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| mistake stitch scarf in progress spud and chloe yarn. (love!) |
This past year was a BIG one! Oh mylanta!
-Sunday Morning Quilts was released, officially making me an author.
-I did a bunch of speaking and teaching.
-I attended quilt market in Kansas City.
-I got to meet Denyse Schmidt.
-My husband took a new job.
-My younger son got braces.
-My older son started middle school.
-I started working at my local quilt shop.
-We finally decorated our house the way we wanted.
-We put our house up for sale.
-I had one of my quilts featured on the cover of a magazine.
-I celebrated my 6 year blogging anniversary.
Wow. That's an awful lot.
I had a list of goals for last year. I think I did pretty well with them.
-I finished a total of 21 quilts, which is quite moderate for me. I definitely did quilt with more intention and did less 'just because' quilting. Success!
-I wanted to make a dent in the stash. Hmmm. I'm not sure that happened, but I didn't lose a ton of ground either. No loss, no obvious gain. (Or perhaps oblivious gain? ha!) Whichever one it is, I'm feeling ok about where I'm at.
-Scraps under control? It's all relative, but not too bad. I did pass along scraps several times, which felt good. I even threw some away. (gasp!! Did I just admit that?) I'd proclaim this goal a success as well.
-We decorated our house and got it to a point where it felt like ours so we could turn around and put it on the market. Isn't that always the way? (It's no coincidence whatsoever that these went hand in hand.) It was a ridiculous amount of work. When adding this goal to the list last year I really doubted it would happen. If fact, I would have bet money that it wouldn't! But, with a deadline it's amazing what you can accomplish.
-Overall, I hoped to be more intentional with how I lived my life and I think I did. This is an on-going goal, no doubt.
Looking ahead:
-I would like to keep writing patterns and work up the nerve to sell them wholesale. (This is a biggie-it scares the pants off me!)
-I plan to host a quilt along (or two). It's been too long and I miss it!
-I have a fun idea for a blog series I'd like to start.
-I hope to get my act together and teach an online quilting class.
And, not so much a goal...but I really, really hope we sell our house. Soon.
Here's to a terrific 2013!
And of course....
Happy Monday to you!
44 comments:
Congratulations on your 2012 successes and good luck on your 2013 goals. Love your blog and am interested to see the quilt along and the blog series!
2012 was a good year! Best of luck on your 2013 goals - I too would love to see a quilt along and the blog series. I'd also be interested in an online class. So your goals may become my goals! Best of luck selling your house! ~Jeanne
What a great year! Congratulations!
And to you Amanda Jean- what great achievements you've accomplished. I just love your work, and your book, and I think you're great! Happy New Year!
Wow....
I would love to quilt along with you, i haven't found my quilt along for this year, so....
Ilse
You had a really productive year...wow.
You could probably dip your toes into pattern selling online, right through your blog. It's just a PDF file delivered after someone gives you paypal money. :)
you sure did accomplish a lot! With the house thing, we did the same about 5 years ago. But, I am sooo glad to have the home we have now!
I love your book, btw =)
hugZ,
annie
You have got to sell your patterns even though it scares you. Look as it as building a retirement fund, or paying off the braces faster. Just do it!
What a fabulous amount of things you accomplished last year. Congrats on your book. Selling patterns isn't as scary as you may think. I have two friends that are pattern designers and have been lucky enough to watch them grow over the years and see their patterns go international. Go for it!
Sounds like you had a great year in 2012, and I can't wait to see what you accomplish in 2013! Love the book - but I can't keep my hands on it because all my friends keep borrowing it! Don't worry - they're buying their own copy after they see how great it is!
Oh, and if you need homes for some of those beautiful quilts, you can send them to our quilt ministry - we'll find good homes for them with people who need quilt-y hugs - and we can even give you a charitable donation letter so you can take the value off your taxes!
Yes, you have been busy! Sounds like a great year and congrats on your book! Here's to another great year!
You've done awesome!
I hope you sell your house soon too - that can be so stressful!
Hi! I discovered your blog through my sisters-in-law and am so glad I have! I'm not very skilled and have trouble justifying the expense of fabric for a weekend hobby since I work full time and am mother to a 2 year old. But you give me inspiration and I am so impressed at what you accomplish and also manage to share with others. I've started my first quilt in 10 years thanks to your helpful blog. this time I'll go beyond a checkerboard pattern. Thanks for working so hard to keep quilting alive and using your creativity to teach newcomers like me!
Amanda, I love that your quilt cupboard overflows with goodness and warmth to share. Your list of accomplishments reads Huge, girlfriend, you did a Lot of neat Activities this last year.
May 2013 churn on into more success and lots of fun as your kids get some age on them. I love them as they get older, don't you ?~!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, too. I appreciate it very much.
You have so much energy Amanda Jean, I wish you could bottle & sell it! I cant wait for your next quilt along!!! and I'm ready to buy your christmas tree quilt pattern! so bring it on!!! :0)
You have so much energy Amanda Jean, I wish you could bottle & sell it! I cant wait for your next quilt along!!! and I'm ready to buy your christmas tree quilt pattern! so bring it on!!! :0)
What a great year! I look forward to a quilt a long!,
21 quilts is moderate? While publishing a book? And working on your house (an entire year's goal just in itself!)? And all the time being a wife and mum? It sounds like you were extremely successful with last year's goals!! I love your book (I think I've told you that a few times already!). I have organised my fabric and am almost ready to start one of your projects (just need to clear a few others first!!). I would LOVE for you to host a quilt a long! Prayers that your house sells soon.
Happy New Year, friend! Good luck on selling the house. I know it will go well for you. You have great goals, and I wish you all the success in the world. I'm easing off on being "goal oriented" in my sewing. There is a lot going on at work. I'm working on just sitting back and enjoying it. Hugs!
Wow, a wonderful list of accomplishments Amanda Jean. The 21 quilts alone stagger me! The book is one of my favorites!
You have been busy - congrats again on Sunday Morning Quilts (I love it and am so pleased you put it together). Yes please to a quilt along - I haven't done one before so would love to join in with one. And finally, good luck with selling the house, always a stressful time while waiting but the right person will come along eventually! Have a great 2013!
Your year sounds amazing - I so love your book that I decided to follow your blog too - loving the quilt cupboard and want one too!
I've never posted before because you already have plenty of posts that say the same as I would, but finally, I have to say,congratulations on your successes and Happy New Year to you! I've been following you for quite awhile now and you've inspired me along the way of my own quilting adventures, so thank you for that!
I am shocked to read that you have qualms about publishing patterns! Your book was one of the first books I got on modern quilting (just got back into quilting the past couple years) and I adore all the quilts in the book and the writing and photos - all of it!I have no doubt that if you want to design and sell patterns, that it will be a successful venture for you. Go for it!
Happy New Year Amanda! Congratulations on meeting your 2012 and setting such awesome goals for 2013. I have no doubt you will accomplish them all. Looking forward to seeing your creativity and new patterns revealed this year!
I told myself I would destash if I couldn't fit everything in it's proper place so I need to work on getting that together. I hope your house sells soon too, waiting for a house to sell is agonizing.
Happy New Year CrazyMom! What a wonderful list of accomplishments from last year -- you're my idol!!!
Love your blog! You might want to consider Quilts For Kids as a place to donate some quilts (www.quiltsforkids.org/). They give quilts to children in the hospital, as well as other disasters. I belong to a local chapter, but there is a central Q4K too. Looking forward to your blog in 2013.
Mary
There's always Margaret's Hope Chest to help relieve that explosion of quilts in the closet! BTW, I hope you are not moving far away from RF.
Good luck on selling your house. I just started quilting about 18 months ago and your book was the first quilting book I purchased! I have very few scraps but I can't tell you how many times I have flipped through your book dreaming of the day when I can make one of them. I'm getting closer in both skills and scraps!
you are so amazing!!!! what a great year. :)
When you said "quilt along," I'll admit my brain went to "quilt retreat" and I had an inward, "Eeeep!" Phooey. As for your lovely quilts needing homes, I have room! :-D Congratulations on your rockin' year! (P.S. Please send a new signature block.)
Happy New Year! :) I love your blog (been a silent reader for years *blush*), and love your book! Basically it's like, see it on the rack near the cutting counters in Spotlight, and grab it I did ;D Have a great, great 2013!
Congratulations on all your accomplishments of 2012! I'm sure 2013 will be even better :)
You had a wonderful year and should be very proud! I hope to have a closet filled in quilts like yours in one years time instead of UFOs (lol). As you said, a good problem to have...
Frequent reader - usually I don't comment, but had to chime in on this one. Re: selling patterns @ wholesale. I'd really encourage you to use the recent Xmas tree quilt you finished as one to try. It's visually stunning and I'm sure would have wide spread appeal. I normally go for traditional blocks, but I'd buy that one.
Wow! A great year! Here's to another!!
Margaret's Hope Chest is currently looking for quilt donations for a post partum depression program that they've partnered with, just in case you want to give some of those quilts away to charity. :)
Id buy your patterns and take your online quilting class. I owe all of my "skills" to you. You are definitely one of my heroes in quilting. Thank you for your blog and your patience and knowledge. You have helped me in many many ways. I am forever grateful.
Do you think you would ever sell some of your quilts?
Do you think you would ever sell some of your quilts?
Be sure you keep enough in the family so that there will be plenty for your grandchildren to have one some day. They would be sad if everyone had one but them.
I am so ready for a quilt-along!
Would you make a flickr group to track photos or use another method?
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