I've been reflecting on 2014 the past few days, and thinking about the year to come. I always get that way this time of year. 2014 was quite the year for me. Lots of house remodeling, two weddings at my house, a couple short trips, a trip long overdue to see my parents, one kid graduated college, and overall, it was just a huge year of change.
Amidst all the chaos, I did get some quilting done! Here are my empty spools for the year.
It may not look like much, but since the cones held 6,000 yards each, and most of the rest held 1,000 yards or more, it actually represents 14 miles of thread used. I finished 15 quilts in 2014, three of which were king sized, most of the rest at least twin. That's actually far more quilts finished than I thought I'd have this year. I didn't track yardage this year, but a rough guess would be 200 yards of fabric used. If anything, that's low, since I made some non-quilting projects as well.
Planning for 2015 has been really stumping me. There are a lot of unknowns for this year, and as such, I can't even estimate how much sewing time will be available. I do have a few deadline quilts I already know about.
1) I have a great niece due in February. Quilt top done, backing ready, batting ready, needs to be pin-basted, quilted and bound.
2) DD#1 asked for a quilt for her birthday in May. I'm making Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion mystery quilt for her, and I've caught up and I'm ready for the next clue.
3) I promised DD#2 the "babymaker" quilt by her second wedding anniversary. (The movie, The Proposal, with Sandra Bullock has a pineapple quilt called the "babymaker", and I told DD#2 when she got married I'd make her one.) Her second anniversary won't be until December 2015, but I've got the quilt cut out and ready to start. I'd love to have it done at least a couple months ahead of time.
4) I have a quilt promised to a little girl that I've yet to come through with, lots of emotional issues for me on that one. I'd like to get it made, and I know I'd feel better for having it done.
5) Another of my "adopted" kids is getting married, and I designed a quilt for them, and it's already started. Still lots of cutting to do for that one though. They are talking an October wedding.
6) I was supposed to make a quilt for a service dog last January, and guess what never got done? I haven't forgotten, just haven't taken the time to do it.
Wow! That's already more than I thought. Writing it down sure puts things into perspective. Besides my "must be made" quilts, I don't have a lot of goals. Maybe get a couple projects boxes emptied, finish a couple UFO's. I have three UFOs to finish that are not my UFO's. One from each of DH's grandmother's, and one from one of his great-aunts. Finishing other people's projects is not usually much fun for me, so every time I've inherited someone's stash, I choose one project to finish, and I use everything else they started differently than they planned. It's obvious I put off finishing them, since I still have all three projects I chose unfinished. I'd like to think 2015 could be the year for this.
I think my goals for 2015 could be condensed to "Clear the Decks" or maybe "Don't Bring Me Down", because I'd like to work on the things that have been weighing on me, because they aren't finished. I don't have a problem having a few of my own projects unfinished, having a couple quilt tops around has saved me a few times, when I needed a gift, and didn't have time to make a quilt from scratch; finish a UFO, and voila, a gift! On the other hand, when something is unfinished because it's an emotional issue for me, that is burdensome. Those are the things I'd like to start knocking off my list, losing some emotional weight, (though actual weight would be good too).
I am on a self-imposed sewing no-buy for 2015. I'm not doing it because I feel guilty about my stash, because I don't. I'm thankful I have a large stash to work from. I'm mostly doing it because I have other things I'd rather do with my money this year, and I shouldn't need much on the quilty front. I may have to buy a border for the wedding quilt, and if I do, that's fine. I'm thinking if I need something to finish a current project, then I will get it, but not buy to stash anything, nor buy for a new unplanned project. Even if more wedding quilts or baby quilts come up, I should be able to make them from stash easily. I have a couple quilts started that are long term projects I use as leaders/enders occasionally, that would make great wedding quilts.
I have some non-quilting projects I'd like knocked off my list as well, and as I was just reminded while making DH some scrub tops, garment sewing goes much faster than making a quilt, so even without a lot of sewing time, I should be able to get several projects finished if I make them priority.
So what will I actually get done in 2015? I have no idea, but my main thoughts are to make the things I need to make for people I love, and then finish up some things that are becoming a burden just thinking about them.
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