23 Before 23 – The Review

For those of you who have been with my blog for a while, you will know that for the last few years I have done a challenge every year, setting the same number of goals as the age I will be on my next birthday. Last year I turned 23, so after my 22nd birthday, I set my 23 before 23 goals. As we all know, 2014 was absolute chaos for me, so I didn’t end up dedicating any time to my goals at all! However, I am going to review them all the same, but I’m not expecting any spectacular results!

1. Make a dress – This one is still on the list! I’m ashamed to think of how long I have had the supplies ready and just not made any progress with it! It is a little more tricky now, as never having made clothes before, I want my Mum to help me through the steps to make sure I’m doing everything right (Mum’s know best of course!) but now that I have moved out, we haven’t yet managed to arrange a day when she can come over and help me through it! I’m hoping to get a day arranged soon though so I can make a start on all of the dressmaking projects I have in mind!

2. Complete 10 cross stitch projects – Looking back at this, ten projects was probably rather ambitious! At the beginning of the year I was on a bit of a roll and manage to complete 4 projects, which you can see in my 2014 Project Gallery, and at the end of the year I went on to finish my Once Upon A Time Sampler and my Liberty kit, which can be seen in my 2015 Cross Stitch Projects post. I don’t think I completed anything in between that I haven’t included, so I’m going to say that I managed 6, which I don’t actually think is that bad! This year there is no way I will achieve 10 as the projects I am working on are so big. However, if I can finish all of the projects that I have got planned for this year, I will be very happy to call that an achievement.

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My 23 Before 23!

Happy New year! I hope you all had a great one 🙂

Right, I have finally finished deciding on my 23 items to complete in the year before I am 23! It seems an apt time to share them since everyone is sharing their resolutions at the moment! Here they are:

1. Make a dress.
Yep, this one is a hangover from last year. I have already got the fabric, the thread, the zip and the pattern, the only thing that I am lacking is time! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this one will come off this year!

2. Complete ten cross stitch projects.
I’m aware this may seem strange, as it is more ambitious than one that I didn’t complete last year! Last year I wanted to complete seven cross stitch kits to clear through some of my stash, but I didn’t manage it. This year, however, I am not just limiting myself to ‘kits’ but to ‘projects’. I have an abundance of patterns, books and magazines that I have never used, so I have cancelled my subscription with the intention of spending my time stitching the designs instead of just admiring them! I haven’t picked 10 specific projects for the year, I will just stitch what I fancy although I already have a few in mind and in progress. I have also gone through all of my magazines and put sticky notes on all of the designs that I want to stitch! But those will keep me busy long after 2014…

3. Read 20 books of my choice.
Last year I amazed myself at how well I did with this one. Not that reading 20 books is the challenge…it is finding time to justify reading 20 non-university books! This year my teaching finishes in May, then I officially leave university in September (eek!) so it won’t be long before my university reading is at an end forever, which might help me get a little closer to my goal this year!

4. Learn how to knit socks.