2013 – A Lovely Year of Finishes
Hosted by:
Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs and Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts
Work In Progress (WIP), UnFinished Object (UFO), anonymous pile of quilt blocks (completed or not) – does this describe projects that you have been working on but can’t seem to finish? How about a nudge to get more done – one finish per month for 12 months not only makes it easier than an overwhelming list, it also can end in a complete Year of Lovely Finishes.
Here’s the plan: each month pick one project, anything you like (it can even be an entirely new project, so long as you can finish it in the current month) and tell yourself, “I Will Finish It.” Then write a blog post about the project and link it up to our Goal Setting linky party. Spend the rest of the month working on your finish. We will have a mid-month check, and though you are not required to link up to that post, it would be fun to see your progress! Finally, after you have finished your project, write a second (or third) post showing us your Lovely Finish and link it up to our “Finishes Party.”
Don’t have a blog? No worries: Post a picture of the project you are going to work on to Flickr and link that up to the Goal Setting linky party. Remember to add a description for the rest of us to know what you’re working on. When you finish the project, post a second picture of your finish to Flickr and link that up to the “Finishes Party.”
Goal setting – Required link up {Link starts 1st of the month and open for seven days}
Mid-month Check-In – Optional {Link starts on the 15th and is open for seven days}
Finishes Party – Required link-up {Link is open seven days before the last day of the month}
Let’s define “a project.” A project can be what you have going on. We are all at different sewing levels, and we so love learning from one another. Sometimes it’s finishing up all the swap commitments you have on your plate. Sometimes it’s putting together quilt tops from all those blocks you have had sitting in the corner for, ohhh, more than a year. Sometimes it will be quilting and binding a complete quilt! This is the perfect opportunity to get those projects done.
We’ll both be posting three times a month, but we’ll have the same linky party shared between our blogs so no need to enter twice. Please feel free to jump back and forth between our blogs as we’ll both be sharing our finished projects throughout the year.
Each month our wonderful sponsors will be offering prizes that will be awarded randomly to a few of the participants. Talk about INCENTIVE – you not only get to enjoy your finish, but you also may win a lovely gift to go with it.
At the end of the year, if you have participated each month and completed 12 finishes, you will be able to participate in our end of year link up, which will take place in January 2014. You will create a collage showing us all 12 of your Lovely Finishes. and we will have another set of giveaway prizes especially for you!
We even have a flickr group, ”A Lovely Year of Finishes,” where we’ll post reminders and we’ll be able to ogle over your finishing progress and success.
So are you going to join us in A Lovely Year Of Finishes?!?
Grab our button and add it to your posts to keep spreading the love.
Here’s a list of the blog posts to-date (links will be added when posts are live):
Announcement
Questions and Answers – found here
Tutorials:
- Add a button to your sidebar – Blogger & WordPress
- Add a button to your blog post – Blogger & WordPress
- How to Join a Linky Party
- How to share a photo on the new Flickr – updated July 2013
January: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
February: – Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
March: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
April: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
May: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
June: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
July: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
August: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
September: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
October: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
November: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
December: Goal setting ~ Mid-month Check-in ~ Finishes Party
Final link-up open with valid mosaic Jan. 1 – 7, 2014: Winners announced Jan. 10, 2014.
All winners will be chosen from valid entries through Mr. Random
Sponsors include:
Chances of me finishing anything in this life time are very slim, but I’m posting your button on my blog so others can join in.
I’m in! Last week John lifted up a sampler quilt that has been resting on a chair in my sewing room for–months, maybe? He asked what it needed so that we could use it. I told him it had to be bound. With complete sincerity he asked me, “Oh, is that very hard?”–because it must be, right, or I wouldn’t leave something sitting forever instead of finishing it so we can enjoy it? Your Lovely Year is just what I need. Leave it to you…
I need this! We’re also doing something like this at our quilt guild, so maybe, just MAYBE! I will finish a few projects…. which is a good thing, because there are always new projects to start!
I’m in, too! 2013 is the year of my master’s thesis, so I hope I can do this (all my ufo’s are huge projects). But I’m sure game to try!
Wow, I like it, its indimidating – I don’t have THAT many ufo’s but I keep starting new things because that’s so much easier than finishing! Besides one month I’m out of town for a wedding I can’t see any reason not to do this, I could use being held accountable 😉
This sounds like alot of fun and a great way to finish things up , although I have a blog I don’t post often and I can’t seem to figure out this linking. Every time I post a picture to my blog it takes me half a night to get one picture posted. Probley a good reason while I don’t do alot of posting. I have an iphone wish I could learn to post pictures from it.
Count me in girlfriend 😉 Merry,Merry to you Anne,and Aaron!
I’m in – but having trouble with your button :S How do I fix it??
Perhaps 2013 will be filled with the finishes that I couldn’t complete in 2012!! Then there is a room full of fabric to contend with!! So much fabric, so little time…
Great idea! Slogged along on my own with 2012 goals, have many more WIPs/UFOs I’d love to finish in 2013. Will be nice to have a group to keep me on target.
BTW: Had problems adding your cute button to my sidebar (WordPress site). The code is full of “curly quotes” which need to be changed to “straight” quotes. Try retyping in notepad.
I will give this a try. It’s not that I don’t finish things, it’s the starting for me. I will start out small and go from there. I will be surprised if I finish 12 things though. Encouragement will be needed.
I love this idea… I have a lot of UFOs and WiP projects…hope this party will help me to clear all my UFOs! Thank you!
I’m afraid of commitment LOL! I have one huge project that I want to finish in 2013.
Wonderful idea Melissa! I have almost all of my monthly Schnibbles projects that need to be quilted, and some blocks I made that need to be put together. I am going to look forward to this, and I am going to go post your button right now. See you again on Jan 1!
This sounds like a fun project so count me in
I’m joining in with you two! Can’t think of a better way to jumpstart my quilting for 2013 than having A Year of Lovely Finishes as a goal – while working along with you two. 🙂
I’ve got so many unfinished projects, and this is forcing me to go back to them. I always like to start new things, better than finish old ones. But 2013 will be the year. Thank you for inviting me.
maybe this is what I need for 2013
My word for 2013 is Finish so count me in… I’ve added your button to my blog and will link up my January post this week.
What perfect timing!
I just made a list of my UFOs the day before yesterday and was quite dismayed to see a dozen things listed (I can’t believe I’ve also added to it by starting two new projects this week!), so definitely count me in.
I’ve just hash-tagged my latest upload on instragram too with #alovelyyearoffinishes too.
Fantastic idea Melissa and Shanna!
no web site, will try my best to post pictures, lots of UFO
Great idea Melissa and I’m definitely going to take part in this!!
I hope I posted my picture correctly….this is my mom’s quilt that was supposed to be done for her birthday last April. I hope I’m doing this right!
I see on the flickr account, my quilt is under ‘wannaquilt1’ that’s really me……
I just added your button to my blog , I am in and my first project to complete is my penny rug BOM that I am currently working on .
I am so excited to join this!!
Can we join February!
Can we join February?
I’ve been coming back for the links and they haven’t been added so I missed the mid-month check in. Where can I find the end of the month check in for January?
Thanks
What if you miss a month? can you make it up in another month, as long as you have 12 finishes for the final prize?
Q. Do I need to link-up every month?
A. Not at all. You choose what months you want to participate. To be entered into the “All-12” giveaway you will need to have participated in all 12-months.
Oh,, I found my answer, Darn it. so now I am able to partake in the monthly just not the final prize????? Because I didnt finish in January..
linking up tomorrow 2/2/2013
I just found this challenge and added the button to my blog, but is it to late for me to participate? I have already finished 2 ufos for 2013!
Excellent weblog here! Additionally your web site loads up very fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I get your affiliate hyperlink to your host? I wish my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol
SEW excited to join the fun!!!! I’ll be posting my goal later this week!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neweyes2009/9701406859/
It is the 31st at 6pm and the link party is closed. How come the link party is not open?