Hi and welcome 😊. The deadline for linking up to #202QuiltingPlanningParty is approaching so I had better get myself in gear! I'll use the same categories as my Best of 2024 post (quilts, challenges, art quilts, mindful stitching/embroidery, journal making and miscellaneous projects). Once again, I really hope to keep this year simple. Ideally all of my projects would be chosen mindfully but I'm a night owl and at 2am, every new project sounds great!

Quilts for 2025

As you know, there are many steps involved in making a quilt. The first part, after deciding what pattern and fabric to use, is the actual making of the quilt top. After this comes the quilting - with the sandwiching and the free motion quilting (FMQ). You may have heard that piecing a quilt is not my favourite part, but sandwiching is even worse. That's why many of my UFOs (Un Finished Objects) have stalled at the sandwiching phase. I have a number of quilt tops to quilt - so I'm going to arbitrarily choose to finish 2 of them this year.

For instance, in 2023 I participated in the Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL but haven't quilted it yet. The quilt, pictured in the top left, is a large quilt, and is at the top of my list! I also participated in the 2023 SAHRR (Stay At Home Round Robin) and made that cute quilt in the bottom centre. That could be another one that would be simple and fun to FMQ.

Quilts made in 2023 with 2 flimsies that haven't been FMQ yet.

I am also participating in this year's SAHRR since I have a cute panel that needs to be made into a quilt before the baby becomes a teen! He's almost two, so it's not that bad😁.

Christmas panel

Baby Cowboy panel

As I was looking for Christmas fabric for my "Snow Happens" embroidery (see below), I remembered that I also have a Christmas panel to make. Am I being overly ambitious by trying to do both of these during SAHRR? Probably but whatever happens, it's better than what I have now, which is 2 panels😁

I can't get to my stash to pick fabrics for the cowboy panel yet since I'm in the middle of cleaning my studio. My computer desk area, the closet and my cutting table are mostly done. Now I have to tackle the fabric stash area and my journal supplies. It's a big job!

I also hope to make a few small cuddle quilts since I owe my guild a few.

Challenges

This is the hardest category to predict. I do know that I will participate in a few Project Quilting (PQ) season 16 Challenges. It will depend on what else I have to do and if the theme strikes my fancy. At the same time, I have workshops through TextileArtist.org every two weeks. I don't always participate for the same reasons but I review and often watch the workshop video to see what it's about. Sometimes I feel like doing something months later - and I know where to find it.

This first piece was both for Project Quilting 16.1 and a workshop by Woo Jin Joo for TextileArtist.org's Stitch Club. Both happened to be on the subject of mythical creatures. I'm so happy that I participated in both.

The Rabbit's Adventure is based on the Korean folktale
"The Rabbit's Liver"

The rabbit and the mythical turtle

I will also be participating in the Joyful Quilter's Table Scraps Challenge. Although I usually start a few days before the monthly deadline, I really enjoy playing with scraps. To me this is total play since my pieces are small and easy to sandwich and quilt! Some of the participants have started with orphan blocks (blocks that never made it into anything) and made them into something fun and/or useful. Unless I get an idea like my placemats last year (believe me, I don't need any more!) I'll just do random things, like December's corner book marks.

Corner bookmarks - easy to make and fun to give away!

Art Quilts

Many of my art quilts come from workshops or challenges. Sometimes though, I have an idea or a technique that I want to explore. These are usually a lot of fun but much more challenging. This was the case with my Spring Tulips - a 3D art piece made with water soluble machine embroidery.

Spring Tulips - a vase of free standing textile tulips

Although this piece was finished in April, after I took it home, the drooping tulips were bugging me. This week, I finally took a pair of scissors to them and inserted bamboo skewers. I still have to stitch them back up, but they are finally staying in place. Yay!

So, I don't know what will pop up this year but I sure hope I remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Mindful stitching/embroidery

At this time, I have two major embroidery projects to finish. They came about through the Joyful Embroidery class with Fleur Woods. I will get these finished this year.

Punch needle project

This will be a major embroidery project for 2025

A more realistic view of what's left to stitch on my
Almost Daily Stitching project (2024-25)

I do hope to experiment with Kawandi style stitching again this year. If I can get them started, they are a wonderful hand-stitching project to take anywhere.

Christmas Kawandi style mat
started by machine and then hand-stitched

Journal making

I'm not sure exactly what I'll be making except for at least one more work journal for my hubby. Next week I have a playdate through Out of the Box (OOTB) to make an altered book. I'm sure that I'll find occasions to make at least a few journals this year!

I did start the new year making a Upcycled Traveller's Journal with a fabric cover, instead of my usual agenda. The first month of the year may not be over but I am using it! 😃

The inside of my Up-cycled Traveller's Journal and Agenda

Up-cycled Traveller's Journal with fabric cover

My narrative textile squirrel book is another project that spans a few categories. I will be working on my lovely squirrels story.

Narrative Textile Bookmaking course with squirrels!

Miscellaneous projects

Now that my "Snow Happens" embroidery is finished, it's now become a quilting project 😁. There is a lot of intermingling going around here! It needs to become a wall hanging by the end of the month! Anne-Marie told me that I could link up my One Monthly Goal (OMG) at the end of the month, even if I missed the initial posting's deadline. Thanks! Now I'd really like to get this done.

"Snow Happens" embroidery needs to become a wall hanging by the end of January

Possible fabrics to use

Pattern by Bird Brain Designs

If you've followed me for a while, you may have noticed that I didn't mention a couple of UFO's that have barely been started. My daughter's Paddington Bear quilt, and my husband's panel wall hanging. It would be nice if this was the year that one or both of them got done! I'm not saying anything else. 😔

What I learned

I wasn't going to include this part in my planning post but after seeing the huge list of projects that I want to accomplish, I think that I need to.
I think that the biggest part about "keeping it simple" this year is to avoid deadlines that will cause me to stress out!
Deadlines are not all the same. An OMG is there to encourage. I'm hoping to participate every month and that this will help keep me focused. Deadlines like shows and exhibits are the worse. There will be one or two shows for OOTB - and I already have something to add to the show (The Rabbit's Adventure), so anything else I make is extra!
I do have to avoid taking extra workshops that involve a lot of time. Joyful Embroidery was great but requires a lot of work. One of these courses every couple of years is enough for me!
I do have to remember that I'm retired! I have a lot more time to spend on making and playing than ever before.
Something that I take as a given is the continuation of my blogging and the weekly Free Motion Mavericks linking party. Thanks so much for being a part of this. It means a lot to me 😍
For 2024, my intention was to learn by playing, with mindfulness and gratitude. My intention for 2025 is the same. Hopefully this will deepen with attention.

Linking parties

I'll be linking up to many fun linking parties, particularly the #202QuiltingPlanningParty hosted by Quilting Jetgirl.

Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 515 of Free Motion Mavericks! It was a very productive week! Thanks for linking up. Here are the projects from last week that included FMQ, ruler work or walking foot quilting.

Melva of Melva Loves Scraps finally finished her Camping Journal Quilt and it will go into the camper, as soon as the camper is ready. Good luck Melva!

Melva's Camping Journal Quilt

Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts has finished another quilt and pattern - Garden City!

Preeti's new Garden City quilt and pattern

Dawn of Quilted by Dawn didn't get much blogging done last year, so we'll be seeing her finishes this year. She made this lovely improv quilt, Mix It Up, based on a class. It's quilted with straight lines.