Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

Hi, Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s Eve. Today we welcome a new year and new beginnings. 365 days that have potential for greatness. 365 days to work on new quilts, of course.

I have only been blogging for 5 months. It has been a pretty rewarding experience. I have met many new friends, participated in the Around the World Blog Hop and shared my quilt projects on numerous weekly quilt linky parties. For such a short time blogging, I am happy with my blog having received  17,319 page views in that 5 month period, with October being my best month with over 6,400 views just that month. I had the honor of testing new quilt patterns for 3 different quilt designers this past year. I hope that I will get the opportunity to do more pattern testing in the new year.

I have many things or ideas in the works for 2015. I am not one to make New Year’s Resolutions. I am more of a list or note maker. So I will share some of the things that I am hoping to work on/plan to make in the upcoming year.

Works in Progress To Be Finished

1. My Boxed In and Out Quilt  I am working on finalizing on what I want to applique on the back of the quilt. A Minnesota Vikings head, or just the Minnesota Vikings name logo. I do plan to applique our friends’ last name “The Elliotts” on the back. The quilt designer makes up a team logo applique for the front of her version of this quilt. I am not sure where I want to put the design, go smaller on front or larger on back.

2. My Plus Dash Quilt The top is finished and the backing is finished. I just need to start basting it. Since this top is ready to go, it should be pushed ahead of the Boxed In and Out for a faster finish.

3. My Looking Glass Quilt  The top is finished and the backing is ready. Since this was for our bed and not a gift priority, it has been on hold for finishing. It’s queen size so I need to rethink where I have been sewing on my quilts to make a place that I can properly hold up the quilt, while quilting it easier.

4. My 39 Shades of Charming Quilt  The top is finished, and I have fabrics pulled to make the backing. This quilt is 105″ square so it is between a Queen and King size quilt. This top has sat on the back burner the longest, due to size and not knowing how I wanted to quilt it.

New Fabrics to Play With

1. I won a fat eighth bundle of V and Co’s Color Theory from Bear Creek Quilting Co.  during Sew Mama Sew’s Giveaway Day in December. I think it has not been released to market yet. I am pretty excited to have all those pretty fabrics to play with.  Fat Eighths are my new favorite precut to use.

2. I have been collecting fat quarters of Indelible. I have the fat quarter set in Darkened Ink colors, and have most of the prints from the Subtle Watermarks colors. I think I am just missing two prints from having whole collection. Three of the prints I have 1/2 yard cuts.

3. A Layer Cake of Bali Batiks Crackers in Rum Raisin coloring. I gave away one of these lovelies on Sew Mama Sew’s Giveaway Day and I had to have one for myself. I am thinking of making up Lucky by Thimbleblossoms in these pretty colors.

Stashed Fabrics That May Finally See Use Soon

1. Fat Quarter Bundle of Sweetwater’s Authentic line. I have had these fabrics since 2010. They have reached their peak ripeness. lol  I have one of each print. One print I have two fat quarters and another print I have 3 fat quarters.

I have decided to make the Nina Quilt by GE Designs that you can make with the new Stripology ruler. (I do not own the ruler yet, would love to have it, and am waiting to see it available locally somewhere as I am anxious about it arriving in one piece in the mail.) I am thinking if I add cream and black solids I can extend my prints out to the largest size quilt I can make. Pair up the green and cream prints with black solid and the black and lighter green prints with cream solid.

2. Fat Quarter Bundle of Denyse Schmidt’s Hope Valley. I have had these fabrics also since 2010. It’s time to use them.

I have pinned so many different quilts to my Quilt Pinterest boards made from Hope Valley. I have had the Swoon pattern saved for a while now as well. I am thinking that my Hope Valley should meet Swoon. I have all 24 prints and the pattern calls for 18 fat quarters, so I can pick and choose my favorite prints.

Is there anyone else out there that has not made a Swoon quilt yet??

New Quilt Patterns to Make

1. WoW-E! by Sew Fresh Quilts

(Batiks or some of the leftover fun bright colors that were chosen to be included in Plus Dash.)

2. Impromptu by Rachel Griffiths Designs

(I am thinking this is a great way to use a patriotic themed layer cake I have. Make a nice quilt for a friend’s birthday in February.)

3. Lucky by Thimbleblossoms

(Possibly combine the rum raisin batik layer cake with a nice gray solid)

4. Mod Gears by Don’t Call Me Betsy Elizabeth Dackson

(Love the gray and black in the quilt, add pops of color from batiks or the like)

As you can see I have lots of future plans for projects in the upcoming year. I hope you all will stick around and check out what I am working on next. I will be linking this up with Fresh Sewing Day and other linky parties.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley