Here at the Quilter’s Planner, we want to help set you up for success in 2022. Our Planner Setup series will help you get familiar with your planner, walk you through starting to fill it out, and teach you how to make the most of your year. Be sure to check out Part One: Getting Started and Part Two: Adding to Your Calendar Pages if you haven’t already read them.
Part Three: Filling out your Projects Section
The project section is such a great way to record your sewing for the year, and looking back on it in the future is a lot of fun. Here’s how we like to set up our Project Section:
Get a piece of scrap paper, and list all of your projects. Every. Last. One. Go through every closet, shelf, bin and drawer. Pull out every WIP at any stage, even if it’s just a pile of fabric that you have a vague plan for. Now list them out one by one. If you have a 2021 Quilter’s Planner, list the incomplete projects from it’s Project-at-a-Glance pages. Then add all the projects that you are envisioning but haven’t even gathered fabric for yet. This list can be quite the reality check, and can feel a bit shocking, but it gives you a very clear picture of all the projects you have, which helps you to prioritize and plan.
This next step can be hard: It’s time to take a close look at all of your projects and see if there are some you need to edit out. Maybe the fabric feels outdated to you. Maybe the intended recipient has changed their style. Maybe it’s been sitting stagnant for a couple of years. Maybe you’ve just fallen out of love. You might be surprised with how many projects you decide aren’t worth investing more of your precious time. But those hours you spent don’t have to go to waste! Find a friend or local charity that will take them off your hands. Some Project Linus chapters will take quilts at various stages of completion. Call your local coordinator to check.
Once you know which projects are staying on your ‘to-sew’ list, it’s time to transfer them one-by-one to your Projects-at-a-Glance page. List the project, recipient and due date (if any), and use the graph to mark which steps you’ve completed. As you list each project, you can pack it up knowing that it’s accounted for and that you can easily look at this page to see what still needs to be done without having to dig anything out of storage.
Doesn’t it feel great knowing that you have a handle on what quilting projects you will be working on in 2022?! Give yourself a big pat on the back! Next time, in the final part of our Planner Setup series, we will discuss an important part of setting up your planner- filling out your Vision Board and Yearly Goal Planning pages.
