It's always good to reflect on the past year and think about how your next trip around the sun might playout. I love that Cheryl's Best of Party ties in with Yvonne's Goal Setting Party. I've joined in with them since they've started the parties and decided this year should not be any different.
I'll start off with my top five best of posts.
1. My number one post with the most page views to date is a quilt I created for the Autumn Abundance Blog Hop hosted by Bernie at Needle and Foot and sponsored by Paint Brush Studios back in 2016. The quilt was called Autumn Blooms and is a variation of my Watermelon Taffy Block.
2. So, it's kind of fitting that my second most viewed post on the blog is the Watermelon Taffy Block Tutorial for the Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog hop back in 2015.
3. Number three on the list is a baby quilt I made from Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs pattern for Moda Bake Shop called Building Blocks. I called mine Hello Darling Building Blocks because I used Bonnie and Camille's Hello Darling fabric line in the quilt. This one was super fun to quilt. Keeping with the theme in the fabrics, I added lots of fun orange peels to the blocks and yummy ribbon candy.
4. Number four is a very special one for me. It was the release of my first for sale pattern Star Blossom available for pdf purchase in my Craftsy Shop.
5. For number five I have went rouge and chose it myself. It isn't one of my top viewed posts, but maybe a forgotten one. It is a tutorial for connecting tails when doing a flanged bindings. There are several great posts out there for making the flange binding, but mine focuses on exactly what to look for when trying to get the flange and the binding itself connected.
Now let's switch gears a bit and talk about goals for the upcoming year.
Reflecting on my post from last year, I had five main goals for 2017:
- Tackle UFO's and quilt kits--really a fail. I think I created more UFO's and kits more than anything. Does that count as tackling? I made more!
- Quilt Alongs--I think I knocked this one out of the park. I participated (and kept up with) so many quilt alongs I lost count.
- Get juried into a local group of artists--I didn't actually try to complete this goal. I'm not quite ready yet as it will come with an 8hr a month commitment attached.
- Release a pattern--this one was very successful.
- Collaborate with quilty friends--life happens and unfortunately, this one didn't quite go the way it was planned out to. There is always 2018
So what would I like to be on my horizon in the coming year? I do want to keep the year kind of simple. 2018 will start with some changes that I'm not sure time wise how it will play out and end with the start of my daughter's senior year of high school. So I know family needs to be a focus as well. But so does down sizing and finishing things I've started.
- Tackle UFO's and quilt kits--reducing the numbers, Tish, not adding to them. I plan to finish quilting a boat load of quilt tops laying around the house, either to sale or give away. Quilts are like rabbits I think. Turn your head and they multiply.
- Now that I feel a bit more comfortable with pattern writing, I would love for David and I to collaborate again and release another pattern. Talks are in the works to make this happen.
- Create a blog with David--I love my Tish's Adventures in Wonderland blog and I would never abandon it, but we have talked about starting a project together. Still in the works, but excited to see if it goes anywhere.
- UFO Busting Linky Party--We've started out with UFO confessions (thank you to everyone who commented or linked up), now it's time to start tackling those projects. Originally, I intended for this to be a monthly party, but I'm thinking let's go weekly and see how it goes. Let's start busting those projects next week!
- Collaborate with quilty friends--This one will probably stay on the list. I do know I have some things on the horizon I just can't talk about them quite yet.
- Scale back on the QAL's---Oh my goodness, ya'll! It's not even January and I'm already starting to twitch! I'm going through withdraw. Typically, I participate in Pat Sloan's yearly BOM and the Aurifil BOM but I'm not sure I'm going to this year. I really don't want to distract from the task at hand. I do however need to reign myself in and not go so crazy.
I think I'm going to leave my goals at that. The UFO goal is a biggie that will require a whole bunch of mental energy. I look forward to cheering you on and hearing about your UFO finishes and struggles. Quilting is an addiction. I'm not looking for a cure, but a better way to manage all of it.
Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years! I plan to ring mine in with family, food, a bit of wine and of course quilting.
