An Accounting

I realized I never did my semi-annual accounting of stash expenditures this past June.  One of the advantages of stitching primarily on class projects and WIPs from 2010 and 2011 is that I have just about everything I need and have had to buy very little.  So this will be a very brief accounting.

On Charts:    $  6.29
On Fibers:    $ 11.50
On Fabrics:   $ 28.01
On Embellishments [Beads, buttons]:  -------
On Tools and Accessories:  $ 22.50
On Framing:   -------
On Books, Magazines and Subscriptions:  $ 45.98
On Classes and Retreats:  $ 250.00
Shipping/Handling/Insurance  $ 10.69
EGA Membership: renew in May 2013   -------
Total   $  373.97

Now, I realize one of my annual goals was to avoid purchasing any new charts but I did have to buy one Cedar Hills chart.  It had been on my wish list so long that I was afraid it would go out of print before I got around to buying it.  And, though I won't be attending the Mystic Retreat till October, I have pre-paid my fees, so that inflates the July figure a bit.  At this year's Mystic Retreat, we have the option of taking a class or two or three [the kit for each class will be $90] or simply bringing along our own stitching.  Though I need another class project like a hole in the head - see my list of uncompleted class projects in the sidebar - I am seriously considering two of the classes: The Martha Washington Sampler and the Haunted Huswif, both designed by Dawn of Morning Glory Needleworks.  I want to winnow this down to one and am leaning toward the sampler since I have a number of stitching accessories kits already - again, see the sidebar.  And one of them is a Halloween  themed etui with accessories from Brightneedle, so it's hard to justify buying another similar project.Another factor in the decision is that I have seen a photograph of the stitched sampler but there is no such photo available for the Haunted Huswif.  I really don't like buying a pig in a poke.  I tend to favor Halloween designs that are either primitive or witchily elegant.  I avoid the silly monsters, grinning cats, oddly colored owls and green faced witches studiously.

This still puts me well below the $981 dollars spent last year ... but not for long, I fear.  I have four projects I want to have professionally framed before Christmas which will probably add $1000-$1200 to the total and it is inevitable that I will need some more fibers as I work through my current projects.  So I expect the final total for 2012 will be between $1600-$1700.