Friday, December 31, 2021

Sayonara 2021🐮, Yōkoso 2022🐯

Farewell 2021!  Welcome 2022!!! Here's a Grace and Peace Quilting review of 2021, and a preview of what's to come in 2022, the year of the tiger in Japan! First, 2021:

I quilted 135 quilts in 2021, 70 of my own, and 65 for others.

Of my own 70 quilts, here's the breakdown:

2 Queen size quilts
7 Twin/Throw size quilts
33 Baby quilts
19 Wall/Mini quilts
8 Table runners
1 Pillow

I have quilted a total of 848 quilts on my APQS longarm since it arrived in June, 2012!

My local quilt guild, Dakota County Star Quilters held our annual quilt show this year, from March 9th through April 2nd, with the theme, The Show Must Go On! I entered 10 of my quilts in our show.

Dakota County Fair was back this year in August, after being closed in 2020, due to the covid-19 pandemic. I entered 6 quilts and 2 crocheted items. I was thrilled to win Reserve Grand Champion on my Japanese Jamestown Landing, a quilt I started in class with Bonnie Hunter! ⤵️
I also won an Award of Excellence on my wall quilt called "Courage, Dear Heart", a lion quilt made from Japanese prints. DD2 is pictured with it here, ⤵️ in her lion-wearing-glasses shirt that she got in Cancun, Mexico.

This year, in September, I celebrated my 6th year of working at my local quilt shop! Our top benefit of working there is a 50% discount on a one-time purchase during our anniversary month. Here's what I bought this year!!! ⤵️ I leaned toward the batting and background fabrics this year, plus some blenders, a few rulers, patterns, some extra-wide backing, etc.!!!
I love making my own quilt calendars via Shutterfly! If you sign up for their emailing list, they offer free calendars at different times, especially near the end of the year, with $8.50 shipping. DH calls the postage "creative pricing"! Even at $8.50, it's a great deal for a customized calendar! 

This first set is of my own quilts. These are "Easel Calendars", with each month being 5" X 8":
I made an Easel Calendar for my sister, Quilter Bonnie, too, featuring some of her quilts that I quilted for her this past year:

While sewing this year, I listened to 188 books, via Libby and Hoopla apps, which are available for free from our local library! Plus DH reads aloud to me evenings while I'm sewing in my studio. He can read on and on for hours! I keep track of my books on Goodreads, a free website. 
My favorite book was The Heavenly Man, by Paul Hattaway. My favorite series was the Chet and Bernie series by Spencer Quinn: Bernie is a private eye and each story is told by Chet, his trained police dog. Those 12 books are hilarious!!!
I made 31 baby quilts for Jack's Basket this year, where babies with Down syndrome are celebrated with a basket full of encouragement and love, plus a quilt!!! I was especially happy to see this photo on Instagram of Kaja-kun, a precious baby boy in Saitama, Japan, who received one of my quilts!!!

Our granddaughter turned 1 this year on our shared birthday! Here are some things I sewed for the occasion!

I participated in seven sew alongs in 2021!!! They are, left to right, top to bottom: Wanda SAL by GE Designs, Violet SAL by Kitchen Table Quilts, Strip Joints SAL by GE Designs, Glam Clam Finish Along by Latifah Saafir, Hey June SAL by GE Designs, Phoenix SAL by GE Designs and Holiday Party Quilt SAL by SuzyQuilts. ⤵️
I was a pattern tester for a new pattern, Pretty In Pluses, for Michelle @ From Bolt To Beauty! And I participated in a new book blog hop, Scrappy Improv Quilting, by Kelly Young @ My Quilt Infatuation! ⤵️
I really enjoyed participating in the National Dog Day and National Cat Day quilt link parties held by Susan @ QuiltFabrications! I made a quilt for both occasion using swap blocks from my Japanese quilt friends in Tokyo!

National Dog day is celebrated on August 26th!!! ⤵️
National Cat day is celebrated on October 29th!!! ⤵️
As a result of putting those two quilts together, I have 8 more quilts planned for 2022 on the following days!!! They will all be made from swap blocks from Tama Quilters. The first one will come out tomorrow, January 1st!!! ⤵️
2022 is the Year of the Tiger in Japan, where everyone sends out New Years cards:
Happy New Year!!! Grace and peace!!! ~Nancy

12 comments:

  1. Holeeeeee Cow - I am just impressed with all you got done this year!!! I can't pick out one thing - its just all so great. Well - I do love seeing all those Jacks basket quilts laid out like that!! too cute!!
    Here's to a great 2022!!!

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  2. Fantabulous! Is that a word? It should be! You are simply amazing!

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  3. Wow, a busy and great year! May 2022 finding you as active as last year 😉
    Happy New Year! 🎉🥳

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  4. That a feat in and of itself to keep track of all the quilts you've made - awesome! And how cool to see one donation quilt go to Japan! You are a gem. Happy New Year!

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  5. Oh my goodness - I knew you were prolific but this is crazy. You did so much. Congrats again on all the accolades from your show. I love your work both the quilts you make and the quilts you quilt for others. So much eye candy! Happy New Year, my friend.

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  6. Hi Nancy, you've had an amazing year. Congratulations! Here's to another great year in 2022!

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  7. Wow, that is a lot of quilts! Congratulations!

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  8. Just: WOW! All the best for the new year. xo

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  9. You have done amazingly well, in fact, you hard act to follow. I was so impressed with your baby gingham quilts that I have found the pattern, and would like to make one or two, sometime..... Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  10. Thanks for linking up to TGIFF! PS I love the haul from your annual birthday purchase.

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  11. Gosh Nancy - I am just catching up here and am awed by how much you accomplished this past year!!! What an inspiration you are!

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  12. You had an amazing 2021! Here's to the next!

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