December 15, 2019

Planning for 2020

Can I just say that it feels a bit surreal to be thinking about the year 2020? I remember thinking, when I was a kid, that the year 2020 felt sooooo far off in the future it was hard to even imagine it. But, somehow, here we are 😊

Yvonne, of Quilting Jetgirl, is hosting her annual Planning Party again this year, which is just the push I needed to get thinking about the goals I hope to accomplish in 2020.

When I started writing this post, I read through the goals I set for this year and the mid-year review I did at the end of June. I was (only somewhat) amused to find that my progress now in December looks pretty much exactly the same as it did back in June, so I won't repeat myself. You can read that mid-year review here if you're really curious 😁 Now, on to next year!
2020 goals | DevotedQuilter.com
In no particular order, my goals for 2020 are:

1. Guitar quilts


My oldest, Aiden, will be graduating this spring and two of his teachers have made a huge impact on him because of their shared love for music. They have spent hours and hours above and beyond the scope of their actual job pouring into Aiden and other students with a love for music, encouraging them and helping them to learn and grow. I don't usually do teacher gifts at the end of the year, but these two deserve a huge thank you. With Aiden's input, I decided to use the Rock Concert pattern from On Williams Street to make them each a guitar quilt. This will be priority number one after Christmas because I really don't want to be rushing to have these finished in time.

2. Finish my Quilter's Planner bag


This bag has been a UFO for way too long. I have all the pieces cut out. I decided to quilt the panels for the front and back of the bag...I even have the front panel quilted.
free motion quilting on bag panel | DevotedQuilter.com
The back panel is partially quilted, too.
free motion quilting on bag panel | DevotedQuilter.com
At some point, though, I had to set the bag aside for something with a deadline (I don't remember what, exactly) and I never got back to it. I know it won't take me long to finish making the bag, I just have to actually work on it!

3. More patterns, in more shops


At the end of 2018, I had 4 printed patterns. I now have 10 which means I released 6 patterns in 2019. I'm really proud of that! Some of those were updates of older patterns and some were new. Those patterns were ordered by 14 quilt shops and one distributor (who sells to quilt shops).

For 2020, I'd like to release another 10 patterns. I have a real backlog of patterns I just haven't had a chance to get to yet, so that shouldn't be a problem, as long as I can find the time to actually write them, lol. I'd also like to have my patterns carried in more shops, but I don't want to set a number on that one. 'More' may not be very specific, but that's what I'm aiming for 😊

If you'd like to see Devoted Quilter patterns in your LQS, I'd love to have their contact information so I can reach out to them. Or you could request that they carry my patterns. Or both!

If you'd like to see my patterns, both print and PDF, head on over to my Etsy shop!

4. Teach a class


I want to teach a local class for beginners. I have a fun quilt designed for it and a venue lined up, I even have each week's lesson listed out. I just have to make the sample quilt and advertise to see if anyone signs up. Unfortunately, the advertising and waiting to see if anyone signs up is the scary part, so I've been putting it off. Imposter syndrome is hard to defeat!

5. Tame the UFO situation


I know I'm not alone in having too many projects started and abandoned, even though I still love them. Aside from the Quilter's Planner bag, I have so many other projects partially done and I'd love to get some of them moved into the finished pile. I had this on my goals list for this year, too, and it never really happened. Maybe 2020 will be the year! Some of those UFOs are patterns-to-be, so finishing them will get me closer to being able to release the patterns, too. Formal Garden, shown here, was an Island Batik ambassador project in August 2018...and it's still not quilted. The pattern isn't written, either. Both need to get done!
Formal Garden quilt | DevotedQuilter.com


6. Make more little quilts


I have a big box of batting scraps in various sizes that need to be used up. I do piece them together to make franken-batting, but I don't really like piecing batting big enough for throw size or larger quilts. I find it hard to keep the batting smooth when I'm piecing such big pieces. Because I've made mostly big quilts the past while, I have been adding to the box of scraps, rather than using them. The solution, obviously, is to make more small quilts 😊

7. More garment sewing


I am having a lot of fun with garment sewing and now I have so many patterns I want to try, it's hard to know what to make next! I'm definitely going to keep learning and exploring in 2020. The funny thing is, I said for years that I couldn't take up knitting (much as I would like to), because I already don't have time for all the quilts I want to make, so I don't need to add another crafty obsession. Somehow that never even entered the equation when I decided to take up garment sewing! Maybe because it's all done with the sewing machine, so it feels like an extension of what I was already doing? Who knows?! The main thing is, I'm having fun, right?

8. Make a sewing machine cover


I sew at our kitchen table. My previous machine fit into a cupboard in the hutch next to the table, but my new Janome is too tall so it sits on the top. Is it still new if I've had it almost a year? Anyway, the cover that came with it serves the purpose of keeping the dust off, but it's not very pretty. It also doesn't sit straight when I have a cone of Aurifil in place (which is most of the time).
DevotedQuilter.com
I want to make a cover using the Create pattern by Kristy at Quiet Play. Pretty fabrics (probably blue, lol), some free motion quilting and an inspiring word would look so much nicer than this does.
2019 Planning Party  
 So those are my plans for 2020. I'm already curious to see what my mid-year review will look like 😊 What are your big goals for the year?

12 comments:

  1. Congratulations on releasing six new patterns this year! I wish you success with your goals in 2020. That quilter's planner bag is coming along beautifully!

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  2. Publishing 10 patterns is an awesome achievement, Leanne! I know that goal #1 is a big priority for you and I look forward to seeing that quilt come to life. I hope you have a great 2020.

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  3. I have a few of your patterns, and, while I haven't made all of them yet, I'm hoping to make that a goal for next year - that is, IF my sewing space gets put back together! Hubby is just going into his "slow" season, and should have enough time to finish it - but I'm not holding my breath...
    All that aside though - I wanted to comment on your advent candles - I REALLY like them!

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  4. Those are great goals. Good luck. I never thought 2020 would ever arrive. If I want, I can retire on July 1. Woo hoo!! I, too, need to tame the UFOs.

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  5. Great goals - good luck with them!

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  6. Best of luck with your 202 goals.

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  7. This sounds like a ton Leanne!! Good luck though - I hope you are able to get past that feeling of vulnerability and try to teach a class. It is really difficult to put yourself out there like that. Crossing fingers you achieve that one!!

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  8. Wow! You have a very busy year ahead! Congrats on your patterns. I also want to add in garment sewing and have purchased several patterns from Love Notions. Good luck in checking off your goals in 2020.

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  9. You have an impressive list. Good luck on achieving it.

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  10. I love your 2020 goals! I make a lot of mini quilts to use leftover materials, but mostly to use as practice or skill-building. Good luck accomplishing your goals!

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  11. In the early 80's there was a new quilt store called "Sew What" in my area. They needed a beginning quilting teacher. A friend suggested to the owner that I teach it because I sewed a lot. Novice that I was, I accepted the challenge. They gave me Diane Leone's book The Sampler Quilt and I went home to teach myself how to hand piece. I taught two sessions before I decided I needed to spend more time concentrating on my 5 children. The charming part about teaching a beginning class is that they are just that - beginners - and you know so much more about the subject that they do. You'll do great.

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  12. I hope you take the plunge and start teaching workshops. Yes--putting yourself out there is scary--but the rewards are immense!! And your quilted panels are fabulous!!

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