Every year, at this time, I sit down and take a look back through my blog at the year that was. I reminisce....looking back at the stories and the photos......thinking that it only felt like a couple of months ago that I was writing the same 'look back' blog post for 2016.
January usually starts off slow, but we had the Southern Right Quilt Show in Warrnambool to kick off the new year. It's a great show with lots of quilts on display. The show is held every two years, with the next one in January 2019.
After watching all of the fun for 12 months, I decided to join in with Michelle's Card Class. I have really enjoyed the new hobby......a different creative outlet for me.
February is 'Show' month for me.....not Quilt Shows but our local Heytesbury Agricultural Show. My mind is focused on having everything ready for judging day and Show day. Sometimes our Show falls in February and sometimes it is in March (it's always the Saturday before the long weekend)......this year it was in early March. The week after the Show, I turned 10! Not me of course, but the Shop. It had been 10 years since I first opened the doors to Gum Valley Patchwork, although I had been teaching since 1996.....21 years ago! And then, just a week after the birthday party, my annual Stitching by the Sea Retreat in Port Campbell was held. It was once again a lovely weekend. It's popularity has grown and the 2018 Retreat was booked out in about 10 minutes of opening the registrations!
April is always AQC month. A huge amount of pre-show preparation work goes into doing a big show like this. I am extremely grateful that I have Russell and Hannah that help me out at these big shows.
Prior to AQC, I attended my first ever Craft Alive event in Ballarat. It was here that I launched my new 'designed and made by me' Block of the Month Quilt - 'Christmas Delights'.
Lots of ladies have signed up for the quilt with some even finishing it to hang at Christmas! I still have some places left so if you are interested pop over here to read more.
May was filled with gardening, Stitch Werribee Show, and a new granddaughter, Madeline Peta, who was born on the morning that we flew out for a 4 week overseas holiday! On arriving home on the 18th June and visiting Madeline for the first time, it was straight back into work with the Friendship Frolic. Lenora and I run this annual event jointly between our two shops and we love it.
I also blogged about our holiday adventures......firstly Dubai
and then in Ireland.....
For the third year now we packed the ute and headed west to Adelaide to the Sewing, Stitching and Handcraft Show in July. As always it was great catching up with the lovely ladies from South Australia......and I will be back again in 2018 with some new kits and fabric to tempt you all! July was also the 'erect my hothouse' month.......it took about 5 days, a bit of 'cow yard' language and some very sore fingers (oh those nuts!).....but the result is fantastic. I have grown all of our vegetable and flower seedlings in it this season, and I have more plans for 2018.
August is Winter in our part of Australia. It is the month when we usually get the most rain, the most wind and the yuckiest of weather. This year I did spend quite a few days in the garden (when I wasn't by the sewing machine) but most of my August blogging was taken up with posts of the last leg of our holidays....June in England. The gardens were beautiful......and still inspire me to do better in my own.
There are only three words that I think of when anyone mentions September........Stitch in Spring! It was my seventh Stitch in Spring, the fifth at Port Campbell, and going by the feedback, definitely not the last. The 2018 Stitch in Spring will be held on the 22nd & 23rd September , with registrations opening at 9am on Monday 12th March.
October......which only seemed like last week.....was an eclectic mix of posts (and feelings) ranging from a shop rearrange that took me 3 days to do.....
My brother and his cycling friends visit for scones, jam and cream while on their way from Colac to Warrnambool via Port Campbell.......
and a visit from the Timboon Garden Club, and their presentation of this beautiful plaque for me to put in my 'Mum's garden'.
October also marked the 12 month anniversary of Mum's passing.
November disappeared before we knew it. I took the shop to the Ballarat Quilt Show, and had a lovely weekend with the ladies and Lenora (who was there with her shop). After three years of waiting I got my new mailbox........and I love it!
We also had our inaugural Goode Family Christmas get together in Melbourne. It was a day filled with fun, food and best of all family..........even if it is full of females!
And that brings me all the way back to December.......this month.......Christmas Sale time in the shop, a little break over Christmas, and straight back into stitching projects for the coming year. I hope that you have enjoyed my little trip down Memory Blog Lane, and that you continue to enjoy reading my blog as I continue to enjoy writing it. In April 2018, it will be 10 years since I started my blog.......oh my goodness how did that happen so quickly!
Wishing everyone a safe and happy new year. Thank you for your support and friendship over the past 12 months and here's to a great 2018!
Linda :)