So, as I said in my post yesterday…I suck at finishes! I admit it. I can’t help it, a new project presents itself and I am all over it! The thrill of creating something new and different sets in and I toss aside my current project for the next one.
In light of this self-proclamation and putting it out there into the world that I have a minimum of 10 unfinished projects (and honestly probably more but I would have to sit down and really think about it) I have decided it is time for some goal setting.
For the rest of this week, every evening, I am going to work on my mother’s day gift. I am determined to have it done by the end of March. I can only work for about 30 minutes because it kinda kills my hands – the hand quilting that is.
Next, I basted one quilt yesterday and I am going to baste another one today. I also ordered thread from Superior Threads yesterday to quilt both these quilts. Let’s face it the worst part of any quilt is the basting, and since that is mostly what has been holding me back from finishing, then I have no more excuses!
Hopefully putting it out there for all to see and holding myself more accountable will lead to a few more finishes and getting some projects off my shelves!
How about you? Do you sent goals? How do you hold yourself accountable?
UPDATE: As of 1:00 pm (30 minutes in to nap time) my quilt is basted and my living floors have been mopped. I spent the morning tweeting with some of favorite ladies and they all convinced me to spray baste. I might just be a convert…depending on how it works with my sewing machine! Thanks Shanna, Debbe & Jenna!
Have you ever tried spray basting? You won’t want the little one around. But 505 is my best friend! I have WIPS from over a year ago still holding up like a charm. Maybe i need a goal like this too. Lalalala
You can do it!!! You finish a lot more projects then I can even begin to dream of! I have a few things I need to finish over the summer. Hopefully I can finish one every couple of weeks! 🙂
You definitely don’t want advice from me when it comes to goals lol I have this nifty little program on my laptop (Windows 7) called Sticky Notes, and it’s like electronic Post-Its for my computer’s desktop. I use those to keep track of quilting. I know that since late December, I have finished 5 quilts and 2 table runners. I also know that I have 10 more table runners I want to make, and 10 more quilts (including one due in June, 1 due in July, and 1 due in August). I have some fabric for some of those projects, but I do not have one single thing cut. It’s hard for me to cut into fabric because I worry that I will mess it up, or it won’t turn out nice, or the recipient will not like it, or I might actually win a giveaway and get something really cute… I am severely lacking in quilter’s confidence… Lately I’ve been telling myself I haven’t started any of those projects because I need a certain ruler, and must wait until I get that ruler (Quilters Rule Quick Quarter II 12 inch), but I’ve made no effort to actually purchase the ruler 🙁 To be fair, I’d been really sick from 2/10-3/18 (which was my birthday), and am just now starting to feel better. However, I’m done making excuses, and am going this very morning to a quilt shop in Tumwater (my first visit to a real quilt shop!) with my fingers crossed that they will have the ruler. If they do, I am in business. If not, I might have to go to the one in downtown Olympia…and downtown scares me a little. Sorry for the insanely long comment! I’m glad to hear you have 10 projects in the works – it means I’ll get to see more finished quilts, and your quilts are always wonderful. I don’t personally hate basting, even though it breaks my fingernails and kills my knees, I see it as one step closer to a finished quilt. The step I hate the most is the actual quilting, since my Brother (CE8080PRW) has a small throat space and it makes quilting feel like wrestling an anaconda through my machine, and my carpal tunnel makes hand quilting super painful. Back to tracking goals, would it help you to post each week and link up to something like Freshly Pieced’s WIP Wednesday?
I lost you! yeah, didn’t realize I had been following you on GFC… You can yell at me later for that. Hopefully I have my problem fixed now and I can get back to stalking….I mean checking out your latest accomplishments :o)
I think admitting there is a problem is the first step to finishing…lol
I wouldn’t be to hard on yourself. You have 10 projects that are almost done that is pretty great!
Oh crap tell me about it! I have one more Swoon block to do, assembly of the Orange QAL top, that crown block quilt I’ve shown you, plus 2 jelly rolls and a layer cake. And 2 I spy needing made for nephews. Plus about 6 more. We need an extra day on the week, called Sewday. Lol
OK. Someone tell me what a Quilters rule quick quarter inch II 12 inch is! 🙂
I am a relatively new quilter–and I already have several quilts in progress–or lined up that I want to make. Last night DH asked me–how many quilts are you working on?
I have heard good things about spray basting. I will be curious to see how you like it! Perhaps you could post a tutorial about it? Someone said it gummed up their machine-so I wonder what they did wrong-since so many others rave about it!
i find that i can only achieve my goals if i write out lists with what i want to achieve each day.
A tip with the spray basting. Don’t quilt right away. Let it sit for about 5 hours or overnight. The basting spray will dry and it won’t gum up your needle. I used to do it right away and had issues, but my quilt lady told me to knock it off and now it’s ever so much better.
Goals…. accountability……oh my! Would you believe I am just now reading the email that told me about this post! I have goals…….but I don’t worry if they change. I have a couple UFO’s from 1989, they will get finished someday, I’m not ready to get rid of them! I think because of blogging there are a million things we see and ideas we come up with and there just isn’t enough time in the day to do them all…..so we pick and choose. I know you will get your Mother’s Day gift done in time!