Learning QAL - August Goal Setting

Welcome to the first 

Learning Quilt-A-Long Goal Setting post and link-up.

I've tried to keep things simple. Here's a recap of how it works:

• The August Goal Setting link-up is open for ten days - from August 1^st to August 10^th, 2017. Here you link-up a post that tells us what you plan on learning this month. It can be an entire post or a short mention within the post. What ever works for you!
• The August Sum Up link-up opens a week before the end of the month - from August 25^th to August 31^st, 2017. In this post, you'll tell us how you did and what you learned. The project you share can be completed or a WIP. It's all about the learning!



Cougar pattern by Yanicka Design`
featuring her Fractured image technique

• Prize! In the September Goal Setting post, I will announce the name of the winner of this month's prize. You have to have both a Goal Setting and a Sum Up link-up to be considered.

Reminder emails

If you want to receive reminder emails when the link-up opens, fill in the form at the bottom of the Learning Quilt-A-Long page.

Prize

This month's prize is the Cougar pattern made by Yanicka Design. Yanicka has created many patterns using her Fractured image or Low poly technique.

I had the pleasure of meeting Yanicka at Quilt Canada 2017 in June. I think that her pattern and technique make it a perfect prize since you'll get a chance to try a new technique and create a lovely quilt. See Related Links below for Yanicka's website as well as a YouTube video explaining the Fractured image technique.

My Learning Goal for August

Wouldn't you believe that I had trouble coming up with just one learning goal? Don't feel like you only have to choose one, but since I'm a learner, I see everything I do as learning. For this first post, I wanted to choose something that was realistic but a real out-of-my-comfort-zone type of goal. So here it is.

MX Dye Starter Kit

I will dye my own fabric this month! This is a huge deal for me. As much as I love learning, this one will require lots of courage. I've already bought the starter kit and fabric (Prepared for Dying (PFD) and some not prepared), watched some YouTube videos and read many blog posts, books, and reference guides.

• My next step, which I started last month, is to write down the steps that I'll have to follow, in order. This will include where I'll be doing each step and what supplies I'll need. This is based on all of the research I've done. 
• After this, I have to decide on some general design ideas that I want to try.
• Finally, I will dye my fabric!

I know that it sounds like a lot of preparation, but for something brand new to me, involving chemicals, I need to feel like I know what I'm doing. I need to be flexible but organised.

One Monthly Goal (OMG)

Feathers for the inside block

My OMG for July was to finish quilting and binding my Neutral Lap Quilt - Take 5 Loves Coffee Milk. Unfortunately, it's not finished. I did get many of the inside blocks quilted (I only have 2 to go out of 16) but I'm also quilting between the blocks, and only about half of these are done. I'm not going to make it my August OMG although I really hope that it will be done by then. I'm sort of tired of it!

August OMG: to finish
this EPP hexie table toppe

Orange Peels between blocks

Since I've been doing a lot of slow work lately, my OMG is to finish my English Paper Pieced (EPP) hexie table topper. It's also coincidentally a learning goal since I'm experimenting on finishing it without appliquéing it. Let's just say that there's been a whole lot of learning so far - and it's not even quilted!!


What I learned

• I know that doing something new that makes me nervous requires that I do a lot of work to get myself mentally ready. I've been procrastinating (a sure sign that I'm nervous) so I'm hoping that this Learning QAL will be the perfect motivator.
• I've learned something already. Dying fabric is spelled with a "Y". I was always misspelling it and writing about killing my fabric instead! 
• Of course I used this learning opportunity to buy lots more books :-) I'll include them in upcoming posts.
• I may have figured out how to send out reminders using Mail Chimp. If you're interested, please see the form at the bottom of the Learning Quilt-A-Long page.
• As I was free motion quilting my neutral lap quilt, I realised that the dark blocks are just too difficult to mark since there is a variety of dark and no one marking tool works on all of them. That's when I decided that I needed to figure out some FMQ patterns without stencils. I've found a few that may end up being part of my favourites, but it's taken much longer than anticipated. That's why it's not finished!

Related Links

• More information about the Learning Quilt-A-Long
• Yanicka Designs: website, YouTube video and patterns
• MX Dye Starter Kit bought through G & S Dye in Toronto.
• Prepared for Dying (PFD) fabric bought at Flare Fabrics 
• July's OMG in Planning Post, July 4, 2017
• EPP hexies in Slow Projects, July 23, 2017

Linky Parties: I will be linking this post to the following link-ups. Check out what everyone is doing!  MOP Monday, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, OMG - August Goal Setting Link Up, Linky Tuesday, Midweek Maker, Let's Bee Social, Free Motion Mavericks, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off the Wall Friday, Finished or Not Friday, 

An InLinkz Link-up