Friday, January 1, 2016

Happy New Year 2016 and 2015 Recap

Happy New Year to you!  I want to extend my thanks and gratitude to my friends and readers for following me here or in our personal off-line lives. Staying connected is, to me, an important part of life, and the older I get the more I know and appreciate that. I wish you all a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous New Year 2016 from the bottom of my heart.

2015 was, for me, a good, happy and productive year.  Creatively speaking, I was primarily a crazy quilter (crazy quilting; the art form that arose in Victorian times whereby women pieced together fancy fabrics in random patchwork and then embellished it with stitching, beads, etc) for the last 15 years. Crazy quilting is very time consuming (but enjoyable!). It takes a lot of time just to do one block. And while I did do embroidery and crazy quilting this year, my main focus was on traditional quilting. It is refreshing to have finishes come along more often!  

So, here is a pictorial of my finishes this year with minimum commentary. 

Quilt for son Shane
Birch Trees Quilt for DGS Easton
Pow Wow Quilt for DH Bruce
2-layer skirt for DGD London
Here I must insert a picture of Lori Holt, the quilt world’s own Farm Girl herself. I was lucky enough to attend one of her retreats in June.

Lori Holt
2015 was the Year of the Farm Girl in the quilting world, and although my Farm Girl Quilt is not yet assembled, I do have 49 blocks (of 49) completed. I still need to do our pillow shams and then shuffle around and decide on placement. The Farmhouse block, below, represents that huge effort. Watch for my Farm Girl Quilt and matching pillow shams to be completed in the 1st quarter of 2016

Farmhouse block
What Cancer Cannot Do Quilt for Cal
Pink and Green Patchwork Quilt for Emma
Several times during the summer, my dear granddaughter Lauren came to spend the day and we sewed. I have shown pictures of tote bags, zip pouches, etc, that we made during those fun times. But the Piece de Resistance of our combined efforts was this lovely school backpack that Lauren completed just before school started. I am so proud of her!

Lauren and her backpack
The one crazy quilt I finally finished this year was started in 2012. There will be more about this quilt in February after it is published.  I list it here just for a minor reference.  :-)  I also have another CQ finish which is not shown, but will also be in that magazine. Again, more in February.

The Black Needlepoint Crazy Quilt
Farm Girl Cozy Cottage Pillow
Four scrappy pincushions for Christmas presents
Two sets of clothes and quilted play mats for granddaughters
20-21 zip pouches for Christmas gifts (only a few shown here)
17 pillowcases for gifts. Again, only some shown. 
Lighted Christmas Tree Wall Hanging




Rainbow Orbs Quilt, Shams and bedskirt
Rainbow Orbs is, by far, my favorite finish of 2015. Its bright, in-your-face colors bring me joy every time I look at it.  The cats approve, too.

I Spy Quilt
Helen’s Garden Quilt

That pretty much sums up my creative year. What fun it was! And today, New Year’s Day, I will begin straight away on 2016 projects.

Hugs,
Cathy maroon

2 comments:

  1. Wow! You have been one busy lady! You have produced an amazing collection of wonderful pieces that you should be very proud of.

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  2. Cathy, you have so many GORGEOUS finishes! Wonderful. This year, I plan to overcome my fear of making a zip pouch (I have sewn in a zipper, but it's been years - lol!) And, I bought fabric to make my hubby a pillow case. Yours are fantastic. I'll need to get to that. I look forward to watching your progress throughout 2016!

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