2025 Goals

In 2024, I completed five quilts, a record not seen since 2018. I started doing quilt goals in 2016, but I haven't done any since 2021. I didn't complete any quilts in 2021 or 2022. However, it's nice to be able to track how long some ideas take to complete.

This year, I've decided to break the goals into two categories: Achievable, meaning I have formulated at least a rough plan, and Aspirational, meaning I do not yet have an actual plan.

Achievable

Goal 1: Purple and orange butterflies

After making some bags, I have about half a yard of this fabric. Naturally, I decided I would try to make an entire quilt of out it. I initially hoped to make at least the top out of fabrics in my stash, but that is probably not realistic if I want the purples and oranges to actually coordinate. 

Update: Completed! February 2026 

Goal 2: Christmas gnome and tree quilt

I have so. much. Christmas fabric! What did I ever think I was going to do with all of it? I realized I didn't want a red and green quilt that I wouldn't want to use most of the year, so I decided on a low volume quilt. This fabric will be interspersed with blocks of green triangle trees (to mimic the trees in the print) with white backgrounds.

Update: Completed! September 2025 

Goal 3: Rainbow quilt

This fabric first showed up as a quilt goal in 2019, which means I've had it since at least 2018. I have four fat quarters, which has made it tricky to find a good design for it. But I keep trying!

Aspirational

Goal 4: Christmas reindeer 

I might be able to pull off another fairly low volume quilt with gold accented fabrics. I might even have a design that would work well, once I get around to doing the calculations.

Update: Completed! March 2025

Goal 5: Christmas penguins

I love this fabric! I have used it for ornaments, a bag, and a stocking, so there's not much left. This would not be a low volume quilt; it would probably end up being a very red and green quilt. 

Update: Completed! June 2025

2021 Goals

In 2020, I completed one quilt that was on my list of goals and started a second quilt that wasn't on last year's list. I did not complete it, so my first goal for 2021 will be to complete that quilt!

Goal 1: Butterfly quilt

I settled on a design, picked out fabrics, did a bunch of math to make sure I had enough fabric, and made a bunch of half-square triangles. Then I didn't feel like trimming them (300 or so?) so that was where I stopped. In October I asked myself what would motivate me to trim them, and I decided the answer was a 6.5" square ruler. Now I am looking forward to getting back to this project.

Update: Finally done! February 2023

Goal 2: Rainbow quilt

This is its third year on the list. I am contemplating a log cabin or pineapple block design. I haven't done any actual planning yet, so this is tentative, but at least it's a direction.

I'm not putting the cherry quilt from last year on the list again because it seems very unlikely that I'll be able to buy fabric for it.

2020 Goals

In 2019 I only completed one quilt, a low not seen since 2012. Thus, two of my goals this year are repeats of 2019.

Goal 1: Fox fabric

In 2019, I purchased different coordinating fabrics than the ones referenced last year, but this still didn't help me settle on a design. Update: Completed! May 2020

Goal 2: Rainbow fabric

I have a bin of coordinating solids and prints all ready to go, just no design.

Goal 3: Cherries

I love cherry prints, so couldn't pass this up when it was on sale. I bough plenty of yardage, but while I have a few coordinating prints, I don't have enough of any of them. Update: Completed! November 2024

2019 Goals

In 2018, I set rather achievable (i.e., "low") goals. Fortunately, I was able to meet them, and even exceed them by completing a few more quilts. This year I upped my goals from two quilts to three:

Goal 1: A quilt with this fox fabric:

Originally I bought this fabric as a potential quilt backing for my second pink triangle quilt, but I didn't end up needing it for that. I have already purchased a selection of coordinating fabrics, but haven't made further plans. Update: Completed! May 2020.

Goal 2: A quilt with these two fabrics, which are only fat quarters, and various other green and blue fabrics from my stash:

It will pose a bit of a problem that they are only fat quarters, and thus it will require more supplementation than my stash can provide on its own, especially since I don't have much blue. I have a lot of green fabric, and while most will match these fabrics, they won't all coordinate with each other. I am thinking possibly another hexagon quilt. Or more triangles. Update: Completed! April 2019.

Goal 3: A rainbow quilt with this fabric:

I have four fat quarters of this fabric, and at least a yard of each of nine solids that I bought when Joann's was having a really big sale. It will likely be a design similar to my previous rainbow quilt, but with less white.

I still have a lot of 2" strip, but I don't feel inspired to make a string quilt an actual goal this year. I'm not ruling out another quilt of 2.5" squares, but that would require cutting into my stash to restock my box of squares first.

2018 Goals

In 2017, I completed four of my six original goals, plus one add-on goal, for a total of four quilts. Not bad for a year which involved yet another interstate move. I don't anticipate a move this year, but our weekends are considerably busier now that we are in driving distance of family, so I'm not getting super ambitious with goals this year beyond what I already have in progress.

Goal 1: A quilt with these scraps of fabric:

Last year I made three Dresden plates out of these scraps. That's all the scraps I had, so now I just need to figure out what to do to fill in the rest of the top. Update: Completed! February 2018.

Goal 2: A scrappy granny square quilt out of my stash of 2.5" squares. I laid out the squares for these blocks before we moved, so they are all bagged and waiting. I'll just need to cut the squares for the sashing. Update: Completed! July 2018.

Potential projects:

• A string quilt 
• A second quilt using the abundance of fabric I have leftover from the Triangle baby quilt. Update: Completed! April 2018.

Should be manageable to finish two quilts, right?

2017 Goals (aka 2016 Goals - Take 2)

I set quilting goals for the first time in 2016 and, out of my five specific goals, I finished number two and number three. Granted, another baby quilt got added to the list, and we ended up moving 1,400 miles to a new state. I'm still slightly annoyed that I didn't finish the scrap quilt I had ready to go, but at least I finally made a quilt out of one of the fabrics I listed very broadly under goal 6. As a result, my 2017 goal is to finish up my 2016 goals! I have at least been thinking about them, so I've made some a bit more specific.

Goal 1: A quilt with this bird fabric, for which I've already planned a design:

However, I'd planned a design and cut all the fabric for the quilt that was goal #1 last year, so we shall see how this goes! Update: Completed! January 2017.

Goal 2: A quilt with these scraps of fabric:

They are small rectangular scraps, so I am thinking perhaps a Dresden plate design. I don't have many scraps, but I probably wouldn't have the patience for many Dresden plates anyway. Update: Completed! February 2018.

Goal 3: A quilt with these fabrics, though I have only a vague plan so far:

Update: Completed! March 2017.

Goal 4: Another scrap quilt. (All the pieces are still bagged up and packed from the move. Once I start, I'm going to have to stop myself from switching out squares with new fabrics.) Update: Completed! May 2017.

Goal 5: Fix my Pink Star quilt. You'll notice there's no photo of the back of the quilt in that post. That's what needs to be fixed, but it requires ripping out a lot of quilting. Update: Completed! May 2017.

Goal 6: Brainstorm and research what to do with the hexagon blocks. I may not actually start any sewing on this quilt, but I do plan to at least do some planning. Update: Returned to Amanda. April 2018.


As I learned last year, I'm sure new projects will come up! (Though there are no baby quilts on the horizon yet this year!)

Updates: 

Goal 7: A baby quilt for my newest niece, who will be arriving in November! Update: Completed! November 2017.

Goal 8: A string quilt, which should have been on the list last year as well, but now I have a design in mind! Update: Maybe I'll do a string quilt next year. I did iron and sort all my strings, but then I decided to lay out pieces for a scrappy granny square quilt out of my stash of 2.5" squares.

2016 Goals

I don't usually set quilting goals, but I thought I would this year since I'm still working on the scrappy goals I set in June. In 2013 my unofficial goal became to make quilts from my stash as much as possible, but I didn't have specific projects in mind to complete.

Unrelated to goals - I just love this fabric!

Goal 1: Another scrap quilt. It's already in progress so I am fairly confident I will complete it. (Update: In April we moved to a new state 1400 miles away, so the June baby quilt will take priority!) Finally finished! May 2017.

Goal 2: Baby quilt for my friend who's due in June. Sibling to the Shark and Elephant quilt recipients. We'll see if it's another boy. Can't leave the third kid without a quilt, so this will definitely be completed (though if it's a girl, I do already have a quilt that still needs a home). Update: It's a boy! (Found a home for the rainbow quilt before we moved!) Done! June 2016. 

•  Goal 2a (June update): Another baby boy quilt! Just found out another friend is expecting a baby boy in September! (Too bad I don't have more alligator fabric!) Update: Done! August 2016.

Goal 3: Finally make a quilt with the remaining blocks from the Quilt Block Project. I made 51 blocks, and I now have 14 left. I took most of them apart, though a couple made it into quilts. I actually have a plan to incorporate many of the 2.5" squares I'll still have even after completing the second scrap quilt, and I think having a plan will go a long way toward actually making progress on this quilt. Update: Done! February 2016.

Goal 4: Brainstorm and research what to do with the hexagon blocks. I may not actually start any sewing on this quilt, but I do plan to at least do some planning. Update: Returned to Amanda. April 2018.