My 2012 quilting adventures ... sew many feelings :)

I am having a review of my 2012 creations ... what fun! 

It's making me feel so many things, I hope you don't mind me sharing some of this with you? My first feeling is one of AMAZEMENT because during 2012, this is what me, my little Juki machine and a whole lot of support from DH and all you wonderful quilters and bloggers out there helped me to produce:

• Sewing room ensemble (4 items - mat, pin cushion, bin and bag)
• 2 x Peg Bags
• 2 x Knitting Bags
• 15 x Tote Bags
• 37 x Pants Bags
• 18 x Cushions
• 10 x Quilts

... my poor brain is groaning - that's like 88 different items!! Nearly all were gifted to friends and family (I was 'commissioned'  - gosh, doesn't that sound grand?! - to make a few of the Pants Bags.)

I started blogging on the 4th January this year (I will host a giveaway - my first on Friday to celebrate my 100th post and 1 year blogging anniversary - 

please do pop back!) 

OVERWHELMING were those initial feelings - what was I doing? Would anyone else want to know what I was making? How did one blog properly anyway? Could I keep it up? I felt SHYNESS and a bit of PANIC to be honest.

PRIDE and JOY - I finished my first 'USA' lapquilt in January.

FRUSTRATION - as I tried to sew 'curves' ... why?! Life's too short!

SADNESS - my dear Daddy passed away in February. Enough said :'(

ELATION - seriously - I was overjoyed in March when I received my first comment on a post (note to self: get out more!)

April - my favourite month of the year - and I was DETERMINED to get started on another 'USA' quilt and I stretched out the pieces of fabric from my late Great-Aunt's 20+ year old USA Stash to make it.

I finished it in May - and felt a huge amount of SATISFACTION at having designed it from scratch and for finding enough fabric to bring it all together ... phew! 

In June, I felt HAPPY. I got to spend a weekend with my dear friend Penny who first introduced me to patchwork & quilting in 2010. We went shopping at her LQS - has to be done - and she showed me how to make Tote Bags. Unleashed a beast, she did!!

It was also a month where I felt CHALLENGED as I made my final 'USA' lapquilt. Of course, I saved the hardest until last and was making it for my cousin June, who just happens to be a phenomenal quilter - no pressure there then! 

In July, looking back at this post, I can only surmise I must have been feeling a bit DRIVEN when I look at how many bags I made ... but we can all get a bit carried away sometimes, hey?! 

August - what a month - I did my first ever Jury service - and finished the final of the 'USA' lapquilts which left me feeling very EMOTIONAL. I loved making these quilts - from having to pay for an extra suitcase to bring all the fabric home from the USA to the last stitch I put in the binding, I had thoroughly enjoyed the little journey I had been on with my late Great-Aunt Jenny. I felt like we had made those 5 quilts together for her daughter, daughters-in-law and grand-daughters ... magical :)

September was a busy month - seriously crazy - and I felt EXCITED when I finished this fun lapquilt for my friend in USA whom we had holidayed in Ireland with a few years back:

And when in one afternoon, you push yourself to make 3 Pants Bags and 2 cushions - you can feel a little bit PROUD and give yourself a pat on the back (I hope you all do that too sometimes x)

Having joined my first link up (thanks to Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts), I started to acquire some lovely followers and I began to leave and receive some regular comments. Can I please say 'hello' and a particular thank you to the following lovely ladies who have been hugely supportive over the last few months and have really have made me feel very THANKFUL and LUCKY to be a blogger and quilter this year?

• Karen at Small Town Quilter
• Meg's Mum at Not Enough Time to Quilt 
• Fankle at Crabbit Quilter
• Amy at A Quilting Sheep
• Pauline at The Little House on the Hill who helped me out with this little quilt:

• Gemini Jen at Jen's Crafts and Quilts Scrapbook
• Jennie at Porch Swing Quilts (and she does all this and raises 5 adorable children??!!)
• Jill at Simple Frugal Needfuls

and to my lovely 'Quilting Twin' Tonya who used to blog at Crazy Mimi's Quilts - you are amazing!

Moving on, nearly done, I promise! In October and November, I really started to feel more COMPETENT and CONFIDENT ... don't get me wrong, much still to learn I have ... but when you take a pile of this:

and turn it into this all by yourself (ish!):

... you know you've come a long way from not even knowing what a 1/4" seam was :) 

AND I started on my Farmer's Wife Quilt - that's definitely a WIP!! Also, in November, I was enormously SURPRISED when I received a fabric gift parcel from Tonya (naughty QT!) which I am putting towards some charity quilts I will make next year. I feel HUMBLED knowing what difficult times others are experiencing and I want to do something to help.

And finally, her we are at the end of the year. And I feel my PROUDEST and MOST CHUFFED at the Amsterdam Quilt I made for my dear sis (in law). I loved making it and she loved receiving it and that makes me HAPPY.

I look back at this year with some sadness but mostly with joy and happiness. If everything I make next year is half as lovely and I have half as much fun and everyone I make for is half as happy to receive, I know I will feel THANKFUL and BLESSED in 2013. 

I hope you all have a truly wonderful and fabulous 2013.