2021: The Year in Review

Have you started the countdown yet? Nah...me neither. I'm sure I'll be in my jammies sleeping at midnight. The days of staying up to watch the clock turn 12:00 are long past. We try to stay quiet these days. We wouldn't want to hurt ourselves, you know. And, honestly, 2022 has to be a better year, doesn't it?

It was kind of a slow day here at the Traveling Three Cats Ranch (TTCR) yesterday. The weather was nice though...into the 50's, I think, and sunshine for most of the day. The KOA where we've been staying is affiliated with the Feather Falls Casino. We walked around the RV park, and then across to the casino. We didn't go inside, but we saw a few things of interest along our way. This is a blooming bottle brush.

I forget what this next thing is called, but I believe it is in "pre-bloom" stage.

Some roses that haven't figured out that it's winter here.

In the casino sidewalk, there were some spirit animals. I believe this bear is heading off to hibernate.

Here's some kind of fish. There were also coyotes and elk, but without much contrast, and so I didn't photograph them.

Back at the RV, I finished off Basket #1 of nine.

And now the next one is ready for stitching. I had a little problem printing these onto the Sticky Fabri-Solvy. The toner cartridge in my laser printer was running out of toner, and so they printed very faintly. Some of them have been filled in with pencil. It shouldn't be a problem, but I mention this because I had to spend some time on Photoshop trying to bring out the contrast so you could see it.

Toward the end of the day, I thought we might get a pretty sunset, but this is as interesting as it got. If I stepped just about two steps to the right, the round golden sun was shining very brightly. I had to use the trees to filter it out.

This morning, the kitties are demonstrating how they will ring in the new year.

As for me, it seems like today will be my last chance to show off the quilts finished in 2021, so here we go. 

There were 21 quilts finished during 2021, which seems appropriate, doesn't it? That's a pretty good showing given that I was working with a broken shoulder and thumb for the first several months. In January of 2021, there were 24 projects on my list of WIPs. December of 2021 will end with 26 on the list. You'd think with 21 quilts finished during the year, I'd end with fewer quilts on the WIP's list. Oh well. Many of them are sandwiched for quilting, and I'm hoping 2022 will end with a better showing. But, honestly, I'm certain I'll die with a couple of dozen projects still in the works, so what's an unfinished quilt here and there? 

I notice that a lot of the finished quilts were small quilts. It wasn't a plan, except that those are easier to get from start to finish. Maybe I'll call 2022 the year of quilting the big quilts. For now, I'll give you a little look back at the finishes over the past year.

Stitched Inchies 3.0

a stitch-along designed by Meg Hawkey

of Crabapple Hill Studios for International Embroidery Month

hand embroidery, free motion quilting

started 2/1/21 and finished 3/18/21

18 x 22 inches

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Mini Spinners

pattern from Suzanne's Art House

started 1/26/21 and finished 2/19/21

12 x 12 inches

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Color Theory: Flights of Fancy

made for The Endeavourers Art Quilt Group Challenge

started and finished 3/22-26/21

24 x 28 inches

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Sundress

Pattern by Meg Hawkey, Crabapple Hill Studios

hand embroidery, traditional piecing, free motion quilting

started 9/9/17 and finished 4/18/21

74 x 74 inches

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Poppy Mosaic

a pattern from Jane Kakaley

started 4/20/20 and finished 5/8/21

34 x 47 inches 

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Opposites Attract: Comedy Tragedy

a challenge quilt for The Endeavourers

started and finished 5/23-27/21

18 x 20 inches

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Liberty Sampler

Pattern by Kathy Schmitz

Hand embroidery, Machine quilting

12 x 13.5 inches

Started 3/3/21 and finished 6/6/21

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In the Good Old Summertime

Pattern from Crabapple Hill Studios

Hand embroidery, free motion quilting

23 x 37 inches

Started 9/30/20 and finished 6/6/21

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And On that Farm

an art quilt designed by McKenna Ryan

started 9/29/16 and finished 6/23/21

67 x 75 inches

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Beary Patch

Originally published by Quiltmaker Jan/Feb 2011

41 x 51

Started 6/20/21 and finished 7/12/21

traditional piecing and machine quilting

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Sonora Sparkle

From an original photograph

Started 6/27/21 and finished 7/16/21

traditional piecing in the style of Ruth McDowell

20 x 26 inches

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Dream Big

a preprinted panel for practicing free motion quilting

started 7/21/21 and finished 8/12/21

45 x 45 inches

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Newspaper Headline: Friendship 7

an art quilt for The Endeavourers

started 8/2/21 and finished 8/19/21

13 x 20 inches

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Quilt Shop Redwork

designed by Cathy Parker

Hand embroidery
started 1/20/21 and finished 8/21/21
18 x 23 inches

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Kitty Cat Alphabet

design by The Patchmakers

hand embroidery, traditional piecing, and free motion quilting

started 10/18/21 and finished 11/3/21

21 x 20 inches

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Get Well Kitty

a wall-hanging design by Mouseblankets

started 10/28/21 and finished 11/5/21

fusible applique with button embellishment

16 x 19

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Fancy Cats

made from the Cat-i-tude panel gifted by a friend

54 x 64 inches

started 6/23/20 and finished 11/13/21

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Feelings

An Art quilt for The Endeavourers

Started 11/13/21 and finished 11/22/21

20 x 27

Just a peek (reveal on 2/1/22)

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Bee Brave

Design by Gail Pan for the

Love & Hugs from Australia Facebook group

13 inches square

Started 3/17/21 and finished 11/27/21

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Appalachian Memories

pattern by Beth Dix of Primrose Lane

started 10/18/18 and finished 12/13/21

59 x 75 inches

Hand embroidery, traditional piecing, machine quilting

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Tiny Tuesday Sampler

a sew-along from Soscrappy

started 1/6/19 and finished 12/19/21

51 x 62 inches

It'll be a driving day today. We're headed off to Delhi, California, where we'll meet up with my friend Judy. Hopefully, we'll be able to see the sandhill cranes fly in this year. We've had another change of plans too. We're meeting up with Judy tomorrow, although we'd set aside two days, as insurance. We realized that our drive to our next destination was nearly 400 miles, which is too far for these two old coots. (Bringing in the bird reference there...clever, huh?) So we'll stay just two nights in Delhi, and then move on to Bakersfield the next day. A good stopping point between Delhi and Lake Skinner Recreation Area. We'll be meeting up with a group of friends in Lake Skinner for the week, and so there's lots of fun ahead.

Please have a happy and safe new year, and let's all meet back here again next year.