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How to Decide What’s Best for You: New Year’s Resolution or a Helpful Word

Jackie Vujcich organization quilt studio

                     

                            How to Decide What's Best for You: New Year's Resolution or a Helpful Word by Jackie Vujcich of Colorado Creation Quilting

 

Around the end of December news documentaries recount what’s happened during the past year.  I start thinking about my past year and what I accomplished (or didn’t).

 

                          January calendar with the first day circled

 

Year’s ago, I used to make a New Year’s resolution (lose weight, exercise

 

                               Quilting isn't exercise? cartoon

stop spending, quit eating chocolate ha-ha etc.).  By the end of January or February I’d fail the resolution for that year. 

 

                         Plate of chocolate fudge  

(BTW, my blog post “Home for the Holidays” has a delicious fudge recipe!)

For instance, two years in a row my resolution was not to buy fabric for the year unless it was the backing.  (I don’t keep large pieces on hand.)  I’m a quilter that has built up quite a stash in the past 20+ years and don’t really need more.  Right?  

 

         If you have a place to store your stash you're not a hoarder!  image of fabric stash

 

Can anyone relate?  

The first year I tried this out I lasted until January 17th .  The second year I only got as far as Feb. 20th.  

 

                                       Mrs. Bobbins cartoon showing New Year's Resolution to not buy fabric for a year.

I remember these dates because I “failed”.

 

                          A quilter's New Year's resolution to finish UFOs                

I laugh when I read this one because this used to be one of my resolutions. (I know the dates are a little old, but the sequence of events still rings true!)

Now I choose a word or phrase of empowerment, encouragement or action instead of a resolution.  For some reason, I look at it in a more positive light.  If I fall off the wagon, I just start over or change direction.  Rather than an end goal that I either accomplish or not, it's a journey .

For example, last year’s word was ORGANIZE.  I am fortunate enough to have a “quilt studio” (fancy term for extra bedroom that I put all “quilt stuff” in and can close the door to hide the mess).  At the beginning of the year, I had to step over the pile that accumulated at the threshold just to get in the door!

 

                              Picture of quilty clutter at the door of a quilter's studio

I even had to move the ironing board out into the hall because there wasn't room on the floor to put it in the studio.

Once I was “in” more often than not, I had to clean off the sewing machine or cutting table to be able to work. 

 

                          Clutter on sewing machine cabinet

And finding rotary cutters, rulers or other tools among the clutter took a good chunk of time.  By then it was time to quit because dinner needed to be made or some other mundane task was at hand.

Each day I would take a section (shelf, drawer, area) pull everything out and only put back in that place what was really necessary/wanted. 

 

                Organized and folded blue fabric

 

I never felt that I failed; I looked at it more as a work-in-progress always with room for improvement.  When the room was "done",  I was even able to make a lecture that from my results.  If you'd like to see it, ask your local guild to invite me to speak!

 

                   Mrs. Bobbins cartoon about sorting fabric by color

 

This year’s word is PERSEVERANCE.  On January 1st it was going to be the phrase “MAKE IT HAPPEN”, relating to my online website and business.  On January 8th, I found out that my dad has stage 3 esophageal cancer and needs radiation, chemo and a feeding tube as he can no longer eat solid food.  I also was notified that a breast lump might need to be biopsied to see if it's cancerous and my nephew’s son was life-flighted to Children’s Hospital and is on a ventilator.  Enough of the woe is me.  I just wanted to say that I don’t feel that I failed because I changed my word this year.

 Quilty Quote of the day:

 

                  The year is yours, what will you do with it?

Being a pattern designer, I feel slighted when my work goes out without credit being given.  So I'd like to give credit where credit is do.

You can see more of Mrs.Bobbins here:

https://www.mrsbobbins.com/blog

Learn how ecards came to be here:

http://www.chicagonow.com/quilting-sewing-creating/2014/08/quilt-ecards-are-fun/#image/4

The Quilter's New Year's Resolution is by Sunnyside Quilts.  They have other great signs which you can find here:

https://sunnysidequilts.com/

 Well that’s my 2 cents worth on New Year's Resolution. Do you choose a resolution or word / phrase?  If it’s a word or phrase, what is it and why did you choose it?

 Happy Quilting,

Jackie

                                



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