Almost two weeks after moving in we have more or less settled here in the Northern Beaches. It such a beautiful area - the beach is only a 20-minute walk from our house, and the views from the Plateau are fabulous:
All the boxes are unpacked, the quilts have come out and it's starting to feel like home!
Len's Quilt (The Log Cabin with a Lens, original pattern here) used to hang at my husband's workplace. Since he is not starting his new job until February, we can enjoy it at home now for a while:
My middle son's Dragon quilt is up on the wall again:
Yesterday I finally got to sew at my machine again - the first time in almost three months! I whipped up a zipper pouch, using a bit of leftover Marimekko fabric from my Modern Lone Star Quilt:
Today is for blogging, and reflecting on the year that is almost over. Like many people I am happy to say goodbye to 2016 - it was a rather horrible year, not just globally but on a personal level as well. I lost the job I loved, my husband's work contract ended and his new job meant we had to move 1000 km away from our home. We had to leave our rental house six weeks before the move and spent those weeks in a one-room apartment... Not fun. In the midst of all this our youngest son fell and broke his right elbow, a horrible complicated fracture which luckily is healing well, although he still hasn't fully regained the nerve function in his (dominant) right hand.
However, as the year is ending, things are looking up again for us. We love our new surroundings and enjoy life near the beach. The boys are a bit apprehensive about starting at new schools, but they have another four weeks of summer holidays first. I started running back in October as a way of dealing with all the stress, and although I have been struggling with injuries (Achilles tendonitis, shin splint) I am enjoying it, feeling better and losing weight.
Looking at the quilty side of things, it has been a productive and quite successful year. My Calendar was juried into the travelling exhibition a matter of time and Colourful Pencils was selected for the 2016 Modern Quilt Show Australia. My quilts for the SAQA Benefit Auction and Quilt Alliance Auction both sold. Being asked to judge at the Auckland Festival of Quilts was one of the highlights of 2016.
After losing my day job in February, selling my patterns on Etsy has become an important source of income. Luckily they are doing quite well! Here are all patterns currently for sale (ranked according to popularity - click to enlarge) - I hope to add a few more in the coming year:
Last but not least, I rediscovered knitting in 2016 - to the delight of my family! Here are a few of my finished projects (you can see them all, plus my works in progress, on Ravelry):
I am definitely planning to do more knitting in 2017, and hope to publish more knitting patterns after my first one, the Wine Bottle Cover!
I would also like to make more art quilts, and add some work to my sports quilts series.
And my final goal for 2017 is to design more patchwork quilts in Adobe Illustrator - I used it first when writing up the pattern for my Lone Star Baby Quilt and quite enjoyed the process.
I hope you will continue to follow this blog and leave the occasional comment. Thank you for coming along on the ride so far!
I would like to wish all my readers a happy, healthy, and creative 2017!
4 comments:
What a year you have had! You are amazing. Only good things ahead!
change is always terrifying but often a gift at the same time. Leaving old friends but opportunities to meet new ones. I was lucky to have spent 5 weeks in Australia (1988) and loved every bit of my time there. I am amazed at the quilting trends in Australia - don't know why. I enjoyed your art quilts - plan to make a tulip fields quilt for a friend of mine. Bought your colored pencils pattern, it is on my list of makes for the future. Keep up the good work. Happy New Year from the Pacific Northwest - USA.
Wow... so many changes, but that beach is gorgeous! Glad you have that! And, you have put things together so beautifully in your new place. Well done! I had a tough year as well (also broke my wrist), but such is life. And, I started knitting a year ago and am loving it! Especially since it is so portable. Very fun to be able to make things for people and for myself.
Well, I hope everything settles down for you in the best way possible. Doors open and close and life is always changing.
Happy New Year, Linda-Family !~! May 2017 bring all you wish for and hope to accomplish. How remarkable to be so near the beach; twenty minutes is a wonderful distance to walk-just right for getting blood flowing without fatigue. Hope the boys find schools to their liking; changing schools is one of childhood's most difficult transitions. I had to do it between yrs 9 and 10 and it remains one of my most difficult childhood experiences. For them it will go smoothly with luck and your parenting skills. Best to your husband in his new job.
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