Creative Makes Collection 2020

January

A kantha style diary cover, a charity baby blanket, 3 embroidered cards for friends, a darned dish cloth.

 I thought it would be nice to gather and share all my makes of 2020 in one place.  I've never presented a whole year’s work before and it's made me realise that I have actually been very productive in 2020.  That negative voice in my head often tells me that I'm not productive enough but I'm not going to listen to it as much in future! Alongside creative makes I have decorated the front door, the kitchen, the lower hall and stairs, the dining room, kitchen table and bench, kitchen shelves and the garden table and chairs. And I wonder why my shoulder has been hurting these last 3 months...

February

2 embroideries for my shop using Liberty and vintage fabric scraps

March

3 Mother's Day cards, lots of face masks, crochet birds, crochet bunting, crochet charity baby blanket, 2 embroideries for my shop using Liberty fabrics and vintage scraps.

I've also seen how my productivity and creativity is strongest in the first half of the year and really starts diminishing after July.  I'd never really thought about the seasons, the light and warmth and what part they play in my overall energy levels and my desire to create things.  I also wonder if my decision to leave Instagram in July contributed to this in some way? Perhaps without the pressure of needing to be seen creating on that app, the drive to make things subsided a little? One of the worries I had/have is that I was creating things for the feedback, dopamine hit.  Looking back, I don't think it was now.  I think the desire to create is inherent in me, but of course, like any other human, I do get pleasure from knowing that people like what I do make.  It is probably a combination of the two and realistically, 2020 was of course not a normal year.  The weather through Spring and summer was exceptionally good and most plans were cancelled due to the pandemic, meaning I had far more time for stitching, crafting, baking, DIY, knitting and crochet. 

April

3 pairs of crochet rainbow earrings, a peg bag. a bird tota decoration, 2 lengths of fabric bunting and 3 hair scrunchies for my daughter.

May

An embroidered nightshirt, a small tana lawn night top with crochet edging, peg doll characters, embroidered aprons for 2 of the peg doll goddess characters. patchwork hexie cushion.

June

Litha peg doll, knitted wrist warmers, crochet bralette, no brainer embroidery for the hall, embroidered wrist band, front door prepared, primed and painted - it deserves to be here as it took such a long time to do!

July

A makeover for a Bratz doll in the style of 'Tree Change' dolls, some beeswax wraps and a good start on another crochet charity blanket to use up the last of that type of yarn.

August

A peg doll for a good friend on Insta for her birthday, finished the granny square blanket. Hurrah!

The only reason I make anything of quantity in the autumn and winter months, pre-Christmas, is because of making gifts for people, cards and also wanting to stock up my etsy and folksy shops in the hope of selling something.  This year I have sold absolutely nothing since I sold an embroidery back in the spring.  Perhaps being absent from Instagram was the reason why? My husband has joked that I spend my time making useless things that nobody wants.  He IS joking and he is a great supporter of my creative endeavours in so many ways - and he also knows that I cannot ‘not’ make things.  It does make me wonder if it's really worth keeping my shops though?  I'm very lucky that I don't ‘need’ to sell things in order to survive (bloody good job eh…) and if they do sell then it's a lovely bonus.  But it's starting to mean that I have lots of embroideries in boxes at home that nobody wants.  Personally, I love them and would hang them up - but should I have a house displaying so much of my work? Is it weird and egotistical to have so much of one’s own work displayed at home? I'd love to have lots more original art from other artists and makers on my walls but I often can't afford it.  I do know that I don't want my embroideries languishing in boxes for years.  It's something for me to ponder on during this quiet time of year.

September

Another wrist warmer for a Christmas gift, a tiny peg doll sweater, working on my sock, tiny crochet acorns and the dining room painted in a creamy colour to change from the deep blue I've had in there for 5 years. Again, it took ages so it deserves a mention.

October and November

Socks finished, Peggy peg doll fully kitted out in autumn outfit, a winter embroidery started, socks for my mum for Christmas started, an embroidered floral hoop for a friend's birthday and Caldbeck in the Lake District.

December

Painted and stitched Christmas cards, wrist warmers, socks and embroidery for a gift finished.

Next year I will concentrate on sewing and knitting items for my own wardrobe, mainly socks, a tank top or two and a wrap around shawl along with some sewn pinafore dresses, PJ bottoms and a shirt. I would love to make a quilt for our bed, some things for our home and paint some more illustrations too. I'm not sure if I will add anything more to my shops. Even thinking about it whilst writing this post, I'm pretty sure that when my shop items expire I will not renew them.

I learnt how to knit socks in July with a lot of assistance and support from my mother in law, Shirley.  When I finally finished my first knitted sock (on the verge of tears after fudging up the Kitchener Stitch) the sense of satisfaction and relief was enormous.  I've always greatly preferred the look of knitted socks to crochet ones and had tried a few times since 2016 to knit them.  I just couldn't get it to work and struggled with what I now know to be a rubbish and ‘snaggy’ circular needle.  I finally tried dpns in July and they just made sense to me, being a very tight knitter.  After that, things slowly clicked into place and now I'm really quite addicted to knitting socks.  It's a formula or recipe that once learned is quite comforting to do and during this past year I've really needed to occupy myself to distract myself from the pandemic and political situation in the world.  I have yet to try any patterns or variations on the straight forward sock but all in good time.  It has reinforced the knowledge that if you really want to learn something, try, try and try again and you will succeed.

I was going to add a list of the books I've read and listened to in this post, but as it's already very long, I'll leave the books to talk about in the New Year.

I honestly feel no more sorrow or joy leaving 2020 than any other year. I'm so grateful that my loved ones have stayed well, so far - and that we have managed working and schooling at home with some outside space and close proximity to the sea. I know that for many tens of thousands of people this year has been truly awful and I can understand the desire to see the back of it.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about what I've made in 2020 and I wish you all a Happy New Year filled with good health, love and light.