Not a blue (year) quilt

In 2024, I unknowingly started a tradition when I made an end-of-year recap quilt. I started with a simple scrap of muslin, shaped by all the pieces that had been cut out of it, and added a piece of a white linen dress. I then added my word of the year, PRESENT, along with some tiny details that summed up my year.

2024 was a rough year for me- I lost six family members, including both my father and father-in-law. The rawness and starkness of this quilt definitely reflect how I felt that year.

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I decided to do another recap quilt of 2025, starting in the same way. I gathered and pieced together whatever muslin and pale scraps I could find to make a base (including a pale pink dress lining from my pink quilt).

I added shapes to represent the SIX blue quilts I made last year, and one green and one pink.

I added my word of the year - AMEND - and the 81 Tiny Offerings I gave away in 2025.

And then something amazing started to happen…

When I reflected on my year, I was overwhelmed by just how enriched it was by my Quiltmaking course with Heidi Parkes and by each and every person in my group. I started thinking about how I could represent each person, and I set off on the fastest quiltmaking I’ve ever done. I grabbed colors I would never normally use and techniques well out of my wheelhouse. I even got out the machine! I don’t think I’ve ever had a quilt come together more quickly or feel more joyful.

You can already see the strips of half-square triangles that crept in in homage to Adie’s incredible work.

I tried to pay homage to Polly’s ability to find beauty in remnants.

Then came this nod to Toni’s lovely way of using staggered piecing in this neon fabric she gave me.

This little log cabin was inspired by Cynthia’s colors and sunset quilts, and this figure was inspired by Lisa’s infusion of self into her quilts.

And of course, the text STAY CURIOUS, and attitude of WHY NOT which is all Heidi.

I learned a lot about conceptual art last year from Megan, and wanted to represent her and Yoko Ono’s “A Hole To See The Sky Through” with this hole cut right through the quilt.

And finally, I added a nod to Julie’s incredible color-blocked, dense quilting- adding my own spin by doing so with text.

And so my 2025 quilt grew to encompass all of the color, technique, encouragement, inspiration, and fun that I got from my Quiltmaking group last year.

It is NOT another blue quilt

and thanks to my Quiltmaking friends, it was not a blue year either 💙