Wild Tangent Tuesday: finished projects

This year, I made a goal for myself to accomplish one project a month, something crafty, homemade. The main part of the goal was to make something for myself or for my household. I like to make handmade gifts when I have the time/inspiration to do so, but I never make things for myself or for my own kids. That stuff always sounds fun, but it gets put on the backburner.

Case in point: the project I finished in January. Though I am exremely ashamed to admit this, I'm going to be honest and just trust that you will all still love me. My project for january was to finish a gift I had started and intended to give to a friend for Christmas . . . Christmas of 2007. And really, the only reason it took me so long to finish it was because I tried to make the same thing for myself and finish it at the same time. I knew I had a problem with putting projects for myself on the backburner. I thought it would be the perfect solution if I paired together a project for myself and a project with a deadline. Obviously, that backfired, and both projects ended up on the backburner. So, for January, I finally finished my friend's Christmas present (and shamefully gave it to her) and the project for myself.

This one was for Eleanor and me --matching aprons if you can't tell. Eleanor even got to help make them, which I think makes them more special to her.

These are the ones I gave to my friend, for her and her daughter. I couldn't decide which one of them should have the more "spunky" pattern, so I made them identical.

In February, I decided that making Valentines with Eleanor counted as the project for me or my household, because I had really been meaning to do a fun, easy craft with Eleanor (more for the experience than the outcome). I did manage to complete a project to give away, though.

I made this baby blanket for a friend who had her first boy (already has two girls). I love making these blankets. They're fairly easy, mostly busy work for my hands that would otherwise be shovelling snacks into my mouth during evening hours with Grant. I feel bad that I missed being able to make blankets for a few friends who had babies shortly after I had Phaedra. I hope they understand.

Here's a close-up of the edge.

March's project was less tangible. I did a lot of work on archiving my digital photos and working on a blog book. I'm nowhere near finishing either, but I made progress. I considered that my project for the month. I also managed to make another blanket for a good friend who also had her first boy (after two girls -Ha! I hadn't noticed the similarity). I was so excited about this blanket. She likes bright colors, and since my fabric variety at home was lacking, I actually got to go shopping. Plus, I finally got to use this varegated thread I bought ages ago, thinking it would be perfect for a boy blanket. I've held onto that thread forever, unable to find a fabric combo it really compimented . . . until this one! It made me want to pop out a baby boy myself just for the cute blanket, but knowing that was not going to happen (and probably for the best, considering I HAVE a baby on my hands), I gave the blanket a good home.

Oh, and I love stripes, so this blanket had that going for it, too.

Even if my baby is a girl, I decided she qualified to model it (hope you don't mind, Mandy).

I think I'll have her model all my blankets. It's much more fun.

For this month, I'm afraid I've got nothing (see how I'm slipping?) I guess I have tried some new recipes, does that count? It's been a crazy month. I'll try to do better next month.