2017 a round up

I can't believe this year has come to an end already. So much has happened, so much has changed.
I give you a little insight first: I made 4 large quilts, 3 mini quilts, 3 bee quilts, 2 pillows, lots of bee blocks and finally a Super Tote and a Sew Together Bag.

But quantity was not what I was aiming for.

My year started with the second Regatta Quilt I made in January 2017 following the pattern release at the end of 2016.

I still can't believe the success this quilt pattern has and how many people love both quilts I made. I was surprised and really happy to learn that Roseanne of Home Sewn By Us is hosting a Sew along starting on January 1st 2018. Roseanne did such a nice write up on the quilt and the pattern that I still feel flattered. So if you would like joinimg the quilt along get in touch with Roseanne!

A highlight this year was definitely my visit to QuiltCon in Savannah, GA that took place in February 2017. It was my first time attending QuiltCon and it will not be my last. In fact I'm going again in February 2018 to Pasadena!

Amanda Jean@crazymomquilts gave away two of her gorgeous pin cushions to Christiane @misssewing  and me!

To me QuiltCon was about the quilts of course but also about people and their generosity, kindness and willingness to share knowledge. QuiltCon gave me the feeling that I have found my tribe.

Over excitement meeting Jacquie Gering!

Also seeing so many beautiful quilts up close and personal gave me confidence to enter my own quilts for QuiltCon 2018. I entered three quilts, one has been selected to be in the show. I am so excited to be there when my quilt 'Splinter' will be exhibited.

I think Splinter is the quilt I am most proud of. I finished it just before the QuiltCon submission dead line at the end of November 2017. It's on its way to the States already, hope it arrives save and sound.

After QuiltCon 2017 I set up my own little sewing corner in our living room, having sewn at our kitchen table for almost 4 years.

I see my fabrics every day now, have a different mini quilt on display ever so often and have my sewing stuff readily available. So much better!

My first mini quilt of 2017 was 'Broken X', which I made in line with the February Challenge of the Might Lucky Quilting Club.

  I also got a new sewing machine in June 2017! It's a Juki QVP mini and I love it. 

Here I am free motion quilting my second ever bee quilt. An improv quarter log cabin quilt which I made with the help of my Quilty Circle of Bees.

I am having so much fun with my bee, we actually made another secret baby quilt in July 2017 for one our members Yara and her baby Ella.

Therefore that we all sew with our own fabrics the quilts always have a very cohesive design.

Like my very first bee quilt I started in 2016 but only finished it in 2017:

My 'Cosy Comfort' quilt following the 'Amsterdam Quilt' pattern by Cloud 9 Fabrics is still one of my favourites.

Another highlight was my workshop in May 2017 with Katie Pedersen in Seattle, WA.

I signed up for the psychedelic baby block/ improv strip piecing workshop at Katie's beautiful design studio.

And that's 'Emerald City', one of my favourite quilts to date and the result from Katie's workshop. I finished it in November 2017.

The fourth large quilt I made was this Giant Plus Quilt:

It has a snuggly fleece back and was a gift to a dear friend.

2017 was the first time I joined the Pantone Quilt Challenge. The colour of the year 2017 was 'Greenery' and I entered 'Nature's Neutral' into the mini quilt category.

I'm all excited about the Pantone colour of the year 2018: Ultra Violet. I will definitely take part in the Pantone quilt challenge again!

I also took part in a mini quilt swap. The topic was HST (half square triangles) and I had fun making 'Play Cube'.

The quilting was done with my old sewing machine... While I really liked the quilt it also taught me not to take photos in the blazing sun.

I learned a lot this year. The lectures at QuiltCon for example opened my mind in regards to design and how other quilters approach their quilt making process. I learned to hand stitch binding to a quilt and bags and pouches don't scare me anymore.

Most importantly I learned to embrace my own design process, to play with fabric and shapes and to bring the ideas I have in my head to life.

Linking to Cheryl at Meadow Mist Design Best 2017 Linky Party. 

Bee Blocks for Vicky

I love my Quilty Circle of Bees! We are such a diverse little group of quilters who always manage to get me out of my comfort zone.

Either by the sewing technique used (in two years we had everything from paper piecing, curved blocks, improv and precise piecing.. hm, just noticed there wasn't any applique yet, I'm counting on Allison on that one!) or by the fabric selection.

Vicky was our queen bee for October/ November and she picked a paper pieced version of a courthouse step block.

The colour scheme was caramel, tangerine, light blue and purple. I didn't think that would go together but the colours look so good!

The great thing about my Bee is that we sew with our own fabrics. In the blocks I receive for my quilts there is just such a great variety on colours and fabrics because so far my fellow bee mates always nailed it!

Vicky's request was to have a white solid square as the center square and then play around and don't stick with the traditional layout.

We were also only to use four different fabrics in one block and repeat the fabric choice in the next block with only little alteration.

By doing that all the blocks get a very cohesive look. This quilt will be so good, I really can't wait to see this finished!