As I explained last week, I’m doing a project-of-the-month (POM) challenge for 2026. I’ve picked twelve projects I want to start or finish and numbered them. I tried for a range of sizes and types of projects, with mixed success. There’s lots of sewing here, because that’s what I’ve accumulated the most of over the years.
My list:
1) Make something with my Oscha hobbit fabric: I bought yardage with the help of a gift certificate I won at the Prancing Pony Podcast’s moot in December and I am still not sure what exactly I will make. A bag? A vest? Something cool, because this is cool fabric.
2) Finish stand-up pencil case: I stalled out on this project in 2022 when I realized I’d accidentally destroyed the zipper. Theoretically, this shouldn’t take that long.
3) Salvage the novelty log cabin quilt: I made the mistake of turning a quilt top into a duvet cover instead of an actual quilt. As a result, many of the seams in the piecing popped. So I need to repair those, then sandwich and quilt this thing. On the up side, the piece I used as the other side of the duvet cover will work as a backing.
4) Finish my Advent Calendar: Every year, my nephew and I open advent calendars together. I’ve been working on this one since 2020.
5) Block pattern: A generic clothing pattern that I am trying to get so it fits me and I can use it to design and make clothes for myself. I’ve been through several versions already but I’m still not there. Can I do it in a month? I don’t know.
6) Summer dress pattern: I started out making a pattern from a sundress I love and have worn to rags, but I want to add sleeves. So I can’t finish this until I finish number five, but I have batik fabric waiting to be turned into a fun dress.
7) Wash/spin gray fleece: The most I’ve ever bought to spin once is half a fleece. It’s just been sitting around waiting for me to do something with it (mainly because it needs washing first and I’ve never done that before). I have no actual plan for the fiber. But when do I ever?
8) Start on “Sam’s Study”: this is a miniature kit I intend on customizing. In fact, I’m wondering if I can merge it with my ideas about making something from Howl’s Moving Castle. I haven’t decided yet.
9) Start Irish chain quilt: I have a pattern and a selection of fabric. I would only be getting started on this, and it seems a little nuts considering I have so may other things I could be finishing, but I pulled the fabric one day when I was excited about the pattern and couldn’t bring myself to put it all back again.
10) Car quilt: I made a wild quilt for one of our cars and I have really appreciated having it around. It’s a great way to use some of the crazier prints I can’t figure out how to use and believe me, I have plenty of them. This is another project I haven’t started yet, but it’s been on my mind ever since I finished the first one.
11) Finish fabric journal: I don’t remember when I pulled this together, only that I got excited about making a journal entirely from fabric and then gathered a ton of materials to use. As a result, one of my big bins is taken up by this project. I want to put it together to get some space back. And it will be fun to make.
12) Finish one small quilt project: I have a box of small quilts that is mostly tops. I could probably do more than one of these in a month, but it’s one of my small projects, so I may only get to do one.
While I really want to include a random element to choosing which project I work on, I’m not letting it limit me. I wanted to work on the Advent calendar in January because I was excited about it. Working on Christmas stuff right after December seemed like a better idea than waiting until November. So I cheated a little. I already knew that The Quilted Forest had pulled number 4 for January, so I put the calendar fourth on my list. I finished it and will be posting the reveal next week.
For February, I should be working on POM 6. However, that’s the one thing I’m not actually ready to work on, because I need to finish POM 5 first. Also, I’ll be traveling this month. After working so hard in January, I really wanted an easy win. I decided I would do one of my small projects (2 or 12). I flipped a coin to add some randomness. POM 2 won, so I get to fight with the pencil case zipper.
What projects are you working on this year?
You are so ambitious, Kit, but I think this is a good way to tackle the projects, by giving yourself a timeline. My problem is always procrastination. Once I get going, I’m great at getting lots done, but it’s getting going without allowing distractions that I find hard to get past.
I have more handbags on my projects list and then maybe a table runner and place mats. Not sure yet.
If by ambitious, you mean crazy, I agree. 😉
Deadlines help me a lot. That and taking the jigsaw puzzle app off my phone. When I find myself looking for something to do, I pick up a project!