One of my new projects for last year was my ABC Christmas cross stitch sampler. This is a large sampler with a different festive picture for each letter of the alphabet. It appealed to me because I like crafting for Christmas and I love the bright cheerful colours. I always aimed to finish the sampler by Christmas 2019, and having worked hard on it over the last year I'm about where I wanted to be so far. There are 27 boxes to stitch (there's an extra one that says Merry Christmas) and I've finished nearly 21 of them so I'm well over half way through, although there are lots of beads to add which may take me some time as I've not used beads in cross stitch before.
Some of the boxes have been quite complicated, especially those that are predominately green and red as there are lots of similar colours mixed up together. The Poinsettia and the Wreath were particularly challenging! It does look lovely though. I think once its framed I'll buy some kind of stand so that it can be propped up in the fireplace rather than hung on the wall, as I won't want it up all year round.
My other major project I had planned for the year was my Persian Tiles blanket. After a good start I'm afraid that it has rather been left to one side. I've completed eight of the large hexagons, which is half of them, and seven of the square motifs, so I'm not doing badly I just need to get back in to it. As for Harry's crochet blanket which I also intended to work on I'm afraid that I don't think I've picked it up again since, oops!
That's not to say however that my crafting has taken a back seat, I've been working on lots of other projects. I discovered diamond painting which was a lot of fun and produced a satisfying end product.
Towards the end of the year we firmed up plans for a Disney cruise, and that has presented me with many crafting opportunities. I had a lot of fun making some simple Disney themed felt stocking ornaments for an ornament exchange and I've also made a fabric pin trading board which will hang outside our stateroom door for people to swap pins. It's made with a Halloween theme as we are taking a Halloween cruise, but as I've pointed out to the husband it can easily be changed to match future cruises at any other time of year!
I have lots more Disney cruise themed crafting planned, next I want to make a lollipop/pencil holder which hangs on the door for people to help themselves to. There's also the Fish Extender, a pocketed hanger which hangs outside the door as part of a gift exchange. I've bought the organiser and I just need to come up with a fun way to decorate it - the children are keen to go for a Moana theme! I also want to make simple magnets and bookmarks to gift to fellow cruisers.
Finally I have a new cross stitch kit to work on which is an antique map design. I love maps and this one has appealed to me for years so I finally asked for it as a birthday gift and I'm looking forward to starting on it. I just need to finish a few other projects first!
What will you be working on this year?
Wow! You've managed loads of crafty projects last year - well done you! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm really chuffed that I finished my first ever crochet project - a corner-to-corner baby blanket for my friend's little bundle of joy. It took me months and months to do, but I finished it only a month after little man arrived :-)