What has been finished in January

So pleased to have completed so many projects this month. For me January is a time of catch up and being out of my usual routine because of the summer break (and if the weather is hot) I really enjoy this extra home time. It is very satisfying to look back over the last few weeks I see what has been achieved apart from the tidy and cleaning out of cupboards!! As we will be moving to a townhouse in the future I am now being very strict when asking myself the question 'do I really need this'. So many times I have kept items because of the memories attached to them. I now take photos of the item and find that way I can let things go. For my Smalls SAL 2015 I can say that I completed three new items. Sophie's Pin cushion was turned into a project bag as the design just went so well with some fabric I had. I did change the zig zag border as I felt the black was too heavy. The next item was a canvaswork scissor keeper designed by Sue Hawkins. Love all her designs and these are the colours I really love. The third item was another scissor keeper worked in cream and a Needle Necessities Overdyed Pearl Thread. My own design - very simple stitches so no designing skill involved.

The second photo is showing other items completed this year. I always have a small 'carry with me' project in my bag - something small, easy on the eyes to stitch, not a lot of changes of thread - it is my emergency kit if I am waiting somewhere with time to spare. The problem is these small items get stitched and then put aside to do the finishing off later but later never seems to come. I got a bit of a shock to find so many of these so decided they had to take some priority on my 'to do list'. Happy to say this resulted in the following being completed - 9 canvaswork strawberries, 2 silk strawberries, 10 canvaswork reindeers and a one cross stitch tiny bonbon. Have I set myself a pace for the rest of the year ??? - not sure but really hope to complete quite a few more UFO's in the cupboard and will be trying hard to use up from the stash and not buy more