New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year!  May 2014 be happy and productive for each of you who brighten my days by stopping by my little corner of the internet!

Bonnie Hunter gave us Celtic Solstice mystery sewers a gift on New Year's Day - early release of the final layout clue!  It's going to be gorgeous, but I have been slower than some and only have about 30% of the blocks assembled so far.  Can you believe there are quilters out there who already have a finished top?

The beginning of the year is a good time to set goals for the year.  Since this blog is primarily about sewing and knitting, that's what I list.  (Other goals, personal goals or reading goals for example, I may share as they come up but that's a bit more than I want to keep track of publicly!)  I enjoy having a master list of goals for the year and selecting a few each month to focus on.  I rarely meet all those goals each month, but one of the fun things about blogging is talking about the ups and downs of my favorite hobbies.  It surprises people I know in real life when I tell them that there are actually people on the internet who are interested in reading about other peoples' quilting and knitting projects.  Sometimes it surprises me too!

I participated in Judy L's UFO challenge for the last two years, but I don't think she's running it the same way this year.  I liked the way it existed last year and the things I was able to get accomplished, so what I'm going to do is compile a list of all my known sewing projects as of now.  I will categorize them by WIP's - things I'm actively working on as of the last few weeks/months; UFO's - projects started but in a state of long-term neglect; and USO's - Un-Started Objects, projects I want to start but haven't yet.  Today's post will list all of these in one long list, and then each month I will pick 4 projects I want to tick off the list for that month.  Ideally it will be one UFO, one current WIP, another project in any of the three categories of my choice, and a knitting project of my choice.  To make things interesting, I'll select the UFO project randomly.  I'm going to leave the knitting category undefined because I like to follow my whimsy there, and my whimsy changes.  I may or may not find a place to link up my progress on a regular basis, but that's not as important to me.  To give myself an incentive... maybe if I finish all 4 monthly goals, I will allow myself a trip to a yarn or fabric store or online shop.  Otherwise I will be crafting from stash exclusively except for necessary batting and thread.  I will be tracking my stash usage of both yarn and yardage, but that will be on a different schedule.  Last year I allowed bonus points for projects above and beyond the stated goals.  Bonus points mean absolutely nothing, but for a slightly obsessive personality like mine, they are also part of the fun.  And I can use them to "atone" for a monthly goal that I didn't meet, so it builds in some flexibility.

UFO's

1. 1996 Piecemaker's Calendar Quilt: finish hand applique and embellishments
2. " " (enough to make 2 months' worth of work)
3. 1996 Piecemaker's Calendar Quilt: complete top.
4. Scrappy Trip Around the World
5. Classical themed tote bag
6. Felted wool blanket(s)
7. wool hooked rug in Mariner's Compass design
8. knitting: On your Toes gray sweater
9. knitting: Carnaby Street skirt
10. knitting: Rosalind sweater

WIP's

1. Farmer's Wife Quilt - machine quilting and binding 
2. Celtic Solstice mystery quilt top
3. Thoroughly clean and organize sewing area (I need to do this at least 3 times a year!)
4. Conversion to Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User system is still ongoing.
5. String Star
6. Not All Who Wander are Lost quilt - a good month's progress would be 6 small blocks
7. APQ low-volume quiltalong

USO's

1. Bowling-style knitting bag (I can't believe I haven't started this YET!)
2. three-quarters bag kit from Connecting Threads
3. heirloom linen blouse
4. wool stuffed toy cat
5. Frugal Patch quilt top
6. Celtic Solstice quilting and binding
7. Country Stars quilting and binding
8. Clean out the flannels - make 3 or 4 baby quilt tops
9. knitting: design stranded colorwork forest sweater
10. knitting: socks for Daniel
11. knitting: socks for Steve
12. knitting: socks for me
13. unravelling thrift store sweaters
14. New York Beauty quilt top
15. a quilt with 1930's fabrics
16. maybe another Double Wedding Ring quilt
17. Of course I reserve the right to start a new project at any time of the year
18. I owe my mother-in-law the machine quilting on at least one quilt... soon!

Whew!  Well, it's not really too bad.  I have fewer UFO's than in previous years, and my stash is better organized.  Here are two of Grandma's quilts that I pinned for her, just to break up the length of this post:

 Elephants and Donkeys.

And a patriotic lap quilt from a free pattern she got.

Now, on to January's goals:

1. UFO: #8 came up, knitting the On Your Toes gray sweater.  I will at least dig it out of the pile and evaluate.  It has been hibernating a long time.  

2. WIP: Celtic Solstice mystery quilt top.  That could actually happen.

3. another WIP: Farmer's Wife quilting... binding can wait, but it would be great to free up the machine.

4. Knitting: finish the argyle socks for Secundus.

If making decent progress on UFO#8 is impractical, I will substitute one of the other knitting projects.  Bonus points for finishing a thorough tidy-up of the sewing area, making a bag, or any of the other projects really.  See how easy I'm making this for myself?  A monthly, modest shopping excursion is a good prize to work towards.  If I finish all the UFO's and WIP's listed here, I think I should get a new sewing machine next year.  (Just kidding, Steve... I know it may have to wait until after Secundus is through college).