2023 Quilting Goals

It’s January 1^st and that means today is Darcy Quilt’s Fifth Birthday!  Happy, happy birthday little quilting buddy!

To start each year, I make a list of quilting goals for the year.  It’s getting a little harder each year to not repeat any previous goals, but let’s see what I can come up with for my 2023 quilting goals.

1. Quilt for Fun

As a quilting business, it can get overwhelming to always be thinking about how a project will become a tutorial or a pattern, or even just thinking through social media posts.  For the record, I’m not a fan of Reels, but I make them, because that’s what I need to do for the business to thrive.

But, quilting hasn’t always been about business.  Once upon a time it was a fun hobby that brought joy, and I need to find a way to get back to that. 

I need to quilt, just to quilt, with no expectations (of myself!) for posting or sharing or selling.  I’m not sure yet what this looks like, but self-care has got to be on my to-do list this year.  And, I suspect, not just once, but scheduled throughout the year.

2.  Clean Out the Scrap Box

I’m really a glutton for punishment, aren’t I?  I just said yesterday I was all done with attempting to make this goal happen.  And here I am again, ready to bang my head against a wall.

The scrap box will never be empty. 

But, I think scrappy tutorials are my best tutorials, because they are what you want.  They are the tutorials with the most comments and I hope that means you are able to put them to good use towards cleaning out your own scrap boxes too.

And I’ll make a valiant effort to find new ways to use up scraps for as long as I’m a quilter so I will keep this around as a goal for the year.  Be prepared to laugh with me or at me in approximately 364 days when I have to admit failure again for this one of my 2023 quilting goals.

Here are a few previous scrappy tutorials:

Scrappy Triangles

Scrappy Backing

Scrappy Binding

3.  Quilting Photography

I had this as a goal when I first started the blog, and I have improved drastically since then.  But, there is always room for improvement.  I purchased a fancy new camera last year, and I am still using it as a point and shoot; after reading the owner’s manual, I think I need to spend some time practicing. 

And just so we’re clear, those six photos of a variety of projects at the top of this blog post are among the best quilt photos I’ve ever taken.

Not every picture is nearly that good.  I’ve got room to get better and this is the year!

3. Revisiting Old Patterns

I recently shared a tutorial to complement my On Point Quilt Pattern and I have an upcoming tutorial to go with my Diamond Twist Quilt Pattern.  I want to go back through other patterns and find ways to add value through tutorials, adding more sizes to some like Hexie in a Hexie or making new quilts with better photography for Etsy for others. 

4. Learn Something New!

Maybe English Paper Piecing?  I’m so in awe of those who can do hand stitching.  Maybe something else.  I’ve given up hand binding quilts because it hurts my hand, so maybe hand stitching quilt blocks isn’t the best choice a for a goal.  I’m definitely open to suggestions on this one!  What is a part of quilting and sewing that I’ve never done that I just need to try?

5. Crafts That Aren’t Quilts

I don’t need a new hobby.  But I would like to try something new.  Right now, making a wreath sounds interesting.  So does gardening with more intentionality followed by canning and dehydrating and eating fresher foods with less pesticides and GMOs.  I don’t know.  But in addition to learning something new within the quilting world, I would also like to spend some time learning something new outside of sewing too.

6. Write More Quilt Patterns

I only released three quilt patterns last year.  Not that that isn’t enough, but I have so many pattern ideas in my head that I want to get out into the world.  The thing that needs to happen in order to put out more patterns, is planning.  Patterns need time to go through a pattern tester process before they can be released, which means they need to be written a couple of months ahead of time.  If I can plan my time more efficiently, I can do that and release 5-6 patterns per year.

Last Year’s Patterns

Carillon

Beachy Update (Free!)

9-Patch Jelly Roll (Also Free!)

Patterns on Tap for this year, in addition to the rewrite of Hexie in a Hexie mentioned above.

Domingo – no photos yet, but this will be the second pattern I release in 2023, right behind Hexie in a Hexie with more sizes.

Untitled Lattice Star

Untitled Thank You Card

And maybe, hopefully, some more. 

Follow along this year and we’ll see how well I do at tackling each of these goals.

What is on your 2023 quilting goals list?