Wrapping up 2021

It's been seven months since my last blog post, so I will start by filling you in on what has been happening in my life.

Work. Sleep. Work. Sleep.

[At least that's what it feels like.] 

I switched jobs in February, landing a great position at a large nonprofit. It is really nice to have my opinion respected, and to be able to make a big impact. Like $$ millions impact. Positive. I handled filing for various pandemic-related relief programs, and improvements in controls and forecasts. Now I have a title upgrade and a big pay increase. And the work environment is awesome - like a big family without a lot of drama.  

On the sewing front, I actually did get a few projects done in between the Work/Sleep cycle.

1. Participated in the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) by making 48 blocks from Bonnie Hunter's Jackknife pattern from the Addicted to Scraps column.  The backing fabric is a colorful print from Connecting Threads.

2. Finally finished quilting Moda's Be My Neighbor quilt. I am thankful so many of you posted examples of your quilts online so I can borrow quilting ideas. My collection of thread colors grew by necessity, trying to match all the bright colorful fabrics in this project. This one is even labeled!

3. Finished all the blocks and assembly for Flying Flags (or nearly finished - had to rip out a couple seams to flip some of the flags around). This was a super easy project. Once the border goes on, this flimsy will be added to the Awaiting Quilting pile.

4. Heading Home is in the quilting stage with just one final section left. Sketching out the FMQ design was the big game changer which helped me approach FMQ with confidence. I am quilting a double set of angled lines in the flying geese and outside the black triangles, with infinity loops in the white sashing. Each polka-dot square or triangle will have a different FMQ design just for fun. I will finish up with a bit more quilting with black thread in the black triangles, then add scrappy binding. 

5. Made all the scrappy squares for my version of Good Morning Sunshine. A few have their outer triangles but I'm considering switching up a few bold prints for calmer prints so the scraps will stand out more.  

6. Cut out pieces for a Connecting Threads kit called Flock of Geese. This will be sewn in 2022.

7. Bear Claw quilt is fully assembled and ready for quilting.

On the personal front, I was able to travel to visit my parents twice this year. My dad turned 80, and my mother is not far behind. It makes my heart ache to know that we will not have many more years together. I cherish the opportunity to visit and help out whenever I can. 

We also got to see my daughter twice - she surprised me with a weekend visit this summer, and we recently traveled to visit her for Christmas. She is still young enough to need her mom and dad, yet independent enough to live 800 miles away, working on her bachelor's degree and working to cover some of her expenses.  I may not always agree with her choices, but I am proud of what she has accomplished and for working toward her life goals.

On the flying front, well, maintenance issues continue to stymie my desire to fly. A loose wire caused a small fire (while we were on the ground doing an engine warmup, thankfully). I finally found a shop to fix it and will be flying it to the shop (with the electrical power off) as soon as weather permits. Before that happened, we got in a trip to a local fly-in and met up with lots of fellow aviators and walking the field to see all the awesome airplanes.

My theme for 2021 was "Do" and although I had lofty goals in mind, at least I feel happy with what I was able to accomplish. I also learned to not compare myself and my work pace with others. Instead, I am learning to savor the journey and choose to be happy with it.

And that brings me to the theme I have chosen for 2022 - Savor.  Tomorrow is the start of a brand new year that I plan to fill with experiences to savor. I hope you will join me in savoring the journey, rather than counting coup or comparing yourself to the oh-so-perfect-but-how-can-I-ever-measure-up social media posts.

     If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.  - Leo Tolstoy

     Beauty and ingenuity beat perfection hands down, every time.  - Nalo Hopkinson

Happy New Year!