Ten in '10

My 2010 resolution is to make or complete a total of ten quilt projects.

That's ten projects during 2010.

About the "Ten in '10" Resolution

In more than 30 years of making quilts and hanging out with quilters, I've learned that many of us are attracted to more projects than we can possibly have time to make. The allure of an unusual creative idea, a new design, or a gorgeous fabric is impossible to resist. And so we collect, stash, and commence enough projects for our "someday" list to keep us busy until we die!

I confess to such behavior.

Since it's time again to make New Year's resolutions, and since I'm motivated to keep myself accountable about my ever-growing UFO (unfinished objects) list, I thought it would be good to publicly declare my intentions to make and/or finish ten projects during 2010.

You're invited to join me.

Steps to Join "Ten in '10"

First, make a ten-item list of your projects. These can be projects you want to start and finish during 2010, or UFOs you want to completely finish. Note that this is works out to one project every five weeks. You can be as easy or tough on yourself as what you can realistically accomplish. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about your own UFOs:

• Quilt top or flimsy (a perfect Australian term) that needs layering, quilting, and binding
• Partially cut out or partially pieced quilt top to finish
• Sandwiched quilt to be quilted and finished with binding
• Quilt(s) that needs labeling
• A bag, tote, or accessory you've always wanted to make
• Stitchery that needs framing or made into a quilt
• Gift(s) needed to honor a special occasion such as wedding, birth, etc.

Potentially, your list could be endless, or at least more than ten items! So, carefully choose the "top ten" that are most do-able or that meet a 2010 gift deadline. You're permitted to save some UFOs (perhaps eleven of them?) for your 2011 list.

Second, grab the "Ten in '10" button in the right sidebar for your own blog. (Copy it; open layout; choose "Add a Gadget;" choose HTML; paste; save.) By the way, the button is aqua because that's supposedly the color for 2010.

Third, publicly state your intentions to make "Ten in '10" by blogging about it. Telling your friends about the projects you will make and/or finish during 2010, and then blogging about your progress, will help keep you accountable.

Fourth, but only if you wish, in your blog sidebar create a text list of your projects. You can even make the list interactive by hotlinking each project to previous blog posts about those items. That way we'll be able to see what you've done before, and how you're progressing.

I hope you'll find that together, encouraging one another during 2010, we can: 1) relieve some UFO guilt, 2) work on projects we've obligated ourselves to making, and 3) all the while enjoy working on projects we want to make.

This is your challenge. Ten in '10 is your motivation. You can do it! So can I.