2018 Mid Year Review

I can't believe that 2018 is halfway over!  Did we skip over some of the spring months because I really don't remember some of them :)

My wonderful bloggy friend Yvonne, who blogs are Quilting Jetgirl, hosts an annual planning party to layout goals for the upcoming year. This is the mid-year check in to see where we are with goals.

2018 Goal Check-In

I have done well meeting or making progress towards my "to-do" style goals:

• Launch of the Modern Plus Sign Quilt book
• Done!!
• Host the Modern Plus Sign Sampler quilt along.  This is going to be a fun quilt along that combines almost all of the plus signs from the book into a lap sized sampler.  The QAL will kick off in July.
• Just kicked off, you can find more info here!
• Host a twice yearly Tips and Tutorials Festival with Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl.
• We hosted the first Festival in June and it was a great success, I look forward to this fall for the second.
• Make at least 4 charity quilts 
• I've made and donated two, plus I have another two that are basted and ready to be quilted.
• Host the Best of 2018 Linky Party
• Planned for December

However, my main goal and word for 2018 was BALANCE and I have completed failed at that.

I can say without a doubt that balance has not been my word of the first half of 2018.  I felt as though I was racing from one deadline to the next, never getting ahead and never being able to relax and losing some of the joy of quilting.

As a student and as an adult, I have always pushed myself to do more, take on more, and always be moving ahead.   In Meadow Mist Designs this has been no different, I admit that seeing my quilts in magazines and my first book being published was a thrill, but the pace I have been on is unsustainable.  I am at my limit and am burnt out a bit from the business side of quilting.  

In my personal life, my older child is entering middle school and my younger one is going into third grade and I still work 3 days a week.  The kids are requiring more time for homework help and after school activities.  They are my first and most important priority and I need to make sure that my quilting commitments stay in check so that I am not up to 2 in the morning, rushing to meet quilting deadlines.

I was planning on attending Quilt Market this fall, but every time I went to look at airfares or hotels I started to freak out a bit.  Market is where you go to make new connections with industry members and find new opportunities.   I simply can not take on any more commitments at this time and do not think that I could resist the temptation to say yes to working with some amazing designers and companies.  I have decided not to attend market and once I made that decision, I felt relief, I know that I am making the right call for myself at this point in my life right now.

I want to use what time I have for quilting more mindfully, spending it on creating things that bring me joy.  I love connecting with other quilters online and am beginning some projects that make me happy: starting to plan the 2019 mystery quilt, making some quilts to enter for QuiltCon, sewing some charity quilts.  I think that for the second half of 2018 you will see more in-progress posts from me as I will be doing little, if any, "secret" sewing. 

I'm excited for the next 6 months!

This was a little heavier than my usual, more light hearted posts.  Thanks for being there for me and connecting with you has always been one of the best things about quilting!!

2017 Goal Review and 2018 Goals

I can't believe that 2017 is almost gone!  It seems like it was just the summer and yet we are just a few days away from Christmas.  

My wonderful bloggy friend Yvonne, who blogs are Quilting Jetgirl, hosts an annual planning party to layout goals for the upcoming year.  I thought that I would use this post to first go back to my 2017 goals to see if I had actually accomplished them and then post my 2018 goals.

2017 Goal Check-In

• Design and host the 2017-18 mystery quilt

Done! The Magnolia Mystery Quilt started in July and I just posted the quilt top reveal and instructions.

• Submit some quilt proposals to magazines

Done! I submitted 3 quilt proposals to magazines and they each were accepted.  They will be publishing in early 2018.

• Make at least 4 charity quilts 

Done! I have made at least 7.

• Take at least one multiple week long blogging vacation

I did not take an official blogging vacation, but I gave myself permission to take time off when I felt I needed it.  I had many weeks, mostly in the summer, where I did minimal social media.

• Host the Best of 2017 Linky Party 

This will be done soon.  The Best of 2017 Linky Party will kick off on December 26th.

• Learn needle turned applique and make the Rin quilt by Carolyn Friedlander.

Done!  I hosted the Rin Along with Cindy @ Hyacinth Quilts over the summer and had a great time learning the new technique.

2018 Goals

My main goal and word for 2018 is going to be BALANCE.  

2017 was a very busy year full of deadline after deadline and I would like to strive for a better balance between deadline sewing & fun sewing and sewing in general & other aspects of my life (family, work, house, etc.).

I am intentionally setting less goals for myself this year to help bring more balance and a smaller to-do list.

• Launch of the Modern Plus Sign Quilt book (including a book hop, Quilt Market, guild lectures/workshops)
• Host the Modern Plus Sign Sampler quilt along.  This is going to be a fun quilt along that combines almost all of the plus signs from the book into a lap sized sampler.  The QAL will kick off in July.
• Host a twice yearly Tips and Tutorials Festival with Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl.
• Make at least 4 charity quilts 
• Host the Best of 2018 Linky Party 

2016 Goal Review and 2017 Goals

I can't believe that 2016 is almost gone!  It seems like it was just Halloween and yet we are just a few days away from Christmas.  

My wonderful bloggy friend Yvonne, who blogs are Quilting Jetgirl, hosts an annual planning party to layout goals for the upcoming year.  I thought that I would use this post to first go back to my 2016 goals to see if I had actually accomplished them and then post my 2017 goals.

2016 Goals with Clear Deliverables

• Develop and publish the Pattern Writing Blog Series 
•  Done - posted January-March 2016
• Design and host the 2016-17 mystery quilt 
• In progress, started in July and will finish up in April
• Submit a book proposal 
• Done - more info on this coming in 2017 :)
• Co-host the 2016 New Quilt Blogger’s Blog Hop 
• Done - summer 2016
• Make at least two charity quilts 
• Done - I made 5!
• Develop at least 3 new quilt patterns 
• Done - I launched 6 patterns: Vintage Star, Check Plus, State of Being, Half Circle Mirror, Canvas Lines, and Jelly Lanterns
• Post at least 4 tutorials 
• I posted the huge Pattern Writing Workshop, tips for using sheets as backings, and a tutorial for my Cloud9 blog hop blog.  So not quite 4 but pretty decent.
• Take at least one multiple week long blogging vacation
• Done - it was great to take a few weeks off and I will be doing so again in 2017
• Host the Best of 2016 Linky Party (I have had such fun with the 2015 linky party!) -
• Done (well will be done, the party starts on Monday the 26th, the day after Christmas)

2016 Big Picture Goals

• Continue my journey on growing as a quilter by learning new techniques and moving outside of my comfort zone.
• Strive for balance – balance between being a mother and a quilter, between computer time and quilting time, between quilting for “work” and quilting simply for fun.
• Work at carefully analyzing each opportunity I am presented with and have the courage to say no to the things that do not align with my vision, goals, and time restraints.
• Become more organized

• In 2016, I have gotten better at saying no to opportunities (and at least taking a few minutes to think about them before saying yes).  But my balance between quilting for "work" versus fun has been off these last few months and hopefully I will be able to get that back on track for 2017.

I think that I made good progress towards my big picture 2016 goals, these are continuous improvement goals so they will never be done and I would like to carry these over to 2017.  

So in addition to my carried over Big Picture Goals, here are my 2017 Goals with Clear Deliverables:

2017 Goals with Clear Deliverables

• Design and host the 2017-18 mystery quilt (yes this is happening and will start next July!)
• Submit some quilt proposals to magazines
• Make at least 4 charity quilts 
• Take at least one multiple week long blogging vacation
• Host the Best of 2017 Linky Party 
• Learn needle turned applique and make the Rin quilt by Carolyn Friedlander (I already have the pattern :)

Thank you so much Yvonne for hosting such a fun linky party.  Please take a minute to hop over to her blog and visit everyone else's 2017 Planning Links.

I hope that you will consider writing a post and linking up to the Best of 2016 Linky Party on this blog the day after Christmas (you can find out more info right here).

I'd like to finish up this post with pictures of the 27 finished quilts I have made this year, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a happy holiday! (The pictures use inlinkz so if you are reading this on e-mail you will have to click through to the post on the webpage for the pics to show up.)