My 100th Post!!... the year in retrospect

Welcome to the new year! I'm eager to start fresh while building on what I've gotten going on this blog and in my business endeavors over the past year. And how apropos that this happens to be my 100th blog post here at Surrounded by Scraps (a.k.a. Creativentropy). Seems like a good, round number to begin the year on, no?

I am not one to do New Years' resolutions, but there is something about turning the page (literally) to a new calendar year and starting fresh, and in that process taking inventory of the past year. As with many of us, I believe, there has been a lot of change in my world and my endeavors, and while concentrating on a new approach to my quilting I've learned some valuable lessons that I hope to build upon in the year to come. But that must start with summing up what has gotten done in the past year since I have taken this on full-time.

I'll begin with bee blocks and swaps (from Seams Perfect Modern Scrap Bee, do. Good Stitches Bliss circle, Nubees swap, Urban Home Goods Swap, I *heart* the '80s). Though I have had my Flickr account for a few years now, this is the first year that I have participated in any of the MANY quilting bees and sewing swaps on that site. And what an eye-opening opportunity that has been! I look forward to more in 2012!

1. Jenn's blocks, 2. Liberty's blocks for February, 3. Block for Jenn, 4. one more block for Jenn, 5. LeeAnn's March Seams Perfect block, 6. LeeAnn's March Seams Perfect block, 7. April Seams Perfect Block 2, 8. April Seams Perfect Block 1, 9. May Seams Perfect blocks for Rhonda, 10. Seams Perfect June blocks for Cruz, 11. My spiderweb blocks, 12. August stars for Theresa, 13. Seams Perfect - for Brianna, 14. Seams Perfect - for Brianna, 15. Oct. Seams Perfect blocks, 16. Seams Perfect Nov. for Amber, 17. do.Good Stitches "Bliss", 18. do. Good Stitches "Bliss" circle, 19. My April blocks for do.Good Stitches, Bliss Circle, 20. May do.Good Stitches Bliss, 21. do.Good June block, Bliss circle, 22. July do.Good Stitches Bliss, 23. "Bliss" August blocks, 24. do.Good Stitches - Bliss Sept., 25. I-Spy Rainbow Block Drive, 26. BLISS circle - October block 1, 27. November Bliss blocks, 28. Nubees Sept., 29. Nubees Sept., 30. Nubees Sept., 31. Nubees Sept., 32. Nubees Sept., 33. Nubees Sept., 34. who needs new baggage?, 35. a peek at item 2, 36. Frogger - a loose interpretation...

A smaller group is of finished quilts and quilt tops (I'm slower than I like to admit about actually quilting projects, but gonna work on that in the coming days!) I have been drafting my own designs over the years in my quilting projects, but this year I made a concerted effort to work more studiously on my own designs, with the intention of developing some of those designs into patterns for publication. One thing I have learned in that process is that pattern-writing does not come naturally for me, so I will have to work more at that in the coming year.

1. Multi-faceted, 2. Fiesta Squares quilted, 3. for Gideon, 4. warm cool QAL - top finished, 5. back in the saddle..., 6. Borders are on!, 7. yellow/orange scrappy, 8. Project Modern Challenge 2, 9. Brown scrappy - FINALLY quilted and bound

But most of my year was concentrated on smaller household items and bags and the like... building my etsy shop and working toward having a presence at craft fairs and such.

1. April 2011, 2. April 2011, 3. pot holders, with back, 4. pot holders, 5. more new pot holders, 6. more new pot holders, 7. new potholders, 8. new potholders, 9. potholder for PMQG/KCMQG swap, 10. PMQG swap item, 11. PMQG swap item (back), 12. Pillow for Alexandra, 13. Pillow for Alexandra (back), 14. Patchwork Pillows, 15. messenger bag for UHG swap partner, 16. inside of messenger bag, 17. satchel for Claire, 18. Nappy Bag, 19. AB's Nappy Bag with Momo "It's a Hoot", 20. QAYG table runner, 21. 8 quilted place mats - Phew!, 22. more placemats, 23. Freebird placemats, 24. QAYG place mats, 25. QAYG place mats, 26. Placemats Nov. 2011, 27. Portland Rose Festival mats, 28. Placemats Nov. 2011, 29. Placemats Nov. 2011, 30. QAYG placemat set, 31. QAYG placemat set, 32. P1020991a, 33. P1020987a, 34. P1020995a, 35. (new) old place mats36. Not available

I want to thank you all for expressing an interest in the things that make my days go by and sharing your inspirations with me. Here's to more of the same!

Sincerely, Linda