This month is flying by so I thought I’d better post an update for May before it’s too late!

• 1 scrap quilt; I’m trying to get a couple of finishes before I start another quilt! I’ve got all my scraps sorted and ready to go though.
• 2 Tutorials; still none, but I’m thinking of writing one in preparation for my workshop at the end of the month.
• 3 Sessions a week in the Garden; The plants and weeds are coming up thick and fast, so I’m needing my three sessions to try and vaguely keep up. The garden is starting to colour up nicely.

• 4 workshops; I’ve three embroidery and one gardening workshop booked this year. I’ve just had my first one today stitching Harold the Hare, I’ll do a proper post soon but here’s a sneak preview of progress so far…

• 5 Presents; This remains at three, though I’ve another one planned for after my holiday.

• 6 quilts; I made two quilts last month, so pretty productive, I finished a quilt for care leavers last month and I also made a jelly roll cot quilt as a sample for my workshop at the end of the month, making a total of four so far this year. I’ve just got five on the go, some nearer than others to finishing!

• 7 New Patterns; I made some Tania cullottes last month, but I can’t share them til next month when they appear on the Minerva website, so at the moment my tally remains at just 1
• 8 kits; my little embroideries have many been from printed patterns recently, rather than kits, though my pile of kits seems to be getting bigger! My total remains at two, I think I need to look at my kits instead of the internet!!
• 9 Mini Embroideries; I stitched stitched one last week, but that will come under June’s tally, so it remains at three.
• 10 things; There’s so many things I need to make, like a new handbag, a purse, wallet, boxes for my sewing room…I’m hoping now I’ve caught up a bit with deadlines I’ll be able to do a bit more for me.
• 11 cross-stitch smalls; I finished another one in May, it a pretty one with lavender and bees. I’ve made 10 so far this year! I’ve almost finished another one too so hopefully by next month I might have cracked this challenge!

• 12 pages on my book; I’ve still not started this one, I think once I get going I’ll crack on fairly quickly.
• 13 Clothes made; I finally feel I’ve made reasonable progress on this one. I made a broderie anglais top which I’ve worn several times already, and I also made some culottes which you can have a sneak preview of! My tally is still only 2 going on 3, but that’s 100% more than last month!

• 14 drawers organised; I don’t think I did any sorting last month, I need to re-sort my floss box and I need a big sort out of my patterns, maybe next month! My total is a respectable 8, so doing OK here.
• 15 minutes tidy up at end of sewing session; I need to get stricter with this one, I am better at clearing up at the end of a project though.
• 16 books; I’m pleased with how much I’m managing to read now, finding slots in my usual routine was key. I’m also really enjoying the genre of books I’m reading, ones about walking and nature in general. I finished three books last month, Simon Ingram’s Between the Sunset and the Sea, which is the one that started it all, The Salt Path and The Wild Places. I’ve even managed to persuade my OH to read Eleanore Oliphant is Absoluetly Fine, it’s not his type of book at all but as he is starting a mental health awareness course I told him it would be good background reading.

• 17 blogs a month; I wrote 20 posts in May.
• 18 walks; I’ve managed three walks this month, I went up Pen-y-ghent again, this time with a group from work, I finished the Welcome Way with my walking buddy and we also walked another section of the Lady Anne Way. We start our big walk next Saturday, so that will be eight days walking, so by the end of June I should have cracked this one! I’ve done nine walks so far.

• 19 Splendid Sampler Blocks; this one has gone on the back burner a bit whilst I try and catch up with other projects. I’ve managed to make 14 so far this year.

So with five months gone, I’m not doing bad, but it does help to show which challenges I need to concentrate a bit more on!