Trying to Focus: January 2023 OMG

For whatever reason, the start of a new year always tempts me to start new projects. Temptation comes at me from all angles - new quilt-alongs from my favorite designers, challenges initiated in my quilting groups, my annual January rug camp, and even magazines. I usually go for months - years even - without seeing a single project in a magazine that tempts me, but while trying to catch up on reading over the holidays I found three projects I am dying to start, two of which are hand-pieced. I am trying hard to resist temptation but know I will cave eventually. So my goal for January is to make significant progress on a couple of aging projects even if I do start something new.

On the quilting side, I plan to focus on my orange peels.  I participated in a Facebook challenge to stitch one per day from Feb 2022- Jan 2023. Most months I did pretty well, with the exception of December when I spent all my free time stitching binding.  I am on track so far for January. Unfortunately the project I am working on requires 900 orange peels, so even with the 150 or so I had before I started the one-a-day I am only half way finished.  So my goal for January is to step up the pace - aiming for 50 this month - and to start piecing the ones that I have finished into blocks.

On the rug hooking side, I started my Antique Floral Basket rug back in May 2019.  I absolutely love this rug but it is large, I am hooking it with a small cut, and it is a bit tedious figuring out what to put where. My goal for this month is to make significant progress on it while at Eureka Springs.  I would love to finish hooking it, but after taking it off the frame to take a picture I realize that I have a lot farther to go than I thought!

I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts' One Monthly Goal again this year to try to keep myself on track.  I just hope that I don't fall in love with any other new projects while checking out what everyone else is working on!