Being Janus this January

Month of January feat. the Roman god Janus, by French illustrator Adolphe Giraldon, 1911

New Year is a good time to--like the Roman god Janus--look both backward and forward. 

LOOKING BACK - 2022

Since I blog about my sewing, I organize my pictures on my computer by giving each year a folder, and each project a sub-folder.  When a project spans several years, I just keep moving the file until I finish. So it's easy to see what I finished last year, by looking in the 2022 file:

At a glance, I see that I did two scarves, went to a quilt show, and finished four quilts! 

Acid Trip

Jacob's Ladder

Neutral 4-patch

Night Stars

I worked on other projects, which will probably be finished in 2023. I learned how to draft simple patterns, figured out the geometry of the Double Wedding Ring quilt, mastered string piecing and determined I don't enjoy needle-turned appliqué.  I finished another woman's UFOs and refined my understanding of my own style.  I processed all my scraps per the suggestions of Joan Ford, but have since realized a different method might suit me better. 

LOOKING FORWARD- 2023

Entering 2023, I have 6 quilt projects ongoing:

DWR and Gustav's Jewel Box are scrap quilts, which happen in between other projects, as I have the time and the scraps.  The others are concept quilts: quilts where I started with a vision or idea, and made a pattern, and see them as intentional art instead of art-that-happens.  It's all art, but it occupies different brainspace! 

One of my goals this year is to exhibit at the Northwest Quilter's Festival of Quilts in March.  I have emailed them for details about how to submit quilts, requirements, et cetera.  I would like to show Acid Trip and Dandelion, which makes finishing Dandelion a first priority for this year! 

I'd also like to finish my Meadow Quilt, because it's such an early project for me, started before I knew anything about quilting, and I want it done so I can look at it and smile! 

As for things I'd like to learn this year, I want to master curves (I see a Drunkard's Path quilt in my future), which I suspect won't be as hard for me as it is for people lacking a garment-sewing background.  I can set sleeves, so I think I can sew a circle! 

I also want to try the Quilt As You Go (QAYG) method to save money on long-arm services.  I love the look of professional long-arm-quilted projects, but not every quilt needs that.  In fact, the scrap-quilts are ideal to practice QAYG.  The biggest thing (for me) is that a lot of QAYG instructions say to quilt top to batting in small pieces, sews those small pieces together, and finally adds a backing.  But then the backing doesn't get quilted!  I think I know a way of doing QAYG that will incorporate the backing: I just have to make sure not to quilt within a half-inch on any edge... then when I sew the pieces together, I can sew the top and batting layers together, press the seams, and fold the backing fabric over the edges and stitch that last. 

Finally, I am re-thinking my scrap management.  I tried the Cut the Scraps method, but didn't vibe with it, because my creative process is more color-based, and I don't love just having squares to work with, when I might fall in love with a non-square pattern or want to do foundation paper piecing.  So the pre-cuts I made when I "cut the scraps" are getting absorbed into my Gustav's Jewel Box quilt.  For future scraps, here's what I'll try:

1. If the scrap is large enough, I will put it into an "Afterquilt" on the back of my designed quilt.  The colors will all coordinate, and it'll be a fun surprise and give two options for how to make the bed!
2. The smaller scraps will be organized by color, and will be used in my scrap quilts. I have a Creative Memories photo-organizer which I use for my color-sorted scraps, and I really like it.  It's an extra large version of their Power® Sort Box, but with removable mini-boxes inside. I don't know if they make this model anymore, but you might find something similar at a thrift store.

This year I'll also be attending college, and executing a slow-motion pivot in my professional life.  So it'll be interesting!