2020 Mid-Year Check-In

Begonia

Not sure at what point I totally forgot I had joined in Yvonne/@quiltingjetgirl's planning party last December and actually made some goals for 2020. I'd guess around mid-March when Covid became the primary thought on everyone's mind. But good thing Yvonne posted a reminder, as it gave me a chance to look back and see what my hopes were back then. And they must have been rooted deep, as I actually haven't been doing too bad!

The Quilts

• Finishing a couple of wips is first on the list, namely my Begonia quilt and this year's Summer Sampler. - Done! Both were long-term projects, and they were definitely my focus as 2020 began.

Summer Sampler 2019 

• Finish at least one quilt a month throughout the year. - I'm sure being home so much hasn't hurt, but so far so good!
• Incorporate both the Pantone and Kona colors of the year in at least one quilt, as a way to experiment with color. - Not yet! Is the Pantone Quilt Challenge even happening this year? Yes or no, I've got fabric for both colors of the year stashed for when the time is right.
• Stash-busting will be a priority, basically because it adds another element of challenge. - It's going well! As you know, I'm keeping track of my fabric usage, and so far, I'm using more stash fabric than I've purchased.
• Make a couple of scrappy quilts. - Um. I've outdone myself. By my count, I've finished six scrap quilts of various sizes, and am currently working on another. Yay! One of my favorites was definitely Let It Be.

• Maybe make a Christmas quilt? Come December I always wish I had one for our bed, and I never do. - I hadn't given it another thought, but now I am!

The Community

• Blog 2-3 times/week, hopefully expanding from just sharing what I make, but I'm not quite sure what that will look like yet. - Still not sure, but I am consistently blogging about my finishes.
• Have a goal of publishing The Scrap Basket every 3-4 weeks. - I started off ok, but was shocked to realize the other day that I haven't published in over six weeks. Gotta get on that!
• Figure out some Instagram features like linking to posts etc.- I'm not sure that'll work with my non-business account. But I AM trying to post to stories a little more.
• Definitely find time for another IG improv sewalong. They are so fun, and I've had so many questions about 'when can we do that again?' that I really want to make it happen. - No progress, and really, it hasn't been the best time.

New Directions

• Do a new kind of challenge: a friend who happens to be a computer artist and I have talked about doing a challenge together from a single prompt. I'm hoping that can happen. - No new discussion about it. Maybe one of these days.
• Look into monetizing my blog in some way, basically to cover the rising cost of publishing the newsletter. - It's a concern, but not one I've found an answer to yet.
• Do more "surprise" making and gifting. - I've done this a handful of times, and really want to do more!

I ended my December post with, "Above and beyond everything written here, I want time for spontaneous sewing - letting the joy in it take me wherever it wills." And thankfully, that's been able to happen. Yes, I'd definitely like to get out and about more and discover our new normal, but this time at home has also allowed for plenty of free-creating, and I think that has helped me deal with it all. So moving forward.... one day at a time.

Linking up with Quilting JetGirl's 2020 Mid-Year Check-In!