2018 in Review

This year feels like it passed in the blink of an eye! I think the photo above captures finishes from 2018. (However, I just realized the center artist trading card was actually finished in 2017 for the ATC Swap through the Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine. Oops...)

I managed 12 finishes this year. Of those 12, the postcards, mugs and the tote bag on the top right portion of the photo were created by other companies using photos of blocks I completed in 2018.

Click any photo for a larger view.

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2018

1. Peek a Who? Blog Hop

2. Artist Trading Cards Sent & Received

3. Embellished CQJP 2018 January Block

4. Treasure Chest Postcard Tutorial Part 6

5. SK Effects of Caffeine Days 22-24

Top 5 Blog Posts Since 2012

1. TAST 76 (#1 last year)

2. Under the Sea Block Step 4: Seahorse Motif

3. Joyful Embellishments, TAST Week 1,

and Stichery Link Party #14 (#2 last year)

4. Crazy Quilt ATC Tutorial Part 1 - Piecing (#4 last year)

 5. April 2017 (#3 last year)

2018 Activities

2018 UFO Challenge

One UFO was finished this year and progress was made on 3 others. Find more details here.

My 2019 UFO Challenge list is here.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) 2018

December 31st is the last day to sign up for CQJP 2019. Details are here.

Many beautiful blocks were created for CQJP 2018, see them here.

I finished 4 of 12 blocks in 2018. January, February, March and April are complete.

In 2019, blocks may be created to finish CQJP events from previous years. That is my goal.

InCoWriMo 2018

INternational COrrespondence WRIting MOnth is in February. 

2018 was my 2nd year joining the fun. You may read more about my experience this year here. The InCoWriMo website is here.

HAED "QS Red Hearts"

This piece was completed on December 3, 2018, as seen here!

15,437 stitches added in 2018.

168 days (498.93 hours) of stitching from June 24, 2015 through December 3, 2018. 

Charting Creations "Fractal White Tiger"

I began this piece in 2016 for the Stitchy Start blog. 5,779 stitches were added in 2018, completing one page. 4 of 30 pages are finished.

This piece is now 17.15% complete. (It was 13.84% done on January 1st of 2018.)

HAED "Twilight Duel"

7,417 stitches were added in 2018. 

The bottom row of the chart is now complete.

HAED "Storykeep Effects of Caffeine"

This is my travel project. 1,405 stitches were added to it this year.

Page 1 (of 4) is 68.92% complete. 

The project is 18.55% finished.

Instagram

Wow! My cross-stitch projects - particularly QS Red Hearts - were clearly favorites on Instagram in 2018. 

Hmm... In 2017, I had 193 Instagram posts. There were only 57 in 2018. 

You may find me here on Instagram.

Published

These 3 Artist Trading Cards were published in the Summer 2018 Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine.

The Spring 2019 Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine (available February 1st) will feature another block created in 2018. 

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

Renee

2019 UFO Challenge List

Details for joining the 2019 American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge may be found here. On the Facebook Group for this event, project #3 was announced for January. 

Knowing my crafty time will be short and that I want to make a lot of progress on my cross-stitch projects, I tried to make my UFO list pretty simple this year.

Click any photo for a larger view.

1. Sun, Sand, and Sea Block of the Month hosted by Sew Incredibly Crazy & Friends. I need to complete the last block - "Hammock Time", sew the top together, add a border, label, quilt & bind this. You may find more details about this project here. Please note: Craftsy just removed patterns from some stores, so not all links to the blocks may work.

2. Make my "LOVE" Wall Quilt. Blocks were embellished through the Crazy Quilting International (CQI) 2014 Hearts Round Robin. You may see how the blocks arrived home to me here. And how I embellished the "E" block here.

3. Create a zipper pouch with this "Mom" heart I embroidered in 2017. You may see that post here.

4. My March Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) 2017 block needs a bit more embellishment before it may be sewn into a project. You may learn more about it here.
Do you think I should make it part of a tote bag? Or a cover for a 12-inch pillow?

5. My December CQJP 2014 block needs to be embellished. It will be the outer pocket on a tote bag. 

6. I colored this fabric back in 2017 (maybe?) to create a Halloween mug rug. It is ready to be quilted and bound.

7. In June of 2013, I began working on my first crazy quilted messenger bag, featuring pink Oregon State University Fabric. It is time to finish it up. This panel is almost fully embellished.

8. This panel of my pink OSU messenger bag needs a fair amount of embellishing.

9. The strap of my pink OSU messenger bag needs to be embellished.

10. The sides/bottom strip of my pink OSU messenger bag needs to be embellished.

11. Once all of the pieces are embellished, the messenger bag needs to be sewn together. The bag is based upon Butterick Pattern B4147. It was adapted to add the crazy quilting. (This photo is from December 2017.) More posts about this project may be found here.

12. I think I pieced this for a crazy quilt fabric postcard in 2016 when I created this tutorial for the Crazy Quilting International blog, but I am not sure. It has been sitting in a box for quite some time and I plan to finish it this year.

With my schedule this year, I do not expect to finish all of these projects this year. However, I know I will make more progress through this challenge than I would without participating.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

Related Posts:

UFO Challenge 2017 - My List
UFO Challenge 2017 Review
UFO Challenge 2018 - My List
UFO Challenge 2018 Review

2018 UFO Challenge Review

My biggest goal this year was to finish one of my large cross-stitch projects. ("QS Red Hearts" is finished!) I also began working full time at a job I truly enjoy. As a result, my list of UFOs (unfinished objects) for the 2018 American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge did not get much of my crafty time. That being said, I am happy with the progress that was made this year.

Click any photo for a larger view.

The photo above shows the 12 UFOs I selected to work on in 2018. You may find more photos and details in this post, shared last December.

UFO Progress in 2018:

1. "LOVE" Wall Quilt featuring blocks from the 2014 Crazy Quilting International Hearts Round Robin Blocks: I removed the basting seams from all 6 blocks and purchased a hanger from Ackfeld Manufacturing. (I am not affiliated, I just like their wire hangers.)

2. "Hearts Askew" Quilt: No progress.

3. Some embellishments were added to my pink Oregon State University messenger bag. I tried to work my Take A Stitch Tuesday (TAST) stitches onto the panels for this bag. 

4. Assemble OSU Messenger Bag: Not yet! Needed to finish #3.

5. Embellish and Make a Purse with Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) 2014 December Block: No progress.

6. Fully Finish "The land is not inherited" Cross-stitch: No progress.

7. Embellish & Sew Christmas Stocking: No progress.

8. Quilt, Label & Bind CQI Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt: No progress.

9. Finish "Red Barn" Wall Quilt: Borders were added, as seen in this post.

10. Complete The City Stitcher Quilt Collection #9 Our Country Home - Pattern by Janet Miller: No progress.

11. Create CQI Snowball Wall Quilt: No progress.

12. Fix CQJP 2013 April Tote Bag: Completed  and donated to a fund raiser in January 2018, as seen in this post.






One UFO was completed and progress was made on three others. That is more progress than I would have made without this challenge, so it feels successful to me!

My 2019 UFO List will be shared in tomorrow's post. 
Thank you for visiting! - Renee


Additional Information:
More details about the American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge may be found here.

Search social media for #APQResolution to see what others have shared through the APQ UFO Challenge.

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) is a personal challenge to learn a stitch a week. Sharon B. of Pintangle.com will begin a new round of TAST on Tuesday, January 1st. You may learn more about it here.

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) is a personal challenge to create one crazy quilt block a month, measuring at least 8-inches square. Registration for CQJP 2019 closes on December 31st. You may learn more here.

Crazy Quilting International (CQI) is a group that meets on Facebook. You may learn more about round robins on the CQI blog here, and find the Facebook group here.

Twilight Duel Update #29

Now that QS Red Hearts is finished, I put a little bit of time into my Heaven and Earth Designs "Twilight Duel" cross-stitch.

Less than 300 stitches were added, so the progress is tough to spot.

Most of the stitches filled in part of the white dragon's right wing.
192 of those stitches were added during IHSW this month.

This is how it looks now. I realize it is not quite December 30th, but this project has been set aside until January.

Percent Complete: 

Project:       38.9% (It was 38.7%)

Pages 1-2: 100%

Page 3:        41.51%

Page 4:      100%

Page 5:          1.83% 

Page 6:          0%

Pages 7-8: 100%

Page 9:          5.06%

Page 10:        0.25%

Pages 11-12: 0%

Page 13:    100%

Page 14:      64.99% (It was 61.19%)

Page 15:        3.2% (It was 2.95%)

Pages 16-18: 0%

Page 19:    100%

Page 20:        3.72%

Pages 21-24: 0%

Last weekend was International Hermit & Stitch Weekend (IHSW). This event takes place the 3rd full weekend of the month. It is a personal challenge to set aside as much time as you can to stitch. 

You may learn more about IHSW here. 

The Facebook Group is here. 

The next IHSW will be January 18 - 20, 2019. 

SK Effects of Caffeine - 47 Days Progress

In July, I began working full-time. 

Stitching time has been trickier to fit into my schedule since then. 

However, I have been trying to work on my Heaven and Earth Designs "Storykeep Effects Caffeine" cross-stitch project for at least few minutes during my lunch break. 

I love this artwork (that you may see here) by Randal Spangler. 

In 2019 I hope to make better progress on this piece.

The photo above shows how it looked in October. 

The project is now 18.16% complete. (It was 13.77%.)

Page 1 (of 4) is now 67.46% complete. (It was 51.13%.)

Thank you for visiting!

Renee

Upcoming Crazy Quilting and Embroidery Events

If you want to learn how to crazy quilt:
I believe registration for Kathy Shaw's next Basic Crazy Quilt Course 101 (BCQC 101) will be open January 5th - 7th. This is a free course, but you do need to purchase your own supplies. More details may be found at Shawkl.com. 

HERE, you may find more details and links to Kathy's course descriptions and the calendar of course registration dates.

You will need to visit Kathy's website - HERE - on January 4th or 5th for directions on how to register.

HERE, you may find close up photos of the block above that I created in 2015 through BCQC 101.

If you are interested in creating a crazy quilt:
Registration is open for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2019 (CQJP2019) through December 30th, 2018. This is a personal challenge to create one crazy quilt block a month, measuring at least 8-inches square. By the end of the year, you would have 12 blocks to assemble into a crazy quilt. HERE is a link to the CQJP 2019 Challenge Rules. You will want to read the rules, the Use of Photos page, the Questions & Answers page, and then follow the directions on the How to Register page by December 30, 2018 in order to participate. Registration closes on December 31st.

This year, one option for CQJP is to work on blocks that we did not complete in previous years. If I sign up, my goal will be to finish the remaining 8 blocks from this year's challenge.

If you are interested in learning new embroidery stitches, or challenging yourself with some stitches you already know:
Sharon B. of Pintangle.com will be hosting a new round of Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) and Beyond TAST in January of 2019. TAST is a personal challenge to learn a new embroidery stitch each week. You may learn more about it HERE.

You may find some of my work from TAST 2018 on Pinterest HERE.


Please note, I am not affiliated with any of these events. In the past, I have enjoyed participating with them and thought I would share this information in case you might be interested.

Wishing you a wonderful week!
Renee

QS Red Hearts Finish!

The last stitch went into "QS Red Hearts" on December 3rd!

I fell in love with this piece of art by Ching-Chou Kuik

It was beautifully charted by Heaven and Earth Designs.

I began on June 24, 2015 and finished December 3, 2018.

168 days of cross-stitching went into this piece.

It took roughly 499 hours. (498 hours and 56 minutes - according to the spreadsheet I created to track my progress.)

More than 3,000 stitches were added in November. 

741 of those stitches were added during IHSW.

Rotating 3 large cross-stitch projects felt a little overwhelming in 2017, so finishing this piece was my biggest crafty goal for 2018.

I am thrilled to see her complete!

I want to thank all of my blogging friends that cheered me on as I worked on this beauty.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Renee

IHSW stands for International Hermit & Stitch Weekend. This event, which originated at Random Ramblings, occurs the 3rd full weekend of the month. There is an IHSW Facebook Group that you may find here if you would like to participate. 

December 2018

Photo of part of my first crazy quilted Christmas stocking.

Yikes... In November, I only managed two blog posts. To be fair, almost every free moment I had was spent working on my Heaven and Earth Designs "QS Red Hearts" cross-stitch project. That time was well-spent, as I put the final stitches in last night! Photos coming soon...

December Goals:

1. Work on my Heaven and Earth Designs "Storykeep Effects of Caffeine" cross-stitch project during my lunch hour. This is how it looked in August. I will share an updated photo soon.

2. Work on my Charting Creations "Fractal White Tiger" cross-stitch project over International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW). Wow. It looks like I have not worked on this since May. The last update may be found here.

3. Work on my Heaven and Earth Designs "Twilight Duel" cross-stitch project 2-3 nights a week. I have not touched it since July. This is how it still looks.

4. Work on my next Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2018 block. You may see better photos and links to posts for each of these four blocks here.

5. Piece 12 crazy quilt blocks to work on for both Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2019 and 1 X-mas Item a Month. (I would like to make 3 to 4 snowman themed crazy quilt wall hangings for Christmas gifts next year.)

6. Blog at least once a week.


Upcoming Events:

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST): Sharon B. will begin a new round of TAST in January. You may read more about TAST on Sharon's blog, Pintangle.com, here.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2019 (CQJP 2019): Registration for CQJP 2019 is open through December 31st. The rules are similar to those listed this year on the CQJP 2018 blog (here). There is a Facebook Group this year and it may be found here.

Thanks for visiting!
Renee

QS Red Hearts Update - October 2018

In October, I really hoped to finish page 6 of my Heaven and Earth Design's "QS Red Hearts" cross-stitch project, based on artwork by the talented Ching-Chou Kuik. Mission accomplished!

This is how she looked at the end of September. 

1,324 stitches were added in October. 

7 of 9 pages are now complete!

This is how she looked on October 31st.

The project is 91.89% complete. (It was 89.07% in September.)

Pages 1-5: 100% 
Page 6: 100% (It was 70.34%)
Page 7: 100%
Page 8: 48.99% (It was 41.24%)
Page 9: 17.04% (It was 7.03%)

November 16 - 18 will be International Hermit & Stitch Weekend (IHSW). I hope to make significant progress on this piece then! (In October, 930 stitches were added during IHSW.) 

To meet my goal of finishing this project in 2018, I need to stitch 1,910 stitches in November and December. We'll see! It's a bit trickier now that I am working full time.

IHSW is an event that takes place the 3rd full weekend of the month. It is an opportunity to set aside as much time as possible to stitch. You may learn more about IHSW here. There is an IHSW Facebook Group that you may find here.