New Page on the Wall Calendar

Yeah! It's a new month! I always like it when I can turn over a new page on the wall calendar - not just because I get to view a new pretty picture for a month (of course I have one with quilts on it!) -- but because I can close out the old month, at least in my mind.

Okay, maybe that sounds a little weird, but I have to tell myself goofy things to keep my sanity. Such as -- the old month is now over, whatever you did or didn't do is history. Here's a fresh new page of your life that hasn't been written yet -- make the most of it! Or as I've been known to say to my children "go and sin no more" (grin). New beginnings! Better than a new year, this happens 12 times a year!! Again, "make the most of it!"

So I did. I took a Sunday afternoon nap!

Seriously. I had grand plans of finishing a personal quilting project today but sleep overtook me. And I gave in. A good way to rid my mind and body of last month's stresses (grin) okay, maybe it only sounds logical to me, but I believe me! No regrets.

And then I woke up. And yes, I did work in my studio, but not on the living room quilt that only needs a mitered stripe border like I'd hoped. It was a little more than I could do in the short evening hours so instead I opted to work on the quilt I started while at the SnS reunion the first of January . I had all the blocks made already so this evening I pieced the blocks into the quilt center. Another step towards completion.

Then I got to thinking.

And then I decided to make a list.

Hum. And then I figured I might as well confess and then perhaps the 'accountability factor' would be a good motivator to assist me.

I made a spread sheet with the names of all my UFO's or Projects Started -- think I'll start calling them PS's -- how's that for a new catch phrase.

Okay. I admit to the world I have 29, count them, twenty-nine, yes one shy of thirty (gasp!) -- I have 29 projects that have been started all neatly arranged on my bookshelf (and floor) in those cute clear plastic project boxes.

Truth be told, a lot of them are really really close to being finished. And now that I've made a list (yes, each project has a name) I'm mentally sorting them into the ones that I'd like to take to retreat with me later this month (more on that another time) and sorta placing them in a piecing order in my mind. Of course, the logical order is very subject to change dependant upon the mood of the moment when I do get to sit down at the domestic...okay...onward!

I also listed my "Quilts in Waiting" - quilts that are waiting their turn on the longarm -- some have been waiting since 2005 (sigh). Keep in mind, these are personal quilts. I'm not that slow with my customer quilts or I'd be out of business (grin). Remember, I work for myself on Sunday afternoons after worship (and sometimes after a nap) so be kind.

I have six. Not too bad, two of them are from my sew in with the Galveston Island Quilt Guild in July 2005, I can remember because that was also my birthday. One is from the retreat last Feb 2008, and the other three are small SnS samples I pieced this past fall. So not too bad in this category.

Next is the "Next step Binding" category. If I'd of started the list yesterday there would have been two -- but last night I finished the binding on My Dangling Carrot quilt so it's now moved to the Finished in 2009 category. Only one little lone quilt in this category -- Exploding Star quilted before Christmas.

And this is where the celebrations begin! Two already in the "Finished in 2009" list! The Prairie Claw Class Sampler I did on New Years and now My Dangling Carrot. In a way, the Finished category is a little deceiving since the entire process wasn't done in 2009....but guess I can live with that...on the same token the PS's weren't all started in 2009 either!!

SO my sew-n-sew friends, I've been bold and made a list on my sidebar that will be continually updated as I have the opportunity to work on personal projects. I read about others who keep up with fabric in and fabric out -- I didn't want to do that, one because that's too much of a confession (grin) and because it was too much thinking for me. This method is manageable. I know now how many PS's I have in my nice new project boxes and I know how many are tops waiting to be quilted, bound, and finished.

I know I'll probably add new projects to the ones already started, I'd never be able to limit myself to just finishing something because there's a lot of joy in the planning stages! Well, anyway, my point was the PS column can both increase and decrease throughout the year but hopefully the QW will increase with the ultimate goal of having lots and lots of finished quilts with my signature on them by the close of 2009.

Now I have one more reason to enjoy turning over a new wall calendar page -- to report in how I'm doing with my personal quilting goals!

Stay tuned!!