50+ Quality Quilting New Year’s Resolutions (That Don’t Require Cleaning!)

We are quickly approaching the New Year, which means that the talk of resolutions will start in less than a week.

For most of my life, I wasn’t a big believer in major resolutions made at a relatively arbitrary time. But then I realized that standard resolutions are the unpleasant things we don’t want to do. Let’s turn that around and make some exciting resolutions!

Here are more than fifty ideas to get you started. You can use these as they are or as a starting point to create your own goals.

Technical Skills for Stellar Quilt Tops

• Have you mastered Half Square Triangles? Try Half Rectangle Triangles (HRT)!
• Learn to sew curves- It’s easier than you think!
• Give piecing full circles a go.

• Start foundation paper piecing with a simple repeating block.
• Master foundation paper piecing with a design using irregularly shaped pieces.

• Try English Paper PiecingSet (EPP) for an on-the-go project.
• Make a project using appliqué

Diversify Your Quilting Methods

• Free motion quilt on your domestic sewing machine.
• Use a walking foot to quilt a project.
• Hand quilt a project, or mix hand and machine quilting.
• Try longarm quilting at a quilt show or local shop.
• Use a different thread weight for quilting
• Do you always use a thread color that blends for quilting? Try using a contrasting color. 

Learn More About Your Sewing Machine

• Make samples of each stitch option on your sewing machine to reference in the future 
• Try every presser foot your sewing machine came with- have you missed out on something useful?

Sewing Beyond Quilting

• Insert a zipper in a pillow back or bag
• Construct a bag with a new-to-you type of hardware
• Make something to wear

Get Out of the House

• Visit a quilt museum.
• Sail away on a quilting cruise.
• Go on an International quilt tour, like this one, to Japan with my friend Karen.
• Road Trip! Schedule a stop at a destination quilt shop like Missouri Star or Hancocks of Paducah during your next vacation, and don’t forget to check out smaller local shops to discover a hidden gem!

• Attend a local guild show or a county or state fair with a quilt exhibit.
• Go on a sewing retreat!
• Attend a major quilt show like QuiltCon, American Quilters’ Society (AQS) QuiltWeek in Paducah, Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, International Quilt Festival in Houston, or Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Learn More About Quilting

• Listen to quilting podcasts to learn more about your favorite designers.
• Sign up for newsletters from your five favorite quilt designers to stay connected and inspired.
• Check out the available quilting books from your library over the year.
• Take a class to learn a new skill!
• Find a way to make your least favorite quilting step easier by researching different techniques or investing in a tool to streamline the process. 

Challenge Your Creativity

• Try a mystery quilt. If you don’t know where to start, Meadow Mist Designs hosts a mystery quilt each year, and has patterns available for past designs.
• Is there a classic quilt block you have always wanted to try? This is the year to do it!
• Participate in the annual color challenge at #hueyearsresolution
• Do a 100-Day Project.

• Experiment with the Mocha Mousse, the Pantone Color of the year, then enter your creation in the annual Pantone Quilt Challenge (This one is online and free to join)
• Join the challenge fun at the beginning of the year with Project Quilting.
• Experiment with Color- One way to get started is to print several copies of a line drawing of a quilt or block and color them using colored pencils, crayons, or paint. Try coloring the same design in many ways. 

Get Social

• Join a local group or guild to make some in-person quilting friends.
• Participate in a quilt bee or develop one of your own.
• Gather a group of friends together to do a round-robin quilt.
• Join a quilting swap. The Modern Quilt Guild hosts one every year!
• Participate in a block-of-the-month program to learn new skills alongside other quilters.

Share Your Quilts

• Enter a quilt show.
• Write a quilt pattern.
• Start a quilting blog (or resurrect your old one!)
• Participate in a themed quilting challenge—choose one with your local guild or try a larger-scale one issued by the Modern Quilt Guild, Cherrywood, the National Quilt Museum, The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show, or many others sponsored by companies and organizations.
• Make a Modern Mini for the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show Modern Mini-Contest typically held in May each year (It’s free to enter).
• Submit an article or quilt pattern to a magazine.

Self Care + Sewing

• Take care of your hands by doing hand yoga
• Improve the ergonomics of your sewing area
• Can’t get away from the house? Try a virtual retreat from home.
• Set a goal for how many days you want to sew each week- make a chart to track your progress.

What’s Next For You?

Do you have some ideas? I can’t wait to see what you make in 2025!

If you would like to join in the resolution fun, consider linking up your goal in the #2025QuiltingPlanning Party with Yvonne of Quilting JetGirl.