2024 Habits: November Update

Click on the image above for the video on this or click HERE.

Just in case you are new to this series, here is a recap:

I decided in December 2023 and the beginning of January to change some things in my quilting life that just weren’t working for me. After evaluating the good, bad, and ugly, I came up with my top five habits I wanted to implement in 2024. I have a video on this, which you can find here and a blog post, too! You can find that here.

Although I have kept my goals in mind throughout the year so far, I haven’t been great about updating my progress each month (yet another goal I need to implement? I think so!). These videos and blogs have helped keep me accountable. After all, I know I will be reporting to all of YOU on this, and I don’t want to let you down. I highly recommend having someone to keep you accountable, if not in a public way like I am doing, then in a group of friends. It helps me so much!

November Update: On Track!

I cannot believe we are only a month away from the end of 2024. I also cannot believe how much making (almost) monthly videos and writing monthly blogs has helped me develop sewing habits as well as it has. Who knew? It goes to show you that having an accountability partner really does help. I want to thank you all for being my accountability partner in this endeavor!

So much has happened in October and November 2024.

Let’s start with October. I received Jenny’s Countdown to Christmas advent box from Missouri Star Quilt Company (NOT sponsored—I paid for this box); finishing projects such as the yellow wonky log cabin quilt, the pumpkin quilt, and many table runners. It has been a productive month, for sure!

November was a lot of fun, too! I made a really cute quilted Santa hat, my shelves were finished and installed (yay!), and I finished up a class I was taking this fall. I also put up and decorated my sewing room tree.

Here are some highlights from October & November:

Now that it is the last week of November 2024, I am going to evaluate how I did in October and November by giving myself a score and where I did well and where I need to improve. Since I am a former teacher, I am going to stick with what I know, using the terms Glow (where I did well) and Grow (where I need improvement).

If you are interested in tracking your own progress with habits, click here for a worksheet to help you out.

Let’s Break Down October & November!

Habit 1: Keep My Cutting Table Clear

This Month’s Score: 5/5

I think this habit is finally solidified in my brain. That’s great news, right? Although I am still cautious about the holiday season, I am also feeling like I have this in the bag. Because I have done a great job at this, I have plans for another trouble area in my sewing space. I will talk about that more in my 2025 goals! Stay turned for that!

Glow: YES! I call this a victory!

Grow: Keep this up during December!

Habit 2: Finishing Projects

This Month’s Score: 5/5

Oh, I think I nailed this one, too! YAY! Let’s see where we are: this month I made FIVE table runners and one placemat. I also finished two quilt tops: the wonky log cabin one and the pumpkins (the pumpkins took me two years to complete, by the way. Two. Years.). I also made a quilt top in a guild workshop (more on this in Goal 5) and I made a quilted Santa hat. Although I still have many projects to work on and complete, I did do a great job making a dent in some! If you are interested in the tutorial for the table runners, click HERE for a link to the video and HERE for the link to the blog.

I also did a video diary and blog for the snowflake quilt. Click HERE for the video and HERE for the blog.

Glow: Finished THREE quilt tops! THREE! And a bunch of table runners and other small projects. YAY, me!

Grow: Maybe pull out one or two of those OTHER quilt tops in your cabinet. :) Let’s get those quilts finished!

Habit 3: Creating More Healthy Quilting Habits

This Month’s Score: 4/5

Update for October:

Shelves are coming along! Four more are in the works. We (by we I mean my husband) has been working hard on these. I cannot wait for them to be in my sewing room. Now to figure out what to do with the rest of the furniture. Eeek!

Another update on the sewing room is that we (again, my husband) sanded down and refinished a table that I use all the time. In March or so, I was making a project and had my iron on a pad. Unfortunately, the pad did not protect the table like I thought it would and it left a burn mark on the table. Since I use this table for recording, I have had to either cover it with a wool mat or strategically place my project/camera so it didn’t show. A few weeks ago, I casually asked him if he could refinish it. Guess what? HE DID and it is better than ever!

Update for November:

The shelves are IN and wonderful! I even managed to get them filled up (I have so much stuff!). I will be busy culling out my sewing room over then month. My goal is get it tidy going into 2025. Can I do it?

For both months, I need to work on my overall health and drinking more water. That’s the goal and why I am giving myself 4/5.

Glow: Movement breaks, table refinished, and shelves completed, installed, and loaded! YAY!

Grow: I need to drink more water. I am dropping the ball on that, for sure.

Habit 4: Learn to FMQ (Free Motion Quilt) On My Domestic Machine

This Month’s Score: 0/5

Nope. Not doing it anymore. If you watched last month’s video, I talked about how much I didn’t like FMQing. I really wanted to like it, but I just don’t and before you say anything, I have really given this the ole college try, so to speak. I was even excited about it back in May (I think it was May). BUT I find it frustrating and icky. I don’t like it. It is beyond the “this is uncomfortable because it is new” feeling. This is the yep, been there, done that, got the quilt thing. Peace out, FMQing. Can I change my mind at some point? Yes. Do I see that happening any time soon? Nope.

Glow: Knowing myself well enough to know when to stop.

Grow: Continue to improve my skills in walking foot quilting, which I LOVE to do.

Habit 5: Further Embrace My Quilting Community

This Month’s Score: 5/5

This month, I helped out at a local quilt shop, helping them get ready for their annual shop hop event, and I also went to a scrap fabric workshop. So much fun! The teacher at the workshop was Janellea Macbeth, creator of the Scrapstashic system and author of the book Scrapstashic Quilts: Organizing your Scrap Fabric Stash and ACTUALLY Using It.

Glow: Two wonderful events!

Grow: I am taking an online class, but it isn’t a quilting class. Hmmm. Does that count?

It is time to start thinking about my goals for 2025! Do you have any areas you would like to work on in your sewing life? I would love to hear about them.

I hope this inspires you with your own goals and habits!

Happy Quilting!

Kris