2021 Year in Review

I always enjoy taking a little time at the end of one year and start of the next to look back on my year - I check how I did with goals and put together a photo collage of all the projects finished for the year - and in recent years have had collages for quilting and stitching. As you know if you've been here before, I really love my quilting and stitching - if not for them, I don't think I would be nearly as calm or happy as I am. These hobbies give me a real way to unwind and relax and also kindle my love of making things for others and myself. 

Although not what I expected, 2021 turned out to be an okay year for me. It was certainly a year of uncertainty but also one of some return to activities I enjoy after getting my own vaccine and then also getting my kids vaccinated. We were lucky to just need 1 Covid test through the year and it turned out negative, so our household remained healthy. 

I went back to my blog for early 2021 to look for my goals post and found I never wrote one! I think there was a little too much up in the air early in the year for me to settle on specific goals, but even without them, I am happy with what I accomplished. I definitely spent more time stitching than quilting, but my quilting time went to good use as I finished up a few quilts that were unfinished or in progress and I also made several new quilts. On the quilting side, I finished 23 projects - 4 quilt tops, 9 fully finished quilts, 5 bags/pouches, about 7 masks, 2 thread catchers and 1 shirt. Of my 9 fully finished quilts, 5 were in progress or started in 2021 and 4 were previously finished tops that I quilted and bound. I go into 2022 with 4 quilt tops that get added to the UFO list to be quilted and finished (hopefully sooner rather than later). My UFO list also winds up at about the same point as last year, with 13 items on it going into 2022. 

2021 Quilting/Sewing Projects

On the stitching front, I had great success and enjoyed a lot of nights and weekends at home with extra stitching time. In addition, I also put some real focus to fully finished stitched projects, especially after my mom and I started the Two Tall Stitchers flosstube. Boy, we've had a blast filming episodes every few weeks and it has kept us encouraged to keep going and/or finish projects. I stitched 31 pieces in 2021 (!! - that number even surprised me!) and 14 of them were also fully finished by year end. I fully finished a total of 26 projects, the highest I've had in a year since I started tracking a few years ago. I am so happy to have some of the older unfinished pieces complete now and ready for display or gifting. And, my total number of unfinished projects is now under 50.

I also continued to dabble a little in crochet and had one finish in 2021, but it was a big one - I crocheted my own sweater. This is called the Airy Lace Shell and I finished it back in May. 

I also do stash reporting and track the amount of days I do something crafty, so I will wrap up for the year with those reports too. 

Stash Reporting with Donna at Quiltpaintcreate: 

Fabric added in December - 5 yards (we had fun on a trip to quilt and cross-stitch shops in Ohio and I picked up some fabric along the way)
Fabric used in December - 1/8 yard for a border
Fabric added year to date - 23 1/8 yards
Fabric used year to date - 40 1/2 yards
Net fabric used - 17 3/8 yards

Overall, I am quite happy with my stash usage in 2021. I kept moving the total stash down a bit. I do think I want to focus some time this year on pulling together fabric that I won't use and either selling or donating it. I have done a fair amount of that over the years, but there is always more opportunity. Here's my track record for stash reporting since I started tracking in 2010. 

Stash tracking since 2010

Stitching Time report with Kate at Life in Pieces: 

I had a great year for stitching time - I count a day if I do anything crafty - can be stitching, crochet, quilting, or finishing. 

# Days with crafty time in December: 28/31 - 90%
Total # days with crafty time in 2021: 290/365 - 79%

I am really pleased with those results - and hope I can keep up the trend as I return to work in the office more frequently this year. 

We'll see if I am back soon with goals for 2022 - I have a few things in my head and I always do a little better when I write them down, but I know life will go back to its normal busy as soon as I return to work and the kids to school. Even if I don't get them recorded on the blog, I will get my goals for the year written where I can see them in my stitching spot or sewing room. 

Hope you all had a reasonably good 2021 - it was another tough year for many and I know we are not out of the woods yet - may you find joy and peace in working with your hands (or sewing machine) and have happiness in 2022.