Looking back, looking ahead

My biggest accomplishment in 2011? Well, there were lots of highlights. But the thing that really stands out for me is that I finally figured out how to finish my quilts.

It sounds crazy, I know. But at the beginning of 2011, I was not at all confident in my quilting and binding skills. Piecing was another story—I felt like I had that part pretty much down. But I couldn't free-motion quilt at all. Let's face it, I could barely even manage straight-line quilting. My basting skills left a lot to be desired, and binding? Well, I could do it, but it wouldn't win any awards for fine craftsmanship or anything.

2011 Quilts

Quilts of 2011 

1. Summer Sampler quilt, 2. Supernova quilt, 3. Do. Good Stitches hexy quilt, 4. Modern Meadow quilt, 5. Warm/Cool Quilt, 6. Supernova complete, 7. Mod Times quilt, 8. Wrapped In Hope quilt, 9. Fall Equinox quilt complete, 10. Urban Lattice quilt complete, 11. Cross-Terrain quilt

I made 13 quilts this year. Seriously! 13! My goal for 2011 was to make 12 quilts. Somehow I actually squeaked out an extra one. And it's amazing how much you can learn over the course of making 13 quilts. Free-motion quilting? Check. Machine binding? Check. Basting—especially spray basting? Check check check. Going into 2011, I often sent quilts out to be long-armed, especially the "important" ones. By the end of 2011, I was confident enough to finish one myself that is going to be in a book. Wow.

Other Projects of 2011

Other projects of 2011 

1. ssswap mug rug, 2. AnneMarie's mini quilt, 3. Elizabeth's mini quilt, 4. Lego storage bag/playmat, 5. Strip-pieced zig-zag mug rug, 6. Harlequin pillow, 7. Teacher gifts, 8. Commissioned pillows, 9. MMM swap placemats, 10. Commissioned pillows, 11. DQS10 quilt finished, 12. For Make Mine Modern, 13. Bloom Pillow, 14. Potholders, 15. Mosaic squares shower curtain, 16. Wonky Sun Pillow

Other highlights:
• hosting my own quilt-along (Supernova) and co-hosting another (Summer Sampler Series)
• going to the Sewing Summit and meeting lots of blogging buddies in person
• participating in more bees and swaps than I can count
• making the top five in the Connecting Threads fabric design contest
• hosting WIP Wednesday and watching it grow
• joining the Milwaukee Modern Quilt Guild and making new friends there
• guest-posting on the Fat Quarterly blog
• publishing my first Moda Bake Shop tutorial
• making quilts for charity (one for Margaret's Hope Chest and one via the Do. Good Stitches bee)

How lucky am I that all these amazing things happened to me in one action-packed year?

In fact, looking back at my goals for 2011, there are only a few that I didn't meet. I did not finish my mom's king-size quilt, despite gentle reminders from her. I did not make bed quilts for my daughter or my niece. I did not make Christmas stockings or a tree skirt or finish the Christmas quilt that I started for my family in 2010. Hmmm, are you sensing a theme here?

So that brings me to my goals for 2012:

1. Make things for my family. So many wonderful quilty opportunities came my way in 2011, and I was always so flattered and excited to be asked that I hardly ever said no to anything. As a result, things for the people I love most got shoved way down the list. That's not good. This year, I want to do all of the things listed above that I neglected in 2011. After all, what is this hobby really good for if I can't use it to bring happiness to the people closest to me?

Figgy Pudding fabric that's been waiting for me to turn it into a quilt for a year and a half

2. Make Christmas stockings, a tree skirt, and finish that Christmas quilt. This kind of goes along with #1, but I'm determined to make it happen this year. Pinky swear!

3. Keep saying "no" to things. My goal is to be much more selective about what I say yes to in the coming year. So don't feel bad if I turn you down for a bee, swap, blog hop, guest post, etc. It's not you, it's me. 😂 Isn't it hilarious that last year one of my goals was to do more bees and swaps, and this year one of my goals is to not do so many bees and swaps?

4. Make more non-quilty items, like bags, skirts, etc. Since making a skirt with Anna's sew-along, I've got the bug to do more of this! (Yes, I am still planning to post about the skirt, I just need to get my husband to take a decent picture of me in it.)

My oldest (who's now 5!) in a hat I knit for her way back when

5. Do a little knitting again. Once upon time, I was a knitting fiend. Then quilting came along and stole my heart away. But lately I've had the urge to dig up those knitting needles again. You never truly forget your first love, I guess.

6. Design another fabric collection. I'm hoping to set aside some time in the coming year to make this happen. Both my kids will be in school in the fall (one full-time, the other three mornings a week), so I'm thinking of dedicating that preschool time to fabric design. I've got to do something with myself while my babies are away, right?

Um, yeah, something tells me I won't have a problem filling up my free time. So here's to 2012. Happy new year, my wonderful bloggy friends!

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