HeartStrings had a New Year's weekend challenge. I made 52 blocks with purple centers. I assembled 48 of them on New Year's Eve.
Easy Street, Step 7....it's coming together!
This all-cotton, twin-sized bedsheet (Salvation Army, $2) will make a good backing for Easy Street. And now, on to business:
This is the fifteenth year that I have kept track of the fabric I've acquired and used. Counting acquisition is easy. Counting use is trickier. I count the square inches in each block (e.g. a 9-patch made from 3" squares is ((3"x3)x3) = 27) and a border strip 2" x 54" is 108). A calculator makes it easy and I've been doing it this way for so long that it's second nature.
2011 was my successful no-buy year. All during 2012 I knew that I was letting up on my resolve, but until the tally I didn't know just how much I'd let up. (It's rather like dieting before a big event, then gaining all that weight back.
Though I bought more than I ought to have, I did accomplish quite a lot. I am uncomfortable having many works-in-progress, so I push ahead to the flimsy (unquilted top) stage. I can live with flimsies for a very long time. This year I determined to reduce the inventory of flimsies.
In 2012 I finished 39 flimsies myself, had 5 flimsies professionally quilted, and gave away 3 flimsies.
I created 29 flimsies, of which 21 are finished (they are counted in the 39) and 1 was given away.
In addition I made 1 cloak, 65 Care Bags, 1 pillowcase, 65 Christmas ornaments, and 5 potholders. I emptied 89 spools of thread.
As 2013 begins, there are 18 flimsies in the box. My quilt-related goals for the year:
* End the year with 10 or fewer flimsies (that means I need to keep up with any new projects)
* Buy less and use more
* Improve proficiency at a minimum of two techniques (e.g. y-seams or a specialty ruler)
[Objective: by January 15 determine what those two techniques are.]
May the coming year be piece-filled and peace-filled for you all!
It is a special 'lift'? holding ourselves to accountability isn't it? I quit buying fabric in 2001, and have no problem with a stack of flimsies but a huge problem with ufo. They were like a millstone around my neck and I'm so thankful they are all gone.
ReplyDeleteAll the best in the new year, Sharyn in Kalama
I'm like you that finished tops don't bother me. It's nice to be able to pull one and quilt it when needed but UFO's in pieces are a real challenge so I try to make myself get them to the finished too before startling a new project.
ReplyDeleteWow! You are sooo organized. Our Small social community quilt group is doing a "retirement" of UFO's challenge in 2013. I submitted a list of 22 to be tackled. I probably missed a few but I'll add them tomy personal notes. Maybe I'll just move some blocks on to our free table at guild. There's always someone looking for something there.
ReplyDeleteBravo on your record keeping! I read your post on this from previous year and starting blogging when ever I made a purchase - and since I haven't really finished anything though it'd be hard to do the used part of the equation.
ReplyDeleteYour accounting is a very interesting project. Your Easy Street photo threw me for a loop as it looked like a christmas tree until I looked closely.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tracking with the amount plus the money spent. Youor number of finishes look wonderful too. Nice Blog post.
ReplyDeleteThe need to be more accountable is on my list of areas of improvement so this year I plan on doing that.
Happy New Year. Jane