A Week of Laying Foundations

This past week in the studio was a quiet one on the surface, but a busy one underneath.

I spent most of my time catching up on supply lists, making class samples, and preparing for a full stretch of upcoming classes. It’s the kind of work that doesn’t always show up visually, but it’s essential — the groundwork that allows everything else to happen more smoothly.

There was also some encouraging news around organizing classes on demand. It’s still very much in the shaping stage — videos to re-record, workbooks to refine, systems to learn — and as always, it’s taking longer than I imagined. But there is a plan now, and a place for it to live, and that feels quietly exciting.

In the evenings, the pace softened. Night after night has been spent stitching, returning to my stitch journal — a small, steady ritual that has carried me through January. Thirty-one days of pattern and colour now sit together, and seeing the month fully stitched feels deeply satisfying.

Alongside that, the book pages continue to take shape. There are just a few left now — four more before the full set of twenty is complete and the book can finally be assembled. I can already feel that moment approaching, and it’s exciting to think ahead.

Closer to the present moment, I’ve also been preparing papers for this weekend’s studio class on making hand-made books. There’s something grounding about paper — folding, stitching, building structure slowly by hand — and I’m really looking forward to sharing that process.

And looking ahead just a little, my course Textile Rocks will be launching in Stitch Club in the coming weeks — another thread gently being woven in. I simply can’t wait …

Some weeks are about visible progress, and others are about setting things up for what’s next. This one was definitely the latter.

Thanks for reading. Until I write again …

Ana

On Teaching, Returning Classes … and Circles