A Year of Blogging!

I have to confess that I've spent way too much time thinking about this post and still don't know how to succinctly express my feelings about the last year. How's that for making you want to read on? LOL

One thing I DO know is that I had no idea a year ago what the next 12 months would bring. I hadn't sewn a stitch for 3 years. I knew there were more than a few UFOs lurking about, but didn't expect quite so many. And I certainly had no clue how to blog.

Re-reading this post makes me smile. Choose the creative side whenever possible is what I've learned!

My Year of Blogging Top 10 List

10. Doing 3 Blog Hops (because each one pushed me to try new things and sew on a deadline).

9. 100 Day Hustle - This finishing challenge hosted by Kelsey Sews last fall helped me find a way to focus on a subset of my UFOs without being overwhelmed by them ALL. It has served me well ever since. And what a relief to find that so many other quilters have issues with finishing things!

8. Admitting how many UFOs I actually had (plus the extra 13 I found later!) in Let's Talk UFOs on Halloween.

7. My UFO Reward System. Still very motivating for me.

6. My 1st Quilting Room. Little did I know what was coming just a few months later!

5. Walking foot quilting... I always thought I had to learn FMQ to be a "real" quilter while I was creating all those UFOs. I'm so grateful to Norma at Petit Design Co. for her AMAZING 31 Days of Walking Foot Quilting Series last fall.

4. All things Juki! My 2010Q and F600 make quilting so fun.

3. My New Quilting Room which is a dream come true. Almost a Quilting Studio...

2. Learning to FINISH! Believe me when I say this is like rewiring my DNA. The structure that blogging brings has really helped me stay on task.

1. Making connections with quilters from all over the world. Hands down the BEST thing about blogging... I love my virtual quilt guild!

I'd like to offer a small token of my gratitude for all of the support I've received over the last year. I love reading and responding to your comments, getting feedback when needed and the "You CAN Do It" cheering section that has motivated me SO MUCH.

This little Jansjo LED light from IKEA is the best sewing light ever! I absolutely LOVE mine... you can bend it every which way to put that bright light just where you need it most. I've been waiting for this new line by Kate Spain all summer and now I'm going to have to buy another one for myself. It's a little packet of happiness!

Edited to add: Giveaway is now closed! Please leave a comment and I'll use Mr. Random to choose a winner on Friday, September 27th. I'll mail anywhere in the world - don't forget to include an e-mail if you are a no-reply blogger. If you need a topic tell me about about your biggest quilting challenge or what makes YOU happy to be a quilter and/or a blogger.