New Year, New Projects & New Skills

much to do this year, so while I could I got stitching & have many plans, although a small plan to curb the trend of too many plans!

Firstly Guild requirements. We had already been told that this years challenge was to do a biscournu, luckily I already was up on the play on these with my Xmas tree done, but Mum had many patterns as well & so I chose & completed this one while away:

really busy pattern, with beads & tiny buttons, but very happy with the result.
My plan to ensure that I dont get carried away with too many projects is to only have one gift, one guild project & one thing for me on the go at any one time. I also want to ensure that I try my hand at something 'traditional' each year.
In terms of gifts, I currently have two on the go, so I must not start anything for anyone else until those are complete.
For me, I have started a table runner in Ukrainian Whitework - so this also covers my 'traditional' project.

It is coming along really well, & while in Oamaru, Mum gave me this little tip to control the excess fabric...

Hair clips! - I actually had a hard time finding these, in the right size, I still think these are a little small, but they seem to be doing the job :) Oh and tiny hair clips are being used to hold the end of the thread on the balls of Perle cotton!

other plans for 2012 are: learning Punto Antico at the Embroiderers conference in the middle of the year,  & i was given a huge project which came in the form of a book, where basically I am to make a house! which will hold sewing supplies! It is called "Home Sweet Home an Embroidered Workbox" by Carolyn Pearce. WOW! there is going to be a lot of work in that, so best get stitching so I can get these 3  current projects out of the way first.