2021 - My quilting year in review

It's 31 December, so time for my end of year wrap up.  At the end of each year I like to look back on the goals I set myself at the start of the year.  

2021 finishes

My priorities for 2021 were:

1a, 1b, 1 c, 1d and e... Millefiori Quilts

I've done quite well on that goal.  My Raindrops are Falling on my Head quilt is just finished, and I'll blog about it soon. I've called this quilt Bollywood. You can see it in the background on this photo.

I also finished Dancing Cheek to Cheek, Bont en Blauw, and Fiesta Gitana - all from Millefiori Quilts 4.

Trans-Tasman Bubbles (Dancing Cheek to Cheek)

Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Bont en Blauw)

2. Topsy by Sheila Christensen

Finished, and gifted to our son for his 21st. I called this quilt Mirage and you can read about it here. 

Mirage

3. Cross Country by Anna Maria Horner

Finished and now called Material Girl.  You can read about it here. 

Material Girl

4. Ballet with Kaffe Fassett

I finished my Ballet with Kaffe Fassett quilt in February 2021 and it hung in the Aotearoa Great New Zealand Quilt Show in Rotorua in May.  I've called my version "Fireworks". I love this quilt.  It took three years to finish, but the time spent getting it right was well worth it. You can read more about it here.

Fireworks

5. Neptune and the Mermaid by Wendy Whellum

This one is so close to finished.  I had to stop hand quilting it when my finger flared up in August, and I haven't got back to this since, but maybe it could be my first finish of 2022. My last blog post about this quilt was in April 2021 and you can read it here. It looks a lot better than this in real life!

Neptune and the Mermaid

6. Prize giving quilt

This one is still languishing in a box.  I think about it from time to time, but it hasn't seen any action in 2021.  

7. Smoyg by Yvette Stanton

It's finished! And just back from the framers.  This one will be hanging on the wall as soon as I take down our Christmas decorations.  You can read about my Smoyg here.

8. Pandemic Sampler by Long Dog Samper

Well, just as the Pandemic has dragged on, so has my cross stitch.  I lost a few months when my finger flared up, and I've been very careful with my hands since then.  So progress has been slow.  But I am 85% finished now, and I think I will make a new goal to finish it by Easter 2022.

  

Pandemic Sampler

9. Gingerbread Flower Shop by Victoria Sampler

I haven't made much progress on this one either.  I feel sad because Thea Dueck is retiring and there aren't go to be any more houses in the Gingerbread Village.  When I finish this one it will all be over.  Maybe that's why I'm stalling, because I don't want this lovely journey to end.  

Gingerbread Flower Shop

So that's what was on my list in January 2021.  I think I've done quite well.  

I did start something that wasn't on my list for 2021.  When New Zealand was thrown into a Delta snap lockdown in August 2021, I decided to start the Wendy Williams Tea Party block of the month that had been sitting in my stash for quite some time.  There's still plenty more to do on this one in 2022, but here's how it's looking right now. 

Tea Party block of the month

So, 2021 was a good year for finishes for me.  I got to work on lots of bright, colourful quilts, and I got to share my quilts with others at Rose City Quilters in Palmerston North, and Capital Quilters in Lower Hutt.  I also shared my embroidery with Wellington Embroiderers Guild when I was their guest speaker back in June. 

I'm already forming lists of what I want to work on in 2022, and I'll share that with you next week.  

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

30 June check in

We're half way through the year, so it's time to check on progress against the priorities list I made at the start of 2021. (You can read it here.)

1a, 1b,1c,1d.... were all quilts from Millfiori Quilts 4 by Willyne Hammerstein.  I've done quite well on that front.  

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Not Your Grandmother's Garden

Trans-Tasman Bubbles

Bollywood

2. Topsy by Sheila Christensen.  I just picked it up from my long arm quilter this morning and I'm so pleased with it. My son's 21st birthday is in July and it will be finished and ready to give to him by then. I'll do a full reveal once I've given it to him.  

Topsy

3. Cross Country by Anna Maria Horner.  I finally made a decision and used Kaffe Fassett's Cactus Flower for the large triangles.  I decided to get it quilted by Rayna Clinton too, so I picked it up this morning with Topsy. 

Cross County Quilt

4. Ballet with Kaffe by Willyne Hammerstein.  It's finished, and was in the Great New Zealand Quilt Show in Rotorua.  I really must do a blog post and tell you all about it. 

Fireworks

5. Neptune and the Mermaid by Wendy Whellum. I'm hand quilting this one right now and I'm well past half way.  I should be able to finish it before Christmas, provided I don't get distracted.

Neptune and the Mermaid

That's pretty good progress! Each of the top five quilts on my list is finished or nearly finished.  I'd forgotten what I'd even put on my list, so I'm a bit surprised that I've stayed on track so well, and almost tempted to look at some new quilt options for the second half of 2021.   Did I even say that????

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  What have you been up to this week? Feel free to share a recent blog post below. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

My Quilting Priorities for 2021

It's the start of a new year, so its' time to think about what I'd like to make in 2021.

In the second half of 2020 I rediscovered my love of cross stitch, so I definitely want to include some embroidery projects in my 2021 list.  

Lets start with the exciting new ideas running around in my head:

1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e...... Millefiori Quilts Book 4 by Willyne Hammerstein

There are so many beautiful quilts in Willyne's latest book.  I've purchased the hand piecing templates for six of them!! I'm not going to make six full sized hand pieced quilts, but I do want to have a play with the templates and start to make my own versions of some of these quilts.  

2. Topsy by Sheila Christensen

Sometimes I just need a change and I like to sew something straight forward on my machine.  This year I'd like to make the Topsy pattern by my good friend, Sheila Christensen.  

 

Now for the quilts that I've already started and would like to finish in 2021:

3. Cross Country by Anna Maria Horner

I'm keen to pull this one out and see what still needs to be done.  I'd like to hand quilt it myself with Aurifil 12wt. 

4. Ballet with Kaffe by Willyne Hammerstein

It's all ready for hand quilting.  I just need to start.  And finish.

5. Neptune and the Mermaid by Wendy Whellum

I'm half way through quilting this one, so it should definitely be finished in 2021. 

Just one block

6. Prizegiving Quilt

This is an oldie that's been hanging around for a few years now.  I've never shown a full picture because I might enter it into an exhibition.  

Now I'm going to add a few embroidery projects that I'd like to finish in 2021.

7. Smoyg by Yvette Stanton

This has been on the go for a while.  I picked it up again recently and discovered there's really not much more required to finish all the stitching. This is Norwegian pattern darning - not cross stitch.  

8. Pandemic Sampler by Long Dog Samplers

I'm committed to finishing this one in 2021.  

9. Gingerbread Flower Shop by Victoria Sampler

I've finished the front, one roof panel, and started one side.  I'm about 35% done I think. 

So that's nine things on my list.  As usual, I don't stick with one until it's finished, but rather jump around and do a bit on each of them when I get inspired.  Most of them get finished in the end.  

I think my biggest pledge for 2021 will be to resist starting any mystery quilt alongs or stitch alongs (cross stitch).