Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Quilting Bucket List

The lovely peeps at Gen Q have revealed their quilting bucket lists today and I was inspired to put some of my own goals in writing too. In no particular order, the following are goals I would like to accomplish in my lifetime...

1) Attend a week long quilting retreat. So far I've only been on weekend retreats and it seems like a significant portion of my time is wasted while I'm setting up or breaking down my stuff. It wouldn't have to be fancy or formal, though a cruise would be super sweet.

2) Make a queen sized 1" English paper pieced hexagon quilt. This is actually in progress now but I am well aware it may take me several years to finish.
IMG_6212
IMG_6213
Tutorial on my method coming soonish
3) Buy a fancy sewing machine. Right now I sew with a 15 year old Bernina 1260 and it works very well considering. However, it doesn't have any fancy features, is heavy, and is pretty loud compared to the newer models. I have been eying the Bernina Aurora 440QEs but it's out of my budget at the moment.

4) Teach a class. I have demonstrated my English paper piecing method at a quilt show, retreat, and at my house for my modern quilt guild members, but I consider those less formal. I would really like to teach a class at a quilt shop or quilt show where people pay to take it and I teach them something that's worth their money.

5) Make some quilts to hang on my own walls. I have made 3 wall quilts for other people during flickr swaps but I haven't made anything like that for my own home. I would really like to make some wall quilts to match this one given to me in the For the Love of Solids flickr swap:
For the Love of Solids [a modern swap] - wall quilt - complete.

6) Design a fabric line. Even if my fabric is only ever on Spoonflower, I want to go through the process of designing the patterns, infusing a color palate, printing the fabric, and using it in a project.

7) Be published in an in-print magazine or book. This may not actually be as elusive as I think it is, but it seems like you have to be pretty fancy to be published in print. Editors must be looking for projects that are editorial and unique, in just the right colors, well photographed, and with well done instructions. I don't think I'm there yet. 

8) Make clothes for my own children. I've made a few pillowcase dresses and other little things for my nieces and appliqued a few things for my nephews but I think it would be wonderful to do these things for my own babies. For now, we're praying for God's blessings.

9) Sell a quilt to a stranger. So far, I have sold quilts to friends and family members to give to others as gifts. I would really love to sell my quilts online or at a craft show and have the satisfaction that complete strangers value my work.

10) Go to the Spring or Fall quilt market. What an adventure that would be! I would love to see new lines before they come out (and buy them), browse booths, go to Lizzy's cake party, meet my favorite designers, and see the industry from a different perspective.


I can already say that I've led a workshop in my guild, demonstrated at a quilt show, white gloved a quilt show, sold tickets for a guild raffle quilt, been to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton Virginia, founded and grown a quilt guild, made a quilt to be auctioned off for charity (actually 3), made preemie quilts, been to a quilt retreat, made a king sized quilt and many other smaller quilts, was featured on an e-zine, did some tutorials, sold some quilts to family/friends, made myself something to wear, started a blog, and so on. In just 3 years of quilting I feel I have accomplished a lot and I'm ready for more.

So what's on your bucket list?

Happy Quilting

7 comments:

Liz said...

You are very accomplished! And to think you've done all that in 3 years. All I can say is quilt as fast as your fingers will let you now because once those babies do start filling your house up it is harder to steal minutes for sewing. I hope and pray that will happen soon for you.
I have never thought to compose a quilter's bucket list but I do have one sewing goal. I would like to teach a beginners sewing class for Jericho Road which is a charity serving refugees who have relocated to my city. Hopefully I'll accomplish that soon - I've never taught sewing except to my sisters and neices so this would be a big step for me.

Carolyn S. said...

Natalie,
I've been quilting as long as you, but certainly not as prolifically!! I have done a tiny fraction of what you have, so most of the things you say you'd like to do, I'd like to learn to do. Except for that hexagon thing, thank goodness those don't float my boat! I'm with you on the fabric design line, I think that would be so fun to do.
Oh and hey, I started a pinterest board for stuff that inspires me, or that I'd like to make. So much fabulous stuff out there, and I'm just starting, I feel. Do you have a pinterest account? I'd love to see what's on you list of inspirations.
Carolyn

Natalie said...

I am on Pinterest Carolyn! you can check my pins out at http://pinterest.com/threadedmess/

thanks for stopping by to leave a comment. Just fyi, currently you are a no-reply commenter so I can't email you back directly unless I use the one I have on file from our guild. You might want to check your profile settings if you want to hear back from bloggers :)

Carolyn S. said...

Thanks for letting me know about that. I'm new to the whole blog thing also, and I don't want my email all over the web, but I do see some little button with a reply thingy so I'll hit that and see if it works.
:)

Leanne said...

It is always nice to see that quilt again, I am so glad that you love it - I too have a plan to make another for me this time. I look forward to seeing the ones you make. Good luck with the rest, it is all just one thing at a time and before you know it you will need some more goals as these will be done.

Jacey said...

That's a great list! I don't know that I've ever thought much about an all-time sort of to-do list for quilting, but I guess I do have lots of "someday" goals. I'm sure you will reach most, if not all of the ones you've set for yourself, Natalie!

Unknown said...

Great list! I should do this. I am totally into the cruise retreat idea by the way.