Sayonara 2023🐰, Yōkoso 2024🐉

Farewell 2023! Welcome 2024!!! Here's a Grace and Peace Quilting review of 2023, and a preview of what's to come in 2024, the year of the dragon in Japan!

First, 2023: I quilted 135 quilts in 2023, 53 of my own, and 82 for others.

Of my own 53 quilts, here's the breakdown:

🏵️Best of 2023🏵️

Quilters love quilt parties! Cheryl @ MeadowMistDesigns is having a year end quilt link party, her 9th year hosting the "Best 5" blog posts of the year!

Here are my best 5 favorite blog posts of the 2023, in chronological order:

❄️Let It Snow❄️

First of all, let me say, I'm not hoping for snow!!! But this cute fabric is called "Let It Snow"! I bought it last year, and determined to get it done for this winter season!!!

Quilt Info:

Maker: Me!!!

Fabrics: Let It Snow Flannel by Janet Rae Nesbitt of One Sister for Henry Glass

Pattern: Elvira 2 from Stripology Mixology 3 by GE Designs

GEasy Table Runners🏃🏼‍♀️

After taking the class, "Master Your Stripology Ruler" at the GE Studio in October, Quilter Bonnie and I decided to make table runners from the book, to help us review and remember what we learned in class!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Me!

A Tomte & 3 Baby Quilts👶

Here are four fun quilts I quilted recently: three client quilts and one of my own!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Susan

Back🏠Home x 4

Four of us took the all-day class, "Master Your Stripology Rulers" course at GE Designs in Chaska, Minnesota on October 14th!!! It was taught by 2 Stripology certified teachers, with cameo appearances from Gudrun, designer and author of the Stripology rulers and books. 

The class progressed very methodically from the beginning of her new book, Master Your Stripology Ruler, through to the end. We cut many different shapes and sewed samples along the way, and finished by working on one of the projects in the book, Back Home, involving the Stripology method of making flying geese. Pictured above are the four quilts we started in class, with details to follow, listed in the order I quilted them.

Quilt Info #1:

2 RSC🌈Finishes

I finished my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts for 2023!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Farmall T-Shirt Quilt

Susan's friend asked her to make a t-shirt quilt for her father. This will make a wonderful Christmas present!

Quilt Info: 

Maker: Susan

N is for...

Rose at SomethingRoseMade14 sent me this letter square a while ago, along with a whole box of quilt goodies! Jan at CocoaQuilts got a letter "J" and recently posted her finished mini. Check out Jan's "J" here: https://www.cocoaquilts.com/2023/11/quick-projects-2.html  Which inspired me to make mine!!! 

Quilt Info:

GE Class Pack 2

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, wherever you live!!! I love this reminder to be thankful every day!!!⤵️

Now on to quilting!!! Gudrun @ GE Designs has a 2nd class pack--two quilt patterns with video instructions! She suggests to make both quilts out of 12 half yards. I wanted my quilts made out of different fabrics, as you can see below!!! ⤵️ One is very soft and one is very bright!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Me!

Villa Rosa🌹White Cloud

I was inspired to make this quilt after seeing the original in the Villa Rosa Designs booth at the Minnesota Quilt Show in June! The pattern reminded me of some Japanese fabrics I had that would look great featured in this design!!!

Quilt Info:

Maker: Me!

Pattern: White Cloud from Villa Rosa Designs

🌈RSC Fill-Ins

October's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is light neutrals or assembly. Instead I worked on filling in colors so I have 60 blocks, enough for two throw-size quilts. I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks using 2 1/2" squares from leftover bits as I'm cutting out quilts!

Here are my individual blocks, seven total this month. Check them out--I always enjoy hearing if we have any of the same prints!!!

🪨Petra Quilt🪨

Jessica Rose of Quiltd Studios, designed and named this quilt pattern "Petra", and writes the following: "Petra was inspired by a hike through the mountains of Sicily. Atop one high mountain are the ruins of Greek temples dedicated to the ancient gods. The Greek influence in the Mediterranean Islands is often forgotten, until today!"

I was one of eight members of her "hype team" on Instagram for the Petra Quilt pattern that released on July 21, 2023. You can see some of the quilts representing the Petra Quilt on Instagram at the hashtag, #petraquilt. (Thanks to the Insta algorithms, they don't all show up!?!)

5 Quilts✋

Here are three quilts from Susan, featuring her usual creative panels, and Lynn, with a couple of gift quilts!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Little Blue Truck Quilt

Do you know the children's book, Little Blue Truck? This quilt is a tribute to that story, with the little blue truck, plus the frog that drives it and all the other farm animals, made by Sheila for a special boy who recently turned 1 year old!

Quilt Info:

Maker: Sheila

Pattern: Farm Girl Vintage 1 & 2 by Lori Holt + others

Koby Quickie🏃🏻‍♀️Quilt x 7

On June 29, 2023, Gudrun of GE Designs had a "quickie quilt along", featuring her new pattern, Koby, a fast, fun pattern that showcases your favorite prints! In case you missed the QAL, her teaching video is now included in the purchase of the pattern!

I have seven of them to share with you today, made by my friend, my sister and myself! The first five are made by Lynn!!! She is quite the expert Koby quilter--she previously made 5 other baby sized Koby quilts--find them here.

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Lynn

Two❄️Christmas❄️Quilts

Kyle has two Christmas panel quilts for us today!!! 

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Kyle

❖Four Quilts❖

 Missy has been sewing up a whirlwind of beautiful quilts!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Missy

🌈RSC Teal🩵

Do you know the difference between teal and turquoise? I'm pretty vague on it, but I found a definition on the internet that said: "Teal is a dark greenish-blue color while turquoise is a lighter greenish-blue color."

Then there's aqua!!! "Aqua is lighter than both teal and turquoise. Turquoise is basically a darker versions of aqua, while teal is even darker still, and also has more green." Got it?! Hopefully I can remember it now!

September's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is teal! I'm including turquoise and aqua in these blocks, too! I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks this year, using 2 1/2" squares, mostly from leftovers bits as I'm cutting out quilts!!!

Here are my individual blocks. Check them out--I always enjoy hearing if we have any of the same prints!!!

❖Four Quilts❖

Here are 4 quilts I've quilted recently for my friends/clients!!!

Quilt Info #1:

More Virtual Retreat🖥️Quilts

Quilter Bonnie, Quilting Cousin Sue and I all participated in the GE Quilt Designs Virtual Retreat, March 24-26 this year. I just finished quilting Bonnie's three quilts!!! She picked the Hibiscus Hummingbird fabric line for her retreat box!⤵️

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Quilter Bonnie

3 Quilts㆔

 Here are 3 quilts made recently by my clients/friends!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Vacay⛱️Quilts + More

Earlier this summer we went on a road trip across the USA, including 8 National Parks/Monuments and 13 states! Read all about it here. I sewed 3 quilt tops during our travels, and finished quilting and binding them now!!! Here's a little quilt show! Plus more at the end!

Quilt Info #1:

🐶National Dog Day Quilt Party🐕

Happy National Dog Day!!! Susan @QuiltFabrication is having a Dog Day Quilt Link Party to celebrate!!! Link up your pups through August 31st! 

Do you know Paw Patrol? It's a children's cartoon that's been around since 2013, and it's our granddaughter's favorite!!!

It features 10 year-old Ryder and his pals, a group of dogs who are out to save the world!!! Each character has a different role to play, like Chase the German Shepherd who is a police pup, and Rocky the mixed breed who is a recycling and handyman pup!

With the Paw Patrol in mind, I made my granddaughter a Paw Patrol quilt for our recent visit!!!⤵️

What the Judge 👩🏼‍⚖️ Said, 2023

We just had our county fair, August 7th through August 13th! Having grown up in 4-H, I still get the urge to enter my projects when fair time rolls around!!! 🎡

This year I entered 7 quilts and 1 crocheted item. It was the same judge as last year, who had a lot of comments. The judge has scribes that do the writing for her. Below I list the category it was entered in, the ribbon it received, the judge's comments in quotes, and my response below that. We don't get to talk with the judge personally and we don't see the comments until we pick up our items at the end of the fair and take them home.

I'll start with my crocheted selvage rug--although it's crocheted, it's made from selvages I cut off of my quilt fabrics all year round! ⤵️ Here it is in a display case, folded into fourths. The finished size is 24" x 41".

🌈RSC Yellow🟨

July's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is yellow! I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks this year, using 2 1/2" squares, mostly from leftovers bits as I'm cutting out quilts!!!

Here are my individual blocks. Check them out--I always enjoy hearing if we have any of the same prints!!!

✥Nine Quilts!!!✥

 I have 9 client quilts to share with you today! Made by 4 quilters! Here we go!!!

First up is Kyle's quilt! Isn't this the cutest?!! Made from Tilda prints by Norwegian designer Tone Finnager. The pattern is "Wild Rover" from Villa Rosa Designs.

🗺️ 3 Panel Quilts 🖼️

Susan makes the most creative panel quilts!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Susan

🌈RSC Red🟥

July's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is red! I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks this year, using 2 1/2" squares, mostly from leftovers bits as I'm cutting out quilts!!!

Here are my individual blocks. Check them out--I always enjoy hearing if we have any of the same prints!!!

🐮Fab Farm SAL Finish🐴

The Fab Farm sew along quilt is finished just in time, as our second grandchild has arrived! This quilt is for him!!!

Quilt Info:

Pattern: Fab Farm by Elizabeth Hartmann

🚗Road Trip🚙

We are back from a 5,500 mile road trip that included 8 national parks/monuments, 5 quilt shops, 4 sewing/quilt projects and time with family!!! Here are some deets:

8 National Parks/Monuments:

1. Great Sand Dunes National Park--Mosca, Colorado: This wasn't in our original plans but we  were in the area. No photos--there were a lot of families sledding down the sand dunes!

2. Mesa Verde National Park--Cortez, Colorado: 800 Year old cliff dwelling villages. We took 2 tours here, including crawling on hands & knees through an 18" wide, 12 foot long tunnel!😳

💐June DrEAMis💐

DrEAMi = Drop Everything And Make it  

I enjoy making these little minis from leftover scraps of quilts I'm working on!!! These scraps are leftover from my Bee Grateful quilt I made earlier this month.

What I especially enjoy is quilting them in designs that I've scaled in micro-mini size!!! I lined all three up on one backing and worked on them one by one. ⤵️

📚Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs📚

Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation has a new book--Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, and it is brilliant!!! Kelly has changed my mind about pieced backs!!! 

Here are six backs I've made from the book, so far!!!

This book is filled to the brim with 30 different creative quilt back ideas, in three different sizes each! Plus, it contains a link for 18 quilt patterns for the front of your quilts! ⤵️

❖ Four Quilts ❖

Do you have some spare strips, or 10" squares? Missy and Lynn have some free quilt pattern ideas for you!!!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Missy

Pattern: Scrappy Lattice, a free pattern from Jordan Fabrics

🌈RSC Light Blue & Light Green🩵💚

June's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is light blue & light green! I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks this year, using 2 1/2" squares, mostly from leftovers bits as I'm cutting out quilts!!!

Here are my individual blocks. Check them out and see if you have any of the same prints:

Fab Farm SAL--Buta/Pig🐷

I've been sewing along with Kathleen @KathleenMcMusing and others, making the Fab Farm quilt designed by Elizabeth Hartman! This week we're working on the pig block!!!

Here's the pattern cover and the full size quilt. ⤵️ I'm making the baby size quilt, which is 1/4 the blocks and size.

❖Three Quilts❖

 I have three modern quilts to share with you today--the first two made by Kyle and the third one is mine!

Quilt Info #1:

Maker: Kyle

🌸May DrEAMis🌸

I have been DrEAMing quite a bit this month!!! DrEAMi stands for "Drop Everything And Make it"!!! I have four DrEAMis to share with you:

Quilt Info #1 & #2:

🌈RSC Orange🟧

May's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is orange! I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks this year, using 2 1/2" squares, mostly from leftovers bits as I'm cutting out quilts!!!

Here are my individual blocks. Check them out and see if you have any of the same prints:

❖ A Miracle Quilt & A Memory Quilt ❖

Missy made this fun quilt for her granddaughter, who loves horses and sunflowers!!! Read on to hear about the miracle of this quilt!

Quilt Info:

Strip Twist🌪️SAL

Gudrun @ GE Designs hosts a strip along every Spring!!! Here's my version of this year's strip along--Strip Twist!!!

Quilt Info:

Pattern: Strip Twist by Gudrun @ GE Designs

Kyle's❖Kwilts

Kyle is a co-worker of mine at our LQS--she's been working there for 20 years, and is a very prolific quilter!!! Here are a couple of quilts I quilted for her recently!!!

Quilt Info #1:

2 Paper Stories📚

Missy's daughter has requested a number of quilts for her new home! Here are Missy's two latest quilts!!!

Quilt Info #1:

🌈RSC Purple🟪

April's Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) is purple! I'm doing 6 x 6 postage stamp blocks this year, using 2 1/2" squares, mostly from leftovers bits as I'm cutting out quilts!!!

Here are my individual blocks. Check them out and see if you have any of the same prints:

🎉 Milestone: Number 1,000 🎉

This is my 1,000th quilt on my longarm!!! It's also my 2022 Bonnie Hunter Chilhowie mystery quilt!!!

We got a couple more inches of snow last Sunday. You can see our forsythia blooming in the background!⤴️

Quilt Info:

GE Virtual 💻 Retreat

I took a riverboat cruise up the Mississippi River, from New Orleans to Memphis to Minneapolis!!! Virtually, that is! A riverboat cruise was the theme of Gudrun @ GE Designs virtual quilt retreat this year!!!!

I was onboard session 1, which started at 9 am on Friday, March 24th and continued through 8 pm on Sunday, March 26th! These are the three quilts we worked on!⤴️

◣Kaffe HSTs◢

Kyle found a great way to feature her Kaffe Fassett prints!!!

Quilt Info:

Maker: Kyle