The Best of 2015

Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs is hosting a 'best of 2015' linky party and you know how I love a party so I just had to join in.

So what are the best 5 things around here this year? 

1. Finishing Richard's Star Trek quilt. 

This is a big quilt and I quilted it on my home sewing machine which only has a small arm aperture so it was quite a struggle and took a long time to finish. My aching arms and shoulders were very happy when it was finished and Richard was really pleased with his quilt. As one of the comments relating to this quilt said 'Trekkies never grow up'. Richard had wanted a quilt or something for his room like this since he was 7 or 8 and he is now 30.

This was an opportunity to practice my FMQ so the ships on the center panel were outlined, I did a pebble pattern on the sashing and a meander around the blue background of each block.

2. The red work 'It's a dogs life' quilt top.

As well as quilting I enjoy hand stitching. I saw this design at Bird Brain Designs and decided I had to make it. It took many months to finish all the hand stitching but then the top went together very quickly. This will be quilted in the new year. I have the backing fabric and need to get on and make the quilt sandwich.

Trying to show you the individual blocks is rather difficult but I hope you get the idea. In the New Year I'm starting some stitching involving cats. The dog's quilt was made from a kit but I'll be choosing the fabric and quilt blocks for the cat quilt.

3. Taking part in the Rainbow scrap challenge. 

Like anyone who quilts I generate a lot of scraps and I also love turning the scraps into something beautiful. I have been joining in with the 2015 challenge and I chose the churn dash block for my pattern this year. I make 4 blocks a month. I'm a little behind with my blocks so need to make a few before the years end.

Last year I made 4 nine patch blocks each month and a hexie block. Recently these were turned into quilt tops.

The hexie quilt needs its borders added and the 9 patch is waiting to be prepared for quilting.The 9 patch will be going to my younger daughter Lucy/ The nine patched will have a pieced back made of 9 patches. I hope the blocks made for this years challenge will finish up so pretty. The blocks this year are for a charity quilt.

4. Taking part in a blog hop.

I love blog hops as I have to work to a deadline which means I definitely complete something in a year but also I discover blogs I haven't visited before. This year I took part in a couple of hops and also visited several more.

5.  Advice, help, support and friendship from the blogging community.

This has been the best part of 2015. Quilters are so good at sharing and supporting. When I've needed advice  e.g a good metallic thread to use or how to do a tricky technique you have all been there to offer help and good advice. You have left lovely supportive comments on my blog and you have been visiting lots. Thanks to you all I am having a great time with my quilting and stitching but also with my blogging. I'll try to be a little more consistent next year as this year has been disrupted in places due to work. 

So that's my choice of the best of 2015 and I really did leave the best bit till last. I'm looking forward to a great 2016 with lots of quilty goodness, embroidery, dressmaking and quiet time catching up with what you are making and doing. Mmm now I've written this I think it's time to make a cup of tea and settle down to catching up with reading through the posts on my blog feed.

Lyndsey