Saturday, January 3, 2026

2026 Quilt Making Strategies

My ambitions for 2025 have been reviewed.  My PHD performance has been rehashed.  To my surprise, there was a lot more progress on projects than expected. Plus,  I finally slayed the dragon that I'd let quilting with a walking foot become. My biggest let down was just not moving projects to finished.  Consequently, my UFO list is bigger than it's ever been.  To address that long list, it seems like a strategy would be more helpful than goals.  

A couple of years ago, I tried to keep my to do lists to no more than 4 items: a priority project, a quilt to be quilted, an older UFO and a leaders and enders.  That year six quilts made it to completed. I'm going to adopt a similar strategy for 2026.  

Quilt Strategy for 2026

First Quarter (Jan to March)

  •  Guild BOM
  • Wild and Goosey leaders
  •  2026 SAHRR, Magnificent Mystery, Lupine and Laughter
  •  Walking foot quilting: Kate's Choice, Betty
  •   External quilting: Chocolate Marshmallow
First quarter is a little different because there so many of the quilt alongs I enjoy start late in the year.  I won't be focusing on a UFO, but on keeping my 2025 projects from becoming UFOs.  

Second and Third Quarters
  • Guild BOM
  • Wild and Goosey leaders
  • UFO to finish
  • Walking foot quilting: two quilts
  • External quilting: one quilt

Like first quarter, 4th quarter is the same strategy as first quarter since that's when most of the quilt alongs I sew along with come out. 

Fourth Quarter
  • Guild BOM (2026 and 2027?)
  • Wild and Goosey leaders
  • 2026 Meadow Mist Mystery,  2026 Bonnie Hunter Mystery
  • Walking foot quilting: 2 quilts
  • External quilting: one quilt
The only other strategy that I'll keep for 2026 is to try to maintain my 15 minutes of stitching time a day.  I'll strive to keep that above 80% for the year.

2026 Projects:


Kate's Choice, Betty, Chilhowie, Glowing Hearts, Malted Mystery, Squared Away and On Ringo Lake



Chocolate Marshmallow, Indigo Way, 2024 Guild BOM, 2025 Guild BOM


Old Town, Good Fortune, Simply Sensational Summer Scrap Quilt, Celtic Solstice

Plans set in January always seem reasonable.  We'll see how these fair.  Linking up with Plans, Dreams and Goals for 2026.  I'm hoping this list is really plan and not just a dream!  

8 comments:

Linda at Texas Quilt Gal said...

Making goals for each quarter seems doable, and I like that you added photos of your quilts. I hadn't planned on making any goals for the year, but your methods are persuasive. ;)

Sara said...

I agree - plans in January feel reasonable and reachable. And then life gets in our way. Or new projects pop up. But I'm with you and always need those goals in writing to have something to aim for.

The Colorful Fabriholic said...

Good luck with your strategy for 2026 - I hope you make lots of satisfying progress.

MissPat said...

Sounds like an ambitious plan, Kate. Let's hope you have fewer distractions to get in your way this year. Onward and upward, as they say.
Pat

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

I think that sounds like a great strategy, and I hope you find a longarm quilter you enjoy working with to help with the quilts you send out.

Danice G said...

All so pretty and organized. Your journal is very neat.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That's a great plan! Writing a post about it gives you something to refer back to also. You're going to have some beautiful finishes this year!

Barbara said...

Very ambitious plan. I think it’s good to have a strategy.