Thursday 12 January 2017

2017: Be open to whatever comes next!

Don't you just love the unexpected little touches in fabric design.  I found this on the selvage of some fabric I bought intending to make a bag but ended up using for a one hour basket instead.  I snapped the photo as I thought I need to keep this!  The fabric name 'Be open to whatever comes next' has really resonated with me and has stayed in my mind these past few months.

All quilt tops that need quilting!
I wrote about being brave and putting yourself out there as a blogger last year, coming up to the New Bloggers Blog Hop and at that time I was just getting ready to host my first QAL, for the Rainbow Rose.  I also had my first teaching opportunity around that time too and developed a class on Traditional blocks made modern.  That involved being brave and open to the challenge and asking for help.  I had very generous proof readers and am very grateful to them for catching errors and testing my blocks.  Thank you to all who helped make the class a success!

Both of those did take up quite a bit of time but I loved the preparatory work as much as actually doing the class and making with the QAL.  I really enjoyed the writing, illustrations, particularly the design work and that sense of pride in a finished blog post, a completed pattern and bound class booklet, and it was just as nice as in a finished quilt!  Just as well, as there were not that many finished quilts last year!



To be fair, I can't be too hard on myself.  As well as being on committee for our local branch I represented the Mid-West branch at the executive committee of the Irish Patchwork Society (IPS).  There were monthly meetings in Dublin, the AGM weekend and I curated my first gallery of modern quilts in the Knitting & Stitching Show.  I also attended 5 workshops, was in 2 Bee's (Stash and Round Robin), 5 swaps, a blog hop, 3 QAL's, 1 Exhibition and looked after the Modern Quilters Ireland blog group as well as my own and that's with a full time job.  Oh and we got a puppy!  I need to take a breath as that was a lot for one year!



It's not surprising my average blog posts went from 2 a week to just about 1 a week in 2016.  So I am forgiving myself for that.  My online time spent commenting on blogs dropped too though and that has me feeling down but I think it was inevitable really with less time to spend online overall.  

My year on IG from Makelight - that neon green?  Definitely Glow in the Dark Vader! and the muted browns?  Definitely the dogs!

So how is 2017 shaping up?  Well as of last Saturday, I was elected chair of the IPS (eeks!  Being brave and being open to the opportunity!), have booked 2 teaching sessions in the Spring in Cork and Dublin, have signed up to 2 workshops in February (yes I am a glutton for punishment),  1 swap also due in February and have a quilt design in the works for the Modern Ireland Quilters Group for the summer and our second exhibition in Dublin called Fun!   Oh and I'm giving a talk at our branch this Friday and still trying to toilet train Maggie, the puppy (yes still!)

Projects half started as opposed to PHD - Projects half done!

So, I'll be blogging when I can on my sewing progress but it probably won't be every week this quarter!  And my quarter a long finish goals - well there are lots to choose from.  All of these I have carried over from 2016.  No wonder I wasn't getting that job well done, finished feeling at the end of last year.  There's 25 projects from fabric to idea, to quilt top, to partially quilted that I haven't given up on yet.  I really wish I could be a one quilt at a time person but I guess that's never going to happen! Still I think this many is a bit nuts!  How about you?  One at a time or all in one go?

So for this quarter, it being quite mental I am going to look at getting 2 quilts longarmed and keep up with swaps and bees, spend more time commenting on blogs and IG and lastly choose the Modern Irish Bee Houses quilt as a me project and try and get that done for our Fun exhibition in May.  Anything else that gets done is a bonus!  That's the plan anyway...

Linking up with

10 comments:

  1. I really like the saying on the selvage, too. Being open to whatever comes next can open up a different way of approaching life. I hope that you have a great time as chair of IPS, and good luck training Maggie! <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congrats on being the new IPS Chair Ruth!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations on being chair of the IPS, but don't forget to sew now and then... they're such lovely projects!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think we all go through blogging/ sewing ups and downs....I like that no matter what you continue to enjoy the journey.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 2016 was a busy but great year for you. And 2017 seems to be shaping up to be another busy year. But busy is good when you are doing what you love. Enjoy it all!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Absolutely an all in one go person here Ruth! One at a time is far too boring :)
    Congratulations on your lofty new position in the Irish Quilting world, hope you find time now and again to keep us up to date with your activities.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are so inspiring, Ruth, really, I just can't see how you manage to do what you do in addition to day job. Congratulations on being chosen IPS chair, I'm sure it will be great for you as well as for the society! Looking forward to seeing you in Dublin.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations on all the achievements! Wishing you a wonderful year, Ruth!

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  9. You had a busy year for sure. Congratulations to be a chair! Hope you have a good year!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love the selvedge thought - a good one to keep in mind! It seems to me you had a very productive year,just maybe not in the ways you might have expected. It sounds like this year is going to be exciting and different too - good luck with all it brings.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are most welcome! I reply by email or within the thread if you are a noreply blogger so check back. Thanks.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...