When should you start getting ready for the holidays?

Typically I'm really slow on working on holiday quilt projects--ok--VERY slow! I have my son's quilted vest project sitting in the sewing room right now--and it was a Christmas 2017 present! But I'm not talking about me--my customers have been starting to filter holiday themed quilts to me for quilting.

This is a Halloween quilt that my sister handed me last Oct. 20 and wondered if it would be done for Halloween---of course, just not Halloween 2017! But I did get it done for her to enter into her county fair and hang for Halloween 2018. I'm also starting to see some Christmas 2018 quilts showing up.

How do these folks do this?! I'd like to be able to blame my slowness on my part-time job, quilting business or family. While all of those do come before my sewing/piecing time, I have to own up that I've ALWAYS been slow on holiday prep, going back to before kids, career and quilting! I once made my husband a ski jacket for Christmas--finished it on Christmas Eve! So enjoy my customers lovely holiday projects--maybe you'll see mine in December???