A Bit of a Detour – And We are Back on Track

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that no one seemed to be receiving my blog posts by email. After a bit of investigating, I discovered that this had actually been going on for quite a while. For some reason, a payment hadn’t gone through, and as a result the emails simply stopped being delivered.

What should have been a simple fix turned into a bit of an ordeal. I had changed my email address, and suddenly I couldn’t access my account at all. As you can imagine, it was extremely frustrating.

The good news is that everything is now sorted out – thank you, Sherwin, for helping me untangle it all – and we are officially back on track.

I have been posting regularly during this time, so if you’ve missed a few updates, I invite you to visit my website and catch up on what’s been happening in my studio over the past few months.

And now, on to this past week…

It’s been a busy one, filled with stitching samples for new classes, plenty of admin work, and all those behind-the-scenes tasks that quietly keep everything moving forward.

In the midst of all the stitching, I’ve also been—of course—trying to get ready for the holidays. It’s that time of year again. Funny how we know it’s coming, and yet somehow we still find ourselves rushing to get everything done in time.

My thoughts keep drifting between the studio and the season ahead: menus to plan, presents to find and place under the tree, and that inevitable last-minute shopping that always seems to sneak up at the end. It all weaves itself together – threads, lists, ideas, and obligations – sometimes neatly, sometimes not so much.

Stitching has been my constant companion these past few weeks. As I think about it, there’s been very little need for the sewing machine at all. Instead, I’ve found myself doing more and more handwork—sometimes by necessity—as I prepare classes that are entirely focused on stitching by hand.

And oh, how I’ve enjoyed it.

Even though it felt a bit daunting at first to come up with new ideas for new classes, it turned into a quiet adventure into my own mind. I found myself asking what I could do to create a small piece that would be both enticing and accessible – something that could be started in class and then gently carried forward at home.

I will confess, though, that finishing these pieces will likely take more than the three hours we have together. But perhaps that, too, is part of the point.

As the holidays approach and everything seems to speed up, this kind of slow, handwork feels especially meaningful. These small stitched pieces aren’t meant to be rushed or finished in one sitting. They’re meant to be returned to – picked up in the quiet moments, stitched a little at a time, and allowed to unfold at their own pace. Sort of letting the stitching become a companion rather than a task.

The new projects are below – they hopefully give you a glimpse of what I’ve been working on and what’s been taking shape in the studio.

While preparing these new hand-stitching classes, I also had the pleasure of contributing to the students’ online exhibition for the workshop Unbound, published by FibreArts Take Two. It’s full of inspiring projects and creative explorations, and you can take a look at it – Unbound Student Exhibiton 2025. I’m especially happy to share it now, as some of the posts I wrote during the workshop didn’t reach anyone at the time – so it’s wonderful to see the work in the online exhibiton and finally be able to share it with you. My work is on pages 44-45.

And in between stitching and holiday planning, there’s always a bit of kitchen magic happening. I have my usual banana bread routine: buy bananas, forget to eat them, and – since I like mine on the “greenish” side – once they ripen… well, banana bread to the rescue! This batch is full of raisins, cranberries, and walnuts, and the whole house smells like comfort and warmth.

I hope this blog finds its way to your inbox! Thank you for reading. Until I write again, enjoy the season and all the small moments in between.

Ana

The Language of Folds