12/31/17

2017 Year in Review

It's always fun to look back and see what's happened during the year, and this has been a big year for us here at the Three Cats Ranch Traveling RV. There are a lot of small quilts and minis on my list of completed quilts for the year. It was my first year of full-on participation in Project Quilting, and many of my finished quilts were a part of that challenge. The challenge will be starting up again very soon, but I'm afraid I'll miss it this year. If you're interested in seeing what Project Quilting is all about, you can read about it right here.

During the year, 18 projects were completed, including my oldest WIP started way back in 2012. that felt like a big accomplishment. At the end of 2016, my WIP list stood at 24 projects. Now, it is at 16, for a net reduction of 8 projects.  They're getting whittled down little by little. As for my quilts finished in 2017, here they are:

This first one was just for fun. I played the piano in another life, and so the "Eight is Great" theme seemed obvious to me.


An Octave in Ivory
original design made for Project Quilting
Season Eight Challenge #1 Theme: "Eight is Great"
14 x 19 inches
started and finished 1/1/17
traditional piecing, straight line machine quilting
~~~

This next one has a job as the quilt under my laptop computer, and it allows me to slide the computer around on our table with ease and without scratching the table. It's a pretty good job for a little quilt.


Be My Little Valentine
15 x 15 inches
traditional piecing, free motion quilted
made for Kathleen Tracy's January small quilt challenge
started 1/8/17 and finished 1/11/17
~~~

This next one was gifted to a friend who, in turn, donated it to her local quilt guild. I'm not sure what they did with it. 


Carolina Lily
made for Project Quilting Season 8,
Challenge #2 theme of "Carolina Lily"
11.5 x 14 inches
fusible applique, thread painting, and embellished with
hot fix nailheads, Shiva Artist's Paintstik, and metallic threads
started and finished in one day on January 16, 2017
~~~

This next one was included with my Best of 2017 post. It's now a valued part of our RV traveling crew and comfort quilts.


Stars & Stripes
made from blocks for the "We Bee With It" online quilting bee
blocks collected May, 2015, quilt completed January 25, 2017
traditional pinwheel stars and a setting of my own design
free motion quilted on my mid-arm machine
60 x 76 inches
~~~

This next one was a hard one for me with the "texture" theme. It hangs in my sewing room for now.


Saguaro Cactus
made for Project Quilting, Season 8
Challenge #3: Tune in to Texture
9 x 12 inches
Shiva Artist's Paintstiks, cotton and metallic threads
started 1/30/17 and finished 2/2/17
~~~

This one was fun to do. I loved having permission to use all those bright colors.


Bright and Early
made for Project Quilting, Season 8
Challenge #4: The Brighter the Better
15 x 18 inches
stained glass applique
started and finished 2/13-14/17
~~~

This one greets visitors to our slide-in truck camper.


Welcome Wagon
16 x 18 inches
composite of patterns by Sher Hastings and Amy Bradley
fusible applique and free motion quilting
started and finished 2/12-16/17
~~~

If we were home, I'd use this one as a Christmas decoration. For now, it's sitting in the closet with the rest of the decorations.


A Well Dressed Man
made for Project Quilting, Season 8
Challenge #5: A Well Dressed Man
12 x 14 inches
machine applique
started and finished 2/27/17
~~~

This tiny quilt turned out to make an excellent trivet in our truck camper. I was just trying to use the tiny blocks in something. Who knew it would turn out to be so useful?


At a Minimum
made for the Precision Piecing Quilt-Along
pieced mini quilt blocks, each 2 inches (unfinished)
8 1/2-inches square
stitch-in-the-ditch quilting
started and finished in two days 2/28/17
#precisionpiecingqal
~~~

This next one is a kitty quilt. They have their cubbies in our truck camper, and this one belongs to Smitty.


Pinwheel Poetry
made for Kathleen Tracy's Small Quilt Lover's Challenge
created from "bonus triangles" leftover from four projects
traditional piecing and straight line quilting
28 x 22 inches
started and finished 3/2-6/17
~~~

It was my great pleasure to make this one for my friend, Robin. The Emperor is her kitty.


Pawtrait of The Emperor
made for a blogging friend from her original photograph
fusible applique and thread painting
free motion quilted on my domestic machine
14 x 11.5 inches
started and finished in a single weekend, April, 2017
~~~

This was made for the 2nd granddaughter of my dear friends Tom and Deb. They asked for the elephant theme in aqua and gray colors.


Mommy & Me
pattern by QP Designs
started 4/13/17 and finished 5/6/17
a gift for the grandchild of some friends
40 x 52, traditional piecing and fusible applique
free motion quilted on my mid-arm machine

~~~

This was my favorite quilt finished this year...it's a memorial to my brother, Richard, and it won a first place ribbon at the Oregon State Fair.


Snips and Snails
created as a project for a "Designing from Nature" class
Ruth McDowell's technique as taught by Ann Shaw
started 3/10/17 and finished 6/17/17
free motion quilted on my mid-arm machine
32 x 46 inches
~~~

This is another kitty quilt. This one belongs to sweet Sadie.


Cats in the Garden
free motion quilting sampler created by
Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt
started 5/15/17 and finished 7/3/17
27 x 21 inches
~~~

Just for fun. An Easter table runner.


Little Bunnies
A table runner
Free "Bunny Quartet" pattern by Kristina Brinkerhoff 
available in the Moda Bake Shop. 
Started 4/11/17 and finished 7/4/17
18 x 33 inches
~~~

This was originally intended to be a wall-hanging in our slide-in truck camper, but it ended up as a great snuggle quilt in that rig.


Wheel Estate
for the 2016 Rainbow Scrap Challenge
from the "Campers" pattern by Amy Bradley
started 2/19/16 and finished 7/21/17
39 x 57 inches
fusible applique, free motion quilted
~~~

My oldest UFO...finished!


Mumm's the Word
started 8/26/12 and finished 7/30/2017
traditional piecing and big-stitch hand-quilting
45 x 45 inches
pattern compliments of Debbie Mumm
~~~

And this quilt also made the trip with us in our RV. It's a great snuggle quilt, and one of Sadie's favorite napping spots.


Bee Loving
free pattern designed by Pamela Morgan for the Moda Bake Shop
started 6/13/16 and finished 8/17/17
57 x 70 inches
hand embroidered, traditional piecing, and free motion quilted

~~~

So, there you have it. I'm happy to say that several of this year's finishes are here with us in the RV. If we're not snuggling up under them, they're serving as kitty quilts and table toppers. 

9 comments:

gpc said...

What a remarkable body of work! You continue to impress me. :)

Kate said...

Most impressive that you made all of these this year - well done, you - they're all beautiful!

Quilting Babcia said...

So many great finishes! You've had a really productive year, despite being on the road for so much of the time. Happy New Year!

Kathy H said...

I loved seeing all these quilts again. Especially the one of your brother and the snake. That was great to see it slowly become a quilt. Thanks for a fun year of quilts and traveling.

Angel, Kirby and Max said...

That is an impressive completion list!

Kate said...

You've done well on reducing the UFO list and have some gorgeous quilts to show for all the efforts. I couldn't pick a favorite, though the Bee Quilt is definitely up there.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Lots of great projects.

beaquilter said...

lots of great projects! here's to another great and productive 2018!

quiltzyx said...

Oh my favorite over-achiever! Congrats on all the finishes!!