A Backwards Glance

It's been enjoyable reading everyone's 2012 wrap-up posts, and these last few days, I've been thinking about my own. I know I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed recovering from the holidays and all, but I guess I'm also a bit in awe over all this last year has held. I started making mosaics - and needed several! I started a list of accomplishments, and it brought back such fond remembrances. 

So to start, I'll share that list - of what I consider kind of major happenings in this year of sewing and blogging . . .

• 52 lists in 52 weeks - As the name suggests, this was a year-long project where I wrote a prompted list each week. This project concluded in June and was at once, self-reflective, mind-boggling, and fun.
• Zakka - Oh Zakka! 24 weeks of projects, and crazy me, I did every one. Many have been gifted, a handful made in repetition. At any rate, this sew-along was one of the year's highlights.
• *Picture-Perfect* Polaroid Swap - So who had no clue what she was getting into when she came up with this bright idea?! That would be me. There were 66(!) swappers, and 3293(!) blocks swapped. What absolutely delightful chaos this was! And yes, I still need to do something with all the blocks I received!
• Weekender - Oh my. When I finished this bag, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment, and I still do.
• Sewing Summit - On a whim, daughter dear and I decided to go to Sewing Summit this year, and it was a perfectly wonderful experience in so many ways. We learned, we sewed, we explored, but above all, we met so many talented and lovely people from our online quilting community.
• Tutorials - I did five this year, and found even the simpler ones alot of work. But how gratifying to share a little something of yourself with others. I hope to do it again.
• Stretching - There were several areas, all extremely satisfying   . . . experimenting more with free-motion quilting - an expert I'm not, but I'm not scared to try anymore; conquering frame purses - with both glue-in and sewn-on frames, and so not as difficult as they look; guest-hosting and features - so affirming; and in general, taking inspiration from what I've seen and making things my own . . . 

And back to those mosaics. There's massive bee blocks here and here, assorted bags, Zakka, Ruby Star Wrappings, and an assortment of other littles. And then . . . then there are the quilts, shown below. As I glance through them, it's hard to describe what I feel . . . a sense of achievement, of course. But also a recognition of growth, an outright fondness, and undeniably, a desire to make more.

1. "Tangerisk" for Tangerine Tango Challenge, 2. Scrappy Modern Halves quilt complete, 3. Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap Group3, 4. Wild Thing complete, 5. Modern Cross Quilt, 6. A QWERTY Quilt, 7. Sparkle QAL quilt complete, 8. Scrapbuster Swap Round 3 quilt using scrappy depression blocks is finished!, 9. "Spiraled", 10. "Pinky-Swoon" front, 11. "Hopscotch" complete!, 12. Zakka Block Quilt, 13. The Stars of Summer, 14. G.O. Modern, 15. A Taste of Marmalade, 16. A QWERTY variation, 17. Improv Quilt front, 18. Mod Pop Complete!, 19. A Maisy Quilt

So good-bye to 2012 and all the wonders it held. It's been awesome. I can't wait to see what's next on the journey . . .

Linking up with Craft Buds 2012 Year in Review.