Happy New Year to Everyone

Well, who can hardly believe it is 2015 - where did 2014 go ? I don't normally do New Year Resolutions, but last year I did and I nearly achieved them all.  So I thought I should think of some for this year.

• Learn more crochet stitches and skills. I love the look of tapestry crochet (see below) and can think of many ways of using it.  I think it would be fun to make up your own designs.

From Littlewoollie.blogspot.com.au

The lovely Julie at Littlewoollie.blogspot.com.au has some instructions on her blog and there are more instructions available through google searches.

I also like the look of tunisian crochet, as it looks like it would make quite a thick piece of crocheted fabric that may be useful as a placemat or in constructing a bag and in allsorts of other things.

•  I think one thing that will be on my resolution list until I die is - get up earlier.  I find this one very hard to achieve, especially in Winter.  Using my available time more constructively goes along with this one.

• Read more.  I achieved this one quite well last year, but it didn't last until the end of the year.  I am a chick-lit book reading kind of girl (as well as newspapers and craft and magazines).  Since I have moved to Ireland, I have actively sought out Irish Authors and discovered there are a lot and most of them write the type of the books that I like to read.  My favourites so far are  Clodagh Murphy and Cecelia Ahern.  Poolbeg is a good site for finding all about Irish authors.

• Attempt paper-piecing.  I have never been very accurate with my sewing skills and hence have only attempting basic quilting.   

However I bought an issue of Quilt Now magazine, because it had details of these paper-pieced designs (as above).  They are from a Japanese book that has just been translated to English called 318 Patchwork Patterns.  I have been able to view a lot of the patterns in the book on the net and I like a lot of them.  Because they are quite small, I figure I would be able to complete them without being too overwhelmed and you wouldn't need a lot of fabric.  So I may have to purchase this book.

Hopefully I will achieve some of these and some more that I haven't divulged here or at least try my best! Hope your resolutions will be achieved too!