WIPs

AJ is running a 12 WIPs in 2012 challenge to encourage people to finish at least 12 WIPs that they have sitting around.  Great I thought a challenge (not that I am very good at keeping to them).

So I looked at the post she wrote and started my list.  I only have 3 genuine WIPs!  I can't believe it.

I guess the morning sickness and renovations in 2011 stopped me starting all these great ideas I have been having.

So I can't enter AJs challenge but to ensure that I get these WIPS complete this year I am listing them here and on the right hand side so I can tick them off.

Genuine WIPs

Laras Quilt - Top finished
Mondrian Quilt - blocks complete
Fandango Quilt - blocks complete

WIPs in Planning stage

Central Park Quilt
Quilt for Nephew O
Ruby Wedding Quilt for M&D
CT Quilt

In addition I have plans for Christmas and Birthday presents for the majority of the family to get done.  Once again I will be attempting to do a couple a month (and get beyond Easter this year). 

We have no plans to renovate this year so I should be able to get my machine out in every month and get these things done.

Things are changing and February Reckoning

Things are changing round here wth my increase in days at work to 4 a week.  I have been at it for two weeks and I am really feeling the shift.  I think maybe three days a week was where I should stay but we will see how we go for the next couple of months.

This has meant that I have had got very little done in February and so I am going to re-evaluate my goals for 2011.

February


BIL1 & Dad - B'day and Christmas gifts - Not Done

Sampler BOM - Block-a-palooza at least two blocks - Not Done

MMQG Block February - Done

MMQG August Sample Block No2 - Done

Fandango Quilt - Piece at least 5 more blocks - Done 3 (I think)

Bind J&T Wedding quilt this one depends on when it comes back from the quilter. - In progress

Bind Jots Doll Quilt - Done

Finish last leftover item from 2010 - Not Done

And there have been no additional things made this month.  I am exhausted a lot at the moment with the 4th day at work and juggling Jot on the train each morning.  So although I am having a number of no technology evenings each week I am usually curled up in bed approaching sleep and I am feeling completely behind in my goals.  So here I am after two months revising my first two goals of 2011.

Goal 1 - Family

I am amending this one by cutting out all the handmade gifts for the men in my life.  This cuts the list down by 6 people.  I was struggling to find the research time for gifts for men (they are so much harder than for women)  So in 2011 we will be buying for the men but I plan to reinstate the boys for 2012. 

New list:

Jan - SIL (Mar)
Feb -
Mar - Big Sis (July)
Apr - Neice (July)
May - MIL (Sept)
June - Mum (Sept)
July - Jot (Sept)
Aug - Lil Sis (Nov)
Sept - Nephew 1 (Nov)
Oct - Nephew 2 (Jan)
Nov & Dec - Xmas stocking fillers and Kris Kringle as well as CC gifts etc.

This makes life much more managable.

I am also going to revise Goal 2 - Me which was to piece, sash and bind a sampler quilt.  I really wanted to get onto this one but as I am completing one block a month for the MMQG Oh Beehave Quilting Bee I am getting to try new blocks as we go.  I am therefore retracting this goal but replacing it with the following:

To complete at least 5 quilts in 2011 (to gift in 2011)

I have a list of 8 quilts I will be attempting in 2011 and I am now determined to complete (and gift) at least 5 of them.

My general life goals we are better on track for.  I do need to do the Feb actuals and the March budget but on whole we are tracking well for this.  Growing our own food is also moving along happily, we are over run with Zucchini and the Pumpkins have started already so I am now on a search for pumpkin recipes.  Finally my no technology time, these are actually being helped by my extra day at work I just wish I had the energy and mental capacity to sew during them rather than sleep but I am sure this will come as I get used to the new routine.

January reckoning

Well here is the end of the first month of the year and already one of my goals has been pushed back.

However my creativity has been flowing and I am so excited about all the new quilt blocks I tried this month that I am not upset that my sampler quilt block hasn't been done.

So January is looking like this:

January

SIL - B'day and Christmas gift - Done - Christmas gift will be finished tonight.

Sampler BOM - Hole in the Barn Door - Not done but have decided to follow Quilt Dads Block-a-palooza instead from 1 Feb

MMQG Block - Done

Finish left over items from 2010 (x2) - 1 done

Bind Jot Dolls Quilt - not done but have at least attached the binding now.

* Fandango Quilt - Cut and Piece - 5 blocks down 11 to go

* Quilts for Queensland Blocks x10 (4 log cabin, 3 disappearing nine patch and 3 stars - not quite sure of their exact name) - complete and will be sent to Corrie at the end of next week

* Sunhat for Jot - done

* Childcare Sheet Bag for Jot - done

* August MMQG Block - The first of my two sample blocks have been made and I am now really excited about this quilt.  I will do the other one next week but you may have to wait till I get my blocks back in August before I show it off :).

The starred items were not on my original list for January so I have done well.

So as off tonight my February list looks like this:

February

BIL1 & Dad - B'day and Christmas gifts

Sampler BOM - Block-a-palooza  at least two blocks

MMQG Block February

MMQG August Sample Block No2

Fandango Quilt - Piece at least 5 more blocks

Bind J&T Wedding quilt this one depends on when it comes back from the quilter.

Bind Jots Doll Quilt

Finish last leftover item from 2010

Lets see how I go and what else I get distracted with.

Have a good week everyone.

No Technology Evenings

As part of my 'big' Goal for 2011 I decided to limit my use of the tv and internet and wow it has made a huge difference to my productivity at the sewing machine.  I will show the results shortly.
In addition to time spent at the sewing machine I have a knitting project on the go and have read 5 books!  Yes you read that right 5 books (nearly 6) in 2 weeks.  I will admit they are all books I have read before but we finally got round to unpacking our books at Christmas (only 50 weeks after we moved in) and it has been great to rediscover them.  I am reading the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind and am now on Book 6 of 11 'Faith of the Fallen'.  I will also admit to getting so engrossed that I have forgotten to eat dinner a couple of times and been up well past my normal bedtime most nights.  I think that I need to pace myself a bit better.
At the Sewing table I have:
Completed my MMQG Oh Beehave Block for Anna

Create 4 blocks for Quilts for Queensland run by Retromummy

Started on my 'Fandango Quilt' one block complete and 2 partially finished but wanted to get the Q4Q blocks finished before I went back to it

One Sun Hat for Jot for Childcare (she refused to model it for me but she does like it as she chose the fabrics)
 
And I made my SIL birthday present (now I just need to figure out her Christmas one)

I think that is it :).  I have also made up a Kids Tool Belt for my nephew O (who has a Jan birthday) but was in such a rush to get it in the mail to NZ that I forgot to take a photo of it.
I just hope the creativity continues as it makes me feel good about myself and more importantly keeps me away from the chocolate.
Take care
Jots Mum

2011 Goal 3 - General

Finally (and this is a big one for me) my general life goal of 2011.  Most of my ideas that didn't sit in either of the two previous areas were too small to become measurable or are dependent on things outside my control to come to fruition.  So I decided to lump most of my small goals under one heading and work towards them slowly and be degrees.  This goal is not attainable in 2011 as it is more of a long term goal but at least part of it is attainable.

So my General Goal is:

To live a more simple and frugal life.

Not very specific at all is it.  So I have some supporting goals which I am going to mention here (and a lot more that I will hold over to another year)

1) Limit Technology - I spend far too much time on the internet (browsing forums, facebook - the biggest time waster on the planet and playing games) and watching TV (I often find myself channel hopping because I can't think of anything else to do but there is nothing on I want to watch) so I am limiting both.  I currently do one or the other (or both) every day and I plan to reduce that to 4 days in 7.  So on 3 days/evenings I will have no internet or TV.  More time to sew, knit and read.

2) To Budget - To set a budget with a strict savings policy.  To buy second hand where possible.  To buy food in bulk and utilise various methods to preserve it for the rest of the year (this crosses over into my next supporting goal).  To save up for 'big ticket' items such as our new kitchen and bathroom.

3) Food - To grow as much of our vegetables and fruit as possible.  To buy in season and in bulk utilising R work suppliers where possible.  To eat less processed foods and less sugar.  To plan menus and eat with Jot.  To prepare meals in advance and freeze.  To create a 'recipe folder' of healthy recipes that can be used to plan menus.

As it is tough to set most of these into a time frame as life is ongoing I am going to give each of the three supporting goals a timeframe of 6 months and review my progress (or lack thereof) at the end of June 2011.

In wrapping up my three (well five really) 2011 goals I wish you luck in setting and attaining yours in 2011.

Happy New Year.

Jots Mum

2011 Goal 2 - Me

I struggled to narrow this group down to one goal as I had loads of ideas and things I want to do for my 'development' doing things I love.  After much consideration I decided to focus on expanding my skills in my newest hobby - Quilting.  So my 'Me' goal for 2011 is:

To complete (piece, sash, quilt and bind) a 9 block sampler quilt


I was hoping to do this as part of a class but I don't think we can fit one in in 2011 so instead I am setting it as a challenge to myself.  To make it 'SMART' I am going to do it as a Block a Month from Jan to Sept with the remaining months for the sashing, backing, quilting and binding with the goal to have it completed in time for NYE 2011.

I think this will be a great way for me to develop my piecing and quilting knowledge and combined with the MMQG Quilting Bee I think I will end 2011 with more knowledge and confidence in this very satisfying art.

I am thinking about opening this up as a quilt-a-long challenge to anyone out there so if you are interested leave a comment and I will figure out how it is going to work.  It will be a fairly simple BOM as my skills are fairly limited at the moment but I hope to choose more complicated blocks towards the end of the quilt a long.

2011 Goal 1 - Family

I have used this goal to cover my extended family as I have been toying with this idea for the last couple of years.

My family Goal is:

To Hand make all Birthday and Christmas presents for all extended family in 2011 (this will include any special occasions that crop up births, marriages and the like).

So to make it Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART) I have decided to allocate 1 or 2 members of my family to focus on each month.  The month in brackets is their birthday month.

Jan - SIL (Mar)
Feb - BIL1 & Dad (June)
Mar - Big Sis & Niece (July)
Apr - BIL2 & FIL (Aug)
May -  R (Aug)
June -  MIL & Mum (Sept)
July -  Jot (Sept)
Aug  - Lil Sis & BIL3 (Nov)
Sept  - Nephew 1 (Nov)
Oct - Nephew 2 (Jan)
Nov & Dec - Xmas stocking fillers and Kris Kringle as well as CC gifts etc.

So my goal is to make 2 gifts for each person in their month.  One gift will be for their birthday and the other for Christmas.

The calendar above will be incorporated into my side bar once I have written up my Me goal (which is also split by month) and had a look at what extra quilts I want to make this year so I can allocate them as well.  I will then recap at the start of each month what my goals are and at the end of each month see how well I have done.  (It will also be pinned above my sewing machine so I don't get sidetracked which is far to easy these days)

So heres to a very productive 2011.

More on goals

I thought I would let you in on some of my thinking regarding my 2011 goals.  I have been brainstorming this week (well where possible as Jot is quite busy at the moment) and have thrown literally hundreds of goals down on paper.  Most of them are probably going to end up as the smaller parts of a bigger goal.

If found I was not able to stay focused and all sorts of goals were popping out, the weight one, the work one, the pie in the sky one, the child one, the life one and they are all getting muddled up and confused.  So more work is needed and I think I am going to limit myself to Three major goals this year each backed by a number of smaller time linked goals.  Each of my Three goals will have a 12 month time frame with the smaller ones that work towards the larger one having much shorter timeframes.  Sort of stepping stones if you will.

I have decided that my three major goals need to be  in different areas of my life. 

ME - this one will be about developing myself as a person through something I enjoy doing and has been the easiest to decide on and easiest to figure out the mini goals for.

FAMILY - this one is rather dependent on others as well as myself so figuring out the mini goals is proving tough but I am getting there.

GENERAL - this one I only have the bare bones for so far as it is by far the largest this year and the mini goals could go on for ever as I get carried away so I will par it back quite tight and maybe use it again in 2012 for the remaining mini goals.

I am feeling really positive about this process this year as I have taken the opportunity to really think about my life and how I would like to change it.  All the ideas that flowed out through my brainstorm were fascinating and a lot were longer term goals that I don't have the time or the mental and emotional capacity for at this point in my life.

The way I am going I may even be able to post my 2011 goals before January but I don't think I will hold my breath as today is my last day at work for the year and I know how busy life gets at home when there is no work to break up the chaos.

I will be back over the next few days with details of our Christmas preparations as well as the last of my Christmas sewing.  I am determined to complete a dress for myself in time to wear on Christmas day as long as the weather cheers up a bit.

Take care

Jots Mum

S.M.A.R.T Goals

So returning to my theme of a few days ago I a little closer to setting my 2011 goals.

At work we are required to set goals each year and this year we were informed all out goals had to be SMART goals. SMART stands for:

Specific - A general goal would be, "Get in shape." But a specific goal would say, "Join a health club and workout 3 days a week."

Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward each goal you set.

Attainable - Plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps

Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work.

Timely - A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency

So I am using this system to set my 2011 Personal Goals. It may take some time to get them right so I will post my 2011 goals at the start of January (unless the are finalised earlier). For each Goal I will have a set of mini goals and a timeframe. I might even make a couple into challenges for the year that you can join me in.

JotsMum

2010 Goals - Review

It is that time of year again for me when I review the past year and set goals for the next.
 
Way back in January I set my 2010 goals and well see for yourselves how I did:

Me Time
12 sewing challenges in 12 months – 1 of 12 complete
12 knitting challenges in 12 months – not started

Home
Create a family organiser (and Christmas organiser) – started but never finished
Set a budget and stick to it – Ongoing work but mostly finished and in use

Family
Do Watch wait and wonder with Jot three times a week – not done
Have a monthly date night with R – I should be so lucky

As you can see I really didn’t do too well.

2011 needs a different approach I feel.