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Something Old, Something New …

Paper-pieced ornaments for the Tall Trim the Tree quilt wall hanging.

Most of you, my dearest readers, will know the rhyme:

Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue
.

As we bid farewell to 2022 and greet a new year with open hearts, I thought this rhyme also could have greater meaning in our creative lives. I plan to use a line each week to keep me focused and moving forward in my creative and professional pursuits.

Each week of the month of 2023 will be dedicated to one line in the rhyme. Here is my take on the rhyme:

Something old
On the first week of each month I resolve to focus on something old – a.k.a. a UFO on my list (I wrote about UFOs in a previous blog post). This isn’t a commitment to finish that item but instead a way to make progress in slow manageable steps.

My first pick is the out-of-print “Tall Trim the Tree” paper-pieced quilt pattern by Cindi Edgerton that the I bought at Quilt Week in Paducah, KY in 2019. I’ve already pieced the ornaments, see here:

Paper-pieced ornaments for the Tall Trim the Tree quilt wall hanging.

I’ve had the fabric selected and pattern pieces cut for a couple of years and will spend my last day of holiday break getting a start on the tree. Can’t wait to see this beauty hanging in my studio. Dig out a UFO and show me in the comments what you plan to work on this month.

Something new
Making time for new pursuits – be it a new skill, project or place – is a good thing. In January 2023, my something new will be to attend my first meeting of The Knitting Guild Association. In my last blog post I mentioned that I am pursuing a teaching certification from this organization. When I joined I failed to block off time in my schedule to attend meetings but is going to change in the new year. Connecting with peers and seeking advice from people with more experience is important to personal and professional growth. Are you in a guild? If not, I encourage you to at least create your own “guild” where you can seek out and share knowledge with others. My post that week will be about my experience so stay tuned.

Something borrowed
Week three will be dedicated to sharing patterns, ideas, tips and tricks. These also may include favorite tools or Websites I’ve discovered. My first borrowed will be tips from a very influential teacher, Michelle Renee Hiatt who changed the way I machine sew and quilt. What is your favorite stitching tip you like to share with others?

Something to review
Here is where my take on the rhyme shows up. Rather than something blue (although that would be interesting to only stitch in shades of blue), I will write more reviews on books, Websites, products and more. If you have a recommendation for a review leave it in the comments. January’s review will be a knitting book but I have decided on which one just yet.

I’ll keep these listed at the end of each blog post for the next 12 months to keep me on task and provide links to previous posts in case you miss one.

Happy New “Stitching” Year,
Coach Dawn

Links to mentions in this post:

http://averyspecialcollection.com/

https://sewonthego.net/

By stitchingcoach

High school librarian by day, crafter for life. I'm an award winning embroider, quilter and knitter. I advise a high school sewing club as well as volunteer with Days for Girls. Students will find I'm passionate about all needle arts and want to pass that along to all generations and skill levels. Learning to sew, knit or hand embroider can be intimidating, but with the right support can become a lifelong hobby that provides joy to your life. Let me show you how to get started. I look forward to helping you exercise your creative side.

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