Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Bye Bye 2013.

I finished 17 quilts in 2013. On top of that, I finished a ton of small projects that I can't possibly list or count. On top of all that, I have a quilt top ready for basting and another quilt that just needs binding. To say that my 2013 life was consumed by quilting would be a bit of an understatement. It's just, quilting made me happy. Cutting, pressing, piecing, even basting of all things--was relaxing.

But Friends, I'm tired. There were so many things that I felt I "had" to do, and I did them. I did them all. And I'm happy I did, but now I'm tired.

I'm going to take a step back. And while I won't be backing away from Agatha completely--OMG, how could I ever do that?--I am planning to pare down my expectations and my "must-do" requirements for 2014. A list this small looks so weird to me, but I think it's healthy.
  • Finish Mr. Audrey's Quilt. Needs to be basted, quilted, bound.
  • Make a quilt for my mama. I had hoped to make her one in 2013, but I promised her earlier in the fall that I would definitely get to her in 2014.
  • Complete my bee blocks on time for Stash Bee. (I freak out at the thought of late bee blocks. I totally understand when other people are late because life happens, but I can't seem to allow myself that.) 
  • Totally rock my time with the Fierce Quilters Bee. (Which includes finishing the prep work for my own quilt, but at least I have an idea, templates printed, and fabric pulled, so that's a start, right?) 
  • Finish my quilting sensei K's Christmas gift. SOON. But she loves me, so she'll totally let me slide if I'm a bit late. (You will, won't you K sensei?)
  • Finish a Project Linus Quilt. I like to donate at least one quilt a year, and I've already got one nearly finished. It just needs binding.
  • Not mandatory, but I'd like to make a tree skirt for next year's Christmas. 
  • Also not mandatory, but I'd really like to make myself a pillowcase to go with my Tula bed quilt. I have a lovely bit of fabric that is just yearning to be transformed, but I haven't scraped together the energy/enthusiasm.  
And that's it. This seems so small to me, like a quarterly list or even something I could get done in a month or two if I was really ambitious. And y'all know how much I adore a good long ambitious list. But for now, this is all I want to commit to for 2014, and I think that's a really smart and healthy idea.

I do want to say thank you for being a pal and cheering me on this year. Y'all make blogging so much fun! I love the relationships I've built and the lovelies I've chatted with and feeling like I belong in such a generous and amazing community. I wish you the bestest of 2014, whether you have a long or short list!

Mucho love, Audrey

2 comments:

  1. I'm sorry, 17 quilts!!! When did you sleep???? I think your list sounds perfect. It gives you breathing room to add more if you feel inspired. And balance is key, we can only sew if we're having fun. Agatha would not want you play if you were tired and grumpy, so a smaller list sounds like a good plan :-)
    Happy new year, Audrey. It has been lovely chatting with you through the internet. Looking forward to 2014 (no matter how much else you cram onto that list! lol)
    E xx

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  2. I think this is great!! If you don't plan too much ahead you'll have time for something spur of the moment that will no doubt come along.

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