Things [ Hand Made ]

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My chance to wonder about hand made things and tell the world about those I make, love and cherish!

Friday 9 January 2009

New Years resolutions.


I don't make New Years Resolutions as like most people I can never stick to them.
I try to have a focus for the year to follow, a small map of where to go and what I want to do. these are inevitably based around my children, craft and home.
There are the usual like eat less chocolate, eat more fruit, laugh more, frown less but I have a few others as well.
This year I want to make sure our home is how we want it. It has taken me a long time to feel settled in our house. It was bought quickly and was a good solution to where to live but its not really where I would choose, given free choice but I guess that goes along with most of the rest of the world. A friend reminded me that its not the house but what goes on in it and that has helped me to want to make where we live special to us.
It should be special as 2 of the children were born at home!
I want to make sure that the children's rooms are how we want them to be. I want to clear out junk that is being kept "just in case" That will lead onto other rooms in the house. This is not a major redecorating scheme ( just in case J is reading this and getting worried!) but reorganising scheme. I like the phrase about only having things that are useful or beautiful in your home and I try not to fill it with junk but still this happens. This year I will try to end the year with less "stuff" than I started it, and we do seem to have a lot of "stuff"
For my craft I want to continue developing my ideas. I am going to use my sketchbook more to work out ideas and look wider than just making things with textiles. I am growing in confidence all the time.
(A couple of people mentioned that this blog was in the review of the Vintage fair in Sew Hip made me blush. I went down to WHSmiths and had a sneaky read. I sort of feel I go through the world mostly being unnoticed and so I am always amazed when I find that I have been noticed!)
I do not have any exhibitions or events coming up so I have chance to produce things for children and to try some things out. Last year I wanted to see if I could sell the things that I made but I don't feel the need to do that now.
From a practical side I want to make a quilt for each of the children. I am going to produce some work based around motherhood. As for this blog I am going to aim to produce 6 tutorials this year, I am working on one at the moment as I really enjoy writing those.
That doesn't sound like much now its written down but I think it will keep me quite busy!
Still time to leave a comment for the giveaway here I will draw it next week sometime. Thanks to those that have done already. I am amazed to get more than 5!

8 comments:

Shabby Chick said...

Your hopes for the year sound great to me, lots of good luck and a huge well done for getting a mention in a magazine! Didn't you buy a copy?

I'm impressed you had two children at home, I really wanted a homebirth for my second but at 32wks I developed a problem with my blood (which in the end caused no problems at all!) and they banned me from it! :(

Have a great weekend, Mel xxx

bex said...

your hopes for the year sound great...i get a bit intimadated by new years resolutions so try to do the same as you. maybe i should aim to make a quilt...id love that but i think im more interested in picking out all of the fabric!!!

take care!!
(of course youd get more than 5 entries for the give away!!)
bex
xx

Sal said...

I sent my hubby down to the town to buy Sew Hip..as someone told me I got a mention too..like you I was amazed .
I am also amazed at any crafter who has children at home and yet still finds the time to do their crafting!
I hope that your year goes according to plan!!
Like you, I live in a lovely place but our house is not quite what I would really choose and having been here 7 years, just lately I am getting real itch to move!! ;-)

Unknown said...

good luck with your hopes and plans, they all sound attainable. I love that quote about things being useful or beautiful as well, we are a long way from that though. I have a friend who made that decision when she moved not to allow anything into the new house that she didn't love. She would rather do without something, and the result is the most homely home that so reflects her - it's a joy to be there.

pillarboxred said...

I'm a big fan of organisation - never enough boxes, baskets or labels for me. I found that when I had small babies I developed a kind of 'the end of the world might just come tomorrow and I won't be able to get anywhere so I must fill my house with everything my children could ever possibly need' emotion. This has resulted in stuff. I agree. It's time for it to go.
Rachel

Snippety Gibbet said...

I appreciate the idea of working to make your house your home. It sure feels like two very different things, doesn't it? And I'm all for getting rid of the extra junk. What a wonderful feeling to have open spaces instead of cluttered ones.

Now, if only I could apply that to all my overflowing craft supplies........oops!

Annie B said...

i love this post - your non-resolutions sound wonderful, wishing you good luck in managing those ...I may just adopt some of them for myself (if I can find the kids rooms under the clutter that is!)

happy new year!

angharad handmade said...

A belated happy new year!

Your resolutions sound spot on - I too am starting the year with the aim to get rid of the 'stuff'. Our house is full to overflowing with junk!

Congratulations on being featured in Sew Hip!