Tags
9-patch, Daystars, Java Jive, kanzashi, longarm quilting, machine quilting, Mom, place mats, quilting, Spirographology, Spring Fling, topsy turvy nine patches, UFO. WIP, Year in Review
First finished project of 2012: Spud Ball (for my friends’ cats who are known, collectively, as “the Spuds.”
While I feel I’ve stretched myself creatively in 2012, I don’t think I was as prolific as I wanted to be.
I started out in January with the aim of completing 12 projects in 2012. I had envisioned them as quilts of various sizes, thinking that since I have about 20 tops, I could definitely get one quilted every month.
Obviously, that didn’t happen. My first finish of the year was a puzzle ball from Jinny Beyer‘s book: Patchwork Puzzle Balls. I’ve made a few of these over the years including several with folded flowers incorporated.
I thought this pattern was released, but I can’t find it on her web site.
My next two projects the Turtle Cosmetic Bag and some block’s testing the EvaPaige Quilt Designs Wheels Block.
That was January, so I figured I’d easily complete 12 projects…
No stress for February, and I didn’t get any projects completed, so I made a push to work in March, and got two actual quilts completed: one on the long arm and one on the DSM.
The first quilt I ever started: RequiesCAT
RequiesCAT was a quilt I started in the mid-1980s. I had wanted a Double Wedding Ring with a dark background because, at that time, I had a black cat and I thought having a light background and 30/40s fabric would show too much cat hair. (The full title of the quilt is actually “Requiescat in Pace, Pyewacket.”)
March was also the month I learned how to use the long-arm. My friends, Cricket and Jeff have a Gammill in their basement, and I was able to use the pattern boards to complete Topsy Turvy Nine Patches.
Java Jive was another long-arm quilted quilt. I used a paper pantograph for the first time and it was not as easy as the pattern boards. I also had problems choosing thread that wouldn’t show in one area and disappear in another. It’s not something I thought about because on a Domestic Sewing Machine (DSM), I usually quilt block by block.
I turned practice machine quilting samples into these pillows.
As you can see, up to July, I was on track, but August I was feeling the pinch and trotted out a couple of “almost finished” projects that were not actual quilts so I could “keep up.”
The other July finish was Kris’ Tea Cosy. I still love mine and I hope Kris loves hers as well.
September and October were months that passed without finishes. I was too busy being excited with Daystars and Oldies to move from my piecing machine to my quilting machine.
One of six place mats I made for my family
I did finish Spring Fling in November before my Dad got sick. I also completed all six place mats, but, alas, my Dad did not get to use one. I was trying to get at least one done in time, but that just didn’t happen.
So, unless you count each pillow and each place mat, I really didn’t feel as if I met the “12 in 2012 Challenge from the mailing list.
Tiny knitted mouse for my friend, Cricket.
Of course, I did other projects, including the kanzashi pins, and some tiny knitted projects (two of which were mice.
I also made a Kindle cover for the Kindle my Dad used (and which is now mine.) It’s nothing fancy and uses pre-quilted material.
So, maybe I won’t push myself to do “A Baker’s Dozen in 2013.” I think I’m happiest when my quilting goal is merely “to finish more projects than I start.”
Have a great New Year’s everyone!
Kickin’ Stash pattern is mentioned on http://evapaigequiltdesigns.blogspot.com/p/pattern-photos.html but I don’t know how you actually order it.
Hi Jenny! I thought she had finished it and published it, but I couldn’t find it on her site either. I did find a link (incorrectly formatted, but I fixed it) at: http://patternspot.com/patterns/quilt-patterns/2070-kickin-stash I hope that works!