Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2015 is good to you. Do you make resolutions every New Years? So many people do- to eat healthier, exercise more, read informative books… Have you made any?
Do you pick a word each year to try to focus your resolutions or goals?
Quilters often make “quilt” resolutions. What’s the big one? Probably to finish up those UFOs!!! Pat Sloan posted recently about UFOs and about her word for the year. You can read about it here, but her word is Finish. Interesting. I like it.
I’ve been trying to think about my word for the year. Balance is a great word- trying to maintain balance between work and not work life which is hard to do, especially when you work from home. Or focus, create, simplify… so many great choices.
My word is going to be Celebrate.
We all have many things in our life to celebrate. And many things we would not want to celebrate.
So I’m going to focus on the good things and remember to notice them, appreciate them and celebrate them.
How many times do you finish a task, a project and then check it off the list and move on? I do it all the time. Don’t get me wrong, it feels good to check it off the list, but I don’t really reflect on all that I get done each day, each week, each month… each year.
Take 2014- I have been feeling a little down about where I am- financially, about projects that have gone awry, about the big VAT and PDF dilemma, but really, 2014 was amazing!
I taped a Craftsy class and have had wonderful reviews.
Elizabeth and I wrote a book- Smash Your Precut Stash and it will be out in April with C&T Publishing.
We created 4 new patterns- gRadiant, Leftovers, Whirlybird and Urban Twist.
Our best selling pattern was Tiger Lily (again!) though Sgt. Stanley came in a close second.
We have had patterns published in magazines- specifically Quiltmaker, Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, McCall’s Quilting and McCall’s Quick Quilts with more to come in 2015.
My daughter got married this summer and I was able to have all my family and friends together. It was the first time in 2 years that my hubby, the kids and I have all been together in one place. It was wonderful.
And the list could go on.
Now some may feel this is bragging- but, I beg to differ. Bragging is arrogant, boastful, maybe even pompous. It usually means that you think you are better than others or want to portray yourself as better.
I am not better, I am grateful.
Grateful for the opportunities.
And so I should celebrate.
The really wonderful thing about my word is that it will require me to recognize when I am creative, when I am doing things to make me a better person (healthy eating, exercise, etc), to focus on the things I am doing and what I am getting done, to simply my life so that I can get things done… and to celebrate what I finish!
To get started, I am taking an idea I saw on Facebook and starting a jar- one that I can fill each day or each week with scraps of paper noting what I should celebrate. First, I have to find a pretty jar. And then find some pretty colored paper to use to fill the jar. (And then I can celebrate getting my jar done! And that I picked a word for the year! I am on a roll with things to celebrate!)
I have been working on my own calendar system- nothing quite works for me and so I am making my own, and I will add a spot for things to celebrate.
I will also work on UFOs- what a thing to celebrate! Getting old projects out of the closet and done! This picture is just some of my UFOs. I refuse to admit to the actual count.
Here is the first UFO I am going to work on- a Valentine Day’s table runner using our Prints Charming pattern. My daughter pieced this quite a few years ago and we have used it at quilt shows all rolled up or folded up so no one noticed it was not quilted!
Now it is going to be quilted and then either put on the ETSY site or on my table!
What are you planning for this year? I would love to hear.
Happy new year!
Happy quilting!
Celebrate!
Kate
p.s. Oh- some things that coming up this month here on the blog:
First we are going to be part of a blog hop called the Studio Spotlight- should be a lot of fun. You get to see where some quilters quilt! And maybe get some ideas for your space. The hop starts Jan 12th and goes thru Jan 23. Our day is Jan 19th.
Second- we have a new member of the Seams Like a Dream Team. She will be our “guest” blogger on Jan 8th.
Third- I am starting a BOM. Just a block each month that I will go thru how to piece. Since I just decided to do this recently, I won’t have the final project done any time soon. Something for your scraps. That will be near the end of the month so keep checking back for that.