Early in the summer of 2021, I saw an Instagram post where someone explained her carefree summer. That phrase captured my imagination. YES! I also wanted a carefree summer. I didn’t want any pressure to start new projects or get things finished. A summer with fun and no obligations? Sign me up.
That’s pretty much what happened. Only the carefree summer turned into carefree fall and has continued into carefree winter. As a result, I had my least productive year quilting-wise since I started quilting 33 years ago. I maybe finished 10 quilts all year. MAYBE. I’m terrible at keeping track.
With the new year, though, comes new resolve and my to-do list looks something like this:
- Finish one quilt per week
- Finish 12 UFOs
- Sort scraps and cut into the most useful sizes
- Clean and declutter sewing room
- Use 200 yards of stash fabric
I wish I could make all this happen, but I know I won’t, and here’s why.
- It always takes longer to finish a project than I think it will.
- Even if I finish a UFO every month, I will probably create a new one.
- With every project comes new scraps. Scrap management is a never-ending process. Not to mention, it is tedious. I love scrap quilts, though, so will continue to save scraps.
- I have faced the fact that I am not a tidy quilter. It inspires me to see fabric and patterns sitting out. I also like having projects ready to go when I have just a few minutes to sew. And the reality is, I have more stuff in my studio than I have room for. It is so hard for me to part with fabric. I just KNOW I will find a use for it someday.
- I probably will use 200 yards of stash fabric but will have to show tremendous restraint to not replace it with 300 yards of new fabric.
Writing this post makes me think about the way I want to approach quilting in 2022 and beyond. I will try to reduce UFOs and stash fabric. It’s time to get rid of projects I no longer have any interest in finished (talking to you Thimbleberries!). Unless I’m making a quilt specifically for donation, I rarely use my traditional fabric stash, so I could part with much of that to make room for fresher, brighter, more modern fabric. I still like these fabrics, but after making hundreds of quilts in this style, there is a certain “sameness” to them.
Now that the weather is cold I look forward to more time in my sewing room. Last night I listed a few quilts I would like to make in the next month or so. I stopped writing after 12. Looks like my next planning session should be on setting priorities!
That is a very ambitious list…but I applaud your ideas. In your mind does piecing a quilt count as finishing a quilt ..or does it have to be topstitched and have the binding sewn on as well? (Just asking!) I agree there is a lot of cool material out there. I like to think that some of my old fabrics can play nice with any new fabrics I buy, but maybe that is wishful thinking. I look forward to hearing of your 2022 quilting endeavors! January (in general) is a great month to sit inside and sew.