Setting Quilting Goals: Refresh Your Resolutions

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Are you a resolution keeper? I am. Or perhaps more accurately, I should say I’m a resolution maker. My resolution list for quilting, however, leaves me unsatisfied. Every single one of my UnFinished Objects (UFOs, for short) lives on that list, and more are constantly added, with only a few crossed off each year. Also referred to as PIGS by Lori Baker (Projects in Grocery Sacks), my list includes those coordinated stacks of fabrics that I bought four years ago without a pattern in mind. My list also includes my ongoing daughter block project, which I can only really add to as I complete other quilts. So, how do I go about setting quilting goals; and perhaps more importantly, how do I accomplish them? I’m here to share!

Not so much a list ‘resolutions’ as an unending UnFinished Objects (UFOs) list, looking at the list makes me feel more guilty than excited. Not good.

For the New Year, I’ve decided to take a fresh approach. Simply listing out quilts — I’ll never succeed, because the list never ends; it just grows. What kind of quilting goals can I have that will keep me excited and engaged, and have me eager to make time for quilting? Here’s what I’m thinking. This year, when it comes to quilting techniques, everything I do must have an element of Trying Something New.

Try New Quilting Techniques

One stack of fabrics, which I refer to as “Nashville Gothic” on my UFO list, has been lingering around for some time. The fabrics… Oh, my. I just adore the way the rich reds pair with the floral gray. I bought this stack on a whim, without a pattern in mind, while in Nashville, Tennessee, about 4 years ago. The bias trim has a little crocheted edge that just looks so sweet and sassy, that I couldn’t resist, so that would obviously go with it. But what in the world do I do with it all?

What kind of quilting techniques could I try that is new to me, and **does justice to the dramatic colors**?

Experimenting with a new technique is an obvious way to Try Something New. When I saw Allison Glass’ Raw Edge Reverse Appliqué, my “Nashville Gothic” collection immediately sprang to mind. That was it. I was doing THAT technique with THAT fabric. I like how Allison’s pillow project has the handstitching with Perle cotton, but I remembered an episode of Love of Quilting from Series 3200 that showcased using heavier thread and built-in machine stitches to create a similar effect.

Allison Glass teaches reverse appliqué with this pillow design. I like the Perle hand-stitching around the raw edges.

I’ve never once used the built-in motifs on my machine, so that would be another Trying Something New! For the crocheted trim, that’s definitely meant for some faux-piped binding. I’ve made one quilt with faux-piped binding (it’s pretty cool), but never with a pre-made bias tape that has crochet. So it’s a triple crown win for the Trying New Techniques!

Try Teaching

Kelly, a friend of mine, expressed an interest in quilting months ago. Over the course of this past year, we made vague promises to get together. Energized with Try Something New, I decided that teaching a friend to quilt was a wonderful element of ‘new.’ I called her up, “We’re doing this.” It was fun to search for patterns for her. What would she like? What was achievable?

Kelly was interested in crazy piecing, so we end up with this quilt from **the *Pattern Play* eBook**. Easy and fun!

The other night, I pulled out a stack of patterns, looking for simple quilts that taught good techniques — back issues of Quilty and the new Pattern Play eBook. We picked the pattern (she likes crazy quilts, so we end up with Cray Cray in Pattern Play, selected some fabrics, and even made our first cuts, all in one evening! The fact that Kelly is excited, excites me. We’re already plotting out our sew-in days. January is going to be a BLAST.

Kelly’s first cuts! Using a 6” x 24” ruler is second nature to me now, so it was interesting to be reminded that it used to feel awkward and unwieldy. She started to feel more comfortable as she kept going.

Try Stashbusting

I’m certain that most quilters have had ‘stashbusting’ as a recurring resolution. There are old fabrics in my collection, leftover yardage from other projects, and some Jelly Rolls that have lingered past their prime. Frankly, they just make me feel guilty, and make my fabric stash feel stale. I need to make space for the new, add some inspiring freshness to my stash.

Once beloved, these fabrics never found a home. Is there a stash-busting project that gives me a new perspective?

So what “new” approach can I take to stashbusting? The Pattern Play eBook I grabbed for Kelly had the answer. I have never made a string quilt, and I love them. Why not combine a new style with those old fabrics? I can’t believe how quickly that changed my perspective on that pile of old fabrics. The technique and the pattern look really easy, and so much fun!

String Quilting! Yes! Imagine how much scrappy, delicious fabric can be used in a quilt top like that!

Try New Finishing Techniques

Here’s something else that came from my evening with Kelly. As we looked at the patterns together, I realized we were seeing different things. I was looking for simple, beginner techniques and shapes; she was looking at color and the quilting. “I don’t know,” she said. “Those curlicues look hard.” ‘Curlicues?’ I thought. ‘What curlicues?’ I peered closer at the image. “Oh, you mean the free-motion quilting! Don’t worry about that part just yet. We can pick a simpler design.”

Four quilt tops and counting that need to be quilted, and have needed to be quilted for some time now. It’s time to Try Something New: **Free-motion**!

She was reassured by that. But I began to worry. I’m supposed to be the expert here, yet I’ve used a sewing machine to freemotion quilt exactly once, about 5 years ago. It … was not my best work. Since then, I have continued my long dedication to “quilting by check” (aka, paying a longarmer to quilt it for me). I have an upgraded machine these days, but aside from a few straight-line crosshatches on baby quilts, I have not quilted on it.

**Catherine Redford’s Free-Motion Quilting: Fillers, Feathers, and Beyond!**

Since moving to Denver, I haven’t found a new longarmer, and I have a stack of tops that has been building. So it’s time to learn how to free-motion quilt. Before Kelly is ready to quilt her top, I want to feel comfortable on my machine. I want to take an online course and learn free-motion quilting at home on my own machine, then finish a quilt top before coaching Kelly on hers.

How Will You Start the New Year

As you can see, I’ve set some ambitious goals for the New Year! Will I succeed in crossing them all off, and finishing some UFOs in the process? There’s no telling, but I will say — I am VERY excited to Try Something New. So the list has done some good work already! I hope my resolutions have inspired you to start setting quilting goals of your own as the year continues. And if you decide to Try Something New like me, be sure to share your experiences and creations with us on Instagram, Facebook, or the comments below.

Happy quilting and happy New Year!
Vanessa