Hello and happy Friday! First, thanks so much for all of the positive support on this year’s Scraps-Along here at A Quilting Life. I’m super excited about it myself and believe we will all be able to learn from each other and stay motivated throughout the year (if you missed hearing about the scraps-along challenges for 2020, you can find all of the details here). Today I’m sharing 10 Tips for a Great Year of Quilting. These ideas will help make sure you’re organized and ready to begin your best year of quilting.
10 Tips for a Great Year of Quilting
Whether you use all of these ideas or just a few, here are some proven ways to jump-start your quilting for the new year!
1. Do a Quick Clean Up of Your Sewing Area
Don’t let this first one scare you away, lol! This is just a general clean-up and straightening to give you the space you need to work. If you’d like information on a more thorough sewing room cleaning plan, you can see this post. For now, though, just make sure your ironing surface is clear, there is space clear where you sew, and you have a place for cutting out projects.
2. Make a Supplies to Buy List
This is a simple task that shouldn’t take too long. Check your sewing and quilting supplies. Do you have enough thread? Do you have sewing machine needles? Could you use some batting or rotary cutting blades? Whatever you might need, add it to a list so you can stock up when you’re at the quilt shop or find a good sale on notions.
3. Make a List of Your Works in Progress
This is a project I do each year. I keep all of my previous Works in Progress lists together so I can easily move the ones that are still unfinished to the new year’s list. And I also add anything I’ve started throughout the past year that isn’t finished yet. You can find a great printable Works In Progress list from AllPeopleQuilt here.
4. Make a Bucket List of Projects
I also keep an ongoing Bucket List of projects I want to make. I was able to cross a few off that I finished in 2019. But of course I’ve added some new ones. It’s okay if you end up changing your mind about these projects. Having an idea list is a good thing to have. All People Quilt also has a great printable bucket list of projects if you are looking for inspiration. Find it here.
5. Give Yourself a Yearly Challenge
Challenge yourself with at least one thing. Learn English Paper Piecing. Make a string block. Make a pineapple block. Or just challenge yourself to clean out the closet in your sewing room. But give yourself a challenge.
6. Plan Time to Sew and Quilt
This one sounds simple but is so important. Are Saturday’s your best sewing times? Or are evenings best for you? Perhaps you might want to set a goal to sew something small each morning before you leave for the day. Whatever works best…think about it and schedule sewing and quilting time.
7. Set a Monthly or Quarterly Sewing/Quilting Goal
Next you’ll want to set a small goal. Some people like to do this monthly while others prefer quarterly goal setting. This can be something simple such as “Keep up with Moda Block Heads 3 each week” or “Make a baby quilt to donate each quarter.” Write it down and put it in a place you’ll remember to review it (more on this later). For a post with helpful tips on setting quilting goals go here.
8. Set a Monthly or Quarterly Organizing Goal
Now set a monthly/quarterly organizing goal. Again…this can be something simple like cutting up project left overs for your scrap bins. Or it could be to make a list of all of the specialty rulers you have and where they are stored. Little projects will add up throughout the course of the year.
9. Decide on a Place for Your Lists
Decide where to keep these goals and lists you’ve made. If you don’t know where they are, you won’t be able to review them regularly. So put them on a bulletin board, in a planner, or in your phone. Just make sure you can access them easily.
10. Decide on a Review Schedule and Time
A lot of the steps above require regular review. Decide if you’d like to do that weekly, monthly, or quarterly, and put those review times on your calendar. And remember, it’s okay if you don’t keep on track all of the time. Just having these plans figured out and in place will help you–and if you miss a week or a month, you can just start where you are.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and that some of these 10 Tips for a Great Year of Quilting will make their way into your sewing routine to help you get organized. Now the fun part–let’s get sewing and enjoy quilting in 2020! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Amy says
Sherri, Thank you so much for your organization and goal-oriented tips. I am fairly new (4 years) to quilting, and appreciate tips to keep the over-whelm to a minimum. I find my creative self gets a bit frenzied and I have trouble focusing. Your ideas and tips help me to keep tapping back into the joy of why I love to quilt rather than being consumed by the stash around me. 🙂 You have helped to change my thinking and give me great ideas of how to manage a year of quilting, to explore and accomplish some pretty cool things. I appreciate you and your approach!
Helen Reimers says
Good ideas. I am going to try some this year. Thanks
Marianna says
Hello. Really enjoyed reading your Quiltings tips. Thank you for writing them. 😀
Gail says
I love the pictures of your quilts…your colors are beautiful!! What fabric line are they. I enjoy your blog – thank you!
Gail
COLLEEN says
Thank you for a lot of great ideas. I had already made a list of my UFO’s. I have printed the sheets that you recommended. This is going to be the year that I am going to follow through!
Cheryl says
So helpful. I have already decided my goal is 20 in 2020 finished quilts. Not necessarily start to finish but including those UFO’s. I have a very early quilt class tablecloth I think I made about 15 years ago. How embarrassing. I have a quilt that is punch basted with one of those little machines that came out in the 1990s I think it was. My oldest daughter and I used it a lot. I have a few others. I am really excited because I ordered a Sweet Sixteen at a fantastic price literally on the 10 hour drive home from our Christmas Disneyland vacation with our family (3 daughter’s, their spouses and our 3 darling granddaughters, 11, 6 and 5).
I have a large pressing table from Ikea that my husband stapled covered with batting and fabric. Actually I need to replace the fabric because I spilled on it and it is stained badly in an area. The fabric came from Charleston, SC when my two younger daughters both lived there, one military spouse, the other wanderlust who followed her baby sister back when my first granddaughter was born. It is a cherry border print that was the ONLY cotton in a fabric store we stopped in while I was visiting. I have Valentine’s fabric and ribbon up at the top and barely had the room to press my 3rd son-in-law’s Midnight Sky quilt top I finished last night while my husband was at a local college basketball game. The back will be a thin blue line flag since he is a police officer. My other two son-in-law’s have a Green Bay Packers quilt (ugly) and my first and youngest SIL his Americana quilt as he was active duty Marine for over 9 years until his vision had decreased that it was not good enough to stay in the military. He is now legally blind (Stargardt’s Disease).
My day for sewing is Wednesdays. I got so little accomplished in 2019 it was horrifying. The second and fourth Wednesdays of the month I sew with a group of ladies at a local church who allows us to use a classroom (without paying them anything). I decided that Wednesdays will be the day I sew at home those other Wednesdays when I am not with the ladies.
Last night while sewing on the Midnight Sky quilt I was thinking about how much I needed to accomplish each month. I have my list of people the quilts will go to and I have not made a list of my UFOs though I have printed out the sheet from APQ.
My other quilting commitment is to not just skim your blog, but turn off the TV or whatever is distracting me and really read it because when I have done that, your tips are so helpful and motivational. Your fabrics and quilts are so inspiring. Thank you!
Happy New Year!
Gwyn says
Thanks for the encouragement Sheri. I met half of my goals last year and had some time for impromptu projects which got completed before the New Year. I’ve moved my WIPs and UFOs to the top of this years list. Hopefully I will be able to add some new projects with your scrap challenges.