Small Accomplishments for 2014

I love making small quilts with an antique look and, if you follow my blog, you probably do too. Making small quilts can be so much fun. Why, I've even made a career out making small quilts and writing about them . . . .

 

 

For the past few years my Yahoo Small Quilt group has attempted to make one small quilt a month from patterns in my books. Some members make all of these challenges and some just make a few. And every year I give them my suggestions to help organize and plan in order to accomplish some of their goals. Worth repeating here.

 

(Small Quilt Talk members, I know you've already heard this a few times - bear with me as I repeat myself . . . again.)

 

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It's almost a new year and I know we all want to make a bunch of small quilts again. I suspect many of you get very busy with other things at times. So much can get in the way of our quilting. Sometimes it's overwhelming. But don't let that happen.

This year, 2014, we are going to continue to try to make one small quilt a month all year long. Many of you have bought my books because you like my small quilts and feel they are doable. Make time to make some of  them and, trust me, you will feel so good about actually finishing a few. It does not take as long as you think. Remember, at the end of the year, if you keep up, you will have 12 small quilts made. Or maybe 5 or 6, or even 2 or 3, which is better than none.

Every year I post my suggestions on how to get these quilts finished. If you are determined to make a quilt a month you have to disipline yourself and really really want to make them. If a quilt for a certain month is not to your liking, then choose another from another challenge.

Some of you can make one of these all in one sitting. But I know it's not easy or practical for some of you to do it this way. Don't beat yourself up. Break it up into regular chunks of time and don't pressure yourself to make each quilt all at once. I think you can easily finish one little quilt every month if you do that.

Get yourself a "Small Quilt" notebook (Goody - another reason to run to Target for cute notebooks!) and keep track of your progress. Keep yourself accountable by writing down your small quilt goals every month and do your best to accomplish some of them.

1. First Week - Spend an hour or two to choose your fabrics and cut the pieces. Don't pressure yourself to finish the whole quilt that day unless you want to and have the time. Put this somewhere in a zip lock bag where you can easily see it and return to it.

2. Second Week - Make your blocks. This also only takes a few hours (sometimes less, because remember, the quilts are small).

3. Third Week - Put the blocks together. Probably takes an hour or two. Maybe add the border if you have time or at least cut the fabric for it.

 

4. Fourth Week - Finish borders, layer your quilt with batting and backing and spend the rest of the time finishing/quilting. This often takes the most time, but if you like handwork it can go fast.

All it takes is a little discipline. I find I work best with a schedule and some of you may find that helpful too. You just have to keep at it.

When I have a few projects I need to finish I write them down on a list (or in a notebook, actually) in outline fashion. Then I make a point of breaking the quilt into parts and then checking off the parts as I finish them (cut pieces, make blocks, sew together, add borders, quilt, add binding). This gives me something concrete to look at and remind myself of what I have accomplished on that project. Even a little bit of progress makes me feel good.

Bottom line - You can do this!

-Kathy

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Join us this month as we make a little Bear's Paw quilt from my book Prairie Children & Their Quilts (and also in the recent book 101 Fabulous Small Quilts published by Martingale & Co. )

 

 

(In case you're thinking you cannot do this, no way, keep in mind that all of these quilters finished their small Bear's Paw quilt tops in a 3-hour workshop! Thank you, Cedar Falls, Iowa, quilters for your diligence!)