Progress Over Perfection: A Quilter’s Guide to Setting Realistic Goals
I’m learning to give myself a little grace. Lately, I’ve been working on staying consistent with my quilting projects, and so far, it’s been a mix of wins and “still working on it” moments.
Last week’s goals looked like this:
Finish two customer quilts (goal met)
Write 2 more Chapters of my next book (almost there)
Work on my own project for at least an hour (didn’t happen)
Tackle the stack of paperwork (still sitting on the desk)
Not perfect, but not bad either. There was a time when missing even one goal would have made me feel like I had failed the entire week. But I’m learning to see unfinished items as just that—unfinished—not as reasons to give up altogether.
How I’m Staying on Track with Quilting Goals
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Set small, reachable goals. A full quilt finish might take weeks, but a block or a border? That’s a win you can celebrate right away.
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Reward progress. For me, that might mean time to sew something just for fun, a new notion I’ve had my eye on, or watching the next episode of Resident Alien.
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Avoid overwhelm. I keep one main project on my table at a time so I’m not distracted by too many works in progress staring at me.
This is something quilting has taught me over and over. Take my quilt Insanity, for example. It took about 7 days to make and SEVEN YEARS to figure out. Each Lemoyne star is only two inches square, with 16 pieces and 23 seams per block. I tried at least two dozen assembly methods before finding the one that worked. Even then, my first try wasn’t quite right, so I remade and requilted the entire thing. That quilt taught me that setbacks aren’t failures—they’re just part of the process.
Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I think every quilter can relate to that—whether it’s getting your seams to match, choosing the right batting, or figuring out a layout that works.
My Goals for This Week
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Finish writing the book chapters
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Embroider name tags for my Scotland Tour
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Spend 30 minutes each day stretching
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Sort and file at least part of the paperwork pile
My reward when I meet these goals? I’ll start cutting into the fabric for a garment I’ve been dreaming about for months.
Now it’s your turn:
What quilting goals are you working on this week?
How do you handle it when your plans go off track?
Have you ever had a quilt that took you years to figure out?
Share your thoughts in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on, one block at a time.generate a landscape image for
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This is something quilting has taught me over and over. Take my quilt Insanity, for example. It took about 200 hours to make and SEVEN YEARS to figure out. Each Lemoyne star is only two inches square, with 16 pieces and 23 seams per block. I tried at least two dozen assembly methods before finding the one that worked. Even then, my first try wasn’t quite right, so I remade and requilted the entire thing. That quilt taught me that setbacks aren’t failures—they’re just part of the process.
Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I think every quilter can relate to that—whether it’s getting your seams to match, choosing the right batting, or figuring out a layout that works.
Progress Over Perfection Progress Over Perfection Progress Over Perfection Progress Over Perfection
Sitting here, thinking of my week’s goals, I’m realizing I have too many for an older (76) person who just spent a few days in the hospital with heart issues. So my goal is to take time to rest, decide what’s really important, and reorder my “must do” list.
Don’t feel all alone. I frequently set too many goals and I’m 55. Taking time to prioritize yourself needs to be the number one goal sometimes. Hope you feel better soon.