30 Before 30 (ish)

I turned 29 this month, and thought it would be fun to do a "30 before 30" project - writing a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30 and, er, doing them.

Typically, I only thought of this after my birthday and then it took me a while to think of what I wanted to put on the list (actually, I'm still not finished writing it), so I'm aiming to complete this by the end of next year (ish) instead of actually when I turn 30 next summer.

The list so far:

1) Finish my giant granny square blanket.

2) Crochet a stripey blanket - maybe plain stripes or maybe a ripple, I'm not sure which one I want to try yet (decisions, decisions...).

3) Start a patchwork quilt. I'm planning on handstitching this, so it's going to take me a while and finishing it in a year and a half is not remotely likely! Just choosing a design and fabrics and making a start on it will be enough to keep me happy.

4) Make a skirt - this is something I've been meaning to do for years. I'm always bookmarking skirt-making tutorials on craft blogs and then never getting round to trying any of them.

5) Adapt this dress to make it a bit more practical, so I can wear and enjoy it instead of just keeping it in suitcase under the bed.

6) Finish my scrapbook about my years at University. It's been almost 10 years since I first went to Uni, yet this scrapbook remains unfinished! I'll start forgetting it all soon...

7) Make some cushions to brighten up our very boring sofa.

8) Buy a ceramic pen or two and decorate some mugs (this is another thing I've wanted to try for years!).

9) Get a book with lots of fancy embroidery stitches and use it to stitch a sampler. I only know a few very basic stitches and I'd like to learn lots more.

10) Design an embroidery pattern and share it here on the blog.

11) Frame and hang all the pictures I've bought over the past couple of years (well, all the ones I have wall space for, anyway).

12) Make a crafty video (fingers crossed the boyfriend will help me out with this one!)

13) Visit all the museums near me, because it's just silly that I've lived here for almost 5 years and not been to them all yet.

14) Visit the V&A. I go to London so infrequently these days that I've not been to the V&A in years and years, which makes me sad.

15) Read 30 new books. I don't read as much as I used to (my evenings are normally spent sewing or knitting rather than reading) and when I do, I've become a bit of a re-reader. It's definitely time to try some new things!

16) Read War & Peace - I've owned a copy for almost 15 years, I really should actually read it. While I'm at it, I should reread and finish Anna Karenina too (I loved that book so much when I read it aged 15 I spent a large portion of my GCSE study leave reading it instead of revising for my exams! Eventually I put it in a box under my bed to make myself focus on my studies, and never picked it back up again).

17) Visit 10 towns or cities I've never been to before (because daytrips are fun)

18) Do a "30 things in 30 days" making challenge to get some ideas out of my sketchbooks and into reality.

19) Give up chocolate, biscuits, cake, etc for 90 days. I don't smoke or drink but I have a very sweet tooth and I'd like to try and kick the habit!

20) Clear out the two boxes in our spare room which are full of "odds and ends" that have no home (many of which have been in the same boxes since we moved in 5 years ago).

21) Learn to cook an omlette (instead of just making a big eggy mess)

22) Finish my "less 365 project". After completing a personal challenge to give away 100 things in the run up to Christmas last year, I'd caught the decluttering bug and decided to try getting rid of one thing a day for a year (giving them away or recycling / binning them as appropriate). I'm running a little behind - I'm up to about 4th June now - but I'm getting there!

... and that's as far as I've got, but I'm going to make a start anyway and think up the rest as I go along :)

Wish me luck!

[UPDATED - I've unfortunately had to abandon this project, but some of the things mentioned here are definitely still on my to do list...]