2014

I hope all of you had a good Holiday -- actually with your loved ones or with them in your heart. Shug & I went North to be with our families & had a good & busy time. While this was my 2nd Christmas without parents, it was the first spent with my brother; his daughters are now living in another state, so our get-together was just the 4 of us, establishing new traditions & having a good time. My Christmas quilts were gifted & I'm pretty sure they were all liked as well as I liked making them.

So looking back, I guess I had kind of a good year. 16 finished quilts -- there were even a few small ones that I didn't share. Looking at the mosaic, first thing I notice is -- What a lot of SQUARES! I don't know how that happened, normally, my go-to shape is triangles, but apparently 2014 was smazoochie's year for squares! I have to say that my favorites are the out-liers, the thin sides of my 2014 bell-curve of squares -- the Snow Flurries quilt & the Color Party quilt. Both were a bit outside of my comfort zone & both, in my opinion, came out pretty well.

I looked up the goals I made for the year back in January --  how did I do?

1. Well, healthy? Not so much. That is the top of my list again this year.
2. Sewing my stash & scraps? Again, not so much. In spite of making 16 quilts, I am afraid there was NOT a net loss to my stash.
3. I definitely made the 3 quilts using the shirts & the 4th is poised to commence. I even got to a few of others on that list: bow ties, 16-patch, maple leaves.
4. Very sadly, not a single pompom. No circles, all squares. :-(

Stay tuned for my 2015 resolutions, hopes & aspirations.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY DEAR READERS!!!

Merry & Happy to all y'all!

Sending to you my warmest quilt-y wishes for a Safe & Wonderful Holiday

and for a

Blessed, Peaceful & Healthful 2015!

See you next year!

Now what?

I'm not sure what to do now.

The Christmas quilts are done & ready to wrap or ship. (Though I'm finishing up a doll-sized one, local delivery & thinking about a pillow cover -- but that's it!) As usual, I've got plenty of cut out parts awaiting assembly -- geese, stars, pluses, towers, etc, etc; there are 2 -- no, 3 -- tops ready to be basted & quilted; and 2 or 3 that were being quilted but got sidetracked & quickly sank to the bottom of the pile.

But also as usual, I was not in the mood to work on any of those. Instead, I began digging through the stacks & scraps that are over-taking my little sewing room. More clothing -- dresses, some from the thrift store, others are Mom's old shirtwaists (lots of fabric in those skirts) & mine from childhood. Then a dump of my scrap bucket --  more than 20 years of quilt-making there, some of the scrappy-bits are even older than that -- quite a memory trip!

Then lots of pressing & cutting & sewing & fun.