Q3 Results; Q4 Planning

The July-thru-September quarter is over.  Time to take a step back, celebrate my successes, and write down my plans for the October-thru-December quarter.  As I have seen in the past, having a list of goals is really a helpful thing for when my mind wanders off.


First, taking stock of THE LIST, that aspirational, numbered list I set out back in July.  How did I do?

1.  Finish piecing scrappy bargello wallhanging  Done!

 

This goal was all about finishing the center piecing.  Once that was done, I really slacked off on making any progress toward the borders...

2.  Final row of Relaxing Robin   Left out in the Cold

I cut out and started piecing some of the checkerboard border, but then decided I wanted to see things on a design wall.  And there it sits, waiting for the design wall to be available.

3.  Two more blocks for drama t-shirt quilt  Untouched

4.  Finish rainbow bathrobe  Done! 

Still haven't got the blog post together to celebrate and show off this project, but it was surprising how quickly it went together once I finally got going on it.

5.  Make three garments   Untouched

I might even say I made backward progress on this, buying yet another pattern (but no fabric!) and still not getting going.  Yet.

6.  Practice FMQ (placemats?)  Refocused

After reading many of the helpful posts during the Elven Garden's FMQ quilt-along, I determined that my little old sewing machine was really never gonna do me right when it came to FMQ: supremely tiny throat, no stitch regulator, no proper elevated surface.  I switched my short-term quilting goals towards using my walking foot.  And that process is going just fine.

7.  Quilt red/pink/black baby quilt  Made a Start

Pinned together the quilt sandwich and started with stitch-in-the-ditch. 

8.  Make a dent in the mending pile  Dented!

Did at least FIVE items of mending: hemmed three pairs of pants and two pair of capri's; made modifications to the neckline of a summer frock, mended a hole in a pair of pajamas.  Most importantly to the size of the mending pile: DONATED two items that I realized I wasn't going to wear even if they got mended.

And... Plans for 4th Quarter

Alrighty, on to plans for the 4th Quarter: October thru December.  Includes Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Holiday season seems to be hella-busy, but also has mega potential to derail any plans.  I just this week came across a super-cute advent calendar; shouldn't I embrace a new project like that?  (Or those Kente-cloth Wise Men that I have wanted to make forever?)

1.  Finish knitting bobble cowl

A friend and I started weekly knitting during Monday night football.  This cowl with bobbles has been my project for the month of September.  Close to finishing it. 

2.  Quilt red/pink/black baby quilt

Top priority for this quarter: finish this baby quilt.  Just need to complete the quilting (with my walking foot), and do the binding.

3.  Finish border for scrappy bargello wallhanging

Border for a wallhanging:  I'm setting my sights low here.  I'd rather aim low--and go on to start the quilting on this if I'm feeling it--than constrain myself.  Especially this busy time of year.

4.  Machine quilting on Barnyard play quilt

This on-again/off-again project renewed its possibilities in my imagination when I started looking at doing quilting of small projects using my walking foot, instead of the much-avoided FMQ.  No promises as to how far I will get, but *Inspiration* usually propels me forward better than anything else.

5.  Some Christmas sewing, perhaps?

 

How different this pre-holiday is from last year!  I had a plan last year, and I had mini-deadlines to keep me on track as I sewed and sewed on Christmas aprons for twelve family members.  This year?  Well, there are ideas and some steps taken on the four items pictured, but no concrete plans yet to complete any one of them as a Christmas gift.  I will just have to see what I am feeling as December approaches.

6. Start something I am *excited* about

I have gotten excited about so many possible projects in the past four months.  I keep putting off starting something new until I feel like I have finished "enough" of the current WIPs...  Lest I just add to the UFO pile, abandoning a partially-completed project rather than power through a difficult or tedious step.  So I'd like to keep the door open to some December project that has made me swoon recently.



Embarrassing what is NOT on this list for the quarter:  drama t-shirt quilt, Relaxing Robin flannel quilt, and mending.  Sorry guys, you just didn't make the cut for this time of year.


Only SIX items for three months?  Am I setting my goals too low?  Nah.  My day job is super-crazy-busy this year.  So much that I often feel like I have no energy for things like hobbies.  I'll just keep plugging along on my long-term projects; maybe I'll have a couple finishes by December.  That's always a nice feeling.


I thought I would link up to Finish Along at The Littlest Thistle for this quarter, but I see that the deadline has passed.  Oh well: this quarter's list is just for me, then.

Do you make lists?  Are they realistic?  (This may be the most realistic I have been in quite awhile; normally, I think I am Wonder Woman when I set out to make a list.)