Planning for the New Year

Here's a gratuitous dog picture of Missy queening it up on my giant pouf to start a wordy post.

I've never had a word of the year before, but I've decided that this year I should pick one, and that it should be calm.  I tend to be constantly running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and while I am busy and do try to do a lot of things, I can't imagine that I'm really truly busier than anybody else.  More importantly, I think my frantic approach is pretty unhealthy.  So this year, to use the 90s vernacular, I'm going to try to chill out, calm down, and relax.  My goal isn't necessarily to accomplish less or more, but just to be a little less "AHHHH".

When I look back at my goal post from this time last year, I feel like I accomplished most of the things I set out to do, including my two main goals which were 1. to finish my last big UFO (the dogs), and 2. to make four new art quilts in 2013 (you can actually see all my 2013 quilt finishes here).   Ring around the mole (the mammal mandala) feels like my biggest piece of 2013, but technically it's a 2014 finish.

For 2014, I have a lot of things I've either started,  have in my brain, or just want to work on.  I'm not sure I'll actually do them all, but here's a place to start.

Art Quilts-I have three new art quilts in my brain just bursting to get out, so far I'm calling them
Benedicta Quilt
Eucharistic Prayer C Quilt, and
Christmas Light Quilt
I also have to come up with some basic ideas for the Jane Sassaman class we're taking in April.

Quickie Quilts
I need to make a baby quilt for my friends Heather and Mark and
I want to make a pieced, minky backed lap quilt/throw for me.

Clothes and Accessories
I have a crochet shrug pattern I'm anxious to start, and
two sets of fabric for tops to make.
I've also ordered fabric for some rainbow leggings (yay), and I'm currently working on a
Weekender bag for my Mom (which was supposed to be a Christmas present but which I just started)

UFOs- I'm bound and determined to finish at least some of these languishing projects this year.
EPP Star Mini
Crocheted Afghan
Armadillo whole cloth quilt thing
Christmas tree doily

General Things to Learn/think about
Work on Embroidery Software
Think about/test different edge finishes
Think about/test different methods of including shadows
Think about a pulley system in the studio for large quilts


And just because pictures are so much more fun than long wordy posts, here's another gratuitous dog picture.

This is Swatch and Shooter (a mother daughter pair).  Shooter always seems to chew on ears.  That's poor skunk dog in the background- he's my mom's precious very very old dog (16-17 I think), and has to wear diapers and takes lots of naps, but otherwise seems quite content to still follow my mom around happily.