Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023
I can’t believe that 2022 is over. It seems like so much of this past year just sped by in a blur and I completely lost track of time. I had the best of intentions of getting all of these different things done, catching up on a bunch of projects and actually relaxing over the holiday break. That didn’t happen. I have two secret sewing projects that I spent December working on, which is great and I can’t wait to share more about them with you, but it does mean that there was no catch up going on and very little posting during the end of the year. (Who else votes we add a 13th month, Catchupember, to help finish everything?) Fortunately I am relaxing right now in Iceland during my New Year’s trip. Two of the highlights so far include seeing the Northern Lights (something I have always wanted to do!) and starting off the new year relaxing in the Blue Lagoon (it’s very surreal, calmly toasting in the waters while it snows). And all of this has already started giving me some ideas for different quilts, but more of that after I get back (and a little more settled into the year). Right now I want to share some more about the new and exciting things that are happening…
Well today subscribers can hop on over to the subscriber section of the website (and if you aren’t a subscriber, it is totally free to join, and only takes a few minutes to sign up and gain access to all of the content), where there are two new printables to help with planning your creative year for 2023. The first is a look back at 2022, just to help you get a better idea of what you worked on, the techniques that you really enjoyed (or didn’t) and what brought you a lot of joy. The second is a look forward to 2023 to help you determine where you want to go, from learning new skills, colors you want to incorporate in your work, even what you want the theme of your year to be. It always helps me to put my creativity into focus at the beginning of the year, so I will tell you my theme for 2023 is “Reduce the backlog.” It’s definitely not a sexy theme but it is a really practical one and hugely important for me. I don’t know about you but I am starting to drown in quilt tops, between my samples, skill builders and more - it becomes a little overwhelming at times. So my plan right now (and this will definitely get reevaluated) is to quilt each new 2023 top after it is finished, so the backlog doesn’t keep growing, and try to quilt two tops from the backlog pile each month. I will let you know how that is going at the beginning of February and I would love to hear what theme or plans you come up with for 2023, so let me know either over on Instagram or by email at createdesignmake365@gmail.com
Next up is the 2023 Block of the Month. I am really excited about this (and again this is free to subscribers) since it is going to be a skill builder sampler. The first month’s block is “Snow Storm” and as you might have guessed is going to focus on half square triangles, including making eight at a time, the easiest way to square them, and more. Coming months will focus on flying geese, color placement and curves, just to name a few. And the best part is because this is a sampler if you want to skip a block (or make multiples of some blocks) you absolutely can! At the end of the sampler I will provide instructions for a very basic quilt top that uses all 12 quilt blocks (all the quilt blocks will be the same size so you can easily make duplicates of some and skip others if you want). I really want this to be a low stress way to build and practice some skills, so there is no race to keep up, and you can use fabrics you already have in your stash and just have fun. The first set of instructions will go up on January 9th.
Final Frontier Quilt
In other quilty news I am releasing two new patterns “Final Frontier” and “Interwoven Squared,” and will be running a sale on all patterns for the start of the New Year; no code is needed, just head over to the shop. “Interwoven Squared” is one of my favorite patterns because it looks incredibly intricate and the look changes dramatically depending upon what fabrics you use. The best part is that every part of the block is sub cut from a 2 ½” strip. The pattern comes with instructions for three different sizes: a wall hanging (35” by 35”), throw (68” by 68”,) and queen (102” by 102”). “Final Frontier” is designed to use an ombre or ombre- like fabric. It is a really trippy pattern that you can have a ton of fun with - just make sure to avoid red (let me know if you got the joke!) My favorite part of this pattern is that every quilt turns out differently, even when using the same fabrics, because of the ombre (you’ll see when you make it!). It really makes every single quilt unique. This pattern comes with instructions for two different sizes: medium (72” by 72)” and large (108” by 108”.) Like all of my patterns these are available as instant PDF downloads so you can get started right away.
Interwoven Squared Quilt (Throw Size)
Wow, I didn't realize how much I wanted to share with you. Congratulations on reaching the end of this post! I do have some more news and fun things to fill you in on, but I think it would be information overload at this point, so I will save it for next time. Have a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year!
Until next time,
Siobhan
