2017 - A whole new year for plans

A new year and an opportunity for lovely new plans.  So, what would you like your 2017 stitching life to hold?

Hmmm ...

Here's what I'm thinking for me -

WIPs
Given that my plan for 2016 was to simply stitch as took my fancy with no particular concerns or pressures over deadlines, I have now accumulated a healthy pile of WIPs.  So, maybe it would be nice in 2017 to finish some of those up. They are much too lovely to leave unfinished. You can see the list of them over there in the left hand sidebar.  So less parking of projects and more progress!

Dear Jane
Not sure she really qualifies as a WIP since I planted my flag for a Dear Jane quilt in Jan 2016 and by early June I had a whole 5 blocks stitched.  Go me!  In my defence, I had great plans for my summer holidays and prepped lots of blocks to take with me.  However, I forgot that babies don't do holiday relaxation, so all those carefully prepared bags are still awaiting my attention.  2017 is the year!  No deadlines for this quilt - that would be ridiculous.  I imagine that this baby will be with me still as a WIP in my retirement.  I quite like that thought, just hope I won't need a wee bit extra sashing when I get to 63!

New sewing
I cannot possibly declare a ban on new projects.  Where would be the fun in that?  There will be new things along the way, I hope, and I know already of two gift quilts that will be needed. Besides, Santa brought my beautiful vintage Singer and it would be very rude of me not to have a lovely new project to sew on her, wouldn't it?

Books and Magazines
I don't think I'm alone when I say that I have lots of lovely books and magazines but I don't make enough from them.  I'd like that to change, so I need to peruse my shelves when I'm planning new projects this year.


Joining In
Having limited time for my hobby these days, I want to make sure I stay connected and I have some plans afoot to ensure that I don't lose touch with this lovely community.  You'll have to watch and see.

Supporting Charity Sewing
Lack of sewing time last year meant I wasn't able to get a finished quilt to Siblings Together and this year I'd really like to make a contribution.

Reduce my stash
Purely a practical issue.  I need to reduce what needs to be stored in our house but I want to sew it up, not just destash it. So, it would be great if I could achieve as many new makes from stash as possible. Easier said than done, maybe, but I can try.

So, those are my stitchy thoughts as this new year begins.  It's all with a small pinch of salt though because I want to keep enjoying this hobby even when I don't get lots of time to indulge my passion, and that might mean occasionally veering off course!

What are your stitchy thoughts as 2017 begins?  Do tell!

2014 - the year of the ...

..WIPs!

Yes indeedy folks, I am declaring that 2014 needs to be the year of the WIPs around here.  I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions but looking around my sewing space I realise that I really need to make plans to tackle the gathering piles.

For purposes of this 'plan' I am also going to include Projects in Waiting (PIWs).  These aren't just projects that are random ideas in my head, but ones I've actually already gathered the fabrics for and are sitting awaiting my time and attention.

So, having had a good old root around, here are the WIPs and PIWs taking up space in my sewing room right now:

I think the pile of blocks is actually larger than this now.

1 & 2 - Siblings Together Churn Dash Quilts
Generously donated blocks enough for two quilts have arrived so my first step will be laying both quilts out before getting cracking.  They need to be donated to the charity this summer, but my aim is to finish them by the end of February.

3 - hipBees Quilt no 2
I kicked off year 2 of hipBees in September by asking the Bees for black and white concentric square blocks with a pop of colour.  All of the blocks have been in for some time but I just haven't had a chance to get to them, so again laying out is the next stage of moving this WIP closer to completion.  I would like to see a finished quilt by the end of March.

4 - Scrumptious Brick Layer Cake Quilt
Started with much enthusiasm and haste the Brick Layer Cake Quilt top has been hanging on the back of the door awaiting its backing and basting.  Maybe if Feb and Mar are kind to me if could be finished by the end of March too(?)

5 - Mystery Medallion Quilt
If you followed the beginnings of this quilt, you'll know that I have no set plans and am simply working it up border by border and recording it all for you in case you'd like to join in or come back to it another time.  I now know what I want to do for border 4 but it's going to take more time than I've got in January so it looks like it will be Feb before I pick this one up again.  Would give you a chance to work on a centre and the first three borders to catch up if you wanted to work the rest along with me when the time comes ;-)  Anyway, hopefully Feb will see me picking up progress with this one. I'm not setting a finish date since I have no idea how much more there will be to it yet.

6 - Ruby Churn Dash bed quilt

I started these blocks on my hols last summer and have made a dozen or so more since.  There are still quite a few to make but they are all cut, so fingers crossed when I knock a few of the other WIPs off the list it will be easy to get stuck into these again.  Since the plan is to have this as a summer quilt for our bed, I hope to finish it by the end of May if possible. (Yes, optimistically predicting a nice warm June!)

7 - Crazy Scrappy block quilt
My scrap busting efforts from time to time over the past year or so have produced 16 of these cheery blocks and there is navy fabric on standby for sashing.  Could this be one to tackle over the summer aiming for a late September finish perhaps?

8 - Kaffe Fassett Sparkling Gemstones Quilt

Now this fabric has been patiently stored in a box for about two years (to my shame).  I even knew the pattern I wanted to use for it (from one of the Lintott's Jellyroll books).  From time to time I have toyed with using the fabrics in other projects, and while I can't promise that still won't happen, they were destined for this particular quilt so I think I should just get on with it. Hoping that 2014 will see those fabrics out of that box!

9 - Grey and Aqua quilt
These fabrics and a few more that have since been stashed in a bag under my sewing table feel so calming to me and I have wanted to whip them into a quilt from the moment Di sent the gorgeous curtain as a backing fabric.  Just never got around to it.  So, even though there's no hard and fast plan as yet, it's all there for the playing with in 2014.  I'm thinking maybe a quilt of oversized blocks, but I'm happy to see what grabs my attention as the year progresses and while the other WIPs get ticked off my list.  I'd like to see it finished by November.


Of course, it's going to be very dull if this prescriptive list is all I allow myself to tackle during the year.  After all, one needs room for creative deviation from time to time, so there will be Bee blocks and gifts and (hopefully) more cushions for my lounge too.  I really would like 2014 to be a year when I finish more than I start (for a change) and when I make use of the fabrics and stash I have collected purposefully.

Now that I've laid all of that out, I should warn you that there will be little activity on the sewing/blogging front for the next few weeks (Bee commitments excepted).  I'm taking a wee breather from the blog and the sewing room while I catch up or just keep up with the rest of what's happening here just now.  I am soooooo looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and resuming normal service before the end of the month, so don't forget about me!

I hope you all have fun sewing plans for 2014 and cannot wait to see what creativity and inspiration will abound this new year!

Ta ta for now!