Inspired by @romeskie I'm going to reflect on what I crafted each month of the year... hopefully there'll be something for each month.
January
2023 started strong with hand-finishing the binding on my first-ever quilt project on New Year's Day made from a kit I bought on a whim from the quilt shop about six months earlier. The patchwork and quilting obsession continued with a Mondrian-inspired laptop sleeve. I like how I quilted in different directional lines and learned this type of patchwork is called stained glass.
February
The patchwork interest continued with making some mini blocks for an 'A-Z quilt' with 26 blocks each in a different pattern (I think I managed four or five blocks and the rest remains a WIP). This included a side foray into paper piecing with these mini hex (ish) pieces. I also knit cables for the first time with this purple beanie which was easier than I'd expected it to be.
March
I switched gears to dress-making, cutting the pieces to make a green corduroy jacket from $2 charity shop fabric and yellow floral fabric that I received from a family member. I also began working on a needle-turned applique of a Sturt Desert Pea, it has three flowers but I'm considering starting over and trying machine applique instead.
April
We bought a house, packed, took a city holiday, packed more and then moved house, my photo roll suggests the only 'craft' was the admiration of others at the Royal Sydney Easter Show including the NSW Quilters Guild section in the Art & Lifestyle Pavilion where there were lots of nice pieces including this quilted jacket and amazing multi-coloured jumper from the competition entries.
May
I had two weeks away from home so not a heap of time for crafting but lots of admiration of more epic crafts, this time at the CWA of NSW and ACT Handicraft competition. Including my own circular sashiko embroidery shown in the very bottom left of this photo montage. Lots of inspiration across April and May but nothing to show in terms of crafty progress.
June
I began my epic Acalypha shawl which would take three and a half months. Plus I began another patchwork project, this time starting a table runner as part of a Quilt-A-Long with Sewspicious on IG making the Rosalia pattern.
July
Progression of my two new projects from June, just about keeping up with the QAL, I'm not sure how people managed to make 12 or 16 blocks in that time, five was a stretch! Plus I spent many, many hours making progress on the shawl, at its widest it was 293 stitches.
August
I finished the Rosalia quilt AND the green corduroy jacket. Made some quick eye masks for presents and started learning goldwork with the first of two classes. I also knitted a sleeve-less jumper but I don't think I took a single progress photo! How is this possible? It was 12ply so came together pretty quickly - partly shown in the photo on the left.
September
I finished knitting the Acalypha shawl with a knit-off border that was 585 rows but I love how it finishes the end without having a bind-off row! Briefly picked back up the cross stitch that I started in August 2022, but probably only managed 50 stitches before getting distracted with the second goldwork class and starting my first solo goldwork project!
October
The shawl was blocked and ends woven - finally done. I commenced trying to make a round rug from homemade t-shirt yarn, that needed to be cut, plaited,
I tried wrapping and twisting the yarn (no good), I tried blanket stitching the yarn together (no good) and bunched up when sewn (since improved). And worked on my goldwork project a dark green art deco inspired brooch with the help of the cat.
November
I started using up scrap pieces of fabric to create a cabinet top runner making Aunt Eliza's Stars to match the Rosalia runner and had some fun making a strip of diagonals that I'm not quite sure what to use for yet...
December
I picked up the cross stitch and goldwork in earnest to try and finish it before a competition in February 2024. Started a dress thinking I could have it finished by Christmas, but between the slippery polyester, the weird pattern sizing, and 'sewing' the entire flared skirt hem when the needle wasn't threaded, it's not quite finished!
And somewhere along the way, I started a crafting video channel which has been amazing for getting projects finished! That rag rug could have gone to craft WIP project heaven had it not been for the accountability (didn't quite work for the dress).
What am I committing to for 2024? EVERYTHING and anything!
- Another fabric scrap project - this time with leftover triangles
- Returning to my Quilt A-Z - I'll have to dig out my a to z pattern planning!
- Goldwork - finishing up the brooch and I have a ginkgo leaf design in mind
- Cross stitch - the tiny building is SO close to finished - just the back stitch and framing to go
- Paper piecing - I just got an EPP and FPP book for Christmas!
- A quilted jacket - maybe even paper pieced!
PLUS more videos and photographs, it's been very satisfying to look back on the year and see everything my hands have created.
AND finishing, finishing, finishing:
- the green 'Christmas' dress
- the red flower applique (I got new sewing machine feet to try applique)
- turning the scrappy diagonal into a finished article
- my round t-shirt rag rug
But I think my BIG goal will be entering the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I have a lace knitting bolero/shrug project that I just bought the pattern for. But I better be snappy, it's due at the beginning of March and I need to register online by 17th January!