Boxing Day Blogaversary, Review of 2020 and Plans for 2021

What a wind up to what otherwise was a very low-key Christmas.   I eventually put up a small tree with stitched ornaments as after such a long lockdown, just did not have my usual Jingle-Jangle mojo running.  

And as I sit in my chair this Boxing Day morning, I look up at my tree and see so many memories of Christmases Past.   I looked back to my first Blog posts – back to December 26 2008 and see the ornament that is most prominent, was indeed finished on that day.  So it is a Blogaversary and have enjoyed rekindling my stitching journey with you all.

 

2020 was for me a Year of Clarity and has been a good year to determine what is important in life.  Family, Friends and Fabric.  I have gained a Grandson this year, with the hope that I will meet him within the month.  Friendships have strengthened with enforced distancing and new friendships forged.  

Christmas Day was a festive day with family celebrating together.  I am so honoured that my Heirloom tablecloth is now used each year and has become part of the family tradition.  My sewing room is organised and has promoted more creativity throughout the year and leading into 2021 I am looking to starting up a Floss-tube to run concurrently with this blog (the aim is to kick this into production in February)

This remaining week of December, I will try to organise my stitching projects for 2021 starting by listing them here.

• '    Meteo 2020 SAL – I need to finish off December houses and to fill in the blanks with appropriate motifs
  
• '    Meteo de Moutons 2021 – This will be stitched on aida and I need to spend the time stitching the paddocks the ‘sheep’ will be housed in.  Although I have charted this, have set my own rules and will not start this before Jan 1^st
• '    Shores of Hawk Run Hollow –
  This is a long running WIP and deserves some concentrated stitching on this chart to move it along.  I do not expect this to be finished in 2021, but might aim for 2022 finish
• '    English Floral Sampler – this was high on my rotation this past year and I finished several squares, could I possibly finish P-Z in 2021?
  
• '    12 Days of Christmas – Boothy Threads – this was suggested some months ago as a 2021 SAL – Surely I only have to finish one square each month??  I looked at it again this morning, and it is a fairly intense bit of stitching, the couching has its own chart.  This might be better as a 2 year project
  
• '    History de Moutons – Jardin Privé – This was the chart that inspired me to revisit the Year of the Sheep.  I’ll be stitching the whole 4 charts as one – I really want to get this started in January
• '    Stitching, Sewing, Quilting – Jeremiah Junction – this is an OOP design from 2004 and I have started it, but would like to put some more time into it.  This will have a place in my sewing nook when completed
• '    Let’s Sew – Ursula Andrews – a mid-project sort of project – stitched with one thread of Needle Necessities on a slightly rayonish aida that was in the box of bits.
• '    Halloween – A sampler designed by me, inspired by Robert Burns.  This is the model stitch for my first chart to be released for sale in 2021 – about July
• '    Raise a glass – A sampler designed by me, inspired by vintage crockery.  This is a model stitch for a design to be released for sale in 2021 – about September

 

This is a list of more than 4 charts.  I am going to rethink about stitching charts on a weekly basis.

What are YOUR plans for 2021? 

On the 13th day of December - Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Lucky 13!

Firstly – Seasons Greetings to you all, new and old friends.  Welcome to day 13 of the Christmas 2020 Advent Blog Hop so generously hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.

What a calamitous year we have had.  Here in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, we are now coming out of 7 months of Covid Lockdown.  As I do not have school-age children and remained gainfully employed during the whole time, the lockdown did not have a seemingly full-on impact to my daily life.  As the lockdown has lifted, I realise how little I really socialised, but now can enjoy those little things like going out to a restaurant or take part in Scouting activities at a hall. 

Christmas here in Melbourne is often celebrated with friends and family outside with cold drinks and salads, as it often quite warm and full of sunshine!  So much different than the northern hemisphere.

I’ll share with you a quick Christmas Stitch I have made this past week and one of my favourite Christmas Tablecloth squares. 

This is a Lizzie Kate tiny ornament from 2002.  Found it amongst my pile of Christmas patterns that had been piled on the shelf next to where I’ve been stitching all year.  I guess I’ll be looking through that pile a little bit more critically during 2021.

The 2010 Tablecloth square is one of my favourites, as it represents the year my Dad spent Christmas with me.  The Jill Oxton pattern of a Santa Head is so intense, it took rather a lot longer to complete than it should have, but it looks great.  There are 5 different whites and pale greys in that beard alone.  You can see all the other years celebrated on this tablecloth on this page, with the story behind them all 

What is your favourite Christmas Book?    Goodness – I really could not think of anything past Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. 

It was such a traditional story and I am fortunate to have been gifted my Aunt’s collection of Dickens novels.  Of course, like so many more people, I now tend to look at a filmed version, and you would have to know that The Muppets version is my favourite.

Thank you for inspiring me to delve into the box of memories, as my Aunt’s collection of Dickens had been packed away and I needed to sort them out for this picture.  They are both very old, the frontispiece of the green one shows the date as 1879. 

I have not read these for many years, but the illustrations of these books, well over 100 years old are wonderful. 
Although, having gone down the lazy way of watching movies – the best version HAS to be the Muppets by far.  Check out THIS review of the costumes by Abby Cox – she is so fun to watch…

While I was delving into the box of treasures, I came across a small hand sized book of the poetry of Robert Burns, owned by my Grandfather, which he signed his name in 1918.  I found a verse which has inspired an idea for a sampler.  Something I’ll have to follow up in 2021.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today and follow along with all the other bloggers on this 2020 Advent journey.