Create Daily 2024 tracker: Q3 is complete

Three-quarters of 2024 have passed as we say “goodbye” to September. On October 1, I’ll begin filling in the last diagram of My Create Daily tracker.

Create Daily 2024 tracker, September 30.

During the last week of the month, the squares were colored with four different colors—each representing a different creative activity. While traveling, my take-along project is hand knitting.

I’ve also been active in a new sketchbook with exercises from the Sketchbook Revival online workshop. This page was nature journaling and contour drawings with Melinda Nakagawa.

Sketchbook page: Nature journaling and contour drawings.

On the weekend, I made a thread sampler stitch-out with Scanfil Organic Threads for one of my customers. It shows examples of free-motion quilting, hand quilting, hand embroidery, and machine decorative stitching with Scanfil’s 100% long staple organic cotton threads; 50wt and 30 wt.

Thread sampler detail: free-motion quilting, hand stitching, decorative machine stitching.

The sample was improvisationally pieced with American Made Brand [AMB] solids from Clothworks. The binding is from the 2.5” Edition collection by Art Gallery Fabrics.

Scanfil thread sampler, 8” x 10.5”.

And I rounded out the last day of September with slow stitch mending. It’s been a colorful and productive month. 

Welcome October!

Mid-year tracker update

Summer is in full force. The calendar page has turned over to the seventh month. My Create Daily tracker is half-way filled in.

Create Daily 2024 tracker: July 1, 2024.

I have also satisfied 6 prompts in my Make Nine 2024 Challenge and have good options for potential projects to satisfy the remaining three… which is probably because I have an abundance of UFOs!

Make Nine 2024 tracker.

The 100 Day Project: Day 85 update

Happy Mother’s Day and Day 85 of my 100 Day Project 2024.

With only 15 days remaining of the 100 Day Project 2024, Paint, Paper, Stitch, I’m posting my progress with some of my favorite watercolor and stitched compositions.

Day 14 composition: slow drawing, background fills.

The Day 14 composition (above) started with the flower shapes drawn with a black waterproof ink marker and a watercolor background fill. Around Day 73, color was added to the flower petals. On Days 74 and 75, the feather stitching was added to the petals. The french knots were added recently on Day 84. This is how these painted compositions generally evolve.

The composition below from Days 30 and 31 used the flat wash technique and is one of the first that included stitching. The stitching with the orange thread gives this composition a focal point.

Days 30 and 31: flat washes and background fills.

The composition for Day 32 is a second composition in painting flat washes with these oval shapes. This composition came to life with the stitching using the backstitch. The variation in thread weight (thickness), thread color, and overlapping the stitched oval shapes gave this composition a lot more interest than the painting by itself..

Day 32 composition: flat washes.

I experimented more with wet-on-dry painting techniques (glazing) on the Day 48 composition. I needed a painted background on which to practice the slow drawing “U” pattern. Wanting to test a new cotton thread from Scanfil, the seed stitch and french knots were added over a period of a few days. Perle cotton and embroidery floss were used for the color stitches. 

This composition has become more intricate and layered. I have not decided whether to add more stitching…

Day 48 composition: wet on wet painting, blooming, slow drawing

The Day 7 composition was a “walk the dog” painting exercise from Willa Wanders’ Watercolor for Relaxation course. It was also an early experiment with running stitches.

Day 7 composition: color mixing, flat wash exercises.

Create Daily Tracker

I continue to use my Create Daily Tracker for documenting a daily practice. During the 100 Day Project, the date square is colored with the sky blue colored pencil. If my daily process consists more heavily on another technique—free-motion quilting, slow stitching, garment sewing, etc.—the block is colored differently. I’ve had a few finishes during the 100 Day Project as well, which is indicated by a color other than sky blue.

Create Daily 2024 Tracker: May 12, 2024.

A snapshot in time of a daily creative process.

Scrappy kitty quilts, Make Nine 2024 finish #5

Fun and Easy! These two scrappy, kitty quilts for our neighbor’s two cats definitely qualify. This is my fifth Make Nine 2024 finish.

Quilted and trimmed scrappy quilts ready for binding.

I pieced two scrappy quilt tops earlier this year when I was purging and organizing discontinued fabric samples. Then, when my machine was set up for free-motion quilting for the Spellbound quilt, it was easy to sandwich and put these two tops under the needle as well.

The quilt backs are a soft, thick flannel.

Flannel quilt backs.

The binding was attached by machine.

Prepping the binding.

The quilts went to our neighbor, Julie, who has two indoor cats… and who occasionally feeds our outside cats if we are away overnight.

Two scrappy kitty quilts. 23.5” x 26.75” and 22.75” x 27”. 

I’m counting this finish as fulfilling the “Fun and Easy” prompt for Make Nine 2024.

Make Nine 2024 tracker, April 20, 2024.

Five down. Four to go.

My 2024 "Create Daily" tracker has a new format!

My creative, online friend, Sarah Reebs @smrt783, has created a new calendar/tracker format for 2024. She uses it for her embroidery practice and I've adopted it for my Create Daily tracker.

Create Daily tracker for 2024

It's refreshingly different, don't you think? It's exciting to have a new format for this new year.

Trackers through the years

I've used two other tracker formats in the past. They're all fascinating and clever and I love to fill in the little box for each day! I started using a tracker in 2020, calling it my Stitching Success Tracker. After two years, and a broader scope in my creative practice, it morphed into the Create Daily Tracker.

Here are the Create Daily Trackers from 2022 and 2023. This is another design by Sarah.

Create Daily 2023 tracker

Create Daily 2022 tracker

Here are the Stitching Success Trackers from 2020 and 2021. This design was created by Karalenn Hippen.

Stitching Success tracker 2021

Stitching Success tracker 2020

This is the fifth year documenting a daily art, textile and stitching practice using a creative tracker. Let's see what 2024 brings!

Make Nine finish #8: fast and fun cuddle quilts

In a recent post, I published tips and ideas for making quilts using time-saving techniques, fabrics, and tools. These ideas were used for three charity quilts that were completed for my guild's community service project. I'm using this "finish" to fulfil my Make Nine "Fast and Fun" prompt this year. 

"Fast and Fun" prompt for Make Nine 2023 is fulfilled.

Initially, I thought my "Fast and Fun" prompt might be fulfilled with a set of pillowcases—also a fun project—which I usually make for gifts throughout the year. It just goes to show that one never knows what projects will be put in one's path... these quilts crossed my path first.

Here are the three completed cuddle quilts (charity quilts) for my guild's community service project. With some planning and time-saving construction ideas, they were fast and fun!

Three finished charity quilts.

Now I'm feeling ahead of the game with Make Nine this year—with only one prompt remaining. The last prompt is a UFO finish. 

Oh, I have plenty of options for this one!

Make Nine 2023 tracker, August 2023.

Make Nine 2023? Of course, I'm doing it again!

Make Nine. It’s a wonderful, gentle, year-long, maker’s Challenge. 2023 is my 5th year participating. 

Make Nine 2023 worksheet.

Over the years, I've learned from my Make Nine experiences how to set up goals and working through  this Challenge—the types of projects I like, wardrobe needs, setting challenge parameters to be successful, being flexible in my processes and goals, and documenting the processes and finishes. Here is what 2023 entails...

My 2023 Make Nine prompts

I have converted my Make Nine "projects" into "prompts" to allow for more flexibility, serendipity, and success. I started doing this in 2021 and it has worked well. As in the past, I've kept a few favorite prompts from previous years, modified some prompts, and added new ones. Here are my prompts for 2023:

• New to Me in '23: I've used a New-to-Me prompt for the past two years. Trying a new pattern, technique, tool, substrate etc. keeps my creative process challenged and interesting.
• Make it Again: I used this prompt last year and it was fulfilled early in the year... so it was a good one. I'll likely be using a tried-and-true pattern that has been a successful make in the past.
• Fast and Fun: another repeat prompt. It's good to achieve instant gratification and a sense of accomplishment by making something that is fun to make or to use.
• Mend/Repurpose: another carry-over from last year. I have several potential projects in mind for this prompt. This prompt also checks the "sustainability" box.
• Online Challenge: this is a new prompt for 2023. I've participated in online Challenges over the years and will incorporate one as a Make Nine project.
• UFO: this one needs no explanation (wink, wink).
• Stash Buster: I'm not sure if this will be a fabric or yarn stash buster. I like working with and using up scraps, crumbs, thrumbs, and leftovers... and I have plenty of all of them. Time will tell as the year unfolds.
• Wild Card x 2: this prompt allows for the unexpected and I've opened the door for two possibilities this year.

It's a good blend of project potential.

Documenting the process with the Make Nine worksheet

I think the Make Nine worksheet is helpful, and mine keeps me accountable. You can find a blank Make Nine worksheet here at Home Row Handcraft or make your own (it doesn't need to be fancy, just functional). Ro at Home Row also offers suggestions for choosing projects for Make Nine. 

On my worksheet (see photo above), I write/draw each prompt in a box. I use a black, waterproof marker (like a Micron pen) to write the prompt, leaving space in each box for a drawing of the finished project, the project/pattern name, a completion date, and any other bit of info I think is important. 

Worksheets over the years

Here are examples of how my Make Nine worksheet has evolved over the years. This worksheet is from 2019. It was more specific, with several projects identified.

Make Nine worksheet 2019

In 2020, My Make Nine worksheet combined specific projects with prompts. It included a Wild Card and a UFO prompt.

Make Nine worksheet 2020

In 2021, I went to all prompts.

Make Nine worksheet 2021

In 2022, I again used prompts.

Make Nine worksheet 2022

As a project is completed, I color in the prompt, indicate the completion date, the project name, and draw something that symbolizes the project. 

Completed Make Nine worksheet for 2022.

Why Make Nine?

One of the many great things about Make Nine, is that you can join in at any time. It runs all year and there are really no deadlines for any of the projects (although the Challenge does start anew each calendar year). I’ve added some nice garments and accessories to my wardrobe that I wear or use frequently. I’m  pleased with all my Make Nine makes and accomplishments over the years. I remember each one fondly—although maybe not in which year they were completed—and also enjoy looking back at all the worksheets that I keep in a sketchbook.

Take the Make Nine journey this year and find joy, serenity, and fulfillment through making. 

Create Daily Tracker, a mid-year review

The summer solstice for the northern hemisphere is this week, June 21. It marks the beginning of Summer and is the day with the most sunlight. It seems an appropriate time to review progress on my 2022 Create Daily Tracker.

2022 Create Daily Tracker progress, June 19, 2022.

Create Daily progress

I've kept up with doing a creative activity each day in 2022 thus far. Contributing to this are:

• 3 Make Nine finishes
• 2 100 Day Projects: stamp printing and slow stitching 
• projects for a trunk show using a curated collection of Art Gallery Fabrics
• hand stitching WIPs [works in progress] that I work on when travelling
• slow drawing practices

I also participated in the online Slow Fashion Challenge in May of this year, which prompted this recent folio piece.

"We have what we need" 2-page folio. 

Make Nine progress

The last Make Nine finish was logged in on March 30, three months ago. However, I have items in progress and potential project ideas for the other prompts.

2022 Make Nine progress, June 19, 2022.

100 Days 100 Blocks 

I'm debating whether I'll do the 100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge this year since the start date has been delayed until August. In the past, it started July 1 which I had worked into my schedule. I also lined up these lovely blender fabrics from P&B Textiles that I planned to use. So I'll either find another project or wait until August... TBD.

Whimsey and Onyx basics collections from P&B Textiles.

So I'm staying creative... doing and making things with my hands.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Trackers, planners, checklists and games

I make lists. Do you?
Actually, I need to make lists because the barrage of demands that vies for my attention at any one time can cause me to forget what I'm supposed to do. 

I also like trackers and calendars. And apparently, several of you like them too since I've been asked where I found some of mine. 

My assortment of stitching strackers, planners, checklists and games.

I use trackers to keep up with and document the progress on long-term and short-term quilting and sewing projects and daily practices. I find it interesting to reflect on past years' accomplishments and compare them with current plans... and I also enjoy "ticking off the boxes." 

Trackers and planners: paper or digital?

Many of my trackers are paper trackers that are printed from digital files. Online sew-alongs and Challenges often offer downloadable PDF trackers to keep participants organized. I print these out and then paste them into a sketchbook. 

• Make Nine
• 100 Days 100 Blocks
• Stitching Success Tracker 
• Create Daily success tracker
• my quilt guild made up a Quilting Success Bingo card

With these, I get to physically "color in" or "cross off" the completed activities—usually with a variety of colored pencils.

Some of my trackers are digital: 

• photos and IG postings for the 100 Day Project
• photos and IG postings for the 100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge
• an Excel spreadsheet for my blog postings

This is my new Create Daily success tracker for 2022.

Create Daily success tracker for 2022.

This tracker was for the 100 Days 100 Blocks project in 2021.

The 100 Days 100 Blocks tracker/checklist for making, photographing and posting photos.

Staying encouraged

Every checkmark or colored square gives me a sense of accomplishment. I'm always thrilled and  pleased by how much can be completed when working on something every day—even if only for a few minutes. Having a visual reminder of things I've finished and prompts for new things keeps me  motivated, mindful and on track. 

All boxes covered on my guild's Quilting Success Bingo card. BINGO!

And who doesn't like coloring in or crossing off the little boxes??? Then one day you shout... BINGO!

A new "Create Daily" tracker for 2022

Formerly called my Stitching Success Tracker, this year I have a new "Create Daily" tracker. 

Create Daily 2022 success tracker.

This cool 2022 round calendar chart is the creation of Sarah Reebs from Keep Right Except to Pass (New for 2022 post) and on Instagram at smrt783. We crossed paths on IG having both used the Nerd Bucket calendar last year. 

Sarah created this new calendar for a project in 2022 and licensed it under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. I had to add the dates/numbers in the boxes so I could more easily keep up with the day of the month.

It's a very eye-catching calendar, don't you think? She did a fabulous job.

Creating a daily practice

I achieved 365 days of stitching success in 2021. So this year I'm incorporating other creative activities into a daily creative practice. Along with stitching activities—patchwork, free-motion quilting, sewing, knitting, slow stitching, etc.—I'm including art and mixed media techniques—drawing, stamp carving, painting, collage, etc. This is why I've changed the name from Stitching Success Tracker to the Create Daily success tracker. 

The color-coded legend indicates the different colors for activities and finishes. I'm hoping the inclusion of art processes in a daily practice will help me improve these skills. 

For all the activities I will be using my hands to create. I like that.