As I am sitting here catching up on blog reading, I'm seeing a consistent theme throughout, either reflections of the year just completed or resolutions/to do lists for the upcoming one. I hadn't originally planned on doing this myself but after thinking about it a bit, I figured I would anyway because I would like to read this post a year from now and see just how well I did.

While I didn't get to sew and finish nearly as many projects as I would have liked in 2011, I really hope to do a lot better this new year. Building our new house and then moving for the 1st time in 15 years as well as getting the old house sold certainly didn't make for much free time to quilt. Add to that the fact that both kids had surgeries this year and I worked hard to get the new house into the "home" stage instead of just a house, lots of "me time" things got put on the back burner. So what am I planning for this year? Well most of all I want to actually DO more. A TON more.

I've at least got a start. Yesterday I worked at sewing on the front side of the binding for Jammer's fire truck quilt but of course I screeched to a halt when I ran out of thread. I solved that problem today and by this time tomorrow evening, I will be working on hand stitching it to the back. Next I'm going to get the binding done on Jammer's 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It has been waiting for that last bit of finish work long enough. The other items on my To Do list: are:

1. Finish Miss M's 100 Good Wishes Quilt and send it on it's way. Since I just found and purchased the border, backing and binding fabrics today, at least by the end of this week, I'll have what I need to get it done.

 2. Make 2 Teacher End of Year Quilts by mid June. Since the rest of the fabrics from Jammer's classmates are due to me by mid January, I should be able to shop for the coordinates very soon and then get these projects into high gear.

3. Baby quilt for neighbor who is expecting her baby girl in March. This gift is way behind and it will be amazing if I get it done in time.

4. Shabby fabric quilt complete by Christmas. It will be a special gift.

5. Hollywood Boulevard quilt also done by Christmas. It will also be a gift.

6. Complete my Quilting 101 Wall hanging. It will look great finally hanging in my studio.

7. Sunshine's 100 Good Wishes Quilt. This one will be huge, like her brother's is, but I'm pretty good at Square in a Square blocks now so it should go faster than his did.

8. Brown and Pink quilt. Fabrics I broke down and bought while taking my Quilting 101 class in the fall of 2009 because I loved them and can't wait to see how my vision for them turns out.

9. Another gift quilt, but only if I end up finding the rest of the right fabrics for it.

10. Design and make tote bag idea that has been floating around in my head since last spring. I've even been considering making more and selling them on Etsy once I get the details worked out.

11. Special series block designs that I also have been pondering for months and months. I have a whole list of ideas that I would love to see become reality. It has been hard finding the time to get started on this but perhaps if I try to do one block, the others will come easier. At some point I hope to put them all together into a very unique quilt and maybe even sell the pattern.

12. Although these projects aren't the quilty type, they are the crafty type and they too are long past overdue. I have all that I need to get them done, I just need to make the time. But that is so hard when the fabrics and sewing machine are calling my name. What in the world am I talking about? Well I need to do Jammer's Lifebook, our Vietnam trip scrapbook and his baby book, Sunshine's Lifebook, the China trip scrapbook and her baby book, as well as finishing both of their 100 Good Wishes Quilt scrapbooks, but I need to get the wishes from my mom and siblings in order for that to happen. A couple of months ago I took advantage of the penny print sale over at Snapfish and had printed all the photos from the past 3 years, over 7,000 of them, so I have them here. But they are still sitting in the box waiting. Maybe if I can get done those quilts that have deadlines up to mid-year quickly I can tackle some of this scrapbooking too and even get them crossed off the list by year's end.

I could add more projects to this list (I have a lot more quilting plans), but I think this is plenty long enough for now. I will be absolutely thrilled beyond belief if I am actually able to accomplish all of it. And who knows what the coming months will bring with quilt alongs, swaps or other online quilting events that I won't be able to resist. With life, work, kiddos, and  also needing to do a lot of painting and decorating still here, juggling will the biggest challenge. One way or another, I WILL complete more projects this year.  I was born in the Year of the Dragon and I'm supposed to be energetic and stubborn. Energetic I can definitely be (when the kidets don't get me up in the middle of the night) and stubborn when it comes to wanting to get things finished. I'm hoping these traits will be in plenty supply to enable me to accomplish loads of things this year. May 2012 be the year I thrive on the creating.