The New Year Plan

Welcome back ya'll!

I hope your hangovers are manageable, and that the festivities were worth it. :-)

New Years for us was very quiet, we stayed home and played battleships and then did a puzzle (or part of a puzzle... It was a big sucker with way too much sky) together. We were tucked up in bed by 11:30.  Don't believe me???
 
 
 
Over the last couple of months I have been thinking about my little corner of the internet, and while I know it's kind of trite to do a resolution post for New Years, I really want to start off the year, articulating  my vision. What is it they say? Something about if you believe it, it will happen or if you build it they will come... Anyway..

For the past year or so (forgive me for not knowing how long I've been doing this *bad blogger) I've been writing for me, as a way to get my thoughts out. And to keep a record of what I've achieved, so I can see myself growing and so that if I give away my makes, I still have a record of them. And to be part of the quilting community- I have met so many fantabulous people (I actually started listing you all, but then this became an Oscars speech and no one wants to read that.)
 
And I still want to do all of that!!!  But I thought about what I love in other blogs and what I hate.  I hate when people tell me about a project and then I never hear about it again.  And I do that A LOT.  So in order to really have the follow through you deserve, I have decided I needed to be more intentional about what I'm writing in my bloggy spaces. I want to start a project and, while I can practically guarantee that I will still have a thousand things on the go at the same time, keep updating til it's finished. I don't want there to be lots and lots of random.  Of course there will be, I'm still my rambley self.  But I want to try to start less and finish more. I don't want to make commitments I can't keep. And if I blog it, I am making a commitment to you that I will show you a finish at some point.
 
So what can I offer all of you for the next 12 months? How can we make 2014 a more productive year than 2013? 
 
Well, I have written myself a list! Actually, lots of lists!
 
list making
  
I'm not going to go into it all, because I find those posts super boring! But I am going to share a couple of the pertinent points.
 
I am going to make a commitment to post each week.  It doesn't have to be huge - in fact it might be nothing more than "this weekend we went camping and I did no sewing. see you next week!"  The reality is that I work fulltime and have a needy husband who actually wants to see me, not just hear my sewing machine going in another room. And I need sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. So I can't promise huge amazing results focused posts, But I will post.

I am going to follow through - if I post it, it will happen.  I promise.  And it will happen in a timely manner.  Now "timely" is open to interpretation. it might still take me a year to finish, but you will see progress on it.  I am thinking of this as my "quilt arc".  You will see the beginning, middle (Probably lots of middle) and an end to anything I post.  The end might be that I gave up and have decided not to do it anymore, but it won't just disappear into the ether.
 
I am NOT going to sign up for any BOM's or quilt-a-longs or bees this year... unless they're so super awesome I can't resist.  Last January I signed up for 3 or 4 things and I'm still trying to get through half of them.  Frankly I just signed up for too much when too much else was going on in my real life.  I mean I flaked on the bee I joined (yeah I joined a bee. I lasted a whole two months!!).  This year, I am going to work steadily through the list of what I want to sew.  I will still want to join in on the cool trends going on everywhere, but I will be strong and say no.
 
I will take proper photos - you know unless my camera breaks.  I have a lovely DLSR camera.  I have a fancy point and shoot digital camera.  I have no excuse for using my iPad to take blog photos.  the quality is rubbish and I look at those posts and get grumpy at myself.  NO.  I am going to be proud of my corner of the internet and it is going to be filled with perfectly posed photos.  or at least the best photos I can manage :-)
 
I also have a bunch of things I want to learn this year, but I don't want to bore you too much, so I'll save them for another time.

And now that I've talked at you until you're ready to delete me from your reader...
 
I will do a giveaway to anyone who read this far.  Tell me in the comments one of your "resolutions" (for lack of a better word). It doesn't have to be blog or sewing related, it just has to be something tangible that you want to work on this year.   I have no idea yet what I'm giving away.  This was a spur of the moment decision when I saw how much blah blah I'd written - turns out I did do one of those super boring say EVERYTHING posts.  just think how long it would be if I wrote it all down...  So throw your hat in the ring and I'll try and come up with a suitable prize.

May 2014 bring you all lots of joy, very little sorrow, and the fulfilment of at least one dream!

E xx
 

Comments

  1. Happy new year! I did a lot of the same things this year - I signed up for too much; I flaked on too much. I'm still learning how to balance this hobby, new to me, with all of real life. For this coming year I'm going to finish a full-sized quilt, I swear! I started sewing almost two years ago with the goal of making a quilt. Now I've done zip pouches and dresses for my girls and mug rugs and wall hanging minis but I still haven't met that original goal. 2014 is the year!

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  2. happy new year! LOL I am in the process of working through my 'resolutions/goals' for 2014 - but I have been working on them since my birthday in October - nothing like a birthday or new year to make you want to take stock :)

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  3. I was going to say I haven't made any resolutions but then I realised I've made an agreement with myself not to join in with any more sampler BOMs and also to finish off everything I've started in 2013 and not finished so I guess these count. I can't bear that I have unfinished projects, I need to clear the decks and start afresh.

    Wishing you much peace, fulfillment and happiness in 2014 Erin, you deserve it x

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  4. Awww, Erin - I would never delete you from my reader, I love that you are chatty and real! My resolutions are 1.) Blog - be more exiting with my photo shoot locations, I like my backyard and all but I think a challenge here is in order. 2.) Personal - jog/run more (at all) haha. Happy New Year!

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  5. Erin, you're adorable. Who would delete you from their reader? No one, that's who. I am actually committing to less this year. That's my resolution. I've made a little tiny list and if I want to do more, I will, but last year I got really burnt out by everything I "had" to do, and this year, I don't want to be that way! :)

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  6. You know what. As everyone is making plans and resolutions I wanted to come up with some too but I realized I don't like to do that. I feel obligated to do those things and I loose interest so I'm not having any resolutions and I'll just keep on doing what I do. You have have to wait and see what I'll come up with. No schedules, random impulses :-D

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  7. Happy New Year Erin! I'm returning to full time work, so my 2014 is no pressure in the craft department. What I get done will be beacuse I ejnoy it and beause someone else wants it done!

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  8. Happy New Year! Sounds like you have a great plan for 2014. I have lots planned too. Mainly finishing up really old WIPs and sewing up scraps. Hopefully we both reach our goals!

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  9. First off, Happy New Year, Erin! <3 I'm so happy to have "met" you in the blogging world. :)
    Changing your intentionality towards your blog is definitely a big and great step! I look forward to seeing what you come up with! On the other hand, I think everyone will understand if some things just never get finished. Please use your good cameras though! I need to be able to appreciate your work as much as possible. :D :D :D
    Also, I wanted to let you know that I've been going through the link up and I keep seeing your name pop up in the comments. That's so sweet of you, thank you for taking the time to comment to people! You are so nice. ^_^
    Finally - resolution.. Hrm I generally don't do new year's resolutions, but I do have a goal for the year of "create thoughtfully more, and consume mindlessly less." And by that I mean don't just create because I feel like I have to make something, but enjoy the design process. And quit spending so much time on pinterest/flickr, watching TV, etc. Create more, consume less. Unless we're talking about litter. :D

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  10. Happy New Year! I'm a total puzzle gal so think that your evening sounds awesome. :)

    Great list. I'm always blogging about things that I never mention again. Yes, very bad. I might have to copy you and aim to be more accountable about things like that too.

    As for a resolution... hmm. This might sound weird but I'd like to make more things for *me*. It would be nice to have a few quilty things around the house. :)

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  11. What a great post! A lot of it resonates with me, as well. I try to be a good steward of my little corner of the internet, too, but sometimes the iPhone pictures are just too easy to resist! ISo, 'm going to work on improving my photography skills, too. It's time I get a little better with my DSLR. :)

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  12. When I first started my blog I had Plans for posting this thing on that day and that thing on this day and whatever and yeah... a week or two later? Totally gone by the wayside. I'm too disorganized for a plan like that, I think, but I'd like also to post at least once a week. (And I fully intend never to post 5 days a week. Like you, I work full-time, and while I don't have a family to distract me, it's still HARD to do all the things you want to do craft-wise and also work and also live. I don't want my blog to be a stress-point for me, so I can't make too many plans for constant content.)

    My two big goals/resolutions for the year are a 6 month fabric fast and to get things One Step Closer. I'm so bad for starting and never finishing things, so I want to work on at least making actual progress: from blocks to a quilt top or from a quilt top to a quilt rather than just doing a little of any given job and then setting it aside for something new :D

    (I'm in Canada, so if you happen to draw my name and don't want to send that far, no worries!)

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  13. Yikes, sometimes I forget to get back to projects or miss photos of the in between stage. I guess this is my area I need to work on. LOL
    Barb@Witsend

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  14. I was just trying to think about my own resolutions when this post popped up in my reader... Like you I want to be more intentional and follow through more with my blogposts. And I swear this is the year to clear up all past WIPs and try out free motion quilting!

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  15. I signed up for the Fabricaholics Anonymous Challenge. I'm already panicking...

    Hope your able to stick with all of your goals :)

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  16. Hi Erin. We're all doing the same resolution thingy aren't we! I think I should add "work on my photography" to my list too. It makes such a difference to the look of the blog and I've used our dull grey UK weather an excuse for far too long!
    Have a great 2014 :-)

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  17. Your points all sound so familiar! Like you I have great intentions of posting a bit more and with better photos! Alas it doesn't always happen! Last year I took part in lots of quilt-alongs and challenges which I thoroughly enjoyed but it meant I didn't have time or energy to do anything else. So this year I am going to try not to sign myself up for too much! Have a great 2014!

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  18. I am definitely a lists person too. I'm like you and have made a commitment to post more on more blog. I generally post 2 -3 times a month. I want to change that to 2-3 times a week. Have already made lists about it haha!!

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  19. You're funny. I actually did read the whole post because you were entertaining throughout. :) I think it's great that you've identified specific things to do differently this year. I do think that thinking through them and writing them here will help you achieve them! Now let's see some sewing!!

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  20. I need to make myself a list of things I want to get done and set a time frame for them. Last year I listed almost every WIP I had and found that it was very tedious and looking at the list a bit depressing. Great goals and good luck!

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  21. Erin, I enjoyed reading your quilting and otherwise thoughts and plans for the new year, as well as the other post about what you're not going to do in the new year (like fabric fast, lol!). I wish you the best of motivation and satisfaction in pursuing these!

    Thanks for your incredible comment on my blog post "just thinking" the other day. I am immensely touched and encouraged! Thank-you.

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E xx