Fall Resolutions

 Happy Monday, here in our house it is the final day of Summer Vacation, and tomorrow three of my boys are off to school again. I both like and dislike the start of a new school season, I like getting back into a normal routine but I do miss having my kids home with me, just not enough to start Homeschooling ;)

I will say that I do usually find myself in a mood to get organized. Going through all those cupboards that get neglected over Summer and deep cleaning everything now that there is fewer distractions always feels so refreshing. 

It also carries over to my quilting room. I like to go through all the projects that are sitting on the shelves or in the closet and take note of how far along they are and what they need to be completed, am I done just a few blocks, does it need borders, is it ready for quilting, that kind of thing. I will stack them up with the ones I want to or need to finish first on top and the least important down at the bottom. I also like to make lists, so I will write a little note about each project so that at a quick glance I know where I am at on each one. 

I also get all my notions organized again, putting each of them away properly and making sure they are still in good condition. I double check my rulers and cutting mat to see if any need replacing. I check how many fresh blades and needles I have on hand or if I should remember to get them the next time I am at the quilt shop. I take note of my Pressing Spray and if my bottle is low I will add that to my shopping list to. 

Not only do I like to go through the projects that I have on the go, I also like to look back at the list I made at the beginning of the year and see if there are any bucket list projects for the year that I have completed yet. With September right around the corner there is still a little time left in the year to get one or more of those done too. I may also look over at some other things I had hoped to accomplish and see how I am doing on those, for example have I spent any time learning a new technique, have I been better at staying on track on a Quilt Along, how have I been doing at using up some of my stash. 

One last thing I like to do at this time of year is start thinking about what I would like to do for Christmas Gifts. I usually make something for my Boys School Teachers, so I will start coming up with ideas for that, as well as gift ideas for friends and family. These last 4 months of the year can go by really quickly, so I like to at least have an idea of what I will be making and about how long each will take to make. Tote bags for example go together pretty quickly and I just need a couple evenings, but if I decide to make table runners, that is a little more time consuming when you factor in the quilting and binding. And quilts is another level on top of that yet. Getting prepared now is definitely worth it in the long run. 

Do you feel ready for a fresh start at the end of Summer?

Kayla