Optimistic. Thankful. Ideas whirling. Ready to tackle the tasks of the day. That’s the side of the bed I tend to get out of just about every day of the year. The New Year for me is all of that in overdrive. I love the energy of the calendar flipping to January 1. I make a list. Not what I would call resolutions, although one self-help item appears regularly. It’s a list of things that I want to make happen. Things that could easily be brushed aside, squeezed out by daily goings on. Writing them, saying them out loud, thinking about them. All techniques to give them energy, make them priorities this year.
Last year my list included ‘Sell One Thing I Make’ and ‘Plant a Forsythia’. I did both of them. Little things that made me really happy to accomplish. I absolutely can NOT WAIT for those gorgeous spring blooms.
Here’s the list for 2007:
- Knit a sweater.
- Set up an online store on my website.
- Make the perfect thin crust pepperoni pizza.
- Stop biting my fingernails.
- Publish a pattern.
- Plant spinach and not so many tomatoes.
- Learn to prune the fruit trees.
- Make a sewing technique video like knittinghelp.com (guess what I got for Christmas).
- Make 3 doll quilts for donation to the guild.
- Continue discovering my greatness!
‘I Like Mine Buttered’. I spent the first day of the year working on this little mini quilt . It measures 10 x 3 inches. Here’s a scan of the back.
I became part of a new group last October. We call ourselves Out of the Box. It’s a group of 13 women meeting once a month to explore our creativity. All of us have an interest in making art using textiles, fiber, paper, paint, metal, anything goes. Some are young, some are old, some are extremely talented and all are very funny and inspiring. It is truly my good fortune to have crossed paths with these amazing women.
At the first meeting we each brought 3 items for each of the other members in the group. The supplies went into our ‘box’. On small pieces of paper challenge ideas were written. These made their way into another box. Each month a new idea is plucked from the box at random. We have one month to create the piece. Our ‘meetings’ are lots of show and lots of tell. This month’s topic was ‘bumper stickers’. My piece is inspired by one of my all time favorites. The line of peas were cut from some Mardi Gras beads in my ‘box’.
I was very nervous and extremely intimidated about participating in this group which is why I haven’t talked about it before. Now that I’m into the swing of things I LOVE it. The energy (there’s that word again) of a real life human group like this has really knocked me off my heels. The challenge of the work and the camaraderie of the group is chock full of goodness. The combination of a specific topic, a finite time frame, a supportive audience and the creative license to just let go and see where it leads is FUN. FUN, FUN, FUN.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year full of lots of fun. Fun with your kids. Fun with your partner. Fun pursuing your hopes and dreams.
Much Love to You All,
Kathy
“Visualize Whirled Peas” I love that. The movement is so great and the energy is amazing. Love your post too. Sounds like an amazing group of women. They are so lucky to have you. I would definitely rank you as one of the “extremely talanted”. Happy New year to you Kathy and to your beautiful family! Cheers!
Happy New Year! That group sounds fun, and a little scary. Love the peas bumper sticker.
your group sounds wonderful – how exciting to have that creative push every month. here’s to powering through that list of yours and moving beyond what you imagine you can do. happy new year.
Love the bumper sticker! And it sounds like a wonderful group. Something special happens when women get together, especially creative women…
Sounds like an awesome group. When you set up your on-line store, I may be first in line to make a purchase as I LOVE your work! And the perfect thin crust pizza is oh-so-easy… it is Little Ceasars pizza kit which I am addicted to and purchase as a band fund raiser for the son of one of my co-workers as often as he sells them!
The bumper sticker really is wonderful! I Love the idea of your group. What an inspiration to be able to physically meet with others who are as creative as you. I hope this year is truly a fantastic one for you and your family. :0)
Wonderful post, Kathy! I love the mini quilt and the idea of the group of women you have is making me so jealous. I’d love to have something similar. Right now I have my homeschooling mom friends. Luckily, there are many very creative women in the group, but I like the idea of a multigenerational mix. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten that from my quilt guild. How did you happen to come across the group?
happy new year, kathy! i also love the sound of your group. i often wish that i were involved with a diverse, creative group of artists, so that i would be forced to share my work and ideas, which really scares me. and i love the last item on your list!!
Happy New Year! Your 2007 list looks great.
Happy New Year, Kathy!
I love your list (sewing technique videos would be SO helpful!) and your new group really does sound like so much fun!
What a stimulating group – I’ll look forward to seeing what it produces throughout the year. That looks like a really fun project to be working on around the new year. Love the list – I really hope you acheive that pizza.
Happy New Year Kathy! Hope your year is filled with fun, laughter and creating!
Hi Kathy! My name is Kim and I’ve been reading your blog, and have you listed on my sidebar for a while now. I thought I’d take an opportunity to introduce myself, and say Happy New Year and good luck with your resolutions! They sound like fun! Looking forward to more quilting myself! Your Out of the Box group sounds like a blast!! Have fun! Sharing helps ya grow!!
I love that bumper sticker and I love the creativity group and how y’all function.
Please publish a pattern. Any pattern. I’d love to have one from you.
Happy new year.
That group sounds fantastic. I love your whlrled peas piece. I think y’all should do a group blog so that we can enjoy all the different variations on the theme of the month – or maybe a flickr group. Pretty please?
Happy New Year!
I love your little peas piece. And your enthusiasm! Thanks for the inspiration, happy new year!
That sounds like a wonderful group…how lucky you are to have found them. (And they, you, of course!) I look forward to hearing updates about your out of the box adventures.
Happy New Year! Looks like you’ve gotten off to a good start. (Clever piece!)
I wish I had a group like that. Sounds like so much fun!
Happy New Year, Kathy!
The peas are of course, fabulous! Love the mini quilt, love the veggie too! One of my favorite veggies! I like the idea of thinking of goals or things to accomplish this year. I’m so glad you found a group to be part of that feeds your soul so much. Can’t wait to see what else you accomplish!
Wow, Kathy. What a great list. Ambitious, but totally doable, I think. What a blessing to be a part of the group you’re in. Real-life people crafting together – now there’s something I’ve not experienced! Blessings to you as well this year!
Happy New Year! I love the idea of your group. I would love to participate in something similar.
Kathy, your creative brain so amaze me. You come up with such clever ideas. You group sounds like a wonderful support. Enjoy it. Clarice
Wow! I’m so impressed with your creativity and attitude. I love to read everybody goals from the blogsphere. I’m apart of a small quilt group. I always feel engergized after meeting together. I look forward to seeing what you make this year.
Happy New Year! It sounds like you’re going to have a very productive 2007. I like the sound of your art group … always helpful to be surrounded by other creative types. And the peas are smashing!
I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start! It is so cool that you’ve found a group of like-minded artist friends to gather with. Enjoy every minute you have together. It really is a privilege and they may not be in your life forever. (A hard lesson I’ve learned.) I’ve been mentally putting together a list for 2007, too, but for some reason I’ve felt I little nervous to put it on paper, like if I do then one day it may become a glaring monument to my failure
I adore your advent quilt! I especially love the ornaments & pockets–they’re perfect!
Love the peas oh-so-much!
What a great list you have for the new year.
I love your quilt name “I like mine buttered”! I love naming my quilts with unusual titles and love how it gets people to ask why I named it that.
[...] the original post where I explained how the Out of the Box group works. Click on the Out of the Box category in the [...]