Jingle BOM, Finalizing Inner and Outer Borders - I look forward to meeting new quilters and learning some new applique techniques at a workshop I'm taking this Saturday! I opted for the No Fabric kit, so I need to pick out fabrics to work with from my stash and gather my supplies:
Class Samples for Christa Smith's Applique Workshop - I look forward to adding borders to my 2014 pineapple log cabin quilt so it's a completed top, too!
Pineapple Log Cabin, Awaiting Two Borders - Finally, I look forward to machine binding this outreach cuddle quilt so I can get it out of my studio and on its way to someone who needs it! I've wanted to come up with a machine binding technique that I can live with and I'm hoping this will be the project to make that happen. It's DEFINITELY not a quilt that needs or warrants a hand-stitched binding:
Guild Outreach Cuddle Quilt Awaiting Binding
That's plenty for January. I'm hosting an end-of-Christmas party for my church choir this Sunday afternoon and I'll be at that applique workshop all day on Saturday, so the next few days will be more about shopping, cleaning, and cooking than quilting. My sons (also known as Hoodlum the One and Hoodlum the Other One) go back to school tomorrow (yay!). Right now they are scrambling to complete all the assignments that they conveniently forgot about until the very last day of vacation. Smirk.
Happy New Year!
11 comments:
soft goals are best - I too do not want deadlines - in fact I refuse to even think about them - quilting is my stress free zone - no stress in this room! And if that means a project gets tossed so be it!! Really it is supposed to be fun right?
I set goals but if I don't meet them so what - I do look forward to seeing that pineapple quilt finished one day!
I love the border on your Christmas quilt, just perfect! When I sew a binding that is completely machine stitched, no hand work, I sew the binding on the back and turn to the front then top stitch the edge on the front side. I cut my binding strips 2-1/2" and fold in half. Yes, my stitching shows on the back but what does that matter? With this wide of binding, it won't catch the binding on the back and looks nice on the front. Some people are able to top stitch both sides, not me! Remember, the point is to reduce stress and this is one way I do stress free bindings. I only hand sew bindings on special quilts. I would hand bind the Christmas quilt because that looks like a special quilt. Yes, quilting is supposed to be fun. You sew what you want, when you want and how you want. Happy Sewing New Year!!
Good morning. I noticed your pineapple quilt! Beautiful! I have a pineapple quilt flimsy that has been waiting to be finished since 2002. I put the finishing touches on it the day my Mom passed away and...it’s been waiting. So it’s time. I was wondering how you are going to quilt it? I do not have a longarm. Any suggestions might point me in the right direction. My blocks finish 8” and am concerned about only stitching in the ditch between blocks. I use cotton batting. Thanks.
It's your year, your rules!! I hope you have a soft landing with your soft goals!
Love your "soft goals" and ESPECIALLY the part about not internalizing other people's goals. TESTIFY. I find myself doing the same thing and I need to step back and also focus on having fun with quilting, and not just having finishes.
I’m with you on goal setting and keeping it light. I think your 'soft goals' for January are very doable. For machine stitching binding, I stitch it to the back first, press it to the front, and take my time stitching it down. I would only do small quilts by machine. Good luck!
I'm all in favor of "soft" goals. I don't do any of the monthly goals events or listing all my UFOs, WIPs and PIGs. I have more fabric and UFOs and projects I want to start than I will ever use or finish and I don't think anyone really cares. I have to piece two backings for commission quilts (which are going to a longarmer instead of me struggling with them - yay!) and I need 2 baby quilts done by April, but the babies will come whether I get the quilts done or not so even that's not a firm deadline. I'm retired. I want to fun not deadlines.
Pat
I used to get cross at my guild for putting so many demands on us, "it's my hobby for pete's sake"
If a person doesn't set a limit, others will take over their time! Good luck with your goals, it will feel great when you reach them. Saying no to other people's expectations may take a bit of effort. LeeAnna
Lovely work. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project.
Woo hoo! Let's hear it for no stress, anxiety, deadlines or guilt! I'm with you 100% and look forward to the outburst of creativity that comes from joy and fun and happiness :)
Loving your new goals, good luck with them for 2019. The applique class samples look so sweet, I'm looking forward to hearing how you got on.
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