Happy New Year, everyone! It is a time to think of fresh beginnings. I am anticipating big changes this year; the end of the year is going to look a lot different from the beginning. For now, though, I am thinking of crafty resolutions.
It is important to express your creative side, to tend to your mental garden. Here are some ways I plan to do that for myself this year:
- Design a new crochet pattern every month, on average.
- Try a craft I’ve never done before. Possibilities include soapmaking (the right way), candlemaking, quilling, wood carving, macrame, needle felting, Chinese knotting, tatting, and throwing pottery on the wheel.
- Finish two more pieces for my Children’s Book Quilt.
- Make my summer hat, before it is in season.
- Finish my Fibonacci-themed wall quilt pattern.
- Make a clothing pattern template for myself, following the directions in How To Make Sewing Patterns.
- Take better and more creative pictures of my finished projects. This is complicated by the fact that I live in northern New England, where (especially in the winter, but to some extent in the summer) natural light is in short supply even during the day.
I’m also taking a four-session sculpture class starting Monday. I did a semester of sculpture in college and am looking forward to getting my hands in the clay again. How are you going to tend your creative plot?
Oh, and as for my First Friday plans, I have but three words: Christmas tree bonfire.
Upcoming: You may be wondering what happened to the sketchbook updates I promised… well, I lost my sketchbook. Perhaps if I’d had time to clean as much as I’d wanted before leaving for the holidays it would have shown up, but now I’m pretty sure I don’t have time to finish it even if I find it tonight. So that’s sad and kind of a dumb reason to miss out, but there it is. Instead, we have the rest of the New Year’s Eve fun, some candy animals, a hat, and sculpture class reports – which should actually take us well into February.
I leave you with a beautiful Christmas gift from my sister:
