Motivational Monday - I did that?

Can you believe it's almost 2017?  That means we're about to step our quilting into high gear and get motivated and get things done!  I've been at it for a month now and I'm so happy and learning lots. And getting lots done!

To recap, we have created a list of 12 UFOs that, in addition to our day to day quilting, we would LOVE to get off our plate. You have chosen ONE of those UFOs for January. And you have been careful to pick a project that will fit your January schedule. Choosing to do Dear Jane in one month is not a realistic goal. I don't care how good you are!  It's not going to happen!  Next up, you broke that project down into doable tasks depending on your availability. And the last thing you did was to write the tasks in your Task Master spreading the tasks over the number of weeks in the month. Feel free to schedule your other quilting tasks in that book by week, BUT remember to not overload yourself!  More on that in a minute.

There is one more tool that we should probably look at and thanks to Peggy for reminding me of it. This is a book of accomplishments. Wouldn't it be great at this time next year to reflect back on what you actually accomplished this past year?  I don't care if you only get one project done. It's still nice to look back and see the finished project, especially if the project was given away.   I was looking for the name of a quilt pattern so I could make the label.  I couldn't find the pattern, but Peggy (who had made the same quilt) was able to go into her accomplishment book and found what I needed. Thanks Peggy!

So here are my thoughts on the accomplishment book which I think is an excellent idea.  I have kept accomplishment books - well sort of!  I have a box of labels from local quilt shows where my quilts had been displayed. I have thank-you cards from recipients of quilts. I have a photocopy of the actual label of the quilt and in some cases, I have pictures of the quilts. Unfortunately, they are all thrown into a box!

Box of quilt memories

There are quilting journals. While this one is very cute...............

Quilter's Journal

 I don't like the inside pages.  The left page is titled "Place for sketches, magazine clippings, photos or fabric swatches" and the right side has two sections" Insights I have gained from my current project"  (I've got a doozy to tell you!) and the second title is "Inspiration for future projects".

Inside the cute journal

 While those are all good things, they don't really let me create a "to do" list with those titles, and they certainly don't leave space to record my projects.  It would be a good inspiration journal!  Maybe I could use that for inspiration?  OH GOD - I do NOT need more inspiration. Inspiration for new projects oozes out of my pores!

If I were going to use that journal, I could cover up the titles and do my own thing!  Anyone want an inspirational journal???  It's free!

I found this journal years ago. It was put together by a local guild.

A Quilt Journal assembled by The Halton Quilter's Guild

I do believe I filled mine with the first quilting projects that I actually finished.  There is room on one page for pictures and fabric swatches or whatever you want. The other page has information like quilt title, size, date started and date completed (SERIOUSLY???  Like I want to publicize that information????), pattern source, quilted by, shows exhibited at:, and additional comments.

Inside the quilter's journal

 All in all, that's not a bad format.  Or simply create your own journal pages with things you want to remember about the quilts you do and then have them printed at Staples and bound. Simple!

But I'm going for drop dead simple. (Peggy did too! She went to the dollar store and got a notebook!) Mine is similiar to what Peggy is using, but I had this journal in my stash of journals and I had purchased it (50%) off at Indigo, probably years ago!  It's a simple lined page notebook!

Simple lined page notebook

I'm going to use two pages per quilt. One for the picture and fabric swatches (if I still have the fabric). The other will have the details I want to keep about the quilt. I'm not sure if I will handwrite the information or if I'll type it on the computer and print it out and glue it in the book.  My handwriting sucks and it's getting worse but if I do take care, I can manage. I mean, what's the point of writing this all down if no one can read it!!!

The other thing we have to remember is that these journals (for the most part) are for US alone.  Do you think our families/friends will care how many quilts we've made in our lifetime (after we've gone).  Not likely and that's why a coffee table book is a great idea!  YES a coffee table book of your quilts???   Wouldn't that be amazing??? They might keep a nicely published book, although some would appreciate the hand written journal of their mother's quilts. Many would not!  But it's an excellent record of what we've accomplished and then tell your kids, they can burn the journals when you die!

So what have I accomplished since I started The Task Master?  I started the week of November 27 so it's been ONE month.

1. Quilted FIVE quilts. 
2. Two of the five quilts had to be pieced before I quilted them. One had to be designed, one had applique blocks that needed to be trimmed. 
3. Prepped one quilt by making the binding, the backing and finished sewing the top together
4. Made 7 blocks for the 150 Canadian women project
5. Finished Tote bag and zippered pouch for my Mom
6. Machine bound three quilts (one had to be trimmed first)
7. Sleeves made and sewn on two quilts
8. Sewed binding on THREE quilts - one side only - the rest went to the owners for handstitching
9. Three labels were made and sewn on
10. Quilted and assembled FOUR preprinted Christmas stockings
11. Added hangers to TWO other Christmas stockings because I forgot when I made them
12. Made TWO blocks for the group project with one of my Modern Quilt Guilds
13. Edge stitched a Christmas table topper (scalloped edges no less!)
14. Finished the fleece mitten
15. Designed and made a bag for work  (a pattern will be coming!)

WHOA!!!!!   Seriously????   IN ONE MONTH - I did all that?????   If I wasn't keeping track of the tasks in The Task Master, I would have NO idea that I did all that!!!!  Of the above items - what would I put in my accomplishment book?  Well - I would probably only put the items that belong to me. Some of the stuff above is for work, some is for customers.  I'll have to see how it goes as I move forward.  I'm NOT looking back - today is a new day!  What gets completed going forward will be documented if I feel it is appropriate. Otherwise, I can always look back to the Task Master to see what I've done!

I will say that I'm a very focused person!  I'm even way more focused now that I've ever been. The numbers from yesterday's post (if you read that) were obscene. I'm embarrassed that the situation is so out of hand. Wait until you hear what the real numbers are!  That's for tomorrow.

Please don't compare ourselves to each other about how much work gets done!  Our situations and motivations are completely different. I work full time (1 ½ hour commute in total - still figuring out how could I quilt during that time, but it's problem solving time for sure!), I spend close to one hour a day at the dog park (two on week ends), but in total about two hours per day is devoted to the girls, and I like to read. I don't clean my house  - when I was 13, I told my Mom that I would pay someone to clean for me and almost my entire adult life, I've had a cleaning person. I have made that a priority in my life!  DH works from home these days - he does the cooking - I'm NOT qualified!  (I love that!).  I don't watch TV, haven't in 6 years, although I do watch the occasional movie.  So you see, the ONLY thing I do is eat, sleep, work and quilt. And work and quilting are combined for me - so much so that I'm making a stand and going to sew ONE day per week at the office. Then I'll have more time for my own projects at home!   Oh, we have no family nearby so no family responsibilites to take care of and I'm careful about dealing with people who waste my time. I've no time for drama! I don't worry about much! Zero shopping happens in my life - unless it's quilt store related!

Now here's something else to contemplate when you're creating your task list for The Task Master. I have been madly working on this project for the past week or so. It's VERY time consuming. Here's what I wrote in The Task Master - "The name of the project". Can't reveal it for the moment - I will later this week.   Why didn't I break this task down? Because I'm an idiot and not listening to my own advice. I'm thinking - this will take one week. It will be easy.  NOPE - this project has been time consuming, it's fiddly as ever, it's a nightmare (although the end result is cute as a button!)   I've been working on it for days. I'm happy to report that there is a light at the end of that tunnel and then the flood gates in The Task Master can open again!   BE VERY CAREFUL how you word those tasks - BREAK THEM DOWN.  I've not been able to cross any items off last week at all because I've been focusing on this project. The old me would have given up days ago, but I'm determined to get this thing done so it doesn't get shelved as a UFO!   The project that I started is 100% complete!  That's the good news. The bad news is that there is a second part (which I found in my UFOs) and I'm determined to finish that as well.  Fiddly fiddly fiddly!!!!   BUT the good news is, I'm making progress and I figure by Thursday AM - all will be done!

Next week, I'll be sharing with you the progress on my 13th project that I chose to work on (one for December which is almost over).  I'm also going to share with you some tips on goals for the new year!!!

On that note, I'm out of here to get some sewing done!

Have a super super day!!!!

Ciao!

If you want to follow along and post pictures, join the Facebook group - Motivational Monday!