This Year, Next Year & Today

1. Retro Kitchen (2), 2. I Spy front, 3. Granny's Salt Water Taffy Quilt, 4. Mixed Signals, 5. Cabin by the Sea, 6. Zakka Itty Bitty Magnets, 7. Watercolor, 8. Zakka Organizer Front, 9. Makeup Bag, 10. Modernista Swap Project, 11. Focus Mini Quilt, 12. Nursery Versery Apron in Use, 13. Sushi Lunch Mat 2, 14. Retro Library Case, 15. Chicopee Bag, 16. Memory Draped, 17. Weekender 1, 18. Go Faster & Bigger Bags, 19. Scrappy Square Pillow, 20. Market Lap Quilt

It was almost exactly one year ago from today that I wrote my first post for Fabric Mutt. I can hardly believe it really. In some ways it feels like I've been doing this forever, and in other ways it feels as if I've just begun. Now...more than 200 posts, nearly 400 followers, and over 75,000 page views later...I'm so happy to say that I still love doing this. There's still so much to learn and try and see, and I'm terribly grateful to all of you who have shared with me your advice, encouragement, friendship, and laughter, making 2012 one of the most incredible years I've ever spent. Thank you so much.

I had a lot of fun going through my flickr account today, reminiscing about the past year. I picked twenty of my favorite projects for the mosaic above, and if you're interested, you can see the rest on my new "finishes" page.

Today is my 35th birthday, and my family has made it special as always. When I was young, I found it a little awkward to have a birthday so close to Christmas, but now I really enjoy wrapping up my year along with the one on the calendar. It's a great time to take stock of where I am and where I want to go, though I like to think of them less as resolutions and more as goals. I'd love to get a little braver when it comes to free motion quilting, and this past week I finally learned how to knit (more on that in a future post). I also have a few things I'm working on now which I'll be able to share with you next month. There are other ideas in the works, but they'll keep for today. For the moment, I'm happy with what's on my plate.

To celebrate my birthday and the new year, I'm having a little giveaway today. My scrappy stash is growing faster than I can keep up with it, and I'd love to stuff an envelope full of goodies to send off to one of you.  Leave me a comment on this post telling me what you're hoping to do in the next year -- and it doesn't have to be quilting related if you have other things on your mind today. If you're a follower -- old or new -- you can leave a second comment. International entries are welcome, just please be sure that your email address is included. I'll pick a winner on New Year's Day.

One of my favorite poems is one that I first read in high school: "takes talent" by Don Marquis. It sort of reminds me of this whole blogging experience.

there are two
kinds of human
beings in the world
so my observation
has told me
namely and to wit
as follows
firstly
those who
even though they
were to reveal
the secret of the universe
to you would fail
to impress you
with any sense
of the importance
of the news
and secondly
those who could
communicate to you
that they had
just purchased
ten cents worth
of paper napkins
and make you
thrill and vibrate
with the intelligence

Hopefully, even on my paper napkin days, you found something here on Fabric Mutt to make you smile. Thank you, my friends...

Linking up to Craft Buds.

Edited to add: linking up to Fresh Sewing Day too!