Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 Recap and Quilting in 2013

At the end of each year, I like to review what I've made. This year I find myself a bit short when compared to what I accomplished in 2011. In the collage below are the eight quilts completed in 2012.

Top row: Beach Cabanas Among Friends; Circle of Geese; Friendship Medallion (and the bed headboard that says, "It's another beautiful day..."); Disappearing Four-Patch

Bottom row: I Spy; Great Granny Along; and Stairs to Heaven and New Life, the latter two which were donated.

Of the nine UFOs I challenged myself to complete in 2012, disappointingly, only three were finished (Circle of Geese; Friendship Medallion; Disappearing Four-Patch). 

As far as "things" go, these are the 11 items I made, fewer than the 17 in 2011. There's a shower curtain; purse; several buntings; a runner; Christmas stockings; bench cover; owl rice bags; and earbud pouches. Oh, and the headboard seen above.

Granted, I spent a lot of time getting ready to move - sorting, purging, donating and selling (including selling a house!) and packing. Then there was moving, shopping for a house and furnishings and... well, all of that took time away from sewing. But I have absolutely no regrets. The whole moving-to-a-new-house thing was a happy, once-in-a-lifetime experience for which I'm extremely grateful. Sewing-wise, let's just say I hope to create more, and finish more UFOs in 2013.

Already in my future, at least for January, I see lots of free motion quilting. After yet again resetting my sewing room, I'm ready to get started.

I'll be quilting with my Pfaff Grand Quilter which hasn't seen the light of day for at least eight months. In the past few months I've been sewing and quilting on my Bernina QE 440, but I've decided I prefer quilting on the Pfaff, without a stitch regulator, and on a machine that has a 9" throat (distance from needle to the body of the machine) to accommodate larger quilts.

I still love my varnished, hollow core doors - a big slippery surface for supporting any size quilt.

Three pin-basted quilts are waiting for my attention. To warm-up, I'm starting with this BQ design by Maple Island Quilts. The top was quick to sew - about a year ago! - using up great hunks of fabric. It has lots of open sections in which I'll try out modern quilting designs from the book "Free Motion Quilting."

BQ will be a good practice piece before I begin quilting my Madrona Road Challenge quilt that must be finished by January 28.

This blog is a great outlet for sharing, while simultaneously creating a chronological diary of my creations and activities. Therefore, this is my last 2012 post which will appear as the final page of my printed, 2012 Flourishing Palms blog book.

Now let's bring in 2013 with joy, and anticipation. Happy new year! Linda

20 comments:

  1. It's great to see everything you made in your recap of 2012. You accomplished so much and all of it lovely. I wish you and your family a wonderful 2013!

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  2. You have grand plans lined up regarding your quilting for the new year! Good for you. But looking back; you really did very well, considering that you've moved house, lived in a temporary house and furnished your new home practically from scratch. I can't wait to see what you'll be able to do in 2013 with no house moves etc. Happy New Year Linda, and thanks for your continuous support, encouragement and friendship. Vreni x

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  3. I'm amazed at all you got down this year Linda. I posted a list last year of UFOs I wanted to work on and I think I finished 6 out of 15. Certainly that wasn't as many as I'd hoped but the list is smaller and that's good. Now that doesn't mean that's all the UFOs I have...not at all. But I have come to realize that I'm not ever going to finish them all so I'm going to pass some on this year. Maybe I can even give away some on my blog. :) blessings, marlene

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  4. I just love your door tables. :) And your 2012 collection of finishes is really fantastic. So.... is a stitch regulator not all it's cracked up to be?

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  5. Considering your non-sewing accomplishments this year, I'd say you've done very well. Love your sewing area set-up!! Happy New Year!

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  6. You sure did do a lot while moving to FL. Love all your quilts.
    Great set up for quilting.

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  7. You got a lot done depiste time spent on moving and all that goes along with it. Love your quilting setup, too. Looks like you will be busy in 2013. Enjoy it!

    Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year to you and your family.

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  8. Linda, how wonderful it is that you did all those beautiful projects during this year of moving! You are amazing, girl, hope your new year is a happy one, filled with twice as much beauty as this one ~
    :-}pokey

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  9. Wow, your 'disappointments' would be my major victories! You made so many beautiful things! (nice to meet you, I come to you through Stitchin By The Lake -- hi neighbor!)

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  10. This was my first visit to your blog and I really enjoyed your post. I think you accomplished a great deal in 2012. Way to go!

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  11. Hello......just hopped over from Stitchin by the Lake. marlene is hosting this and what a great idea it is! Love your blog and was admiring your sewing room setup....very nice.

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  12. Hi, just wanted to pop in and say hello, found you from Stitchin by the Lake. ( how sweet of Marlene to do this for us).
    Wow! you are quite the quilter!
    Love all the things you made.

    I used to live in Fla. many yrs. ago. It's fun to 'visit' others' homes, LOL.

    Tanya

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  13. Oh my goodness, I love the varnished door set up! Why didn't I think of that???

    Hope you don't mind me 'poking' around your blog, Marlene sent me, she said you're friendly, lol!

    Happy New Year!
    Jan

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  14. I was glad to eventually see noted that it's not about quantity.. truly each creation is thing of beauty, and a blessing to the one for whom it is created... I live in Florida, too, and Christmas is just wrapped up differently here, than in other parts of the country... glad you're settling in, and enjoying...

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  15. Stopped by via "Stitchin by the Lake". Also love your doors. Are they sitting on saw horses?

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  16. This is so cool. I am stopping here at the invitation on StitchinByTheLake. You know making new friends. She suggested checking out past blogs and the like and that's when the cool part happened. I got to your post of Dec 14 and looked at the picture of your sparsley furnished living room and realized that you were living in The Villages, in a house just like ours. We haven't moved in yet we only come down and visit. We'll be there later this month for a quick visit. I'm hoping to get to the quilt show. Please feel free to contact me.

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  17. You accomplished quite a bit! I love how you have your machine set up with the doors! What a great idea. One I may try to talk my husband into helping me do. :)
    I jumped over here from StitchingBytheLake. Howdy!

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  18. Hi Linda, WOW, you accomplished so much even with moving house. More than me that's for sure.LOL. I had a look at your Madrona Road Challenge- can't wait to see what you come up with.

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  19. Well I for one am disappointed in you...I can't believe this is all you got done! I hope that you realize I am joking with you. Hopped over from Stitchin' by the Lake to greet and meet and after seeing your completions I think I will just turn my computer off and go away....not look at anyone else's....I am embarassed...I didn't move, have any major life changes, etc and I didn't accomplish but maybe one or two items. Now let me stop picking at you...your accomplishments are absolutely beautiful and I am so glad I came to visit. I especially love your flying geese in a circle. That is on my bucket list, I love them. Thank you for sharing all this beauty and I will be back for a visit....if I don't just shoot myself! LOL. Have a great day.

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  20. I am visiting via the 'neighbor hop' - just love your work space for FMQ' and if you only completed one UFO - a completion always feels good - think of that feeling rather that OMG there is more!

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