2010 In review.

January, a month of new beginnings. Last year for Christmas (er...late November) my dear husband got me a new sewing machine! It's a Singer Confidence, and her name is Nancy (after "Sewing with Nancy" on PBS). It was just a nice little upgrade from my bottom of the line sews two stitches only machine. The big difference is that I wanted to get the most out of it so I didn't hesitate to buy new feet and try new things.

Last January I attempted my first bit of free motion quilting. I made this little doll quilt for my friend Schell for her birthday. I'm not sure she "gets" doll quilts, but whatever. lol. I think it turned out great. I also worked a lot on a "sample" quilt that I made to try out some new piecing methods (a year ago I did not even know how to make a log cabin!) These pieces are now at the bottom of the shelf probably never to see the light of day again. They weren't bad but lacked the color and style that I now appreciate. I learned a lot.

February found me stippling like a mad woman. I made doll quilts for my nieces so that I could practice, and I think I got pretty decent at it! I made my first stack of cloth napkins and haven't looked back since (no paper here anymore!). The most momentous thing I did regarding sewing was, I used a rotary cutter for the first time! The first fabrics I cut into were my stack of Little Folks that I'd gotten for Christmas (the best gift ever!). I also learned several ways of making a log cabin... and various other blocks. All self-taught via books and blogs.

March brought on a great change in our family's lives... one which I still can't talk about. More on that in the coming months. I finished my first big quilt! My "Little Folks Quilt" was stippled in a linear fashion... hard to explain but I hadn't quite got the randomness down yet. But it got all crinkly and lovely and I love it. Also, all the dolls in the house got puffy paint hearing aids to match my little girl's purple ones. She got a kick out of that!

April I got hooked on ruffles. And learned that I don't particularly like sewing hexagons. I also got my first yard of fabric from my big giveaway win - one yard a month for a year from the publishers of "One Yard Wonders!"

May was a month of matching skirts and string quilt quitting (I gave up and it will now - eventually - be a toddler quilt), and sewing my first purse, for my mom of course!

June was a month of crazy growth. I started flickring - and joined my first swap (DQS9). I immediately chose the hardest quilt I possibly could think of and got to work on it for my partner. I love that quilt! That was really the first quilt that I really planned start to finish. I knew what I was doing and how it was going to end up. Amazing! I also played with some fabric (still unfinished blocks) and made some more doll quilts to give away to small children.

July surprised me. I was randomly compelled to make a full size quilt for the baby of my good friend from high school (who I haven't seen in years). I did it in record time and pebble quilted it. I got tons of work done on my DQS9 quilt, and taught my niece how to quilt. I also was surprised and completely heartbroken over the sudden loss of my best friend's friend's baby who was stillborn (note: I've never met this friend of a friend). The loss of Anne Michelle is still terrible for me, I don't know how my friend, or the baby's parents can handle it. I made her a mini quilt (about 30" square?) The piecing on that quilt was done with tears in my eyes, and it was passed on to Leslie, the baby's mom - hopefully she finds healing. Pray for her.

August was a crazy month of keeping busy, trying new things, and joining and finishing swaps. I finished the DQS9 quilt, started making mug rugs by the dozen, swapped pincushions, tackled zippers, and went to Disney! I can't tell enough about that Disney trip! As you can see my baby and her friends Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. Also, I started a flickr group to compile blocks to make my niece Rosemarie a quilt. Rosemarie is four and has been fighting cancer for three years. Pleas pray for her!

In September I mostly sewed smaller projects, lots of mug rugs, lots of pincushions. three swaps, and my first commissioned work (a set of coasters for my friend).

October was a month of sewing nearly every day. I made a gnome costume for Allie, and some box totes for myself and my sister. I sewed together and quilted Rosemarie's Cancer Killing Quilt. I made my first pillow - from my swapped Mod Bento blocks.

In November I joined up with the Pillow Talk {Swap} and started on the most complicated block I've ever done. There are definitely a couple hundred tiny pieces sewn together in that 12" block! I sewed up the extra blocks from Rosemarie's quilt to make a companion one for her sister Katee, and got them both quilted and the binding attached before my deadline of thanksgiving (where I spent our trip to Ohio hand sewing them down). Oh and I started Christmas presents too!

Now here we are in December, where I've found both Rosemarie and Katee's quilts are finished in time for Christmas, I've been very busy with other smaller Christmas presents, and decided about two weeks ago to start on a Christmas/birthday quilt for my husband. Luckily it came together very quickly and is nearly finished! I also got an early Christmas gift of a walking foot (hehe... I should have gotten one of those a long time ago) - which was used to quilt dear husband's quilt!

Wow. Comprehensive? No there were quite a lot of sewing things left out... but overall I think I was a bit obsessed with sewing/fabric during 2010! It's kept me busy which is great. I look forward to more progress and learning in 2011! Thanks for sticking with me!