I took some extra time to think about my plans and goals for 2016 because I just wasn't sure if I had really nailed them down enough. And by nailed them down, I mean relatively. These days when it comes to goals, I tend to be more of a "Shoot for the moon. If you miss you'll still be among the stars" kind of planner. My husband always tells me to cut my to-do list in half, and I rarely check off everything I hope to do. I do want to avoid that approach some what for 2016. I think I'll always have that tendency a bit - and at this stage of life with five kids at home all day and homeschooling three of them, I don't always know what time I'll be able to take (make) for sewing. But here is what I've come up with for 2016.
Classes
I aim to increase my knowledge and skills concerning sewing technique, color theory, and quilting.
- Take (and review) at least one course each month either at a local fabric shop, through Craftsy (affiliate link), or similar.
- Read (and review) at least one book each month related to sewing, color, or quilting.
- Participate in the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club challenge each month.
- I enjoy following along with Color Play Friday from Laurel, Poppy and Pine and In An Otter Life. I'd like to learn more about color theory and maybe even join in.
Content
I plan to more purposefully work on my site content and the content I produce for other sources.
- Create at least twelve new tutorials.
- Update my About page and add other pages/tabs that I've been procrastinating on. This goal has a deadline of March 1.
- More posts. Shorter posts. I want to work on finding that sweet spot that covers helpful or interesting information and is short and quick to read (and write). {That will start after this post!}
- Continue to use Periscope to create video that I can also use here on my site. I especially enjoy live video reviews of the patterns I sew and expect to do more of that, as well as some Periscope broadcasts with tips for sewing.
Connection
This year I hope to continue connecting with other sewist, quilters, fabric designers and companies. I've enjoyed starting to build friendships, learning from, and working with several people and a couple companies. In the coming year, I'd like to do that even more - and look for opportunities to do that in person either at a conference, meet up, or other format. I'm excited for the opportunity already this year to be part of the Coastline Fabric Blog Tour for Sharon Holland who designs for Art Gallery Fabrics, to be working on a couple tutorials for Birch Fabrics and Fabricworm, and to be writing again for One Thimble (affiliate link) online magazine.
What I Won't Be Doing
I have passed off Sew Your Pattern Stash to two other bloggers who will do a much better job with it than I. I really dropped the ball on it last year, and it doesn't really fit with my sewing desires or plans for the year, as I don't expect to purposefully sew through the patterns I own. There are several patterns I still love and plan to sew, but there are a lot I don't, and I want to work on sewing some patterns I don't yet own. If you want to work on sewing through the patterns you've already bought but haven't sewn - you should definitely join in. I think it is headed for a great year!
I was much more selective in my pattern testing this past year and will probably continue that trend. I still would like to be involved in the testing process on occasion with some designers. I particularly enjoy getting to know the designer and other testers during the process. There are a few designers who consistently put out patterns I love and have a testing process that is clear, productive, and fun to be part of.
What I Want To Do More
- Sew! In particular, I want to sew more for me, more handbags, and work on specific skills and with a broader range of fabric.
- Quilt. I'm starting to quilt and my two goals are to do the Mighty Lucky Quilt Club challenge each month, and to have something to show when I am able to attend guild meetings. That's it for quilting goals this year (but I admit I hope to over achieve in this category).
- Working with pattern or fabric designers and companies. Blog tours, tutorials, guest posts, featuring fabric - these are all parts of blogging I enjoy.
- Proofreading and editing - I think this is my most significant contribution to the pattern testing process, and I had a few opportunities to proofread patterns prior to print (paper) or articles before publication. I'd love to do more work along those lines. If you, or someone you know, is looking for someone, please use the contact tab to get in touch with me.
- Periscope - I've really enjoyed this social media medium the past couple months. It works well for me because it is live and doesn't require editing or a lot of preparation. I hope you will follow me there
Dreams (do come true)
- I'll just put this out there: I would love to be an Ambassador for Janome (the machine I use) one day.
- I enjoy public speaking. I think I will look in to teaching a class locally this year and see where it leads.
- I'd like to earn enough money from my sewing and blogging this year to purchase a few supplies I've been wanting and to pay for a sewing conference or retreat. This would be a major increase over 2015.
I love it! I think it's great that you took some extra time to really think about your hopes and goals for the coming year. And I'm with you on the Janome thing. I absolutely love mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lorinda. Yes, I love my Janome (and a few that I don't own)!
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