Saturday, September 1, 2012

Evaluating August Goals, Setting September Goals

It seems that, finally, I have mastered the fine art of setting reasonable goals.  It has simply been a matter of lowering my expectations sufficiently to match my actual capacity.  A humbling admission: I'd much rather believe I can do twice as much as I can ... or at least as much as I imagined I once did.  This is the second month in a row that I have managed to meet my goals and even exceed a few.

AUGUST GOALS
  • 2010-2011 WIPs: Finish my own Fertile Circles Needlebook.  I may not have actually finished this piece but I have come pretty close.  All I have left to do is wee bit of back stitching and a bit of couching, probably no more than an hour or two need be spent on this to finish it.
  • 2012 Crazy Class Project Challenge: 2007 Mystic Stitcher's Hideaway Projects. Yes.  I have worked on the stitcher's pocket from the Mystic Smalls by Thea Dueck.
  • 2012 WIPs: Work on Part II of the English Band Sampler and start TW's Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking. Yes, to both goals. I finished the first band of Part II and got a fairly good start on the second.  As to the stocking, I have completed section 3 and have nearly finished section 6 of the chart, which is not nearly as impressive as it might sound.  These sections are mere slivers of chart, representing the far right edge of the stocking.
  • Sewing Finishes: Try to get at least 2 or 3 done. I am doing fairly well with this.  Four projects completed in August.
  • Off-Goal Projects: I have been using The Primitive Needle's Thy Needle as my travel project and have made a fair amount of progress on it this month, finishing up all the monotonous charcoal stitching and moving on to colors.  And I have kitted up three Christmas ornaments [two Town Square SAL and one Kogin Christmas Tree] so I will have something small and portable to work on when I inevitably need a change of pace from the larger projects in my current rotation.

     SEPTEMBER GOALS
  • 2010-2011 WIPs:  Finish the Fertile Circles Needlebook and embellish another area on the Encrusted Crazy Quilt Square, using variations of the cobweb, cobweb rose and cobweb pinwheel stitches.  
  • 2012 Crazy Class Project Challenge:  Continue to work on the Victoria Sampler's Mystic Smalls projects, finishing the Stitcher's Pocket and starting on the Fob.
  • 2012 WIPs: Finish Part II and start work on Part III of The English Band Sampler and continue stitching TW's Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking, finishing sections 6 and 9 and starting section 8. 
  • Sewing Finishes: Try to get at least 2 or 3 done. 


3 comments:

Vickie said...

Good for you! Feels good, doesn't it?!

CalamityJr said...

If only I could do what you have. I always underestimate how long a cross stitch project is going to take, which of course throws everything else off. Good for you!

Rachel S-H said...

Congratulations on the finishes!