2021 Mid-Year Check-In

Back in December, Yvonne/Quilting JETgirl hosted a 2021 Planning Party looking towards the year ahead, So now, months later, it's time for a #2021MidYearCheckIn. Funny thing is, I always immediately forget that I wrote a "plan," so I'm as surprised as anyone to see how I've been doing. Luckily, not half bad!

The Quilts

• Of course I want to make something with 2021's Pantone colors of the year, Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. Once I get official Pantone swatches, I'll begin the process of choosing fabrics. - It's in the works! It's an ongoing project in the form of Seattle MQG's block of the month, the Salsa Medallion. Slow but sure, it's coming along, and the next prompt will involve some curves.

• Dare I say there are no wips lurking about? Still hoping to finish my RAY quilt before 2020 ends, but if not, promptly in 2021. - Mission accomplished. This was a really enjoyable one and the first I'd hand-quilted in quite a while.

RAY Quilt

• More stash-busting and scrap-using is definitely in order. AND improv. The goal of at least one finished quilt project a month really encourages me along, so there's that too.- I've managed the monthly quilt project quota so far, and there's been a fair amount of scrap usage, so pretty pleased how that's going.

• And Bee Sewcial, an improv and solid-only bee, is heading into our 7th(!) year together and I anticipate the group growing a bit. This bee has really challenged me over the years, and I look forward to more of that. - Pretty excited about my current prompt, fine-line piecing, and blocks are still arriving.

Handwork

• I definitely want to keep up with the handwork I've been doing this year, and continue to be open to learning new techniques. Thus I joined Blair Stocker's Snowflake Sampler to learn chicken scratch embroidery. - This project is going great. It's all new to me, and I'm enjoying the stitching a lot.

• I'm also currently working on a large Dropcloth Sampler, and finishing that in the new year is also a goal. - Another mission accomplished, and it's one of my very favorites! 

ABC Max

The Community

Again, mostly I want to do more of the same:

• Regular, frequent posting on the blog here and on Instagram. They pretty much go hand in hand for me. - This is going well, and I'm thrilled I figured out a new way to get blog posts to my email subscribers - whew!
• I plan to carry The Scrap Basket into its 6th year, though as much as I enjoy publishing it, I keep debating if it's cost-effective. Prices have jumped with a growing readership, and considering I publish just once every few weeks, it's costly. At this point, I consider it a gift to my community and justify it that way. - All still true, and I got a lot of positive response on the most recent issue, which is encouragement to just keep it up for now.

QuiltCon Together

• It's not the same as QuiltCon, that's true, but I'm really looking forward to QuiltCon Together, and have signed up for a pretty full experience. - oh yeah. It was different of course, but still really good. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

New Directions

• Is it bad to say I have nothing major planned? So much is uncertain, I'm giving myself the grace to take it as it comes. - For not planning anything major, it's been plenty busy. I participated in IGQuiltFests 2021, and besides the Snowflake Sampler, I'm also hand-stitching along with #100DaySummerSewalong, making bow-tie blocks; and participating for the 5th year in the Summer Sampler. In addition, I've done a couple of pieces of liturgical art, which I didn't anticipate; am participating in a blog hop soon, and also have an upcoming feature I'll share about when the time is right. All in all, it's been a good creative year so far, and I'm pretty much enjoying it as it unfolds.

Linking up with Quilting JETgirl's #2021MidYearCheckIn.