2020-2021 20% Time/Genius Hour

                                                                October 1: Week 1 

        For my 20% time project, I chose to learn to embroider and stitch. This is because I wanted to try something that I wouldn't usually do or finish doing. So far during my first week of learning my grandma who is helping me, and a couple of videos have taught me how to cross-stitch. I have decided that this is one of many techniques I will be using to fulling learn how to stitch. Though I am starting to get pretty good I still always make the mistake of not stretching the thread causing it to bunch up and create a knot, nevertheless, I still think I have made some good progress actually getting more comfortable using the thread.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNrX2DEB9tg&feature=youtu.be

October 7: Week 2

    This week I finally completed the flower. I realized that after I finished the 6th petal I had become much more comfortable and had been going a lot faster than I started. The thing I had the most difficulty with this week would probably be doing the red outline of the petals. This is because I would mistake the number of crosses I would need to do and have to undo it. On the other hand, I don't think I've mastered cross-stitching yet, but I do think I'm good enough to learn a different technique now. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6pmb-myRKc&feature=youtu.be

October 14: Week 3

   This week I started a new project. Though, I decided that before I move on I want to make sure that I could cross-stitch to my absolute best, so I picked a similar flower and I chose similar colors. After, I started I noticed that I was going much faster, and I poked myself much less. This was a bigger design, but I completed the outline and the center quicker. Overall I definitely think I am improving.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_ijpQizzs 

October 21: Week 4 

    Nothing exciting really happened this week I basically just finished the flower. However, I'm glad I did take the time to improve with this method of stitching, and I definitely think I am ready to move on to something new. Additionally, I noticed that after I did the outline of the petals I basically went twice as fast. 

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3uyw9uUSDM

October 28: Week 5 

    This week I wanted to give embroidery a break, and since my project is learning to work with thread, string, and yarn I decided to make bracelets. I watched several videos and chose three designs that I liked. Later I realized that they were more difficult, and took longer than I expected. However, I really love how they came out and will be making more in the future. 

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaX4T0BxtJs

November 4: Week 6 

    After the bracelets, I watched a video showing how to do the entire alphabet. I really liked learning the different stitches and patterns, but what I didn't expect was how long these letters actually took. So I only did half his week. I did notice I'm picking up the different techniques easily, and overall I think I am improving 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNneGzm4IAE&t=103s

November 11: Week 7 

    Again, nothing exciting. This week I just finished up the alphabet. I definitely feel like I did some better than others, and later on, maybe I'll go back and work on the ones that weren't my favorite. The most challenging part of this week was probably lining up all the letters because they came out in different sizes, but overall I think I did my best 

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNneGzm4IAE&t=103s

November 18: Week 8 

    Continuing with embroidery, this week was basically all about review. However, I did learn some new stitches most of these were from last week and the other projects. I feel like now that I've practiced more I can or could've done my recent projects more efficiently and accurately 

                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sib-U2Np7G8

December 2: Week 9 

    For the past three weeks, I've been doing embroidery and I think I'm ready for a break because I'm not making as much progress as I would like. Consequently, I'm learning to make scrunchies! I know I didn't include fabric in my project, but I think I'm going to make an exception because it's something that might be really fun. Anyway, I started off by finding some old shirts, rubber bands and taking out the sewing machine. I'm not too familiar with the machine, so I had my grandma teach and help me this week. I don't think they came out perfect, but I learned a lot, and I'm pretty happy with how they came out.

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW1GiQseu8E

December 9: Week 10

      This week I just kinda perfected my ability to make these. Though, I think I made the right decision including fabric. Overall,  I can say they came out better this week, and I am going to make more of these in the future. On the other hand, I will say that the gold satin was very difficult to make and kept getting caught or stuck in the machine

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHedI0ZAeGI

                                                                    December 16: Week 11

    I did go back to embroidery this week, but I learned to stitch flowers. I think the was my second favorite coming behind the scrunchies. I will say these were hard to do and took a good amount of time. It was overall worth it though. I know it didn't come out perfect, but it is something I can work on.

         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOz6kc1DX2I&t=477s

  

                                                                         CHRISTMAS BREAK 

       January 6: Week 12 

    While doing some of my other projects I saw many videos of people learning to make blankets, so I decided to give it a try. I got about 3 spools of yarn but quickly learned that it wasn't going to be enough. This did take a while so I am pretty sure I'm not gonna finish this week, but so far I do like how it's turning out. 
                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZooU5V6XD24

January 13: Week 13 

         

    This week I just up the blanket, and it's so warm! At first, I will say I made a good amount of mistakes like skipping a loop or making the loops too big or small.  However, by the final spool, I got the hang of it . I definitely think I will be making another blanket very soon, but maybe with thinner yarn. This is so far my favorite.                              

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7reiYj0iu70

                                                            January 20- 27: Week 14 & 15

    This week I started crocheting which my grandma is teaching. I did this for two weeks because this has been one of the hardest projects I've done. At first, I did not understand it at all I couldn't crochet if the world depended on it, but I slowly improved. Furthermore, I notice that I really got the hang of it around my second week. I know for certain I am nowhere near perfect but I think this week I really improved.                                                             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJi

February 3-10: Week 16-17

         So I went back to embroidery, but instead of making a design, I got a napkin. Which already came with a design that you had to basically trace. I decided to gift it to my grandma because it is normally used to keep tortillas warm, keep flies away from bread, or for decoration and I don’t think it will have much use in my room. Anyways, I decided to do this over the span of two weeks because the grapes took forever. Overall, the most challenging part was the grape area, but I think it was worth it and I like the way it turned out. 

                                                                        February 17: Week 18

    This week I’m doing another cross-stitch flower. Though, this week I found using this fabric was much harder. I think it’s because it doesn’t have the holes like the first one that I used. It’s taken me so much longer to finish each line. I did also poke myself quite a bit, so I think I need to practice a little more. Though, I am really happy with what I finished this week. 

February 24: Week 19 

The fabric from last week's flower was too difficult to work with the needle would not go through, I couldn't find where the x's went and the thread would just bunch up and knot. So I decided to just start a new one with the old fabric. It was much easier and came out better 

                                                         March 3: Week 20 

Basically

   this week I just added the two leaves. I have noticed that I have improved from the beginning of the year. 1. Don't poke me as much. 2. I'm much faster 

March 10 : Week 21

I just added a border it took a while, but it looks finished. Most times after I finished it just looked messy because the sides were frayed. I think later I will do this to most of the other flowers.

March 17: Week 22

   

 Nothing new just started another flower, but instead of 

thread I used the leftover lace and just added some stems 

I think it looks nice not my best, though

                                                                    SPRING BREAK 

                                                                                            

                                                                  

                                                                         March 31: Week 23

Again, this week I added a  border, though this week instead of lace I did a zigzag with purple thread. I really like doing this because without it look unfinished. 

April 7: 24 

Another flower, cross-stitching is now really easy, and much quicker. Though, I think I might do a few more to really perfect everything. I have really enjoyed learning to embroider. 

April 14: Week 25

Just added a border which is still pretty hard to do I haven't really gotten used to it. You might have trouble seeing it as it is white but it's there 

April 21: Week 26

Started another flower, but I ran out to have enough to do a border so I'm gonna have to just leave it as a flower. Though I still have a lot to learn  I definitely think I'm way better than I started.

April 28:  Week 27

This week I wanted to do something instead of doing the x's 3x3 like usual I tried to do them smaller. It was definitely more challenging but after a while, I got the hang of it. In my opinion, I would only use the 2x2 for a larger design, but I think it was good for a first try. 

May 5: Week 28 

Conclusion

For my final week of Genius Hour, I decided to just reflect. I can tell that I improved from the first flower. I can go much faster, I mess up very rarely, and lastly, I don't poke myself with the needle.

 Though there is still so much for me to improve and learn I think I did my best, and I really enjoyed learning something new