2015 New Years Resolutions

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It's that time again...time to decide upon my quilting New Year's Resolutions for the upcoming year!  Drum roll please...

  • Experiment with fabric dyeing and manipulation

    • Dyeing supplies--check!
    • Books--check!
    • Crafty classes--check!
    • Now all I need is to watch the classes and muster up the motivation and confidence to done on some old clothes and get outside to experiment with all the beautiful dyes and pfd fabric just awaiting a boost of color!

  • Continue my battle against UFOs

    • There are at least 13 Works In Progress hanging out in my studio!!
    • There a similar quantity of projects that are kitted with pattern/fabric awaiting for their turn and space in the spotlight.
    • My Battle Strategies:
      • UFO Exchange 2015 kicks off later this month!  
      • February Quilting Retreat with a growing list of projects to tackle during some serious quilting marathons!
      • Apply my FMQ skills to some of the quilt tops that have been on the back burner awaiting my FMQ skills to catch up to the piecing/design.
      • Resist temptation to start too many new projects, and those that do get started, keep up the motivation/determination to complete the project before they add to the UFO pile!

  • Learn new quilting designs/techniques to add more beautiful texture to my quilts

    • After completing Patsy Thompson's Ultimate Free-Motion Quilting Craftsy class, I am eager to apply her beautiful hyper quilting and trapunto techniques to some of my quilt tops.
    • I am also enjoying Jacquie Gering's Creative Quilting with your Walking Foot and hope to apply the graphic quilted lines to some of my more modern quilts.
    • And after watching Cindy Needham's classes, I am anxious to design my own linen whole cloth quilt.  My mother found some beautiful linens and I've picked up some Cherrywood Fabrics and stencils at PIQF.
    • I am also curious about trying some ruler work with my domestic machine.
    • And who knows what other skills/techniques await me.

  • Put myself out there more as a Quilter

    2015 Hoffman Challenge Fabric
    • After much encouragement from family & friends, I am ready to explore possibilities to make a living out of quilting.  I'd love to explore the opportunities to teach, design/publish patterns and perhaps even quilt others tops.  
    • There are some fabulous resources available including webinars, yahoo groups and books that I've started to research.  I am also thinking about joining SAQA to access all the networking and resources available to their members.  
    • In the meantime, I hope to enter more of my quilts into several national/international quilt shows and quilt challenges in this upcoming year including the 2015 Hoffman challenge.
    • And I am excited to be a Quilting 101 demonstrator for my guild to share some of the tools and techniques used to create my Wicked Windy & Winding Ways quilt that was a finalist for Cherrywood's Wicked Challenge. 

  • Incorporate technology into my quilting process, designs, and documentation

    • Love it or leave it, technology is here to stay!  So I might as well embrace all that technology has to offer me as a quilter.  There are 3 technology tools that I am particularly anxious to explore and incorporate into my quilting:

      • EQ7--so many amazing tools for designing and creating quilts that I am determined to become proficient with this software.  I enrolled in EQ University Quick Start class that starts today and continues through March 31st.  So after 3 months of working through this curriculum--I'd better be comfortable with the various tools!  And if not, there are a several more advanced classes that await me!!
      • Explore Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 for its potential with both documenting my process and completed quilts, as well as incorporating into my quilt designs.  I am especially excited to be taking two back to back Photoshop Elements Essentials classes with the Pixeladies to learn how to use PSE in my quilting!  The first class starts January 12th and the last class ends March 1st!  
      • Explore Inkscape, a free professional graphics editing program for original graphic/quilt designs.  I learned about it from a recent MQG webinar and need to spend some time watching tutorials to learn about the powerful design tools it affords to us quilters! 
      • And I am sure several other new and exciting technologies may be awaiting me in 2015!! 

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