A Quilting Life 2023: A Year in the Life

Thanks so much for stopping by for today’s A Quilting Life 2023: A Year in the Life post. While I’ve already written a few review posts sharing most-read posts, quilts, and small projects, I haven’t yet done a more evaluative look back like I did last year. This is the review post that really helps me see the previous year with clarity in order to focus on the new year.

A Quilting Life 2023: A Year in the Life

January 2023

January of this year was quite busy. Since we had debuted our Favorite Things fabric collection just two days before Christmas, we had a lot of sharing to do in January with this collection and the quilts and patterns that went along with it. I started my 2023 Quilting Life Block of the Month and also continued to work on my Sewcialites 2 quilt.

February 2023

In February I taught at the Cedar Chest Quilt Guild Retreat…and then got sick soon after I arrived home 🙁 But it was a good month because I did all of the sewing for our Bountiful Blooms collection quilts!

March 2023

In March we were able to share our Bountiful Blooms fabric collection. Chelsi and I also traveled to the Beach Cities Quilt Guild where we shared a presentation, and I taught my Home Sweet Home quilt to members of their guild the following day. At the end of the month, I was also able to travel to southern California again to celebrate my 38th wedding anniversary!

April 2023

We traveled to Salt Lake City in April to visit family, and the month was probably the most relaxing of the year! I got a lot of organizing done in my sewing room and was also able to do a lot of planning and reading.

May 2023

Another trip to Salt Lake City to visit family was a highlight of May. I was able to see the Festival of Tulips at Thanksgiving Point and was truly inspired by the array of stunning flowers in the most beautiful setting.

June 2023

Our Favorite Things collection arrived in stores in June which was perfect timing for my Christmas in July sewing. In June we were busy sewing with the Strawberry Lemonade sample yardage which arrived early in the month. It was a busy month of sewing combined with a quick Utah trip to escape the heat!

July 2023

July 1st marked the 15th anniversary of this blog! Later in July we shared our Strawberry Lemonade fabric collection, and took a birthday trip to Deer Valley, Utah where I loved reading outside with the above gorgeous view!

August 2023

August was also spent continuing to share our Strawberry Lemonade collection, and our Bountiful Blooms group arrived in shops. It’s always so much fun when the fabrics arrive in the stores, and we are able to see people begin sewing with it!

September 2023

In September I enjoyed a trip to give a presentation for the Peach Days celebration in Brigham City, Utah. The event was fabulous and was a wonderful way to begin the fall season. September was also spent planning for our booth at International Quilt Market in Houston the following month.

October 2023

Getting back to International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas at the end of October was definitely one of the highlights of the year. I knew I had missed being there, but there was a true joy with being back that I definitely had not anticipated.

November 2023

We traveled for Thanksgiving this year (Utah again) and worked really hard throughout the month in order to be able to take a full two weeks off from filming and podcasting at the end of the year.

December 2023

We continued to work really hard in December so we could take some much-needed breaks during the holiday season. But sample yardage for our next collection arrived earlier than anticipated, so I must confess I have a project in the works with that already! And a lot of time in December was spent getting the filming and behind the scenes work done for my Quilting Life Academy course which will begin in January 2024.

End of the Year Reflection + Takeaways…

While there were times throughout the year that seemed busier than usual, I also was able to do more reading than I’ve been able to do in quite a while (see my books read in 2023 here). I also made a good number of quilts and never really felt super behind or stressed with my sewing schedule. That’s always a good thing! I was also able to keep up with things in my sewing room (although I’ll be doing my yearly end of the year clean up right after Christmas)!

I’m looking forward to some really good planning sessions to map things out for work and family for the next year. Planning has always been a great way for me to keep on top of everything on the lists.

Thanks so much for stopping by for this more reflective round-up of my A Quilting Life 2023. (You can find the previous year in review posts here).

Happy quilting!