BLESSED SPEEDY

I've had a busy time cleaning up my now much smaller sewing area.  Before we renovated I had a much bigger space but due to having to move a large kitchen hutch into our sun room, my sewing area is now a lot smaller - although I have gained extra storage!Once I decided to clean though it wasnt too bad - and I found things I had forgotten (as you do!) even chocolate - but it was off so serve me right. In the process I refound several plastic baggies of leftover fabric from various things I had made - so Im determined to use them up or if not move them on to someone who will use them.  First two efforts are shown here - the lap size quilt is made up of leftover tumbler blocks from a large bed quilt I gifted to Mia last year and the table runner is from leftover Egyptian fabric I had from a queen sized quilt I made Aimee probably 6 years ago - but now all used up and two (yes two!!!) empty plastic baggies. Its a good feeling.

I dont know about anyone else but I have HEAPS and HEAPS of crafty things that are just sitting around waiting to be done.  As part of a challenge to myself I am on a quest to use up my oldest yarn first - this yarn pictured is was an oldest unused yarn, I bought it over 4 years ago.  The pattern is this  one  which is was also one of the oldest in my queue on ravelry. Im quite pleased with how they turned out and have gifted them to a fellow raveller for a swap with the them "owls" as I thought they were an owly colour. Next finish - and next oldest yarn to use up was this lovely to knit with cleckheaton bamboo yarn, I made two fairly but effective dishcloths from it and I think they turned out quite well. The other challenge to myself is to go "cold sheep" = so no buying of yarn for at least til the end of January - so far so good - but oh its hard. Stay tuned to find out if I made it!

I've just finished the most gorgeous (but challenging) pair of socks I've ever knitted Ravelry linky  here . They were a test knit for a fellow member of ravelry and I started out knitting them in a gorgeous deep pink coloured yarn - unfortunately I didnt have enough yarn to make the pair so knitted a second and third sock from some handdyed yarn I had on hand - and I'm very pleased with how they turned out.  As I said before, a very challenging knit as every row is different so you have to watch what you are doing all the time. Also a finish at the same time was the audiobook version of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park - Audible linky  here .  I have found that I really like "listening" to classic novels as opposed to reading them - sometimes they are a bit hard going!

Well as its the new year - of course I had to have a bit of a declutter and reassess of my crafting activities. I dug out the kit for a BOM that I had (craftsy 2013 block of the month) and had a go at doing the first block - difficulties from the word go, not the block or the sewing but having to download dvds and instructions on the internet and of course it was a day when our internet connection was not that good was terrible.  After doing the first months block I had a good hard look at the whole quilt and realised that I really didnt like it! I do however like the fabrics.  Was brave and decided that there is no point carrying on making something I dont like as chances are it will never get finished.....and thankfully the patterns were free so nothing lost there. Hunted out a great pattern  giant scrappy dresden  and Im going to use my fabrics to make it Spent most of this afternoon cutting out and was oh so amazed how much easier it is to cut fabric when you replace your rotary

Well 2013 has come and gone and here we are in 2014 already SO much happened last year - some good and some not so good, some I want to remember and some I'd much rather forget Did I achieve all I wanted to? Of course not! So as for resolutions this year I'm just going with this -