Making Plans for the New Year

 

 I bought a new organizer this year - and can't wait to start filling it in!  It's like the beginning of school with new pencils and notebooks!   It's one of those with reminders about cleaning house and menu planning - which I really probably won't use much, but it also has calendars for keeping track of things and a budget worksheet for every month which I'm actually looking forward to filling out.  This past year I have spent a lot of money - not just on the basement - so I need to rein that back in!  But I also want to organize my quilting time.

I love making plans for the new year -- fresh start, new calendar, new plans, new goals.   Starting with my quilting, I want to spend a lot more time quilting at my Gammill Statler Ascend machine - I got the bigger head when I traded in the old one, so looking forward to being able to do a bit more with it.  

I have a goal of making 12 quilts for the homeless using as much stash as I can.  Having to move all my fabric and other supplies like thread, etc, opened my eyes to an overwhelming amount of fabric, etc.  So my goal is to use up as much as I can next year - and the best way is to make quilts for the homeless.  

I joined a group online this year making 365 orange peel blocks - it started February 1, so it'll be done on January 31 and I have kept up --seeing the end in sight!  I will put them together and hopefully it will be another quilt for the homeless.

And while I have been cleaning up and out -- I have decided to sell a lot of stuff I don't use or need.  I no longer use pantographs on the longarm, since mine is computerized, so I'll be selling those.  I also have some extra parts for the longarm that I won't need, so I'll be selling those.  

And cleaning up the basement, I have an overflowing bookcase of quilt books and those need to go.  Mainly, I need to downsize a lot of stuff I don't want my daughter to have to deal with.

I still do a lot of hand applique, but I want to spend more time piecing on my Janome 9450 -- I bought it a couple of years ago and I really love it.

And, needless to say, I have a lot of ufo's that need to be addressed!  I finished appliqueing the Rainbow of Jewels quilt, but still haven't put it together, so that's one that I hope to finish next year.  I started a Judy Neimeyer quilt last year that a friend is going to do also, and it has a lot of applique on it too, so hoping to get back to that quilt with the objective of finishing it in 2023.

I have multiple applique quilts that need a lot of attention!  But, I will be picky with them -- I'm working on one called Vintage Valentine -- so that one will be finished before I try to finish any others.

In between all that, my mini applique group (there's 4 of us) is making plans to maybe do the All Illinois shop hop next summer and maybe hit a few other states too.  I don't plan on taking any major trips next year -- I had two big ones this year -- DC and the Coast of Maine - and I don't feel the need to travel any more.

So, other than the usual, exercise more and eat less, most of my goals are quilt related - there's a surprise!

Until next time...blessings.