APPLIQUE PAINTBOX-I LOVE APPLIQUE

IN WHICH WE CELEBRATE OUR ONE YEAR BLOGIVERSARY AND INCLUDE A RETROSPECTIVE AND A LOOK FORWARD!

An anniversary is a good time to look backwards to review how things have gone and to look forward expectantly to the future.

My first posts were about my terror of free motion quilting and how likely my use of it would ruin my beautiful appliqued quilts!  A healthy concern! My first posts also listed what I was then working on and my projects for the foreseeable future.  These included:

1.  Quilt Mountmellick.  Did that-completed-rather proud of the job after finishing!  I have done a lot of FMQ practice this year thru classes from Craftsy, thru Lori Kennedy, thru the Sit Down Free Motion Quilters blog and just on my own learning motifs,  quilting images and patterns, and just generally practicing.  My confidence level has really risen.

2. Quilt Caswell.  Didn't happen-put in next year's stack.  This is perhaps my favorite quilt I ever made so I did not want to rush into it. 

3.  Finish what at that time was a Stonefields quilt from a pattern by Susan Smith but morphed into the funnest quilt I have ever made--Chuck, Susan, and Me which incorporates blocks from Chuck Nohara, Susan Smith, and ones designed by me. I ended up making 144 blocks altogether.  the quilting process has begun.

4.  Make Sweet Surrender:  Been there, done that!  Got the gold medal!  Pattern and fabric:

Finished quilt:

5.  And last, Village quilt-not much progress on this quilt during the past year except for mental, invisible, but none the less, meaningful work.  This is a Yoko Saito pattern thru my favorite magazine, Quiltmania and my version in soft taupes.

OK-END OF RETROSPECTION.  LET'S LOOK AHEAD!

1.  My first emphasis for this year will be to continue "perfecting" free motion quilting.  I am looking at a class by Judi Marsden on Iquilt.  She quilted a stunning version of Sweet Surrender so learning some techniques from her would be invaluable.  I also purchased two study books:

Margaret Gunn is, of course, a reknown quilter and her advice, pointers, and lessons will teach much.  I want to practice, practice, practice!

2.  Quilt these two babies.  Judi Marsden's version will be my model for SS and I have a couple of ideas for my Caswell.

3.  Finish quilting Chuck, Susan, and Me.  This is doable-I am having fun with it.

4.  Before the cold weather sets in again in the fall (we always keep the temps in the house a bit low so we don't hog the world's resources), put together and quilt Over and under.  Think about how to make it bigger than 60x60 so it is a good snuggle.

5.  Keep playing with fabric paints.  I recently purchased some Derwent Inktense pencils and WOW are these great!  I have a pattern to quilt in different colors (I think) and then paint.  This is a simple pattern with lots of room for different colors and ample spacing.

6.  Pull together the infamous Village quilt.  A photo of this project is above.  I want to dye some fabric in soft taupy colors of water, sky, grasses, rock walls, and stone walkways.  I want to do some embroidery on this quilt such as lots of flowers, some fish, definition of rock etc.  Lots of work to be done but I am feeling enthusiastic.

7.  Quiltmania does it to me every year!  They always manage to suck me into their world.  This year it is Yoko Saito's quilt Imaginary Garden.   Lovely!

This photo does not do it justice.  The quilt is a lovely combination of applique and embroidery.  I would do it in a palette full of soft colors and in a smaller size than the bed size quilt she has made.

OMG!  I'm exhausted!  

See you next week!

I am linking up with:

Slow Stitching Sunday, Bambi's Blog,Patchwork Times,  Em's Scrapbag, BOMS,

Esther's Wow, Let's Bee Social,Whoop Whoop, and Off the Wall Friday, and Finish or Not!