The Measure of a Year

We said goodbye to 2011 and welcomed the New Year pretty quietly. We celebrated a little friend's birthday and visited with very dear friends.


I spent a few days thinking about my VERY long list of sewing and quilting projects I still want to do and feeling a little like I haven't gotten much accomplished this year. Especially after I read last year's post about all I wanted to do and learn this year. Then I went back through some of my posts from this year I couldn't help but realize how blessed I am. 

I look at the projects in the mosaic

and remember...

a sister who is so generous and shares my love of fabric...

my mom and dad who welcome me home and encourage my love of sewing...

handpiecing hexies on one of our last trips with my mother-in-law...

firsts, lasts, finishes, starts, struggles, triumphs...

the friends I've made and challenges I've accepted with the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild. Being part of KCMQG has stretched me, inspired me, and helped me grow in ways I would have never imagined possible...

my daughter who's growing by leaps and bounds every day and how I love sharing this passion with her...

collaborating with Camille, Sheryl, Darcy, Diane, and Lydia to create a quilt I find truely amazing, as well as making new friends in our little sewing group this year...

my friends Leslie, Laura, Anne Marie, Ingrid, Teresa, and so many others I know from Stitch-On. Spending time with them at the shop and at the retreats are such pleasures I look forward to...

how sewing and quilting can help us all share joy, grief and comfort...

what a wonderful, supportive husband I have who never raises an eyebrow when I bring a(nother) bundle of fabric home and realizes how much joy I find in creating by sewing two peices of fabric together...

the connections and friendships with others across town, country and world that are possible because of quilting and how technology (Flickr, Pinterest, email, blogs, etc) can make it so much more FUN!

So I've realized that instead of measuring this year's success by the number of projects completed or skills gained, I'd much rather measure it by how all this sewing has enriched my life. My cup runneth over!