Are you ever unsure what you want to get done? Yvonne, also known as Quilting Jetgirl hosts a planning party, this years tag is #2024QuiltingPlanningParty I am here to be accountable for this past year and for what I may want to get done this year.
How I Did in 2023
A very brief review is that 4 of the 6 goals were met, one not at all and one postponed until next year. I realize I did two things: participated in too many SALs/QALs in the beginning of the year and that burnt me out a bit. The second was that I made some changes to my website which entirely defeated me and postponed a refresh for my site. All good. We learn and we move on!
✔ Use up my stash and keep a stash in and out count! Down 28.75 yards
✔Participate in 6 blog hops or QALs/SALs: I did 8!
✔Conquer some of the Projects In Waiting: (8/12)
✔Move intentionally every day. Getting there!
☐ Publish 3 patterns: Never got to this
☐ New website theme: Postponed 2024
4 out of 5 or 6 goals were met. I am moving more and am working with a trainer and some simple goals to jumpstart 2024. Publishing patterns just didn’t work. Furthermore, my income from these activities has always been low, so I will be evaluating what I want to do about this in 2024. This will also include my affiliations.
Goals for 2024
I have been thinking about this a lot and I think my goals remain primarily the same. We are moving permanently out of Massachusetts and closing an apartment we have kept since 2017 when we sold the house in Somerville. We were going most weeks during the school year, then every other week and now we are down to once a month. Honestly, it just became to expensive for the time we spend there. SInce there is quite a bit to do there, I am feeling a little preoccupied with that move. I will plan on maybe re-evaluating at 6 months and see if anything fun comes up in the quilting world, once that big push is done!
For now here are my goals:
- 6 blog hops or SALs : Already there are 4 on my list, so I should easily get to this.
- SAHRR SAL – hosting
- Villa Rosa Blog Hop – hosting (no details yet)
- It Moose Be Love Hop – hosting
- mmmQuilts SAL – participant
- Make 6 original pieces – original small or large – for my design pleasure.
- They can be big or small but I design them.
- I get lazy about this, but love doing it, so this is one way to make me do it.
- Unify the design of my current patterns and decide whether to publish any of the challenge quilts from #2.
- Learn more about Prostitcher Designer and use it in my quilting more. I am signed up for a 5 month class which will help spur me on. The first is this week!
- Continue to DeStash.
- Already 2 sewing machines were donated, so I went from 3 (bernina – old main machine, elna – first quilting machine, and janome-first machine at cottage) to 1 Pfaff Passport 3.0 for travel. It is among the lightest with some features I like: thread cutting and integrated dual transport feet, and lightweight (14.7 pounds).
- There may be more fabrics to donate, and notions and rulers.
- Do some Rainbow Scrap Color blocks with my scraps bags/boxes. Maybe not every month but it is a good way to bust through the bulk of them. I don’t like keeping them, so I need to move them on and out!
- Organize patterns and fabric better in my space (a constant battle in the small cottage)
- This will be a part of the moving process
- There will be clearing of some things as I begin to ready the space for a few UFOs to arrive from Massachusetts (La Passacagalia and a T-shirt quilt).
- Also keeping what I use and moving on what I don’t.
- Website/Business Decisions
- Last year website woes made me postpone this. I am not feeling committed to it, but it may happen; when something catches my eye that I really like.
- Re-evaluate my affiliations (I make little from them) so I don’t know if it is worth pretending that they are doing anything.
Coming Up on My Blog
I go on retreat in a week. I am trying to finish a few things and prep some things for our 2 nights. I always bring more than what is needed, lets see if I can do better this time!
Ultimate Travel Bag
SAHRR Center Block (1/15/24)
Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd (2/21/24)
SAHRR Round 1 (1/22/24)
SAHRR Round 2 (1/29/24)
SAHRR Round 3 (2/5/24)
SAHRR Round 4 (2/12/24)
SAHRR Round 5 (2/19/24)
It Moose Be Love (2/21/24)
Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd (2/22/24)
SAHRR Round 6 (2/26/24)
Diatom Finish
Sea Glass Joy
I think that you did really well meeting 4 out of 6 goals and I hope that your move at the beginning of this year goes smoothly. I know it’s a lot of work. I am really going to enjoy getting to see you learn Prostitcher this year!
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate, Kathleen. Moving certainly makes us consider how much stuff we really need! Have a wonderful, and productive, 2024! :)
I get the burnout from SALs, I did too many last year, consequently I am thinking long and hard before I start another. Working with a trainer sounds like a dream! I was doing the treadmill faithfully before Thanksgiving, and got into it somewhat again before Christmas. Now I just look at it and turn around. Your move sounds exciting. Enjoy your retreat!
I think it’s a realistic goal and I like that you are using it to re-evaluate things in your world that are/aren’t working. That is a hard thing for me to do, look at what I am doing and decide if I should be continuing down a path. Good luck!
Hi Kathleen! I agree that your 2024 goals seem very realistic. The closing of a house is a big undertaking. Even if you weren’t downsizing from two homes to one, a move itself is tiring just in the packing. Add to that all the sorting and decisions that are needed, it has to be exhausting. Please be kind to yourself regarding the completion of your goals because in the end, there is no real detriment to missing any of them. I’ve been overextended with QALs so I am reluctant to raise my hand again for one. Have a blast at the retreat! {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
You’ve planned well for 2024, and your past year has been good, despite the frustration over the website. I’m excited for your next year!
I love reading this honest explanation of what you want to do and why. Realistic goals (like these) make sense and can be accomplished. I am looking forward to the SAHRR and the Villa Rosa hop. We will both be doing those which will be a fun time!
Moving is the worst but sounds like this makes sense.
Good luck with this new year!
I read and reread your review of last year, and your goals for 2024. I’m impressed, first that you took the time to make the goald, and that you followed through on so many. /second, I’m impressed that you not only make and check, but also that you evaluate, what you have done and where you are going. Give yourself a hand. you deserve it. Next to you, I am a piece of floatsum with no real direction, but moving with the current of the day. Congratulations Kathleen.
Life takes us in directions we don’t always anticipate, and even when we have plans for certain directions, they end up not always going AS planned! You had a great year all in all, and what you said about affiliations got me thinking too. I’m very honoured that you have once again (it’ll be 8 times now!) committed to participating in my QAL. Moving to the island is exciting and daunting both, so give yourself some breathing room.
You have such good clear-cut goals, Kathleen!!! You did well in 2023. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of your 5 month prostitcher class–that should be fabulous!
Well, well, I love your round 2. It really looks nice.