sewbizgirl

NZ, you are seriously dedicated to be thinking of quilting goals with three small children, one of whom being a new baby! When mine were small, my goal every day was to make it through the day with everyone's needs met. (More or less...)


I guess my quilting goal now is to enjoy what I am working on at the moment, and not worry about what comes next or what I should be working on instead. What gets done, gets done. What doesn't can wait.

I get my little quilts (charity) finished pretty quickly, but I have other personal big quilt tops that are still unfinished. When the time is right, I'll quilt them.

origamigoldfish

I had vague goals for 2019, I have finished a handful. I vastly underestimated my amount of free time that I could spend with my sewing machine. My last two goals of the year are to make myself a dedicated sewing space so I can sew more (plan to start that one this weekend!), and finish the bed-sized quilt top I made this summer. It just needs basted and quilted as soon as I get that sewing space!

I am already working on a more specific set of goals for next year.

toverly

I set my goal for 2019 to complete one quilt a month. I had many tops that simply needed quilting. It's worked so far, I only have December to go. November is under the needle right now, 1/4th quilted. I can't attempt the same thing for 2020 for I have used up my tops waiting to be quilted. So maybe finishing 6 next year will suffice.

Iceblossom

Well, I'm glad this came back up, I did find my Minion zip drive and here's what my quilt log looks like. I have it set up in Open Office, it can go directly into Excel or other spreadsheet programs.

Edit: I'm glad to mention that many of the in-progress projects have been completed -- or at least moved to the finished tops page.

NZquilter

I like your spreadsheet idea, Iceblossom. I have something similar on my Kindle notepad:

•Totally Finished Quilts Goals (✔ = 100% done, binding and all)
Fun on the Farm #1 ✔
Fun on the Farm #2 ✔
Trip Around the World (Christmas gift)
Isabelle's baby quilt
Mariam's log cabin (Christmas gift)

•Finished Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting:
Sisters Choice
Scrappy Log Cabin
Isabelle's baby quilt

•In the Works: (not every one of my UFOs is listed, just the one's I want to focus on.)
Mariam's log cabin
Trip Around the World
Single Irish Chain w/ Stars. (UFO)
Scrappy Jewel Box (UFO)
Star Patch MSQC
Hunters Star (UFO)
Summer Quilt Swap (UFO)
Scrappy Burgoyne Surrounded
BOOM Swap 22 Sooner Quilt
RWB Sylvia's Bridal Sampler
Charm Double Irish Chain (UFO)
Embroidered Daffodils quilt (UFO)
Sunbonnet Sue (UFO from 2012!)

•Haven't Started But Have Supplies
Eleanor Burns Victory Quilt ('30s Patriotic)
Checkered Dresden MSQC (jelly roll)
Jack and Jill MSCQ (jelly roll from Mum)
Bear's Paw (winter lodge layer cake)


My goal is to finish the three more, and if I am lucky I can even quilt up my tops ready for quilting too. Then I will seriously focus on all those others 'in the works' quilts, without starting anymore! The one nice thing about having so many quilts going is that I can jump between them all without guilt.

NZquilter

Oh, and I should add, I fully expect it to take me several years to finish all those quilts! I get these bursts of "quilt energy" when I cam do a ton every day for a few weeks, and then I can't seem to find time for any sewing for a few weeks.

Darcyshannon

Quilting is for fun but also to enjoy the finished product. For me, setting goals, helps me enjoy the finished work and to gift to others. It helps me focus. I have plenty of UFOs and plan on finishing two and there is a quilt top I made for my DH that I want to finish this year (it is current within the year so I see it as active). Anyway, I like doing small projects to practice skills and see finished items to use.

I am okay if I don’t meet goals but it does help me to know what to do next. I want to set up a spreadsheet so I can even finish more in 2020. Thanks for the suggestion.

I just got an instapot so I am hoping i can use it to help free up time for quilting by making homemade dinners more hands off.

Murphy224

I like setting goals but all to often they seem to go the way of new year resolutions. Other projects pop up and I get sidetracked into doing those. I did make an "executive decision" the first of this month: put away all other projects and make nothing but Christmas projects from now until first of year. I have a bin and a shelf full of Christmas fabric and I say every year, "got to use that fabric up". So far I put away the HST quilt I was working on and finally finished machine embroidering the blocks for the redwork snowman quilt I started several years ago. All 12 are now done and ready to be cut into 9 1/2 squares, and put into some design for a quilt. Want to make it simple and "get it done" rather than spend hours cutting fabric for pieced blocks. Also used some fabric to make Nancy Ziemans's round Christmas tree napkins for a guild exchange. Made plans for some of the other fabric panels that I have collected. And some of those may just be given away. What was I thinking???? And thinking about using the Christmas fabric and scraps in an Irish Chain for a Christmas Irish Chain.
My brain is working and I am taking notes......execution is another matter. This thread has been an inspiration.
Any ideas would be appreciated..... little trip at the end of the month for 2 weeks and plan to do some serious quilting planning/goal setting for 2020 during free time there. If I can just get a list written down would be helpful!

donna13350

I have a bunch of tops (so ashamed LOL)...I couldn't use my longarm for almost a year due to major construction in the house..all is settled down and I'm just about to finish my 1st top. So far, so good! Machine is stitching beautifully, so hoping to knock out a bunch of tops.
On a lighter note..I remember the very first quilt show that I went to...there was a lady there with a calendar and she actually had her quilting time blocked out, even it was only a half hour here or there, every day had a rigid schedule. I remember thinking that I would be a serious quilter..we had sheep at the time and my schedule revolved around them..Even my best laid plans got sidetracked. In a way, she had a good idea, to put her hobby high on her priority list, but as a newbie she scared me!!!

jmoore

NI can only imagine how challenging it must be to find time to quilt with three little ones...I’m happy to hear you get little bursts here and there.

I also set goals in January and make list of projects (new and in progress) but I added another personal goal for 2019 which was to spend more time outdoors...so I took a hiking course and found some beautiful trails her in Maine. I am all caught up on UFOs and just have one quilt top waiting to be quilted, and two that need binding. I am currently working on a Doug Leko pattern and have a hand appliqué project for travel.

I find that setting goals keep me on track and motivated. I would like to add a couple of charity projects to my 2020 list of goals as I am always so inspired by those of you who are so thoughtful and generous.