Showing posts with label A Year Of Makes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Year Of Makes. Show all posts

Tuesday, 7 January 2020

2019: A Year of Makes

It always interests me to look back see what I've made over a year when I sit down and write these annual posts. It's shocking that I can almost have forgotten that I made something, when you think how many hours go into creating something by hand. Scrolling back through previous posts I sometimes think goodness, how much my tastes have changed, but then I look harder and think that actually, no, they haven't changed much at all. I'm still crocheting blankets, embroidering hoops and holiday diaries, making little bits and bobs for our home or myself.


January

February

March


April

May

June


July

August

September


October

November

December

My favourite thing I made last year was my embroidered holiday diary from our trip to New York. That holiday was one of the best things we ever did as a family and sewing that project afterwards just stretched out the joy even further. My mustard crocheted bag has been used much more than I intended, being my everyday handbag from the summer right up until the strap broke last week. (I must order a replacement strap from eBay). My Goldenrod sweater has been worn time and time again, and I'm pleased that it washes well. I definitely like to balance a big, months-long project like a blanket with smaller ones like a little embroidery hoop. It stops me getting bored. Not that I can ever imagine getting bored of crafting. 

As ever, I'm going into 2020 with a couple of projects that have been started and then pushed to one side, including an English Paper Piecing patchwork quilt and a cotton dress for which I've already cut out the pattern. I have bought yarn and roving for a large weaving - I've even adapted an old A1 picture frame into a loom! - but I've yet to make a start. I have the yarn and patterns for both this blanket and this jumper - all I need to do is make a start. Beyond those projects I have nothing planned, I will just see what the year brings me. 

 Here are previous annual craft reviews, should you wish to see them:
2014
2013

2012
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Friday, 4 January 2019

2018: A Year of Makes

Happy New Year! I hope you all had fun celebrating the arrival of 2019 and are full of plans and intentions for the coming year? I had fun celebrating but that's about it. I always feel more New Year-ish in the spring, or when school goes back in September, than I ever do in the middle of winter. Right now feels like time to pause and regroup, reflect on last year and think about this one. No resolutions here, because I don't believe in them, but if I just keep trying to find balance and contentment in life (no small thing, let me tell you!) and not always be rushing, rushing, then that would be very good indeed.


It's that time now when I like to look back at last year's crafting and see what it all looked like, what I made and when, favourite crafts and new ones. I'm always surprised how much my creativity changes with the seasons - not just in the kind of things I want to make, but in my output. I seem to have a lot more energy in the lighter months of the year. Crochet and embroidery featured heavily again this year, but I managed to try a few new skils too: weaving on a loom, shibori tie-dyeing, framing an embroidery and experimenting with making miniatures. I knitted my first jumper and sewed my first dress, two major firsts that I never thought I'd achieve, and I finally started that hexagon patchwork quilt. 




January, February, March


 February

*
April, May, June

April
Chunky knitted jumper

June
July, August, September





*
October, November, December


 October



*

2018 was a year when we were busy working on the house and garden, trying - as ever - to get the most that we can from this space that we love so much, on the smallest of budgets. I think that John, always in the background here at this blog, supporting my ideas and occasionally reigning me in when I get a bit carried away, deserves a mention. As well as digging up gardens, knocking down walls, laying flooring and never moaning when I ask him to drill a hole somewhere for me, he made some really beautiful and useful things for the house this year, including this outdoor table and seating, the peg rail shelf, and the most beautiful bench for our hallway.


I am going into 2019 with quite a few half-finished projects to complete: a crochet jumper, a patchwork quilt and a cotton crochet summer blanket, just for starters. Crafting continues to be one of the hobbies I love the most, the thing that both energises and soothes me, keeps me sane and makes me slow down when life gets too busy. I haven't really thought about crafting goals this year, but I know that I would like to improve at weaving. I've just taken delivery of a lot of wool and roving, and I'm now planning how I can turn a big old picture frame into a loom to make a huge, beautiful weaving for our hall, so that is occupying my thoughts a lot at the moment. I'd like to make more clothes too, perhaps a skirt, and do some more knitting. What about you - any crafting goals or resolutions this year?

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Monday, 8 January 2018

2017: A Year of Making

Every January, for as long as I have been blogging, I like to take a look back at the previous year's crafting and making. I find it really interesting; which months were more productive than others, what I was doing at different times of the year, and the sorts of colours and projects I choose depending on the seasons. 

Crafting in the first half of 2017 was dominated by the redecoration of all our bedrooms, as I stamped blinds and bedding, made wall hangings and garlands, and painted furniture. There were also a couple of larger crochet projects there too, like a cardigan and blanket. Then there were my crocheted fruit and vegetables over the summer, plus lots of yarny animals and birds. As autumn arrived it was a mixture of cosy home projects and gifts for family and friends.


{January, February, March}



January

February

March



{April, May, June}



April

May

June




{July, August, September}



July

August

September





{ October, November, December}



October

November

December
I think that, if I had to choose one favourite make, then it would be my embroidered holiday diary from our trip to France in August. Not only was it a complete joy to sew, but it holds so many happy memories for me. Crochet continues to be one of the most rewarding hobbies I have ever taken up, although I didn't intend to make quite so many animals and birds.



Looking back over last year's post, I see that I failed to master colour work or tapestry crochet, or make that patchwork quilt I've been talking about for the last few years, or sew any clothes. Never mind, maybe this year will feel like the right time. But I do have an idea for a blanket simmering away in my head, and I am about to pick up my knitting needles again, so I'm sure I'll have lots to share with you soon.
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Monday, 9 January 2017

2016: A Year of Making

It's that time again, when I like to look back and see what I made over the course of a year and in 2016, like the year before, it was overwhelmingly things for our home. There were a few gifts, and items for myself - clutch bag, yoga bag, socks, hat - but mostly it was napkins and crochet. This time last year I said I wanted to cross stitch and embroider more, and I certainly did that. I also talked about starting another quilt, and I didn't do that. 

 I've arranged the finished projects into collages with links to the blog posts below. You could probably guess the seasons without the titles; blankets and socks in the autumn and winter, flowers and plants in the spring and summer, and a lot more crafting happens in the colder months than the warmer ones. 


{ January, February, March }


January

February

March



{ April, May, June, }


April

May

June



{ July, August, September }


July

August 

September
{ October, November, December }



October
Autumn Leaf Garland

November
Hat
Socks
Stockings

 December
Advent Calendar
Christmas Napkins
Clay Decorations
Koala and Chimpanzee
I think I'm most pleased with my socks overall. And it was good to remember how much fun a quick and easy project can be, like the leaf garland and hanging planter. Not everything has to take months and months - sometimes a few hours crafting is just as enjoyable and rewarding, perhaps even more so.

I started 2016 with an embroidery and a couple of blankets to complete, and it seems that I'm starting 2017 in almost exactly the same way, with a cross stitch pattern and Angus's blanket in my project basket. But those two projects aside, my crafting plans for the coming year include:
  • crocheting myself a jumper or cardigan - I very much like this pattern
  • having a bash at dress making - I saw a colleague today in this dress and was instantly drawn to it
  • trying some more crochet sock patterns - this book appeals
  • possibly starting an English Paper Piecing quilt. Or some kind of quilt, anything to use up some of my scraps of fabric.
  • Mastering colour work in crochet, mainly so that I can make these stunning mittens
I feel a bit stuck in a crochet rut, and I'm hoping the socks, clothes and colour work will provide new inspiration. I also think that I need nudging out of my comfort zone of crochet and cross stitch, and I'm hoping some simple dress making might help with that. We'll see. Anyway, that was fun to put together, I hope you enjoyed the overview. Thank you for letting me share my love of crafting with you all here - it really is one of my most favourite things to do and knowing you all get that is wonderful.



If you are interested, you can look back at previous creative round-ups below:

2015
2014
2013
2012

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Friday, 8 January 2016

A Year of Making

It's Friday. We made it through the first week back at school and work intact. Well done us! Thank you all for your lovely comments on Polly and Alfie, you are very kind. Alfie is getting a little bobbly due to over-cuddling and I fear I may have to sew an arm back on soon as he is dragged everywhere by his paw, but otherwise they're intact. 

Now I know New Year feels like an age ago already, but I wanted to do one of those posts where I gather together everything I made over a year and look at it. It interests me to see the changes in the kinds of things I want to make, my use of colour, the way crafting is less something the children and I do together, and more something I do for myself. A lot of my makes last year were for the home which is no surprise really, when you think that we moved house last year. Making is my way of putting my stamp on something. Also, there was a lot of crochet last year. I think that's partly down to my increased confidence with tackling harder patterns and wanting to push myself to try new things, but also because - now that my crafting time is largely limited to the evenings - it's much easier to crochet than hand-sew in electric light when you are tired. Likewise, projects that involve paintbrush or sewing machine are less appealing now that I'm at work, when I just want to sit on the sofa and pick up yarn and hook when I have any free time.


{ January, February, March }



January


February


March



*


{ April, May, June }



April


May


June



*

{ July, August, September }


July


August


September



*


{ October, November, December }


October


November


December



Creatively, I'm not sure what 2016 holds yet. I have two blankets and one embroidery to finish, but when has an ongoing project ever stopped anyone from starting a new one? I'd like to make a blanket for Angus's bed. I'd like to cross stitch and embroider more. I'd like to paint more furniture and continue to work on the house. I keep saying I want to start an English Paper Piecing hexies quilt, and I have a huge stash of yarn scraps just sitting there...I just need to start it, and stop talking about starting it. 

But making things with my hands continues to make me ridiculously happy and I can't imagine a time in my life when I wont be sewing, crocheting or painting something. It calms me when I am anxious and soothes me when I am irritable or tired. But I also love the fizz of excitement at the start of a new project, and that exhilarating feeling of pulling off something I didn't know I could do, of learning to do something well. And the feeling of triumph and satisfaction at the end of a long project when you think, yes, it was all worth it, I'm glad I worked so hard on that. It's good for me.

If you're interested, you can look back on previous crafty round-ups below.

2014
2013
2012

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