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
NEW HERE? Enter Your Email to get the notices!
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!
Article continues below this Ad
1,340 Responses
I am fairly new to quilting but I am committed to pursuing my love of sewing by learning new blocks and doing pat sloans challenge this year.
After a rough year having breast cancer I finally started sewing again thank you for all the free patterns! I hope to finish some of my UFO’s this year.
Continue learning by doing the solstice quilt along, & do a USA map quilt w/ a button on each state we have visited. Plus get my ancient sewing machine cabinet remodeled so my new Janome will fit into it.
I’m trying to finish my Christmas quilting. Tops are done and someone in the group mentioned wrapping the tops and promising quilting. I did that and everyone was thrilled. So, now I have to finish quilting them! I’m making progress. I have to do better next Christmas.
Think I did this. But will do again, you know double your pleasure
double your fun. Just having do much fun getting to know you, the quilt blocks, and other quilters, so very glad that I found your site. Thank you for all you do. Get well soon.
I hope to finish up a winter wall (door) hanging for my mom’s door at the nursing home.
I want to make another set of the three solstice challenge blocks in different colors. All the beautiful blocks have made me want to try bolder colors. Also should take down my Christmas decorations. I have been so busy that I haven’t had time. And then maybe organize my sewing room. It looks like a cyclone hit. 🙂
I started the New Year with some sewing/piecing quilt blocks, trying to organise myself for the BoMs I want to participate in this year, and looking after my elderly mother who managed to give herself a crush fracture of one of her vertebrae whilst sitting in her lounge chair a week before New Year. I’m hoping the year continues with a lot more quilting and sewing, and a fair bit less nursing (as in hoping Mum improves healthwise). She was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (a form of leukaemia) which is known to attack the bones, so I’m guessing there’ll be more nursing, but hopefully lots of quilting to unwind and relax. 🙂
I will get out my sewing machine and make a quilt.
Finish some of my ufo’s and enjoy my time with my husband. Finish this mystery and gifting them.. thank you Pat for the opportunity..
I worked on my En Provence top. I also need to walk more, I was doing pretty good until I fell about 7 weeks ago and ended up in the emergency room. I live in Wisconsin and it is ice season and I have been putting it off because I am afraid of falling again and I haven’t completely healed yet but I must find a way to do more walking, I want to do more sewing with the grandkids that want to sew ( I have 9 and 5 have done some sewing). thanks for the give away. hope you have a great new yeat
Quilt, rinse,repeat…
My goal this year is to finish all those UFO’s, but continue to work on Blocks of the Month/Week. I want to also do a couple of special quilts for some neighbors that have been so sweet to me over the past several years. And as soon as my daughter gets t-shirts to me, I will be doing her a memory quilt from Nursing School…..graduation is in December!!
My goal is to finish several quilts and getting my new sewing room set up. Love the new room as it is not part of the house and finally able to sew without all the noise and questions, and most of all no Phone ringing.
My goal is to finish up started projects, so I’m making a list, checking it twice……
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.
I am deciding what colors to use for the solstice challenge, and I am working on organizing my unfinished projects. I love all your books, posts and information, so much fun to learn.
I just found your site and can’t wait to add these blocks to a quilt I have planned. This year I plan on sewing more and completing more quilts. I’m trying to get some crocheted UFOs finished first then to the sewing I go!
I am starting by trading skills with a friend. I am teaching her to sew and she is helping me organize my sewing room. I think I get the win on this one! Hoping to start the Solstice Quilt with her.
I kicked off the new year completing a mystery quilt top. It was a lot of fun
I am going to work on being good to myself. Eating better, cutting back on sodas, more walking and definitely sewing time. Sold my house 12/5 and my new sewing space is non existent. But I won’t let that be my excus for not sewing in 2017!
I kicked the year off by getting the house in order! I’m going to sew a mermaid tail for my daughter Lucie’s doll today. I’m excited to plan fabric for your new BOM!
My plans for today are to spend one hour in my sewing room working on blocks. Looking forward to the new BOM’s with Pat in 2017, she is encouraging, inventive and has a great teaching style that works so well for me. I have renewed energy for sewing, sewing, sewing.
I have begun to learn new techniques for quilting. I have begun doing paper piecing and even trying to make my own patterns. My first project is to make a block of my daughter’s dog’s paw. He will be going across the rainbow bridge later this month (he’s 16 and has lost his quality of life). My daughter has had him for 14 years and I wanted to do something for her to remember him. I am looking forward to all the different blocks for the solstice challenge. I have already learned two blocks that I have never done before and I love them.
Sewing every day is my goal for the new year. Whether it’s the solstice challenge, creating a busy book for my granddaughter, donation quilts for the guild, machine embroidery, or maybe even some garment sewing! *gasp*
For the present time, sitting in a dark room with only my tree lit and contemplating my next project. Solstice, second Saturday at our lqs and a Celtic knot quilt I NEED to finish. And finally, other than quilting, tearing up carpet, refinishing floors and papering / painting dining room to prepare it for my late moms furniture. It is another project from my heart.
On January 1st I made a big pot of the oyster soup that was a New Years Day tradition in my husband’s family… (As a new bride in 1969, I politely sipped just a bit of the milk-broth… But over the years I came to love it! A widow since ’92, it’s still a tradition for me…)
I spent the day organizing my sewing area, and starting a new quilt!
A quiet, restful, peaceful day…
Pat T.
I will organize my UFOs and finish those with priority, continue working on a previous block challenge and start on solstice. Here it is January 4th and I’ve actually checked off one thing”
I spent the morning with family then slipped away to my little sewing room to make the second block of the solstice challenge
Actually not sewing on the first. Watched the Cowboys with my MSU graduate daughter & her boyfriend and the youngest son. All 3 were home from college, grad school and med school.
I want to make a king sized quilt for my bed, in between sewing for other people. I find if I keep a journal I get more done. I need to work down the amount of fabric in my stash. I have a new longarm and want to learn to use it well.
Today I returned from an extended dog-sitting vacation, so I am starting now writing daily tasks on my calendar for all my sewing/quilting projects. My hope is that by following a schedule I will complete all my UFO’s eventually! Soon! It will take a while. I am beginning to think I need someone else to do the sewing using my choices of fabrics and patterns! At least I will be using more time constructively instead of spending too much time online shopping for more fabric when I already have so much to use.
I have started the solstice blocks. I don’t know for sure what is going to b done. My mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer on the 21 of Dec. I guess I need to get some blocks ready to applique while I am at Dr s and treatments.
I am getting my 20 year old grand daughter into my studio to start you
your Quilt a long together. She wants to learn so I need to pass on
what I know and learn from great quilter like you. It will be great to
see how our fabric choices make our quilts differ. Thanks Pat for your
help.
I started the day by making the churn dash (block one) for the solstice challenge. I finally decided what I was going to use.
Posted my pictures for the Solstice Challenge today, so far, so good. This should be fun because it is so doable. One block per week I can manage. Happy New Year!
I spent the first visiting with family and friends. Hope you are feeling better.
In 2017, I plan to finish a quilt-as-you-go quilt that I started as a BOM in 2016. I, also, want to learn how to paper-piece star blocks so I can make a Quilt of Valor for my nephew who served om Afghanistan
I’m finishing a quilt I’ve been working on in my mind for 2 months – never touching the sewing machine at all. I finally sat down to do the sewing and now plan to finish the quilting portion and be DONE! I’ve played with images of embellishments and am happy with the way the top looks now. I’ve saved a piece of flannel for the backing that has been waiting for a matching top. So happy to be able to finally get going on this and empty my mind for the next quilt project idea.
My sewing area needs to be straightened up a bit before more sewing can be done. The cutting table had become a Christmas wrapping station! I have lots of UFO’s to focus on this year.
I am finishing a quilt called think inside the box.
I have started a new rag quilt for a coworkers baby.
I intend to get Block 1 and 2 done this week.
Organizing my fabric
I am working on Bonnie Hunters mystery while I wait on Wednesday for your third block, I have the first 2 finished, Also I put a Q.O.V. quilt on the long-arm, I will quilt it tomorrow
I’m on still on a roll making strip quilting blocks. Decided to make some of them into funky placemats for the table.
Planning what fabrics to use for Winter Solstice. …too many choices!!0
I am actually working on the Bonnie K. Hunter mystery! Planning on actually finishing this one! All from stash so no pressure to search for fabrics, just pulling from my shelves!
This is going to be fun. I am doing the Solstice Challenge in Yellows.
I have started off the new year by finding my word of the year…complete and then “completely ” embracing cleaning up my sewing room.
I am starting this new year off right. By starting a new quilt. I haven’t sewn or quilted much in years. My grandmother taught me when I was 5, and I taught myself a lot since. Just got to dive back in. Im happier than I’ve been in a while now.
I am cleaning up after Christmas and New Years so I have a clean space to create. I just started the Splendid Sampler and am excited to create a few more blocks while I am on winter break like the kids (I’m a teacher). It’s so fun to finally join in after just watching for months.