Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The Annual Reckoning, 2014 edition


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2014 was the seventeenth year I have tracked how much fabric I have acquired and used. This is my accounting system. It may not appeal to or work for you.  "Bought" means acquired, whether purchased or received as a gift.  I count fashion fabric but I don't count vintage textiles. I don't track expenses for thread, batting, books, magazines, patterns, and other notions. I don't count the cost of professional long-arm quilting  "Used" means any project at the flimsy stage (not WIPs), blocks made to swap, and scraps given away. 



Here's what I accomplished in 2014:
* started and finished 20 quilts (quilted on my domestic machine)
* created 3 flimsies (not yet quilted)
* made 192 HeartStrings blocks (96 of which made it into finished quilts)
* finished 3 flimsies made in 2013
* had 2 quilts (flimsies from 2014) professionally quilted
* sold 4 quilts ($354)
* donated 13quilts to fundraisers, made 19 charity pillowcases, donated 100 Care Bags
* won two ribbons at the guild show

I did not acquire any fabric for four months (March, April, November, and December). In May I received 192 FQs (that's 48 yards) as retirement gifts.  In July the guild had a fundraiser to sell a windfall donation from a woman who had to dispose of her stash. I got 147 yards for $2/yd.

I emptied 85 spools of thread. (Some had been partially used. Some were big. Some were small.)

Here's how I did with my goals for 2014:
* Finish the 10 flimsies in the box.  There are 9 flimsies in the box, 3 of which were made in 2014. 
* Keep up with the  NewFO challenge.   Though I didn't post to that blog, I did keep keep up.
* Pick a specialty ruler and become proficient with it.  I took a workshop for the Square in a Square ruler/technique.  I may just need more practice, but I didn't take to it. 
* Make 100 Care Bags . Yes!
* Sell 100 yards of fabric.  None at all. 
* Use more and acquire less than in 2013.  More used, same in. That's progress!


What's ahead?
* Bust the 30's stash.
* Learn and practice a new technique.
* Make decisions about the flimsies in the box -- finish them or abandon them.
* Continue to chip away at the Deep Stash -- vintage linens and fashion fabric especially.
* Sell 100 yards.  Make 100 Care Bags. Make 576 HeartStrings blocks (that's 48 blocks per month).
* Enjoy the journey.
* Host one blog giveaway each quarter.

I thank everyone who's stopped by to read my posts this year.  I especially thank everyone who has taken time to leave a comment. I hope that you've had a pleasantly productive quilting year.  Here's to a piece-filled 2015!

The two postcards are from my collection. The first is blank. The second one is postmarked Wausau, Wis., Dec. 30, 1924 and addressed to Nora Buttke in Emden, ND. "Dear Cousin, I must send you this card to let you no [sic] that we are all well again. Erna has another little girl her name is Marion Ethel she was born the 7 of Dec She look [sic] just like Virginia. Good New Year wishes to you call. Herman and Frances." 










14 comments:

  1. You had a very productive year, especially considering you were working part of that time and continue to serve on various committees. Your new goals are ambitious, too. But I have confidence you can do it! Blessing for the new year to you and yours.

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  2. Happy New Year! It is good to see yourjoy in your quilting and in your "retirement".
    Becky

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  3. Great goals and achievements Nann. Something I must do - do a stocktake of my stash and UFO's and then like you have done - an annual reckoning. I think it will help me concentrate on finishing and also using my stash as well. It could be overwhelming when I first start, but think it is worth it in the long run. Thank you for your inspiration.

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  4. Impressive and Inspiring. Thank you!

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  5. Well done Nann! Your spread sheet is great. I like keeping some stats but my definition of finished is totally finished. I will be doing my stat report in the next few days or maybe tonight if I'm motivated. I'm trying to figure out a blog button instead of doing my year end statistics! Congratulations on using some of your stash up!

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  6. Hi Nann, spent quite alot of time on your blog today...
    I wondered about the care bags, so did a search and found your post from 2012...
    I plan to make some to donate...
    I want to go to an estate sale with you !!!! the prices you paid are almost stealing...LOL
    Enjoyed all I read and saw.

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  7. I love the way you are keeping track, great idea, I may adapt it for myself.

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  8. Happy new year!
    I think I would be too afraid to add up the cost of my stash, especially given the price per metre for quilting fabric in this part of the world. But is is fascinating to see such a long-term record system.

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  9. My goodness! I am sure you have clones of yourself in the basement! What a great achievement. I'm sure you will reach your goals for this year too!

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  10. some great accomplishments for the past year and wonderful goals for 2015. I track my stash too and a friend, Pam from Hip To Be a Square podcast came up with a great formula for calculating how much you use in a quilt. Its great.

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  11. What a spreadsheet. Not only have you made great accomplishments you have an impressive spreadsheet. You do a great job using your stash. I can only hope to organized like you. May you have another productive year.

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  12. I love your yearly accounting and admire how well and how much you do!

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