Best of 2016 and Goals for 2017

Who knew it would be difficult to write about the 5 Best posts of 2016 on From My Carolina Home!  As I near the end of my third year of blogging next month, it is amazing that I still have things to say, projects to sew, things to create with hot glue, cards to stamp, new recipes to cook and it is still fun.  So, what did I enjoy the most this year?  Well, instead of five posts, I am going to review three events.

Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt Along

This was the second mystery quilt I designed, and it told me its name while it was in the design stage. The Scrap Dance series took off after this, and now has five patterns in the series, with #6 coming in January.  It was the second event I did on the blog.  The pattern for Tango is available in my Etsy store, link on the sidebar.  You’ll also find Scrap Dance the original, Scrap Dance Quickstep, and The Charleston bag there too.

Christmas in July

I began thinking about doing this in the spring, and started designing new projects for a 12 day event.  I contacted my favorite companies for prizes and the response was terrific.  Sponsors included Aurifil Threads, Fat Quarter Shop, Connecting Threads, Stampin’ Up!, Superior Threads, and Primitive Gatherings.  I was just about done with planning when I got an invitation to join a blog hop, and was so very fortunate to be the first stop.  Many of the blog hoppers came back for more fun later in the event.  We began with the Sewing Kit / Jewelry Case Tutorial, and for the next 12 days made a wool applique penny rug, stamped cards, sewed a Christmas purse, made a mini quilt and a Christmas bed quilt, made ornaments, created gifts for guys and gifts from the kitchen, and then did some decorating and tablescapes.  And after all that, we settled down to rest with some Christmas themed books.  Click on the Christmas category on the sidebar and scroll down for all the posts.  I had a blast doing that event, and the sponsors were happy too.
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Autumn Jubilee

Then came my favorite season, Autumn.  Here is where I lost my mind, and committed to a month long event with 2 quilt alongs, a stitch along, sewing and crafting projects, tablescapes, thrift store finds and recycling, another wool applique pattern and a new recipe for Pumpkin Orange Bread.  I had a great time doing that, and again had marvelous support from my favorite sponsors with giveaways.  Sponsors for this event included Aurifil Threads, Fat Quarter Shop, Connecting Threads, Stampin’ Up!, Back Side Fabrics and Magnet King. Click on the Autumn Jubilee category on the sidebar to see all the projects.

So now, what will I do in 2017?  Time to set some goals for the year, with you in mind, dear reader. I need to get in a little bit of everything as usual, heavy on the quilting and sewing, with gardening, cooking, reading, crafting, card making, thrifting and recycling, and more thrown in for fun.

Goal 1 – Do a mystery quilt for 2017 – already in the works to begin in late January

Goal 2 – Plan another event during the 2017 year with giveaways from my favorite sponsors for readers

Goal 3 – Be a stop on a Christmas in July blog hop, not a 12 day event this year

Goal 4 – Publish Scrap Dance Waltz

Goal 5 – Do another Autumn event, as yet undetermined, encompassing a wide variety of projects

And finally a funny story about my best laugh of the year.  I was Christmas shopping for a calendar for DH, and I found a large display in a store.  One of them was called the Anti-Affirmation calendar and the cover shot made me laugh out loud.  Yes, in the store.  Could. Not. Stop.  Other customers were coming over to see what was just so funny.  In short order, I had a group of people laughing, and was still going as I went to check out.  No, I didn’t buy it.  The person I would want to give it to is my ex-boss, and I am quite sure it would not be appreciated.  So, what did it say that was so humorous?  Here it is, and maybe you had to be there, or maybe it was just my mood that day.  Or maybe it is truly hilarious, because I am still laughing as I type this!

“If I give you a straw, will you go suck the fun out of someone else’s life?”

Still laughing.  And committed to having fun this year!  Won’t you join me?

The original Scrap Dance quilt pattern is available on My Patterns page, along with all the Scrap Dance series patterns and more.