Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017!

Are you the sort of person who keeps a running tally of all the things you make in a year? I have to admit that if you asked me that question even a few weeks ago, my answer would have been an unequivocal NO!  But as is often the case, with the year winding down I couldn’t help but begin to reflect on what I had accomplished during the year, and I began to see the motivational value in keeping track of the actual numbers.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think for one minute a person’s creativity can be quantified; nor can or should the data be used in any way to try and compare talent or even productivity with that of another person, but what it can do is help guide and measure your own unique creative journey – especially from year to year.

Since I hadn’t been keeping count I had to do a physical inventory of the projects I have in my studio, and I skimmed through the images I shared on Instagram throughout the year to get a better idea of just how many projects I had worked on in 2016.

In October I shared a post that highlighted how hard this year has been for me and how I realised I needed to structure my creative life differently in order to maintain my enthusiasm and wellbeing. I was learning A LOT about my creative self during that time, and yet one of the things that was getting me down was the feeling I wasn’t moving many of my ideas or projects forward. Perhaps if I had known the actual count of my projects during that period I may not have been so dismissive of my own accomplishments during what was a particularly difficult season. When I counted up the projects at the end of the year the numbers that made up my quilt inventory were significantly surprising to me.What the numbers told me was that I had in fact accomplished way more than I was giving myself credit for – so I immediately became a believer in the power of the numbers ;).

My Quilt Inventory 2016

• 15 Small Projects
• 20 Mini Quilts
• 6 Completed Quilts from start to finish
• 7 Quilt Tops
• 12 Quilt Tops to be quilted (the 7 from 2016, and 5 from previous years), and
• 14 Works in Progress!

I know keeping a tally will not be for everyone but I guess it appeals to the analytical left side of my brain and I like the idea of seeing how these numbers will change in 2017. I wonder what my chances are of having ‘0’ quilt tops to be quilted? (Okay, you can stop laughing now – oh wait, that is me laughing ;).

Of the 6 Quilts I completed in 2016, my favourite is this one I made for my son. Since I never shared the story behind this quilt on this blog I thought I would share a little about it now…

I started stitching this quilt 3 weeks before Jacob left to spend two years in South Africa serving as a missionary. Every block is meaningful and every stitch was made with all the love, hope and dreams I have for my son while he is so far away from home. Originally the design started out as only 6 Australian flags, but knowing I had to work within the constraints of the proportions of the actual flag design itself, I realised I would either have an okay sized lap quilt or a really large square quilt that would be cumbersome to have to pack in a suitcase. What I wanted most was to make a quilt that would be big enough for a bed and one that would be ideal to snuggle under on those cold mornings when it is hard to leave the shelter of a warm bed and you find yourself dragging your quilt wrapped body to the breakfast table!

Eventually the idea came to me to make a sampler version of my original concept. I chose blocks as I went, I paper pieced the Union Jacks and hand appliqued the stars – I was both learning new techniques and designing on the go, and much to my delight the outcome couldn’t have been any more perfect. Sure, there are lots of ‘flaws’ in this quilt; things that if I had more time I most likely would have painstakingly tried to improve on and perfect, but I am grateful that I didn’t have the time because this quilt became a great example of how the big picture of our lives is so much more important than some of the little imperfections we would like to change. This quilt’s story is heartfelt from beginning to end!

This is a piece of Jacob’s story documented with fabric and thread. For now it is a piece of home he takes with him as he journeys; and for me during those weeks up to his departing it was a way to soothe my soul and focus my energy. I think this is why this is my favourite quilt of 2016 – it is meaningful in so many ways and it connects me with my son while there are many miles between us.

You can see progress shots of this quilt on Instagram here under the  hashtag #piecesofaustraliaquilt. I am working toward tweaking the pattern slightly and releasing it under the name ‘Pieces of Home’ later in the year. The pattern will have a US variation too!

My favourite Mini Quilt I made in 2016 has to be this one I made for LeAnne of Everyday Celebrations.

The mini was one I designed for the Uplift and Inspire Swap held on Instagram in February. There is something I find magical about house blocks. I could try and convince you all that it stems from all the space planning and drafting I did while working as an interior designer, but I think the truth is a little more simplistic – ‘home’ is the word I connect with family, friends, hopes and dreams; it’s my favourite place to be!

I have this dream that one day I will have a collection of quilts that have a house and home theme – perhaps I should start by exploring this particular block a little further…?! I have been thinking about turning this block into a quilt design since the original sketch, but calculating yardage requirements for what would essentially be a scrappy quilt wasn’t something I could wrap my mind around at the time. Maybe it’s time to put my thinking cap on ;).

And speaking of exploring… my favourite small project for 2016 has to be these cute pears I made using the Pear In A Tree pattern by Fig Tree & Co. Throughout the year I had been setting aside some 1-1/2″ squares from all the small scraps I had accumulated and when the bowl I was using to store them all became full I decided it was time to turn these itty bitty pieces into something beautiful. The original pattern calls for even smaller squares which is perfect for those who really can’t throw any scrap away – but I loved how these little pears came to be from all the leftover pieces that so easily could have been discarded!

So while my creative efforts weren’t what I though they might be as I began 2016, I can look back now and say with confidence that I have ultimately still grown as a maker, and that is something I am grateful I can now recognize! I am excited to see how I can take what I have learnt in 2016 and magnify those things in 2017 to explore more creative opportunities and challenges.

I have yet to set any new creative goals for this new year, but it is something I want to focus on this week.

What goals are you going to be working toward in 2017?

Thanks for stopping by. The growing support from this quilting community really touches my heart and I am so thankful to all of you who take the time to read my words and comment on the things I share – I am one of those people who generally finds hugging a little awkward, but I want to hug each and every one of you!! :).

Until next time… go. cut. sew. create. and share your story with fabric and thread!

Samantha

PS. I actually made three of the pear pincushions at the time (but couldn’t hold all three of them in the palm of my hand for the photo), and while I am keeping one, I would love to share two of them with you! I’ll choose two people from the comments later in the week :).

ETA: Thanks for your comments Anne and Lisa – I am going to be sending you each a pear 🙂