2022 Mid-Year Check-In

At the end of last year, Yvonne/Quilting JETgirl hosted the 2022 Planning Party looking towards the year ahead. So now, she's encouraging us to take stock for a #2022MidYearCheckIn. Sadly, I rarely even remember I made a plan, so I've been as surprised as anyone to see how I've been doing. 

The Quilts

• More stash-busting and scrap-using is definitely in order. In fact, I'm considering starting 100 Days of Scraps, since I enjoyed my 50 so much this year. AND my scrap basket is truly overflowing. Again. - Actually, I settled on 50 Days of Scraps (see #aqt50daysofscraps2022), and that felt about right. My most obviously scrappy project was a set of colorful potholders, though I've managed several quilts as well. Even though the 50 days are over, it's an ongoing process and goal, to be sure.

• There are a couple of key WIPs that I'm still working on finishing - my 2021 Summer Sampler quilt, and the hand-pieced bowtie quilt begun in the 100 Day Summer Sewalong. I expect the first to be a priority after the holidays. - Yay for finishing the Summer Sampler right off, though the bowtie quilt blocks are still languishing. I need to revisit them!

• As usual, I plan to make something with 2022's Pantone color of the year, Very Peri. Once I get an official Pantone swatch, I'll work on figuring out fabrics.- I have the swatch, and fabric even, but have yet to tackle this one, but fully expect to still do that.

• The goal of at least one finished quilt project a month continues to encourage me along, so I plan to continue with that. I really think I want to continue to go with the flow, though, about what those quilts might be.... whatever brings me joy in the moment would be my preference, and discovering what that might be is a big part of the fun. - This has continued to work well for me, and is an ongoing goal. In fact, I have a new quilt in progres - one with improv X blocks - so hopes are I can finish it by month's end... or then again, make something else.

• Bee Sewcial, an improv and solid-only bee, is heading into our 8th(!) year together and I'm up again to offer a prompt come April. - yes! My new prompt was "Horizons," and I have blocks from my beemates up on the design wall now, and am mulling over a finishing plan.

• The blocks aren't quite done yet, but will be early in the new year, so I plan to make a quilt out of my Snowflake Sampler blocks, hand-stitched all through 2021.- Happily, my Chickenscratch quilt is finished too! What a fun project, learning something totally new for me.

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. I'm mulling over what new to explore. - Well, as luck would have it, in April the 2022 Stitch Club Kantha Sew-Along presented itself, and over the new few months, I learned to make a Kantha quilt. Let's just say I loved (pretty much) every minute, and am so pleased with my finished quilt.

• I expect I'll continue to stitch the occasional Dropcloth Sampler, and am looking forward to a new one that is coming soon! - That was apparently the Schoolhouse Sampler, which was SO much fun! Of course, since then I've also finished Drawing Stitches, Pie, and Yo Yo Rainbow. Yeah, it's an ongoing obsession.

The Community

Hope to do more of the same:

• Regular, frequent posting on the blog here and on Instagram. Don't expect me to try any fancy stuff though. ha. - I'm thankfully able to still post pretty consistently. I'd kind of like to explore making reels, though haven't actively pursued that yet.
• I'll take The Scrap Basket into its 7th year, and monthly editions seem to make sense for the time being. - Yes, monthly continues to be the routine, usually at month's end.
• I'm mulling over whether to focus more on entering quilts into shows. I really like that idea, though the process of entering doesn't bring me joy - ha. So we'll see. - I haven't made the effort, though an exciting opportunity did come up that I can share more about soon.

QuiltCon 

• I'm not going to make it to QuiltCon in Phoenix, having to settle on a couple of my quilts going in my place. - Sad to miss Phoenix, but planning to join in the upcoming MQG Sessions.

New Directions

• I've been debating whether to move my blog away from Blogger but need to consider my options. I've also been toying with the idea of adding a shop to my brand for the occasional (most likely small) quilt or other sewn item. Still debating. - No progress on either of those items, though they still are options. I was selected as a 2022 Aurifil Artisan though, so that's a 'new direction' I'm exploring. Also, a short-term project that I hadn't anticipated has been helping plan the 2023 QuiltCon Community Outreach Challenge quilt for Seattle MQG. So far I've just ordered and prepped fabric to support our quilt design by my friend Louise/@imfeelincrafty, so we'll see if I'm needed to help on other aspects of the project.

So I'm feeling pretty good about the year so far. Lately, I've felt a bit stymied, but I know that's just part of the process, so I'm trying to live through it and keep working on things as I feel like it. Without being especially pushy, I just keep encouraging myself in a forward direction while letting the breaks be perfectly ok.

Linking up with Quilting JETgirl's #2022MidYearCheckIn.