2012: A Review

All in all, I've had a pretty good year. I finished a few big(ish) quilts (and started a lot more ;o)), made quite a few mini quilts and a couple of cushions and bags.

I have to say my favorite part of my blogging life this year has been all the people I've connected with and the friendships I've made around the world. When I started my blog I had no idea what a wonderful and supportive online community there is in the crafty world - so to all of you who follow me and leave lovely comments, a huge thank you. You've made my year so much better in so many ways :o)

Highlights for me were participating in a few fabulous swaps (nothing better than receiving squishy packages of handmade goodness), having a couple of tutorials published in Fat Quarterly e-mag, and coming in second place in the Groove QAL. I didn't finish a huge number of big quilts, but I have learnt quite a few new techniques, and have a whole bunch of works in progress that I'd love to finish sometime in 2013. The plan is to join the FAL - being hosted by the uber talented Leanne of She Can Quilt. I'm hoping it will be the kick up the butt I need to get some of my long term WiPs finally done (retro flowers and my stained quilt in particular!)

At the end of last year I wrote a list of things I hoped to achieve in 2012, so I thought I'd review what I did and didn't accomplish.

Participate in some QALs - I've already signed up for two QALs, and will probably do more. 

Yep, I did a lot more. I didn't actually get any finished except my Groove quilt (possibly my favorite finish of the year).

Not only that, but I ended up co-hosting a QAL with Jess (which is finishing up in a couple of weeks!). I had no idea what I was getting myself into - it was a LOT of work but I learnt a massive amount doing it. A huge, huge thanks to Jess for joining me in doing it - she did a lot of the designing work and I'm not sure it would have happened without her encouragement.

Participate in a bee

Heh, make that three bees, with another one starting in January!

Finish writing up some of my designs into tutorial/patterns to put on my blog (I have one nearly finished).

I ended up writing up a few tutorials for quilts in 2012 - and I got EQ7 for Christmas (the nagging totally paid off) so there will most likely be a few more in 2013!

Learn some more difficult techniques (paper piecing and needle-turn applique in particular)

I tackled paper piecing, curved piecing, and generally gained a lot more skills in complex piecing thanks to the QAL. I'm generally a way more confident and accurate quilter these days :o) I still haven't learnt applique, but that is on my list for 2013 - along with Sashiko (stay tuned on that one - there's a really cool blog hop I'm participating in coming up soon!).

There was also my 'dream' list:


And some things I'd like to do but don't expect will actually happen this year:

Get one of my designs in Moda Bakeshop

Still dreaming of this one ;o)

Get published somehow

Amazingly I did get a tutorial published in Fat Quarterly (still get excited that it happened, lol!)

So, onward and upward for 2013 - honestly I don't think it could top this year, but you never know!

xx Jess