2018 - My quilting year in review

It's the last day of 2018 and time to reflect on the year that was.  It's a time of change in our household because my oldest son has just finished his university degree (Bachelor of Software Engineering) and my younger son has just finished High School and is about to start on his University degree - also in Software Engineering, but at a different University.  

I like to review my progress against my goals at the end of each year. Way back in January I blogged about my quilting priorities for 2018 (you can read that list here).  Although I reviewed my progress back in July, I still like to do an annual review and remind myself of what I have finished during the year.

So what was on that list that I created almost 12 months ago?

1. Tropical Hexagons.
I finished this quilt in January and took it along to show Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably at the class I attended in Wellington.  It was great to be able to show them I had finished it and loved it.  You can read more here. 

2.  Southern Stars Challenge for QuiltNSW
I finished my first ever improv quilt and entered into the challenge at the Quilt NSW show in Sydeny, Australia.  I was thrilled to win a Judges Commendation for it.  You can read more here. 

3.  Capital Quilters Exhibition
I started and finished a quilt within seven months! That's speedy for me.  This one was for the Churn Dash challenge at my guild's exhibition.  I won a Judges' Commendation for this quilt too. You can read more here. 

4.  Sue Spargo Instastitch
This quilt is still a WIP.  I did some more quilting on it, but I think I need a bigger machine to reach some of the hard to reach places.  It's quite heavy and bulky to manoeuvre on my domestic machine. 

5. Half Square Triangles

I finished this quilt and called it my Picnic Quilt. It's very scrappy because I won these blocks in a Block of the Month competition at my guild.  You can read more here. 

6. Ballet with Kaffe
There's been next to no progress on Ballet with Kaffe, but I do intend to revive this quilt in 2019. In fact I pulled it out this week to check on progress, and have already sewn a few more pieces into place. 

not the best photo - but it shows where I'm up to

7. Glitter
I've finished piecing all the blocks, and just need to join them all up now. I promised Jen Kingwell this would be finished before October 2019, so I need to get started on the hand quilting as soon as possible. There are 152 blocks in total - so more than are shown in this photo.

8.  Cobwebs

The top is finished, and I've even started hand quilting a few of the blocks.  You can read more here. 

9.  School Prizegiving quilt
Back in December 2017 as I was sitting through my son's school prizegiving and I had a good idea for a quilt.  I've made a small start on it, but it will be a long term project so it's tucked away now.


10 . Kaffe Fassett Green Diamonds
I started Green Diamonds at the Kaffe Fassett class in January 2018.  I've only joined a few of the diamonds together so far. 

11.  Cartwheel quilt

This is a pattern from Quilt Grandeur that I've admired for some time.  I finally got my hands on some Parasols fabric so I just had to have a go at this quilt.  I still need to add the ric rac and join the blocks, but I've finished all the foundation paper piecing. You can read more here. 

12.  There was another Kaffe Fassett quilt on my list, but I've resisted starting that one.  

Then there were the quilts that weren't on my list, but just had to be made:

13.  Lady Wigram

I hand pieced and hand quilted this quilt for my mother in law.  It was a pattern and templates called Bella Ruby from Treehouse Textiles in Melbourne, Australia. You can read more here. 

14. Gnome quilt
I saw the patterns for the gnomes and it was so cute I just had to make it for mum and dad for Christmas. 

15. Batik Bliss
I won these blocks at our Guild's Block of the Month.  They were all square, but I wanted to try a different layout, so cut some smaller and joined them in an improv fashion.  I gave this quilt away to a local charity.  I've decided that I'm going to try and make one quilt a year for charity.  You can read more about Batik Bliss here. 

16.  Good Fortune - The Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.
I've seen people making Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts in the past, and I decided I'd really like to join in this year.  So far we've made a lot of small blocks, but I have no idea how they're going to join together.  All will be revealed in January or February. I'm learning a lot of very useful tips and techniques from Bonnie along the way. 

It feels good to have finished 7 quilts in 2018, and progressed quite a few more.  The majority of my quilts are hand quilted, and that takes time, so 7 finishes feels good to me.

I'll publish my quilting priorities for 2019 early in January.  Some of these quilts will carry forward, but there will also be some new surprises.  

If you've written a review of your quilting in 2018, you'll be able to link up to the next Peacock Party which starts on Friday.  

My quilting priorities for 2018

I'm the type of person who likes lists.  When I write a "to do" list it keeps me focused, partly because I love ticking things off when they're done!

Here's some of what I hope to achieve with my quilting in 2018:

1. Kaffe Fasset Tropical Hexagons

Yes, top of my list is my Kaffe Fassett quilt from Kaffe's class in Wellington in January 2016.  I'm almost finished the hand quilting, and would love to have the binding on before Kaffe and Brandon return to Wellington on 28 January.


2.  Southern Stars Challenge for QuiltNSW

(No photo of my quilt because it's a secret!)

I've pieced two thirds of the top, so I just need to finish the piecing and then hand quilt it.  This is a small quilt because the challenge has a size limit.  Entries close on 12 March 2018.

3.  Capital Quilters Exhibition

Our guild is having an exhibition on 10 August 2018.  I would like to enter something new so I've started piecing something on the quiet.  Again, no photo because it's a secret.

4.  Sue Spargo Instastitch

I've started machine quilting this quilt myself.  I just need to decide when enough is enough, and add the binding.


5. Half Square Triangles

Not the best photo, but it shows that I've added more rows since last time

These are the blocks I won in our guild's Block of the Month.  This quilt is basted now and I want to hand quilt it with red thread.


6. Ballet with Kaffe

I picked this up again last week.  It's months since I worked on it, but I'm determined to make progress on it this year.  I've got lots of fabrics set aside for it and I want to reintegrate those fabrics back into my stash if I'm not going to need them for this quilt.

I actually think this quilt is more complex than la passacaglia! Just as well I did the "easy" one first.

7. Glitter

I love the colours in my Glitter quilt, and can't wait until it's on my bed.  Unfortunately progress is slow because I'm hand piecing it.


8.  Cobwebs

Chris Kenna's quilt hanging in the background

I love this quilt too, but again it's labour intensive because it's Foundation Paper Pieced.  I have to decide on my approach for the background stars.  It's all set aside and ready to tackle when the mood strikes.


9.  School Prizegiving quilt

Back in December I was sitting through my son's school prizegiving and I had a good idea for a quilt.  I've made a small start on it, but it will be a long term project so it's tucked away now.


10 - 12.  Kaffe quilts x 3

Yes, there are three Kaffe quilts I'd like to make if I get time (ha ha!).  Green Diamonds will be started at the class on 28 January.  I think most of the cutting out will be done at the class, so I'll just need to sew it up.

I've also been admiring another quilt from Quilts in Ireland, and one from Quilt Grandeur.  I have a huge Kaffe stash now after I bought a lot of pieces off my friend, Anne.  So I certainly have the supplies to make these quilts - I just need the time.


So - that's 2018 planned out.  I wonder how many I can achieve from this list.  I'm certainly hoping for six.  That would make me very happy.