Best of 2017 Linky Party

                                       

In the few days between family Christmas celebrations, I've been looking back through this year's blog posts -- enjoying the comments, pondering why some were so well read, and remembering which ones I enjoyed writing the most!  The motivation for doing this is two fold -- first it will help me plan for the future and second to participate in Meadow Mist Designs annual best of the year link-up HERE!!   After reviewing the stats and some rereading of my 80 posts from 2017, here are some of your favorites and some of my favorites! 

My second post of the year shared a spontaneous project that came about as a result of Kim at Persimon Dreams annual Project Quilting Season 8's Challenge.  It was fun to make this bag (which is now gracing the shoulder of a new mom) and it was fun to finish a project so quickly -- just one week!!  Lots of you visited the post and I "met" more quilters as a result.  My post is HERE.

Kim has announced the start date for Project Quilting Season 9 and you can read all about it HERE.

I wrote several reflective posts during the year with titles like Thoughts on Balancing One's Quilting Act and Goal Pondering.  Some of it might be helpful to my readers, but I enjoy being able to go back and read them over -- re-centering as it were -- and to see photos of unfinished projects that have now been bound and gifted!! 

One of my most popular posts both in visits and comments was about my Birding Vacation to Florida in February -- nothing to do with quilting (obviously) but some great pictures especially for my readers in the wintery north!!  Best sighting of the trip?  Has to be this mob of assorted white birds!!

I'm gratified at the response my birding and gardening posts receive -- I enjoy both so much and appreciate the interest!!

The post that scored the most comments was about a charm quilt that my great-grandmother Lillie Bennett made for her parents' 25th wedding anniversary in 1881.  I think I was off-task that day and didn't have the planned topic ready for writing a post, so it was a quick share!

Inspired!!

I included lots of close-ups which you can see HERE of some of the over 650 fabrics used to piece the quilt.

In July, I participated in Emily Breclaw's Adventures in Hexagons book blog tour.

What fun!!  I came away with a finished project, new followers, and lots of encouraging feedback! 

 I shared tips on using the Set-In Piecing Simplified technique which I teach for chain piecing through y-seams -- efficient and accurate!!

And you can purchase my teaching guide through December 31, 2017 for 20% off with the code YSEAMPOWER -- Click HERE to get to my Etsy Shop!!

And I experimented with "modern" quilting motifs!

I've been a quilt making teacher for a long time (40 years) so most of my posts reflect that perspective.  I can hardly talk about quilting without it becoming a "teachable" moment.

This summer I shared how I layer quilts on a table HERE.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can tell the "model quilt" is glaring at me because she is still not quilted!?!

I promise, you are next!!

There are still 5 days left in 2017 . . . . . I'm waiting for design inspiration????

Finally, Tips From a Teacher (HERE) -- if you read it again, can you tell I was a little wound up?

Seemed like most of the comments came from other teachers (who also get a little wound up)!

So there it is, my favs and your favs from 2017!

I'm planning to do some serious studio tidying over the coming week and reread my ponderings from 2017 so that 2018 gets off to the best possible quilty start!

Happy New Year and thank you so much for your encouragement and support!

Mary

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