Ancient Babylonians 4,000 years ago made New Year promises to gods to pay all debts and return borrowed items. These promises were made during a 12-day festival held in the spring when crops were being planted. Throughout history civilizations developed calendars that based a new year on an agricultural or astronomical event. The Roman calendar followed this idea but eventually it fell out of sync with the sun. Julius Caesar was the emperor to fix this problem. With the help of prominent mathematicians and astronomers the new year moved to the month of Janus (January) about 46 B.C. History.com speculates the decision to begin the new year in January was due to Janus being the two-faced god; Janus was able to look into the past year as well as look to the year ahead. Medieval Christian leaders tried to change the date to more significant religious days, but Pope Gregory XIII established January 1 as New Year’s Day in 1582.
So here we are some 4,000 odd-years later still making promises to be different or do better. I asked our group of Modern Quilters what resolution they would make focused solely on their quilting endeavors and this is some of what the WNY Modern Quilters desire for the New Year.
The WNY Modern Quilters in 2020 would be every happy if….
- Group consensus – more than 24 hours in a day – but clarify that this time is dedicated to quilting!
- Sharon has set the intention to quilt at least one hour every day.
- Jan (and I) want to stop making quilt tops and actually QUILT those growing, beautiful piles work.
- Liz has two large quilts waiting for her to quilt – gotta happen early 2020….
- Robi wants to lose her fear over using long-arm rulers.
- Karen has a list of UFO’s to finish along with an earlier start to her Christmas ornaments. Again, I feel an early start on Christmas “stuff” is another consensus among the MQ’s being polled.
Of course we are all in agreement with the generalized thoughts of being better organized.
- I nodded in agreement when Marija and Karen said, “get organized” – work spaces NEVER stayed organized do they?!
- Noel is working from the understanding of “right sizing” not downsizing her fabric stash.
- Pat is determined to stop buying fabric until she uses up what she has. I’ve tried, and failed, at this declaration a few times myself.
- Then Robi says she needs to stop buying sewing machines – is 24 machines excessive?
- Pam is the MQ that finishes her projects, but she wants to use up the scraps from all those finishes!
So in conclusion, what quilter out there doesn’t want more time to use all these luscious fabrics that surround us in well-lit, organized spaces? I say these are worthy aspirations. Keep creating everyone.
Gayle