Taking Stock - 2018-2022

Tap...tap...tap. Is this thing on? Oh good. 

There's something about a new year that helps one take stock of where things are at and where they may go in the year ahead. It's been a long time since I've done a WIP list post (well, any post really) and I'm feeling the need for a recap of where I'm at with WIPs/UFOs/PIGs and any other acronyms for projects in the works. 

I've started a lot of projects over the last couple of years, but haven't finished many. I have a healthy pile of finished tops, which is new for me. I got a long arm machine a couple of years ago, but I'm still learning how to use it. Hopefully, I'll get more comfortable with the long arm this year and can turn those tops into finished quilts. And since the pandemic is still holding a grip over life in general, maybe I can carve out some time this year to blog again.  

For 2022 resolutions, I'm going to keep it simple -- aiming for more finishes than starts! 

So where are we at?  

Completed Projects (incomplete list - I'll add to the list as I remember):

1. Rainbow House - 2015-2021

















2. Glibly Blythe - 2020















3. BeeSewcialville - My 2016 prompt of urban planning/neighbourhoods was finally finished in 2020. Here it is on our vacation last year. 

















BeeBright - My 2019 BeeSewcial prompt was maxi stripes in bold colours, but with an emphasis on red and orange.

New/Upcoming Projects:

1. Black, grey and white improv
2. BeeSewcial blocks for Ken
3. Elemental mystery quilt
4. Alison Glass Feathers quilt along

Current Projects:

1. Ice BeeSewcial block for Leanne - 2021
2. Scrappy Vomit 2.0 - 2019
3. Going Fractal - 2015
4. Christmas throw - 2021

Completed Tops:

1. Parallel Universe quilt top - 2021
2. Solidblack, grey and white improv quilt top - 2021
3. Rainbow Prism - 2021
4. BeeSewcial - Graffiti - 2017
5. Scrap Snap Rainbow quilt - 2021
6. Let the Good Times Roll Clammy quilt - 2021
7. Red, Black, Grey and White improv from Sherri Lynn Wood workshop - 2017
8. Leggings - 2015
9. Chop Suey - 2006?
10. BeeSewcialSwap Treasure Map - 2016 
11. Large log cabin - 2021
12. Dots and Dashes - 2021
13. Blueberry Park top - 2018

On Hold/UFO Mash-up:

1. BeeSewcial - Connected - 2021
2. BeeSewcial - Radiate - 2020
3. Blue Mountain - 2017
4. Weight of Love workshop - 2015
5. Fractal Maple Leaf - 2016
6. OMQG Roosting Round Robin quilt - 2019
7. Round Robin Improv - 2015
8. Hexie EPP - 2016
9. Improv paper piecing workshop w Amy Friend - 2017
10. Gwen Marston improv workshop -2016
11. Resting Bitch Face collage workshop - 2016
12. Free Motion Quilting Sampler - 2014
13. Light As A Feather (2014) + Leggins Light (2015)
14. Granny Square Leader and Ender - 2013
15. Batik Christmas card holder - 2013
16. Travellin' Pic Stitch Blog Hop - 2012
17. Appliqué/Quilt/Paint Thing - 2012
18. Experimenting with Glue - 2012?
19. Modern Block Monday Sampler - 2012
20. Collage Tree - 2012
21. Stained Glass Lillies - 2011
22. Happy Villages - 2008?
23. Red and Tan Bargello in the Round 2 - 2007?
24. Red and Cream Amish Wedding Ring - 2006
25. Nine patch colourwash - 2001?
26. Kingston quilt - 2000
27. Wedding quilt - 1998

Bucket List: 19

Oof, that's a lot of WIPs. And I'm pretty sure there are a few missing. In any case, let's see if we can shorten these lists a bit this year.

A New Year Means New Goals

Happy belated New Year all! Starting 2018 on the blog 3 weeks late. Awesome.

I usually like to start the year with a look back at the previous year. 2017 -- well, not a very productive year for me on the quilting front. Only 12 posts on the blog. I used to do 12 blog posts a month! I did finish a few quilts, but work and kids took over. And my quilting mojo disappeared sometime around May. The passion and a lot of ideas are still there, but the motivation and energy are not.

I would like that to change for 2018. I want to reinstate my 20 minutes a day routine. Hopefully that's doable. Since a lot of my motivation comes from goal-setting, here are my quilty goals for 2018:

• Get quilting for 20 minutes a day
• Finish my BeeSewcial quilts
• Reduce my stash -- my sewing space is feeling too cluttered these days
• Finish at least one project a month
• See if I can finish something in time to submit to the National Juried Show at Quilt Canada. This one is not looking too promising. 

This is what I'm working on right now:

The concepts I'm trying to explore with this one:

• Improv styles that transition from order to disorder/chaos
• Maxi colour to neutral
• Value progression through the neutrals
• Matchstick quilting with grey and rainbow thread

Too much for one little quilt? We'll see. 

Setting Direction

Um, so it's been a while, eh? It's been a little stupid busy around here since January and at the end of the day, I just didn't have the energy to blog. Kiddos are away at camp this week (woot woot!) and lo and behold, I've got some energy back. LOL

My current project is my 2016 BeeSewcial quilt. My month for BeeSewcial was all about direction -- I asked my BeeSewcial mates to help me make a village or city. And boy, did they deliver! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share what the fabulous blocks they made, but here goes:

From Leanne at She Can Quilt:

A post shared by Leanne (@shecanquilt) on May 22, 2016 at 6:37pm PDT

A post shared by Leanne (@shecanquilt) on May 22, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT

From Stephanie at Spontaneous Threads:

From Felicity at Felicity Quilts:

From Karen at Capitola Quilter:





From Kari at Craft Happy:

A post shared by Kari Vojtechovsky (@quiltsforthemaking) on Jun 17, 2016 at 2:49pm PDT

A post shared by Kari Vojtechovsky (@quiltsforthemaking) on May 29, 2016 at 7:25pm PDT

From Anne at play crafts:

A post shared by Anne (@playcrafts) on Jun 4, 2016 at 9:29am PDT

A post shared by Anne (@playcrafts) on Jun 11, 2016 at 8:32am PDT

From Debbie at A Quilter’s Table:





From Hillary at Entropy Always Wins:

A post shared by Hillary Goodwin (@entropyalwayswins) on May 22, 2016 at 5:07pm PDT

A post shared by Hillary Goodwin (@entropyalwayswins) on May 21, 2016 at 6:06pm PDT

From Marci at Marci-Girl Designs:







Roundabout?! I adore roundabouts and am so excited that my quilt will have one. If you check out Marci's Instagram feed, you'll see how she did it.

Aren't these so fun?


And here are my blocks: 

If you have a chance to check out the images on the #beesewcial feed on Instagram, you'll see that the blocks have back story. So cool!

After receiving the blocks, I'll admit that I got a little (ahem...very) anxious about doing these blocks justice. I pulled them out multiple times over the past year and played with the layout. My rule was this: each block had to connect with at least one other block, but I could add roads and negative space. 

More grid-like:

A little less grid-like:

Definitely playing with some alternative grid work:

After a lot of mulling and photos and rearranging and mulling and photos...repeat, I found a layout that I loved and started putting it together. It's just about done so I will share it soon.

Cheers!