2025 Mid-Year Review

We're halfway through 2025, which means it's time to do a mid-year review to see how I'm doing with my goals so far. 

One thing I've noticed this year is that it's hard to spend time sitting at my computer to write blog posts after spending my mornings sitting at my computer for my work as a virtual assistant. Plus there's all the other computer time that goes into running a small business - pattern writing, writing Etsy listings, social media stuff, email, etc. I have lots of ideas for blog posts, so I'm working on ways to get back into the routine of writing again. It helps to have a deadline for a post, like linking up with Yvonne's Quarter 2 Check-in.

So, how am I doing on my 2025 goals so far?

1. Keep making small quilts

So far this year I've made two small quilts (I count anything baby quilt size or smaller). I made the baby size of Spin & Sparkle.

And this mini quilt for a friend diagnosed with breast cancer (she's doing great now!).

I'm currently working on another baby quilt, with a mini quilt and a couple more baby quilts waiting in the wings. 

2. A Roman Adventure

Yes! It was great to share another QAL and Devotional Journey, this time focusing on the book of Romans while we made our The Fountain quilts (or quilt top, in my case 😆)

What I didn't anticipate at the beginning of the year is that I would decide to stop writing devotions in May. While I enjoyed writing the devotions, especially for the annual QAL and Devotional Journey, they started to be a struggle and I'm now enjoying the break. I still occasionally find myself pondering some verse I read and thinking about how I might write about it, but for the most part I like being able to just think about the verses for my own benefit and not worry about making my thoughts coherent enough for anyone else.

3. WIPS-B-GONE 2025

Not yet, but I've been thinking about it! This annual challenge starts in October, but I start planning it well before then. I've been making notes to myself the past few days as my mind starts working on it while I'm doing other things. If you have WIPs lying around waiting to be finished, sign up for The Bulletin so you won't miss when the WIP busting challenge starts!

4. Quilt the cover quilt for These Three and release the pattern

Haven't gotten to this yet.

5. Make my Night Court wall hanging

Haven't gotten to this, either. I can't wait to have it hanging on my sewing room wall, so I better get at it!

6. All the Stash Artists things

I love everything about this membership! So far this year the Stash Artists patterns have been Inner Beauty (below), Summer Dreamin' (which hasn't made it to the blog yet), and Spin & Sparkle. The next one releases on Monday!

Our monthly Sew Together Sessions are always fun. We usually end up talking about books and maybe travel plans, family news, and who knows what else, along with talking about the projects we're actually working on 😊 

7. Go to Quilt Market

Quilt Market is in October, so obviously this hasn't happened yet. It's a possibility, or I may make the choice to go to the H+H Americas show in May instead. 

8. Keep working on the Hexie Rainbow

I've worked on this during all the Stash Artists Sew Together Sessions so far this year! I've worked on it other times, too, but those 2 hour Zoom sessions always see me making good progress. When I posted my goals for the year, I had finished quilting the red ring. Now I'm working on the first line around the yellow ring. Each black ring gets two lines of quilting, on the inside and outside edge of the hexies, and each coloured ring gets four lines of quilting since there are two rows of the coloured hexies. And, of course, each ring is larger than the one before it, so as I work my way out each line of quilting takes longer. Yes, this will probably be on my 2026 goals list, too!

9. Keep doing the strength workouts and get that step count a bit higher

I have consistently done strength workouts from the Nourish Move Love (NML) Youtube channel every Monday-Friday since last September. I started out using 3lb and 5lb dumbbells. Gradually I added in 10lb ones and stopped using the 3lb. Just last month, I started using 15lb dumbbells for some exercises and I rarely use the 5lb ones anymore. It's amazing how good it feels to need to use heavier weights! 

If you're worried about losing strength and mobility as you age, I highly recommend trying the NML workouts. Some of her programs are only 20 minutes long, so they feel much less intimidating than the thought of spending hours at the gym, she's very encouraging, and there are always options to modify the exercises to make them easier. Plus, they're free!

As for getting my step count higher...nope. My daily average for 2024 was about 8,300. So far in 2025 it has been about 7,000. Whomp, whomp, whomp. Sitting at my computer for work has really taken a toll on my movement. It doesn't help that quilting and running a quilt pattern business are both sedentary activities, too. Oh, and so is reading, which is another passion of mine.

I've been trying to ease back into running, which will help. I'm (sort of) following a Couch to 5K program from Runner's World. I say 'sort of' because the program is supposed to take 6 weeks and I've been at it for 7 months and I'm halfway through 😂 You're supposed to run 3 times a week, but I only want to run once a week, so that extended it right there. Then I've had to repeat most of the runs multiple times before I could actually do them. The worst one was when the program jumped from 'run 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes, three times' to 'run 7 minutes, walk 2 minutes, three times.' That was a big increase in running time, with a drop in walking time, and it took me 9 tries before I could check it off! I did accomplish it, though, which felt great. Maybe by the end of 2025 I'll have finished this 6 week program!

Overall, I'm pretty happy with what I've done on my goals so far. And, as always, I have plenty to do to keep me from being bored through the rest of 2025. If you set goals for this year, how are you doing with them?

Quilt The North

Note, this post contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a small commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. This will not affect the price you pay.

I love when my quilty friends do exciting things! I love it even more when I get to be part of the exciting thing, like I do this time. My friend Monika is the designer behind Penny Spool Quilts and today she is launching a subscription box called Quilt The North.

Quilt The North is a quarterly subscription box that will showcase Canadian pattern designers and the region they call home. Each box will include an exclusive pattern from the featured designer for a small project (think mini quilt, cushion, bag, etc), plus all the fabric needed to make it. There will also be a block pattern themed around the designer's region (collect them all to make a Canadian sampler quilt!), plus goodies from the region, from local artists or small businesses.

I'm honoured that Monika has invited me to be the featured designer for this first box and I can't wait to show you the mini quilt pattern that will be in the box! That's a quilty secret I have to keep for a little while yet, though, so the contents of the box will be a surprise when you receive it. My fabric arrived yesterday and now it's calling my name as it waits impatiently for its turn. I have to say, it's a really pretty bundle of fabric!

Pre-sales for Quilt The North box are open today and the first box will ship September 1st. Sign up before July 13th to save 10% off your first payment and get a Maple Leaf block pattern to kickstart your Canada sampler quilt.

You don't have to be Canadian to subscribe to the Quilt The North box and you don't have to live in Canada, either! Quilt The North is for anyone who wants to get to know Canadian pattern designers and learn more about this beautiful country 🍁

On-Demand Paper Piecing with Freezer Paper Workshop

If you're like me, you love the weird angles and the precision that paper piecing makes possible, but you hate ripping out the bits of paper after you finish making a block. I switched to using freezer paper years ago after discovering that using freezer paper means I'd never have to rip out those bits of paper again. Cue the angel chorus! Removing the freezer paper is like peeling the back off a sticker 🎉 It's so much less hassle and so much faster.

If you've been around here for a while, you may know that I periodically teach a workshop called Paper Piecing with Freezer Paper. I love teaching other quilters how to paper piece with freezer paper so they can skip ripping out bits of paper, too.

Teaching live workshops is lots of fun, but it also has its limitations...I can only host so many workshops, and you can only sign up if you're going to be free at the time the workshop is happening. That's why I'm excited to tell you about my on-demand Paper Piecing with Freezer Paper workshop!

Included in the workshop

With the on-demand workshop, you'll learn:

• what tools you need for paper piecing with freezer paper (you probably already own most of them)
• how to prepare the reusable freezer paper template. Yes, each template can be reused many times, so no more printing a template for each block.
• how to paper piece your blocks using freezer paper
• how to remove the freezer paper template. Well, really you know how to do that already, since it's like peeling the back off a sticker 😆

Along with the video lessons, when you enroll in the workshop, you'll receive:

• the Burst quilt pattern. Burst is scrappy and beginner-friendly and the pattern includes instructions for three sizes.

• the Storm quilt block pattern. Storm is a 12" block that creates a great secondary pattern when multiple blocks are sewn together.

• a discount code for my pattern shop, so you can save on other paper piecing patterns.

Enroll today

To learn the game-changing magic that is paper piecing with freezer paper, enroll in the on-demand workshop today! You won't miss ripping out the bits of paper at all 😂