June 30, 2017

2017 Mid Year Review

Somehow, while we were busy doing all the many things we do, half a year has slipped by again. How is it possible that the days can seem so very long sometimes, but the months slip by so fast?

Since we are here at the end of June, it's time to take a look back at the goals I set and see how I'm doing with meeting them. This should be interesting...


1. Host another sew-a-long of some kind. I'm not sure what form I want this to take this year, though it probably won't be a mystery. I'd like to try something new 😊

Well, I haven't decided yet if I want to call this one done or not. When I put out the call for quilt blocks to make quilts for the seniors who lost everything in a fire in April, I had no idea the response would be so incredible. Quilters from 9 provinces and 1 territory in Canada, 30+ American states as well as from Australia and the UK sent me blocks, full quilts, binding, batting, backing and even money to help with costs. It's not quite what I meant when I set that goal, but I did leave the type of sew-a-long wide open, and the block drive certainly got a lot of people sewing along together!

(If you've been wondering how the quilts have been going, there will by another update soon, so stay tuned 😊)


2. Start hand quilting my Hexie Flowers quilt. This poor quilt top has been sitting in my cupboard for over a year. I want to hand quilt it, both because I think it would complement the hand stitched EPP and because I find I'm wanting a hand quilting project again. Obviously, this will be a long term project, but I at least want to get it started.

Hand quilting | DevotedQuilter.blogspot.com

Okay, technically, this one is done. I did start hand quilting it. And then I stopped. I worked on it one evening, stitching around one flower once and part of a second time. I didn't particularly enjoy it and I haven't touched it since. EPP means there are seam allowances on both sides of the seam, so there's really no way to get around stitching through the seam allowance and it just wasn't going well. The quilt is currently sitting in my closet and makes me feel guilty every time I see it, so I think it's time to admit I'm not going to hand quilt it.

Let's officially change this goal to machine quilt my Hexie Flowers quilt before the year is out. We'll see where it stands when I check back in 6 months.

3. Grow my design business. I really enjoy the whole process of designing and writing patterns, and I do a little happy dance every time someone buys one of my patterns. I'd love to do more of that happy dancing in 2017!

Well, there has been some happy dancing going on because of pattern sales, so that's good. I've also started working with some brands as sponsors. Make Modern magazine (affiliate link) sponsored prizes for the Spring into Colour 2017 photo challenge and Northcott Fabrics has sponsored a secret sewing project I'll be starting soon. That feels like a step towards growing my business.

There's still a lot of room for growth, though, so I want to try to focus on this more through the second half of the year.

Want to see what patterns I have available? Check out my pattern store!

4. Keep seeking magazine publication. That's part of growing my design business, but I think it's an important enough part of deserve to be a goal of its own. 

This has been a fun year in terms of having patterns published or accepted for publication, including my first-ever print publication in Modern Patchwork's July/August issue. There will be more coming later in the year, and I'll be sure to keep you posted 😊

5. Share 10 new tutorials or patterns. Since I already have three patterns in the works, it should be completely doable to reach 10 before the end of the year. Especially considering how many ideas I have!

I've shared 2 new tutorials so far, both for new 12" blocks with fun secondary patterns - Connections and Layered Star.
 Connections and Layered Star quilt blocks | DevotedQuilter.blogspot.com
I've also released 2 patterns - Love Birds and my free Wind Farm pattern, which is available exclusively to subscribers to my newsletter, The Bulletin.
Love Birds and Wind Farm quilt patterns | DevotedQuilter.blogspot.com

4 of 10 isn't bad for halfway through the year, right?

6. End 2017 with fewer UFOs than I have right now. I have a few projects that were set aside in favour of starting something new and it makes me sad that they're not finished and being used. Time to get them finished up! Without actually digging around in my cupboard, I think I have 7 UFOs (not counting the hexie flowers one). Of course, ending the year with fewer UFOs than I have now will mean I can't keep abandoning projects as the year goes on 😉

Nope. I'm not at all on target for this one. The quilts for the seniors kind of took priority over any UFO sewing I might have been doing. We'll see how the second half of the year goes for this goal.


That's where things stand for me so far for the year. It's a mixed bag, but I kind of expected that with the quilts for the seniors being a big and unexpected project, so I'm pleased with where I am so far.

How about you? Do you set yearly goals? And if you do set goals, do you do a mid-year review?



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2 comments:

  1. Goodness, we are at the halfway point, aren't we? I definitely will have to go back and take a look at my goals. Right now life is keeping me from being as engaged in anything quilting related too much at the moment, so a review might help me decide where to focus when I can bring some attention back. I think you are doing well on your goals, and after all, goals are meant to stretch us a bit, so if you had completed them all already I'd ask you what you wanted to work on for the second half of the year. :) I'm excited to hear more about your secret sewing projects when you can share them.

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  2. I think you have done really well on your goals Leanne, the quilts for seniors has been an enormous undertaking but what a great project to be part of.

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