Category Archives: 2017 Goals

01

Sep. ’17

2017 Crafty Plan – September

When I was young, I would be upset with myself when I didn’t meet my goals.  But then I realized that I always put a lot on my goal list and it was an unrealistic expectation to meet all of those goals.  Now I recognize that the things on my goal list are just goals and not requirements.  If I accomplish just one of them, that’s one thing I can mark as done.  So yesterday, I met some of my goals and didn’t meet other goals.  I’m okay with it.  Sometimes I still get sad or depressed but it’s not because I didn’t do it.  It’s usually because I did not have the time to do something I want to do.  As this year progresses, I’m able to spend more time crafting and playing than earlier in the year.  I’m very happy with this.

  1. Quilting
    1. Secret project #1 – I need to bind this.  I was planning on hand binding this project but decided to just machine bind the back too.  It will make for an interesting front but I’m hoping to do something different.  I’m hoping it looks cool rather than janky.
    2. Secret project #2 – Once the first one is bound, I want to get started on the second one.  I need to pull the project out and figure out what needs to be done.  I think the top is done and all I need to do is quilt it but I can’t remember.
    3. Raining Cats and Dogs – hand quilt weekly.  My specific goal for September is to finish quilting the third row of the cream quilting thread.  To be honest, it’s been really hot here lately and our air condition is on the fritz.  So – don’t be surprised if this fall by the wayside.
    4. A Rainbow Garden – block 8 weekly.  This goal is working for me so I don’t need to make anything specific for this one.
    5. Civil War Diary Quilt – Right before I went on our family vacation in June I was pretty good about working on this regularly.  I didn’t do a block a week but I was working on it.  I haven’t touched it since we’ve been back and it’s been months.  I want to have one block done for this month.
  2. Knitting
    1. Continue knitting on my sweater “Kimono” – I want the left sleeve to be done.  And if I am fast it would be great to get the collar done as well.  However, just the left sleeve is fine and dandy.
    2. Starting Point shawl – I want Clue #2 for the second half done this month.
    3. Knitting Expat’s September socks
  3. Cross Stitch
    1. Mama’s Bukid – Row 12
  4. Bag Making
    1. Maxwell Bag – get the handles covered.  Find out the next steps from the instructor and finish it up.  I believe this bag is practically done so the next few steps are probably pretty quick.
    2. Finish the Nesting Basket I started in the August bag class.
    3. Do the September bag class – this class has not yet been scheduled so I need to check the website regularly until it is.  Hopefully it falls on a day that I can make it.
  5. Clothes Making
    1. LAFS  – finish my pajama pants

~Happy crafting!

~Melanie

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31

Aug. ’17

2017 Crafty Plan – August update

I cannot believe that it is the end of August.  Time is flying way too fast and I’m not happy about it.  I want time to slow down!  Here’s how much I accomplished this month.

  1. Quilting
    1. Celtic solstice – prep for quilting: NOT DONE
    2. Raining Cats and Dogs – hand quilt weekly – NOT DONE
    3. A Rainbow Garden – block 8 weekly – DONE!
    4. Civil War Diary Quilt – do a block each week – NOT DONE
  2. Knitting
    1. Continue knitting on my sweater “Kimono” – I do a row or two daily – I WORKED ON THIS PROJECT A LOT BUT NOT EVERY DAY.  I THINK THIS WAS STILL A DONE AND A SUCCESS.  FOR NEXT MONTH I WILL BE SURE TO BE MORE DETAILED IN TERMS OF WHAT I WANT TO GET DONE RATHER THAN JUST SAY KNIT ON IT EVERY DAY. I DID GET THE RIGHT SLEEVE DONE AND I’M CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE LEFT SLEEVE.
    2. Starting Point shawl – I do a row or two daily – SAME THING HERE – I WORKED ON THIS A LOT BUT NOT EVERY DAY.  I GOT THE CLUE #1 DONE ON THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHAWL.
    3. Knitting Expat’s August socks – DONE
  3. Cross Stitch
    1. Mama’s Bukid – work on this weekly – NOT DONE. I DIDN’T WORK ON IT WEEKLY BUT I AM DONE WITH ROW 11!  SO I CONSIDER THIS A DONE AND A SUCCESS.
  4. Bag Making
    1. Finish binding the Stash and Dash bag that I made in class – DONE
    2. Make another Stash and Dash – NOT DONE
    3. Buy the Teflon foot – DONE
  5. Clothes Making
    1. LAFS  – finish my pajama pants – NOT DONE

STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROW TO SEE MY GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER!\

Car Update – I got my car back yesterday!  I’m happy and we’ve been having a heat wave in Southern CA and the temps have been in the 110 degree zone.  I’ve been baking slowly in the house.  Now that I’ve got the car back I hope to do some work at Starbucks or the local library.

~HAPPY CRAFTING!

~MELANIE

 

 

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28

Aug. ’17

This week’s POA, 8/28/17

Happy Monday!

I wasn’t able to get that much done last week.  With the kids going back to school, my system is still just getting used to it and off our summer schedule.

Last’s weeks task and accomplishments:

  1. Quilting –
    1. Secret Project: hand bind 1 side of my secret project – NOT DONE
    2. Raining Cats and Dogs – hand quilt once this week – NOT DONE
    3. A Rainbow Garden – hand applique on Sunday – DONE
    4. Civil War Diary Quilt – do a block – NOT DONE
  2. Knitting –
    1. Kimono – finish the right sleeve and do 7 sets of right and wrong sides of the left sleeve. – DONE
    2. August Socks – Central Park – finish the foot and have it ready for the toe by the weekend. – DONE
    3. Starting Point – I have 16 rows left of the first clue.  I’d like to get 8 rows finished this week. – NOT DONE but I only missed this by 2 rows.
  3. Cross Stitch –
    1. Finish 3 colorways of Row 11 – DONE
  4. Bag Making –
    1. Maxwell Bag – (not on my monthly goal list) but I want to get through the next few steps.  I’m taking the next bag class on Saturday so I want to get through the 4 steps the instructor had given me at the last class. – NOT DONE.  I did get through the 3 next steps but I was having such a difficult time with the 4th step that I waited to attend the Saturday bag class to see if there was a better easier way to do it.  Nope there wasn’t but one of the ladies at the shop gave me an idea to try.  Hopefully that works.  If it does, I’ll share it with you.  You can see my struggles here.
  5. Clothes Making –
    1. LAFS – figure out what the next step is on my pajama pants and do it. – NOT DONE

My List for next week:

  • Quilting –
    1. Secret Project: hand bind 1 side of my secret project
    2. Raining Cats and Dogs – hand quilt once this week
    3. A Rainbow Garden – hand applique on Sunday
    4. Civil War Diary Quilt – do a block
  • Knitting –
    1. Kimono – finish the stockinette part of the left sleeve.
    2. August Socks – Central Park – finish the toe and weave in the ends.
    3. Starting Point – I have 10 rows left of the first clue.  I’d like to get these last 10 rows finished this week.
  • Cross Stitch –
    1. Finish Row 11
  • Bag Making –
    1. Maxwell Bag – wrap the fabric around the handle

      Final Step – somehow get the cord into the fabric tube

  • Clothes Making – figure out where I am in the pajama pants and finish it.

~Happy Crafting!

~Melanie

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21

Aug. ’17

This week’s POA, 8/21/17

 

It’s Monday!  A great start to a new week.

My Plan Of Action from my last post a couple of weeks ago was on the shorter end because I was going out of town and I knew I wouldn’t have as much crafty time as usual:

  1. quilting –
    1. A Rainbow Garden – I was going to take this project with me on my trip but I ended up not doing that.  I felt I had too many projects to bring and didn’t want to pack too much.
  2. Knitting –
    1. “Kimono” – My goal was to have the right arm finished and I would have but I forgot that I needed to do a bit of garter stitch at the end. I finished the stockinette portion.
    2. Starting Point Shawl – My goal was to finish clue #1 on the second half.  I didn’t realize while it looked like I was at the end the last portion said to repeat row 2 – 78.  ugh.  So I am in the middle of that repeat.
  3. Cross Stitch – My goal was to do 2 threads a week.  I was able to get a bit done and posted an updated picture here. But I wasn’t able to get anything done since then.  I hope to get 3 threads done this week and 3 threads next week to make up for the missed week.
  4. Other – I wanted to get the Teflon foot for my machine and I did this!

I was able to work on projects not on my goal list – like my August socks!

For this coming week, here’s my POA:

  1. Quilting –
    1. Secret Project: hand bind 1 side of my secret project
    2. Raining Cats and Dogs – hand quilt once this week
    3. A Rainbow Garden – hand applique on Sunday
    4. Civil War Diary Quilt – do a block
  2. Knitting –
    1. Kimono – finish the right sleeve and do 7 sets of right and wrong sides of the left sleeve.
    2. August Socks – Central Park – finish the foot and have it ready for the toe by the weekend.
    3. Starting Point – I have 16 rows left of the first clue.  I’d like to get 8 rows finished this week.
  3. Cross Stitch –
    1. Finish 3 colorways of Row 11
  4. Bag Making –
    1. Maxwell Bag – (not on my monthly goal list) but I want to get through the next few steps.  I’m taking the next bag class on Saturday so I want to get through the 4 steps the instructor had given me at the last class.
  5. Clothes Making –
    1. LAFS – figure out what the next step is on my pajama pants and do it.

~Happy Crafting!

~Melanie

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08

Aug. ’17

Getting my sewjo back… fixing the space where it all happens

Earlier this year, we got rid of our office space (outside of the home) and opted to save money and move everyone virtual.  For me, that meant my sewing room/office became my full-time office.  And part time sewing room.  While I love working from home, every time the weekend and evenings came, I would stay out of this space.  That meant that my happy place was no longer my happy place and I stayed away from that room whenever I was not working.  I decided things weren’t working.  I want to sew again but I was cramped and I had no room to pull things out and craft. I needed a change and I needed to revamp my space so it would once again be a place of joy.

Here’s what it looked like before:

 

It’s so cluttered and full of stuff.  A couple of weekends ago the hubby promised to help move out the big entertainment center and move another piece of heavy furniture in its place.  Since he agreed to do that I didn’t see any harm in just changing the whole room around.  To help with the change, I moved everything out.

And here’s my room rearranged:

 

It’s still a work in progress.  There is a bunch of stuff cluttered around that I need to organize better and I’ve still got a lot of stuff waiting to be put away in my living room.  But I also got rid of a lot of stuff (thrown away, to be sold, or to be donated).  But I’m much happier now with it the way it is.  And I hope as I continue to craft and work in here I will find other ways to make it better.

~happy crafting!

~Melanie

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07

Aug. ’17

This week’s POA, 8/7/17

POA – Plan of Action for those who didn’t know.

On 8/1, I posted some very ambitious goals for someone who had lost her crafty sewjo.  I’m slowly getting it back.  I’ve moved everything around in my sewing room (post about that coming soon) and revamped it completely.  I found a lot of things that have been waiting for me to get to so taking the time to finish is high on my list.  As I was preparing this post I realized that this will be a short week for me.  I will be out of town Friday – Monday so a lot of things that I normally do on the weekend will not be happening.  🙁   Oh well, here’s my short list this week.

  1. quilting –
    1. A Rainbow Garden – I will take this project with me on my trip and start appliquing some of the wool pieces.
  2. Knitting –
    1. “Kimono” – I will continue to work on this by doing a right and wrong side each day.  I try to go to my LYS at least once a week for knit night and this is my go-to project.  I would like to have the right arm finished this week.
    2. Starting Point Shawl – Like the Kimono, I’m working a row or two on this each day.  I get tired really easy (probably because I do not sleep enough) so by the end my eyes are drooping.   I’m working on the second half of the shawl for Clue #1 and I’d like to get that done this week.
  3. Cross Stitch – work on this weekly.  I believe I’m on Row 10 and I’d like to have Row 10 finished this month. So for this week, I’d like to do my 2 threads that I usually do when I work on this project.  I need to count and see if I’m really on Row 10 cuz it might really be 11 and how many colorways need to be finished before I can move on to the next row.

And because I’m gone this coming weekend, I will not have any time to do anything for my bag making goals or my clothes making goals.  One of my bag making goals was to buy the Teflon foot so I may have some time to go to my Bernina dealer and buy that.

I plan to visit a quilt shop and a yarn shop while traveling so look forward to some enhancements.

~Happy Crafting!

~Melanie

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01

Aug. ’17

2017 Crafty Plan – August

In prior years, I had annual goals and I broke them down each month and I got a lot of stuff done.  Things were really busy the end of last year/beginning of this year so I didn’t really get to sit down and think about what I wanted to accomplish for 2017.  I was too overwhelmed with trying to get through the days.  So I started this year without any goals and I tried to put something together but life kept getting in the way of my crafty desires.  I gave myself grace and let things go a bit.  My one goal was to finish Missing Ivy and knit.  I’ve been doing a lot of knitting.  Now that Missing Ivy is done my next project is Celtic Solstice.  I can’t remember where I left off.  The top is ready and I think the back is ready.  I have to press everything again, prep the batting and get everything ready to take to my local Bernina dealer so I can rent the long arm.  I can already tell that this is probably not going to get done.  I think prepping for quilting is my least favorite part of the process.  Thank goodness I do not have to baste but there’s still prep involved.  I have to check to see if it will fit on the frame.  The top is 115″x115″ and with batting and batting, that’s a lot of space I’ll need.  So I hope to get a bit done each month with the plan to finish (bound) by the end of the year.

  1. Quilting
    1. Celtic solstice – prep for quilting
    2. Raining Cats and Dogs – hand quilt weekly
    3. A Rainbow Garden – block 8 weekly
    4. Civil War Diary Quilt – do a block each week
  2. Knitting
    1. Continue knitting on my sweater “Kimono” – I do a row or two daily
    2. Starting Point shawl – I do a row or two daily
    3. Knitting Expat’s August socks
  3. Cross Stitch
    1. Mama’s Bukid – work on this weekly
  4. Bag Making
    1. Finish binding the Stash and Dash bag that I made in class
    2. Make another Stash and Dash
    3. Buy the Teflon foot
  5. Clothes Making
    1. LAFS  – finish my pajama pants

 

 

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28

Feb. ’17

2017 Crafty Plan – February Recap

Here’s an update on what I finished with the rest of my February action items.

  1. quilt Missing Ivy – still not done.  I scheduled this for the last Saturday of the month and I got a bit done on it.  It’s not finished because the machine konked out on me.  🙂  At least it wasn’t because I bailed.  Anyway, I hope to get this done this coming weekend.
  2. Since I’m at a bit of a standstill, I want to go through my quilty closet and reorganize it. = done
  3. Pull out the 2012 LQS BOM Provence and figure out where I am.  Do the next step. = I pulled it out and figured out where I left off.  I started doing the next step but haven’t finished.
  4. Area One Quilter’s Run – Pull out and do one of the blocks. = not done
  5. Continue to focus on the magenta socks and the kimono sweater. = done!  I finished the magenta socks and I’m halfway through the back of the kimono sweater.
  6. Make more drawstring bags = done.  I finished making another pair.
  7. Watch the craftsy class with the zipper pouch and make a zipper pouch. = done.

And here’s my 2017 crafty plan and where Feb’s action plan fit in…

  1. Quilting
    1. Finish 6 quilts
      1. Missing Ivy – to be quilted = STILL NEEDS TO BE QUILTED
      2. Celtic Solstice – THIS TOP WAS FINISHED IN FEBRUARY AND NOW I NEED TO PREP THE BACK AND GET IT READY FOR QUILTING.
      3. Have yourself a quilty Little Christmas – I need to finish the border (and thus the top) and then it will need the backing prepped – I FINISHED THIS TOP IN FEBRUARY.
      4. Raining Cats and Dogs – this needs to be hand quilted.
      5. Provence (2012 LQS BOM) – blocks are done, I need to revisit where I am on this one.  I think I just need to piece the blocks and alternating blocks together. = I PULLED THIS OUT AND I AM READY TO GET THE NEXT STEP GOING.
      6. Area One Quilter’s Run – blocks need to be pieced
      7. Scrapitude 2016 – I am piecing this as my leaders and enders
      8. Asian (2012 LQS BOM #2)
  2. Knitting
    1. Sweater “Kimono” – HALFWAY THROUGH THE BACK.
    2. Socks – 12 for the year.  I currently have 4 on the needles.  I FINISHED 1 – THE MAGENTA SOCKS.
    3. hat – 1 for each family member – I AM WORKING ON JACOB’S BEANIE AND I’M WORKING ON THE DECREASE.
    4. car knitting – Jacob’s beanie
    5. Use yarn stash (which as of 2/15/17, the following are being knitted from stash: 2 socks, Jacob’s beanie, Rikke hat for me or Kayla.)
  3. Cross Stitching – continue working on Mama’s Bukid each week.  At the latter end of last year, I grew tired of the browns and greens that I kept seeing on Mama’s Bukid and started a new project A Rose Fairy.  It’s not on my must do list for this year but I will work on it if I feel the urge to.  Right now, knitting is occupying more of my crafty time so as long as I work on Mama’s Bukid each week I’m happy.    
  4. Bag Making – I’ve been wanting to make bags for awhile.  I think it was one of my goals in 2015.  I want to revisit this again.  I have a bunch of craftsy classes, bag kits, books and patterns.  I think I’ll start with the Craftsy classes (especially the ones I have kits for) and then work on the kits I have.  After that, I’ll try my hand at the books and patterns I’ve got.
    1. DRAWSTRING BAGS – 6
    2. ZIPPER POUCHES – 1
    3. CRAFTSY CLASSES WATCHED – 2
  5. Clothes – I want to start learning how to sew garments.  I’m not sure how or where to start so I guess my first step is to find an easy project to start learning on.

And my overarching non-craft specific goals:

  1. use what I have
    1. my fabric stash
    2. my yarn stash
    3. my tools
  2. Get rid of the things that I don’t love anymore
    1. sell
    2. donate
    3. throw away
  3. Watch my spending
    1. only buy things I will use now

 

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15

Feb. ’17

2017 Crafty Plan

I had a short list of things I wanted to focus on in the month of February.

  1. quilt Missing Ivy – still not done.  I scheduled this for the last Saturday of the month.
  2. finish the final border (and thus the top) for Celtic solstice – done
  3. finish the border (and thus the top) for Have Yourself a Quilty Little Christmas – almost done
  4. knit primarily on the magenta socks and the kimono sweater – done.  The projects aren’t done but I am focusing on those two (and knitting on other projects too).  The magenta socks are well on their way to being done. I hope to get them done this month.

So I finished or almost finished everything on my short list and I am bored.  I do not know what to work on quilty wise.  I could only knit and cross stitch so much.  I decided not having an annual plan to fall back on was not conducive to the way I work and created my 2017 crafty plan.  Here’s my plan for the remainder of the month.

  1. quilt Missing Ivy – now that I’ve got the long arm reserved, I have to prep the batting, press the top and the back.  I think I’ve got a label but I need to make sure and if not, prep that too.
  2. Since I’m at a bit of a standstill, I want to go through my quilty closet and reorganize it.
  3. Pull out the 2012 LQS BOM Provence and figure out where I am.  Do the next step.
  4. Area One Quilter’s Run – Pull out and do one of the blocks.
  5. Continue to focus on the magenta socks and the kimono sweater.
  6. Make more drawstring bags
  7. Watch the craftsy class with the zipper pouch and make a zipper pouch.

And here’s my 2017 crafty plan

  1. Quilting
    1. Finish 6 quilts
      1. Missing Ivy – to be quilted
      2. Celtic Solstice – this one needs the backing prepped
      3. Have yourself a quilty Little Christmas – I need to finish the border (and thus the top) and then it will need the backing prepped
      4. Raining Cats and Dogs – this needs to be hand quilted
      5. Provence (2012 LQS BOM) – blocks are done, I need to revisit where I am on this one.  I think I just need to piece the blocks and alternating blocks together.
      6. Area One Quilter’s Run – blocks need to be pieced
      7. Scrapitude 2016 – I am piecing this as my leaders and enders
      8. Asian (2012 LQS BOM #2)
  2. Knitting
    1. Sweater “Kimono”
    2. Socks – 12 for the year.  I currently have 4 on the needles
    3. hat – 1 for each family member
    4. car knitting – Jacob’s beanie
    5. Use yarn stash (which as of 2/15/17, the following are being knitted from stash: 2 socks, Jacob’s beanie, Rikke hat for me or Kayla.)
  3. Cross Stitching – continue working on Mama’s Bukid each week.  At the latter end of last year, I grew tired of the browns and greens that I kept seeing on Mama’s Bukid and started a new project A Rose Fairy.  It’s not on my must do list for this year but I will work on it if I feel the urge to.  Right now, knitting is occupying more of my crafty time so as long as I work on Mama’s Bukid each week I’m happy.    
  4. Bag Making – I’ve been wanting to make bags for awhile.  I think it was one of my goals in 2015.  I want to revisit this again.  I have a bunch of craftsy classes, bag kits, books and patterns.  I think I’ll start with the Craftsy classes (especially the ones I have kits for) and then work on the kits I have.  After that, I’ll try my hand at the books and patterns I’ve got.
  5. Clothes – I want to start learning how to sew garments.  I’m not sure how or where to start so I guess my first step is to find an easy project to start learning on.

And my overarching non-craft specific goals:

  1. use what I have
    1. my fabric stash
    2. my yarn stash
    3. my tools
  2. Get rid of the things that I don’t love anymore
    1. sell
    2. donate
    3. throw away
  3. Watch my spending
    1. only buy things I will use now

 

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