Quilty Goals for Winter 2024

Hello new year!

First, a wrap-up of my goals for fall:

• Finish my QuiltCon fabric challenge entry. Done.
• Quilt & bind my Sunsparks quilt. Done — just last week!
• Release the Sunsparks pattern. Done.
• Make an item for the HMQG holiday swap. Done.
• Focus on finishes. I wanted to get 2 WIPs done, and I completed one. It wasn’t one on the list I posted in October, but a finished WIP is still a finished WIP.
• Make Quilts Unscripted Bee blocks each month. Done.
• Also done:
  • Got a new longarm!
  • Sold the old longarm!
  • Wrote and released 2 cross stitch patterns.
  • Made a Zip Zip Hooray pouch for my mom.
  • Made several crochet amigurumi and crochet items from my Woobles advent calendar.

Looking ahead to the next few months, I expect QuiltCon to dominate January and February as I prepare for the 3 things I am teaching — a lecture, two sessions of a new workshop, and two sessions of a guild leadership seminar that I am doing jointly with Elizabeth Ray — and attend the show. The girls’ spring break in March is something to account for as well. With all that in mind, here are my goals for January-March:

• QuiltCon lecture + workshop + seminar. As mentioned, I have a lot of prep work to do in the next 6 weeks to make sure all of these go well!
• Kick off the 2024 Pantone challenge. We are hoping to kick this off slightly earlier this year, but need to check both of our schedules before finalizing the dates.
• Write & release Alpha pattern. I would really like to have this available by QuiltCon, since the quilt it is based on will be part of the show.
• Install Intelliquilter on my longarm. My system is on order with an expected arrival of early March, and I’ll be doing a self-install with support from Quilted Joy, my IQ dealer. (She is located in Kentucky but provides support anywhere.)
• Make Quilts Unscripted bee blocks each month.

I just typed up that whole list and realized the only thing on it that’s actual sewing — not just sewing-adjacent — is making my bee blocks. Hmph! I want to at least have a goal that is really, truly sewing or quilting, so:

• Finish my Haralson belt bag. I cut the pieces for this last March! I’d like to have it to use at QuiltCon.
• Complete 1 practice quilt with Intelliquilter. I’m excited to learn computerized quilting, though I know there will be a learning curve.

Here’s to a good winter season!