lists

health warning: it's a bit of a long one, this one.  I'd recommend an accompanying glass of  something soothing

I hope you all had a fab Christmas.  I am full of cheese (in a good way) but am feeling the need for dark green vegetables at some point soon - I should have asked for a juicer!  To ease me off the couch, I've been fannying around working hard with Picasa to make some year mosaics...

2013 quilts

all babies

Only four completed this year - it felt like more.  I have started some more and there are plenty in my head.  I feel a little unproductive, quiltwise, now I've seen this mosaic.  On the up side, one of them actually stayed with us! #firsttime

bee blocks

This was the year of the bee block for me.  Again, it felt like more.  I forgot to photo a couple I think.  I enjoyed the challenge of each of them but resented the sewing time they took up so 2014 will see a more reduced bee commitment.

other stuff

#mishmash

So I dabbled in dressmaking, cushion covers (for swaps), iron cosies (all swapped now!), scarves (all pressies) and bag making (all pressies).  Again, I have made a little more.  I need to get better at recoding my makes. 

It's that time of year where we all contemplate on our achievements or otherwise - a current blogland trend is the Top 5 Hits and Misses.  Never one to avoid a bandwagon, here goes....

Top 5 hits (in no particular order)

Learning how to paper piece #hooked

my lovelies

I love love love it - love the precision, the versatility, the options.  I need to get better at cutting fabric to size as I waste a lot.  But I am so glad I dived in and it was down to needing to make a bee block.

meeting up with my blogging friends IRL
It has been a real pleasure making friends through my hobby - being able to meet up in real life and become closer friends has been a real blessing this year.  This also includes being at the (re)birth of the East Midlands Modern Quilt Guild - a growing group of lovely people who are supportive, love cake, creative and inspirational. And the stitching together ladies too.

finding my own creative path
like many of us, I started out being overawed by the amazing creativity of some of the big bloggers (Elizabeth oh fransson, Ashley film in the fridge, Katy I'm a ginger monkey and so on) and wanting to recreate their designs.  This is the first year where I've started to figure out what my own design aesthetic might be.  Still in the early stages but I'm chuffed to feel like I've started on the journey.

finishing the wee man's quilt
It was started in September 2012 as part of one of my first bees and finished in November 2013. I pieced the back and did concentric circle quilting. It is one of my favourite makes - I love everything about it, especially that it is now being used on the wee man's big boy bed (2 nights in and no problems so far!).  That most of the blocks were made by friends of mine just adds to its awesomeness.

honing new skills
in addition to paper piecing (did I mention that I love that by the way?!), I taught myself how to sew an invisible zip, how to set a sleeve, how to do portholes, how not to do trapunto, to be more restrained in my fabric purchases, to be more confident in my bag making skills, not to breenge in too much, to piece with more accuracy, to cut out on a table!  Onwards!

Ok now to the Top 5 Misses...

dressmaking
this was the year I was going to jump in and go for it.  But I sat on the side lines and ogled other people's gorgeous creations instead.  I made a couple of things for the wee man and a couple of tops for me but not what I really wanted to do.  I was gripped by the fear of cutting into lovely fabric lest it all go a bit tits up, a bit like I used to be when I first started quilting.  I told myself it was because I didn't have any pinking shears.  Santa duly obliged and so I have no excuse for 2014. 

free motion quilting
I was prepared, had all the shizzizzle and everything (fmq foot, gloves, topstitching needles, a bolt of wadding).  I even took Trudi's top class at the FQR in July.  The big girl pants were almost on but didn't quite make it past the knees.  Not really sure why.  I have a plan for 2014.  I'm not as frightened as I was at the start of the year so that's something right?  #ridiculous

getting giddy with the bees and swaps
don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed all the bees and swaps I've been part of this year but they have taken up so much of my time that I had little time for my own sewing and I began to resent my over commitment.  It takes me a while to get my head around what each one requires and then there's choosing the correct fabric and pattern and worrying about not being as good as everyone else.  It's easily solved, of course.  I won't withdraw completely, just be a little more realistic about my time #lifelessons

keeping up with blogs
it is probably just co-incidental but since the demise of Google Reader, I've struggled to keep up with all the blogs I follow.  I follow too many because of competition sign ups rather than because I am inspired by them and they crowd out the ones I really want to follow.  I use Bloglovin' and am frustrated by it on a daily basis. I feel disappointed in myself for not being able to comment on all the posts that I'd like to, for getting so far behind on my reading that sometimes a global "read all" is required.  Again, it's a relatively easy problem to solve...a little pruning is required and it's on my to do list.  This includes updating my own blog - it needs some loving (with a "g") and it's also on the list! 

unfinished business
I am realistic enough to know that WIPs are an integral part of a crafty girl's existence but there are a couple of key WIPs that I wanted to and should have finished by now.  Momentum is important and I need to harness it better.

So there you go, a mixed bag?  More hits than misses I'd say really, so on balance, not a bad crafty year.  Here's to 2014 and a great year for everyone xxx