Making | 2022

I don’t think of myself as a prolific maker, but goodness – I am eclectic! No wonder I always feel so scatterbrained – I have so many interests and allow myself to get pulled in so many directions. And the following is the result! I’ve done my best to look at the pictures I’ve uploaded to this blog over the last year and pulled together the projects I’ve finished. I’ve been generous with myself in some ways (such as showing individual mandolin blocks as they’ve become finished), but hard on myself in others (such as not showing unfinished cross stitch projects). Long story short, I made up my own rules as to what qualifies as “finished” for this post and that’s okay!

I’ve also tried to be generous with the definition of “making.” I do a lot less stitching in the warmer months because my attention gets turned to my gardens outside. This post reflects that and includes lots of flowers, which made me very happy on this cold winter’s morning. I hope it brings you a little joy, too.

January

It looks like I was busy with my sewing machine in January. I wrote about making two cross stitch project bags that I put to use immediately with new cross stitching projects (both still unfinished!). The quilt top was a leaders/enders project that I’d been working on for years and finally finished! It hasn’t been sandwiched and quilted yet, but the top is patiently awaiting its turn.

February

I finished hand sewing a Mandolin block in February. This picture doesn’t shown it completely sewn together, but I DID finish it!

March

In March I finished a pair of DRK Everyday Socks! New socks are always welcome in late winter. I also sewed up a new knitting project bag. I’d been pining for this one on Etsy but didn’t want to spend that kind of money, so I studied the schematics, thought through the process for a few days, and just got to sewing. I had all of the materials on hand, so it only cost me time. And I love it! It’s one of my favorite knitting bags now.

April

I finished my Ramble shawl (my Ravelry link) in April! This was knit up in a yummy yarn with cashmere and features delicious garter stripes and squishy brioche.

May

My attentions turned outside in May and my stitching projects slowed down. But look at all of these flowers I planted and got to enjoy!

June

More flowers! I was worried that the Queen Anne rosebush had died, but she made more roses this year than ever before. And this was my first year with peonies! Magical!

July

Although still gardening in July, I managed to finish a couple stitching projects that I’d been slowly working on all summer. I finished my DRK Everyday Sweater (my Ravelry link) and it’s gotten a ton of wear this fall and winter — I’m wearing it as I type this, in fact! And I finished a pair of SOHCAHTOA socks (my Ravelry link). This pattern was written by Sarah and is an engineering feat (feet? ha!): the heel is knitted the same whether the sock is knitted toe-up or cuff-down. I did one sock in each direction to test its magnificence and it worked out perfectly!

August

August was back to the garden. We enjoyed so many tomatoes and flowers in August! We were blown away by the gladiolas (more pictures of those to come in September)! I also finished my Bloom Quilt top. This was my first effort with appliqué and it was a lot of fun. I love, love, love scrappy quilts in bright and cheerful colors. And you know I love flowers — a match made in heaven!

September

More flowers! Actually, the end of the flowers. We were lucky to get another round of rose blooms and enjoy some more beautiful gladiolas. These giant hydrangea globes are beautiful no matter what stage they happen to be in! And I finished another pair of DRK Everyday socks this month.

October

I FINALLY fully finished my Patchwork Swoon! I’d finished sewing the quilt top in 2020 but became overwhelmed with all of the free motion quilting I planned to do. But I was inspired to take it out this October and finish it up! It lives on our couch and I often admire and pet it. Again — scrappiness is happiness, my friends! (Also — I’ve eked out two more projects from the trimmings on this one. They will be featured on the blog soon!)

November

I was in a finishing mood this fall! After finishing my Patchwork swoon in October, I was motivated to finish the biggest project of my life: my Scrumptious hexie quilt. I’d been handsewing this one since January 2014 and was so excited to finally get it quilted and bound. It’s gorgeous! I also participated in the Bear Paw sock knitalong over Thanksgiving weekend and ended the holiday with a fresh pair of socks (my Ravelry link). They are also scrumptious, in their own squishy way. I’ve been calling them my Crown socks because I mostly knit them while watching the newest season of The Crown.

December

December has been another month with slow progress, but I have finished this Mandolin block. When I wrote about it earlier this month, I said I needed to rip out that center hexie, baste a new one, and sew it in with the point facing UP. I’ve done that, but no picture yet. The picture on the right includes all of my finished Mandolin blocks. I’d also mentioned ripping out the blue squares in the block on the bottom and replacing them. I’ve ripped them out and have new squares basted, but haven’t sewn them in yet. I’m hoping to get started on that this weekend!

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Three things I’d like to achieve in 2023:

+ Finish a cross stitch project. I’m over halfway finished with a cross stitch project I started on 1/1/22 and have been very motivated to stitch on it lately.

+ Start a list of finished projects in my commonplace book. A list will help with posts like this and it’s encouraging to see items being added to it, however slowly.

+ Bake more! I spend SO much time in the kitchen and baking is a form of making that I haven’t fully embraced yet. 2023 is my year.

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Friends – I’ve found that the most dedicated makers are the ones who are the most encouraging and enthusiastic about my own efforts. Thank you ALL for such a wonderful year. You are all so kind, generous, and inspirational. I’ll be back again in 2023. Until then — take good care!