Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl is running a link up for 2017 plans and I thought it would be a good idea to have a go if only to give myself a good laugh at the end of the year as my ambitions sadly get frustrated by life intervening.  Anyway with a fresh year what lies ahead.

General themes

1. Participating in One Monthly Goal now run by Elm Street Quilts and the Quarterly Finish Along this year has been very useful to get me focused on tasks that need a bit of stamina and a final push. This bionic bag is a case in point. I only had a couple of days left but it just gave me the excuse to set aside other tasks to get this done in time. So they will be a definite this year.

2. I want to try and build up a small stock of completed tops. I wanted to offer up some quilts for a flat being refurbished for Syrian refugees by one of our local churches in the summer but the task of producing 4 full sized quilts in 6 weeks just wasn’t going to happen. If I’d had a few tops up my sleeve then I could have helped. I won’t quilt them as they just take up too much room.

3. There are a 101 good sewing habits I would like to adopt but inspired by Debbie of a Quilters Table post on instant sewing  there are a couple I’m really going to try and apply. Firstly try and set up a design wall, it will have to be relatively small but something to hold blocks in progress. And also spending a few minutes each sewing session to tidy away fabrics and put away tools and rulers and not allow clutter to build up on my sewing table – I can hear hysterical laughter coming from my mum here!!! This is what it can look like but at its worst and this to be fair was abnormal as I’d agreed to my daughter using the room to clear out hers when she redecorated.

4. I need to have a good sort through my fabric collection. I’m keeping scraps less than  fat quarter separate and they become my go to fabric for charity blocks and other smaller process like bags etc. I have plenty needless to say but I’m conscious there will be similar sized pieces in the wrong place.

Specific makes

5. I want to finish my glitter quilt in 2017. This wonderful design by Jen Kingwell makes for a beautiful quilt but it’s time consuming. I’ve done around 42 blocks but need another 25+. I’ve been a bit stalled recently but must get back into the habit of doing a couple of blocks each Saturday night as part of the Saturday night craft along hosted by Lucy of Charm About You.

6.  Whilst I have had quilts at shows as part of a Modern Quilt display under the auspices of the UK Quilters Guild actually entering a quilt into a show on a competitive basis has frankly daunted me. One of the reasons is that I’m not an accurate piecer. I get by, most of my points survive, but when I look at the precision  of quilts in shows I know I am a long way off. I’m going to try and improve and if possible muster up the courage to enter a quilt into a show.  I need to make it first and ideas are mulling around.

7. There will be more quilts for Siblings Together. This quilt I made in 2016..

I’ve again got some ideas I just need the time. There’s also a quilt top made from blocks from my Bee that needs to be quilted.

8.  I would like to get on with a quilt to remind us of many happy holidays in S Africa. I have the fabric but no design ideas. Design doesn’t come easy to me, I’m a great copyist though… I just need to find the right inspiration.