Happy New Year! I for one am very happy to see the close of 2021 and welcome in 2022. The first order of business here is to join Cheryl at Meadow Mists Designs in her yearly Linky Party – the Best of 2021. Some years the bests are all easy; this year was not the case. I did less making of my own designs (although 3 of my bests are my own designs) and more of trying a few new techniques and making some things for a few charity drives (Hands 2 Help and Positivity QAL).
- Fan Favorite: Ride the Ferry
My “Ride the Ferry Block” was the most visited post this year and the design I am most proud of for the year. I love that I have made a block that will appear in many Destination QAL quilts.
2. Design Favorite: Cityscapes
I love the design of the Cityscape block, a cooperative design with Karen Thurn (Tu-Na Quilts), again for the Destination QAL. It really is a fun block that gives you building blocks for you to make your own city.
3. Favorite Personal Finish: Dear Compass: Take Me Away
My SAHRR is a personal favorite. I love it for the use of a block I designed for last year’s QAL by the Sea. But even more fun was the time I took to quilt it on my longarm. I spent a fair amount of time in computerized quilting classes in 2020 and 2021; this quilt was the culmination of a lot of that learning.
4. My Favorite Tutorial: Curvy Flying Geese
A little quilt that I made for a Project Quilting Challenge turned into a fun tutorial on making curvy geese in Electric Quilt. It really is pretty easy and so much fun to see where the geese can go on your quilt!
5. New Techniques
Fabric Painting: This is really a two-part favorite. The first technique is from a online class that I took from Helen Godden. This little birdie is so happy and lives near the laundry. Somehow, it makes me smile every time I go by it (a good thing when heading into the laundry room closet. The technique was basically to quilt the outline, then color in using the Derwent Intense Pencils. I hope to make a new project this year with this technique.
Learning to Embroider: There are so many fun projects to make with machine embroidery. I think my favorite is the first little one that I did, just getting the machine to work and making something use was so much fun. I chose to learn embroidery by doing some projects (mostly Kimberbell Fill In the Blanks) and it was a good way to learn some things and to force me to make things with my embroidery unit. I had my machine almost 6 months before I had the courage to start, but start I did.
Last Years Goals and This Years Goals
Yvonne of Quilting JetGirl hosts an annual planning party and this half of the posts will address a look back and forward for my blog.
Last year, I didn’t want to have as many strict goals as I have had other years. In fact, I don’t think I ever looked back to see what I thought I would do. Well, I just did, and here’s the gist of what I committed to for 2021.
Goals 2021
- 12 original quilts/projects:
By my count, there were about 6 of these – some are still only blocks, but it was better than I thought. - Hops & Sew Alongs: I participated in hops and sew alongs.
- Plan some giveaways: This I did not do, but I do have one planned for January.
Part of my thinking last year was little less structure would be good for me. However, I thought some old energy would return but with the continued pattern of living during a pandemic, my sew-jo seemed to slow down. It’s okay, as the commitments are all mine and that is the way I want it to be.
Goals for 2022
I learned I am better with making good deadlines and getting a few more things done. I want to design and make more of my own patterns so that will remain a goal. Here’s what I am thinking for next year:
- Participate in 6 hops or QALs or SALs.
I always try to do something original for a hop; my plan is to continue to do that and share a pattern or tutorial with those hopping along. For SALs, I often try to do something already on a list or that will make a charity for one of the groups that I often send quilts to. - Continue to host Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd
I would like to see more participation, so I am challenge folks for linkups in January and there will be a giveawy. - Do more design work in Electric Quilt, Prostitcher Designer.
- Learn more about Embrilliance and Embroidery. Maybe begin to digitize.
- Use up more of my stash.
I will participate in RSC and start using those bits I can’t throw out. - Plan a QAL or SAL for late ’22 or early ’23
I am sure there are more things that I can think of but right now, that is where I am. Many thanks to Cheryl and Yvonne for prompting us for a good look at our past and maybe into our future!
Coming Up on My Blog:
Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd with Challenge/Prizes
Polar Bear Plunge Blog Hop (1/24-28)
Linking Up With:
Best of 2021 Linky Party
#2022 Planning Party
love that fabric paint piece! Happy new year
I really loved seeing you explore fabric painting this year. Thanks so much for continuing the Tips and Tutorials linkup, you can be sure I’ll participate as often as I have content in 2022. May the new year be full of good things for you, and I hope you have fun working toward your goals. Happy New Year!
We all have to go at our own pace, Kathleen! I love your cheery Helen Godden bird! Our guild did a Zoom meeting and one of the members, who we unfortunately lost this past year taught us the technique using the Jacquard paints. I like your Inktense pencils best and have those, so I may have to revisit this technique this year! Thanks for continuing the Tips and Tutorials! Have an awesome year!
I enjoyed reading through your 2021 progress as well as your thoughts as you processed the year. You have some good goals for the upcoming year, and I look forward to seeing your progress. Happy New Year, Kathleen!
You got a lot done last year, Kathleen, I’m looking forward to seeing your 2022 quilts. Happy New Year!
I have goals, of course, but I am trying to keep it minimal with no deadlines. Tough to do with all of the internet enablers. 🙂
Sounds like you learned a lot of new things and developed new skills in 2021! I hope 2022 brings you good things. I’m thinking about what tutorial I can post for January’s big link up!
What a great post, Kathleen! I’m particularly impressed with the quilting you did on Dear Compass. Looking forward to seeing if the 2022 SARR draws you in, again!
Hi Kathleen, congratulations on a productive year. It’s so hard to make plans and then actually follow them, but it’s good to have an idea of what to do. I’m just really good at getting distracted
Best of luck in 2022!
Congrats on a wonderful 2021, such great finishes! Happy New year and I hope 2022 is wonderful for you!
Those are Great 2021 posts!! Your ferry block means a little more to me now haha!
and that curved flying geese – Love it!!
Good luck on all your 2022 goals!!! you can do it!
What a lovely post with the most beautiful projects! Your SAHRR is gorgeous. Love reading about your processes, always.
Kathleen it was sew much fun to see some of my favourite of your 2021 projects again. I’m impressed with how much you got done considering the pandemic effect. The best word I’ve seen on a blog to describe the pandemic effect is languishing. It seems gentler than depression or burnt out. We all need to accept that it is and will likely consider that it will be part of our lives for some time to come. Therefor we all need to be gentler to ourselves and just do what we can and grateful for any accomplishments. If we all can do as well this year as you did last year learning and practising new techniques (designing and writing patterns are just so hard ) I will think we are all winners.
Your SAHRR quilting is just exquisite! I really like the waves design. I also just love seeing your bird again. Looks like ’22 has some good plans and direction, and I like the no stress approach (I’m doing this approach again in ’22).
Your goals are concise and attainable. Good job taking it down to what really enhances your art work.
I love your ferry block!!! It is reminiscent of many ferry rides I’ve taken in my life! The quilting and coloring on your bird is so cute!!! Kathleen, any hint what SAL you’re thinking of hosting at year end???