2018 – Year in Review

Hi, friends!

I’m excited about this post!  I’ve been waiting to do it and I want to do it right.  I’m going to go through each month and have a look at what I was doing, what I made and all the goings on.  At the very end there is a list of all the books I read (this was requested).  We will do goals in January.  Things are too swamped right now to even write those down.

I do want to take a minute and tell you, my lovely readers, how much you mean to me, how much I adore you, and thank you from the deep depths of my heart.

 

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January

Looks like in January I only finished one quilt, this Tiny Patch memory quilt made with clothing of somebody’s loved one.  Here’s the post about it.

I was still working on the Bari J quilt along at this time and loving it.  We were about to make ALL THOSE DRESDENS.  I also wrote a post about quilt police which even to this day, as in just yesterday, I’ve had a run in with.  We were also gearing up to begin the Morning Song quilt along.

On a personal note, I was still dealing with the death of my grandmother.

 

February

Looks like I finished two quilts in February:  my first Good Girl quilt and a Twirling Maple quilt.  We talked about WIPS, quilty hashtags, favorite batting, and how to sew up quilt labels.  I also began the Modern Sewcialites BOM, a quilt I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t able to keep up with, even though I was ridiculously obsessed with my very first block of it.

 

 

On a personal note, my husband and I took a trip to Biloxi.

 

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March

In March, looks like I just completed a Dresden quilt, my fifth version.  I remember it vividly, all bright and bold colors.

I also chatted about chain piecing, hand stitching, hand applique, and shopping my stash.

I completed my Anthologie quilt as well, but don’t get around to showing you that until April.  I also released my Good Girl quilt pattern.

We went to South Carolina to help my step daughter out while she had eye surgery and I also met one of my quilty besties, Lara.  We took pictures of our Anthologie quilts together.

 

 

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Custom Quilt Labels

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Shop Custom Quilt Labels

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April

I discussed my Anthologie quilt here.  I also chatted about my Indigo + Aster quilt, my second Little Miss Sawtooth quilt, and my first Coin quilt and my second.

 

May

In May I worked on Rescue quilts and finished one old and remade it into my Landslide quilt.  This is a quilt I gifted my son who also graduated high school during this month.

I chatted about the Kingfisher Stitch along, threads, and fabric flowers.  I also finished my second Good Girl quilt that was gifted to a nephew and bride of my husband.

 

 

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June

In June I finished my second Landslide quilt and released the pattern for it.  I finished my seventh Hand Cut Heart quilt, talked more about hand sewing threads, released a photography guide, did a tutorial on squaring up blocks, finished another Rescue quilt, released my big thread article that opened many doors for me, and announced the I am Enough quilt along.  I also did a yarn tying tutorial video.

Pretty full month in June!

I remember also being quite obsessed making hexie flowers and learning the ins and outs of all things EPP.

 

 

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July

At the end of July I announced my collaboration with Coats and Clark in our Star Dance quilt along.  This was a pretty fun month with all this going on behind the scenes!

I was also my turn on the Kingfisher blog hop, I rounded up my favorite CreativeBug classes, was sent fabric from THE Sharon Holland, finished a Hexagon quilt, finished another rescue quilt this time my great grandmother’s, and chatted to you my thoughts on needles.

My husband went to Las Vegas with my sister in law (his favorite place on earth), where I got to go to the spa and drink Rose’ all the live long day.

 

 

August

August was all about the Star Dance quilt along for me.  It was definitely too much fun and I made so many new friends because of it.  I also became obsessed with Quilt+ thread for quilting and now use it religiously.  Here’s the post of the finished quilt.

I also made my third Little Miss Sawtooth quilt, and spent all my free time getting all the I am Enough quilt along patterns ready.  My friend, Kathy, helping constantly!

We traveled to Scotland towards the end of the month and I went on my dream vacation that I have wanted for a very, very long time.

 

 

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My Quilt Patterns

      

Shop All Patterns Here

 

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September

In September, I finished the Morning Song quilt along, and released it’s pattern.  I made a third Good Girl quilt, made my own starch, talked endlessly about embroidery, finished my first Carolina Mingle quilt, and started the I am Enough quilt along.

We returned from Scotland in the first few days of this month and I remember feeling like I needed a vacation from my vacation.

 

 

October

I worked on my sixth Dresden plate quilt during October.  I also finished a Basketweave quilt, chatting about stash storage, finished my fourth Little Miss quilt, did a post for Coats about their new embroidery kits, finished my Marcelle Medallion, and chatted about why you should be on Instagram.

I also released my Carolina Mingle quilt pattern.

We also helped my step daughter move in her new apartment and bought my daughter a new car since someone had hit her and totalled her old one.

 

 

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November

In November I finished my second Carolina Mingle quilt and gifted it to my mother for Christmas.  I also asked you, my readers, for help gathering blocks for someone in need, chatted about Craftsy classes, showed you my finished sixth Dresden quilt while talking about raw edge applique, and then taught you my new method just for that.

 

 

For the first time in my life there was no Grandma to go visit on Thanksgiving.  Instead, I had Thanksgiving dinner at home with my own little family and played a game called Speak Out or something like that.  It was not a flattering to look at game, but we had a good time.

 

December

This month I updated you on the charity quilt that you helped me with here.  I should be receiving it back any day now and I’m excited for that.

I finished my seventh Dresden plate quilt and finished a Trip Around the World quilt.  I also finished another Little Miss quilt, but haven’t gotten to show you that yet.  Next month, I promise.

It’s been a busy month and I’m anxious to take things a bit slower in January.

 

Books Read in 2018

• Villette by Charlotte Bronte – Couldn’t finish it, but mostly got through.  It was a tough one.
• Calypso by David Sedaris – Oh my gah!  This was hysterical.
• Re-read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Somehow I love it even more than I did all the other times I’ve read it.
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris – Every bit as funny as the first book I read by this author!
• Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Annie barrows
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – So GOOD!!
• Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt – This was deeply moving to me.  I loved every minute of it.
• Behind Closed Doors by B.A Paris – Meh…
• How to Stop Time by Matt Haig – Very good.  Until the end.  I’m more of a needing the ending to fit the rest of the book kinda girl.
• Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman – Funny!  Such a grumpy and set in her ways, but things can change.  I loved this one as much as I loved Ove.
• Currently reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – Will hands down by the best book I’ve read all year.

If you haven’t had a look at my list of books I’d like to get and books I’m willing to trade, please have a look here, you can view the list in my HIGHlights.  I’ll keep this updated.