2024 Setting Intentions and Summarizing 2023

I decided to put some of my intentions for 2024 into words this year; last year they were in my head, rather nebulous and definitely not prescriptive. I did enough of those kind of goal-setting missives complete with measures and strategies over 30 years of teaching! Although the main reason for starting my blog was to keep in touch with friends and family, as well as keep a record of my creations, it certainly has evolved over the ten years I've been writing it. Yep, I hit ten years (wow) in September 2023. It has evolved into such an enriching exciting part of my life and I couldn't be more awed or grateful for all the directions I've gone.

A brief recap of what I'd sort of expected of 2023 is worth noting. My previous post was The Best Of, and it differs from this recap of expectations I had, something I didn't realize until after I'd made my notes, and then thought whoops, have I repeated myself... strangely, no, except for one item!

1. I had hoped to get a quilt or two published during the course of that year, since I hadn't had any published designs in 2022, and so I submitted to two publications, Golden Peak Media and Make Modern. Both submissions were accepted, Tinker Toys in Love of Quilting September/October and Rosebud Garland in Make Modern November/December.

The pattern for Rosebud Garland will soon be released as I get the rights back when issue 56 is published, on January 12. 

I wanted to get a few more of my designs published and for sale in 2023. Because the same amount of work goes into prepping the patterns for the magazines as for release, I'm counting them in my tally of three published. Sunset Strip was the third one, this one a self-published pattern.

2. Taking part in online activities helps build that community that I love so much, and so I did once again take part in several activities, the first, Project Quilting, at kimlapacek.com completing all six projects.

For the first time, I took part in the SAHRR hosted by Quilting Gail. Was it fun! My quilt was donated to the Windsor Sexual Assault Centre, designated for a child or young adult.

I completed seventeen quilts along with many various small projects over the year. Once again I took part in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (seven years now), with Angela, and made three projects, one of which has been completed and gifted. I also took part in the Projects Half Done aka PHD programme with Gail, as well as Hands2Help with Sarah.

3. I mentioned this in my Best Of post, that one of the biggest areas of growth in 2023 was putting together a presentation I called Quilt Tales for the Heart and Mind which I then gave at three Toronto-area guilds. It was a huge success, and has led to another engagement for April in London, and a potential one in the fall also in southern Ontario. Although I have taught my entire life, from swimming, to crafts, to school, and quilting and yoga, talking to peers is still daunting, but it didn't take long for the love of my subject and acceptance of the groups for the nerves to settle down, and I shared from a place of care. Port Perry Patchers posted a reel of their guild activities in 2023, and I was able to screenshot a couple of their shots. I hadn't seen these! They were the first group I presented to.

4. Another area of growth was completing two commissioned quilts, the Kool Kats Kwilt, a Patti Carey design, for a customer who contacted me via my Etsy shop, and one for a neighbour that will be posted tomorrow, using my Sunset Strip pattern.

Sofia's quilt - post coming tomorrow

5. Personally, I kept up with my yoga practice five times a week, (new this year is practising twice a week with my good friend Susan on Zoom), walking (I walked 875 km last year), reading (a few less books, just 40, but some doozies of 800+ pages) and lifelong learning. One of the things I had to get back into, but also learn, was making a PowerPoint presentation to go with my talk. I work on a MacBook so I had to learn Keynote, and then could save it into both a PDF and a PowerPoint format. Through the gym where I teach, we have fairly regular courses we need to complete, and with being a part of my alumni book club, there's the optional group questions and discussions during and after reading the book. Writing patterns, now also a new learning curve, working in Pages as opposed to Google Docs, was also a new skill to learn. Another new item for 2023 was the Electric Vehicle posts, which did require some extra research, and input from my husband here and there too.

So what's ahead for 2024? 

My intentions, as in once again rather unformed ideas of what I'd like to do are as follows:

1. Continue to participate in online activities:

Project Quilting 

SAHRR

RSC

#wipsbegone

Hands2Help

'I like' Crew - aka Gratitude posts

2. Run my annual (it will be the eighth!) Quilt Along from April 3 - June 15. This year I intend to run it as a free one as all the others have been but last year's. I have two quilts, both designs from my years as an Island Batik ambassador, but I may yet come up with a brand new one.

3. Do a better job of finishing WIPs. Oh, how I would love to be as good as Rose and finish a WIP each month. Maybe every other month? I do have at this very moment no less than four tops to quilt (unusual that I have this many): two Postcard from Sweden quilts, one which has started to be loaded onto Avril, Diamond Hashtag baby quilt and a small pixel heart quilt. So these four and the other two RSC projects will be high on my list to get done asap. Two or three makeup bag shells are done and just need quilting and assembling for my shop. 

4. Aim for three or four new patterns to be published. Rosebud Garland won't count as I counted it for 2023. Under this intention is the intent to submit a design or two for magazine publication. Also on the technical list is to organize my Tips and Tutorials page to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

5. Spark joy. Although it may be cliché, make projects that make my heart sing and lift my spirit, even if they are projects that have strong emotions within. Chase squirrels if the whim takes me away!

6. Keep up with my physical activities of yoga five times a week, walking 3+ km every day, daily meditation, and reading. I'm continuing with the U of Alberta alumni book club. I've had the vague nudge to investigate hosting or attending a yoga/meditation retreat for a few years now, so putting it in writing might give me the added impetus. Look for ways to be kind and generous. Continue to speak up for the oppressed. Continue to make and donate comfort quilts. 

Okay better get Sofia's quilt blogged and ready to post for a Friday finish!

Linking up 

Quilting Jetgirl