A Look Ahead and A Look Back

The words came out of my mouth before my brain fully registered them, "Here's to 2025; we're a quarter of the way through this next century." Gulp. How time goes.

So here's a quick look back at 2024.

A look at my Quilts of 2024 page tells me I made 33 quilted projects. That isn't counting the countless (ha) makeup bags I made or three mug cozies. Eighteen of those were quilts, six were pillows, nine were either tote bags, placemats, or runners, and one was a garment, a pyjama top. A conservative estimate of makeup bags would be around 15-20.

Here are just a few.

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. 

Review of 2021 and Looking Ahead to 2022

2021 was my first year of not being an Island Batik Ambassador, so I allowed myself free rein to have fun and see where my muse took me. Well, the fun started with Project Quilting, and again I had fun all year with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I got a bit serious tackling UFOs through Gail's PHD. All in all I had a fun year. I had goals in mind but no pressure. Well maybe a couple of times a little pressure! Self-imposed, so that's okay.

As always PQ pushed my creativity, which I love.

2020 Planning Post

I am a list-maker, a planner, and always set goals, be they minuscule or lofty. So even though I didn't manage to do this formal post last year, I had goals for the year. Today I'm taking some time to formally write down some thoughts for 2020, and I'm joining in with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for the party that she hosts each December.

First of all, let's see how I did in 2019.

Mid Year Review

Okay here we go! Got the music blasting; Bobby Bazini and The Jerry Cans are being featured on CBC Radio 2's "q the Music" with Tom Power. Mmmmm.

My over-arching goals are Lifelong Learning and Balance. Doing well on the first one (despite a near-meltdown this afternoon on EQ8) and struggling a bit on the second.

Q2 FAL My List

When someone said somewhere on social media that 2018 was one quarter done, my eyeballs popped open and my heart rate sped up! What? Wait! oh...yikes.

How did I do on Q1's List? I completed 5 of the 7 on the list, so I am pretty happy with that. The two incomplete will move onto this quarter's list, and I've moved them #2 and #11 on this list.

Here is the list of what I would like to have finished by the beginning of July!

1.  Postcard from Sweden

The deadline is April 18! It's further along than this photo, but not quite a flimsy yet.

2. One H2H quilt, to be made using some or all of the Canada fabrics on the left:

3. And I hope to use up the last bits of the Dot Crazy fabric, which is on the right in that photo, for a second H2H quilt. I used this fabric for the Plus Playtime quilt for the ezine Modern by the Yard, which also is the one we will be making in my second annual QAL! Head over to either of those links to download your free copy of the ezine which contains not only my pattern, but a few others, all free! For the first post and to see what fabric I'm using, click here. Next week is the main introductory post.


4. The IB challenge for April is a vintage design made with a modern flair. I plan to use these fabrics, and I'm super-excited to make what's been floating around in my head for the past week or two.

5. Here are the fabrics for the new Plus Playtime quilt I will be making, with an adult vibe, for my QAL.

6. I need to make two cat mats using these fabulous cat fabrics I used in Cat-Eye-doscope and I also want to make two cat mats for either the Windsor Humane Society, or the cat rescue I've heard about in Leamington. The second two might be out of these fabrics, maybe out of others.

7. I'd really like to finish my knitted selvedges rug, but that is dependent on how many selvedges I generate over the next three months!

8.  A cushion using some of these Island Batik beauties. I am not sure which ones yet, so this and #9 fabrics will possibly change a little, partly because I can't show you just yet some of the one set of fabrics we received.😉 I'll update this post once we're allowed to!

9. A crib size quilt also using some of these Island Batik beauties!

10. I need to finish the quilt for my niece, Fawn. I just have two more family quilts to make: hers and her brother's, and then all the nieces and nephews will have an Auntie Sandra quilt; well, Fawn and Dray will actually have two, as they each got crib quilts when they were babes.

11. Poor beloved beautiful migrating geese! This is one of my three RSC 2017 projects and I'd love to get it done this quarter since it got neglected last quarter, although I did get the backing assembled.

This should keep me more than busy I suspect!

Linking up
Busy Hands Quilts (certainly these are "Finished or Not!")
Confessions of a Fabric Addict (because I'm whooping about a new list and possibilities!)
Dizzy Quilter (for the FAL)
Tish 'n Wonderland (because #2, 10 and 11, well and now, ha, #1 are UFOs)

Reflections and Intentions

Reflections Part 1: Celebrations

Each year, during the last week of the year, Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs hosts a party where you look back over your posts and choose the best five of the year. You choose them however you want.

May I just take this opportunity to say, this button rocks, Cheryl; I love it!

I'm not one to look at my stats more than a couple of times a year. So I was rather surprised when I looked now to see how many posts I've written so far this year, and I see that many got well over 1000 views! That is pretty amazing when I realize that just a little over 4 years ago I was regularly getting a number of views I could count on one hand. 😇 I've written or am about to publish 130 posts this year, probably a few more because of my DREAMi and Sunday Stretch posts this coming Saturday and Sunday and maybe another finish.

Quilty and Bloggy Goals for 2017

Yvonne at Quilting JETgirl is hosting a very important and worthy linky party once again...

I am a goal-setter and list-maker.  I LOVE LOVE checking off items on the lists I make.  A good friend of mine, who, I recently discovered, also loves lists and especially the checking off part, asked me if I ever add something I did do to my list that wasn't originally on it,  just so I can check it off...oh YES!

In visiting a few other bloggers who are making lists and checking them twice (or five times in my case), I read that sharing your goals significantly raises the percentage of attaining them.  That is like the reward for taking the risk of making your goals public, in my opinion.  This year, I am piggybacking on Julie and Beth's idea of having an accountability partner with whom I will periodically check in (who am I kidding, we check in with each other pretty much daily) to further increase my success rate.

Yep, my sweet friend Tish and I have already shared our list of goals with each other, asked for and given feedback, and subsequently added to or further refined said goals.  Say what you will about Apple as far as expensive goes, but my oh my, I am so very grateful for their FaceTime and iMessage apps as they allow me to talk with friends with iPhones anytime, anywhere for free.  No I am not an affiliate!

First off, though, I should review my goals for 2016 and see how I did.  I set them up last January much as we had to when I was teaching school, our PGPs (Professional Growth Plans - teachers, much like quilters, love their acronyms). I had three Main Goals.
1.  Submit a pattern to a quilt magazine.
Bzzz.  Did not do.
However, I DID get accepted as the June Desire to Inspire Designer for Henry Glass Fabrics! I had several original designs completed by the end of the month sitting in my beach chair of projects, very proud of that.
And I was asked by Bernie to participate in the Autumn Abundance Blog Hop, sponsored by Paint Brush Studio Fabrics, which has led to a new exciting experience for me in 2017.
✅2.  Open up an Etsy Shop.
I did do this!  Although I have yet to make a sale, I have two items there and another that I just haven't written up yet (I don't find Etsy that user-friendly or is it just me?)
3.  Quilt a quilt for someone else.
Bzzz.  Did not do, although as of this writing, I have two customers lined up.

I had 4 sub-goals:
✅1. Expand my Craftsy Store.
I did.  I added two patterns, a free one, Pocketful of Sunshine, and one for $7, Blue Skies and Sunny Days. You can see both through that link, which is an affiliate link. (psst, classes sale again right now, everything under US$20)
✅2.  Make at least 2 quilts for charity.
I made 3, all of which were donated to the Windsor Sexual Assault Centre.
✅3.  Finish watching Small Changes, Big Variety.
I did, and I reviewed it here.  That is a part of something I didn't have as a goal, or even knew I might want to do ha, but it sure helped with quilting growth: hosted a blog hop with my good friend Julie for all things Craftsy.
4.  Do a pantograph on a quilt.
Bzzz.
5. Somehow this isn't on the published list, but it was a goal somewhere (going to trawl the early '16 posts) that I do a mini swap.  And I did! Not one but 2!  One was planned, with Anja of Anja Quilts, the other more spontaneous, with Preeti, of Sew Preeti Quilts.

I had 5 Personal Goals:
1.  Walk 80 km per month or thereabouts.
I averaged 65 km/month.  That was down I know because of Rocco's knee surgery.  I do miss walking with him.
✅2.  Do Ashtanga 3X/week and Yin once or twice.
Done.
✅3.  Watch more TV.
This is hard to measure but I believe I did; I have branched out a bit too; currently I am watching "The Queen", "Gilmore Girls", and I have started "Murdoch Mysteries".
✅4.  Do more hand work.
I finished the flimsy for my wool appliquéd daisies quilt; I knitted two sets of fingerless gloves, and the Fisherman's Wife Cowl.
5.   Read more books than I did last year, one a classic.
Bzzz.  This is awful but I am only on #17. For a person who, just 2 years ago easily read about 30 books a year, shameful.  If I finish the current one, 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton, I plan to start either Wuthering Heights or My Cousin Rachel, both of which I brought with me.

Okay. Breathe.  No one is going to cut my pay or fire me because I did not complete some of this stuff!

Ahh, that collage restores my inner peace.  I put that on Instagram last week after I went to the beach at dawn to hunt for shells and coral and sharks' teeth.  Tick! Tick! Tick!  I checked off each one of those three items, and another fabulous very unique and inspiring find that I will be featuring on Thursday's post.

Why this collage here?  Well, many years ago, after our first trip to Florida, which would be Christmas 2004, we had a dream of one day owning a home here.  When I made that collage after that magical morning, it struck a chord deep within me that dreams and goals do, in fact, come true.  You can't just sit back and wait for them to land in your lap, but if you do little things towards attaining the dreams and goals, and, more magical yet, if you are open and aware to small tidbits (events, knowledge, people and so on) coming your way that do open the path to those dreams, you will get there.  Promise.  Pinky swear.

2017 Goals

Over-arching Goals
A.  Lifelong Learning
This is a teacher catch-phrase, and something in which I deeply believe.

B.  Balance
Something I struggled with throughout my teaching career, and continue to do so, is finding balance.  I am not reading enough novels.  I am not watching enough TV.  I seem to spend too long at the computer, usually to do with the blog (I take an agonizing amount of time to write each post for one).  I am not completing enough quilts for family members.

Main Quilting Goals 

1. Expand the purpose of my blog.
This belongs under the Lifelong Learning Goal.  I started my blog as a way to let my friends and family know what I was up to in my new stage of life, as well as a way to document my quilts.  It has become so very much more and I'd like to continue that, but give back as well.  Measurable sub-goals will be:

• Run a Quilt Along

There was a surprising (to me) amount of interest in me offering up Windfall as a quilt along.  I plan to start this in the second half of January.

• Set up a Linky Party
• Do something with the DrEAMi Moments I've experienced

This will involve a Linky Party, but also be a way to share ideas, give inspiration, provide temptation, and have some fun.

• Organize a blog hop or quilt along with Tish.  We have formulated a plan, it just needs to be fleshed out and details need to be knocked out. 
• Make and donate at least 2 charity quilts.

2.  Explore the money-making angle of quilting a little more.
All I would like to do is support my habit of fabric buying, not pay the bills or buy food.  This is basically a Lifelong Learning because it involves improving some computer skills, as well as investigating other branding opportunities and services. Hey, I actually ordered some mmm! quilts labels from Ikaprint so that is one step.  Measurable goals here are:

• Expand my Etsy Shop

This may sound hilarious to some, but I'd like to add a minimum of 3 quilted items for sale.  I also plan to offer all my 'for sale' patterns on my Etsy Shop by the end of 2017.

• Add at least 2 patterns to my Craftsy Shop
• Submit an original quilt design to a magazine
• Have a couple of quilts for sale in a local coffee shop/bistro (I've already spoken informally to the owner, just need to sit down formally and chat about it.)
• Quilt a quilt for someone else
• Get involved a bit more with Craftsy (already chatted and confirmed one plan)
• This might cost me money, but improve the esthetics of my blog and investigate branding.

3. Random Quilt Learning

•  Make a quilt entirely of solids. (I might join in Molli Sparkles' Honey Pot Bee in order to accomplish this one.  Only one block a month...and already a wild card thrown!)
•  Do a Design Challenge. (This will be similar to Rachel's of Stitched in Color, but just on my own.

Personal Goals
Under Balance:
1.  Walk at least 70 km per month.  That means 6 walks/week at at least 3 km each.
2.  Read 25 books.  One must be a classic.  Take a daily tea break without my phone, but with a book and/or a quilt magazine.
3.  Maintain Ashtanga 3 times per week and increase Yin to twice regularly.
4.  Organize my time better.
5.  Take a blogging break of at least a week.

Under Lifelong Learning:
6.  Take a painting class.

**Remember to once a month check back on this list!

Phew! Think that should keep me busy, no?

Linking up with Quilting Jet Girl

Thoughts for the Year Ahead

And a review for the year past.

First of all, I need to confess that I missed the deadline for the 2015 Finish Along. Poop!  I was so mad at myself.  I had 5 of 8 finishes off my Q4 FAL List.  Last year was my first time linking up with this Finish Along, and it is definitely a good way to shame motivate me into some sort of focus.  Without further ado here are the links, as I know you all want to check them out:

1.  Shift.  Callum's Bento Box quilt