10 years! What a ride!

Wrapped up 10 years of my long-arm as part of my business. Here is a little recap of this year's work on my machine.

This Year:     72 Customer Quilts
88% Pantos, 12% Custom
64 pantos;  8 custom

Pantographs : 5.3  (#/mo)    Custom : 0.67 (#/mo)

Business to date: 677 Customer Quilts

As I did so few Customer custom quilting jobs this year, just want to show them off here:

Shop Fabric Samples  --fabrics available on the website:

Laminated Cotton Fabric from Impwear --made into a raincoat as well as bags.

And this kids apron---3 can be made from 1/2 yd of fabric.


 Another WW baby quilt! Never know what you might find in the 'cubbies'.

Bohemian Rhapsody collection                                                Shore Thing collection

Beach Collection - Timeless Treasures

All In the Beginning fabrics - Poinsettia Winter collection - available here. Made as part of a Blog Hop I participated in this year.

Finished this North Central Washington Shop Hop design from a few years ago!

Beautiful Catalina border stripe sample.

3wishes fabrics, Tahoe quilt design by Cluck Cluck Sew -- all available here.

Some of these fabrics still available...made for a dear couple that used to write notes to each other in early grade school....now finding their love again after losing spouses.  


DreamCatcher panel and 3wishes fabrics all available here.



Pattern tested - Urban Lights for Off the Wall Quilts. Used some miscuts to make a small table topper and custom quilted it. All fabrics from In the Beginning are available here.

 

Awards:
at Tri-Cities Quilt Show:
2015 Row by Row - Water received an Honorable Mention
Fly Free - Green with Envy from Terri Williams (Crazy Quilt Gals)

 

Various quilts were submitted to the Lincoln Co., WA Fair and received blue ribbons.
My 'Land of the Free' Quilt of Valor received a Class Champion Ribbon and my Holly Berries in the Snow received the INMQ Excellence in Machine Quilting Honorable Mention.

Industry Participation

Blog Hops - Friendship Star using Island Batik fabrics.



Commissions:
This one is in progress


Designs on Request resulted in this customer quilt -- adapted from the Quilt of Valor Mystery available online.


Designs on request also led to teaching this class:
Sample for a class last year with the recipient in mind! She loves fairies.

my finished result:



















Peppermint Table Topper - class sample




Using some leftovers from our Jelly Roll Rug class, a client was about to toss these half square triangle pieces ...so I sewed them together and assembled it into a generous sized mug rug for my husband. He loves it! Perfect to hold a hot bowl in your lap.

More leftovers made into phone charging caddies. Get all your tools here!

Special Creations - finished late last year but not presented until after I posted, so here is a special one that I created for my mom's neighbor that housed Duncan and I during the last days of my father's time on this earth.



RAL: - Once Upon A Story - For several years I have participated in a Row-along that Marian Pena hosts from Seams to be Sew. Both of these fabrics (mortar and brick) are available here.

And a participant RAL - I Wish you a Merry -- finished finally! All Island Batik fabrics.

Retreat: - Hayden Lake, Idaho - the third retreat almost didn't happen due to low census, but I chose to make it happen by doing the cooking and all seemed to enjoy it and found it to be a great release from their day to day routines. Join us next year --deposits required by March 15, 2020.
A few results from the week:

Some of my own progress on various quilts from my past

 

Quilts of Valor
Finished three different quilts and presented them to my relatives.

 

These two come from a single kit, available here:

I assisted this young person in making this quilt for a local navy man.


Country Register - continuing to write ...do you read my articles?

Market Releases /Distribution
2nd edition of Hugs and Kisses - Old Favorite (Island Batik - Faded Blue Jeans collection)

2nd edition of Charmed Network - Cliff Dwellings (Island Batik - Mesa Verde Collection)

2nd edition of City Windows - Spring (Island Batik - Smooch collection)

#islandbatik

Row by Row - As  we now know, this was the last year for Row by Row as we know it. Next year will be called Quilter's Trek and it will have a very different protocol. The theme this year was 'Taste the Experience'. My deseign is what is necessary in the summer in Grand Coulee -- a refreshing cool drink -- "Drink of Choice".  I also put together my 'Sew Musical' edition from last year and donated it to my high school to raise funds for new roadways in memorial to my dad who taught there for 38 years and passed away last year. Also finished my 2015 'Water' themed quilt and my 2016 'Home Sweet Home' version (at least the quilting and binding is done, still have a few embellishments to finish (once I find them!).

   


Thanks to all who bought a kit and helped others get theirs too. Past year kits are still available. Orderable via my website at www.kissedquilts.com

One more 'oldie' that got done! A result of a block lotto win from when I lived in Walla Walla, WA. Made a few more blocks to create this sample size originally presented as part of the block pattern that I created. Holly Berries in the Snow


Health - Got bold and ran a 15k to support my mom's efforts in Arizona - the Hot Chocolate Run. Might not do that again right away soon, but had a good time giving it a go! My gluten and almond free and mostly dairy free eating generally works, but I know I need to lose more. I found Deborah Murtagh philosophies in September and made an effort to follow them closely in August and lost 12.5 pounds. So, I'm going to give myself a break through the holidays, choosing carefully, but also traveled through Europe in October and enjoyed food when I chose to. The effects were felt which renewed my drive to focus at home. In the new year, will get serious again as the menu choices are quite limited, but knowing I can do it, I want to get to a healthy weight for me. Here's to hoping 2020 will be the year.

So, that's a wrap on 10 years of my business .....long-arm machine quilting and the diversification my business now includes. Typically at 10 years I've pivoted to some other industry or business so it has been an interesting time to reconsider where I'm at, what I'm doing and if it is truly something to continue or not. For now....with other family initiatives we are pursuing, I think this work keeps me pursuing my creative side but allows me the flexibility needed for us.

Thanks for following along. If I can be of service, please contact me.

#GammillGirl  www.kissedquilts.com