2011 in Review

Last January, over coffee with a friend, I declared my 2011 resolution as "to get back into sewing."  Um, I think it's more than safe to say that is one resolution I kept!  At the time, I was feeling a bit restless and had a smidge more free time as the kiddos seemed to be getting past that I'm-sure-to-stumble-into-certain-tragedy-if-mom-is-more-than-5-feet-away stage.  So, after about 3 years away from the sewing machine (gasp!, but what's a girl to do with 3 children under 3 years old?!), I treated myself to a little new fabric and started looking online for some inspiration.  WOW - the online sewing community had exploded during my sleep-deprived hiatus, and truly, a bunch of time went into learning how the modern quilt movement had changed and evolved over the years.  I was absolutely floored and inspired by what I saw - COLOR! - and lots of it.  My eyes craved it and drank it in.  Little did I know back then just how much this neglected hobby of mine would come roaring back into our lives (I say our, because really, mom's obsession affects the whole family :) ).  Here's a few projects from the past year:
A quilt for my son:

 A mini for a friend, with a verse quilted around the border:

A strippy fall quilt to showcase color contrast:

 Another rainbow mini for a swap:

 A lap quilt for a friend's 40th birthday:

A lap quilt made practically in the speed of light to comfort a friend in need:

 A pouch for a friend's birthday:

 A pillow for a swap, using Elizabeth Hartman's  mod mosaic tutorial:

 A full size quilt for my daughter:

A baby hat knit for a friend's new baby:

 A pouch made for Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr:

 Another baby hat for a friend's new baby:

 And one of my favorites (although, this pic isn't the greatest), a strip quilt made with Freshly Cut (HB):

And there's a couple more completed quilt tops (Kona solids challenge made for my son, just to mention one) that I didn't include here because technically, it's not finished.  Wow - Seeing it all together makes me feel productive - and happy!  Here's to 2012 being full of fun new projects and lots of finishes!