Happy New Year! I hope 2019 has found you well!
What a year 2018 was! It was one of the harder years, but it was also one of the most rewarding years!
I started the year out, unemployed (by choice) and organizing a wedding!
In March it was apparent that I needed structure in my life to perform to the best of my abilities so I entered the workforce again. It didn’t take long to find a new job, and it didn’t take long for them to promote me. I didn’t commit to more than 3.5 hours a day though, which gives me a nice amount of time to work on my creative en devours.
I built my web page again, this time based in WordPress. I committed to blogging every Wednesday, and I am pleased to say, once I started in May, I haven’t missed a single week!
We landscaped the front and back yard. This was a massive task! We build raised garden beds that span across the back fence, laid grass in the front yard, and planted lots of cool things.
The “Colourful Wedding” gave me a lot to work with! I learnt a heap of new skills and made many gorgeous pieces. I made a LOT of pieces. The list includes :
- Screen printed favors bags
- Felted flower bouquet and hair pieces and boutonnieres
- Invitations and brochure
- Hand dyed shoes and tie
- Wedding dress
As well as all things me and Guy worked on together
- Wishing well
- LOVE sign
- Arch
- Bar sign
And at the end of all that, we were happily married on a hilltop nearby and the reception at our house!
We welcomed two babies into our friend-family, which, of course, meant making two new baby quilts! One with animals and one with bright stars.
My shopping bag pattern became my very first tutorial! And I am ecstatic to say, I know of three people who have used it! So yay! My instructions worked!
I learnt to dye all the things! Guy challenged me to dye our wedding shoes and a tie to match. And then I started dyeing yarn and then roving. Dye has opened up a whole new world of possibilities!
I developed my obsession with spinning even further! I spun quite a bit in 2018! It is very calming and great for talking down the anxiety!
We hosted Christmas lunch at our house, Guy cooking up a feast!
I made many Christmas presents. This included :
- 3 sets of shopping bags
- 3 sets of hand spun/hand dyed wool
- A felt Optimus Prime softie
In between Christmas and New Years, we installed new cupboards in the studio. This required pretty much emptying the entire studio, building the new cupboards, and then trying to fit everything back in!
And then we finished the year off with a water fight in our backyard with all our lovely friends!
Looking forward, I am hoping 2019 brings more quiet and calm. More time for friends and family.
I already have two projects lined up. The first, which I need to finish in the next couple of weeks, is a volunteer sewing job for the new local school. I am making a bunch of mattress covers for the preschool rooms. I am very keen to play a part in our little community!
The second is a commissioned quilt. A close friend has asked me to make a Family Tree quilt for a special birthday. I am really excited to get to work on this one!
Me and Guy will also be jet setting again this year! This time we are headed for Europe! We have four weeks to explore Spain, France, Belgium and Netherlands. This is our delayed honeymoon!
I have a list of other things I would like to work on this year. Things that include improvements for the blog, maybe an Etsy store, lots of sewing, creating, up-cycling and finishing off projects started years ago!
Whats on the horizon for your 2019?
Have a creative week!
<3 Cate
Comments