Ugh, can you believe it!? I feel like I’m skidding head-first into 2019 after a 2018 that was SO MUCH fuller and crazier and more exhausting and exhilarating than I expected. I published patterns, finished quilts, learned a whole new software and did a market! Here’s a breakdown of some of the stuff that really kept me occupied:

Patterns

This year was all about EQ8! I received that software program and a computer to use it on as a Christmas gift from Alex last year, and I truly could not overstate how much it contributed to the patterns I released. Every single one, from Picnic Blanket to Ice Cream Cone, started out in EQ8. I partnered with Electric Quilt Company this summer, and have been lucky enough to join their EQ Artist line-up this year! I love this program, and these patterns are the proof. If you ever have EQ questions- message me!

These are the original EQ mock-ups of all six patterns I released this year. It’s so fun to see them come to life as real quilts!

Independent patterns

Magazine Patterns

It was too cool to see two patterns published in magazines this year. Snow Crystal came out in this year’s Christmas issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting (and snuck onto the cover!!), and Star Shadows came out in the August issue of Modern Patchwork. I actually have four more pattern commissions in the works for magazines next year, and some might be just around the corner… :)

Finished Quilts

And of course, the quilts themselves! It’s hard to come up with a final count since there are a few I haven’t shown anyone yet, but it was definitely a productive year! I included a selection of some of my favorites (that I can share!).

WIPS

And the WIPS. I definitely started many more projects than I finished, so I really am going to make an effort wrap some of these up. I even have some of them basted! It’s a little embarrassing, but when fabric calls…

2019

Apart from finishing up WIPS and waiting on in-progress patterns to come out, I have a few quilty goals and a few decidedly non-quilty goals. I did so much more this year than I expected, and frankly, I burned out, hard, right around Thanksgiving. It was deadline stacked on top of deadline, and I finally had the boneheaded realization that its OKAY to not release a pattern every month. It’s OKAY to not do a newsletter, or get a blog post up, or want to do other hobbies besides the one that happens to be clicking right at that moment. Momentum is awesome and rewarding, but sometimes I just want to cast on a new sweater (please ignore the three half-done sweaters already sitting in the basket), take up punch needling, or just sit on the couch all day and watch lame SyFy movies. My overarching goal for 2019 is diversity- I like to knit, run, do yoga, read, weave, punch needle (I hope, I’m starting a project for the first time tonight!), play video games, play board games… and I want to spend more time doing any or all of those this year.

But, when I DO get in the sewing room, here’s what I’d like to do:

Finish up WIPS. Like all of them. Including the one I just started this weekend. (HA!)
Design a precut-friendly quilt pattern. I always use yardage and I like the idea of limiting myself to pre-cuts as a design challenge!
Design an applique quilt (I’ve had an idea for a giant poppy applique in my head for awhile)
Work on my Haptic lab Minneapolis quilt (got it for Christmas and I’m SO EXCITED!)
Hand-quilt a quilt
Make a Carolyn Friedlander pattern
Do more needle-turn applique
Get quiltS into QuiltCon. I have one secret project in this year, but I’d love to get a few more in next year!
Go to QuiltCon and meet a bunch of you awesome quilters! I can’t wait to see all of my digital inspiration in real life!

I’d love to hear what you guys are planning for 2019, so comment here or on Instagram!

You may also like: