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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Swell Quilt Finish!

It really was no exaggeration, by any means, when I said that taking photos of quilts in Germany in the fall and winter months is like waiting for the sun, moon, and stars to all come into perfect alignment before the lighting is just right. Of course everyone at some point has suffered a touch of the blues when the warm, beautiful, and care free seasons begin to fade into the colder and greyer ones, but Northern German weather is a beast all of it's own! While there are no claims of perfect celestial alignment, there was enough (and I mean just barely enough) daylight to snap a few finish photos of my long-time-in-the-making Swell quilt!

Since this quilt had grown so enormously huge, I had grown so weary in pushing through, and that technically this is only my second quilt, I decided to keep the quilting quite simple (not to mention my comfort level, or should I say lack thereof, when it comes to free motion qulting) I essentially followed the natural lines of the blocks, and quilted diagonally through the white blocks, and again through the center of the colorful pluses.

There was quite a good bit of back and forth with my husband when it came to how I would finish the back of the quilt. Since he couldn't really grasp the concept of a pieced backing, he prefered the option of a single fabric solid backing. But since I didn't want a big seam line running down the middle of the back, which he argued didn't matter because it's the back, right?, I wanted to make good use of my leftover scraps and not eat up so much of my beloved Basic Grey grunge fabric... it's much more interesting than a solid, don't you think?

Looking back, I learned a lot after having finished this quilt... after the fact there are several things that I might have opted to do differently, but despite all those little this's and that's, I'm really happy to have finished this one. So, in case you've not been along for the whole ride since I started this quilt, here are the specifics:

Quilt pattern: "Swell" from Camille Roskelley's Simply Retro book.
Started: February 2014
Fabrics: Kona Cotton white and selected fabrics from Amy Butler fabric collections: Alchemy, Cameo, Soul Blossoms, and Love.
Finished quilt size: 83 x 91 in. (210 x 230 cm)
Backing: Basic Grey grunge - aqua, Amy Butler Memoir - pacific, Kona Cotton white, various Amy Butler scraps
Thread: Aurifil cotton 50 wt white
Binding: Kona Cotton, Copen

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

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Puppy Love Quilting

When it comes to quilting projects, sometimes I feel like a fickle, first grader... sending silly love notes like: I like you. Do you like me? Check yes or no. Some days I check "yes", swooning over colors, fabric choices, and patterns. Other days, I check "no" and ask myself "what was I thinking? why did I pick that? and when will I ever get this frazzlin' thing done?!? I assume that I am not the only on who experiences the very Jekyll and Hyde-like mood swings that come with working on a long term quilting project.

While I am not about to spout sonnets of adoration for my Swell quilt, I am rediscovering a new found fondness that I had somehow lost along the very long way... especially since it's under the machine now! Since I opted for a pieced back, it once again added more time to the end being in sight, but as I am beginning to discover about myself, it would seem that I cannot do it any other way. 

By the time I got this quilt basted and under the machine, it was a good reminder of just how massive it has grown to be! Since I am straight line quilting, and my experience with erasable quilting markers has not been favorable, I decided to use painters tape. I notice a slight difference in the tape that I found here as opposed to what I know from being in the US, but it appears to be working quite nicely so far.

Are you a fickle, fall in love quickly with a quilt that you are working on type, only to find out that you fall out of love just as quickly if the project goes on for too long?

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

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Swell Quilt Top Finish!

I guess when it comes to quilting I'm a debater... are you too? I'm almost always back and forth about some issue, putting projects on hold until I figure out my dilemma, and picking them back up again when it feels right. With that being said, it should be no surprise that this quilt top finish is certainly no exception. 

Just a few stats to bring you up to speed:

Quilt pattern: Camille Roskelley's "Swell" from her Simply Retro book.
Started: February 2014
Fabrics: Various Amy Butler collections and Kona Cotton white
Quilt top: FINISHED! (if I could figure out a way to make trumpets sound at this point, I would. Please imagine them now.)
Current Status: Working on backing, then once basted, under the machine for quilting!
Issues: Completed listed size (63 x 75), but after much debate decided to make larger. Initially indecisive about whether to put border as shown in original quilt. Decided to leave the border off and extend the design.
Finished quilt top size: 83 x 91 in. (210 x 230 cm)

NOTE: When my 6'5" (195 cm) husband had to stand on a kids chair for this photo, and it still drug the ground... made me realize just how huge this baby has grown to be! (I have to admit I’m a little worried about getting  this thing  though my normal sewing machine to quilt). I am planning very simple quilting on this one, which will hopefully make this happen quickly.

Are you dragging your feet this week on a project? Having any size dilemmas? Any particular quilting issues?

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

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Not Quite My "Tah-Dah" Moment

I read a post this past week with tips for bloggers suggesting a few do's and don't's for what readers are looking for (or not looking for) when they visit sewing/quilting blogs. The tip that will always provide the biggest challenge for me is to keep text/content short. For a long-winded gal like me, who actually considers this my personal online journal that others just happen to be able to peek in and read, I don't seem to know any other way to do it. 

Another suggestion is that readers like to see progress.... not only pretty stacks of fabrics or one WIP after the other... but results. According to her feedback, most people like to see the process rather than just the tah-dah moment. So, with that being said and the middle of the year drawing close, I thought it would be appropriate to give a status update on my two quilts in progress:

Camille Roskelley quilt pattern, "Swell" from Simply Retro (shown only in part until final reveal)

Started: February 2014
Fabrics: Various Amy Butler collections and Kona Cotton white
Current Status: Pieced top completed except for border
Issues: Completed listed size and decided to make larger. Indecisive about whether to put border as shown in original quilt or continue design and make larger?

Carolyn Freidlander quilt pattern, "Facing East" from Savor Each Stitch (finished blocks for a lap quilt size)

Started: January 2015
Fabrics: Various low volume backgrounds, Basic Grey grunges, and Anna Maria Horner, Amy Butler, and various additional prints.
Issues: Completed lap size, but indecisive about making it biggger. Quilting concerns about how to quilt as a new quilter - quilt as you go or have it professionally quilted?

I guess I kind of view quilting as a race for a long distance runner. So far I have been a short distance sprinter, and am having to train for a whole new kind of race... one where I will need to increase my stamina and focus. I've wanted to just stop the race now and finish my two quilts as they are, but my husband (who is 6' 5", 195 cm and actually needs a long quilt) and my quilting friend have been rooting me on from the sidelines to push myself further and go the extra mile. 

Does quilting ever seem like a long distance race to you? Do you get discouraged when you have such set backs? (i.e. thinking you are almost done with a quilt and then realizing you need to make it bigger)

Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday.

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