Year End Review & Best of 2022

What a year!  And each one of you reading this has made it a better year than I had hoped and anticipated.

Last December as I turned my focus to 2022, I saw a blank slate... I had no well-defined goals for the year other than to lead the Pieces From the Past block of the month at Patchwork Phoenix, the LQS in Raton, New Mexico.  I did just that and though the group got smaller as the year continued on, those that hung with it grew as quilters and enjoyed the opportunity to try new techniques.  It was a pleasure watching their confidence grow with each block.  

I sold out of the original 100 copies of the Pieces From the Past books that I published and ordered a second, much smaller quantity so that I can maintain a small inventory of them.  This book contains all of the letters, stories, recipes and pictures that accompanied the original sew-along series that ran here on Melva Loves Scraps from January 2020 through March 2021.

New To Me in 2022...

I hosted a new sew along that told the story of my Maternal Grandparents, Forrest & Tressie Teegarden.  The Pieces in the Garden quilt was a row quilt with each row made up of 3" or 4" blocks and one row of 6" blocks.  While not as popular as the previous sew alongs, it was fun and there were still many of you that enjoyed the stories of their lives despite not making the blocks.

I began hosting a new weekly linky party ~ Monday Morning Sew & Tell.  A place for all of you to share the progress of quilts and DrEAMI or squirrel projects.  It is fun to see what everyone has been up to, despite it being a bit dangerous with the temptations of so much eye candy to admire.

I co-hosted/sponsored (with Brenda from Songbird Designs) the on-line National Sewing Month blog hop and Instagram photo challenge.  The hop was a wonderful event and made the "National" event and "International" event with bloggers from around the world participating.

Top 5 Quilts of the year...

#5 - Camping Journal Quilt - our journeys have continued and as I completed the center portion of this quilt we upgraded to a larger 5th-wheel camper.  I have started piecing the blocks that will make up the borders.

#4 - Hanna's First Year Quilt - a collection of onsies and special holiday outfits... It includes all of the monthly shirts, the newborn hats, two special personalized blankets and more.

Hanna seemed to have liked it... and her Momma was pleased too.  Heather noticed that the binding was from one of the baby blankets and Emma, just 8 years old, commented that she liked how I put all of the smallest blocks together in the middle.  (I think the girl may have an eye for design 😍)

Hanna received some matching pillow covers in her Christmas gift and gave her new little pillow a sweet hug. 

#3 - Pieces Revisited - My cousin's half-sister, Kendra, contacted me to purchase a copy of the Pieces From the Past book. She soon followed up with a request for a custom quilt using two of the blocks from the book, Our Country and Dragonfly.  This quilt was a real joy to make... almost as much as it was to meet her in person to make the delivery!

#2 - Funfetti was a quilt that was inspired when I found a collection of 4-patch pink and green blocks as I cleaned and sorted my fabric stash closet.

#1 - Pieces in the Garden Row Quilt inspired by the story of a Bride's Quilt and the product of this year's sew along...

“Bride’s Quilt”

Once upon a time, there was a little girl, who wore a bow in her hair. When she grew up, she began a friendship with a young bachelor. As the hours and days passed, they began to look at each other with stars in their eyes, and as their love grew, they thought about taking steps to the altar. So, the young girl got out her spools of thread and made clothes to get ready for their wedding ring day.

After they are married, some of their times together will be bright as noon and others will be dark as night.  But they will try to share their happiness, their miseries and their chores – she grabbing a wrench to help with household repairs and he grabbing a towel to help with the dishes.  Sometimes they will have broken dishes, but they will try to remember that “things” can be replaced, whereas harsh words, possibly spoken about the broken dishes, could chip away love.  They will try to follow the Golden Rule as they are learning to communicate openly with each other.

They will also try to keep in mind the symbolism of Jacob’s ladder – “steps of communication” between themselves on earth and God in heaven.

From last year::  On a personal note... for the last several years I have had a focus word.  The word that continues to come to me is SUCCESS.  More specifically, from 1 Samuel 18:14... In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.  I have had an internal argument that it seems prideful... or boastful... I, myself, cannot measure the greatness of success.  Against what do I measure it?  Previous years?  Others?  

In the end, I have accepted the word given to me and know that my success in whatever I endeavor will be ONLY because the Lord will be with me.

Overall, I feel that the year was a success... with the exception of the 4th quarter.  My immune system went a little haywire and I dealt with a case of shingles, and two cold viruses that all knocked me on my hiney.  My quilting slowed to a snail's pace, my writing lacked a certain "zest", the weekly Sew & Tell features were overlooked (though I did make a visit to each link) and any responses to comments and questions here on the blog were slow to go out, or sometimes even ignored.  My apologies for those that I have neglected. 😔 

I think it all went awry when we didn't get in one last camping trip in October... LOL!  "I googled my symptoms and I just needed to go camping!"

I am (planning on) taking a few weeks more for rest & recovery... We'll see how that goes (haha!).  The Sew & Tell party will continue, but my weekly to-do lists will go to the wayside.  I have a few small ideas/projects in mind, but when I will actually execute them remains to be seen.  

How has your year been?

Smooth and completely as planned?

Or, full of surprises?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Best of 2022 at Meadow Mist Designs

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

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