The Month That Was Gone in a Flash

January 2020 was a month of few stitching opportunities.

 I did finish three cross stitch ornaments that had to be replaced due to my killer cat tearing them apart in previous Christmas seasons. 

We made our regular trek to somewhere warmer...Kauai...where it rained almost all day...all seven days we were there. But it was a warm rain while temperatures at home were sub-zero. 

On our way home we diverted to Oregon where we met the newest Bailey family member, our granddaughter, Kate. I love babies anyway...but it really was wonderful to hold this little bundle. 

Just two days after getting home it was Breakfast Club!

I did my own project. I just love this book...

I had to start the pattern, "Madame Butterfly." 

My design wall has the four blocks I managed to finish at class. There are 18 projects in this book for charm squares and I like so many of them. Fun book.

 I have completed the hand applique parts of the motorcycle on the newest stocking under construction.

I did load a quilt on my frame and got a bit of it started. I hope this will go quickly. My next quilt retreat starts February 6th. It would be nice to tackle the binding at retreat.

The second biggest news (after #1 granddaughter), is the sun has returned to shining on our house. We lose it for a couple of months every winter. Very happy to get it back. It was -12 on our dog walk today but it felt warmer...like it was a balmy 2 degrees.

2019 Year in Review

I hoped to officially close out 2019 on my blog yesterday, but with the holidays our usual meeting date for Breakfast Club got switched to New Year's eve. Not good for my procrastinating habit when it comes to blogging.

Maybe one of these years I'll make a cute collage of all my finished projects for the year but this post will have to get done now so I can move on to new plans and projects.

Just a quick note about the unhappy parts of 2019. 

My dad's death in March was tough. We had a close relationship and I miss him. Every time we have a new event with our sons, I think of my Dad and how much he would have enjoyed being a part of it too.

We had a major home repair, our septic tank had to be replaced and nothing seemed to go right in the process. We fixed an issue with the drainage line from the house to the septic tank in the summer but in the fall we discovered we had a hole in our steel septic tank. I'll spare you the details but since we have lots of ground water...it found its way into our tank. The high water alarm was in overdrive!

It was an expensive and nerve wracking process that lasted over two months. 

I didn't blog about it at the time because I was trying not to dwell on it!

By Thanksgiving we were finally back to normal. 

In the process my front landscaping/rock work was torn up so I have quite a lot of work to tackle next summer. It seems really daunting to me right now but I'm sure once I get my hands in the dirt I will get in the groove and probably even enjoy it.

Quilting definitely helped me get through all the rough times.

My goal for every month is to: finish a quilt, finish a Bucilla felt kit, and finish a cross stitch kit. That means 12 of each.

 One of these years I am going to get 12 quilts done...but not this year.

Batiki Argyle II. I have it on my leather couch right now. Love it!

Carpenter Star, a wall hanging made from scraps.

My big endeavor, Sparklers.

A spooky wall hanging.

Two baby quilts with an Alaska theme batik. One gifted to my son already. The other needs to get mailed out for a baby due in February.

And my two tall tree wall hangings.

So far, eight quilts are the most I have gotten done in year. I need to improve on that number because I'm pretty sure I make more quilt tops than that every year.

 I'm just going to list the quilt tops I made this year.

Baby Honu

Gimmie Diamonds in Hawaii

Alaska Baby (X3)

Spumoni Spin (X2)

Patchwork Butterfly

Wandering Bigfoot

Pumpkin Seeds

Brown Bag Debbie Caffrey Mystery

Sweet Christmas Redwork Embroidery

Aurora Nights

Tall Tree Wall  Hanging (X2)

Halloween Silhoutte

16 quilt tops for 2019.

I also finished this major cute pincushion...to include making the pins. These pins have been used on more than one project this year. Very glad I made them.

Only seven Bucilla kits got finished this year.

The 3D Santa got started in 2018. It was wonderful to have in my decorations this year. 

Then I worked on a kit I had opened several years ago and became quickly overwhelmed with and put it in the bottom of a box.

Noah's Animals. 

Twenty-five pairs.

I worked on these animals from the second week of January 2019 until April 30, 2019. 

Wow! And I did work on them regularly in the evenings. I need a sweet, small Christmas tree to display them on next year. The one I used this year is really too small for 50 ornaments!

These Holiday Shopping Spree ornaments were also very time consuming.

No photo but also got a set of three Nutcracker ornaments made.

The stocking kits go much faster. I only made three of those this year.

Santa Says Hello

Snow Princess

Ornamental Deer

Only seven Bucilla kits...very low count for me.

 But that Noah's Animal kit was like four or five kits in one...just saying.

I did great on the cross stitch kits, getting 13 ornaments done. 

South American Santas

Victorian Santas

Christmas Eve Santas

Two more were Skiing and Sledding Santas. 

I also made some of Jim Shore ornaments designs release in 2019.

 I made Snowman with Lights and Snowman Dancing. 

  

I blog because it gives me a great feeling of accomplishment to review my work every year. 

I like to give myself a little pat on the back now and them.

I am officially closing out 2019 and welcoming 2020.

Hope you have a Happy and Productive New Year!