Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Happy New Year! I wasn't going to do a year-end post this year. Our holiday celebration really ramped up in the last few days, and now I'm feeling lazy today. But it's nice to have a recap of my year's worth of quilts all in one place, so here goes. I did this as a trunk show last year. This year I'm going to link up to Cheryl's Best of 2017 party at Meadow Mist Designs, but I'm also going to add my other finishes and a couple of unfinished items that I was going to link up to Tish's Adventures in Wonderland's Quilty Confessions party (sadly, that ship has sailed). 
                                              

First, the numbers: I finished 6 throw size or larger quilts (4 for donation and 2 for gifts), 4 wall hanging size quilts (all for me!), 9 blocks for community-made quilts, and 4 other items that relate to quilting, or at least sewing (a heating pad, a crossbody bag, a mug rug and a blouse.) I also made some Christmas ornaments--not really quilting, but they were fun handwork. Maybe I'll share them in a separate post or on Instagram

So, first the top five quilt posts according to number of views. (Frankly, I was surprised by which ones got the most views. I think it partly depends on what and how many parties I linked to, but it is a way to pick five after dithering over what and how to share.) The link for each is in the listing.

1. Fall Maple Quilt--Seasonal Mash-up Post

This is a pattern by Ruth B. McDowell from her book Piecing Workshop. I started it in August 2015 and then hand quilted it--mostly during vacations. I finally finished it in February 2017. I was surprised that it was my top quilt post (1034 views) because it's not an original quilt--except for the fabric choices. 

2. K's Quilt

My daughter asked me to make this quilt for a friend of hers who had just been diagnosed with cancer and was anticipating chemotherapy. It was definitely one of those urgent Drop Everything and Make It (DrEAMi) projects that Sandra at mmm!quilts invites us to share each month. The pattern is a variation of All in a Row by Leni Levenson Wiener. (967 views)

3, Hexie Finish

This is a donation quilt I made for one of my favorite organizations: Margaret's Hope Chest. It was donated to the Mother and Baby Program at Pine Rest Hospital to serve as a hug around a mother during therapy for perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. The most enjoyable aspects of making this quilt were sewing those giant hexies by machine and doing the wavy walking foot quilting. (943 views)

4. Tree Quilt

This "top five" was another surprise for me because I didn't post it until November 22. But it is a holiday--or at least a winter--quilt, so that probably made it a timely view. It is now hanging on my front door. It was one of a fair number of squirrels for me this year. I had a great time using some ancient scraps and doing dense FMQ to give it texture. (744 views)

My last of the top five is actually two posts, each with 652 views. 
5a. Homes 

These are blocks I made for the Montreal Modern Quilt Guild to make quilts for the families of victims of an attack on a Quebec City mosque in Canada. They represent a response to one of what turned out to be many disasters this year--either through violence or natural causes. There have been way too many opportunities for quilters to come together to ease the burdens of people who have been victims, but it is heartwarming that quilters do work in community even though we live far from and are usually strangers to each other.

5b. The Grunge Quilt

This was another large squirrel, as I decided to make it less than 3 weeks before the 40th wedding anniversary of my brother and sister-in-law. It was not without its challenges, but I did get it done on time. Strange name for an anniversary quilt, but that is all Grunge fabric.

Now that I look at these top fives, I see that they are representational of the work I do: quilts for donation to people with health issues or victims of disasters or violence, blocks for community-made quilts, gifts and little indulges for myself. Big quilts, little quilts, FMQ and hand quilting. So yeah, these make a lot of sense. 

There's one quilt I just have to share because it was one of my favorites. The finish post for it is next in line of my top views (627), It's Deconstructed Coins, an improv quilt I made to challenge myself to make a quilt without planning it all out ahead of time. I made it in conjunction with a challenge from Kaja and Ann of Ad Hoc Improv Quilters. It was a true joy to make, even if I blogged about it ad nauseum while I was making it. It was the quilt that I learned the most from this year and confirmed once again that it is the process that is most meaningful to me in quilt making.

Now for the trunk show of the rest of 2017. I made two other "big" quilts, both for donation: Quilt for Vegas made from Grayscale and Heart blocks from Cluck Cluck Sew and Quilt for California, a variation of Falling Triangles by Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Two more door quilts: Painted Daisy (a pattern in Pieced Flowers by Ruth B. McDowell) and Autumn Abundance (from a pattern by Soma of Whims and Fancies with my own borders). The autumn quilt was started last year before I broke my shoulder, and finished (triumphantly) while I was recovering.

I made 6 other blocks for donation to community quilts: Hexies for Manchester (to be made into a quilt for victims of a terrorist attack in Manchester, England) and Puppy blocks here and here (Lorna's Dog Gone Cute from Sew Fresh Quilts) for Kaholly to make into quilted items to raise money for and honor pet rescuers in Hurricane Harvey.

Finally, my other projects: a heating pad, crossbody bag for my granddaughter, mug rug, and (not quilting, but sewing related in a sew-along with Bernie of Needle and Foot) a blouse. I like the blouse, but not on me. I've only worn it twice, so it's destined to become part of a quilt.

So what's next?
I have 2 UFOs. Yes, only 2. Really, they are just long-term WIPs. I tend to finish things up, Boring, I know, but that's the way it is. I have my Lake Michigan quilt which I've been working on forever. The top is done and quilted, but I have to add hand embroidery.

Sorry, dark picture.

The other is my Hollyhocks quilt (another pattern by Ruth B.Mc Dowell in Pieced Flowers). I'm working on the hand quilting. 

These are both long-term, quilt-in-the-evening-or-on-vacation projects, so it will be awhile before they are finished.

I have lots of projects in-process in my mind. I have fabric set aside for some. My daughter is collecting fabrics for another. So we'll just see where the new year takes us. And that's my plan for 2018.

If there are any attribution links I've missed in this post, you'll be able to find them in the original posts. Okay, here's the link to Cheryl's party again, 'cause the link is way up at the top.

Have a great 2018 quilting year, everybody!