Goals for June!

Part of me is in complete denial that it is June already!

But is here and we are 3 days in!

So goals for June...

• My first pattern is with the testers right now... it is nerve wracking, but very exciting. So big goal is to get the pattern ready for sale by the end of the month in my new Etsy shop.

• I have 3 quilts that I signed up to the FAL Q2 and the time has flown by again. Maxi's curvy quilt is 3/4 done, so will be finished this week. I aim to finish the other 2 by the deadline...

• Speaking of finishes, I want to donate the Scrappy Trip Along to the new school den along with the bright small one I started a couple of weeks ago. It needs to be done soon for the school reading den opening soon.

It is a short list, but full of focused sewing!

Hoping the glorious sunshine stays around this month!

Linking up with Let's Get Acquainted over at Life's Rich Pattern.

February's Goals

January has been and gone.... yay!

We are edging closer to Spring!

So the goals for February...

Fabric

The biggest goal is to only use fabrics from the stash.. I was looking through everything the other day whilst tidying the room - I bought loads of Really Useful Boxes and they are really useful!

But it meant I had to confront the extent of the fabric I have hoarded! I mean bags from scraps from quilts finished 5 years ago. And they aren't even little scraps, think layer cake size scraps...

So goal is to not buy any more fabric, but to use up what I have making quilt tops and trying new patterns.

But since this is the 4 February, the small purchase I made from Eclectic Maker on Friday of this Salt Water Bundle doesn't count right?

Salt Water 

They might sell out before the end of the month and it is my birthday this month......

God, I am a hopeless case!

Colour

I got this amazing book from the fabulous friends at The Yellow Lighted Bookshop on Friday.

It looks like an amazing book and the reviews online are really good.

So having read about the origins of colour in January, I plan to start learning about palettes in February. Learn why colour combinations work....

Design

I have a quilt design that is floating in my head. I want to get it out of my head and into motion... So design is top of the agenda too.

Can't say too much, but it will come out soon....

What are your plans for February?

Linking up with Plum and June as part of Let's Get Acquainted! 

January's Goals

At the start of the month I set myself some goals... they are part of my plan to keep better track of what I want to achieve with work and my blog.

The goals I set myself were:

• To make more comments on other bloggers blogs

• To learn more about colour.

• To take better photographs.

So how has it gone?

Well, pretty well I think!

Comments...

I have started making more comments on blogs, in fact I have discovered some amazing blogs that I now try to check in with everyday. I featured some of them last Sunday, and I will show you some more on Sunday as part of the Sunday Reading blog post series.

By commenting, you feel as if you are making connections in our little community of quilters, supporting each other and encouraging others. So I pretty pleased with making that commitment, and sticking to it!!

Colour...

Well, I have been reading Victoria Alexander's book and it has been fascinating learning about the meanings of colours in different parts of the world and how they affect people. I am keen to learn more and actually put it into practice in my quilts... but time, tight deadlines and sick children has meant I haven't been able to...

So I think this one will tip into next month, but with a narrow range of goals - why set yourself up to fail?

Photos...

I have been following the advice I have picked up from various blogs. I have started switching off all lights and using only natural light. I have experimented with using a white background and even taken photos out in the snow - quite a lot of glare!

Overall I think my photos have improved, and resisting using my phone to take photos has helped too! It's all too easy to load photos from there onto here... but they just aren't the same quality!

What about your goals?

How are they going?

I would love to know!

Goals to Achieve....

I don't really believe in New Years Resolutions... in the past I have set so many - get fitter, diet, do this, do that... then I fail by 3rd January and used to feel totally lost... useless!

Now I just write myself a list of goals each month, they help me to focus at the start of the month on what I want to achieve. Plus it means you can set little targets and get a sense of achievement by completing them...

So each month I will be recording my goals here so I can see how I am doing...

January

1. Write more comments on other peoples blogs

I have been reading other peoples blogs for months, and I never have the confidence to comment. This month I aim to leave one comment a day for a fellow blogger - something to make them smile! I know that comments on my blog make me smile!

2. To learn about colour

I am really interested in working with colour palettes, but I am also interesting in learning about the history of colour. Simple Things magazine have an article this month with extracts from Colour a Journey by Victoria Alexander, which I think is a good starting point...

 

3. Learn how to take better pictures

When I made bags I learnt the best way to take photos of my work, but quilts are proving to be more elusive.... I really want to improve the quality of my pictures so they properly reflect my work....

Setting 3 means I am more likely to succeed - and not a diet in sight!