Reflecting on 2021

As I am considering all the quilts I want to finish in this coming year, it seems I am also doing quite a lot of reflecting on the quilting accomplishments of '21. It was a really good year! 

 I suppose you know that I keep track of what I make each year and record those finishes on a separate page. On the web (laptop) those are found in the right sidebar of this blog. On a mobile device, there is a pull-down ribbon with the pages listed. Click here to be taken to the 2021 page. 

I thought it'd be sorta' fun to recap the top 9, since I know how to do a 3x3 collage. That collage represents several quilts that were on my goals list for 2021, I am happy to report. Let's say a word or two about each one.

#1 - Churn Dash Exchange; The Frankfort girls had a block exchange and I made this quilt top with my blocks. It turned out even better than I'd expected, and I love the way the light and dark of the HSTs make 'paths' around the churns.

#2 - Lucy is a Carrie Nelson pattern that Sharon and I made together. Mine is made with variety of florals and pale blue (almost white); hers was red and cream, made with French General fabrics. I'm pretty sure both of us agreed that we prefer making quilts with bigger pieces.

#3 - Double Irish Chain; again Sharon and I did this quilt together. My blue was brighter than hers; my neutral is a white-on-white. I loved making this. It is a very strong possibility that I will make a red and white one in 2022. Click here to see Sharon's.

#4 - Scrap-busting Economy Quilt. I had no plan when I began this. I just made a big pile of 4-patches using squares from my 2" tub. Then I decided that turning them into economy blocks would be a nice way to tame the chaos of all the fabrics and colors. It was fun, but for some reason, I still have lots of 2" squares left. Mystifying!

#5 - Original Spring Dreams; Sharon, Dee and I did a sew-along during the spring and this quilt was the first of several I made during that time. This first one is actually quilted and used regularly on our bed. This quilt and all of the other versions were not on my goals list for the year, yet I feel pretty darn good about making them and using from my stash.

#6 - Red and White Stars; I made this based on a picture I saw on the internet. I found two star patterns in some books I had, and then added the setting block with the red corners. All together, it looks pretty good for a quilt with no pattern. 

#7 - Scrappy Irish Chain; I'd had the pattern for this quilt for several years, so finally I made it. What a lot of stitching! I like the use of yellow, but Sharon (yes, she made one, too) used a muted pink which affords a much calmer quilt. I would make another one of these, for sure. And since I have lots of scraps, it may just happen!

#8 - Cobalt Stars; just like #6, this one is made up from an online picture. I was so excited to use some of my Kaffe Fassett blues, and the results here make me very, very happy.

#9 - Lunch Box Social; I almost feel sorry for this quilt! It has been on my goals lists for like 4 or 5 years! I just always kept putting it off for some reason. As it turns out, dragging my feet on it was totally unnecessary. It may look involved, but was super-easy to construct. I am glad it is finally finished.

Do you have a favorite? It'd be hard to select just one. I could name three that would tie for my top faves:Churn Dash Exchange; Blue and White Double Irish Chain; Cobalt Stars. These make me supremely happy to look at, and I really ought to make it a priority to quilt them. We shall see.

Day three of our month-long vacation finds us in Mobile, AL, where today we will visit Bellingrath Gardens. We like to see these famous gardens around the country, and I hope early January will be a good time for Mobile. We know it could be iffy, of course. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!