I'm joining in with Meadow Mist Designs' end of the year link-up to celebrate my Best of 2023.
I enjoy going back through a year's worth of photos and blog posts, and coming up with my favorite finishes of the year. Sometimes I've even forgotten about a particular quilt project, and it's fun to revisit it! So here are my Five Favorite Finishes of 2023.
I continue to enjoy participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge each year and finding ways to use all the colors in my scrap bins to make beautiful quilts. The last couple years, I've incorporated hand-pieced blocks into this process, and for 2023 that resulted in my Dancing Plus quilt finish.
Another thing I enjoy as a quilter and blogger is joining in with online quilt-alongs, and Sandra's Spring QAL at mmmquilts is one I try to never miss. 2023's QAL definitely resulted in a favorite finish and that is Rainbow Neighbourhood.
Carole at From My Carolina Home also has a quilt along every year called Scrap Dance and I joined in this year for the first time. If you go to the Scrap Dance Mystery category on Carole's blog, you can read about all the different designs she's offered over the years of her mystery series - this year's was called Scrap Dance Quadrille. I named my version Mermaids Dance because I used a fat quarter bundle of ocean-themed prints that I bought at a fun quilt shop on Cape Cod that we visited in the Spring of 2022.
Can you tell what place in my backyard
is my favorite for photographing quilts?! 😊
Continuing on the ocean theme, this year I brought home a kit from a cute little quilt shop in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and made a beach landscape quilt. This was my first try at making a landscape quilt, but hopefully not my last. The kit's designer had great directions and tips and I love how this turned out! I'm still looking for the best place to display it in my house.
And finally, I've rediscovered a craft that I really enjoy this year, and that is cross-stitch. This is mostly due to reading the blog PinkernPunkin Quilting where Melisa shares all kinds of sweet little designs that I can't resist. I started out embroidering her Frosty McChill snowmen series a couple years ago, but eventually decided to try some cross-stitch. It turns out that I have ended up with a basketful of favorite little finishes!
Looks like I need both a winter and a spring pillow
to fill up the basket for a year of sweet little stitches!
Thanks so much to all of my quilting and blogging friends for all of your inspiration throughout the year! Every day I see quilts being made that I have to put on my list, too - more than one person could ever make in a lifetime. But I have a great time trying! Looking forward to continuing the quest in 2024!
Sharing at Meadow Mist Designs for the Best of 2023 link-up.
And at Quiltfabrication for Midweek Makers.
A very fun list of finishes. They are all such fun quilts. Dancing Plus is my favorite from your list, with all your cross stitched pillows a very close second. Looking forward to seeing your favorites for 2024.
ReplyDeleteGreat finishes!
ReplyDeleteYou accomplished a lot this year! Such lovely quilts and cross stitch smalls! Here’s to plenty more fun in 2024!
ReplyDeleteyou had a lot of nice finishes this year - I need to get a post done for end of the year also. I always like the RSC quilts!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun look at your finishes, I never tire of seeing your colorful quilts. And yay for rediscovering cross stitch! Your basket of stitches is so cute.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to look back at your favorite finishes, Diann!!! A very handy photo spot indeed!!! Your landscape quilt is so rich in color and texture! I'm looking forward to more of your inspiring projects in 2024!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun look back at your special finishes! Kudos to you for accomplishing and finishing these and many more this year! Now you get to look forward to playing and creating in 2024!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful finishes for the year. I hope you find a lot of joy on the projects you make next year, too. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great look at some of your finishes! That little landscape makes the year, I think! What lovely projects, and much more to come in 2024, I'm sure. Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing your plus block again. And of course Rainbow Neighbourhood! That was a fun one! Love seeing all your “bowlies” in the basket! Think I’ll put my Christmas door bow await and maybe stitch on it just a few days every month . It will be a WIP!
ReplyDeleteThis year I did 15.5" blocks for my RSC, next year I am reducing the size and will make 5 a month in scraps. That 1 huge block was more of a hassle than 5 smaller blocks will be. But I do love the quilt the large blocks are making.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice review of many finishes. I'm assuming (because you mentioned it) that you picked your favorites to share? I need to figure out what I actually finished this year and whether I wrote blogs about them! I know I keep forgetting to take pictures of some quilts and I haven't kept a finished quilts list for a few years. Maybe that should be on my list for 2024?
ReplyDeleteThey are all gorgeous and so good to look back at the accomplishments of the year.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great bunch of favorites, Diann. I absolutely LOVE your little landscape! Best of luck for your 2024 quilting adventures.
ReplyDeleteMy first at seeing a landscape quilt ,it's amazing & looks like a painting! all the others are beautiful as well!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great year filled with fabulous quilt and cross-stitch finishes. Thanks for linking up with the Best of 2023 Linky Party!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun year of projects—and I am so envious of your perfectly placed fence for quilt display. I’m particularly drawn to your landscape quilt, so I had to look it up to see whose kit that was, and I was thrilled to see it was from Karen Eckmeier. I didn’t know she made kits. That’s a great way to be introduced to landscape quilts.
ReplyDeleteYour hand pieced finish is lively. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteThe house quilt and landscape are mt favorites. I always go for the house quilts and designs that portray a picture.