Have you ever made plans to finish a project by a certain date and then a major interruption occurs? Don’t we all? I think that’s why many quilters have long forgotten Works in Progress (WIPs) or Unfinished Objects (UFOs).

During March I had a few interruptions. Early in the month, I injured my hand while clearing ice from our sidewalk. Because of that injury, I wasn’t able to grip anything for three weeks. Thankfully the swelling went down and I was able to finish the Pinwheel Pals baby quilt to meet my goal.

Planning for a Finish

I started setting monthly goals for my quilting hobby when I learned about Patty’s One Monthly Goal link up. Prior to that I didn’t have goals for my hobbies. However, I had so many WIPs and UFOs that I needed to make a change.

Here’s how I approach my planning now. It’s not The Best Way for Everyone, yet it works for me.

1. At the beginning of the year and monthly, I look through my calendar and note any big life-events that will either take up a significant amount of my time or I’d like to celebrate with the gift of a quilt. For example, this year I want to make new Christmas stockings, so I made a note for Christmas in July in the margin of my calendar.
2. Projects take longer than I plan. Sometimes there’s a steep learning curve with a new technique or tool. Or I stitch something together incorrectly and need to do it over.
3. I’m not fast. In fact, I need to sew rather slowly to maintain an accurate ¼″ seam.
4. I work more efficiently when I focus on one project at a time. (Last year I was distracted with quilt alongs and challenges, which created another new pile of WIPs and UFOs.)
5. My family needs my time. My home, my car, my kitchen, my wardrobe—all the things—require constant maintenance. Unexpected things happen. (You know, like when your extra freezer quits working and all the meat thaws. Yeah, that happened to me during March.)
6. Acknowledging the truth of all these things helps me set realistic goals, and that keeps my hobby fun rather than frustrating. Now I can look at the month with a somewhat more realistic view of how much time I can dedicate to my project and I pencil it in the margin, where I track my quilting and blogging goals.

Cowboy Quilt: A Work in Progress

Last summer I began making a quilt for our cabin, finally using my treasured cowboy prints. I love the vintage look of these fabrics! So far I finished four of the nine blocks, and I think I have all the rest cut out and ready to stitch.

I am crushing on this flannel for the the back! I have been saving it for years!

This month I plan to make the remaining blocks. It’s a small goal, so if I accomplish more, I’ll be thrilled!

Today I’m linking up with Main Crush Monday and One Monthly Goal.