Gathering Place for Project Goals
Sew. Why did I create the Quilt It List? The list started out as me just saying ‘hey, I want to make….’
Insert any one of the following:
- A monochromatic quilt
- A cathedral window
- Irish chain
- Purple and green
- Ocean themed color scheme
And so on.
And on.
The List was really just a very focused bucket list for all my quilty desires. You see, I can find inspiration just about anywhere. This can be both a blessing and a curse – I can’t tell you how many things have popped into, and subsequently out of, my head over the years. I needed to do something. It seemed odd, though to just plop quilts on my bucket list. Which isn’t really a thing.
Yet.
As I started really thinking about it and as I realized that the desire to bust into the quilting business was a way for me to achieve my goal of never working again (you all know the old saying – if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life – or some such saying), the inspiration struck. Only this time I didn’t let it slip away – I wrote it down. That’s another thing I’ve tried to incorporate into my life over the past few years. Set a goal.
Write that stuff down.
Do it.
I’m serious!
Really, the Quilt It List is ultimately just a set of quilt related goals that has been written down.
Organizing Your Goals
How do you organize your goals? I admit – this is far newer to me than not. I’ve never been particularly good about doing things like this, though I love a good to do list. One that includes all my long term projects too – that I can write a little IP on every time I work on it so when I go a full day stuck at a desk then I still feel ok about what didn’t get finished. I did, after all, work on it.
It’s In Progress.
IP.
Yup- definitely a thing in my world. Baby steps.
Anyway- so organizing your goals. In this case, it’s pretty easy to achieve that. I spent some brainstorming time in the beginning and wrote down everything I could think of that I had been inspired to do and then some. Then I looked at the list.
Really looked.
Then I decided to categorize.
Four main areas for me – they may be different for you, but mine are: Patterns, Color Combos/Fabrics, Techniques and Activities/Places.
That’s it.
Patterns holds the bulk of my list at this point, followed closely by color combos.
Now – the patterns have caused me some consternation if I’m being totally honest. I know that I have steered clear of repeating anything really in my creative world. I don’t like to do the same thing twice – makes the QIL kind of tough. It’s not really going to fair well as a totally one and done thing. For example – I have Quilts of Valor on there. Not a ‘pattern’ but then again it kind of is – there are requirements, etc. But I can’t just do one.
Come on, that’s just not cool. So many amazing vets and so few quilts.
Yup – definitely leaving that on the QIL forever.
Creativity Inspires More Creativity
I’m not sure about you, but the more creative things I do, the more creative my imagination gets.
This is of course nothing new – I’m pretty sure this has been proven on some scientific level at some point.
As I enjoyed art class way more than science I’m going to stick with my own experience. The more I surround myself with what inspires me, and the more I focus on that, the more that comes to mind.
So writing these things down as meant I came up with more things.
Which is only a problem if you think it’s a problem.
I don’t.
Resource for those last minute gift ideas
A birthday coming up? Coworker having a baby? Niece or nephew getting married?
You feel like you deserve a new lap blanket for binge watching Supernatural on Netflix?
The Quilt It List passes no judgement…. Incidentally neither do I.
Pull out that list and bust into that stash. I’m sure you can find some inspiration to do something with what you have, or at the very least you will be able to remember the idea you had 6 months ago for the perfect baby quilt.
I’m sure that’s why you bought that charm pack, am I right?
That pesky organization.
I’m on a quest – to organize myself to a happy medium level of organized. I’m definitely not that way naturally, but I do enjoy organizing projects, and finding ways to improve processes. Yeah, I’m a bit odd that way. Oh well.
Served me well in my former life and I aim to put it to some use here too.
Maybe you want to come along on that quest?
Quilting is more fun with friends!
We’ve all heard this said about soooooo very many things.
More fun with friends.
As a born introvert this actually has been way outside my comfort zone – I like my alone time and my tribe is pretty small. That is not to say that I don’t find value in people, but I am most assuredly more comfy in my house with my hubby, kids and fur babies.
That said – for as hesitant as we all are to leave the house to go do stuff with *gasp* people…
We are almost always happy when we’ve done it.
Seriously.
Quilting is one exception to my introverted ways. I truly believe this is one area where I would have loved to live in a different time/place where sewing circles were a thing.
Really.
There is something about getting together with a group of friends to sew – especially when you have trouble with something, need some inspiration or just need to get out of your own head space for awhile. Quilting is better with friends.
Enter the Quilt It List.
I don’t currently have, but I can tell you I am apparently alone in this, a project that I started with someone else.
Well, maybe my buck a block, but I don’t really count that.
Anyway- so many of my quilty friends have projects they’re working on that started with a class they took with a friend, or a quilt retreat or whatever.
Pretty awesome to get to experience that with someone – you get to see how different two quilts can be even though they began with the same pattern. Or colors. Or technique. You get the picture 😊
So what do you have on your Quilt It List? Have you been keeping track of your finished projects?
Let’s get quilting!
Amanda
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