Wednesday, December 30, 2020

2020 in Review, a Year of Finishing, More or Less

I determined that 2020 would be a year of finishing quilts that I'd started and were still in progress.  I set my sights high with nine quilts in varying stages of progress to work on and, hopefully, finish.  Photos are below descriptions.  

Baskets of Plenty was first on that January, 2020 list.  I needed to remake two blocks and make one new one to have the nine I thought would make a good-sized quilt.  Those are finished and the blocks are sewn into sashing with borders on part of it, awaiting applique on the top and bottom borders.  So, from these blocks on the left to the still-unfinished top on the right.  Not a finish, but still, progress.  You can read all the posts about these baskets here.
 
Baskets of Plenty applique blocksBaskets of Plenty applique blocks

The Blue and the Gray was the next quilt on my January list.  I had only the blocks and cornerstones finished so it still needed the sashing to become a top.  I'm thrilled to have put the last stitches in the binding in November.

The Blue and the Gray quilt

Everyday Patchwork was next on the list.  Ohh, I love this quilt.  I had 30 blocks made at the beginning of the year.  I added 5 more for a total of 35, for a 5 x 7 block layout.  It also needed sashing, borders, and applique on the borders.  The top is awaiting batting, backing, and quilting.

Everyday Patchwork Sampler based on Cheri Payne's patterns

Autumn Maples, I'm happy to say, is in the process of being quilted.  I'm hoping the quilting will bring to mind leaves swirling in the wind.

hand quilting on Autumn Maples quilt

Red Circles on Green Squares needed many more squares, so I've been working on those now and then.  My enthusiasm wanes and it's easy to lay them aside when there is other handwork to do.  I need 192 and have finished 182.  Just 10 more to go.  The stack below is about a fifth or sixth of what I have now.  There's still lots to be done with this quilt.  I'll need to decide on sashing and cornerstones (or not) on the groups of 9 blocks, and then sashing between the 9-circle blocks.


Cheddarback is a finished top.  This was a sew-along so I couldn't choose my own pace to finish it.  It was about half finished at the beginning of the year.

Cheddarback quilt top

Little Rubies is a finished quilt, the last stitches put in sometime in April or May.  I love it, I don't love it.  But it's finished!
Little Rubies quilt

Linda Brannock's Flowers and Quarter Cabins saw no progress at all.  Flowers will need some unstitching then restitching.  I tried to make it larger by adding more sashing.  It's not right so I'll make it the way Linda did and add borders. Quarter Cabins needs a few decisions about the next steps.  I didn't look at either quilt all year.  I know they'll wait patiently for me, though. 

Linda Brannock's Flowers quiltQuarter Cabins quilt














Two quilts that weren't on my January, 2020, list were these:

Blue and Lights.  When I realized I had three 12" blue and white blocks left over from Cheddarback I decided to just make more blocks.  Most of the year it seemed I was doing the back end work of finishing.  It was fun to make blocks to continue a quilt in progress.  Here are 15 of the 20 blocks I've made.  I'll have to decide on layout, sashing, cornerstones, and borders.
Blue and lights quilt blocks

Ohio Winters Browns (from Lori's 50 Shades of Brown at Humble Quilts) was the other finish for the year.  It's hard to go a whole year without starting at least one thing new, and this was it for the year.  It's a little quilt -- the small squares finish at 1". 
Ohio Winter Browns

So that's my year in quilt-making.  When I began this post I was feeling down-hearted, thinking I had accomplished nearly nothing.  It's been a good way to realize that all my small efforts have amounted to something, even if there were only a few complete finishes.

I hope you had a good and successful year, whatever you did, and I wish you all the best in 2021.

--Nancy.

6 comments:

  1. To me it appears that you have had a very productive year!

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    1. Thank you, Janet.  Yes, productive, which is good.  Maybe this year I'll have a few more finishes!

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  2. Progress is progress no matter how small it seems. I'm hand quilting a quilt that will take months to finish but it's just so satisfying to sit at the frames, rock the needle, and move at a snail's pace. Your quilts are all so lovely and have a certain look that is "just you". My favorite is Everyday Patchwork. It is just so pleasing. I'm glad you feel good about your output this year. You've done a great job.

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    1. Thank you, and you're right, Robin.  Every little bit of progress moves a project forward. 

      I find it satisfying to sit and hand quilt, too, though at this point I'm still trying to build my callouses because I hadn't hand quilted for a while.  I'm making progress on that, too.  Maybe I can get the next quilt ready before I finish this quilt so I can just keep quilting.
      I think Everyday Patchwork is my favorite, too.  I really like how it turned out.  I'm surprised to hear that my quilts have a look that is just me.  It feels like I'm all over the place with my quilting because I keep trying new patterns and ideas.  To me it feels like an eclectic style and I'm still trying to find my own style.  But perhaps I'm making progress that I'm unaware of.

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  3. You've made great progress, especially since you tend to make more complex applique quilts. I can see a lot of these works in progress coming to completion this year.

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    1. Thank you, Pat.  I hope I can finish a few more quilts this year than last!  I would be thrilled!

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