2015: Focus

Welcome to 2015! Regular readers might notice a few changes around here, but not necessarily obvious or cosmetic ones: This year I'm trying to do more blogging, make my blog a bit more personal and post on a wider, more dynamic range of topics. So as a kick start to this new journey, I'm sharing my first major project of the year (second quilt) along with my elected word of the year:'Focus'.

At the end of my week on 52 Quilters, I posted over on the '52 about lessons learned in 2014 and my plan to apply the word focus to my work and life throughout 2015. Focus on my work, focus on my practice and what inspires me and keeping focus in the moments I want to savour, enjoy and remember. 

So my first personal project: my Rainbow Mini Swap quilt is bringing my focus together in lots of ways.

1) I'm really thinking about my design and taking measured plans to create something and really enjoy the process of making, instead of just speeding towards the finished product. Here I am working on my sketches and planning my pattern.

2) I'm trying to hone my digital skills by creating my own digital paper-piecing blocks. Here is one step of my design in Illustrator, and the final version printed and ready to start piecing.

3) I've created a design that embodies the idea focus - a geometric pattern where all the lines and colours draw to one single point in the middle: a point of focus (I know, I know... maybe a bit too literal? but I like it!)

Part of this new reign of focus is accepting patience. Something I am going to need when it comes to piecing together this 12-sided quilt made up of 24 segments. Each segment has three paper pieced pieces, which I've cut out and written letters to help me know my colour layouts...

You can see my pieces grouped and ready to go. I've made two out of 24 segments about, and here are the other 22 segments waiting to become patchwork!

I'm not really into new year's resolutions or introducing sweeping changing into my life just because of the calendar, but I do think its nice to think and nominate some words or principles to guide me year-to-year. What are you New Year's rituals? Do you have any words of inspiration for 2015?

Check back for more updates on my #rainbowminiswap project and more! Lots ahead for 2015 including new projects and my first quilting bee!

Thank you for reading!