End of year wrap up, WIP for next year

It's been an amazing year.

I'm gonna let that sit there for a minute because I'm working on reflecting on the good that is happening in my life.

2016 brought lots of firsts for me.  I taught my first beginner paper piecing class with pretty successful results (and an invitation to repeat it next year).  That quilt, along with a Star Wars quilt (which I tested patterns for) are both are being donated to a local Children's home - a project near and dear to my heart.

For Mother's day I found and sewed something personal for my Mom, and I also played along with the Minion (pattern tester) and Once Upon a Princess Quilt-a-Longs at fandominstitches.com, Finished my daughter-in-law's multifandom quilt, and assembled the Princess and Cars themed quilts for Christmas gifts. Scattered among the other projects were other pattern testing projects (including broadway related themes, and Dr. Who), and that's in addition to my regular, pays the bills, full-time job, which changed in July and will change again in January (yay for promotions!).

I'm not really a glutton for punishment, quilting is just really calming for me. Three years ago at this time I was finishing my Masters degree and counting down the minutes until I graduated so that I could get my hands on and learn to paper piece my first Harry Potter Project of Doom quilt.  I had no idea it would turn into such a personal journey.  If you are just starting, take strength, enlist help from other quilt board members, find local friends, and spend a bit of time on YouTube.  (As a visual learner YouTube was a godsend).

I can honestly say now, that I find myself less critical and more careful about piecing.  I'm not to the point of making "show only" quilts as I prefer them to be loved, cuddled, used and worn out.  So what's coming up for 2017?  I've put off joining in the Fantastic Beasts Quilt-a-Long at fandominstitches until I finish up several other WIP.  So I'm sure you'll see some of that!  I also have plans to make a few more multi-fandom quilts for Boy Wonder and some lucky nieces and nephews.  I'm super excited since FiS has begun releasing Supplemental Disney Saturday patterns for additional bookcase options!  And I am taking on my first non-fandom, pieced/appliqued book quilt.  More on that later.

Like I said, it's been an amazing year.  I've grown.  I've been given opportunities to serve.  I've helped warm and cuddle both family and strangers.  But mostly - I've learned gratitude in a new way.  Thanks for letting me share.

Christmas Surprise! (Princess and Cars quilts)

I knew as I worked on the Once upon a Princess project earlier this year that I wanted these ladies to go to a special home - and along with a Cars quilt project they did!!  My nieces and nephews (well 3 of them anyway) seem to be enjoying them!!

Methodist Children's Home Quilts (Star Wars and Star)

Earlier this year I taught a newbie paper piecing class that had great response with the intention of not having to make all of our quilts for our Christmas project and they turned out great.  These are a few different pictures of the process.  A good friend did the quilting and it turned out great.

I did take on the boy version myself since I was interested in testing the patterns as well - The patterns are amazing, and they look awesome!  This star wars quilt got LOTS of attention and I've heard from a few other sources that they'd like me to expand some classes, so that may be fun for this new year!!

You can see some better closeups of the individual star wars piecings 

HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE

Princess Quilt-a-Long

I also participated in the princess Quilt-a-Long over at fandominstitches.  It was fun having not been a tester to make these beautiful girls!  I have a few multiples since I'm dividing these girls up into to oversized castle crib quilts for some lucky girls this Christmas, More pictures to follow of completed projects.

Last Minion block...

It's been a hot minute since I updated!  Truly it's been because I've been knee deep in some special Christmas and baby projects and I just haven't been able to show off things, but now with the holidays getting close I can!

Last post I mentioned our last minion block and here she is!

She'll go in the spot that's blank - and here's the rest in it's framing...

This was SUCH a fun project and the patterns were awesome!!  A few other fandom friends put in patterns for the invitational if you are looking for some more!

You can see them all by clicking HERE!

One in a minion QAL pattern testing

Back in January the news broke of several new QAL's (quilt-a-longs) coming up on the Fandom in Stitches group, and the call was put out for pattern testers.  Having a serious minion lover at my house, so I could hardly pass up the opportunity!  We LOVED getting each new pattern to test :)  Kudos to Jennifer Rowles (Playful Piecing) for her awesome designs.  So glad I got to be a part of it!

Patterns are 12 inches finished.

Tim

Banana

Hula Minion

Egyptian

French Maid

Kevin

Hippie

Soldier

Bee Doh

Girl Minion

Stuart

There were also several patterns we opted NOT to make including

Papagena (Hydrant)

The Vampire

Golfer

News also broke at the end of this project that there will be a Minion Design Invitational

so we saved up our space for our last block to choose one from those designs!  Keep your eyes open to find out which one we choose!

Hunger Games Update

I pulled out this project which I started last year and got back to the grind of sewing the districts.  I'm proud to say I've officially (officially?) finished them finally and now have started on working on layout and extras.  I still have the 4 mockingjay insignia's to work on as well as Katniss's bow and arrows.  Here's the new squares...

District 12 - Mining

District 10 Livestock

This a redo of District 6 Transportation (I like the monochromatic much better)

Snow's Rose

I'm not sure I like how this came out as the colors I chose don't translate well, so it may be redone at a later date.

C3PO, R2D2, and a Tie Fighter - Star Wars

It's been a hot minute since I've updated.  With the arrival of summer (and SUNSHINE!) I've been trying to spend more time getting a little natural vitamin D, but I've also been hard at work working on multiple projects.  I started this Star Wars quilt earlier this year when fandom in stitches ran it's Star Wars Invitational, and have already done BB8, Yoda, the Death Star and a collection of light sabers.It's coming along beautifully!  During this past month I've added this bunch!

C3PO (designed by Michelle Thompson)

R2D2 (designed by Melissa Bejot)

Tie Fighter (designed by Melissa Bejot)

Into the Woods - Broadway Series

Being a lover of all things musical, I pattern tested the Oklahoma quilt square earlier this year for Katie Olson's Broadway quilt, and then offered to test another of her patterns in this series called Into the Woods (which I love the music to!)  I have plans down the road to work on all of these patterns (which you can see here), but for now here is this little beauty.  Size is 10 inch square finished and I'll warn you it's a full 5 star experience.  Lots of pieces, lots of lining up, not for the faint of heart.

This pattern hasn't been released yet, but I'll update as soon as it is.

Mother's Day

I promise I haven't fallen off the edge of the planet!!  Life has been a little busy and crazy and I've been kept super busy between my real life job, pattern testing for different projects, teaching my first paper piecing class, and visiting my dentist.  Let's just say some of these things I've not enjoyed as much as quilting!

I'm spotlighting for a moment today, this amazing woman, with my Boy Wonder (and his new wife) on their wedding day.  This is my mom.  I could sit here for hours and write all of the wonderful and amazing things that make her so incredible - but it still wouldn't do justice to the woman she is.  I can say that while she is not perfect, she has inspired and taught me the lessons that have helped me to carve out my own happiness and live as grace-filled as I can.  I love her.

For Mother's Day this year, I wanted to do something for my mom that wouldn't be another tchotchke dust collector.  I've begun to understand more about how getting little trinkets and baubles becomes a double edged sword.  And because she loves flowers and plants, I searched locally high and low to find her an established lavender plant- which is one of her favorites, but to no avail.  Finally I decided to quilt some  - and let me tell you - finding a pattern for lavender was nearly impossible.  Finally I found a pattern on Craftsy (you can see it here), and while mine didn't turn out quite as crisp and clear - I'm happy with the result...

I finished this as a small throw pillow which she loved!!
Happy Mother's Day.
Thank You.

Oh - and because I'm grateful for my own motherhood experiences and the punks that call me Mom - I love you nuts.  A million swedish fish.