My 2010 Plan

As I start off the new year, I am wrapping up projects that started in 2009. It was year of exploration and creativity for me- more time sewing, participating in a number of swaps and my first bee, trying out new approaches and techniques. I achieved alot, but I also felt busy and scattered, so my overall goal for this year is FOCUS.

I read Kit's Year in Review post and was struck by how much she had accomplished and how much she had progressed in her quilting skill in only a year. I was inspired by her intention and the attention she put on learning and expressing specific skills, feelings and relationships in each quilt. In that spirit, I am going to hone my quilting to achieve more specific goals this year.

Skills

1. Machine quilting: I will improve my machine quilting repertoire including better free-motion quilting. I will get a walking foot to help with my straight line quilting done 2/10 and seek out resources for free-motion practice.
   
2. Applique: I will try at least 3 different applique methods this year.
   

Stash

1. I will strive to quilt exclusively from my stash unless I absolutely can't find a satisfactory option there. By the end of the year I will at least make space for my fat quarter boxes on my fabric rack.
2. I will work on at least 1 Leaders and Enders project this year to maximize my quilting time for the goal of using up my stash of scraps.
3. In the interest of giving back as well as stash busting, I will donate at least half of the 12 the quilts I make this year, or at least 6 quilts if I make more than 12.
   

Quilts to finish/ make

1. I Spy Houses (started 2009) done 1/10
   
2. 2 I Spy donation quilts 1 done 1/10, 1 done 4/10
   
3. Bright Snowballs (started 2009)
4. Stars & Strings tabletopper (started 2009)
5. 2233 Pineapple
6. Baby quilts for D&B, B&C, S&S, L&K- grey & orange rails top finished 2/10, pink Hop Skip Jump, and floral log cabin top done 3/10 among them?
7. Leopard Roses
8. Pink Squares top done 3/10
   
9. Christmas runner(s)
10. Wedding gifts for E & for NJ- liberated wedding rings as placemats, throw?
11. Donation quilt for A's school auction

Here's the first almost-finished quilt of 2010 already...

I am setting the bar high for this year. It's a new year, a new decade, a new era... let's start it right!