Looking back on 2015

Blogs and Instagram feeds are flooded right now with best of’s and upcoming 2016 goals, and while I tend to be a spontaneous, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, procrastinating kind of gal when it comes to my sewing projects, I recognize the importance of reflecting on accomplishments and successes, while looking for areas to improve. I thought that Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs had some great insights for looking back at top projects in 2015.

To start out, one of my top accomplishments for 2015 has simply been blogging on a regular basis. I never put this in black and white, but it has been my silent and personal goal this whole last year. 2013 was a low point for me as far as blogging goes, only blogging about once a month… but I had just had baby number two, was working a lot, and with my husband being gone so much, not to mention a complete loss of inspiration, something just had to give… and that was blogging. But in 2014 I was slowly able to get back into thing and managed to double my posts, and  this year I almost doubled that and posted at least once a week. Posting once a week may not sound like much, but for a mom of two kids under five, it’s huge!

As far as actual sewing projects go, my project with the most views was my Swell quilt finish… geez, this thing was so huge and took such a long time to make, but considering the fact that it was my second quilt, I have decided to not be too hard on myself for taking so long to finish it. While I am not new to sewing, I am new to quilting, and I learned quite a few things from this one!

My Best Conversations Posts were actually what I call “life” posts… the kind that aren’t just talking about which quilting techniques, etc, but about life and emotions… the thing that makes you feel more connected to other bloggers. If you missed this top conversation post, read at your own risk, or at least wait until you have some tissues with you… this project has actually inspired me for another special project in 2016!

Best Free Pattern Post actually has a couple of winners… my Deck the Halls pattern has had the most visits, but I couldn’t end the year without talking about my mini’s just one more time. While it might not appear as a huge project with a fantastic finish posts, I was able to learn so much from such intense little projects… 

And also noteworthy was my “Mochi Necklace” tutorial that I did for Sew Mama Sew at the beginning of this year. While the tutorial is technically “not mine” anymore, it was still a big accomplishment for me in many ways, and a kick off post back into the land of blogging.

At the end of last year “While She Naps” blog author, Abby Glassenberg, had broadcasted a fabulous interview with Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Fabrics and  Kristin Link of Sew Mama Sew. This was exactly what I needed to hear to inspire me to move forward with the hardest thing I have done this year… shutting down my long time online fabric shop. It’s amazing that when I reflect on it just a few short months after the fact,  it’s the best decision that we made in 2015,  and I don’t regret it... not for one second! I’m not sure why it took me so long to figure out why I was holding onto something for so long that was simply not bringing any benefit into my life!

If you prefer the condensed version of a little less talk and a lot more action, you can check out a few of my IG best… the irony of it is that while I am a windy girl myself, I'm totally a picture girl!

What was your biggest accomplishment in 2015? 

Linking up with Meadow Mist Designs Best of 2015 Linky Party

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The Heart's Desire & Quilt Finish

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it felt as if your heart literally hurt and ached? Usually such a yearning comes from the desire for personal relationships... whether it is a longing for a spouse, a friendship, or probably the ultimate of yearnings... the wish for a baby.

Before we were pregnant with our oldest son, we actually had a miscarriage. It was so early in the pregnancy that we barely had time to comprehend it ourselves, much less share it with family and friends. Even though the pregnancy was only in it's first weeks, the loss was still very real, especially since we had been trying for a while. After having gone through such a loss, I ended up coming out on the other side with a deeper understanding for others who have been hoping for, praying for, longing for, and even aching for that wee little set of ten toes and ten fingers to rest in their arms... and for some reason it just hasn't happened.

 

A while back a friend of mine had shared with me that they had been longing, hoping, praying, and aching for their own wee one... and for NINE years! There is a verse in Proverbs that sums up that very feeling... "Hope deferred makes the heart sick"... I so get that, I understand this, and I feel it. I especially get it for those that are in that place right now. Did you know that neurons have been discovered in the heart? With that being said, it sheds a new light on the depth of feeling that ache,

...BUT.....

... the turn in this story is that there is a "but" to the rest of the story! The verse in Proverbs doesn't just stop at the heart being sick part, but there is a second part of this Proverb... "but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life"... and the story of my friend does not stop there either! After nine long years of waiting, my friend has just welcomed her ten fingered and ten toed wonder into the world!

The really amazing thing is that just weeks before my friend had shared her news, I had started this quilt. I had no particular plans in mind for this project at that time, or even a particular recipient, but as I read through her announcement email, I then knew why I had started this. Sometimes you just know things in your heart before they happen, and only after the fact realize why your heart led you the way it did.

If you are, as they say in German, "built close to the water", then I'll give you your chance now to transition and perhaps grab a tissue, while I give you a few stats about my "Scrappy Windmils"/"I Spy" quilt:

Quilt pattern: "Scrappy Windmill" quilt from Judith Dahmen as featured in Issue 10 of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine.
Started: June 2015* (I had a three month waiting period for the batting. Otherwise this might have been finished sooner!)
Fabrics: Kona Cotton white and favorite fabric scraps from my stash.
Finished quilt size: ca. 50 x 60 inches (ca. 125 x 150 cm)
Backing: Zen Chic, "Swinging" and Julie Comstock, "Cameras", various scraps.
Thread: Aurifil cotton 50 wt white
Binding: Basic Grey grunge, grey  

Once the sun, moon, and stars had once again aligned to snap a few pictures, it was really fun for me to do a little "I Spy" quilt photo shot with our little guy. As you can imagine, he was all over the place like any normal three year old boy, and "can you put your leg down", "hold still", "no, don't jump" were repeated over and over again... but I think that in the end, he was a pretty good little model, don't you think?

He even pretended to take a nap on the quilt... (you can almost hear the fake snoring, can't you?)

With such an amazing story of a longing that has now been fulfilled... is it any wonder that this little bundle of joy's middle name is... Joy? Tickled pink happy for you, Jules! 

Do you have any long-time-in-the-waiting stories? 

Linking up this week with WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.

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Realistic Quilting

When it comes to my quilting projects, I feel that I am somewhat of a realist. It's never been my goal, or intention, to whip out one quilt after the next as fast as one can blink... in fact I've actually intended my long term projects to be just that, and something that I work on throughout the year. I want to enjoy the process, and be satisfied that a quilt is not something that is just thrown together over a weekend. (well not at least for normal people anyway)  I want the freedom to set something to the side if I am not feeling motivated or inspired, and pick it back up when if feels right. While finishing is so vital, setting time constraints for when is not. I've enjoyed moving at a snail's pace despite the fact that I know that such a pace does not exactly grow blog readership, but my projects are growing little by little, bit by bit... and believe it or not, I'm OK with that. As for the progress on my Facing East quilt... talk about a not-done-overnight quilt, yup, you're looking at the epitome of it!

Last week I shared my Scrappy Windmill quilt top finish, and after peeling all those papers out of the seams, I was more than ready to set it aside. Since it came together so quickly, I gave myself the liberty to do so, not to mention that I am waiting on the batting to finish it. My husband graciously took our two little guys for the weekend, and I was able to have some time to myself. Usually my sewing room is an explosion after being granted such freedom, but I had several things to ponder in my heart... thoughts of change, unanswered questions, and what if's. Things are shifting and moving, and the quiet and stillness was just what I needed. But nonetheless, after working so intensely on the quilt top, I just wasn't ready to pull out one of my tedious, long-term quilts.

You may remember me adding a few,... er, well, ahumm, several... ok, ok, a huge stack of fabrics that I hauled back recently from vacation. And while in the land of fabrics, I found that I simply could not resist the Farm Girl Vintage book from Lori Holt either. While these blocks are a little off the beaten path from my usual style, I found myself gravitating back to it.

You might notice several of those fabrics all sliced, diced, and sewn up together in these blocks. Working with low volumes with a little touch of color has been on my to do list, and up until now, my low volume's have essentially been black in the black/white category.

Somehow I'm still stuck on going for a fresh and juicy look... I really want to have colors that just pop! When I first saw the Word find fabric from Melody Miller's Playful collection, I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed... until I saw it live! Talk about a story change... for me THIS is the absolute perfect shade of pink!

... and my little house block ends up boasting not just one, but several favorites of mine... Alison Glass, Heather Ross, Cori Dantini, and I am just as smitten with the Eric & Julie Comstock Baby Jane in yellow.

What's your approach on long-term quilting? Do you take on year-long (or longer) projects or do you prefer quilts that don't need as much time to finish? 

Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.

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Quilt Top Finish... but which one?!?

I finished a quilt top!!!... it might come as a little bit surprise, but can you guess which one? 

I was able to make a good amount of progress on my "planned creativity" goals during our summer vacation time, and since I've been working on THREE quilts at the same time, there's about a 33% chance at guessing which one is now a finished quilt top... so, what's your pick?

1.) The "Swell" quilt? 
2.) The "Facing East" quilt? or
3.) The "Scrappy Windmill" quilt?...

If you follow me on Instagram, then you might have a pretty good idea already, but if not, how about a little hint?... the quilt top is the smallest of all three quilts that I have been working on, and it's the one I started last!?!... dromroll, please for my Scrappy Windmill quilt top!

The fact that I had decided to make a baby quilt, which was smaller than the orginal version, really helped things come together so quickly. (wow, can you believe that I actually decided to make a quilt smaller instead of making it bigger?!?) The paper piecing seemd to whiz by, not to mention that I had already gotten a lot finished before I left for vacation. What actually felt like it took the longest was peeling all those papers out of the back once it was all put together! NOTE: this is the point where I discovered the BIG downside of paper piecing.

On my Facing East quilt I just charged through without completely reading through the part of the directions that said to leave the paper in until the blocks are sewn together... it was only first on this pattern that I realized that little, but important detail! On one hand, I understand that leaving the paper in helps keep the shape of the block together nicely without stretching the design, but I have to say, that peeling the papers out of the seams was just downright UNPLEASANT!

I had actually tried peeling the paper away from the outside edges of the blocks before stitching them together, but this was also not the best solution. I did notice a slight difference, and I probably could have pulled it off, but decided to stick with the "if it's not broke, then don't fix it" rule. I also tried shortening the stitch length, but from my opnion, it didn't exactly make a world of difference with the paper removal either. Hmmm... definitely some things to think about before jumping into another paper piecing project!

Size: Finished quilt top size approx. 50 x 60 inches (ca. 125 x 150 cm)
Fabrics: Kona Cotton White, Lizzy House, Heather Ross, and other various scraps
Backing: Planned pieced backing with bright prints, waiting for batting
Pattern: Scrappy Windmills by Judith Dahmen as featured in Issue 10 of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine

They say that hindsight is twenty-twenty... do you have any "the picture is clearer" after-the-fact stories to share?

 Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday, Let's Bee Social, and Scraptastic Tuesday.

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Progress

Before I left I was actually able to make a good amount of progress on my Scrappy Windmill quilt and am debating back and forth on whether I should make a smaller version for a baby quilt. It's actually not because I've lost steam, but becasue I think that with so many fun and sweet prints that this would be adorable wrapped on some snuggly, little bundle of joy. I had also thought that this would be a fun "I spy" quilt... can't you just imagine being tucked in with a cute toddler searching together for cats, strawberries, foxes, trees, glasses, crickets, clothespins, frogs, cameras, tiny mice on bikes, snails, tea cups, hedgehogs, birds, and more?

I've still not decided if I will keep the brown blocks in or not, but because I had them made up, I kept them in for the photo. I'll of course need to add a few more blocks even for a baby size quilt... what do you think? With enlarging my currents WIP's it might also be nice to finish something a little smaller instead. Speaking of my other WIP's... remember that little stack of snippits I had? Well, take a look at them now:

As crazy as it might sound, I actually liked working on three different projects at a time. What about you, do you work on multiple projects at once or do you stick to one thing at a time?

Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday, Let's Bee Social, and Scraptastic Tuesday

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Still Stackin' & a WIP

When I was pregnant with my oldest son I found that I would crave very specific things at very specific times. At one point I had such a craving for sushi that I thought I would loose it, come completely unglued, and have a serious emotional meltdown if I did not get my hands on a little sampling of these delectable delicacies. The challenge was, of course, to find a way to satisfy my craving without eating the highly forbidden raw fish.... and somehow ordering the cooked versions of my favorites did it! While I realize that having a few favorite Heather Ross designs printed from Spoonflower perhaps is not exactly like having the original, I knew that it would definitely satisfy my craving.

There are two fabric designers that have been at the top of my favorites list for years now: Heather Ross and Lizzy House. I know that there might be a lot of bandwagon people out there, jumping on the latest trend that drives by, but I assure you, I am not one of them. I have been googling and drooling over Heather Ross fabrics for years, but somehow, there was never really the chance for me to score some yardage of her highly coveted fabrics. 

With prints that are this sweet, how could I not add a few snippits to my Scrappy Windmill quilt...

So, who is that one designer whose fabrics always make you drool?

Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday & Let's Bee Social

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Scrappy Windmill WIP

First there was one... and one became two. Two became four, and then things slowly started to come together...

Color experts, where are you?... I really need your help!

I've been debating back and forth whether I should continue my Scrappy Windmill quilt with some of my dark brown snippits or not. Somehow when I look at the individual blocks, it feels like it is too dominant and takes away from the fresh and juicy feeling that I am going for since I am using lots of greens, pinks (of course), oranges, and yellows.

For the second photo I took the dark blocks out to compare. Does the quilt need the dark contrast to make the other colors pop, or does it look brighter and fresher without them? Any thoughts?

I really am using several of my all time favorite scraps that I had so much fun rediscovering when I did my major scrap sorting earlier this month. 

As silly as it may sound, pulling some of them out again was like running into old friends that I hadn't seen in a long time... and I thought, oh, I remember you... it's so nice to see you again... where have you been hiding all this time?!?

Are there any seasoned paper-piecers out there too?... I'm a little unsure as to whether you really have to leave the paper in the blocks until the rows are sewn together? I had a big "oops" moment when I realized after reading through the pattern directions that you are actually supposed to leave the paper in...  I didn't do this with my Facing East blocks, but so far so good.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday.

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