2023 Year in Review

 I like to do these year-in-review posts just for my own peace of mind.  Every year I feel like I haven't been very productive artistically, and while 2023 was less productive than some years, I did accomplish some things.

I finished 7 art quilts, many of which will go to either the two-person show my mom and I are having this spring at Oklahoma City University or will go to the group show I'm participating in at the New Mexico State Capitol (also this spring).

It was another year without a piece in my liturgical series which makes me sad.  Unfortunately those require a lot more planning and time than some of my other work, but I love them and I really hope to get back this series this year.

Lantern 3.  This was actually a 2022 make I detested so much I basically put it in timeout until I could resuscitate it.  I overpainted it in 2023 and like it much better now.

Only You.  This was the first real 2023 finish.  I love the way this came together and the way it collapses for shipping/hanging.

Solar Punk:  I made this one for the SAQA StichPunk call for entry and I'm so pleased it got in.

Seedheads #2:  I made an initial small quilt like this for the annual SAQA benefit auction and enjoyed it so much that I made a bigger one.  It was fun to work the color shifts in the pom poms.

Wild Thing:  This was my entry for the SAQA Fierce Planets call.  Sadly it didn't get in but it will fit really nicely in our upcoming show at OKCU.

Vining:  This is another in my series of smocked quilts.

Cylindrospermum:  This was for a 4 Common Corners theme called "Hidden Life."  I haven't had a chance to do a blog post about it (hopefully coming soon), but it was definitely a 2023 quilt, not a 2024 quilt.

Self-Portrait:  This is also definitely a 2023 quilt, I'd completely forgotten I hadn't blogged about it.  Hopefully a blog post about it will be coming soon too.

I had only a couple of knitting finishes this year,  one pair of socks for my sister and one sweater for me that came out too big.  I still need to go back to it and figure out a way to tighten up the neckline because it's driving me bananas every time I go to put it on.

I did a little bit of bagmaking this year, including a new choir music tote, a new purse/wallet for my mom, and a boxy bag for my nephew Alex.

One of my non-sewing goals was to visit 12 National Park Sites this year, and while I only got to seven (read about them here), I'm hoping for at least 6 more in 2024.

That's a wrap for 2023, and I'm hoping for a positive outlook, good artwork, and kind friends in 2024.