Draw breath

I’m back. Back from an unintentional blogging break. I’m back and itching to sew.

I’ve had a lovely Christmas break. One in which I’ve finally sat down at my sewing machine after a break of nearly two months. I know this because I received a new pair of dressmaking scissors for my birthday in mid November and I’ve only just cut the tag of them!
So what has changed in my life in 2015 to cause such a change of behaviour?

Firstly the new job. The new job, started way back in May due to my former employer going into administration, has taken up a much larger chunk of me than I expected. With work, work ideas, doubts and deadlines and new challenges whirling about in my head, for a time it crowded out some of my need to craft. I know that for a period I was a bit of a nightmare to live with!

Secondly, I met these wonderful ladies. In June I built up the courage to try a local cycle club ride. I’ve not looked back.

This is fake snow, btw!

This was our Christmas club ride. Over 30 of us took to the road in Christmas fancy dress. 45 miles and a cafe stop later on the coldest day of the year, we celebrated a year of cycling.  This is me below, on the pale blue bike.

I’ve covered over 1000 miles this year. The ladies ride out every Thursday evening covering around 25 miles, and we join up with the men for longer, 50 to 60 mile rides Sunday rides, but I don’t manage to make it to many of them.

These new friends have become such a welcome part of my life. I’m hoping to enter some cycling events with them in 2016. I put off joining a club for so long, thinking I wasn’t good enough. I’m so glad I did. Although there is part of the club that takes themselves very seriously, we are a very social group with the cafe stop or pint finish being a crucial part of our ride.

Thirdly, back in November I suddenly felt I was crafting purely to meet deadlines or even just to give me blog material. I took a good hard look at myself and all the deadlines I had committed to.  This, coupled with some huge deadlines at work together with a period of self doubt (through which I’m still working!) and a re-occurrence of a small heart problem I had treated several years ago, culminated in the realisation that I was not superwoman.

So something had to give. 2016 will see me blogging a little less and taking a break from the posts I was writing for Minerva and Whitetree fabrics. My blog will once again become a record or diary for me of anything I wish to record or think I might find vaguely interesting to look back on. I have a huge fabric and pattern stash I want to crack on with; something I was unable to do whilst committed to other deadlines.

I want to replace some things around the home. I want to try some new recipes to update our standard evening fare.

We also have a new baby within the family on the horizon so plenty of opportunities for crafting there!

I think lives change. Different things become important. Priorities alter. Mine have.

So here’s to a new 2016, run (or pedaled) at a more relaxed pace.

I leave you with some photos taken at a Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall that I treated myself, my daughter and my mother to, a few days before Christmas. With choirs, an orchestra, that amazing organ and guest singers including the host Aled Jones, it was one of those occasions that we will never forget.

Love, Lucie x