Planning for 2018

As 2017 draws to a close I'm looking back at the year to evaluate how I did, what stopped me from reaching my goals and planning for next year.

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl is hosting a Planning Party I joined in last year and it was very positive for me, so much so I'm certainly not missing it this year.  If you have a blog and haven't joined in before I would recommend it, I love seeing how others plan things out, and it gave me some great ideas too.  If you haven't got a blog just hop on over, you can find it on this post, not having a blog doesn't mean you can't make your own plans, and print them out too, they are a great reminder to keep you focused.

I lost my way rather in 2017, I can honestly say it was the most difficult year I have had for a long long time.   We have some serious issues with family illness, they are all ongoing and there is no solution.  Supporting my family members is very important to me, I help out as much as I can and whenever I am needed, everything else in my life has to come second.  It's just what you do isn't it?  I also had cataracts removed from both my eyes this year which was a good thing, I can see colours clearly and my world is so much brighter, so much so I have fallen deeply in love with colour.

So, how did I do last year?

Blogging, a weekly post..........well I did post most weeks but I missed a few due to life circumstances.

To take part in another blog hop.............Yes, I did two and had wonderful experiences.

Keep up with my monthly commitments for two quilting bees.............Yes, well, I have one block left to make for December, but I have delayed it until the end of the month as I didn't want it to get caught up with the Christmas post and it's been a difficult month for me.

Work on one project at a time and finish it, catching up on UFO's at the same time starting with Circles.......... Didn't do it, completely lost my way on this one and I haven't even finished Circles, so ashamed.  Actually I have done a fair bit of work on Circles, all I need to do is finish the quilting and bind her.............

Learn how to work my new Bernina 770QE, Baby.............Yes, I'm not saying I know all about her but I have learnt all the basics and what I need to know.  I love her, although I still love my Bernina 440 QE, Bernie, too and wouldn't part with her.

Practice free motion quilting regularly and use some of the Craftsy classes I have.............Nope, didn't do it and I bought another class too.

Finish the Mystery Quilt I was making and, as I had enjoyed it much, do another one in 2017.............YES, I finished the quilt and  I joined in the Gypsy Wife quilt along which I finished on time just before Christmas.  Gypsy still needs to be layered and quilted but the top is complete.  Very happy with this one.

So that's my 2017 goals evaluated, time to set some for 2018.

1. Two wedding signature quilts to make, one wedding in February, one in May.

2. Two blog hops this year, I would love to participate in the Christmas in July hop again and another one I can't talk about, sorry..........

3. DO NOT add to the UFO's and reduce the number by three, this includes Circles as it has been so long since I started it but doesn't include Gypsy as she is a WIP, but she is NOT to become a UFO

4. Join in with another quilt along, I so enjoyed this years and want to do it again.

5. One Bee this year, two was too much for me I found.  Bee Inspired was wonderful, I tried stuff I hadn't done before and it is a great bunch of girls, lot's of communication and it was so good all of us are continuing next year.

6. Get to grips with FMQ, I didn't do it last year but that's not to say I won't do it this year.

7.  Learn something new, I am rubbish at paper piecing, I have two books on it too, one is full of star patterns and one has quilt patterns.  I don't need to become an expert, I do want to become proficient, so this is my aim for learning something new this year.

8. Improve my health and fitness.  I invested in a Fitbit about six months ago and I'm happy to say it hasn't been a fad.  It get's me moving and I have increased the steps I do over the last few months.  Next thing is to improve my diet by increasing fruit and vegetables and decreasing sugar levels.

9. Social media, by this I mean Facebook.  In the past I didn't spend that much time on FB but recently I find myself checking it at least once a day and it eats up far too much of my time as I get drawn into stuff.  It started with the Gypsy groups and the sew along, I'm decreasing it dramatically in 2018.

10. Weekly blog post, weekly is enough for me, I wouldn't have enough to say to do more than that and you would just get bored with me anyway.  If you aren't bored now that is, on second thoughts don't answer that!

While I'm on about blogging I have been dreadful this year for which I owe you all an apology.  I have been so late in my responses and my visiting has been atrocious, I am sorry, it's just been so hard for me some weeks, and sometimes I have had time but it just pulled me down, please don't give up on me.  Now I have given up work I hope to get on top of things again, family circumstances permitting of course.

So these are my goals for this year, only this year I will print them out and put them up in my sewing room, that way I will see them and hopefully keep up.  I have an accountability partner, Janice from Colour, Creating and Quilting, she keeps on top of me.  Another thing that really helps is to type out my targets for the month, print out the list, and pin it up in my sewing room.  I did that at the beginning of last year and it kept me focussed, I achieved so much.  Then I slipped and kept forgetting to print out my monthly list, I didn't get as much done and not what I should have been getting done.  So that's my tip for you, at the end of every month evaluate your previous months list and make a new one for the next month, you will be surprised at how it improves your workflow.

I am putting the button for the Planning Party on my sidebar, please check it out and support Yvonne who does so much for the quilting community.

This will be my last post of the year, so until next time I'm wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,  sending you all my very best wishes for 2018.

EDIT  I wrote this post in advance, just to let you know I had my cataract surgery on December 21st.  It went well although I expected to see as well as I could out of the other eye the day after, but I can't. Everything is blurry, although I expect it to improve over the next few days or so.  It's just a bit difficult just now covering one eye so I can type with the other.  My lovely son has emailed me a pic of a gift  he ordered for me to cheer me up.

With smiles from
Kate x