From 2022 to 2023

Not only have I enjoyed reflecting on the past year, but I have also enjoyed looking back on the past decade.  I started blogging in November 2013, so I am coming up on 10 years of blogging.  Looking even farther back, my first quilt was finished nearly 30 years ago in 1993.  In those 30 years I have made over 300 personal quilts.  Over 250 of those have been in the last decade.  

Decade in Review

Here is the breakdown of personal quilt finishes including themes for the year:

2012—4 quilts finished—“Starting Again”

2013—25 quilts finished—“UFO Busting”

2014—44 quilts finished—“Stash Busting”

2015—48 quilts finished—“Enjoy”

2016—25 quilts finished—“Enjoy the Journey”

2017—24 quilts finished—“Choose Joy”

2018—10 quilts finished—“Simplify”

2019—9 quilts finished—“Rocking my Daughters”

2020—14 quilts finished—“Survival Mode”

2021—13 quilts finished—“Family First”

2022—38 quilts finished—“Helping Others”

Some of the themes were chosen when I was setting goals for the year and others were discovered when reflecting on the year.  It was very interesting for me to see how life events change my quilting productivity and how quilting helped though difficult life events.  

*Starting quilting again in 2012 helped me get over postpartum depression.

*Moving in 2016 decreased my productivity by half.

*Adopting Bunny in 2018 decreased productivity by half again and blogging became sporadic.  

*Pregnancy and a new baby in 2019 kept productivity lower.  

*COVID in 2020 is pretty obvious.  ;)

*Balancing the needs of five children in 2021 kept productivity lower, but still averaging one quilt finish per month. Blogging was just nonexistent.

*Only having one child at home for most of the day in 2022 definitely boosted production again.  

One thing is certain.  Quilting is a constant in my life.  I enjoy it when things are going well, and it keeps me sane when times are tough.  

2022 in Review

I started 2022 with 6 unfinished quilts.  That was higher than it has ever been since my year of finishing UFO’s in 2013.  They are now all finished.  I am ending the year with only one WISP (work in slow progress).  It is the hand quilting of my whole cloth Buttercup and Slate flower garden.  I hope to finish it in 2023.  

 

I finished 38 personal quilts.  8 were quilt commissions.  13 were gifts for friends and family.  4 were donations.  2 were for my children.  11 were for my home.  

I helped finish 16 quilts for others.  1 was for my sister.  8 were for my mom.  6 were for Quilts for Kids.  2 were just quilted for my friend on a trade.

I finished six minky blankets for my family, ten baby blankets for friends, two doll blankets for my girls, and one crocheted blanket for me.  

I also finished 6 table toppers/runners, 6 placemats, 2 quilted pillows, and 2 crocheted scarves.

It was definitely a year of quilting for others.  That is why I said my theme for the year was “Helping Others.”

2023 Plans

After all this reflection, I have decided on a theme/word of the year for 2023.  It is “Create.”

I have had a quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf on the sidebar of my blog since I started blogging.  He said, “Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment.  We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.”

I think that quote is perfect to go with my word/theme of the year.  I love to create.  

There are three things I want to create in 2023.

1.  Quilts and Quilty Projects

2.  Blog Posts

3.  A Nurturing Home

Quilts and Quilty Projects—I like to keep my goals fairly broad, because quilting should be enjoyable and guilt-free.  I want to sew what I want to sew when I can sew it.  I want to make projects to keep, to give as gifts, and to donate.  I hope to finish at least one project per month.  

Blog Posts—I love having my blog as a record of my quilting journey and as a way to connect with other quilters.  I know I have been sporadic in my blogging for the last few years.  Now that I am caught up, I would like to stay caught up. I hope to not get farther than one month behind this year.  

A Nurturing Home—My family will always be my first priority.  If quilting or blogging has to be put on hold than I will do so with no guilt.  However, I hope I won’t have to put them on hold.  

Do you have a theme or word of the year for 2023?

XX,

Jasmine

P.S.  I am linking up with Yvonne's 2023 Planning Party.  Check it out to see more quilters’ 2023 goals.  

Merry Christmas!

 

We wish you a Minky Christmas and a Cuddly New Year!

XX,

Jasmine

My Crocheted Blanket

Two weeks ago I received some new yarn and crochet hooks (along with some other stuff) in the neighborhood ladies gift exchange.  I was really excited to try out the yarn because it was so fuzzy.  The crochet hooks were also larger than I had ever used before.  

I used that yarn to make a striped scarf.

I loved it so much that I wanted to make a whole blanket!  I went the next day to buy some more  Bernat blanket yarn.  I chose purple because it was my favorite color.  I guessed that seven skeins would be enough for a blanket of my favorite size, approximately 60 by 72 inches.  I was right! 

I started out with a row of chain stitches using a P hook and used my new Christmas Bear quilt to check the length.  It was 82 chain stitches.  Then I decided to just single crochet the whole thing.  

81 single crochets was the perfect size.  I loved how both the large crochet hook and the yarn felt in my hands.  

The yarn was so soft and fuzzy that I never wanted to stop.  The crochet hook was so nice that my hand never cramped.  

I just kept going and going whenever I could. I even crocheted while playing Pokemon TCG with Panda.  

Monkey approved of the fuzzy yarn after the fourth skein.

Then on one cold, snowy day last week Kitty and I finished the seventh skein.  (She likes "helping" me pull the yarn.)

Kitty kept throwing the yarn ball in the air and at me.  "Score!" she said.  Then she used the string as a roller coaster for Foxy.

I just kept crocheting and got it finished.  Over 1,500 yards of yarn and only 2 yards left over.  

I wish you could just feel the texture and weight of this awesome blanket.

I put it on the sofa for a picture.  

But Kitty quickly pulled it off for a snuggle.

I finished it in less than seven days.  Now the only problem is that I want one in every color of the rainbow. 

XX,

Jasmine

P.S.  I am now all caught up with blogging and hope to keep it that way while I can.  My blogging will definitely be slowing down.  (No more six posts per week.)  

My Mom's Blue Quilt

My mom made this quilt as a surprise for my dad.  His favorite color is light blue, but we decided to include all shades.  We went shopping at my local quilt shop when they were having a fat quarter sale and picked 27 different blues.  

Then on one of our sew days we cut out four 5 by 10 inch rectangles from each fat quarter and put them on the design wall.  This one is a little bigger than the Christmas quilts. It has 18 rows and finishes about 57 by 81 inches. 

My mom was able to finish the top in just two sew days at my house.  She is definitely getting faster the more we sew together.

I quilted it for her on the Bernina Q24 with a light blue minky backing.

I quilted it in a loopy spiral which my mom says reminds her of bubbles.

Then I added a navy blue binding.

My mom is so happy with how quickly we were able to finish this quilt.

My dad is going to love his quilt made with love by his wife and daughter.

Now I just need to wrap it up so my mom can put it under the tree.  I should be safe sharing this because my dad doesn't read my blog.  (Hopefully.)

XX,

Jasmine

Christmas Placemats

I made these placemats for a neighborhood women gift exchange.  We were supposed to bring something that was one of our favorite things.  I love quilting and decorating with quilts, so these placemats were perfect.  

They are made with the scraps from the two "Christmas with 3 Sisters" quilts.  I started out by separating them into six sets.  I had to add three 2.5 x 21 inch strips which were leftover from another project to make all six place mats.  

I pieced the placemats, trimmed them to 12.5 x 18.5 inches, and then quilted them on the Bernina Q24.  I used scrap batting and there was barely enough.  

The binding on multiple little projects really adds up, but it was fun to stack them on the floor as I finished them.  

The backing is from the current 3 Sister Moda Christmas line.  

I had fun testing them out on my table.  

My friend who received these was so excited. She said they match the colors in her house perfectly.

I really need to make some placemats for my home sometime.  However, I know once I start I will want to keep going until I have a set for every month!  

XX,

Jasmine

Sea Glass Quilt

This quilt is made from the leftovers and scraps of one of my mom's quilts.  I started sewing the triangles as leaders and enders, but that didn't last long.  

I divided the large half square triangles into separate color ways.  Then I was really curious if there were enough of the green, teal, and blue triangles to make a whole lap quilt.  These are big HST and are squared up at eight inches.  

I realized that if I left some blocks as plain background squares and added a border that there would be enough.  

The quilt top sat for a couple weeks while I worked on other projects.  I decided to name it Sea Glass because that is what the colors reminded me of.  

One day when my mom was sewing with me she kept saying how much she loved the fabrics.  She also said how happy it made her to see them all together.  So I decided to give the quilt to her.  She provided some off white minky for the backing.  While she was on a trip celebrating her 58th wedding anniversary, I quilted it on the long arm.  

I decided to try floppy freehand feathers.  They are kind of big, but my blocks are big.  

I am pleased with how they turned out for my first time quilting them on the long arm.  I did the binding for my mom too.  It was leftover backing from another one of her quilts.  

Another day I was able to take some better pictures inside.  

My parents came to our house for dinner the day after they got back from their trip and I was able to give my mom the quilt.  She loves it!

I hope to finish up the other color way into a quilt or two next year.  

XX,

Jasmine