Checking My List

Santa has taken care of his list, so now I will check and double-check my list - that one I make each January with goals for the year.

 

I found this cute cartoon on several Instagram and Facebook accounts. I thought it would be apropos here for this post, since I do have several goals that are NOT going to be met.

Overall, in 2023, I have made fewer quilts and quilted fewer quilts. It disappoints me that my numbers are down, but when I examine the reasons why, I can't say that I have any regrets. Two factors played into my shift in focus: a granddaughter and a winter house. My attention has been happily diverted to two very exciting alternate interests. 

Below are my '23 goals which I posted on January 6. Each item is more fully explained by clicking back.

My long arm goals were good in that there was a push to do them all, but mostly I just worked on achieving the first one. I did quilt most of the new quilts made, but not all. I consider this progress, and I still have lots of room for growth on the long arm machine.

Alpine was both pieced and quilted this year!

I finished 5 of the quilting goals - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7. Number 11 covers 7 more quilts, all shown here (if it's updated; I'm behind on doing that). Many of the "numerous quilts" consist of baby quilts, which are super fast, but still they count, right?

Existing stash - a jelly roll quilt.

Perhaps most disappointing is that I did not get Lake Effect to the completed flimsy stage. I am so close, too. I am taking it with me to Florida; hopefully I will be reporting progress from the sunny south.

Lake Effect - it's getting there!

 For yet another year, I am hoping to come up with a quilt for using the Winnemucca fabrics. I just want to make a good choice, so I am dithering over that. I also seem to be really conflicted about finishing those Blockheads projects. Oh my. Please, stop me if I ever say I'm doing another quilt-along!

I am definitely in the planning stages for my 2024 Goals. I hope to have them ready in early January.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Welcome November

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." ~~  Michael Altshuler

In considering how it could possibly be November already, I found the quote above thought provoking. Food for thought for us all today. 

November!! Suddenly we are in the season of making holiday plans, winterizing our homes, and putting on an extra layer of clothing. At least I am doing all those things.

Before we get too far removed from October, let's have a look at the highlights of the last month.

TOP ROW: We took our third fall trip to New England to see quintessential fall color; the first two frames feature pics from that trip. First, Fallingwater, the unique, snug vacation hideaway designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Pennsylvania. It was built for a Pittsburgh businessman named Kaufman. Second, pretty trees along a random New York byway in the Finger Lakes Region. The final frame, of course, is our sweet Cate decked out in OSU colors.

MIDDLE ROW: More Cate in the middle row. And more OSU Scarlet and Gray. We had our annual family weekend at a cabin in Hocking Hills. We watched the Buckeyes beat Penn State at a nearby bar/restaurant.To honor the colors of the season, I finished Autumn Leaves. It will soon find its way onto the long arm machine. Again, dear granddaughter Cate, bows and smiles.

BOTTOM ROW: This row shows how busy I've been in the quilting room. First, I longarmed Alpine, and now have it ready for use. Next, needing a baby boy quilt for an upcoming blessed event, I whipped up a fun cowboy quilt from a layer cake. And finally, I added borders to the layer cake quilt I made at September's retreat - greatly enhancing it, if I do say so myself.

Now I can look ahead to what I will try to accomplish in this new month. Believe it or not, I am leaning toward not starting anything new. Gah! Yes, I really did say that. Even though my goals list for the year includes making a quilt from the fabric stack shown above, I am thinking that I'd rather spend time at the longarm machine finishing a few of the quilts already pieced.

Instead of using that luscious Winnemucca fabric, other items on that aforementioned goals list are very likely going to take priority. Two baby quilts HAVE to be quilted, so there's where I will start. The one above is for a new grand-niece coming in January. The other is the one mentioned in the collage, also needed by January. Below I've listed the 7 additional quilts made this year that I would like to finish. Hey! Maybe 2023 becomes the year of making quilts all the way through to completion! What a concept.

Just to remind us all, the as yet unquilted quilts made this year are:  Floral Diamonds, Wm. Morris Economy, Autumn Leaves, Floral Explosion, Buffalo Check, Kaffe Panels, Posies and Polka Dots.

Besides longarming, I will spend time addressing the ongoing Lake Effect - confession: I have barely touched it this year. I gotta' step it up. I WANT to see it finished. If I am not starting anything new, then it seems natural I should make time to focus on Lake Effect. At the rate I've been going, instead of a 10-year project, this could easily turn into a 20-year project. (Shuddering at the thought!)

Okay, BOOM!! My plan for the remainder of the year: longarm the quilts listed above and stitch on Lake Effect. Now, let's see how well I follow through with this plan.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Long Arm Goals

NOTE: Since I didn't provide any quilt pictures yesterday, I have gone overboard today.

Here is the current quilt on the long arm machine - Alpine, which I made a few months ago - June, maybe. It is not large at 58"x64" and should quilt up really fast. In fact, I may try to do it later today.

If it seems like I am getting more long arm quilting done, here's the reason.  In January, I always make a yearly goals list, sort of in the same vein as a new year's resolution list. This is the first year, however, that I made two classifications of lists - one for piecing quilts and one for quilting quilts.

The quilting quilts side of the list was very brief with just three items.

        1. Quilt every new quilt as I make it. 

        2. Quilt 2 quilts per month from the older quilts in the closet. 

        3. Move handles to the back of the machine to try pantographs.

Frankly, until just a few weeks ago, I'd forgotten that I had set these goals, so not surprisingly, I am woefully behind schedule. I don't honestly think I will get anywhere close on #2, so I won't even stress about that. I have done a few, and I am thrilled with those accomplishments.

Here are the ones done from the closet, i.e. the #2 goal.

Cobalt Stars

Economy Blue

Snowflakes at Dusk

 

Dusty Trails

Four quilts according to the goal I set means I was on pace for 2 months. I could quilt like crazy from now to the end of the year, and maybe I could do it, but who needs that kind of pressure? A goal (likely) unmet is not the end of the world.

Next, let's get up to speed on the #3 goal - trying the pantographs. I am totally willing (and eager!) to do this, and even began one day not long ago. However, I soon learned that my laser light isn't working and I couldn't see moving along any further until I got that fixed or replaced. I have done some online searching today and discovered that I likely have a light which is battery operated. In other words, this is probably a quick fix. If so, I will definitely move forward here.

Finally, the #1 goal - quilt every new quilt I make this year. Now believe it or not, while I am nowhere near to being caught up with this goal, it will be loads less effort to get caught up because I've made fewer quilts. I might normally bemoan this fact, but in light of quilting them, fewer quilts is perhaps a good thing.

I have both pieced and quilted these quilts this year. Not a lot, but hey, they're done!

Red 9-Patch Scrappy

Henry Ludwig Baby Quilt

Jelly Filled

If I try to accomplish the goal of quilting all tops pieced this year, assuming Alpine will be done, only 7 more need to be quilted. (Autumn Leaves, Layer Cake Flowers, Posies and Polka Dots, Buffalo Check, Baby Girl Shoemaker Quilt. William Morris Economy, and Floral Diamonds)

Gosh, I believe it's possible. Wouldn't that be something?

So, I march along here on the 11th day of October (already!), attempting to achieve some goals while continuing to enjoy every aspect of this quilting journey.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Plans and Reviews

The project plans for August are taking shape, and I'm eager to share them with you. Mostly, the plans for the month will involve quilts I've had on my yearly goals list and projects "uncovered" when I went digging for that black/gray fabric back in June.

Let's just review those '23 goals, and see how we're doing...

The print is a bit small, but if you click on the list it can be enlarged. It is also linked to my original goals post back in January.

Our tendency as quilters is to fixate on how miserably we are doing at completing our goals, and I could certainly do that, too. However, I am pleased to say that I've been successful in staying on task as far as the goals list is concerned. Now, I may not be on track to complete very many items, but I am sticking to the list - mostly.

I attribute one simple thing to my staying on task - Post-It Notes. I often make the list and then forget the list - I post it in January and then - out of sight, out of mind - I don't see it again unless I think to go back to look at it.

This year, I wrote several of my most-want-to-make quilts on notes and plastered them to my machine. Works like a charm! I see every single day the things I most want to do!

In fact, two of those notes have been removed because they are done! These two notes have been removed from the front of my machine.

 Below is the pine tree quilt. It's inspiration was our trip through the Rocky Mountains and those never-ending, awe-inspiring vistas of jagged, tree-lined mountains.

Pine Tree Quilt, aka Alpine, was finished in late June. It still needs to be quilted, of course.

 The other "finish" took a bit of a turn and became two quilts. I thought I wanted to use my Wm. Morris remnants to make a diamond quilt. But when I pulled out the remnant tub, I realized that I mostly had darker pieces left, and I didn't think the diamond pattern would suit. So I put the Morris fabric aside, and pulled a gazillion floral prints. That became my diamond quilt which I started in Florida back in January-February. I finished the flimsy in April (I think) but I don't see a post about it in my archives. *smh*

To use the WM remnants, I decided to make economy blocks. This suited me, and I proceeded. I have no post that I can find in which I shared this flimsy - I don't even have it on my list of quilts for '23. (I tell you, I am failing big time at keeping this blog up to date and accurate!)

I need to get this flimsy out and do a proper photo shoot of it - I don't think this is the full flimsy, but it's the best I can find. *again,smh*

Anyway, I took one idea - WM diamonds - and turned it into two quilts. 

The one I'm currently working on is  Posies and Polka Dots. I last actively worked on this in November. Then I put it away for the holidays and the Florida months, and basically have only dreamed of it since. How nice to have this back under the needle!

The two pics above show different layouts - can you detect the difference? I couldn't decide which version I wanted, so I have spent a lot of time thinking about this while I make more blocks. I needed more of all three varieties, and that has been very satisfying to work on.

I have rambled enough. I do have an August wrap-up collage to bring tomorrow, plus I'll talk more about those Post-It Notes  -  and who knows what else??

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Finalizing 2023 Goals

My goals are set for this new year.

Actually, I am making two separate goals lists - one for sewing new quilts and one for long-arm quilting.

A recent long-arm finish!

 

Long arm goals - 2023

1. Quilt every new quilt as I make it.

2. Quilt at least 2 per month from the older quilts in the closets.

3. Move handles to back of machine to try pantographs.

Quilting goals - 2023

1. Winnemucca fabric - pattern TBA - see ideas, below.

2. Floral Layer Cake - pattern TBA - see ideas, below.

3. Finish blue polka dot and floral quilt

4. Finish blocks for at least 2 Blockheads

5. Diamond Quilt using Wm. Morris remnants

6. Pine Tree Quilt

7. Maple Leaf Quilt

8. Lake Effect - complete the quilt top this year

9. Blue stash combination - Double Irish Chain

10. Effie's Woods quilt for Cate

11. Numerous quilts made from existing stash

This is the Winnemucca fabric - so named for the Nevada town where the quilt shop is located. I have used the neutral for something else, so that is no longer available, but I'd really like to make something with the remaining fabrics - stars? chains? maybe stars and chains?  I can check the stash for other neutrals, if needed.

Here are some inspiration pics I like found on Pinterest; I'm leaning toward the chain quilt; skip the complication of stars, ya' know?

Here is the floral layer cake I want to use. I got into an unexplained floral phase last year, and I have a growing stash of these types of darling little calioes. I may pull all and make a broken dishes quilt or a pinwheel quilt. 

That's enough for my brain to think about for now. Believe me, though, a gazillion more ideas are floating around in my head; it seems the more quilts I make, the more I want to make! This may be "quilt pox" - have you heard of this?

I need to review the 2022 goals to see how I fared.  I will also expound further on other items on this new year's list. Plenty to say, don't 'cha know?

Happy Quilting, Friends!