Planning for 2023

Thank you Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for hosting this great linking party again this year. Hopefully it will help keep me focused.

Last year I minimized my plans for 2022. Of course it didn't all get done but that's ok because that's what planning is all about. For 2023, I'm keeping it as simple and general as possible.

My intention for 2023: learn by playing, with mindfulness and contentment

Quilts

This category is more specific because of my promises to get these projects done. I'm very hopeful of completing these and they'll provide great content for the 2023 Free Motion Mavericks' posts.

Finish Version 2.0 quilt

Version 2.0 will be finished in the first week of January

Make my niece's t-shirt quilt

One of four pictures of her t-shirts

Create my daughter's Paddington Bear quilt

Paddington Bear design book

Fabric samples

Challenges and Hand-made Books

I don't want to add pressure to myself, so I will participate in the Table Scraps 2023 Challenge and create hand-made books whenever I can because these are usually small simple projects where I learn things and they make me happy.

Oranges and Lemons - August's Table Scraps Challenge

Coptic Book Challenge - December 2022 

I made this beautiful coptic book during the challenge, but never got around to writing a post. So here it is! Coptic is the way the book is bound. The cover is made with a background of printed book pages covered with the top layer of a paper napkin. I love the effect!

Coptic Book 

I'm using the book to keep my dried leaves and other natural elements that have been glued onto paper and/or covered with Mod Podge. These are ready to be used in art pieces 😊 

The coptic book is used to hold natural elements ready to use for art

Art Quilts and Mindful Stitching

I am placing these together because they are often inter-related. December has shown me that, for my peace of mind, I need a mindful stitching practice. I believe that any hand-stitching can be mindful, so I'm going to make a real effort to stitch every day. 

Stitching on eco-printed fabric (I forgot about this project!)

Off the Grid sampler in progress

Meditation block in progress

As well, I will participate in more of the TextileArtist.org workshops, and actually finish the projects. I've started a few projects that I've yet to finish or blog about. Here is one of them.

This project, from Jean Draper's "Stitches in thin air" workshop (August 2021) is still in the percolating phase. I love how the yarn and string, stiffened by glue, makes such interesting patterns. The first image has two layers on top of each other.

Two layers together

I added so much yarn in the top layer that you can't see much of the bottom layers. However, the plan is to separate each layer by at least ⅛ " to ¼" so that the bottom layers can be seen from the side. The overall plan is to create a 3D piece showing the different layers of earth underneath. 

"Stitches in thin air" piece in the percolating phase

Blog and Instagram

2023 Planning Party with
Yvonne of Quilty Jetgirl

In the next few months, I will update the look of the blog and continue posting on Instagram. There is no pressure here but I want to get it done this winter or spring.

What I learned

• As I mentioned in my Christmas post, "Although I'm retired, my life has not slowed down. It seems that living in minor chaos and stress has become a habit that I need to break!"
•  This is where my intention of learning by playing, with mindfulness and contentment comes in.
• I know that this "plan" for 2023 is still a lot but I am retired and have time to play. It's just a matter of setting and living with the intention of playing with mindfulness and contentment.
• The plan will, of course, shift since I now have a set of panels to FMQ for hubby. I bought the panels years ago and now seems to be the time. It's all good 😊
• I've already registered for a couple of courses for 2023. I'm going to minimize this since there is already lots of learning included in the Stitch and Hand-make Book clubs.
• I need to remind myself that although joining blog hops are a lot of fun, they have deadlines and can be quite stressful. I love comments but get very stressed when I have more than a few - which is what happens during blog hops 😕.

Related links

• 2022 Planning Party with Free Motion Mavericks, December 23, 2021
• Feathered Borders on Free Motion Mavericks, December 29, 2022
• Planning a quilt and Free Motion Mavericks, August 11, 2022
• Oranges and Lemons on Free Motion Mavericks, August 26, 2022
• The Handmade Book Club by Vintage Page Designs
• Mindful stitching with natural elements, December 04, 2022
• Stitching procrastination, April 17, 2022
• Off the Grid Sampler, December 11, 2022
• TextileArtist.org
• Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas, December 25, 2022

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to the 2023 Planning Party as well as other fun linky parties. Why not check them out? Off The Wall Friday, Finished (or Not) Friday, Patchwork & Quilts, TGIFF, Peacock Party, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, 15 Minutes to Stitch 2022,