Happy new year! Hope you had a good one, I managed to stay up til midnight but I think we were in bed by quarter past!Anyway, I decided to try and write my last nineteen for 19 post a bit more promptly. I’m pretty pleased with how it’s gone, it’s given me something to focus on whilst not fretting if one challenge wasn’t going to get done (or even started!!). So here goes, hope you’re sitting comfortably…
- 1 scrap quilt; this is one I haven’t even started, but I’ve got plans for this year and lots of inspiration from a new facebook page!
- 2 tutorials; another non-starter!
- 3 sessions a week in the garden; This works really well, it got me outside much earlier in the year than I would have otherwise and with a garden like mine an early start makes a huge difference.We had the open garden in July, which although we chose the wettest weekend of the year it still managed to raise a good amount for charity.
- 4 workshops; I’ve attended three embroidery ones at Fabbadashery, though I still have to complete two of the projects, I’ve also been on a stained glass workshop and a gardening one. I also ran a quilting workshop!
- 5 presents; I made three bags for Christmas presents, they had pretty robins on them, I also made a small out of a leftover scrap of robin fabric. I embellished a cardigan for my mum too.
6 quilts; I finally finished my Down the Rabbit Hole quilt in December, three years in the making! I think that puts my tally at seven!!
- 7 new patterns; I’ve just made a Skye Wrap, so that’s 8 new patterns;
- 8 kits; I think I’ve made seven so far this year, unfortunately I’ve bought more than that so mt stash hasn’t gone down!
- 9 mini embroideries; in December I made another two pages for my Stitchbook collective and I also embroidered a robin for a card, bringing my total to 13 I also stitched 16 mini embroideries for Advent SAL…!
- 10 things; I haven’t got any photos yet, but I made my son two sets of curtains in December- I decided I really don’t like making curtains – especially heavy woolen ones! This brings my total to fourteen with the three bags I made too.
11 cross-stitch smalls; I went a bit mad with smalls this year, I made another one last month which brings my total to about 15!
- 12 pages in my book; I finally started this project in November, I didn’t get any made during the Christmas rush but it’s one of my priorities for next year.
13 clothes made; I made another dress last month and also a wrap, which pushes my total over the target to 14! After a slow start with this one I finally got there!
- 14 drawers organised; I’ve had a huge sort out in my sewing room over the last couple of weeks, I’ve sorted patterns, buttons, threads, fabric- I’ve definitely reached this target, though unfortunately my sewing room doesn’t look any tidier for it!
- 15 minutes tidy-up after each session; mmm, ditto last comment!
- 16 books; this has been my most successful target this year, not just because I smashed the target with over 30 books, but more because it changed my habits, I found a space for reading in my routine and stuck to it.
- 17 blog posts per month; December was the only month I didn’t make this one, usually I exceeded it, I also realised over Christmas that I had just written my 1000th post!!
- 18 walks; my walking buddy and I walked the Cleveland Way last year, together with practise walks we managed 21 walks, which is nearly 2 a month so not bad!
- 19 Splendid Sampler blocks; I made these and lots more so I could finish the quilt.
So quite a productive year! I’m a little bit crafty with these challenges, making sure that quite a few overlap, so a new pattern is also clothing, a thing is also a present, lots of quilt blocks make a quilt…I’ve just added things up and altogether I’ve made about fifty different things, which sounds a lot, but it’s actually only one a week, OK some take an awful lot longer, but others were just an evening or two.
I still haven’t finalised my Twenty for 2020, but I think this will be my last year as the numbers are just getting too big, even for me, I’ll have to think of a different challenge after that!
thecraftycreek 
Wow!
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Double Wow!!
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Exquisite work, Margaret❣️
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Phew!
My favourites are the pages for the all the different books you make. Also, the rabbit hole quilt. But best of all, the Faby Reilly and Betsy Morgan boxes.
You are totally inspirational! Never ever let it be said that you waste one day of your life!
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Thanks Prue, I think the boxes and the spring wreath quilt are my favourites, though I love my rabbit quilt too 🙂
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Margaret this is beautiful. Happy New Year. Thank you.
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Well done, Margaret! I just read someone else’s blog and their 20 for 20 is going to be 20 different projects.
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Thanks Kathy, that’s an idea for 2021 🙂
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I always admire people that can set goals and then meet them. You are an inspiration. 20 for 20 is quite a bit even for you. Best of luck for a prosperous, goal filled, New Year.
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Thanks Lisa, I’m going to have to do some careful planning for the high numbers!
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I love your needlework! Truly impressive.
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Excellent! You accomplished quite a bit!
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I’m exhausted just reading this 😉
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Happy new year to you Margaret. I don’t know where you find the time to sleep – or maybe you don’t sleep. I think that’s quite likely as I do now know how you could manage otherwise with so much stitching and reading and walking too. It exhausts me just reading about it lol xx
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Oh my days, put together like this you are truly unstoppable, a veritable crafting machine. Huge fan of yours as I hope you know. Putting in a word for the wonderful garden you created, I have loved the weekly posts.
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Thanks Cathy, I’ll be getting back to my weekly posts again soon. If you fancy popping down for coffee in the spring before you move down south you’re more than welcome, you can sit in the summerhouse and eat cake 🙂
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Marvellous and inspiring. Thanks fir all the time and effort you put into your posts. I have followed you for about a year now and have picked up lots of ideas from you. I think the gardening tip will prove useful! Love the white waistcoat type top. Is it an easy pattern. Happy New Year. Sxx
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Thanks Sue, the waistcoat pattern is fairly easy, I’ve made it twice now and they’ve both had a lot of wear.I’m not sure the pattern isn’t out of print now but there’s several others like it. Here’s the link to the post; https://thecraftycreek.com/2019/05/28/waste-not-want-not/
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Inspirational!
Happy New Year to you and all your family
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A very big well done! I find I enjoy the start of challenges but I’m usually a quivering wreck by the end and don’t like the feeling of disappointment and failure. I’ll just pootle along and watch you do yours 😁
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Happy New Year! Wow, when everything is laid out in one post you can see just how productive you have been over the year. The quilts are just lovely – I will be lucky to get mine started! Can’t wait to see what you have planned for 2020!
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Wow! You were super busy last year! I really missed your garden updates while I was away, I’m looking forward to seeing what you get up to this year!
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An amazing and creative year indeed!
Brilliant inspiration… thank you!
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oh my! what a productive year you had!
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