Happy New Year!

2012 kind-of snuck up on us! I remember hearing my grandmother say how the year was going so fast and I thought, "This woman has lost her mind!!!" Sorry, Grandma - I get it now!!

It's time for the yearly review! Don't know if anyone else does this ... but I enjoy looking back - since I'm such a listmaker - it's pretty easy!

I made/finished 14 quilts, mostly baby quilts or larger! 5 were UFOs (hooray!!) 1 was a PIG [project in grocery bag] just waiting it's turn for years(!), 1 sweatshirt jacket, 2 challenges and 5 new quilts finished in the same year!!! I also made 2 sewing kits for friends; 12 pair of pj pants [for grandkids and my beautician's daughter]!! 2 new Christmas stockings and repaired/added buttons to 3 old ones.

Learning to long-arm quilt and renting the local quilt shop's long arm really upped my production! I actually started a double bed quilt and finished it in just one week this fall! That's a first and I've been quilting 36 years! It was fun - I'll try to do that every year! Focus, Nana, Focus!!

I didn't finish all I had planned to finish - of course! My list seems to be getting longer - how does that happen??? But, I shouldn't be surprised - it does happen every year!

I read 71 books and really liked 28 of them! I gave those my highest rating. 4stars! I went back and read favorite authors - the books that I missed somehow.

• Thomas Perry - Jane Whitefield series - the one woman witness protection agency
  
• Nevada Barr - Anna Pidgeon series - I love how she places the stories in our National Parks
  
• Dana Stabenow - Kate Shugak - the real reason I'm anxious to travel to Alaska! All those descriptions of Alaska amidst the adventures
  
• Douglas Preston - his adventure books are so engaging from my couch!
  
• John Barnes - the scifi I love to read, not too techie!
  
• Janet Evanovich - who doesn't love Stephanie Plum? and Ranger, Joe and Grandma???

I added some new favorites too!

• John Larison - an Oregon writer I discovered this year - "Northwest of Normal" describes Oregonians dead-on!!
  
• Jack McDevitt - I started with "The Engines of God" and am anxious to continue that series

My DH gave me Stephen King's newest 11/22/63 and it's slighly mellower than Stephen King's usual - so far! I'm only half-way through it, but loving it! Looking forward to finishing it, but not as much as A is - looking forward to me finishing it, he's next on the list to read it!!

I spent yesterday at the Quilt Shop at a sew-in. They have it every year for those of us who like to avoid all the bowl games. Hmmm, we didn't realize that college doesn't play on Sundays. Oops!! But we managed to have a really good time while avoiding NFL games!! We're on our own today!

The shop is set up to give out the Planet Patchwork New Year's Day mystery. The clues are delivered every hour ... But I don't really like quilt mysteries. There I said it! I've done a few - okay 2-3 and always wish I'd made other fabric choices ... and Lord knows I have quite a few projects (LOL!)that are just waiting for me to finish them. Seems like a better use of time to work on them!

So - I worked on last year's NYD mystery!! I started it at this gathering on NYD 2011 - there was an error and I miscut ... so at the end of the day - into the bag it went. It did come out for the design wall once or twice, but nothing was done on it ALL YEAR! The pattern, the pieces, the fabrics were still gathered in the bag - ready to go again. So I took it - made two more 'stamp basket' blocks to make it bigger; added a border and started making 1/2 square triangles for another border.

It's light yellow and soft blues - but still kind of girl-y for a boy-quilt. At this point, I'm just hoping to finish it and donate it for the city-wide baby shower in March.

Off my list is my goal!! If I hadn't taken it yesterday ... well, it probably would still be in the bag by my estate sale!! Of course, it's not done-done yet! [sigh!]

I'm participating in the FMQ challenge this year - over here - I'm always saying I want to improve my FMQ; but rarely actually work on it or get out of my 'box'.

So this year - I'll at least think about it every month!! But hope to sew along. The blue baskets will be my first FMQ project for 2012!

They advised us to practice alot and I bought Christmas fabrics on sale last week up in Portland. My goal is to make fabric gift bags with all the techniques. I think machine quilting will make them heavy enough you won't be able to determine the shape of the present. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Wishing you the best in 2012. May the year be filled with friends, family, laughter, good books and sunshine! Oh, and LOTS of time to QUILT!! Definitely!!