January is a frosty, cold month where I live, and it feels good to sit near a crackling fire with a cup of steaming hot cocoa while dreaming about the upcoming year. A new year signals new beginnings, and most of us find ourselves trying to figure out how we can accomplish more quilting projects this year than we did in 2010. We may think… if only I had more time, more money, a better sewing machine, etc., etc. The truth is most of us have more fabric than we can possibly use, and many more projects than we have time to complete. So how do we realize our dreams and get things done?
It’s easy to come up with all kinds of goals or resolutions for the new year. The problem lies in making them stick, or in other words, achieving the results we desire. I know one thing for sure: it doesn’t happen by simply thinking about it and wishing it to be so. We must:
- Set realistic goals. If you have 12 quilts you want to make and 3 of them are king-size bed quilts, it may not be possible to do one project a month. By prioritizing your projects, you will determine which ones need to be done first and then, how many can be finished this year.
- Divide goals into several small steps. Instead of planning to have one large quilt finished in three months, figure out how many blocks need to be finished each month, then how many per week.
- Decide how much time to devote to sewing each week. Some women can devote only 30 minutes a day before work with longer time slots on the weekends; others have 2 – 3 hours a day to devote to sewing. The important thing is to be consistent. You will be amazed at how much you have accomplished by the end of the week, even if you can sew only a few minutes a day.
I have a good friend who follows these steps whenever she begins a new project. Her results are amazing! She finishes one beautiful quilt after another. A little over a year ago, I was feeling overwhelmed by my desire to have three wall hangings finished for Christmas gifts. I had four months to make them, but I also work full time at my longarm quilting business. By dividing the work into small steps, I was able to accomplish my goal. One of those wall hangings I designed became my first pattern, Serenity. It was well worth the effort and planning it took to achieve my goal.
I also remember wanting to finish a Trip Around the World for my parents’ wedding anniversary but found it very boring and repetitious. I decided to spend 30 minutes a day sewing the strips, and before I knew it, the quilt was finished. It could have just as easily ended up in the unfinished project pile. Instead, it is an heirloom my parents cherish each and every day.
So, don’t be discouraged by all those unfinished quilts or all the new quilts you want to make. Simply set some realistic goals, divide them into small steps, and sew a little bit each day. Not only will your pile of projects get smaller and smaller, but your stack of beautiful quilts will grow larger and larger. You will be able to realize your dreams and achieve the goals you set for the upcoming year.
