Making Changes.....

2016 so far has been a year of epic changes.... moving house and town, changing schools -twice and changing job!

As with any changes all of this has taken a toll on our family. We love where we now live in Stroud. It has taken 5 months but we finally feel at home. It is a great town with lovely walks into town and all sorts of lovely shops.

The rest of life is settling down, but we have had to make some changes. The boys have stopped Saturday morning activities for a little while - family time has been needed to help us all settle in.

And I have made the decision in the last 2 weeks that my creativity has taken a nose dive in the last 18 months through work pressures, teaching commitments and life! Like so many of you I can't function without being creative. It is part of my soul and without working on something creative my brain starts to suffer...... I suffer!

So..... I have decided to stop teaching. I love teaching and passing on my skills and creating fabric addicts! But I NEED to work on my own creations. I want to finish my City and Guilds, I want to create new items and I want finish my stack of half finished quilts.... I want to do something for me!

It has been a hard decision and I am heart broken to leave my students, but having made a commitment to look after myself more I feel better already.

Just some of the things I have been doing since my decision to slow down: crochet (3 blankets on the go at once), bread making and finishing the quilt top for my Tulip Medallion quilt.

Sometimes hard decisions lead to a happier life.... a hopefully a more creative life!

See you soon,

Saturdays

I always greet the weekend with mixed emotions... no work (this weekend at least), but housework to catch up on and 3 hyper active monsters to keep entertained...

The routine is the same if we don't have to rush somewhere:

• Mummy has coffee
• Boys fight - mummy intervenes
• Mummy tidies up a bit
• Boys play nicely
• Mummy hides in bed reading blogs and looking at handmade shops/blogs
• Boys fight - mummy drags them out to run it off....

Getting some space to just be alone is kinda hard and the boys don't spend every weekend together so the first couple of hours on a Saturday morning are a contest of the testosterone to re-establish who is top dog - mummy!

So I whilst we are in the second playing nicely phase I thought share some of my blog finds recently.

I think I must have been very slow in discovering the blog of designer Anna Maria Horner. And I kinda regret that... her blog is a stunning visual peek into her world. I mean serious gorgeous! The pictures are perfect for drooling over with a mug of coffee. There is so much to ogle at and so much inspiration that I could happily pass away an entire morning just here.....

blue elephant stitches is the wonderful blog of quilts, quilts and more quilts! There a pictures to drool over, tutorials to follow and so many gorgeous things to look at it is hard to drag myself away from it. I haven't explored every part of the blog, but I plan to! The creations and colours are so vibrant and fabulous that you can't help feel inspired to go and sew!

Another new blog I have been checking in on is block-a-day. It is a gorgeous log of a fabulous crafter and her journey through life. I like taking sneak peeks at other peoples worlds and realising that we are all pretty much the same... it is comforting to know you are not alone!

Hope to you enjoy the blogs.

I would to see your favourites if you fancy sharing....

The lesson I learnt......

Last week I had a one-to-one bag making class with a lovely local lady who contacted me asking about classes for her and her daughter. Her daughter wasn't sure about coming so Eve came along on her own.

It was a great day, learning how to sew oilcloth and design a bag. Lots of new skills were learnt and a gorgeous bag was completed - even an internal zippered pocket!

After my fall, my confidence had dipped. I felt lost on the pain killers and began to worry about my change in direction. Had I done the right thing? Was teaching really for me?

The lovely Eve gave me back my confidence in my decision. Eve and I chatted over the day and shared our lives with each other. The day gave Eve a space to have some time to herself, it allowed her to step out of her wife and mother roles. She was just Eve, learning to make a bag.

At the end of the day Eve said that she had enjoyed learning to sew a bag, but she had also enjoyed having the space she desperately needed to be herself.

I re-learnt the power of craft and teaching someone how to make something for themselves. The confidence that is gained by making something is priceless, whether it is sewing, felting or any other craft. It is amazing watching someone change over the course of a workshop/course. Their growth in confidence is almost visible. I have seen it over and over again, and it is still amazing!

So have I done the right thing?

YES!

I have a skill - I help people to relax and learn something new; I help people to step out of their lives and do something for themselves; I give people confidence to try something new.

These are the things Eve helped me to see, helping me to get my confidence back was the gift Eve gave me on Wednesday. It is a gift that I am very grateful for. Thank you Eve x