In my #2023QuiltingQ3Checkin post, I shared that I was going to have carpal tunnel release surgery on my right hand in October and was going to take a break from sewing/quilting and blogging for awhile and focus on other activities in my life. My surgery went well, so I have been able to do a little sewing including some Christmas placemats and a couple of other small Christmas projects.

For my friend Kristen:

For Mary and me:

For my friend Joanne (slanted tree pattern by Quiet Play):

And hung above a paper-pieced cardinal (pattern by During Quiet Time) I made a few years ago, is a JOY (pattern by Center Street Quilts) mini quilt in my quilting area:

I’ve missed blogging, but it has been nice to focus on other areas of my life including getting many areas in my home organized. I’ve continued to provide online mental health therapy to couples and individuals. I’ve increased my exercise and most recently have started doing some Better5 classes. And I did get one puzzle finished. I worked on this San Francisco Giants puzzle while watching the World Series. It was given to me by my Dodger fan friend, Manny, as a retirement gift, and I love all the different baseball-related shapes in this puzzle.

I’ve done a lot of relaxing reading in the past few months. Through Kindle Unlimited on Amazon, I discovered the author Jean Grainger who writes historical fiction based in Ireland. I started with the Mags Monroe series which has a very likable female police sergeant as the main character and then moved on to her Tour series which centers around an equally likable bus tour driver who shares interesting stories with his quirky passengers.

I did enter my Mid Century Modern quilt (see pic below) into the 2024 QuiltCon quilt show in Raleigh, NC, but it was not accepted. I have to say that the rejection letter was very nice and informed me that they only accepted 20% of the quilts entered. I’m still planning to go to QuiltCon in February and look forward to seeing lots of fantastic modern quilts and taking a watercolor-into-raw-edge-applique wall hanging class from Kitty Wilkin.

I plan to continue to prioritize exercise and reading in the new year but also want to do more traveling starting with my trip to Raleigh in February. I also want to get back to writing at least occasional blog posts.

2024 Quilting/Stitching Goals

The main goal is to get back to more regular sewing/quilting. I’ve signed up for Bobbie Gentili’s Geeky Bobbin Fussy Fuel 2024 Block of the Month where I hope to expand my fussy cutting skills. I also will be participating in Quilting Jetgirl’s Star Plus Quilt Along. And because the Stay at Home Round Robins organized the past few years by Quilting Gail have been so much fun, I’m planning to participate in the 2024 SAHRR. All three of these projects start in January.

Also in January is Angela Walter’s Dot to Dot Free Motion Quilting Challenge which is a free video series. My friend, Ed, has helped me get my Juki sewing machine going, and I really want to learn at least some basic FMQ.

Other 2024 quilting projects may include a Baseball Star quilt, a Luminary lonestar quilt, some mini quilts from the Quiet Play Make Mine Mini pattern club, a Fussy T-Shirt and Sea Glass quilt both in classes I’ve purchased from Allie of Exhausted Octopus, a retirement banner/photo memory quilt, and assorted Halloween and/or Christmas projects.

It’s likely that I will also work on some Sashiko projects. I have the panel and thread for a beautiful Japanese tea mat in different shades of purple that is quietly calling my name. Let’s see if that voice gets louder in the new year!

Linking up to Quilting Jetgirl’s #2024QuiltingPlanningParty.