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Personal highlights from 2017

It’s the time of year for reflection, I know we are hurtling back into everyday normality at rapid speed (I’m back at my day job) but I have taken time to stop and reflect on the year that has been. Each New Years Eve as a family we fill a blessings jar, pausing to give thanks for all the blessings of the previous year. No year is perfect, life isn’t like that but we have a lot to be grateful for.

Family time 

It goes without saying that family comes first. We have had some wonderful holidays, camping in the UK, caravanning in France, staying at Centre Parks. Lots of memories have been made, fir pits lit, fun had.

Our wider families are scattered around the world, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Australia and Denmark. Any time spent with the wider family is cherished and appreciated. We visited my brother and family in Amsterdam, great fun. My son particularly loved meeting snow!

Plus my sister-in-law and family came over from Australia for the first time in many years. It was a delight to meet her husband and my delightful nephew. It is frustrating that to visit them once would be our families holiday budget for five years…:(

Sharing creativity

This year I have facilitated a few t-shirt necklace workshops. I love seeing how people run with an idea and create their own style. Children and adults alike have taken to t-shirt necklaces. It’s great to share/spark creativity using what we have.

As a result, I am now volunteering at a local art and craft group run by a church. Its inclusivity is fabulous, people from all around the world, often with limited English meet to share and create together.  Some people are highly creative, others come for the social aspect, no judgements are made. This is often a highlight of my week.

Collaborations

This small blog would be even smaller without collaboration. This year I am delighted to have worked with Novasol, Reloved and Sew Now.  It was a great delight to receive an email from Sew Now having found me on Pinterest. With three tutorials published I am hoping to continue working with them in 2018. Continuing to work with Reloved has to be a highlight, I still feel honoured every time I have a tutorial published. My personal favourite has to be a headboard I worked with my neighbour on. Ray helped me to create my idea in the flesh, I am sure he enjoyed sharing his skills with me.

Days Out

Two days out stand out, both with my Mum:) Visiting the Great British Sewing Bee live exhibition in September, watching demonstrations, meeting people in the flesh previously only known through social media. This does not come naturally,  I had to force myself to introduce myself. I am so glad I did, it makes such a difference meeting people in the flesh:)

The second day out was the Knitting and Stitching show  – read about the fabulous inspiration here.

Sewing my wardrobe

When I started this blogging journey I was not expecting to start sewing clothes. I first learnt to sew as a teenager at school, but  I could never visualise the finished result of the fabric and pattern, inevitably I was disappointed in the resulting garment. I seem to be improving at this, it has dawned on me that my confidence has grown, I am sewing my own clothes. My hunch is that this turnabout came as a result of sewing the Sew Different Essential Denim Dress.

Reflecting overall on the year the times I am happiest/proudest are the times I have stretched myself, pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I wonder what next year holds??

Thank you to you for taking the time to read, share and comment. It means a great deal to me.

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Stephanie

Wednesday 10th of January 2018

It can be difficult when your family live so far apart, I have family in Australia too. Wishing you all the best for 2018 x

Damjana

Monday 8th of January 2018

Vicky,

loved reading your reflection on 2017. Wishing you a fabulous yer! <3

ngahoang

Monday 8th of January 2018

Thanks for this post. It really usefully. Thanks

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