September Quilting Goals Update
Check out the video that goes with this blog HERE.
Where It Started:
It is hard to believe that it is my third year doing this. Setting these yearly goals that I hope to turn into habits has changed my quilting life, and I hope it has changed your, too. Interested in finding out more about previous years and goal setting in general? Start here.
A quick note: some links in this post are affiliate links (including Amazon). If you shop through them, I earn a small commission — it's one of the ways I keep this blog running, and it never affects what I recommend.
2026 Quilting Goals and Habits
Without further ado, here are my Quilting Goals/Habits for 2026! If you would like to follow along and create your own goals, I have a list of I also have a free monthly worksheet to help track your goals each month.
These videos and blogs have helped keep my accountable. After all, I know I will be reporting to all of YOU on this, and I don’t want to let you down. I highly recommend having someone to keep you accountable, if not in a public way like I am doing, then in a group of friends. It helps me so much!
Want to work on your own quilting habits and goals? Here’s a tracking worksheet to help you!
September Happenings & Highlights:
Biggest News! Mitchell came to visit for a whole TEN days!! YAY! He taught us how to play mahjong, snuggled a lot with his furry “sister” Daisy, and helped me with a few projects. It was so nice having him here!
For my first time ever, I bought a Boo Box from The Fat Quarter Shop. This is no longer available, but you can reserve the Christmas Jolly Box (affiliate). It has so many cute goodies in it! I haven’t made either project yet, but I hope to tackled one of them soon.
Got a lot of more quilts quilted!
Daisy Update: Daisy is doing really well. She is much more active and getting back to old self. She is dealing with allergies, but that will hopefully subside when we get a good hard frost.
If you have been following me for a long time, you know I love going to auctions, thrift shops, and yard sales. In September, I went to a community yard sale and picked up a lot of goodies, including an old crazy quilt! What a find!
I made a quilt block tutorial and pattern to go along with the pumpkin quilt block tutorial I posted last year. It was so much fun designing this cute quilt block!
I can finally announce something I have been working on since March! I am a guest designer for the Quilter’s Advent Calendar again this year! I can’t wait to share the pattern I wrote for this event.
September: Goal Update
Goal 1: Use It or Lose It
Score: 4/5
I didn’t think I did well at this goal until I really started thinking about it. I worked on the bird ornaments some more. I also worked on the postage stamp quilt some more. But my biggest Use It or Lose It has to be the quilt tops I am getting finished (I talk more about this in Goal 4). I made this pineapple quilt at least 10 years ago. This quilt remained unfinished for a few reasons: 1. I wanted to make it bigger, but I couldn’t find the “right” fabric and 2. It is made with batik fabric, and I am not a fan of working with batiks. In my mind I thought I had to use batiks for the backing and binding, which is silly, isn’t it? After years of looking for matching fabric, I decided to just get it finished. I even used non-batik fabric on the back and for the binding.
Glow: It is finished! YAY!
Grow: Start to recognize this trap of not finishing a project because something isn’t right.
Goal 2: Clean As I Go
Score: 3/5
I am really getting good at making sure I am cleaning up, especially after a project, even though sometimes I don’t want to. I try to remind myself that “future Kris will thank me” and she always does. There is nothing quite like walking into a sewing space that is cleaned up. That said, I still struggle sometimes, especially when I am really excited about a project that I am making or a pattern that I am writing. That was the case this month. I am working on a new pattern, and in doing so, I am making a big ol’ mess of things. I was just too inspired to take the time to clean up, or at least clean up the way I should.
Glow: Recognizing the pitfalls for me when it comes to this goal.
Grow: Schedule time in my day to clean up. My future self will thank me.
Goal 3: Curate & Catalog My Quilts
Score: 5/5
Have I mentioned lately just how nice it is to have all of my quilts organized, curated, and cataloged? This has been so helpful! For example, I knew I wanted to figure the Wagon Wheel quilt in a video. Instead of digging and digging through quilts to find it, I went right to my spreadsheet and knew exactly where it was! It saved me a lot of time and, if I am being honest, it also saved me a big mess that I may have not cleaned up right away. I tend to dig and run! Also, I purchased another old quilt this month. What did I do when I got home? I curated and cataloged it AND put it away. This entire process is so easy!
Glow: This goal is already paying me back in time. I am so happy I did this!
Grow: Where else could I use some organization like this? UFOs, maybe?
Goal 4: Finishing Quilt Tops
Score: 5/5
I got six more quilts back from the longarmer this month and guess what? I finished them all!! Everyone one of them is bound, labeled, and most of them when to their new homes or are put away. It feels so good to have quilts finished instead of the piles of quilts tops I had in my cabinet. I still have quite a few to have finished, but I am getting there! YAY!
Glow: Getting those quilts finished! YAY!
Grow: Continue to drop off quilts at the longarmer and get them finished when they come back from the longarmer.
Goal 5: Sewing 15 Minutes Each Day
Score: 5/5
All 100 blocks are finished! Woohoo! While Mitch was here visiting, he helped me lay out all the blocks. There are two that I might remake, but I overall, I am really pleased with these blocks. We tried out a few different layouts and landed on this one. I am still thinking about adding sashing. We will see! I guess it may be time to start a new project that I sew for 15 minutes each day. What should I do?
Glow: I just love how these all turned out! And to think they are made all from scraps!
Grow: Don’t lose momentum! Pick a new project to work on each day. Also, finish this one!
I would love to hear how you did with your goals this month. Let me know in the comments!
Happy Quilting,
Kris
