There were so many unfinished projects on my list at the end of 2019, I vowed to make 2020 the "year of the finished project." In order to focus on finishing, I worked out a little disciplinary approach for myself. At any given time, I'm usually working on five embroidered quilt projects and five pieced projects. When I've run through the list of pieced projects, I give myself a "quilter's choice," but it still has to be something I can finish within the month I start it. If a spot opened up on either list, I let myself start something new. With those ground rules set up at the beginning of 2020, I managed to finish the year with fewer unfinished quilts than when I started...my goal accomplished. There are still more quilts unfinished than I'd like, but some progress is better than none. Also, a few of my longest-running WIP's were finished, and so I'm glad to get some of those old-timers into the finished column.
As you know, my quilting year only had 11 months in it since I broke my shoulder on December 4th. There's been no sewing during the month of December, with the exception of a few rounds of slow-stitching and just a little bit of machine stitching in the waning days of the year. Nevertheless, 25 quilts were finished during 2020, and that's a pretty good showing. In January of 2020, there were 26 projects on my list of WIPs. December of 2020 will end with 24 on the list. You'd think with 25 quilts finished during 2020, my numbers would be better, but that's the sad truth of it. Many of the WIPs on the list just need quilting and binding, and so possibly 2021 will end up with fewer unfinished projects. Many of the quilts finished during 2020 were also started during 2020. Many were small quilts made for challenges and swaps. With that little intro, here are the quilts that were finished in 2020:
Pumpkin Pie
from a class with Meg Hawkey
of Crabapple Hill Studios
started 8/10/18 and finished 1/25/20
hand embroidery and free motion quilting
16 x 23 inches
~~~
Farm Fresh Eggs
started 9/15/19 and finiched 3/21/20
hand embroidery, free motion quilting
9-1/2 x 14-1/2 inches
~~~
Pansy Mosaic
started 4/21/19 and finished 4/16/20
34 x 47 inches
traditional piecing, free motion quilting
~~~
Lord Bless You
designed by Jenny of Elefantz
started 4/11/20 and finished 4/19/20
a pay it forward gift
hand embroidery and traditional piecing
10 x 11 inches
~~~
The Sparrow 2.0
designed by Jenny of Elefantz
a pay-it-forward gift
started 4/20/20 and finished 4/24/20
fusible applique and hand embroidery
9 x 11 inches
~~~
12 Trees for Christmas
to make one quilt project
started 10/31/19 and finished 5/17/20
25 x 27 inches
hand embroidered, traditional piecing, and
free motion quilted on my domestic machine
~~~
Stitched Inchies 2020
created by Meg Hawkey for
International Embroidery Month 2020
hand embroidery, machine quilted
started 2/1/20 and finished 5/19/20
12 x 14 inches
~~~
Sweet Land of Liberty
Pattern by Crabapple Hill Studio
Hand embroidery, traditional piecing, free motion quilting
Started 8/23/19 and finished 6/6/20
24 x 24 inches
~~~
Hearts A-Plenty
an embroidered heart for each month of the year
design from Nancy Huggins of
"The Basket Case Needlework Therapy"
started 4/16/19 and finished 6/7/20
24 x 34
~~~
Love is Like a Butterfly
a challenge group for The Endeavourers
started 6/6/20 and finished 6/9/20
fusible applique and machine quilted
14 x 20 inches
~~~
Pawtrait of Luna
a kitty collage for a friend of my son
my own design from a photograph
15 x 16 inches
started 6/29/20 and finished 7/5/20
~~~
Pink Lemonade
a scrap quilt made from bonus triangles
started 4/19/20 and finished 7/6/20
a donation quilt for Quilts for Kids
33 x 47 inches
~~~
Shop Hop
a memory quilt of quilt shops I've visited
traditional piecing, hand embroidery, and free motion quilting
started 4/4/18 and finished 8/8/20
78 x 78 inches
~~~
Tuxedo's Tales
pattern by Bonnie Sullivan
started 1/23/17 and finished 8/14/20
fusible applique, traditional piecing, machine and hand embroidery
free motion quilting
41 x 52 inches
~~~
Chicken Buffet
started 2/27/15 and finished 8/25/20
pattern by Linda Huber & Bonnie Collins
Fusible applique, traditional piecing, hand and machine embroidery,
Free motion machine quilting
51 x 66 inches
~~~
Stitch Sampler
two embroidery samplers from Crabapple Hill Studios
started 4/28/19 and finished 8/27/20
hand embroidery, free motion quilting
26 x 17 inches
~~~
Gulls Just Want to Have Funmade for "The Sea" Challenge
started 8/28/20 and finished 9/1/20
from an original photograph
20 x 24
~~~
Half Square Affair
a scrap quilt made from bonus triangles
started 4/15/20 and finished 9/7/20
28 inches square
~~~
Bag Ladies of the Fat Quarter Club Stitch-along
patterns by Chickadee Hollow Designs
hand embroidery started 1/1/17 and finished 9/25/20
52 x 71 inches
~~~
Snow Globes
Pattern by Meg Hawkey, Crabapple Hill Studios
hand embroidery started 11/8/17 and finished 10/14/20
hand embroidery, traditional piecing, and free motion quilting
68 x 68 inches
~~~
Wyatt's World
made from a pre-printed panel
created 10/25-28/20
34 x 42 inches
~~~
Peas on Earth
a mug rug made from a soup pouch
created 11/5-6/20
11 x 14 inches
~~~
Mulligan Stew
from the book, Hobo Quilts, by Debra G. Henninger
started 4/15/13 and finished 11/18/20
machine pieced, hand quilted
60 x 67 inches
~~~
Friendship's Garden
pattern by Robin Kingsley, Bird Brain Designs
hand embroidery started 3/9/18 and finished 11/19/20
49 x 49 inches
~~~
Blue on Blue
a "Memories" challenge quilt for The Endeavourers
a finish, but it can't be revealed until February 1st
created 11/7-20/20
19 x 19 inches
~~~
When I broke my shoulder, I was excited to finish off at least one more old-timer of a project. It looks like it will top the list of finished quilts in 2021.
With this post, I'm wishing you a Happy New Year. It seems to me that 2021 will be a year of low expectations. It'll be a good year if we can get through it with fewer deaths, fewer broken bones, less violence, less bitterness, and a lot more sewing. And more cats. Surely, more cats would be a good place to start. It's a low bar, 2021. I know you can do it.
20 comments:
Well Holey Smokes Woman!!! You have a lovely grouping of completed projects and if you didn't get to that one - don't beat yourself up.
What an beautiful array of finishes for 2020--Good job on finishes...!!;)))
You were surely productive...rest up--you deserve it...hugs, Julierose
Great job....I hope your arm heals quickly and you can get back on schedule for 2021....:You inspire me....Happy New Year
Yay, sewing! There's nothing like the sound of the sewing machine to make the world right again.
I have been reading your blog for awhile now and really like your writing style and sense of humour. Love the quilting, needle work and cat content as well. Here’s to better things in 2021 and hope your shoulder let’s you get back to regular scheduled activity soon!
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce
I have been reading your blog for awhile now and really like your writing style and sense of humour. Love the quilting, needle work and cat content as well. Here’s to better things in 2021 and hope your shoulder let’s you get back to regular scheduled activity soon!
What a delightful list and photos of finished projects--
and a nice number of finishes--great job!!!
I pray your shoulder heals even faster so you can get back to full steam on your sewing and did you see that Crabapple hill has a couple projects for us this year--Feb will be one of course and then something about a Fall/Halloween one--but like fairly soon???
luv and hugs, do you and the fur babies and the new cook!!!
di
May the quilty cats in your life continue being the good obedient supervisors of all you achieve in 2021! Heal quickly my friend, the best is yet to come!
I loved this post Barbara - such fun to look back over all the great projects you did over the past year. I just an hour ago got the mail and my fabric order came which included a panel for a car mat similar (but not the same) to yours. It will be a Christmas present for our littlest 'grand'. I know it's early to think about Christmas but it's a good plan to pick it up when I see it.
I like the bar you've set for 2021 - may it come to pass!
Happy New Year!!!
Such a wonderful selection of finishes, well done. As I was reading your blog, one after another beautiful finished project popped up, you have certainly done well this year. Do hope your shoulder is healing well, sadly these things take time, dont they. Wishing you a Happy New Year from the other side of the world.
Congratulations on a year of awesome and prolific danishes. I love almost all of them, and “Gulls Just Want to Have Fun” always makes me giggle. Have a happy and healthy New Year 2021. And the kitties, too, because they work so hard...
Congratulations on all the finishes. Very impressive and beautiful. Happy New Year.
Barbara, I'm an avid reader of your blog.
Your writing and Smity's and Sadie's antics make me smile and laugh. Your accomplishments for 2020 are to applauded. I often wonder how you accomplish so much!
Thank you for your daily blog.
Fun to see your year in review, Barbara. Despite the tumble in December, you've had a good year of meeting your goals. And yes to more cats!
Love your comment about 2021 being a year of low expectations. You hit that mail on the head. Thanks for sharing all of your beautiful quilts - have to say my favorites are Mulligan Stew and Shoo Hop. My mom always said that whatever you do on New Year’s Day you will be doing all year, so you can believe I’m headed to my sewing room right now. Jenny Elefantz has a new posies sew along staring today and I am going to give it a go. Take care and wishing you good health, peace, and lots of sewing in 2021!
I very much enjoyed your review of quilts completed. Well done!
When you began your ebike adventure I was cheering you on. I enjoy your travels and your verve.
As I fell asleep to the neighbor's fireworks, I decided that 2021 will be taken gently. Gentle to myself and others in my tiny bubble.
Wishing you health, healing and continued designs to inspire us all.
Happy New Year to you and Mike! I agree, 2021 has a low bar and hopefully, we all get to the end. I like your idea of 5 hand-sewing projects and 5 machine-sewn projects as focus projects. This is the year I want to focus on getting projects done!
That's an impressive list of finishes! You've got some gorgeous quilts in the list, there's just too many to pick a favorite. Fingers crossed that 2021 is better for everyone. Sending you lots of healing thoughts so you can get back to finishing off the projects left on your list. Ending with even just a few less than you started with is an achievement.
Happy New Year to you and your family. I too am thrilled for you and am personally impressed at the amount of finishes you had in 2020. I loved the cat and bird ones. Even though some at small I found they can takes as much time as a larger quilt. Get well soon-- 6-8 wks??? 🤗
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