Before I sign off for the year, I’d just like to wish you all the happiest of New Years! After all the holiday crush, the thing I’m most looking forward to is going to bed early– I want to be well rested for my 2026! Before the ball drops, though, let’s all take a look back and see what we accomplished this year.

One of the best things about keeping a blog– besides the fact that YOU are here ❤️– is you can easily go back and read about everything you hoped to accomplish and then get a rundown of what you actually did! I did both of those things and I’m proud to call 2025 a resounding success.

I shied away from too much goal making all year– was that the secret?– no pressure? We’re going to do all the productivity analysis in our first post of 2026, but for now, here’s a look at our 2025 eye candy.

First up, I finished “Summer Memories” all the way back in January. Nevermind that it was the middle of winter! This 100″ x 100″ treasure is intended for a wedding gift and is high on the “to-be-longarmed” list for 2026. I may have to take the side borders off to do it.

Next up– Harlow was on the way! What reason is there for my entire existence if it is not to shower grandkids with quilts? I do not like butterflies and this kit from a Little Box of Figs subscription sat around for three or four years. All of the sudden, it was perfect– a poster child for hanging on to things. It was so easy to stitch up and is already in use.

Bing bang boom! Do you think I will be able to have TWO quilts ready for each grandchild before they are even born? I had a head start on this one, which was from a Sew Sampler kit in 2024 and then long-armed by me!

Then “Moonbeams” was finished– a fabulous wedding gift for June. I had started this in 2024 as a stitch -a-long. Progress lagged until I realized the look was perfect for a bride-to-be who met her future husband at a Dungeons and Dragons event. I swapped out the doves for dragons, but then used them for pillow shams. The stitch-a-long included the cross stitch pillow. I think this is the biggest “set” of items I have ever made– is a matching cross stitch and pillow shams in the cards for every quilt I make now? I’d love for that to be so! I’m not into dragons, so it only hurts a little that these things left the house. 😂

And on to July! I think this was my best finish of 2025– when I saw that blue ribbon at the Maine Quilt Show, I almost passed out. Maple leaves are such at thing in my life– my grandmother lived on Maple Street, my first home was on a different Maple Street, and now maple sugar is a thing, here on Sugar Meadow. Three cheers for Maples! xox

Here’s another small victory– this J. Wecker Frisch beauty based on a panel was one of my oldest kits. I must have purchased it in 2010, I’m guessing? It was very easy and very much fun to put together– currently living at a fellow Halloween lover’s home.

Did I say I love Halloween? I did not intend to buy the Spooky Box from Fat Quarter Shop this year, but when I saw an unboxing and then stumbled on some extra kits they posted after people didn’t pay for their pre-orders, it was just meant to be. This is the first time I had to admit to myself I was starting to like pink!

And then– because one of the few goals I made this year was to make this Fourth of July quilt– well, why not? When I saw how fast the kitty one went together, I just dove in. Just realizing now, one of the things I did right this year was ONE THING AT A TIME. The fall was particularly productive.

Oops– I skipped this– completed in September… coming soon to an AQS show near me! January is all about fixing my rushed binding, adding a fabulous label and a hanging sleeve. This is 100″ high– I read somewhere that you add the sleeve at 88″ because they can’t accommodate a quilt higher than that. That would be unfortunate because my United States banner will hang over the back. I need to contact AQS to see if this is true and we’ll see what happens.

Last of all– I’m calling this “Sled 25”– can you guess why? My sewing finally caught up with the correct season– Yay!.

On the cross stitch front, I have very few finishes, but two of them are monumental. Can cross stitch be monumental? Yes. Yes it can.

The aforementioned “Moonbeams” cross stitch:

And the Appalling Cross Stitch is complete! I plan to make a fabulous frame for this using the DDs X-Tool skills to laser cut wood. This one is for ME!

The stocking, begun in April! We had a delay in gifting this– power outs and a snow storm prevented little Harlow from coming to grandmas, but I believe I will see her soon. No worries– I already know what her reaction will be– she’ll try to put it in her mouth! 😂

I also have this little cross stitch, which is a hairsbreadth from being done– why, oh, why, did I stop at this point? So ridiculous. I’m counting it in with 2025 if I finish in January.

And speaking of things unfinished, I’m also going to try to drag two quilts across the finish line ASAP. “To the best of my recollection” is always what the guilty parties say under oath– “To the best of my recollection,” these are the only two things I started this year that weren’t finished.

This table runner is made of Pioneer Woman fabric I had hoarded– I guess I just fell out of love, but it’s too close to not finish at this point. What’s left is a fancy border with HSTs I already made. I’ll put in on my table and if someone comes in and says they like it, I’ll gift it to them!

And “Brio”– a Moda tin from years ago– I love this and had planned an elaborate set of eight placemats and a table runner which I then realized wouldn’t even fit on my picnic table. And the idea of a ketchup spill on them wakes me up at night. I’m thinking I’ll make a lap quilt as originally intended– I’d need one more block for a set of twelve and I do have enough fabric for it. This was cast aside in April when baby quilts became a thing– gonna make a decision on what to make and finish ASAP after the holidays. Anything done in January qualifies for my 2025 finish list. My quilts, my rules.

On the embroidery front, the impeccable Year on Sugar Meadow series is almost done! I am disappointed in myself that this will drag into January, but the holidays and then a big power outage are a good excuse– we almost froze!

As soon as it’s done, I’ll fill it in to my Photoshop image and we’ll start to put it together!

I also finished the set of twelve tiny samplers in 2025. If you purchased either the first design or the whole series, the first design has been updated to say 2026 and is now included in your downloads. Hand charts for the entire set are also available. Let’s get stitching!

Ten new bowl filler sets are in the books!

I’ll round this out to a set of 12 or 13 in the beginning of the year– then I think bowl fillers are due for a rest. My barrel is full!

There were also numerous other single sets and random sewing projects throughout the year– but just to end here, I feel like a winner!

On Thursday–can you believe it– will be 2026! I was saying to Mr. SFO this morning, the “twenties” have certainly been a decade for the books so far, to put it kindly. Thank goodness we’re halfway through! Here’s hoping the New Year treats us well and whether it does or not, I’m sure there will be plenty of sewing room time to help smooth the bumps for us all.

Happy New Year!

xox
Carol