This week, as I was reading peoples posts of their quilting goals for 2015, I was reminded that I had made a list for 2014 and that I really should revisit it….
I was a little hesitant but I am please to say that 2014 was not a complete bust and I did accomplish some of my 2014 goals including finishing my Briar Rose Quilt, my Granny Square quilt, my Red star quilt and my Tula Pink quilt. I am also very pleased that I managed to conquer my fear of curves this year.
2014 also saw some great firsts for me including being a finalist in this years MQG Michael Miller Challenge with this quilt…
and I was published in a magazine…
and I was thrilled to be selected as part of Sew Mama Sew’s “31 Inspiring Quilters” series.
Unfortunately the 2014 list also contained some things that now have to carry over into my 2015 list so to those projects I need to add…..
1. Quilt up my UFO quilt tops including my Jaffa quilt …
My Altlantic Sea quilt…
and my PMQG Medallion Quilt
2. Finish some of the projects that are currently sitting in boxes in my craft room including..
and
and
I actually have 11 shoe boxes with WIP blocks in them and 9 quilt tops which need quilting. I may have a commitment problem, I admit it!
So I have decided that in January I am not allowed to start any more projects at all and I am going to spend January and February trying to clear the backlog. I am not sure if I am strong enough not to start anything new but some of the projects are so old it will feel like they are new…right…right… oh please say they will!
WOMBAT QUILTS 
…for me you are definitively one of the five most inspiring quilters I know. 🙂
Oh thank you so much. I know my Point of view can be a little different!
Of course they will feel like new projects. I love your UFOs and wish I had some of them. Your tally for 2014 is formidable!
My cussedness won’t let me start a project until the current one is quilted, bound and disposed of, but sometimes it leaves gaps when I’m looking for eg hand quilting to do in the evenings.
Oh Viv I did not even count the new hand piecing crazy I started this week as a project. It is just a bit of fun lol!
Congratulations on all of your achievements! Even if you do a little on each UFO, you’ve gotten further than you were! Good luck on your finishes. I bet they’ll be beautiful. 🙂
Congratulations on your 2014 successes and may you have many more in 2015! Your blog is one of the rare ones I follow and the pictures of your UFO’s reminded me why….I love, love all of your work! I wish my UFO’s could look half as good. Now….if you want to send any UFO’s to me to help you finish…lol,lol! Happy Quilting, Mary
Mary you may have something there. Maybe I should do a giveaway and if people want to win one of my UFOS tops they can. Mmmm I may have to do this.
You got a lot done, PLUS all your guild commitments and all those great charity quilts! My first goal of the new year is to finish my Medallion quilt (just made the backing for it) and then I am starting with my oldest WIP.
I totally forgot about the Guild in my list of 2014 achievements… silly me. Oh and I did not count the charity wips that need finishing!
You have very impressive accomplishments, and stunning UFOs! I especially love the Jaffe quilt. I am inspired!
You could always change the direction the WIP was going in to make it feel new again. 🙂 I’m going to try that with some of mine…maybe it’ll work. 😀 Either way though, don’t just focus on what you didn’t accomplish…look at all the gorgeous quilts you DID make last year!!!!
Oh I seriously love the idea of rethinking some of them. Genius!
But just think of all the quilting practice and experimentation you can do on all those quilt tops! You’ll be a total pro by the end of the year! This was an amazing year for you – loved seeing all your beautiful creations 🙂
Stephanie you have a point. My free motion quilting needs some serious work. These UFOs could be handy.
If they’re old enough, they’ll be new to a lot of us, and we can be all encouraging and impressed. And you could regard it as a perfect opportunity to work on your quilting skills, and if it’s a quilt you don’t love so much any more, you could use it for experimental quilting, so it’s not a disaster if it’s a disaster, if you follow me…?
I don’t feel as bad! I too have nine quilt tops in my pile, and eleven WIPs that need revisiting. However, I didn’t include the ninth quilt top in my list of WIPs to complete this year, as i think I will donate i to a local Lion’s group for their fundraising efforts. A couple of ladies in my quilting circle are active with them. Since this is a top I’ve long since been out of love with, I’d rather it go to a good cause.
Giving the top away is the perfect solution. Unfortunately in our Guild I am the one that orphan blocks and quilt tops go too. As the Charity co-ordinator they become my responsibility. Needless to say I did not include any of these tops or blocks in the list.
Thanks for sharing your year. I haven’t looked at my 2014 goals yet! All I know is goals are changeable. I did things last year I never would have expected, and also didn’t do some that were on my list. All in all it wasn’t a bad year. 🙂
Great insight: goals are changeable. I embrace it.
Melanie I agree that all in all 2014 was not a bad year. Much better than 2013 that’s for sure.
yep, and that was miles ahead of 2012… So if we keep seeing such progress, 2015 is likely to be really terrific!
You have a lot of really great projects to work on! I went through my quilt tops last year and ended up donating the ones I didn’t want to finish to charity. It felt good and it was a load off my shoulders.
As most of my quilts end up going to charity I have in the past felt like I should just finish them myself but this year I may try and get some help at least quilting them before they go to charity.
I thoroughly enjoy your blog and seeing all your beautiful quilts! I am a new quilter – having only completed one quilt 14 years ago. I did however, collect some fabric off and on over the years to “build” a stash. I seem to have a problem finishing my projects. I like it, but get bored – have a new idea and can’t wait to see what it might look like so I’ll make a few blocks to get a feel of the concept. Then, I’ll get about halfway through and begin the cycle again. So, if I’m totally honest with myself – I have at least 6 tops ready to layer, baste and quilt. I have another 5 or 6 groups of blocks that could become something if I developed the idea further. Then I have a bunch of random blocks made when trying out a new concept. HELP – LOL, I’m afraid I’m hopelessly addicted to the craft and determined to try my hand at FMQ THIS WEEKEND. There I’ve said it outloud – now to just jump in and do it.
I can’t wait to see your completed quilts in 2015 – and the new projects you’ll start – because you know you will – right??
Have a great day!
Pamela you sound just like me. I get bored and move on. We both have to commit to some finishes this year and I definitely have to commit to more free motion practice!
My cross stitch group uses every January to sort thru UFO, patterns and fabric. Last Monday of the month we meet and try to swap our items for others. And, yes, Old Old Old UFO’s become new again.
What a great idea. I may suggest it for our Guild next year.
…they will 🙂
Thanks.
I too have a commitment problem, I dislike the whole batting and backing procedure. I would rather make the tops and let someone else complete the rest. Your quilts are lovely and lively. Keep it up and maybe someday the “quilt fairy” will appear and do the completion part for you. I keep hoping mine shows up also. Love being optimistic and whimsical. Ta-ta.
I have been waiting for the quilting fairies to show up for years. I am beginning to think they might be an urban myth…lol.
I think you have accomplished a lot the last year! And believing the comments – quite some people appear to have some (or even some more) UFOs and WIPs lying around. Hope it helps you – it really makes me a lot more relieved.
On most blogs I read everybody appears so perfectly organised and… well perfect 🙂
I wanted to write a “new years resolution list” as well … I think this got me started again.
Mel I am definitely not perfect and my quilting reflects that. Oh I am also ridiculously messy too!
Cath are you going to do queen of the ufos with the guild? I entered 20! The shame!!
Amber i was to intimidated to join in…plus if i am honest it seemed like more pressure than i can handle. 20 UFOs is very impressive. Can not wait to see your finishes at Guild.
Goodluck Cath with the finishing off process, like you I can relate to your task. The weather here in Aussie has been to hot and humid to start.Cheers Jenny C
I find I quilt much less when the weather is hot. The Portland winter should prove conducive to clearing some of the backlog!
Cant wait to see your great work this coming year 🙂 Always makes me smile and drool 😉 (this isnt due to a medical condition hahahahaha)
I follow your blog since last september and I just love it. I have done some of your paper pieced stars and they came out gorgeous. I am Spanish and here we ate beginning with patchwork therefore I search through the web very often. Thanks a lot for shearing with us your ideas and patterns. I really appreciate it.
Emilia I am so glad you are using the patterns and enjoying them.
Oh I still love that Java quilt and the Atlantic Sea quilt………. It sounds like “half the World” – myself included is covered in UFOs. Have a plan not to start anything new until end of 2014- NOT gonna happen I know, but for now I am strong believing that my quilty NY resolution will actually happen =0) …….. That passing “UFOs on” sounds like a good plan to consider….
It’s so tempting to keep starting new projects. Just think how good you’ll feel when you get some “old” projects completed. I love crossing items off the list to make room for new ones. The list may never shrink!
I think it will take me far longer than January and February to clear my backlog. I have written a list of UFOs on a whiteboard. I don’t care what I pick up to sew each day, as long as it is from the list. Let’s hope we both make some progress!
We have all year to clear our backlog…thank goodness. I really look forward to seeing your WIPs being finished, there are some really fabulous stuff you have going on.