Resolutions

Well it's back to the blog after a busy December (more about this later). The photos are still downloading, but here's a taste - snowy Lake District mountains rising out of the Eden Valley mist.

We had a lovely Christmas and New Year up in Cumbria at my parents' place. Matilda had a great time with her Granny and Grandad and all her cousins, although I think she found all the noise and activity of Christmas Day a bit overwhelming! My mum had done a great job organising everything - it's my turn next year (yikes!), although it will be a much smaller affair at ours.

So aside from planning next Christmas, I've been having a think about things I'd like to achieve over the next year. Here's a list of resolutions for 2011 - who knows if I'll achieve all of them, but hopefully I'll find time for one or two!

1. Master the art of wet felting
2. Try freehand embroidery on the sewing machine
3. Further improve my sewing skills - particularly dressmaking/customising
4. Learn to knit
5. Start playing football again (or failing that, running or cycling)
6. Help get Mummade off the ground (more about this later)
7. Spend as little as possible
8. Buy as few new things as possible
9. Sort out spare room
10. Have another baby!

Curbing my inner consumer

I used to love clothes shopping. Despite my green tendancies which have existed ever since I can remember, I just loved spending the day shopping for clothes. At some point that has changed and now even when I really think I "need" something, I often can't bring myself to spend the money. Fat Face sales are a different matter entirely, but even then I know I will wear the things I buy over and over again. I hate the throwaway fashion industry - a whole generation of young people thinking clothes are so cheap they can just chuck them away when they lose their shape or shrink in the wash (which they invariably do), with scant regard for the implications for the environment and for working conditions in the developing world.

Still, I can't get away from the fact that I still do love new clothes. Step forward the car boot sale and the sewing machine! On Sunday we went with some new friends to a car boot sale. On my shopping list was fabric to make bunting and clothes to customise/adapt. I couldn't believe how cheap things were - 50p for children's clothes, £1 for adult's clothes in some cases. Although I didn't find the secret stash of cute vintage fabrics I hoped I might, I did find some lovely bargains that will hopefully enable me to make some lovely things without buying too much new fabric.

One thing that did strike me as we walked around was how much children's stuff there was for sale. So many clothes and toys, most of it going unsold despite the giveaway prices - there was just too much - piles and piles of little pink outfits! It just shows how much we are programmed these days to buy so much stuff for our own and for other people's babies, with the result that you often can't even give your good quality second hand children's items away. Seeing this excess induces a niggling feeling of uneasiness which definately helps to curb my inner consumer! Now if only I could find some time to get the creativity going...