It’s been a good year

I’ve been checking back, and can proudly announce that 2011 was a reasonably productive sewing year for me.

I’ve made two large bed quilts for family members – a burgundy and cream cobblestone quilt for my niece Lisa’s belated 40th birthday, and a shaggy floral quilt to celebrate 50 years of marriage for my sister Kathleen and her husband.  Then another shaggy lap quilt for a friend who had a major health scare. 

“Remembering Graeme” was a wall quilt made for my friend Kathryn using pieces of Graeme’s shirts and ties and other various items.  I also made a table runner for Kathryn utilising some lovely silky paisley fabric from Graeme’s dressing gown.  And for another friend who collects buttons I stitched a cushion featuring a jar of buttons. 

Smaller items included two table runners, and a padded book cover.  Then there was the tablecloth made from a collection of New Zealand fabrics, and my library bag makeover with stitchery panels. 

I did quite well with Christmas projects this year, and started off early last January when I made my second  Rudolf the Reindeer stocking, just so Robin and I could have one each.  Later in the year I stitched a set of six Christmas placemats for my daughter, then another two for us to use in the caravan.  The two Snowman felt gift bags were fun to stitch for my grand-daughters, I  also rather enjoyed making my “Tree of Christmas Cheer” with it’s stitchery panel.

Knitting also featured last year – a black and white scarf for a birthday gift, and I finally completed the edging on a knitted baby blanket, which I will tuck away till needed by a new arrival.

I’m also quite proud of making plum jam, grape jelly, kiwifruit jam, and lemon honey during the year.

And for the book readers out there, for the first time ever I kept a list of books read during the year, a grand total of 68 books.  28 were thrillers with James Patterson and Lee Child figuring prominently amongst my favourite authors.  The balance is made of of biographies, animal stories, quilting books, history and cookbooks.

With quilt club meetings, stitching groups and my monthly book club meetings, it’s certainly been an interesting year.  And for 2012, there are still quite a few UFOs hanging about waiting for me to be getting on with!

One of my many UFOs