Year in Review - 2008

I still have one week to go, but thought I'd look back and see how I did on my goals for this year.

• Work on using my stash, instead of buying more!!! - I bought over 300 yards of fabric this year which is a lot, but I do think it was less than I bought the year before.


• Get started on the PIGS - I worked on a couple of the projects that have been waiting, but still could do better. This is one of my main focuses for 2009.


• Finish the tops that have been waiting to be quilted - I failed with this one. I think most of the tops that were on my list at the beginning of the year still are on the list. BUT I did finish more quilts (16) this year than any other year in the 5 years that I've been quilting.


• Continue practicing new designs with my Voyager 17 - Another failure. I chickened out and pretty much did meandering. Maybe I'll do better in 2009.


• Reduce my spending on quilt-related items - This goes along with my first item. I think I did spend less this year, but I still could do better.

The most exciting quilty thing for me was going to Paducah for the first time and getting to meet some of my online friends face-to-face! (I wish we lived closer so we could get together more often.) Another first was going to the Madison Quilt Show (and DH going along and waiting at the end of each aisle for me). Last, but not least spending time with my niece on the shop hop bus trip. (She told me on cookie baking day that she can't wait for the next shop hop! Yep, she's hooked!)

This year I joined a group of online quilters who track their fabric usage and try to use their stash rather than buy new. It was an eye-opening experience to see how much yardage actually came in. Like I said I don't think I bought as much this year as last year, but it still is pretty shocking to see that I bought over 300 yards of fabric (especially when you put it into monetary terms). I was also surprised how much fabric I used too. I'm kind of disappointed that I only recorded 100 yards (compared to Judy L and Vicky), but in reality it is quite a bit. (I first started recording the numbers in April (after Paducah LOL) so I probably had closer to 125 yards that I used.)

All-in-all it was a good quilty year.