My 2012 Goals were:
■Get back to blogging more frequently. I think I did blog more frequently, but still feel guilty that I didn’t blog more than I did.
■Get back to rotating my stitching and tracking my time. I started out really strong on my rotation then lost my watch 🙁 I did continue to track my time, but more in the number of days it took me to stitch something than the actual length of time.
■Stick to my WIPocalypse goals and keep my page updated. Not 100% success.
■Post to the Theme-a-licious challenge as often as my rotation works into it. I was doing rather well in this, too, until I hit a “snag” then just couldn’t get myself back in it.
■Post my monthly TUSAL. I don’t think I ever did this. It was laziness on my part because I certainly kept up with it at home!
■Participate in at least 6 3 Fair and Square exchanges. (changed 1/8/12) 1 finished 2/12 I had every intention in participating in the 3 exchanges. Once I finished the first one I never saw notification of any others. I’ve since figured out what I did wrong so I can see when the new exchanges come up.
■Finish out all 6 3 received Fair and Square exchanges. My received item is sitting on my finishing table waiting on me to finish it. I’ve already decided what I want to do, I’m just having trouble finding a suitable finishing item for it.
■Stitch a Santa ornament for my Santa display. I stitched 3 Prairie Schooler Santas for my display…but they never got ornamentified 🙁
■Take at least 1 stitching related class. Oh, joy, oh, yes! I attended the Attic’s Summer Soiree and had a blast! The projects we received in class are at the very top of my finish list for 2013.
■Finish logging my charts into my spreadsheet. I am 90% finished with this!!!!
■Start organizing my freebies. Didn’t get to them or the magazines since I didn’t finish with the charts.
■Organize my magazine designs.
The first half of 2012 found Mister and I holding our breath and living a wait and see life. His retirement on February 1 scared us both a little. It was such a huge change for us going first from two incomes, down to his, then down to 75% of his. I was so thankful that I remembered how frugal I had to be when we first married. Of course back then there was no internet to peruse to find hints and secrets of how everyone else was doing it 😉 It took awhile for his disability pay to kick in, but once that happened we both felt the relief those funds could bring.
I traveled in January to Las Vegas and had a blast with Melissa, Annette and Annette’s mother, Pat. There was a lot of stitching, and laughing, and a good bit of gambling that occurred and I actually came home richer than I arrived.
I enjoyed as many open stitching nights as I could at Attic Needlework. There were several Bag Ladies stitchins, and I loved, loved, loved the Sampler Sundays I attended. I feel so blessed to be living near Attic, getting to know so many designers that live nearby, and stitching with some wonderful women.
I found a really nice quilt shop and started the first of 3 quilt classes in January. I still haven’t finished the two quilts (one needs binding, one needs quilting and binding) but I did manage to finish what I think is a beautiful quilted bag that I tote all over the place with my stitching.
I read more books than I can remember and feel bad that I didn’t keep track of just how much I read.
And stitching! Lordy, did I stitch this year! I have been having so much fun with it! I had 11 stitching pieces on my WIPacolypse list. I finished 3. I also started 7 more, and finished 5 of those. Not bad 😉
- Petite Mexican Sampler – The Samplar Workes – finished
- Peacock Tapestry – Teresa Wentzler – (started 9/99) stitched on for 10 hours
- Harmony – Serendipity Designs – started 11/23/97 — this had about 10 stitches in it. I took it with me to Vegas and unstitched it, then gridded the bottom of the fabric. Fortunately, I measured before I started stitching again and discovered there would have only been a one inch margin all the way around my fabric. I have put it aside, and taken it off my WIP/UFO list for now since there’s nothing but a gridded piece of fabric.
- Haiku – Dimples Designs – started January 2004 – finished
- Fairy Moon – Mirabilia – started October 27, 2004 – this saw a lot of stitching. I am almost finished with the stitching and will keep her in my 2013 rotation until she’s finished.
- QS Letting Go – HAED – November 19, 2005
- Red Desert Scissor Pocket – The Cat’s Whiskers – started October 11, 2006 – needs finishing out
- Quaker Needlework Treasures – With My Needle – originally started October 2006; picked back up January 11, 2010
- Le Marquoir de Justine – started January 4, 2007
- Hannah Beeby – finished 4/15/12
- Houses of Hawk Run Hollow – Carriage House Samplings – started January 18, 2010
- New Start – Rose Quaker Sampler – Wiehenburg – (Started 4/25/12 stitchalong on Wednesdays)
- New Start — Hannah Gilpin 1800 – Needleprint
- Mary Wigham – Needleprint – New Start 4/26/12 – finished 9/1/12 I fell so in love with this piece I couldn’t put it down!
- Americana – Carriage House Samplings – New Start finished 6/9/12
- America – Little House Needleworks – New Start finished 6/17/12
- Betsy – Sheepish Designs – New Start finished 6/25/12
- America – Blackbird Designs – New Start finished 7/8/12
I also conquered my fear of finishing ornaments!
I got a new car! I got to travel to California and see Son and Melissa. Son and Girlfriend came here for Christmas. My parents came here for New Year (haven’t visited me in over 12 years).
All in all I feel I had a really good year. Mister and I stayed healthy. Harley Quinn had a rough year-end, but it looks like she’s completely healed and we’re very thankful to be starting 2013 with her and Jasper healthy.
Mister starts back to school on Monday. I’m looking forward to the routine it helps keep me in and the uninterrupted stitching time it gives me.
Last but not least, I managed to finally start And They Sinned yesterday. I have a 25% off everything coupon for Jo-Ann so I’ll be buying DMC for Berlin Woolwork Sampler and starting on that on the 15th.
