Making Plans on my 600th post!

Happy 2024! This first post of the year is also my 600^th post. 🥳  Yeah! Thanks Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for hosting this wonderful party again. 

For the last couple of years I've tried to minimize and generalize my plans - that's the best way for me to get realistic and possibly follow them. Last year my intention for 2023 was to learn by playing, with mindfulness and contentment. I still think that this is a great intention to work towards but I've tweaked it a bit. 

For 2024, my intention is to learn by playing, with mindfulness and gratitude. 

Anna's Hygge t-shirt quilt December 2023

Quilts

There are two quilts that I will be starting:

Swatches and plan

1. my daughter's Paddington Bear quilt, and
2. my husband's panel wall hanging.

I've started the Paddington centre panel

Double Decker Bus
Quiltmaker
May/June 2023

I'll be working on my Rainbow Neighbourhood flimsy, and finally, I'm really looking forward to free motion quilting (FMQ) my friend's quilt.

I've committed to participating in the SAHRR (Stay At Home Round Robin) again this year. I'm planning on making a medium sized wall hanging. That should help me keep up without stress. I love this challenge and the ladies who run it are so much fun.

It's going to be busy in the quilt making department but I have lots of time, no deadlines and some fun work ahead! 😊

Challenges and Hand-made Books

I will once again be participating in the Joyful Quilter's 2024 Table Scraps Challenge. I love making small scrappy projects each month. The fun of this challenge outweighs the deadline factor 😁 I'm already planning to make 3 more scrappy placemats for the rest of the family.

Two scrappy placemats done in 2023

Project Quilting starts January 7^th. I'm really hoping to use my quilting calendar to keep track of events such as this. I've added it to the calendar - now I just need to remember to look at it! 😁 Speaking of calendars, I also need to make myself a FMQ agenda cover.  

These are the agenda and journal covers that I made in 2023
as well as the three Project Quilting projects.

I'm looking forward to making more handmade books this year. Although I'm no longer in the Handmade book club, I still have many books to make and all kinds of fun ideas for their uses. I'm also planning on leading a playdate with the Out of the Box (OOTB) fibre artists group this winter.

I procrastinated writing this post and made a Crown Binding. It's a type of Artist book structure and is made mostly by folding paper. I'm not surprised that my books turned out quite wonky - I was never good at origami. It's an accuracy challenge thing 😏

2 crown bindings

You can see the structure 
keeping the pages in place

Art Quilts and Mindful Stitching

I tend to spend time stitching and working on art quilts between the larger quilt projects. As much as I love quilting, I need to make art quilts. It nourishes my soul. The art quilts often involve mindful stitching, but I do want to stitch every day. I'm still a member of the TextileArtist.org Stitch Club. I don't make each project but I tend to go back and forth, depending on my mood. 

I'm not really working on an art quilt right now but I do have an embroidery started. It's called Snow Happens by Bird Brain Designs. I've had it forever in my stash and I've already started. I'm not going to show you more progress since it looks really bad with the pattern stitch lines in. Once I iron off the lines, it will look great - just not the same as the pattern! 😁 

Stitching the Snow people

Snow Happens by Bird Brain Designs

I'll be making a wall hanging for my son's girlfriend. Instead of those diamonds on the pattern, I was thinking of working with hexies. Once I figure out how large I want to make it, I'll design the wall hanging with various elements on it. I have until next December, so I should be good. I know that it isn't very mindful but as long as I have audiobooks to keep me going, it will get done!

I'm going to try doing some mindful stitching by either starting a small panel of intuitive stitching à la Karen Turner, or possibly following the Stitch Away the Winter Blues with Kate Ward of Zen Stitching. The objective isn't the end product but rather the process.

Participating in Shows

I'll be participating in the Common Thread Quilt Guild's quilt show this spring. I plan to enter Version 2.0. I will also be making some really fun fibre art as part of an outdoor exhibition. The art will live outside for a few months. I'm really looking forward to playing and seeing what I can make. I made these prayer flags last winter and they survived the outdoor very well.

Flag in the tree

Prayer flags on the snow

What I learned

• As I look at my post, I realise that I have a lot of things that I want to do in 2024.
• If there are very few deadlines, I should be OK. The stress comes with trying to meet deadlines, not in the playing with fabric and fibre 😊
• I want to emphasize the playing aspect. If it's not fun, when why do it?
• Playing gives me the freedom to try things, make mistakes and sometimes even work my way out of those challenges.
• It's amazing to see all of the snow that we had last winter. Right now the ground is just covered in leaves. There was a light covering of snow on Christmas day but it was all melted by the afternoon with the rain we got.  
• I'm looking forward to another wonderful year of learning and playing. I am extremely grateful for the gift of time that retirement has brought. 
• Wishing you all happiness, health and fun in 2024! Here's to another 600 posts!

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties, particularly #2024QuiltingPlanningParty with Yvonne, the Quilting Jetgirl! Monday Making, Sew & Tell, Midweek Makers, Put your foot down, Finished (Or Not) Friday, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap!, Slow Sunday Stitching, 15 Minutes to Stitch 2024, 

Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 563 of Free Motion Mavericks. 

Last week DonnaLee made some really cute Christmas Tree coaster as well as more placemats and a runner. 

DonnaLee's sweet Christmas Tree coaster

Gail of Quilting Gail had a few finishes in December. One of her favourites was Vanishing Star. What a gorgeous quilt!

Gail's Vanishing Star quilt

Melva of Melva Loves Scraps finished her final quilt of 2023! It's a Wonky Star Toss quilt. What a fun finish 😊

Melva's Wonky Star Toss quilt

Finally, from Frédérique of Quilting Patchwork Appliqué, here is the beautiful Patio quilt that will be quilted in 2024!

Patio - finished and to be quilted in 2024!

It's now your turn!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter