December 31, 2016

How did you do on your resolutions for 2016? Did you make any for 2017?

Books

I wanted to read twelve books from our personal library shelf this year. Somewhere during the middle of the year I stopped keeping track of where the books that I read were picked from. Goodreads says I read 29 books during the year and from what I can tell about 13 of them came from my shelves. As I look at the books I’ve read this year it is hard to pick a favourite – I gave very few of them a 5-star rating.

For 2017 I’ll continue to work my way through the bookshelves, but I’m going to focus more on reading books from my Goodreads list; most of those books will come from the Powell River Library and it is best to borrow them before the library moves to its new location. Since I doubled my goals for 2016 I’ll go a bit higher for 2017 and try to finish 20 books.

Quilting

I didn’t have as much success in this area as I would have liked, but there were some accomplishments. A quick recap shows:

5 sets of placemats

1 Community Quilt Project finished (and four others in progress)

9 Wall Hangings/Miniatures

2 Quilts

48 cards

There is no doubt in my mind that my favourite quilting accomplishment was getting Elizabeth’s House finished.

The quilt show is coming up in April and I hope to have three full-sized quilts on display (only one is finished as I write this), as well as two miniatures (one that is finished) and four Community Quilt projects (all but one are ready for quilting).

I have 24 other works-in-progress so I’ll go out on a limb and try to finish one a month (some are small).

There are a few Guild projects I’d like to start and finish this year. I have a Guild Challenge, a Retreat Challenge, and a new Block of the Month Mystery Quilt.

Knitting and Crocheting

I made one afghan, one sweater and the remainder of my knit and crochet projects were scarves, hats, mitts, and headbands for winter. Some of these went to Calgary and some will be headed for either BOND or the Salvation Army. I have four sweaters that are almost finished and they will go to BOND. I’m trying to work my way through bins of yarn with these small projects.

This coming year I have another sweater to make (for Christy), and I’d like to turn the contents of a bin into finishes.

Needlework

Since joining a couple of cross-stitch groups on Facebook I’ve been spending more time with this craft. Completing the Advent Calendar in time for this Christmas was a big finish off the list. This year I cross stitched three of my birthday cards.

I have two cross stitch projects set aside as challenges for Canada’s 150 and I’m going to try to get at least one of them done. I also have a much older work in progress that I’d like to get finish.

I’ve added both Red Work and Wool Felt Appliqué to my list of crafts and I hope to accomplish something in both of those areas in the new year.

Volunteering

My duties with the Guild Library will continue through to June and I continue to write an almost-weekly blog as well as administer our Guild’s Facebook page. I created a recipe book for the Guild that was given out at our Hands Across the Water event in October. We made 200 copies and they all were gone by the end of October. I managed to save one to add to our Guild library collection. As well, I’ve just finished designing the invitations for our 30th Anniversary dinner in February. I tend to be the go-to person if there is computer work to be done.

I joined the board of the Cranberry Hall as Treasurer late this spring and that has kept me very busy. I usually provide snacks for Pat’s monthly Song Circle and I’ve run the concession for several of the concerts he puts on there. Other board members also run events and I’ve assisted with the concession for many of those. We hosted six House Concerts this year, and have three more coming up for the remainder of this season.

I don’t see much of this changing in the new year. Although I’ll finish with my Guild Library duties,  no matter how many times I say I’m not taking on another commitment, somehow my name seems to come forward and I don’t say No.

Music

There is already a lot of music in my life, but most of it is live and involves some level of work for me. During the Christmas season I managed to get through (at least once) all of the 399 Christmas tracks in my iTunes library. When I work in my studio I’m often working in silence; I took the time a few years ago to add all my CDs into iTunes so I could listen to them without a player taking up space but seldom bother to start the music. This Boxing Day I purchased a speaker so I could hear the music from my studio when I’m working in my crafting room across the hall. Hopefully I’ll get through many more much-loved tunes in 2017.

I hope to get better at my ukulele in 2017; it’s no one’s fault but my own that I haven’t made progress; Pat and I have even started playing a few songs together. I will continue with the Ukulele Club but, for Christmas, I received some on-line courses and I’ll work my way through them. Our recent attempt at Happy Birthday (for Dave) was quite pathetic, and I gave up completely on our plans for a Christmas video!

Photos

I started on this never-ending project before Christmas as I re-arranged my sewing studio. With a change in my cutting table I needed space to put my tools and scrap bins and the shelf beside the table was the perfect spot. It was, however, filled with photographs. I’ve started scanning some of those photos and adding them to my digital photo frame; it is lovely to glance up and see a revolving series of photos from the past and the present. I developed an idea for some of my photos from the recent Taboo reading and I want to explore that a bit more. I’m going to try to get through at least one box (or album) of photos this coming year.