2023 - My quilting year in review

Well, it's almost the end of 2023 and it's time to look back at what I've achieved this year.  

My biggest achievement this year was my 5 week trip to Europe.  I loved every moment of it, but it did mean that I didn't make as many quilts as usual.  

That's OK because my goals for 2023 were to:

• finish what I'd already started

• use what I already had

I think I did quite well on both of those goals. Here's what I made in 2023.

1.  Good Fortune - Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt from 2018

2.  Kaffe Fassett Hand Quilted Sampler

3.  Dear John - Jen Kingwell's Dear Jen

4.  A baby quilt

5. Pretty in Pink

6. Spooky Darlings

7. Club Tropicana

Four of these quilts were started prior to 2023 so they fit the goal of finishing what I had already started.  

The three new quilts were all made from fabrics that I already had on hand so they meet my other goal of using what I already had. 

I can't promise I'll be so frugal in 2024!

I also finished three more quilt tops in 2023 and I will show them again when they are finished in 2024.  They are Licorice Allsorts, Don't Leaf Me and a mystery one. 

Licorice Allsorts - pattern by Wendy Williams

Don't Leaf Me - pattern by Wendy Williams

My Summer in Tekapo bags were also an important part of 2023.

It feels funny to be signing off without opening the Peacock Party, but as I said last week, I've decided to retire the Peacock Party of five years of hosting.  Thank you for all your kind messages and understanding. 

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year too.  I'll be back in January. 

30 June 2023 check in

Wow! We're half way through the year already.  And that means that it's time to check in on my goals for 2023.  

This year, in a departure from previous years, I didn't write a list of quilts I wanted to make.

Instead my goals were:

• to finish what I've already started
• to use what I already have

So it's time to see how that's worked out so far. 

Hand Quilted Sampler - started in 2018 and finally finished in 2023

Dear John - I admitted defeat on the Dear Jen quilt a long and turned my blocks into a mini quilt. 

Baby quilt for a family member - a pretty quilt all made from my stash. 

Club Tropicana for a family member - all made from my stash

Good Fortune - started in 2018 and finally finished in 2023

Licorice Allsorts top is finished, basted, and ready for hand quilting. This was a Block of the Month from Material Obsession and was designed by Wendy Williams. 

My train case took far longer than it should have, but it's finished, and I'm proud of it. I might even take it on a train when I head away on holiday soon. 

So that's five quilts finished in the first half of 2023.  That's pretty good progress for me.  I have started another two quilts in 2023, but they're just waiting for more inspiration at the moment.  

Oh! I received so many comments about mystery quilts on my last blog post.  I should have listened to all the voices of experience, but I think it's possibly something you have learn the hard way. You might think it's going to be fun, but it turns in to hard work when the quilt deviates down a path you weren't expecting. 

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

2023 - Happy New Year

Hello, and Happy New Year to all my friends and followers.  

I'm just back from five nights in Sydney, Australia and I feel refreshed and re-energized. It was great to dust off my passport and travel internationally again.  Sydney was vibrant and busy and I loved it. 

Thank you for all the kind comments on my 2022 Christmas Countdown.  I enjoyed taking you through all my Christmas makes.  Maybe I'll do it again in five years time when I've got some new things to show you.  

Now it's time to think about 2023.  Normally I'd write lists of my quilting and embroidery priorities for the year ahead, but I'm going to change things up this year.  I'm going to focus on two key themes:

• finish what I've already started
• use what I already have

That may sound a bit boring to those of you who come here for inspiration, but I can promise you that I've got some beautiful things half finished in my spare room.  And even more lovely things that I haven't even started yet.  In 2023 it's time to buckle down and use what I've already got.  

First up I intend to make some summer dresses.  In Kaffe Fassett fabrics of course. I ordered these beauties some months ago but it's hard to get motivated when the weather is cold. The first one just needs hemming and then I'll be able to show you.  

And in the evenings I'll be working on my cross stitch.  I've joined a couple of mystery Stitch A Longs (SALs) this year.  I can't show you the patterns or I'll be kicked out of the groups, but I am excited about them.  Mum gave me a set of 3 lovely pear designs for Christmas and I've finished the embroidery for the first one already. 

I'm hoping to finish a few quilts in 2023 because I've got quite a few half made already! Plus plenty of new patterns I want to try out.  

I've also got quite a few teaching weekends booked already. so I'm going to be busy in 2023.  

But never fear, I'll still have plenty to show you each week.  Thank you for continuing to visit my blog, and best wishes for the year ahead.  

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