I love a Bright and Shiney New Year! HELLO 2017 we are going to be very good friends!
Here at I Love to Make Quilts I want to kick off Jan 1 with a BANG .. a Quilty Prize worthy type bang…
I will be doing more about the fun things planned for 2017, but let me give you a short spin around the block today
- Each Wednesday will be a NEW free quilt block. My first Project is the 182 Day Solstice Challenge
- We are also continuing Moda’s Be My Neighbor Sew Along
- I also have my Favorite Things page where you can get links to my supplies that I use
- On either Fri/Sat or Sun will be a SECOND post each week and it might be a tutorial, a fun find, a free pattern or something like today, a giveaway!
- So you can find things there is at TOP Nav bar with the BIG Topic Categories and on the RIGHT side bar are more detailed Topic Categories
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Jan 1, 2017… the first page of our new year is so FULL of possibilities! My personal tradition is to be SURE I do a few minutes of ALL the things I want to do MORE of this year. For me that is…
- Sew sew sew!!! did I mention sew?
- Take a walk, I want to walk more
- Take a few minutes to be relaxed, maybe read, look at a book, or just listen to some music. Take some time to let my mine think. I tend to be a go-go-go person and have to force myself to slow down.
The Quilt behind my Question is my new ‘Pinwheel Park’ Layer cake pattern + one fabric pattern, hope you make one!
Now for the fun!!!
What will you do today to kick off 2017?
Answer in the comments below by Jan 4 at 6pm EST and you could win this prize
Winner is Kathy B who said “My 2017 goals are to shine my sink which I am hopeful will spread thru out the house. I’m going to tame my sewing areas so I can get more done. I’m going to quilt more of my quilt tops. I’m going to cut projects for each machine I have. These will include nursing home quilts, baby quilts, pet quilts and some for family. I’m going to cut a simple quilt to send to my sewing granddaughter to put together. I am thinking of rejoining the church lady quilting bunch every other Thursday. I am going to get back into the habit of walking the pets.”
- My EXCLUSIVE Aurifil threads kit (this is the last one I have!)
- My EXCLUSIVE Talk show Button (Be sure you listen!)
- My NOT YET IN STORES Mini Charm of Sunday Drive
- AND an fun coloring book so you can relax too!
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1,340 Responses
Happy New Year! I quilted all day on a baby quilt for my granddaughter. Started the year exactly like I planned!
I bought a new sewing machine just before Christmas, a Juki 2010. My goal is to finish a full size quilt and machine quilt it with the Juki.
Just ordered a quilters planner to keep track of the quilt alongs and BOMs this year. I need to get out of my funk and back in to quilting.
I spent the first day of the new year baking some cookies, prepping some projects and starting the sewing on them, wrapping up a few gifts, then loading the car and driving to Marana,AZ to visit with family.
My niece gave me a sewing machine she had been given (a wonderful old 6000 series Viking machine in a really neat suitcase type case). We visited, ate a wonderful meal. My sister and her husband and one of her sons and his girlfriend also stopped by for a little bit.
Had a great time, spent the night. Drove back to Phoenix this morning (the 2nd). Stopped and had brunch at Cracker Barrel. Then I had the first part of getting a crown on a far back tooth done. Still numbed up and such for a while longer, but temporary crown on.
Things are going well so far.
Hope everyone has a great year in 2017
I have spent the entire weekend sewing. First was a 3 day UFO, sponsored by our guild. Then there was a sew-in held by our local quilt shop, complete with 3 meals and games.
Happily prepping quilt backs for the two projects I finished over the holidays and that will be shipped to the long arm quilter later in the week.
I’m just getting over a crappy cold, cough, sore nose, etc. that started before Christmas. I am so anxious to get to my sewing and quilting again.
Installed my new computer today, and I am ready to roll!
Today was my birthday, so my dear hubby took me out for dinner and then later to our favorite Dairy Queen. He even went shopping with me in JoAnn Fabric! I purchased a much-needed 1/4″ seam ruler so that I can make better HST’s. This evening I am practicing on those triangles and will work on quilting a large snowball quilt. Then it’s back to work tomorrow. I’m enjoying he solstice challenge! Here’s to a happy & healthy 2017!
Am deep into cleaning my sewing room and gathering the fabrics, threads, patterns, batting etc for a twelve month challenge with my quilt group. Ditto for a twelve month UFO challenge in the same group. Are we nuts or what? Also making blocks one and two of the solstice challenge.
Taking a class on curved piecing. Have UFO cause I can not get the circle in place correctly.
I picked up a Happy Planner and am finally going to try and organize my life a little better!
hi, I am new to this site. Looks very inviting. I have two quilts to quilt. I am teaching my granddaughter to piece (that is in her spare time). She and I finished a quilt when she was 5 years old ( now she is 12
I am visiting my daughter in Melbourne Australia until February. I may find time to sew the blocks for the solstice challenge. Otherwise I have had projects I brought from the states. I am watching my two grandsons while big sister is off to ballet at the Australiam Ballet School
I have taken the winter solstice challenge. I completed the first two blocks today!
For quilting I pressed and cut the small pieces left of the New Years Day Mystery I completed on Sunday into 2 1/2 inch strips, 2 x 2, 3.5 x 3.5, and 5 x 5 inch squares.
I also resorted and put away various fabrics I had pulled out to test for upcoming projects and cleaned up my crafting area.
Happy New Year Pat! I took a little over a week away from technology! Whew! It was wonderful! Cooking, visiting, reading and relaxing! I’ve committed myself as a group leader of a wonderful conservation project and boy did I sew! My New Year Day involved some fun time with family and a little more sewing!! I am now back to the “world” of work and technology again!
Spent January 1st working. Now I am relaxing and getting ready to face tomorrow.
I will be doing more charity quilts. I am currently working on 10 whole cloth kids quilts that will be tied by a friend then donated to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis IN. Next, I am using one of my Thrivent Action Teams to purchase (and make) Quilts of Valor with my quilty friends at the Indiana State Quilt Guild in February. Not sure what will come next.
To kick off the new year, I decided to do some kind of BOM. I stumbled upon your sight and knew it was perfect. Made my first two blocks for the Solstice quilt. Looking forward to the next ones. I’m also committing time to finish two quilts I started a couple years ago. They will be gifted to my sweet dear friends. One just needs binding and the other needs to be bordered, quilted and bound.
Spent the first day of the new year with my three oldest grandchildren, visting them in Delaware. Will be back home on the 10th, hope to start doing some quilting.
Today i’m prepping a pattern that i’m testing. I plan to sew all year long like i did last year!
Organize all of the projects I plan to work on this year and set up my sewing room. Oh yeah, and start to sew, sew, sew!!!
I spent the 1st of January with family and good friends as well as grandparenting my granddaughter for the weekend. While enjoying my day with everyone I was planning out my next project to start. I think it will be a star quilt.
Well I already cleaned my sewing room. I’m kicking up my daily yoga which I highly recommend for everyone. So good for you in so many ways!
I’ve been helping my mom get her sewing room organized so we can tackle her long list of UFOs. Lol some of them she’s inherited and most of the rest she was interrupted by s project someone else wanted her to do instead.
I spent the day in church, and then a little hand sewing while watching football. Was a WONderful day!!!! (lynnstck[at]yahoo.com)
I’ve gone through all my fabric containers and started organizing. Since I am an outta sight, outta mind kinda gal, I decided to pin a piece of each UFO or wanna-do project on my wall so I can see what I need to work on this year.
I am working on a paper pieced quilt top called Cracker Box.
Clean my area up for a new project
Plan on just a little catch-up on a BOM… not really behind, but want to work on January Block then I feel free to join this project.
This year is starting off very brightly! My craft room is so close to being done that I can almost taste it! Then I can leave my goodies out for whenever inspiration strikes.
I finished a quilt for my neice. I spent the whole day sewing and loved every minute of it-:)
Finishing up two more Christmas table runners for Christmas gifts next year. Then on to making a quilt for a granddaughter who graduates from HS this year. Happy New Year, Pat Sloan. My favorite wall hanging is a quilt from a workshop on color I took from you in Manassas with Stone House Quilters!
Today I am working on My Splendid Sampler blocks and trying to experiment with hexies! Love your website it provides so much inspiration. Thanks.
I was planning on getting the house cleared of decorations etc, so I can start playing as soon as possible – but I got sidetracked looking at all the fantastic quilt patterns, BOM/Ws and new fabric…. I just love the Solstice challenge. Definitely at the top of the list now. Many thanks for sharing it with us.
I love your website!
Regroup and organize. Think about my space and how to make it work better. Move forward on idea of an separate quilt studio building and make it happen. Old room will return to much needed guest room.
I am working today on the splendid sampler- There are so many to do! I am also working on some UFOs. I would like to write today and we have been invited to a friend’s to have dinner. A great way to begin -with friends
I haven’t done anything for nearly two years and I saw all these lovely winter solsolstice blocks and how colourful everyone’s were so I thought I’d have a go and I’ve got my quilting mojo back so thank you pat Sloan you are an angel
I’m piecing your Solstice blocks & participating in a 2017 BOM & piecing a wedding quilt for our only nephew & gathering fabrics for youngest son & DIL’s bed quilt. Phew I’m going to be a busy bee in my Command Central aka sewing room.
I was NOT going to start another quilting project. And then I saw the blocks for the Solstice Challenge quilt and fell in love. So here goes another project. 🙂
Your winter solstice mystery has got me quilting again!
It has been encouraging to read your goals for the year. In 2016, my husband built shelves in my craft space, and I organized supplies and projects. My 2017 goals include finishing many of those projects that were unearthed in the organizing process.
Trying to decide where to start and planning too many projects already. Lol
I spent the day watching football with my brother while crocheting on a hat for charity. My goal for 2017 is to get as many of my UFO’s finished before starting any big projects. I am planning on doing the Solstice challenge though. I have learned so much from you site Pat and I thank you so much for that!
I am sewing sewing sewing!! Thank you for this opportunity!!! Happy New Year!!!
I am trying Solstice, my first block-of-week project. So far, I got the first block made and messed up the second, but there is still time to fix it! 🙂
I played with brown and pink fabrics and sewed a block. It was good to be back in my sewing space after the holidays and dream of possibilities for 2017.
I layered a quilt and bought thread. This quilt is for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in April.
I had a good time sorting my stash and starting another Splendid Sampler block.