update on the wanna gotta do’s

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash. – I’m doing well in that I’m actually finishing things so my total net numbers are ADDED 7.5 yards year to date.  Last year at week 7, I was ADDED 31.5 yards so I’m ecstatic!  I did add less in total for this time frame but it’s finishing Flowers and Baskets and the little projects here and there that have made such a big difference.

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time.

Scrapitude – Yes!  I’m caught up and the next clue comes out March 10.

Tell It To The Stars – I’m almost done…

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes.  – So here is one where I think I have to modify my classes.  I am actually watching Leah Day’s FMQ class.  This is one where I get great ideas but I’m not planning on working on the class project or even practice the quilting ideas.  I’m just going to watch it and when I’m done I think I will call this complete.  I am working on the first project for Stephanie’s knitting class and I still plan on doing the projects of the Bag Making Class but I can’t watch those classes while I’m quilting.  And I like to watch a class while I’m quilting so I can finish them.  More on this at a later post.

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Purchase the supplies for the first two projects of Sew Practical – Done

Do the first project – not yet done but will probably do in the next couple of weeks.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Waikoloa Beach Sunset
Hawaii
12/28/2014

Last week I posted an update on my January goals.  And in the middle of giving that update I also indicated what I plan to do for February.  Here, in this post, I reiterate my February goals in a nice, condensed, no nonsense list!

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash.

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time.

Scrapitude

Tell It To The Stars

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes.

Stephanie Japel’s Hats Four Ways

Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag and Bucket Bag

4. Complete projects from my craft books

Purchase the supplies for the first two projects of Sew Practical

Do the first project

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Rainbow Falls Lookout
Hawaii
12/31/14

January progress report on my 2015 quilty goals

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash – done… I may not like the numbers all the time but I’m still counting.  See my Sunday Stash report every Sunday…

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time – working really well… I have 2 small projects done (the table runner/place mats and the pincushion) and 1 quilt (Flowers and Baskets) this month.  I finished the first clue of Scrapitude so for February I will work on the second clue (to be released on 2/10/15) and Tell It To The Stars.  I am currently working on a bag project (see yesterday’s post) and as soon as that is done, I will get on Tell It To The Stars until the next clue arrives.  Don’t tell anyone but every time I type Tell It To The Stars I want to type TITTS to shorten it up.  Just like LQS and UFO and WIPs.  But I’ll giggle every time I type TITTS so I’ll just type it out each time. lol

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes – I finished 2 classes.  I’m working on my first hat in Hats Four Ways so that class may take a while to complete.  I love Stephanie Japel.  She’s so precise in her instruction and I find her hilarious.  The other class I will work on for February is the Bag Making Class: Drawstring Bag & Bucket Bag.  I already made the drawstring bag but I think I’ll make another.  It’s really cute but if you wash it, the bag gets all distorted so you’ll have to press it down again.

4. Books – I pulled out a book to start working on projects.  My idea is to just work projects from beginning to end (as long as it is something that I want to do).  For January, I picked the book Sew Practical.  For February, I’ll do the first project.  I want to go through the supplies and for these projects there is always something I do not have so I’ll place the order for the first and second projects this month.  That way I’ll have the supplies for the next project ready and I can start at anytime.  I’ll try to order any supplies for the next project while I’m working the current project so that once I’m done, I’m ready for the next one.  I find I often do not start projects I want to do because I don’t have all the supplies I need for it.  Hopefully doing it this way will help me finish projects in the various books I enjoy looking at.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie

Lava Tunnel
Hawaii
12/31/2014

For 2014, it changed early in the year but here is what I ended up with:

• 6 finished quilts
  • I ended up with 4 finished quilts which was 1 more than I finished in 2013
• 1 crochet project
  • I ended up not doing any crochet projects and I’m fine with this.  I’ve been more intrigued in knitting this year than crochet.
• 1 knit project
  • I finished 3 projects this year.  The last one I keep forgetting to take a picture of it and post it in my library but it’s Kayla’s Cowl finished around October or November.
• 1Craftsy class
  • I finished at least 1 class.  I probably finished more but I wasn’t really keeping track.  I know I finished the first couple of knitting classes I took.
• 50 yards of fabric used
  • I only ended up with 22 yards used.
• 1 book/magazine project
  • I ended up not doing this one at all.
• 1 bag
  • I finished a couple of little make up pouches which can be classified as little bags.

So all in all, I did pretty well for 2014.  More than I thought, really.  For 2015, here are my goals –

1. Continue to count fabric in and out of my stash.  The goal is not to reduce stash but to just monitor what comes in and what comes out.  I find that counting it, really keeps me – well, accountable.  When I am not monitoring it, it is easy for me to forget that I already added yardage last weekend and the weekend before and it is easy to constantly buy fabric because I love fabric, the colors, the feel of it.  I don’t need any more but I love to buy it.  So, by monitoring what comes in and what goes out, I can control my urges to buy more.  One day, I’ll make it a goal to reduce stash but that is not going to happen this year.  I’ll try to buy less in 2015 than in 2014.  I no longer have the space for more fabric in my current space.  I can buy more fabric if I buy a new bin to store it in.  But then I’ll need to find space for that bin.  I could squeeze a couple of those bins in my closet but I’m not sure I want to do that.  I could get rid of some clothes that are in one of the current bins in my closet – that will provide me space to put more fabric in that space.  If I do buy more fabric, I’m leaning towards that route.  Who needs clothes when I’ve got fabric? 🙂

2. Concentrate on one thing at a time.  I want to finish quilts.  My goal is to finish 6 quilts.  In 2014 I was working on multiple quilts at a time.  There were 3 BOMs I was regularly working on each month and when those three BOMs were done for the month, I would move on to a wish list of projects I work on periodically.  As a result, nothing really got finished.  Progress happens from week to week but really no finishes.  So I think this year I’ll approach things a little differently by working on one thing at a time.  The plan is to work on one quilt start to finish before going to the next project.  I know I will have a problem with this because I have quilters ADD.  I always want to do the newest BOM and work with the next fad.   As a result, I have a ton of UFOs – much more than what is actually listed on this site because that page has to be updated.  I know this is in direct contradiction to my priorities and to do’s post from last October and these thoughts may change again once I get really into it.  But I want to try and maybe this will work for me…

I’ll start with Scrapitude. Then work on the following quilts in this order (for now)…

• Tell It To The Stars
• Moon Glow
• Hampton Ridge
• Flowers and Baskets
• Raining Cats and Dogs
• Celtic Solsitce
• Grand Illusions!

3. View and complete Craftsy Classes – Last year, Sandy at Quilting for the Rest of Us had this as one of her goals and I admire her progress throughout the year.  This year, I’ll attempt to do the same.  I’m not planning on doing the reviews she did for each of the classes she takes but I do want to document which ones I have, which ones I’ve finished and which ones I’m working on in a similar fashion.  I also do not have a specific number that I want to complete, I just want to get some of these done. 🙂

4. Books – Similar to the Craftsy Classes, I have a bunch of books and magazines that have patterns and projects that I want to complete one day.  I won’t do a full on quilt since I do want to finish the ones I’ve got started, but I think I’ll do the small projects that I can finish in 1-2 weekends.  My goal is to do 1 per quarter – so just 4 for the year.  It seems small now but I want to keep things simple and realistic.  My main goal is to get quilts done (#2) so this book projects goal and the Craftsy class goal is secondary so I want to make them doable.

Here’s to a great year!

Happy Quilting!

~Melanie